《The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife (Joanna)》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window. Inside a house, a man said coldly, ¡°sign the divorce papers! Aspensation, I will give you 100 million dors in alimony.¡± ¡°Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?¡± asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him. ¡°Roxy¡¯s back, and she doesn¡¯t want to see you! It¡¯s time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!¡± Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a ssical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever. Joanna¡¯s pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, ¡°You¡¯re divorcing me because she¡¯s back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?¡± ¡°You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first ce, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she¡¯s back, I won¡¯t make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! 100 million dors for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain.¡± Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words. ¡°I¡­ What will happen if I don¡¯t sign them?¡± Joanna asked bitterly. ¡°Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice.¡± As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway? Two years ago, Joanna¡¯s family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage. However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna¡¯s step¨Csister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other. The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group¡¯s eldest daughter hooking up with her brother¨Cinw This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. was all. over the newspaper. Roxanne Haynes¡® mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment. Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother¨Cinw. Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his. bed. Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection. Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married. The past two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna. Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically. So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She¡¯d had enough anyway! 574 14:24 ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll sign them, but I have a request.¡± ¡°Spit it out then!¡± Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money! After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about. ¡°I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you¡¯ve been with me, you¡¯ve called out Roxanne¡¯s name. Yeah, you¡¯ve made me feel like I¡¯m the worst woman in the world, and I¡¯ve had enough! I¡¯m your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for thest time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!¡± For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger. Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all! ¡°Oh, stop the nonsense. There¡¯s someone waiting for me downstairs¡­¡± Joanna snorted with self¨Cmockingughter. Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs! ¡°She can wait a little longer. She¡¯s been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don¡¯t mind the media writing stories about me again!¡± Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few secondster, he replied, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it. But don¡¯t you regret it, Joanna!¡± Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently. And then¡­ Her stockings were ripped apart¡­ The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her! ¡°AH!¡± Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain! Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel. He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him! Good! Very good! She would remember this, remembering the man¡¯s cruelty to her for the rest of her life. ¡°Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?¡± He finally called her name as he was on top of her. Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole. years. Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, ¡°Bruce Everett! I won¡¯t love you anymore!¡± Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered! She was¡­ beautiful! This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes. That was why her so¨Ccalled love for him would only make him sick. ¡°Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!¡± Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess. Two monthster¡­ In a hospital. ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!¡± Giving up? No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children! It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right¡­¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Four yearster. In the intensive¨Ccare unit of a hospital. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn¡¯t getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!¡± Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, ¡°Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can¡¯t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government¡­ oh, what to do¡­ none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don¡¯t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him apanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!¡± Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days. Raymond, Shaun¡¯s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed. He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%. In other words, Joanna would be thergest shareholder of the Haynes Group. Yet, ording to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond¡¯s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government. So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days. However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world! No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced. ¡°The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!¡± Shaun¡¯s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.. Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna¡¯s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured. She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end. Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl. ¡°Dad, Mom, Grandpa¡¯s awake!¡± ¡°Joann¡­ my Joanna¡­¡± Raymond had been in aa for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered. And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter. ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!¡± ¡°Joann¡­ Let me see Joann. You won¡¯t get a penny before that¡­¡± Ingrid shouted in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she¡¯s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for thest time?¡± A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne¡¯s eyes, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?¡± Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question. Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene! Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dors in it. And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either. It had been four years! Still, Bruce didn¡¯t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many ns to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn¡¯t need any of them! She just disappeared from his worldpletely. ¡°Joann¡­ Joann!¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Grandpa¡¯s dying! Go get the doctors¡­¡± The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond¡¯s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed! They were crying, not for Raymond¡¯s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated! Tap, tap, tap¡­ From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels! Creak. The door of the ward was pushed open. The one who came in was wearing a custom¨Cmade white suit! A limited¨Cedition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunsses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high¨Cheeled shoes. brought them out even more. She walked in with the ice¨Ccold¨Cbeauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few. ¡°Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m here to see my grandpa!¡± Joanna took off her sunsses slowly and walked towards the bed. ¡°Joanna!¡± The others all gasped. She had changed so much. Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had be curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changedpletely from the next¨Cdoor sweet girl to a mature, sexy careerdy! What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years! ¡°Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don¡¯t show up¡­¡± For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so d to see Joanna. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, grandpa. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte!¡± ¡°Joann,¡± Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m d that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved¡­¡± With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut! Beep! The ECG was beeping, dering Raymond¡¯s death! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandpa? Grandpa!¡± Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her! ¡°Ah,e on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it¡¯s time to talk about inheritance, you came?¡± said Shaun¡¯s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious. He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond¡¯s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more! ¡°Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!¡± said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. ¡°Joann, now that you¡¯re back, move back home!¡± Ingrid¡¯s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, ¡°That¡¯s right,e and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such arge enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you¡¯re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.¡± Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother! By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid¡¯s full control. Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re right on this. Raymond¡¯s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 It waste afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond¡¯s body. Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others. ¡°Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!¡± Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joannal had not spoken to him once before this. Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. ¡°Thanks, but I drove here.¡± The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger. 1 Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce¡¯s arm affectionately, saying, ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t you move back in with us? At least, you don¡¯t have to be alone, and¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!¡± Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking. Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd. ¡°It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family.¡± Bruce did not reply. During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him. The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothingpared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends. That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family. Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him. Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life. ¡°Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid. She is smart and good with men, too. See her fancy. clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again. Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you.¡± Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she¡¯s been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren¡¯t many girls as smart as her anymore.¡± Bruce somehow was a little upset. ¡°Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?¡± said Ingrid with a ttering smile, afraid of offending her daughter¡¯s promising husband¨Cto¨Cbe. Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car¡­ Having watched Bruce¡¯s car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. Sheined, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce¡¯s bed six years ago. Bruce never mentions marrying me again. And now that Joanna¡¯s back, what are we gonna do?¡± 14-35 Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughterined about was what Ingrid regretted the most. She had it all well¨Cdesigned six years ago. First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce¡¯s room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything. After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother¨Cinw¡¯s arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance. Yet she did not expect that it would backfire. Bruce actually slept with Joanna. And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna. Thinking of this, Ingrid said, ¡°I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna. Well, now that the old man¡¯s dead, let¡¯s see who can stand up for her this time¡± ¡°But mom¡­¡± Roxanne was still worried. Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes. The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna. Over the years, he had totally be a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers. We are falling out with her right. now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first¡­¡± Ten dayster, it was Raymond¡¯s funeral. It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects. Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery. After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well¨C focused. ¡°I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother¨Cinw six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she¡¯s the director of the Haynes Group. That¡¯s impressive!¡± ¡°Ha! So what? She¡¯s just a scheming woman. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn¡¯t she? Such a woman is simply disgusting.¡± Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, ¡°May I have your attention, please? First of all, I¡¯d like to thank you all foring to Raymond¡¯s funeral, and¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. A reporter cut in, ¡°Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new- leader?¡± Ingrid paused before replying, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for apany as big as the Haynes Group, one man¡¯s word alone can¡¯t take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director.¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, why isn¡¯t Joanna here on such an important day?¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s the question you should ask her¡­¡± While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines. A stretch limo was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes. ¡°Look at that license te. It seems to be Mr. Grimm¡¯s car!¡± The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls¨CRoyce. Yes, that car belonged to Jaydon Grimm. There were two well¨Cknown wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm. He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity. The doors of the Rolls¨CRoyce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really Mr. Grimm!¡± The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood. After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in ck. out of the car like a real gentleman.) ¡°Is this¡­? Wow, it¡¯s Joanna Haynes!¡± ¡°You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?¡± As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny ck suits. The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4. And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone¡¯s interest. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°Oh my God, I don¡¯t believe it! After being kicked out of the Everett family, Joanna hooked up with Mr. Grimm. And they¡¯ve had two kids already¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, are these children yours? What is your rtionship with Joanna Haynes?¡± ¡°When did you two get together?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, is it true that Ms. Haynes is about to take over the Haynes Group as the new executive director?¡± The reports crowded with the popping shbulbs and the swimming mics. Hundreds of securities quickly formed a human wall. Jaydon, who had never been a big fan of interviews, nodded slightly at the crowd of reporters: He was going to answer their questions today. ¡°Ms. Haynes and I are very good friends. Thank you for your concern,¡± This one sentence was enough for the reporters¡® imagination. Joanna and the two boys entered the cemetery under the protection of Jaydon and security. Today was the funeral of Joanna¡¯s grandfather, and she felt it necessary for her children to bid a proper farewell to him. Four years ago, after she divorced Bruce, she gave birth to triplets, two boys and a girl. The girl was supposed toe with Joanna, but the poor kid was born with a disease, and it was not appropriate for her to attend such an asion. So, Joanna only brought her two sons. She and Jaydon stopped at Raymond¡¯s grave and made three deep bows. ¡°Kids, bow to your great¨Cgrandfather.¡± The babies obeyed their mummy and bowed deeply, just as Joanna and Jaydon had done. A warm family of four. ¡°Is that man Mr. Grimm? Jaydon Grimm?¡± ¡°Oh, dear, he¡¯s not secretly married to that lousy woman, is he?¡± ¡°This is shocking, I can¡¯t believe that Mr. Grimm would ept such a woman¡­¡± This scene was irritating Ingrid and Roxanne, not to mention the otherdies present. Jaydon Grimm was nearly every woman¡¯s fantasy. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He was born into a wealthy family, and he had grown into a handsome young man with a promising future! Jaydon Grimm was no less influential than Bruce. Yet now it was Joanna, the woman kicked out of the Everett family, who hooked up with Jaydon. How could she get so lucky? What was so charming about her to be with such a fine man? ¡°Joann, em, whose children are they?¡± asked Shaun as he looked at the two boys in shock. ¡°They are my children, dad,¡± answered Joanna as she turned to the boys. ¡°Davian, Irvin, this is your grandpa.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Grandpa!¡± Two boys called out together. What the¡­ All the others were thunderstruck by this shocking news. Ingrid and Roxanne were also freezing, their hearts pounding in horror. These two boys looked so much like Bruce. Especially their eyes. They were basically small versions of the man. Shaun still looked incredulous. ¡°And¡­ who¡¯s their father?¡± he asked with a serious face. Deep down, he was so worried that Bruce was the father! After all, Bruce was now Roxanne¡¯s fiance. Yes, Joanna was also Shaun¡¯s daughter, but unlike Roxanne, Joanna grew up abroad with her mother. It wasn¡¯t until Joanna was 12 years old after her mother died that she was brought back to the Haynes family. Therefore, there was no deep bonding between Joanna and Shaun. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m not trying to me you. But you should at least tell your own family about the big issue, such as giving birth to two kids!¡± Shaun did not look pleased when finding he was a grandfather now. Instead, he looked disgusted. Shaun believed that if Bruce was the father, then Joanna must have meddled in Roxanne¡¯s love life. Even if Bruce was not the father, Joanna was very likely to use the boys to seize more shares of the family inheritance. All in all, this was no good for Shaun. Joanna kept her head down and didn¡¯t say anything. She just wanted to take the kids to see her grandfather off for thest time. As for the other things, she didn¡¯t want to exin too much. By this time, Jaydon had taken a step forward and reached out. ¡°Hi, Mr. Haynes. I¡¯m Jaydon! I¡¯m Joann¡¯s good friend.¡± When Shaun heard this, he gave Jaydon a nce subconsciously, and the next second, his nerves were settled, Shaun never met Jaydon Grimm in person, but the young man¡¯s reputation was well¨Cknown, even for him. Hence, if Jaydon was the father, he could finally be relieved. Hell, he could even celebrate this. ¡°Oh, hello! So, you and Joann? The kids?¡± Jaydon paused for a few seconds, then he replied politely, ¡°Joann and I are very close friends. So I wanted to be here with her and the kids on this grieving day.¡± One could argue that his answer was a little too ¡°official¡± because he neither admitted that he was the father nor denied it. As a matter of fact, highbornds like Jaydon all did things like marrying secretly or having a love child. That happened a lot. However, Bruce, who was standing aside, felt so upset, as if the vessels in his heart were suddenly blocked. Bruce tore his tie loose subconsciously as his handsome face darkened. He and Joanna had merely broken up for four years, but it appeared to Bruce that Joanna¡¯s kids must be at least three years old. In other words, right after Joanna had divorced him, she threw herself into another man¡¯s arms. Or maybe she had long cheated on Bruce while they were still married. No wonder she could walk away without looking back. No wonder she could leave the 100 million dors alimony behind. It turned out that she had found herself a new sugar daddy. Bruce should have known that. Wasn¡¯t she always a scheming woman? If she could somehow sleep with him six years ago, then, of course, she would have been able to seduce Jaydon again. ¡°How shameless!¡± thought Bruce. He was cursing fiercely in his mind. That just cost him thest of his patience. Without saying anything to anyone else, he strode away, ready to leave. ¡°Bruce? Bruce!¡± Roxanne called out when she saw Bruce leaving. Ingrid elbowed her daughter on the shoulder, gesturing for Roxanne to go after Bruce. Thus, Roxanne hurried to leave the cemetery and ran after Bruce. The group of reporters saw Bruce getting out, and they immediately swarmed over. ¡°Mr. Everett, what do you think about the rtionship between your ex¨Cwife and Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°You lived with your ex¨Cwife for two years, but she failed to get pregnant! Do you think the boys your ex¨Cwife brought over today could be yours?¡± ¡°When are you and Ms. Roxanne getting married? Mr. Everett?¡± Bruce had been disturbed without the harassment of the reporters. So he was even more furious right now. His bodyguards quickly stopped the reporters from getting any nearer. ¡°No interviews!¡± Then the bodyguards escorted Bruce into a car ¡°Bruce! Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne followed out, but before she could get in, Bruce¡¯s car pulled out of the parking lot. Reporters turned to Roxanne at once. ¡°Ms. Haynes, when are you and Mr. Everett getting married?¡± ¡°What do you think of your sister taking over the Haynes Group?¡± Roxanne had never been exposed to reporters like this. She froze and stammered, not knowing what to do or say at all. Ingrid, worried about her daughter, dashed over in time. Seeing that Roxanne was surrounded by the press, she stepped forward hastily. ¡°Sorry, sorry, we do not have any interviews today!¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¡°Please say something, Mrs. Haynes!¡± the reporters begged for any answer. With a polite smile on her face, Ingrid replied confidently. ¡°Thanks for your concerns, fellows. Mr. Everett and my daughter¡¯s wedding will be held on time. As for when and where, that¡¯s not for me to expose. And I beg you to leave some space for the young ones. Thank you!¡± ¡°What about Raymond¡¯s will then? Is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group?¡± ¡°Well¡­ um, of course, that¡¯s not true. That¡¯s nothing but a rumor. The Haynes Group is toorge to be left in an inexperienced girl¡¯s hands!¡± Ingrid knew Joanna very well. Ever since the girl was a kid, she had been a stupid and cowardly pushover. Hence, Ingrid was sure that she was able to manipte Joanna, and thetter would give up the control of the Haynes Group¡­ Meanwhile, Joanna and Jaydon walked out of the cemetery as well. ¡°Joanna, are you about to take over the Haynes Group?¡± ¡°Did Raymond make a will to bequeath the position of head of the family to you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Joanna answered calmly and crisply. This one single word was like a p on Ingrid¡¯s face. ¡°So, Ms. Haynes, is it okay to reveal the contents of the will?¡± 4 ¡°About the will, I¡¯ve delegated full power to mywyer to handle it. There will be a press conference to announce the contents of the will! Thank you. for your concern.¡± Ingrid¡¯s mouth twitched in embarrassment as she red at Joanna with her teeth gritted. ¡°This little bitch,¡± she thought. ¡°It¡¯s only been a couple of years, but she¡¯s not that stupid anymore.¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t say anything in front of the reporters! Did you consult your father about the will? Did you consult the Board of Directors? The old man¡¯s just been buried, and you¡¯re trying to take over your father¡¯s position as Chairman?¡± Ingrid said sarcastically, ring at Joanna. Joanna turned around and looked Ingrid straight in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m just following Grandpa¡¯s wishes. If you have any questions orints, please contact mywyer.¡± With that, Joanna ignored Ingrid and followed Jaydon to his car¡­ This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Joanna!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face turned livid. She couldn¡¯t believe that a few years of time could change Joanna so thoroughly. Ingrid was convinced that it must be Jaydon behind her back. Otherwise, with Joanna¡¯s intelligence, she wouldn¡¯t dare to treat Ingrid like that¡­ Three dayster. A board meeting was being held in the Haynes tower. Shaun, Ingrid, Derick, Ryan, and the two other directors, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul, all attended the board meeting as agreed. In addition to them, Bruce was also seen at the board meeting, which did not happen a lot. Bruce owned 15% of the Haynes Group, but he had never been involved in the management of the business. As a matter of fact, he bought his shares purely out of goodwill! ¡°Really strange! Mr. Everett is here as well.¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were eager to fawn on Bruce as if he was the man who actually controlled the Haynes Group. Bruce sat on the chair with a sullen face, noble and aloof, showing little interest in the two men. However, even though he was just sitting there silently, the others were still afraid of him. Soon, Joanna arrived. With ck rimmed sses, she was wearing a ck suit with a white striped shirt underneath. Her hair was also tied up. There was light makeup on her delicate face. Together with the maroon lips, she was all businesslike and gorgeous. Aplete careerdy. ¡°All non¨Cessential personnel, please leave! This is a board meeting, not a family discussion!¡± Joanna nced at Ingrid and her two stepbrothers as she asked them to leave indifferently. Ingrid¡¯s mouth trembled with anger. ¡°Whoa, aggressive, aren¡¯t you? I was almost convinced that you¡¯ve already been the Chairman since you¡¯re acting like one. Everyone here, Joann, is more qualified than you. We are all more capable at least than you of taking over the position of Chairman. The Haynes Group is too much of a big deal to be left in your hands. You think you, an immature girl, are really able to handle it?¡± Derick, being a bad¨Ctemperedd, mmed the table furiously and stood up. ¡°Mom¡¯s right! Who are you to take the Chairman¡¯s seat from Dad? What have you done for the Haynes Group? You¡¯re just making a fuss here. Grandpa was old, and his brain wasn¡¯t functional anymore. So that doesn¡¯t count. Get out of here, or I¡¯ll kick you out myself¡± Joanna¡¯swyer, Mr. Brycen, nudged his sses and said sternly, ¡°Mr. Haynes, Mrs. Haynes, please mind your manners! Otherwise, my client can sue you for intimidation and libel.¡± ¡°Who are you to bluff me? Can she even afford awyer?¡± Joanna merely nced at Derick coldly and called out to her assistant at the door.. In a moment, eight burly security men came in. Joanna said, ¡°All non¨Cessential personnel, please step out for the time being!¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying! Deal with it!¡± Politely yet also forcefully, the security guards reached out, gesturing for Ingrid and the others to leave. ¡°This is my father¡¯spany. Come and get me if you dare! But I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m not leaving. What are you gonna do about it?¡± Of course, the security staff didn¡¯t really dare to use force. Derick was even more arrogant when he noticed that. ¡°Joanna, who do you think you are, huh? Don¡¯t push me any further. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind pping you even though you¡¯re a woman.¡± With that, Derick actually pounced on Joanna and was going to smack her in the face. He had always been the bully in the family and the acknowledged heir. Now that his property had been taken away, how could he not be furious? As Derick¡¯s palm was approaching Joanna¡¯s cheek, Bruce lost his temper and jumped to his feet unconsciously. But before he could take any action, Joanna ducked, and Derick¡¯s p missed her. Then, Joanna caught the back of Derick¡¯s palm and gave him a sudden push, causing Derick to smash into the desk. The next second, Derick¡¯s lip was cut, and it was bleeding at once. ¡°What, what are you doing? Oh, Rick! Are you all right?¡± Ingrid was almost wailing when she saw her son bleeding. ¡°Get them out of here.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Haynes!¡± The head of security was no longer polite. Together with him, the others seized Derick and others and sent them out. Joanna took a nce at the blood on her hands and frowned. She said, ¡°Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.¡°¡± With that, Joanna walked straight out of the conference room and into the restroom. She got in and turned on the tap. When she was about to wash the blood stains on her hands, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open. It was Bruce who walked in. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°This is thedies¡® room. You¡¯re in the wrong ce.¡± Joanna said coldly, continuing to wash the blood off her hands. Bruce scoffed and casually turned on the tap to wash his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve really underestimated you. I thought you were infatuated, and I didn¡¯t expect you to find another customer so quickly¡± Anger shed across Joanna¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t want to continue this conversation anymore. She shook the water off her hand and walked straight. to the door. However, Bruce stopped her at once. He grabbed her by the arm all at once and threw her back violently to pin her against the wall. ¡°Who is your kids¡® father? When did you hook up with Jaydon Grimm?¡± Though they had been divorced for four years, Bruce still thought that Joanna belonged to him. He looked quite arrogant when saying those words. Joanna tried to free herself but failed. Atst, she red at Bruce and spoke up in a voice of cold fury, ¡°Mr. Everett, please show me some respect. If you want to talk about business, please go to the office! If you want to take it personally, however, I have nothing to say to you.¡± Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a sullen sneer as he heard her words. He leaned closer and closer to her. Joanna frowned, but deep down, her heart started racing nervously! Back then, Bruce had absolute dominance and control over her. Over those years, she had been deeply traumatized. Though it had been four years, the nerves in her body still retained their fear of him. ¡°Let go of me, Bruce! This is the ce where I work. Don¡¯t you dare¡­¡± ¡°What are you so afraid of? You fear that they might call you a slut for hitting on your ex¨Chusband in the restroom?¡± ¡°Are you insane? I¡¯m warning you. Show some respect!¡± ¡°A slut like you deserves no respect at all.¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, you¡¯re going too far!¡± With that, Joanna started struggling violently. Yet it did not work. Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle! He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe. ¡°Don¡¯t you love it when I do such things to you? Ha, I didn¡¯t expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl.¡± As he said, Bruce took off her ck¨Crimmed sses and looked into her eyes with a wicked smile. ¡°It¡¯s exactly that look on your face. Oh, I bet Jaydon Grimm loves it, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Joanna waspletely flustered. She shouted, ¡°You psychopath. What are you doing? Stop this¡­¡± Bruce grinned in satisfaction at her panicked reaction. When they were still married, he liked to punish her with his most overbearing a and aggressive method whenever they were in bed. Now that Joanna had found her way to another man¡¯s bed, Bruce was gonna show her the horror of irritating him. ¡°Oh, are you afraid of being seen? You¡¯re afraid that Jaydon Grimm might dump you for this? Just cut it off, Joanna Haynes. Put away your dirty little schemes.¡± Joanna was furious. ¡°Tell me then, Mr. Everett, what my schemes could possibly be?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree while getting divorced? You would leave Greyport forever and nevere back! Why did you break the deal? To make me sick on purpose?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows, the look on his face nearly murderous. What the man cared the most was that Joanna actually came back with her sons with another man. Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed. He would stop loving or even abandon anyone or anything at any time! But he just didn¡¯t like the idea of his toy being taken over by someone else. ¡°I came back for my grandfather¡¯s inheritance. What¡¯s it to you? I said, have some respect and let go of me!¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve told you that you don¡¯t deserve any respect, haven¡¯t I?¡± Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body. ¡°Bruce, we¡¯re divorced. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t owe you anything. So don¡¯t insult me like this! Get your hands off of me right now, or I¡¯ll sue you for molestation!¡± ¡°You? Sue me? Don¡¯t make meugh. Anyone in Greyport knows that it was you who drugged me and begged to have sex with me. It¡¯s only been four years, and you forget?¡± ¡°For thest time, I didn¡¯t drug anyone, especially you! I am the victim here. Not you.¡± ¡°Ha! Just keep telling yourself that, will you?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and calmed herself down. ¡°Fine, whatever you say. I¡¯ve figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me.¡± And that seeded in pissing Bruce offpletely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss. That kiss of his had always been full of aggression. Joanna even feared that she would be devoured in whole. ¡°Mm¡­ get your hands¡­¡± The next second, Bruce had raised his head, his eyes full of mockery. He sneered, ¡°Do you actually think that I¡¯ll touch you again? Don¡¯t tter yourself! I won¡¯t have sex with a whore who has been sleeping with the others. It disgusts me.¡± With that, Bruce let go of Joanna resentfully and walked out. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Joanna was gasping to catch her breath, finding her face in a mess and her lipstick falling off. ¡°Stop, Bruce Everett!¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°What? Are you gonna throw yourself in my¡­¡± Bruce turned around in disdain, only to see a furious Joanna pouncing on him with her high heels in her hands like a lion cub. Before Bruce could know what had happened, he had been hit more than a dozen times. ¡°Why are you always so mean to me? What do I owe you? Huh? Why are you always so arrogant and full of shit!¡± Bruce was so stunned that he forgot to fight back at all. He just stood up straight and took the hit. All the years he had known Joanna, she had always been as timid as amb. She did not even dare to speak too loudly, let alone hit anyone with her shoes. But now, she was striking him with the high heels, which was simply unreal and surprising for Bruce. ¡°Stop that, woman! Don¡¯t force me to fight back.¡± Joanna ignored his threat and kicked it between his legs with all her might. She was not the same weak, cowardly Joanna she used to be. If anyone messed with her, she fought back. ¡°Ow!¡± Bruce was caught off guard and was kicked in the crotch. The paining from the most vulnerable part of him made his eyebrows twitch. ¡°How dare you kick me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kick you again if you continue to offend me. We¡¯d better stay out of each other¡¯s way. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you.¡± Silently, Bruce fixed his eyes on Joanna in disbelief. She had really changed a lot. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. This woman changed from amb to a much wilder little beast. ¡°Oh, you ask for it, woman!¡± Bruce snapped, clutching Joanna¡¯s arm and thrusting her against the sink. He had never been beaten by anyone before. Most importantly, this woman kicked him in his¡­ well, the part that he cherished the most! If he had not been tall enough, he would probably be a eunuch right now. This woman must be insane. Bruce pressed her down on the sink. Yet Joanna didn¡¯t want to be outdone! By using her hands and her feet, she never stopped struggling. This was when the bodyguard at the door heard the noise inside and stormed in! ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± said the bodyguard. Then he closed the door hastily with a loud bang. It was not his fault to misread the situation. After all, Bruce and Joanna were indeed in weird positions. The bodyguard stood at the door again and stroked his chest with lingering fear. ¡°Phew, that was close. I almost interrupted Mr. Everett. I didn¡¯t expect that after four years, Ms. Haynes is still so good with men. Hmm, that¡¯s something about that woman. She still managed to hook up with her ex¨Chusband even though she¡¯s now with Mr. Grimm! Oh, man, poor Mr. Everett. He has fallen in the same trap of that woman twice now.¡± Joanna, pale and disheveled, pushed Bruce away angrily ¡°Bruce Everett, you¡¯re insulting me as well as yourself. If you disrespect me again, don¡¯t me me for being rude. What is between us is purely business. I don¡¯t want anything to do with you in private.¡± Bruce snorted with scornfulughter. ¡°You think I want to have anything to do with you? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± He ran the wealthiest family in Greyport. He was a star. Countless people tried desperately to tter him. And this was the first time in Bruce¡¯s life that he had ever heard anyone say no to having a rtionship with him. It seemed that he had made the right decision toe here today. ¡°Just you wait, you scheming woman. I¡¯ll make your life miserable!¡± With an evil smile, Bruce adjusted his tie and strode out of the bathroom with his long legs. Back to the conference room. Joanna, who had fixed her makeup, pushed the door open and drew everyone¡¯s attention at once. They were all looking at her with profound contempt Bruce slouched back in his chair. The way his thumb yed with the corners of his lips made the others believe at once that he just had sex in the restroom and was now savoring the moment. Joanna had history, and together with the fact that she happened to be in the restroom, too, the others were convinced that these two had had it a go. After all, that was exactly what Joanna did to Bruce six years ago, and by doing so, she forced his sister to leave and marry into the Everett family herself. Of course, Joanna noticed the meaningful looks on their faces. Her face fell, and her mood was at its worst. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± she said crisply. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul put on serious faces at once and sat up a little straighter. Shaun, with a livid face, squinted at Joanna for a second and then threw a nce at Bruce. He was so mad. To be honest, he never liked his eldest daughter. Shaun made up his mind that if Joanna dared to mess with the rtionship between Roxy and Bruce again, he would cut off from Joanna for sure. ¡°Joann, most here are elder and more experienced than you. So don¡¯t be so serious. It¡¯s Rude. Meanwhile, Dad has talked to Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul. We all agreed that you coulde to work here, but you need to start at the bottom. Once you get familiar with the operation and management, we can consider¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s pretty face sank, and she cut Shaun off. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m calling a board meeting today because I have an announcement to make. As of next month, I will inherit 51% of the Haynes Group in ordance with my grandfather¡¯s will, taking over as the executive director. At the same time, there will be some changes in personnel management. So I want you all to get ready for it.¡± Shaun¡¯s face darkened when he heard this. It seemed that his eldest daughter was not only going to destroy her sister¡¯s romantic rtionship, but she was also gonna im the property that belonged to her two brothers. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re too young and simple. Running apany is not as easy as you think it is.¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul also sneered. ¡°Joann, the Haynes Group is your grandfather¡¯s life¡¯s work, and we all have put much work into it over the years. It¡¯s not child¡¯s y, and it¡¯s not that we look down on you. It¡¯s just a simple truth that a little girl with no experience can not bear such a heavy burden.¡± Joanna gave them a confident smile after hearing so. Then from the briefcase, she drew out of a few stacks of documents and had her assistant distribute them to the others. ¡°Here¡¯s my experience from overseas. If you¡¯d like to see it.¡± ¡°Director of nning and vice¨Cpresident of CI Technologies¡­¡± When seeing this, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul looked up at Joanna in disbelief. CI Technologies was one of the top 50 globalpanies in the world. It mainly focused on the research and development of new technology projects. such as robots. Meanwhile, CI Technologies also covered the fields such as automobiles, electrical appliances, and even jewelry. And it turned out that Joanna was the director of nning as well as the vice¨Cpresident of Cl. How was that possible? Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°I was vice¨Cpresident of CI Technologies, in charge of domestic operations. Here are the financial statements for thest three years. I think you¡¯ve heard that CI¡¯s profits in this region have increased in thest few years.¡± The others were even more shocked when hearing this. Cl was too well¨Cknown in the whole world to ignore any information about it. And to be the vice¨Cpresident of CI Technologies at such a young age, luck was required, but it was not gonna happen without abilities. ¡°Wait a minute. You can¡¯t be the famous Ms. Haynes of CI Technologies, can you?¡°. Joanna smiled confidently and replied, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Now, everyone was too astonished to say anything. Even Bruce was surprised. Ms. Haynes of CI Technologies was a rising star in the business world in thest two years. It was said that Ms. Haynes and her team made CI Technologies¡® domestic sales grow 55% in just two years. Who wouldn¡¯t like a real genius like that? Joanna was a dual citizen. So no one ever expected that Ms. Haynes of CI Technologies was actually Joanna who was kicked out of the Everett family. ¡°I believe in myself to run the Haynes Group well. By the way, my team will join the Haynes Group with me. Also, I¡¯ve taken over CI¡¯s sole agency in Greyport. In the next few years, the Haynes family won¡¯t have to worry about the supply of materials. Moreover, we¡¯ll be working with Cl on new projects together.¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul¡¯s faces lit up with bright smiles at once. ¡°Oh, my, this is¡­ oh, what a surprise. Many have failed to get a sole agency agreement with CI, but Ms. Haynes got it for us. I just never dreamed that we could work with Cl. Well, since¡­ Mr. Raymond Haynes has chosen a rightful sessor. We have no problem with that.¡± The Haynes Group had been losing money for years with Shaun as the Chairman. The board of directors had a lot ofints against him already. Unlike Shaun, as soon as Joanna returned, she had turned the tables for the Haynes Group. Now that with Cl on its side, the Haynes Group wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything for at least the next few years. So, of course, they wanted Shaun to be removed as Chairman. Shaun¡¯s face went livid. He said, ¡°Joann, you can be the Chairman of the board. I don¡¯t have a problem with that. However, I still suggest that you start at the bottom. It¡¯s not a bad thing to have more experience. Or, you don¡¯t want to start at the bottom. It¡¯s fine to start as a department head or a manager¡­ ¡°But never the chairman,¡± thought Shaun to himself. If Joanna became the Chairman, what about him? What about his two sons? Shaun valued his sons more in the first ce. Not to mention the fact that Joanna had grown up without him around. There was no bonding between the father and daughter at all. Therefore, he would never want most of the assets to fall into Joanna¡¯s hands. ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to say anymore. I¡¯m just following Grandpa¡¯s wishes. If I can¡¯t increase the Haynes Group¡¯s profits by more than 20% in three years while I¡¯m in the office, I¡¯ll resign and stay out of business forever.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Haynes, at least give your daughter a chance to give it a try. I support her anyway¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that either.¡± ¡°Joann, you¡­¡± Shaun staggered as he kept throwing nces at Bruce, begging Bruce silently to say something for him. However, Bruce just sat there still. He said nothing nor took any side. The money he put on the Haynes Group was just too little for him to pay any attention to. Thus, he didn¡¯t want to waste his time and energy on this matter. Yet he didn¡¯t mind Joanna bing the Chairman. After all, this was nothing but a game to him. It would be more interesting if Joanna was the Chairman. By then, he would give her some really good lessons. ¡°Mr. Everett, what do you think?¡± Bruce smiled and shrugged, ¡°I¡­ well, I¡¯m okay with that.¡± ¡°You see, even Mr. Everett agreed, let alone us. Mr. Haynes, you should vacate the office for Ms. Haynes as soon as possible and allow her to take over your work at hand.¡± Shaun waspletely dumbfounded when he heard that. How could Bruce agree to let Joanna be the Chairman? Shaun had expected the young man to side with him. But Bruce only turned out to be his His position as Chairman of the board was taken away. ¡°Good for you, Joann, good for you. It seems that of all these years, I¡¯ve raised you for nothing. You want to rece your own father? Is there any humanity left in you? Ever since you were a kid, you¡¯ve been the most rebellious one. Six years ago, you brought shame on the whole family by bing the joke that everyone in Greyport knew. And now youe back to steal everything from us. You, oh, you¡¯re such a disgrace.¡± Shaun started moral ckmailing Joanna, and he went out of control, pointing the finger at Joanna and swearing. Whatever the cost, he needed to keep the Haynes Group for his two sons. At the very least, if he had to hand over the Haynes Group to his daughters, he¡¯d hand it over to Roxanne instead of Joanna. Joanna knew very well what her father was nning. It hurt her, but on the surface, she kept a poker face. She said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m just getting my grandfather¡¯s inheritance. If you have anyints, you can talk to mywyer. Also, I don¡¯t want you to be involved in the management of the Haynes Group anymore. Money based on the annual profit will be transferred into your private ount every year.¡± Joanna had never spent a penny of her father¡¯s money ever since she was a kid nor felt any fatherly love from him. At the age of twelve, she returned to Greyport after her mother died. During that time, she stayed at boarding school and rarely returned to the Haynes, even during the holidays. Back then, all her expenses were paid by the money her mother left her and her own schrships. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°Joann, did I hear it right? You¡¯re going to kick me, your own father, out?¡± Joanna looked at Shaun coolly. ¡°I¡¯m not kicking you out. It¡¯s that you are not fit to be in the Haynes Group anymore!¡± Nowadays, the Haynes Group was crammed with Ingrid¡¯s all kinds of rtives. These people all came here to ck off. The Haynes Group would go down sooner orter if Joanna didn¡¯t get rid of them. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good, very good! What a dutiful daughter! What a misfortune for my family! I have raised you for nothing. How could I have given birth to¡­ to such an ungrateful person like you!¡± Shaun pounded the desk angrily, hoping that it was Joanna¡¯s head that he was banging. ¡°Dad, for so many years, you have never really raised me. I have never spent a penny of your money. So please, don¡¯t say that you raised me or anything like that ever again!¡± Shaun was so mad that he was speechless for a moment. It was true that he never loved or cared about Joanna. At first, Joanna was just an independent kid who required no concern from Shaun at all. Hence, over time, hepletely ignored his daughter. ¡°Also, I just want to fulfill my grandfather¡¯s dying wish, to get the Haynes Group into the world¡¯s top 500 businesses. I have no intention of kicking anyone out!¡± Bruce was amused by her words and let outughter. He sneered at her, ¡°Quite ambitious, Ms. Haynes! Still, confidence is one thing, but arrogance is another. Are you sure you can turn the Haynes Group into a Fortune 500pany? What if you can¡¯t?¡± Bruce propped his arms on the desk, his face full of scorn. His face was so handsome that no one could resist his charm. However, when matched with the look on his face right now, it was simply so irritating! Joanna heaved a sigh, suppressing her anger. ¡°Together, we will seed in anything. I believe that the Haynes Group can be flourishing in a short time!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Since Ms. Haynes is so confident, let¡¯s sign a bet¨Con agreement! Within three years, if you can turn the Haynes Group into a Fortune 500pany, then my shares will be distributed as benefits to everyone! Yet, if you can¡¯t, then by agreement, you will quit the Haynes Group unconditionally!¡± Indignant with the man, Joanna gritted her teeth. Bruce¡¯s offer was quite vicious. The Haynes Group had beennguishing over the years. Getting into the world¡¯s top 500 was Joanna¡¯s final goal, but that would easily cost her a decade or more. But she wanted to achieve her goal within three years. That was impossible! Having heard Bruce¡¯s proposal, Shaun was thrilled, his eyes full of admiration. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Everett is right! Running such a bigpany is not as easy as you think! If you are willing to sign the agreement, I¡¯ll allow you to rece me. But first things first! If you fail in three years, you are going to hand over all your shares in the Haynes Group!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were slightly raised, and he looked at Joanna with a faint smile. ¡°So? Do you have the guts to sign it?¡± ¡°Three years are not enough to¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have the confidence, just say it. Don¡¯t get yourself so many excuses!¡± Joanna, irritated by his challenge, replied while resisting the urge to strike Bruce in the face, ¡°Bruce, why should I sign it? You own 15% of the Haynes Group, and I own 51%. You want to bet your 15% against my 51%? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair?¡± ¡°Unfair? Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll increase the profits by more than 20% in three years, or you will quit? So why not make it more fun? Here¡¯s the deal, if you can do it on time, I¡¯ll put another 200 million dors on the Haynes Group in addition to my shares!¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were ecstatic when hearing it. Such good terms were really beneficial for them. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, Joanna said. Bruce smiled and stood up slowly. ¡°All right, you have ten minutes to think about it. My time is valuable. So I don¡¯t have days to be wasted on you.¡± Bruce¡¯s gloating grin got Joanna¡¯s fists clenched. Her face was pale with anger, and the veins in her temples were bulging. However, the angrier she got, the happier Bruce was. From the day Joanna climbed onto his bed, Bruce had made up his mind to step on her for the rest of her life. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a smoke. Take Your Time!¡± Bruce said, swaggering out of the conference room. He opened the door. The next second, Bruce saw a charming man in a well¨Ctailored suit standing outside.. It was Jaydon! ¡°Sorry, did I interrupt your meeting?¡± Jaydon smiled and held out his right hand politely. The smile on Bruce¡¯s face vanished at once as he red at Jaydon with hostility. Seeing that he had no intention of shaking hands, Jaydon awkwardly withdrew his hand. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up Joann. The kids miss her too much. So I had no choice but to bring them here as well.¡± Bruce¡¯s face fell. Then without a word, he strode arrogantly past Jaydon.. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Joanna. When she saw Jaydon at the door, she was surprised. So Joanna hurried out of the conference room. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you. Davian and Irvin missed you. So I took them here.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Davian and Irvin ran over. ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t have been here.¡± ¡°Mommy, we missed you! What¡¯s taking you so long?¡± Irvin ran over and grabbed Joanna by the leg all at once. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¡°Mommy is still in a meeting. You need to go home. After the meeting, I will go back to be with you, is that alright?¡± Davian stuck his hands in his pockets, and his face was extremely serious. ¡°Mommy, Irvin, and I are worried that you might be bullied. We are going to stay here and protect you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she couldn¡¯t help smiling and said, ¡°My dear, thank you, boys. But Mommy really needs to finish the meeting first!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll distract Mommy by staying here!¡± ¡°Well¡­ sure, you go to the meeting first, Mommy, and we will wait for you here! I will take care of Irvin and not make any trouble!¡± Although Davian was only three years old, he was unusually intelligent. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not going anywhere, Mommy!¡± agreed Irvin. He was a sharp¨Cwitted kid, very good at observing, and his character waspletely different from his elder brother. When the two kids were on their phones, they read a lot of posts online attacking their mom. That worried them. Hence, the kids specially came here to protect their Mommy. They wanted to know who the viins were picking on their sweet mother. ¡°No one bullies Mommy Mommy is Supergirl!¡± Joanna said with a smile. She always tried tofort her children, protecting them from any trauma. Being a mother changed Joanna the most. For the sake of her three children, she must be strong. Jaydon smiled gently and patted Joanna on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Joann! I will stay here with Davian and Irvin!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ all right! Thank you so much!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me at any time. Just go about your business! And if you need any help, just let me know!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± With Jaydon here, Joanna felt her back being guarded! While hiding in the corner of the corridor to eavesdrop, Bruce felt so ufortable, as if Joanna had cheated on him. It was so humiliating- Joanna slept with him for two years without getting pregnant at all! Yet it seemed that right after he divorced her, she had two bastards. What would the others think of him then? There might be a lot who were convinced by this that he, Bruce Everett, had a physical deformity or something ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± said Bruce sourly as he was striding over. ¡°Are we having the meeting or not? This is a Then, with his long legs, he strode madly across Jaydon and Joanna right between them. Still, that was not enough to ease his anger inside. ¡°Joanna Haynes, I will make you regret it! How dare you cheat on me! And the two bastards as well! I¡¯ll teach them a lesson. Bruce thought furiously. It was true that they had been divorced. But the strong impulse of possessing Joanna again was driving him mad. He believed that Joanna was his private property. Joanna was bumped by Bruce, and because of her high heels, Joanna almost fell. Jaydon reached out in a hurry and held her in his arms. That irritated Bruce even more. How dare they y a sweet, lovely couple in front of him? Very well then! He was gonna fuck them all! ¡°Are you okay, Joann?¡± ¡°Mommy! Are you okay?¡± Both Davian and Irvin ran to her at once. Irvin, as a thoughtful, sweet boy, actually squatted down and massaged Joanna¡¯s ankles with his chubby little hands. Joanna smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°How about your ankle?¡± Jaydon grabbed Joanna by Joanna¡¯s waist and bent ?ver to check on her ankle with concern! ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Joanna stood up and gave Bruce a disgusted look. ¡°What are you looking at? Come on in for the meeting! My time is precious, and I don¡¯t want it to be wasted any longer!¡± That, however, infuriated Davian at once. ¡°Stop right there!¡± the little boy shouted rather adorably. Bruce raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked down at the little one across from him. Davian cocked his head and pointed angrily at Bruce¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, you! You gotta apologize to my Mommy!¡± Bruce sneered with disdain. No one in Greyport would dare even to speak to him like that! However, it was still a kid after all. So Bruce merely snorted impatiently. ¡°You¡¯re a bad guy! And I won¡¯t let go of bad guys who bully my Mommy!¡± Davian¡¯s face turned red with fury as he seized Bruce¡¯s trousers. ¡°Get your hands off of me, you little shit!¡± ¡°I am no shit! You are shit! You are a piece of big shit!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Joanna, get some control over your son! I won¡¯t me kids for being rude, but if their parents don¡¯t know any better, I won¡¯t hold back!¡± Hastily, Joanna caught Davian in her arms and said, ¡°Davian, listen to Mommy. Mommy¡¯s fine. Go back with Irvin.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Davian. We can¡¯t bother Mommy right now! Let¡¯s go back to the hotel first!¡± whispered Irvin after pulling his brother over. Finally, Davian calmed down a little, and he shouted at Bruce, ¡°This is not the end, you bad, bad man!¡± Then he turned to Joanna. ¡°Bye, Mommy, we are going back.¡± ¡°Yeah, be careful.¡± Jaydon said, ¡°I¡¯ll drive them back first. Call me if you need anything.¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°I will. Thank you, Jaydon.¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, let¡¯s go! Say goodbye to Mummy.¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy.¡± ¡°Bye, boys.¡± Jaydon smiled. Hands in hands, the three of them headed for the elevator. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the meeting!¡± Bruce got back into the conference room, and Joanna followed him in. ¡°Now, have you thought it over? Are you ready to sign this agreement?¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly, with a casual look on his face. But deep down, his heart was filled with such a rage that he wanted to kill everyone right now. Shaun tugged his suit and said impatiently. ¡°Joann, if you sign it, I will let you be the chairwoman! However, I must warn you that I don¡¯t think you can fulfill that promise. By then, you¡¯ll lose everything and bring more shame to the whole Haynes family. Then that timees, I will cut off from you as well. Of course, if you give up the shares right now, you are still my beloved daughter, and as your father, I will definitely treat you well!¡± Everyone knew what Shaun was implying He was threatening Joanna. If Joanna was determined to rece him, then the father¨Cdaughter rtionship hade to an end. Joanna felt a chill rising within for no reason. First, it was the obstruct from her ex¨Chusband, and now, her own father started moral ckmailing her as well. This was definitely a tough moment! ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll sign it. However, I have a request! I need all shareholders to be absolutely cooperative with my work.¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the biggest shareholder anyway. Of course, we¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Well, it seemed that at least you¡¯ve got balls. Alright, I¡¯m going now that the meeting is over. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have mywyer send over the bet on agreement.¡± Then Bruce stood up and walked out of the room, leaving everyone else behind as if he was the boss here. In his mind, he had sentenced Joanna to be punished! ¡°Since you bite off more than you can chew, I¡¯ll make you choke!¡± Bruce thought. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul also stood up and shook hands with Joanna. ¡°We believe in you, Ms. Haynes. We expect you to lead the Haynes Group to another level!¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°I hope we all find working together enjoyable!¡± Ignoring Joanna¡¯s words, Shaun just snorted and walked out of the conference room in anger. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Downstairs in the lobby. Ingrid and her two sons noticed Shaune out with a sullen face, and they hurried over. ¡°Honey, how¡¯s it going?¡± asked Ingrid. Shaun heaved a long sigh, ¡°Forget about it. Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Ingrid caught up with him hastily, worried as hell. She asked, ¡°So how did the meeting go? Joanna still won¡¯t give up her shares?¡± ¡°This wretched girl not only refuses to give up her shares, but she wants to kick all of us out. I¡¯ve already been fired by her!¡± Shaun sputtered, taking his inhaler from his pocket and spraying it down his throat. Joanna might be his daughter, but deep down, this man never took her as his family. ¡°What a bad woman!¡± said Derick through his gritted teeth. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not really going to let Joanna rece you, are you?¡± ¡°So what if I don¡¯t agree? She took it from me anyway! She¡¯s just determined to be the chairwoman!¡± Ryan was also indignant and said, ¡°Who the hell does she think she is? Oh, we can¡¯t just watch her taking everything away while doing nothing! The Haynes Group belongs to us. Why should she take it?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll sue her for stealing our things if we have no other ways!¡± Shaun sighed again, ¡°She has your grandfather¡¯s will. So there¡¯s no point in going to court! Who would have thought that she would have hired all four topwyers in Greyport? With them watching over the will, we will lose for sure. You just need to know that she¡¯s now the chairwoman, and that¡¯s final But then again, although they had lost control of the Haynes Group, the Haynes family would not go down because of this. That was because, except for the Haynes Group, they still got dozens of other properties and estates. And in a bustling city like Greyport, that meant tons of gold. They also owned a whole office building. Let alone their deposits in their private ounts. Even if they decided to ck off for the rest of their lives, that was far from enough for all of them to live However, who would say no to more money? Money? The more of the green bills, the better. Ingrid was now furious. She even started panting angrily like a cartoon character due to her rage. ¡°Joanna¡¯s gone too far! No, I won¡¯t endure this while doing nothing! The Haynes Group is ours, and I will never allow an outsider to take it away¡­ As she was saying, Joanna, Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the others came out of the elevator. Ingrid saw Joanna, and she rushed up to her at once. ¡°Joann, how could you be so vicious? You kicked your own father out of thepany! How can you be so ungrateful to your family?¡± Ingrid was shouting fiercely as she tried to seize Joanna. Joanna¡¯s security caught her immediately and warned her, ¡°Ma¡¯am. Please, you¡¯re making a scene!¡± ¡°I own thispany! I¡¯ll make scenes whenever I like. So shut your mouth! Now, speak to me, Joanna Haynes! You shameless thing! You seduced Roxy¡¯s fiance years ago. And now you came back to steal thepany from us. You¡¯re so shameless! And you deserve to be thrown out by the Everetts!¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened, and she said, ¡°Calm yourself before I¡¯m forced to hurt you, Ingrid.¡± ¡°Oh, how dare you threaten me? Do you think I¡¯m gonna sit here and watch you take everything away from me? No way!¡± Ingrid was like a maniac, screaming and yelling in the lobby. Atst, Joanna decided to better not waste her time on such a woman, and she ordered her bodyguards to escort her out. Outside the Haynes tower, there had already gathered numerous reporters. ¡°Joanna! Please say something!¡± ¡°Are you taking over as chairwoman of the Haynes Group today?¡± ¡°No interviews today, thank you.¡± Security stopped the reporters so that Joanna could get in the car. Then Ingrid and the others followed Joanna out as well. The reporters surrounded them at once. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, can you tell us what has happened?¡± Ingrid took a deep breath and tried to keep her fairdy image in front of the public. She said, ¡°What happened is that we, the Haynes, have raised an ungrateful girl who has turned her back on all of us today! She even has no mercy even for her own father!¡° Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°Mrs. Haynes, what do you think of Joanna¡¯s rtionship with Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Rumor has it that Joanna¡¯s bought into Starlight Media. Is it true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her private business. You should ask her!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face darkened, and she was in no mood for an interview! ¡°Stealing men from other women and taking away properties from others. That kind of thing happens a lot. However, you need to see through all these. The Grimm family is a very respectable one! Will they allow a woman like that to marry their heir? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± That, to the press, was a bombshell! As long as it was interesting enough for the public, they didn¡¯t care at all if it was the truth or not.. Ingrid¡¯s not gonna let Joanna steal the thunder from her own daughter. As a matter of fact, this was exactly why Ingrid moved against Joanna six years ago! Joanna had been so excellent and eye-catching that Roxanne would never really shine with her around. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, when exactly will Ms. Roxanne and Mr. Everett¡¯s wedding be held?¡± ¡°Right, about that, it¡¯s been four years since the news of their engagement. Why hasn¡¯t there been a wedding? Will their rtionship be affected by Joanna?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Roxy and Mr. Everett have always loved each other deeply! You know, young fellows, they have to go through something first. before their rtionship gets stronger! Hence, though there are people who are trying to sabotage things, it won¡¯t work out as they expected!¡± Ingrid said sarcastically, not giving any more interviews. Then her bodyguards escorted her back into the car. Not long ago, Ingrid had already bribed several reporters and online celebrities. If everything went well, Joanna was gonna be trending tomorrow. She failed to ruin Joannapletely six years ago, but this time, Ingrid would make sure that Joanna would never get back on her feet again. Inside Ingrid¡¯s car. Ingrid¡¯s chest rose and fell violently due to her fury, and she kept swearing. ¡°How could she be so lucky! She has just been kicked out of the Everett family, but the Grimm family takes her back in!¡± ¡°Mom, for the sake of your blood pressure, calm down and drink some water!¡± Roxanne handed over a bottle of water and looked at Ingrid, a little scared. Ingrid took the water from her and shot Roxanne a disappointed look. ¡°You¡¯re letting us down, Roxy. You¡¯ve been Mr. Everett¡¯s fiancee for years, and you still are! We don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to marry into the Everett family. Why can¡¯t you just learn from me?¡± Roxanne was so upset that her eyebrows were knitted. She wanted to marry Bruce as soon as possible. But if the man never brought this up, it would be improper for her, ady, to mention it at all. Ingrid poked her daughter in the head and said, ¡°You silly girl. You can¡¯t even handle a single man! You see how Joanna did? She gave birth to two boys without noticing anyone. You should consider getting pregnant as well! Your wedding can¡¯t be dyed any longer!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face turned scarlet when she heard that. Only because she was so afraid to tell her mother that Bruce had not touched her once up until now. All these years, she had been maintaining the image of an innocent maiden, and she kept telling Bruce that she would have sex with Bruce only after their wedding It was meant to keep Bruce lured! After all, for men, the harder to get, the more precious it appeared to them. But somehow, as time went by, Bruce seemed to lose all his interest in her! When Roxanne noticed that and hinted to the man that it was okay to be wild sometimes, the man actually replied that he would show his respect to her and never touch her until the wedding night. ¡°Mom¡­ Bruce and I, well¡­¡± Roxanne was at a loss for words. By now, she had finally realized something was wrong with her rtionship with Bruce. Since her mother was good with these kinds of things. Roxanne decided to tell her the truth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Ingrid asked, staring at her daughter with her eyes wild open. ¡°He¡­ Roxanne bit her lip, feeling so embarrassed. ¡°Oh, just spit it out, will you? I¡¯m your mother! You can tell me everything, alright?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m just trying to tell you that I¡¯m not gonna get pregnant since he has never slept with me!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ingrid spat out the mouthful of water that she had just drunk! ¡°Are you kidding me right now? It¡¯s been six years, and you had never slept with him? Not even once?¡± ¡°Mom, you taught me to y hard to get! You said I have to keep them in suspense.¡± Ingrid was so mad that she actually felt a twitch in her liver. She patted herself on the chest while saying angrily, ¡°you are so stupid! I told you to y. hard to get, but I didn¡¯t tell you to y impossible to get! I just want you to keep him in suspense so that he knows that you¡¯re not a cheap whore! That¡¯s all! Besides, how much money do you think he has? How many women do you think are trying to hook up with him every day? If you keep this going, who knows if he will go for some other bitches for his Owned by N?velDrama.Org. needs!¡± ¡°Huh? Are you serious?¡± ¡°You think you know men better than I do? Say no more, silly girl. I want you to go straight to the man Roxanne bit her lip, tom by her thoughts. ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear what follows ¡®but! Just listen to your mother and take the initiative! Stop being a medieval maiden!¡± ¡°Mom, what if Bruce says no?¡± Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean he says no? No man will refuse to getid! Oh, you are making me so worried! If you were half as smart as me, you would have be Mrs. Everett long ago! Don¡¯t go home with us tonight! I¡¯ll have the driver take you straight to the Everett Family!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Ingrid calmed herself down a little, but at the thought of Joanna, the anger rose again. ¡°That Joanna bitch. She¡¯s too stupid to mess with me! Don¡¯t worry, Mom¡¯s Here! She¡¯ll never take away the title of the Lady of Greyport ever again¡­¡± Joanna, who had left the Haynes tower after the meeting, returned to her hotel room exhausted. This was a six-star hotel. Joanna had a suite here, and she had paid for months. She even hired three nannies to look after the children. It was not that she couldn¡¯t afford a house. At the moment, the convenience of the hotel was more important to her! ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± Seeing her at the door, the two little boys ran towards her. ¡°Yeah, Mommy¡¯s home!¡± Joanna bent down to stroke her sons¡¯ heads first before putting on the slippers.. ¡°And Lilia, how is she?¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Lilia has just woken up!¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy¡¯s going to check on her first, alright?¡± Joanna changed her clothes, washed her face and hands, disinfected herself, and then finally went to her daughter¡¯s room. ¡°Lilia, Mommy¡¯s home!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Lilia Haynes was lying in bed, a big, bright smile on her skinny little face. The little girl had been hurt by a congenital heart defect and hemolytic anemia ever since she was born. The hemamebas in her body were poorly hematopoietic. So she would need to be transnted with new hematopoietic stem cells after some time. For more than three years, poor Lilia had been lying in bed, unable even to stand up once. Her skin was covered with needle marks and scars. The hospital bills and the cost of follow-up treatments were a heavy burden, and they also pushed Joanna to go forward. Joanna¡¯s biggest wish was that her daughter could recover one day, and she could see Lilia standing up. ¡°Lilia, does it still hurt?¡± Joanna was holding her daughter¡¯s thin hand, and her heart was twitching with pain. Whenever Joanna saw her daughter, she would have to try so hard to prevent the tears from welling up in her eyes. Lilia shook her head slightly. ¡°Not anymore.¡± Joanna was chewing her upper lips to fight the great sadness inside. Her daughter had just had a major operation. The kid must pretend to be fine. ¡°Mommy, can I have some choctes?¡± Lilia begged weakly. The little girl¡¯s mouth was filled with bitterness that was brought by the medicine during the operation. And she would like to eat something sweet. ¡°Oh, Lilia, you know you just had your pills. How about this? When you get better, Mommy will buy you a whole pack of chocte!¡± Lilia¡¯s eyes glittered with expectation when hearing this. She nodded obediently. ¡°But is it okay if I have a look at the chocte, then? I won¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°Yes, of course, you can.¡± Joanna put a piece of chocte in her little girl¡¯s hand. ¡°I won¡¯t eat it, Mommy, not until I¡¯m better.¡± It broke Joanna¡¯s heart to hear this. Tears finally overcame her and rolled down her cheeks. She knew that her daughter was not lying to her because the little girl was simply too sick to eat anything on her own. ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t my Lilia the sweetest!¡± said Joanna in tears and hurried to stand up. ¡°Miranda, please, take good care of Lilia!¡± With that, Joanna could not bear to stay with her daughter any longer. She was at the edge of a breakdown. Miranda, one of the nannies, looked at Joanna sadly. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Lilia! But you need to take care of yourself, too, Joann.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you.¡± Joanna got out of the daughter¡¯s room, stood at the door, and took a deep breath! Then she caught sight of her two sons sneaking around theptop.. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh? Nothing!¡± Davian and Irvin turned off theptop at once when hearing their mother¡¯s voice. Her sons loved the inte and had spent too much of their time on it. However, Joanna had always been too upied by her work to watch over these two. ¡°Don¡¯t stare at the screen for too long. It¡¯s bad for your eyes.¡± ¡°Yes, Mummy!¡± ¡°Alright, you smart pants, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner!¡± ¡°Right away!¡± The boys slipped down the chairs and snickered as they ran to the bathroom. ¡°Oh, my, it¡¯s such a nice surprise for that bad guy. I couldn¡¯t help imagining his face tomorrow when he sees it¡± ¡°Shh, keep your voice down. We don¡¯t want Mommy to know any of this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Humph, that bad guy. How dare he bully Mommy? We¡¯ll show him what we got¡­¡± After dinner, Joanna put the kids back in their beds and read them bedtime stories until they were asleep. Then, atst, she could go back to her work. She closed herptop at three o¡¯clock in the morning, and finally, she was ready to have some sleep. Joanna had only slept four hours a day for years! And this kind of lifestyle had made it impossible for her to think of anything else. Morning came soon. Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­ Before Joanna could get up, Jaydon blew up her phone. ¡°Jay? What are you calling me for at this hour?¡± On the other end of the line, Jaydon¡¯s worried voice replied, ¡°Joann, have you seen the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes, confused. ¡°Check on your cell phone and read the entertainment news.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard this. She had a very bad feeling about this. She remembered how badly she had been roasted six years ago. Back then, she was still that innocent girl and even thought about jumping off the roof to end her life! Joanna prayed that it wouldn¡¯t happen to her ever again. Joanna shivered and unlocked her phone. In an instant, more than five notifications popped up, and they were all about her. ¡°After hooking up with her brother-inw and getting kicked out, Joanna Haynes has moved on to her next victim.¡± ¡°The formerdy of Greyport fell out with her family for inheritance! Her father was kicked out of the board, and she seized the family business.¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes unwed yet pregnant. The father unknown¡­¡± Over the night, news about Joanna was all over the inte. Joanna clicked one of them open with a trembling finger. And as she feared, thements below were unbearable. It was like what had happened six years ago took ce once again! The only difference was that this time, it appeared to be even more fierce. ¡°Hello? Joann? Are you still there?¡± Joanna stared nkly at thements, feeling happiness and joy sucked out of her all at once. People even brought up her fake news six years ago. She didn¡¯t dare to scroll down anymore. ¡°Joann, you wait there! I¡¯ming to you.¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me, Joann, pull yourself together. Don¡¯t be afraid. Wait for me!¡± Jaydon said, grabbing his car keys and heading downstairs.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Joanna didn¡¯t answer. She just hung up the phone. Then from the bedside drawer, she took out two bottles of pills with her trembling hands. They were antidepressants. Silently, Joanna poured several pills out and swallowed them all at once. She had been suffering from severe depression. From the beginning, she merely had to take one or two antidepressants for one day. Then it was five, and now she sometimes had to take more than a dozen of them to finally calm herself down. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Joann? Hello? Joann?¡± Jaydon was yelling anxiously at his phone. However, it was the beeping sound that replied to him. Jaydon, who was worried about Joanna, pocketed his cell phone at once. He stormed down his apartment, jumped into his car, and drove to Joanna¡¯s hotel hastily. He and Joanna had known each other abroad since they were both kids. At that time, they were neighbors. Jaydon was four years older than Joanna, but that did not stop the seed of romance from growing inside of thed¡¯s heart. Later, Jaydon went back to their homnd for education. What he didn¡¯t expect was that Joanna followed him back not long after that, and they were actually in the same school. Joanna was not a nerd, but she was indeed very good at studying. By the age of sixteen, she was a university student already, and that made the two of them ssmates once again. Joanna always kept a low profile on the campus. Jaydon, on the other hand, was patient enough to wait for his crush to grow into a woman. However, when the time was finally right, the incident between Joanna and Bruce shocked the whole Greyport! Luck was not on Jaydon¡¯s side. What happened next was the wedding of Joanna and Bruce. Their marriage was due to the pressure from the elders of both families, and that was Jaydon¡¯s biggest regret of his life. Half an hourter, Jaydon made it to the hotel. Joanna had already calmed herself down. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± Joanna greeted Jaydon with a faint smile and a cup of coffee. Realizing that Joanna was mentally stable, Jaydon breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Joann, you must protect yourself from their toxic words. Just don¡¯t mind them. Let them talk. Time has changed, Joann, Inte trolls and their words are capable of destroying any man or woman. Damn it. They can even bring down a powerful house or a business empire. You just have to block them!¡± Joanna gave Jaydon a helpless look. ¡°I can ignore them, but what about my kids? I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± She just didn¡¯t know how to fight back against such a thing. Jaydon stared at Joanna silently for a few seconds before patting her gently on her shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. Leave it to me then,¡± he said. ¡°If there¡¯s anything that you can¡¯t handle, you leave it there. I will always be with you.¡± With that, Jaydon gave Joanna a big hug. Leaning softly on his chest, Joanna whispered, ¡°Thank you so much, Jay!¡± Jaydon had always taken good care of her, and Joanna knew why. Though she was grateful to him, Joanna realized that she must not ruin the man by responding to his feelings. She used to marry another man and carry the man¡¯s children. She knew that such a woman would never be epted by Jaydon¡¯s traditional family. Besides that, Jaydon was a well-known yer. He had been good to not only Joanna but also to the other female artists in hispany. ¡°Joann, you should rest in the hotel today. Don¡¯t show up for the time being. Except for the inte trolls, we also need to be careful with some enthusiastic maniacs. I¡¯m worried about your safety.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take care of myself! Besides, I have to go to the office today¡± Today was the day she was about to sign the bet on agreement with Bruce! If she didn¡¯t go to the office, Bruce would have forced her out of the Haynes Group. ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll take you to the officeter¡± Jaydon had been doing business in show biz for years, and his team would know what to do. It was a piece of cake for him to overturn public opinion and change Joanna¡¯s image. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Stop saying that, Joann. You will never have to thank me¡± Bruce left for his office early in the morning. He was going to take care of the business affair first before going back to the game with Joanna.. Inside the conference room, all executives of the Everett Corp were sitting tightly with grim expressions on their faces. Due to Bruce¡¯s short temper, whenever he was in a meeting, no one dared to ck off at all. The next second, the conference room door cracked open. Bruce strode in with his neat suit and a cold look on his face. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡± Bruce stopped at the end of the long conference table and sat down. His secretary turned on the projector in a hurry and then served him a cup of hot coffee. One after another, the executives also turned on theirptops, ready to take notes! ¡°We¡¯ll focus on three aspects today, and¡­¡± Bruce was saying as he opened hisptop, but his voice broke the next second. For as soon as he opened hisptop, a picture popped out. Moreover, hisptop was connected to the projector! So everyone in the room was now staring at a naked picture of a man on the big screen. What the hell! The executives exchanged shocked looks, and some of them were so shocked that they spat our mouthfuls of coffee. Bruce¡¯s murderous eyes were wide open. All because he was looking at his own face on a naked body. In the picture, he was posing as if he was some kind of a 50-cent stripper! One hand on his waist, the other pping his butt, ¡°Bruce¡± was blowing everyone a kiss! It was obviously a product of photoshop. Still, it did not stop Bruce¡¯s blood pressure from rising. He was hitting the off button madly. Hacking into his ownptop and messing with him like that? At this point, Bruce would kill to find out who it was. Yet the prank was not finished. Just then, tons of memes popped up on the big screen. And they were all about Bruce! In one of them, ¡°Bruce¡± was even holding his thing and wiggling! The jaws of the executives all fell to the floor. They hurried to bury their heads low, pretending that they had seen nothing. They knew how terrible Mr. Everett could get when he was in a rage. But it was so hard to hold back theughter that they were all shaking slightly in their seats. If they were being honest, they were happy to see this happen. This little prank had avenged their mistreatment brought by Bruce, and it felt good! Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°Who the hell did this?¡± snapped Bruce, pounding on the table. Standing aside, his secretary turned deadly pale. ¡°We must have been hacked! I¡¯ll check the IP address right away!¡± Bruce¡¯s face was so livid. Whoever nned this low-level prank on him must not be spared. In fact, as the leading enterprise in the whole Greyport, the Everett Corp possessed the most high-end facilities! How could it be so easy to be broken into? Bruce thought, ¡°Damn it, it doesn¡¯t matter. It proved that my technical staff is useless!¡± Soon, the IP address was traced down. And it appeared to being from the Hilbert Hotel. Bruce looked at the IP address, frowning. The next second, he thought of something. Wasn¡¯t Joanna Haynes living at the Hilbert Hotel right now? She must have something to do with this! ¡°That bitch,¡± Bruce thought to himself, ¡°She can¡¯t defeat me in the real world. So she decided to humiliate me with these?¡± Bruce gritted his teeth as his face darkened even more. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Andy, have you got the papers? About the bet on agreement.¡± With a serious look on his face, Andy quickly handed over the papers! ¡°All done, Mr. Everett. Here they are!¡± Bruce took it over and had a brief look. The terms turned out to be extremely harsh on Joanna. Bruce smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Perfect. I want to watch that bitch bum!¡± It was 9 a.m. in the morning right now. Escorted by Jaydon, Joanna arrived at the Haynes tower. The parking lot downstairs was crawling with reporters and a crowd of protesters hired by Ingrid. ¡°There she is!¡± one of them called out. ¡°Get out of Greyport, you cheeky whore! You¡¯re a disgrace to all the people of Greyport!¡± ¡°Shame on you!¡± Then it was the reporters. ¡°Joanna, are you going to kick your father off the board? Are you going to monopolize the Haynes family fortune?¡± ¡°Make Way!¡± ¡°Please, Joanna, say something!¡± ¡°When did you and Mr. Grimm get together? Does Mr. Everett know about your rtionship? Jaydon stretched out to protect Joanna as they were striding to the building. More than a dozen bodyguards were blocking the crowd. ¡°Throw something on her! Show her what will happen when she hits on the other¡¯s men!¡± The next second, it rained. Rotten fruit, lunch boxes, water bottles, and all the other craps wereing at Joanna like a storm! ¡°Hey! Stop that!¡± Joanna¡¯s bodyguards were shouting. ¡°We¡¯ll call the cops if you don¡¯t stop!¡± Finally, with Jaydon on her side, Joanna made it to the elevator. They hurried to get inside. Pale-faced and shivering slightly, Joanna stared nkly at the space. Jaydon clung to her shoulder and whispered in his softest voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Joann, don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t ever pay any attention to these people. They are nothing but hired guns.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jay,¡± preupied Joanna replied, the color drained from her lips. The elevator door was about to close when suddenly, someone held it, and the elevator door slowly opened again. Bruce stepped into the elevator with his long legs and his livid face. Apparently he didn¡¯t avoid being harassed by the reporters either. Only after then did Bruce notice Joanna and Jaydon. At the moment, Jaydon¡¯s arms were surrounding Joanna¡¯s shoulder. They looked like a sweet, intimate, and perfect couple. Almost at the same time when Bruce saw this scene, he became the grimmest one could possibly see, and there was certain indescribable brutality in 1. it. ¡°Joanna Haynes! What do you think you have done? You think your little prank will work everything out?¡± Joanna frowned deeply as she stared at Bruce with her puzzled eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bruce sneered at her, ¡°Yeah, like you don¡¯t know! Nice try! You know what? I could charge you for stealing information from the Everett Corp right now. That¡¯s enough to put you behind bars for 8 to 10 years!¡± Joanna¡¯s face fell. She looked at Bruce in confusion and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of that. You¡¯re going to charge me for what?¡± In a huff, Bruce grabbed Joanna by the jaw. ¡°For trespassing! For hacking into my properties! For stealing my business information!¡± This irritated Jaydon at once. He pushed Bruce away and spoke up in his coldest tone, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Bruce Everett. Don¡¯t touch Joann! I don¡¯t want to fight you in front of Joanna!¡± Bruce shook Jaydon¡¯s hand off. ¡°How dare you meddle in my personal affair with her? ¡°Jay, there is no need to act like his kind,¡± said Joanna in a hurry and stood between them, blocking Jaydon with her own body. Bruce had a bad temper, and he had been practicing boxing ever since he was a kid. Jaydon would suffer for sure if it got physical. ¡°Just listen to me, Bruce Everett. I simply don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Are you being serious right now? Fine, take a look at this IP address and say you don¡¯t know again! Have you forgotten what you¡¯ve done?¡± Bruce took out his cell phone and showed Joanna a picture of the numbers. Joanna took a nce, but she was still confused. ¡°What the hell is this? What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Ding! The elevator arrived at the floor where the conference room was. Bruce took a deep breath. Then after the cold snort, he walked out without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ll be here, waiting for you, okay?¡± said Jaydon. ¡°No, Jay, don¡¯t worry. I can handle it. You have your own things to do. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll pick you up when I¡¯m done with work!¡± ¡°Yeah, bye!¡± With that, Joanna turned to the conference room with her war face. Inside the conference room, Bruce wasying back on the main chair of the conference room, smoking a cigarette. As soon as Joanna walked in, he threw a stack of papers on the desk. ¡°Here¡¯s everything. You can take a look. If there¡¯s no problem, sign it.¡± Joanna choked on the smoke and coughed. ¡°Smoking is not allowed here in the office. Go to the rooftop or the smoking chamber!¡± Bruce only sneered! Then with a wicked smile, he took a deep puff of his cigarette and blew all the smoke on Joanna¡¯s face! Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Taking a deep breath, Joanna picked up the contract and went through it. This agreement was extremely strict, and the terms in it werepletely overbearing. Given the current state of the Haynes Group, it was barely possible toplete the contract in three years. ¡°This is unfair.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of signing it, just say so.¡± Joanna gritted her teeth with hatred. ¡°Bruce Everett, you¡¯re going too far! Be a man, will you?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± replied Bruce. ¡°I¡¯m just annoying, alright?¡± He slumped back in his chair, puffing on his cigarette, looking unconcerned. ¡°If you¡¯re too scared to sign, just quit the Haynes Group!¡± His arrogant look made Joanna¡¯s insides burn with rage. However, she was not a quitter, not then, and certainly not now. The terms were unreasonable. But if she could finish the task, she could kick Bruce out of the Haynes Group for good! ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll Sign It!¡± Joanna signed her name on the contract without hesitation. Then she tossed it to Bruce. ¡°Here, what about now?¡± Bruce smiled devilishly and let out onest puff of smoke. ¡°Well, well, now we wait and see how things are going to end.¡± Women were stupid. Especially this one! He just teased her a little, and Joanna couldn¡¯t wait to take the bait. Bruce was convinced that Joanna would suffer for sure. ¡°I hope you can do it perfectly,¡± said Bruce casually. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯re leaving Greyport, and this time, you are not allowed toe back!¡± Joanna took another deep breath before shooting Bruce a cold look. ¡°If the contract ispleted, you will get out of the Haynes Group!¡± ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m so scared! I¡¯ll keep my eyes wild open to watch you burn.¡± With that, Bruce pressed his cigarette butt on the conference table arrogantly, ready to go. As he walked past Joanna, he was suddenly reminded of the naked¨Cphoto incident this morning. Anger rose from his inside at once as his thin lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do childish pranks ever again!¡± said Bruce. ¡°And you shrank my size? Was that to imply that I have never satisfied you in bed? Maybe I should have a go with you right now to remind you how big I actually am.¡± Looking at his defiant and arrogant expression, Joanna trembled uncontrobly with anger and failed to understand what he said. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± she asked, ice in her voice. ¡°Oh, cut it off, Joanna Haynes.¡± Bruce was looking down at her. ¡°You just like ying dumb with people, don¡¯t you? Never have the guts to admit anything! Ugh, you disgust me.¡± Joanna was so mad that she grabbed his tie and pulled him over violently. ¡°I¡¯ll admit what I did, but not for some stupid, false usation. Now, you better exin your fucking self about it!¡± ¡°Ha, like it wasn¡¯t you who photoshopped my nude photo,¡± said Bruce. What he didn¡¯t expect was that being tugged on his tie by her like this gave him an erection. Hence, he didn¡¯t break free. Instead, he stepped forward a little and pinned her body against the conference table! It seemed that his body had been missing her. Bruce thought he hated this scheming bitch to the core, but he just couldn¡¯t help the physical reaction when he was with Joanna. Joanna took a nce at the nude photo on his phone, and she snorted with a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m not that boring. And, if it was me, I would have done the photo much better.¡± Bruce snorted even louder when hearing this. ¡°Who knows if you had done lousy work on purpose? After all, you have a record. Isn¡¯t that kind of your specialty?¡± Joanna was utterly furious. All these years, he had been torturing her, and he had not felt guilty for once because he thought he was the victim. Well, he was not! He was the viin! ¡°I¡¯ll tell you onest time. I¡¯ve never plotted against anyone! I¡¯ve never¡­ managed to sleep with you. I was framed. Believe it or not, I don¡¯t care!¡± Bruce leaned over the conference table and trapped her there. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Roxy and I are getting married soon anyway, and I¡¯ve been sleeping with you for free for two years. No harm done.¡± ¡°You shameless bastard¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was torn to pieces by his words, and her whole body couldn¡¯t help but tremble with rage. ¡°Oh, and do you remember the 100 million dors I offered? You didn¡¯t take it. So I used it to buy Roxy a big diamond ring!¡± He hated Joanna. He hated her schemes, her being tough, and her being noble. The nobler she pretended to be, the more he wanted to stomp on it. ¡°Get off me!¡± Joanna shoved Bruce away! Then she grabbed her purse and ran to the bathroom. She was having an anxiety attack! After years of taking antidepressants, her body was overwhelmed. She often had inexplicable tremors. When it got serious, she couldn¡¯t even hold a cup. Watching that she was running away, Bruce smirked triumphantly. To deal with such a scheming bitch, one must spit on her and trample on her pride. Inside the bathroom. Joanna opened her bag with shaking hands and pulled out her anti¨Cdepressants. With tap water, she swallowed down a handful of pills. All these years, she had been relying on pills and work to forget all her worries and pains. Ten minutester. Joanna had not returned. Bruce was ying the ring on his pinky absent¨Cmindedly, his patience. running out. He thought to himself, ¡°She¡¯s been in there for too long. Is there something wrong with her?¡± Then Bruce strode to the bathroom and banged the door loudly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the toughest? If you¡¯re crying,e out here. I don¡¯t want to miss the pleasure,¡± he said. 10087 The sarcasm in his tone actually made Joanna so mad and sad that she actually broke intoughter. Yes, I am the strongest. No one can hurt me. Only I can hurt myself!¡± she muttered to the mirror. With her words and the help of the medication, Joanna calmed herself down. Upset and irritated, Bruce pushed the door open. ¡°Why do you like to break into thedies¡® room so much, Mr. Everett?¡± Frowning, Joanna was looking at him with disdain. It made Bruce¡¯s mood even worse. Anger was burning in his pair of zing dark eyes. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she noticed the sudden change in the look on his face. Bruce was too dangerous to be alone with! ¡°Please step aside¡­¡± Joanna tried to leave with an indifferent look on her face. However, Bruce was closing in on her, blocking her only way out. Joanna panicked and shouted, ¡°What are you doing? Get out of the way!¡± Bruce¡¯s sanity was gone at this moment. Like a wild animal, he forced her back to the sink. Before Joanna could make any response, she was caught in his arms. Her jaw was grabbed, and a vicious kiss bit her lips. Bruce was out of control. These four years of separation had tortured him like madness. He tried not to think of Joanna, but she and her body haunted him day and night. ¡°What are you¡­ let go¡­¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The only thing Bruce wanted to do right now was to conquer Joanna. He was simply an aggressive man. Once someone was targeted by him, it was nearly impossible to get rid of him. Joanna¡¯s shirt was ripped open by Bruce. And his hands were touching her body recklessly. Joanna was so scared and humiliated, but she did not forget to fight like hell. ¡°Let go of me, no! Hmm¡­¡± me, you understand? ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing? Nobody ys hard to get with me, Bruce Everett always gets everything he wants¡­¡± As he said, the zip on Joanna¡¯s skirt was torn apart¡­ However, no matter how hard she fought, pinned to the sink, she was powerless. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Horror swallowed her in whole.. This man had always been brutal to her, and she knew that Bruce would only stop when she was cracked and broken. When Bruce was about to get what he longed for, the rapid and loud knocks on the door interrupted. Bruce paused, and both of them fell into silence. What a bummer! They heard the door of the conference room pushed open, and there came the tter of high heels. It was Roxanne. ¡°Bruce? Bruce, are you there?¡± At once, Bruce let go of Joanna. ¡°You stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere!¡± Bruce ordered as he tidied up his clothes hastily. Then, as if nothing had happened, he walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Roxy? What are you doing here?¡± Bruce resumed his elegant demeanor as if nothing had happened! ¡°I came to see you. I heard you were going to sign a contract with Joann. So I decided to stop by¡± she replied with a sweet smile. ¡°Where¡¯s Joann? Isn¡¯t she here?¡± Roxanne looked over into the bathroom as she asked. Bruce frowned. ¡°The contract is signed. Let¡¯s go now,¡± he said, putting his arm around Roxanne¡¯s shoulder. That was when Joanna was done straightening her messy hair and stormed out of the bathroom. She swore at him. ¡°Bruce, you are so shameless!¡± Who the hell was he tomand her to stay there? She did not care if Roxanne was here or not. In fact, this was better. She could show Roxanne the real nature of Bruce Everett anyway! Joanna¡¯s disheveled clothes and red eyes told their stories silently. Roxanne turned ghostly white. She knew what had happened back in the bathroom at once. What Roxanne dreaded the most happened atst. Bruce had never fully forgotten Joanna, and she knew it. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± said Roxanne and tried to hide her fury, pretending that she had figured out nothing. ¡°Since the contract is signed, let¡¯s go then!¡± Roxanne shook the man¡¯s arm gently as she was saying. She was not going to allow Bruce to spend too much time with Joanna. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about going to have a try¨Con wedding dressst night?¡± That was when Bruce remembered it. ¡°Oh, sure, we¡¯ll go in a minute.¡± Last night, Roxanne and he had a talk, and she wailed like a baby, asking him if he had stopped loving her. They had been dating for six years. Even Bruce knew that he could not put off the wedding any longer. So, without realizing what he was doing, Bruce proposed.. Joanna looked at the sweet, sweet couple, and her heart suddenly twitched with pain. Catching the sh of heartbreak in her eyes, Bruce hugged Roxanne even more tightly. ¡°And after the wedding dress, let¡¯s go check on the wedding ring,¡± said Bruce. ¡°There was a batch of diamonds freshlying into town recently. Let¡¯s go and see if you like any of them.¡± Roxanne was ecstatic. ¡°Really?¡± Bruce looked at Roxanne lovingly. ¡°I ordered a 24.87¨Ccarat pink diamond. You¡¯re turning 24 this I would have given it to you as your birthday gift on August 7th, but it doesn¡¯t matter now. This pink diamond is quite precious. It¡¯s worth 100 million dors.¡± year. Bruce was saying that on purpose because both he and Joanna knew that the 100 million dors were supposed to be hers. Since Joanna thought she was too noble to take his money, she should not me him for spending it on the woman who took her husband away! Bruce wanted to see Joanna go mad after hearing this. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re so sweet!¡± Roxanne was so happy that she stood on tiptoe and gave Bruce a big kiss on the cheek.. Sorrow crossed Joanna¡¯s eyes as a sharp pain took ce in her heart. It was not because of the money. Joanna was turning 24 this year as well, and their birthdays were only ten days apart. Yet, for all the 24 years, her father only remembered Roxanne¡¯s birthday. ¡°Happy now?¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Roxanne gave Bruce a cute smile before turning to Joanna. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will bother you, Joann, but if you¡¯re free tomorrow,e to my birthday party!¡± ¡°My schedule is full,¡± Joanna replied coldly. A disappointed look appeared on Roxanne¡¯s pretty face. ¡°Joann, daddy was so angry yesterday. He almost had a heart attack. Daddy hasn¡¯t been well. Why don¡¯t youe home for dinner tonight and pay him a visit?¡± Inviting Joanna back to dinner was a sham. Roxanne¡¯s real purpose was to make a formal im to Joanna that she was the rightful Mrs. Everett! ¡°I can¡¯t. I have children to take care of.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a family, Joann. Let bygones be bygones, please¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s face sank. She was so sick of Roxanne¡¯s hypocrisy. ¡°You¡¯re in my office, and I¡¯m going to work now! If you have nothing else to do, go home!¡± she snapped. Bruce sneered and looked at Joanna wryly. ¡°Did I hear you right? Who are you to tell me to go anywhere?¡± ¡°Suit yourself then! I¡¯m going to work!¡± ¡°Wait, Joann!¡± Roxanne called out. ¡°I want to talk to you!¡± Joanna paused. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Bruce, would you mind waiting for me in the corridor?¡± Bruce hesitated for three seconds, and then he nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± With that, Bruce turned and walked out of the office. As soon as Bruce left, Roxanne¡¯s attitude changed instantly. ¡°Joanna Haynes, I¡¯m warning you, stay away from Bruce. Stop flirting with him. If you ever hit on him again, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Joanna sneered and said, ¡°Is that what you¡¯re going to say to me?¡± ¡°Bruce and I are going to get married. So don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Joanna said coldly, ¡°Are you done? Then get the hell out of here. I¡¯m going to work.¡± Joanna¡¯s disdainful look irritated Roxanne atst. Teeth gritted, and she suddenly pped herself hard in the face! ¡°Ouch! What are you doing, Joann?¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Frowned, Joanna looked at Roxanne and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Roxanne merely sneered. She turned around and mmed her head against the wall. In an instant, her forehead was swollen. Roxanne copsed weakly on the floor and started moaning, ¡°Ouch, it hurts. Don¡¯t hit me, Joann, please. Help!¡± Bruce heard the noise and pushed the door open in a hurry. Then he saw Roxanne lying on the floor and covering her head pitifully. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Roxanne looked at Joanna in horror and said weakly, ¡°Joann, she hits me. She just hits me¡­¡± Bruce took a nce at Roxanne¡¯s forehead. There was a bruise. ¡°It hurts!¡± Roxanne sobbed, looking so poor. That finally convinced Bruce. ¡°Joanna Haynes, how could you do that to Roxy? She is your sister!¡± Joanna tried so hard not to roll her eyes. ¡°She hit the wall herself, and I never touched her. I had nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°Oh, stop it! How can Roxy be so stupid as to run herself into a wall?¡± ¡°Fine, fine, what do you want then?¡± Joanna looked at them wearily and with disdain. ¡°I want you to apologize to Roxy!¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes at his words. Arms folded, she stared coldly at Bruce and Roxanne. ¡°This is no drama show. What¡¯s the point of ying such little tricks?¡± she said icily. Roxanne said nothing, but deep down, she wasughing. There were no cameras in the conference room. So even if Joanna was innocent, who would know? Moreover, it did not matter at all what anyone else thought, as long as Bruce believed it. ¡°Joann, I know you hate me and don¡¯t want to see me. I¡¯ll try not to show up while you¡¯re around. I can even forgive you for attacking me, but not my face!¡± cried Roxanne as she turned to Bruce. ¡°Oh, no, Bruce, my face. Will I be disfigured?¡± Bruce stole a nce at the wound and relieved her, ¡°No, it is just a small cut. It will recover soon.¡± ¡°Oh, no,¡± Roxanne wailed. ¡°But we are supposed to take wedding photos next month! How can I do that with the wound? Will there be a hideous scar?¡± Bruce frowned a little impatiently. But his voice was still gentle. ¡°No, there will not be any scar. Trust me.¡± Then, Bruce turned and fixed his eyes on Joanna. ¡°And if there is any scar, even the slightest, Joanna Haynes, I will cut your fact for it!¡± ¡°Oh, for thest time, it¡¯s not me! Believe it or not, I¡¯m going to work. You keep up with this¡­ well, whatever this is.¡± Joanna was ready to leave, which made Bruce even more furious. He shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°What now?¡± Joanna red back at Bruce. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°I want you to apologize to Roxy!¡± said Bruce, no temperature in his cold eyes. It was not that he had to stand up for Roxanne. It was just that Joanna¡¯s attitude was so annoying! Joanna sneered. ¡°Bruce Everett, you are pathetic!¡± said she, turning to leave. ¡°I said stop right there!¡± Bruce yelled like a maniac. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Controlled by his temper, Bruce was not going to let her go so easily. ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of here until you apologize!¡± ¡°And?¡± Joanna replied crisply. Bruce sneered. ¡°Apologize to Roxy. If Roxy forgives you, you can go. Or this matter will not end easily. I will make you pay dearly!¡± That was when Roxanne, who was leaning weakly in Bruce¡¯s arm, finally managed to squeeze out some tears. ¡°Bruce, forget it! My sister is in a bad mood. She probably just acted on impulse. Don¡¯t make things difficult for her!¡± Bruce did not finish. He just looked at Joanna with his zing eyes. He could not stand Joanna¡¯s cold, dismissive attitude towards him. At this moment, her attitude was everything to Bruce. Even if it was just one word, he would let go of this matter. Unfortunately, Joanna still did not appear to be giving in at all. ¡°Last warning, Woman. Get down on your knees and apologize! Otherwise, I will find your sons, and they will be sorry for you!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat! ¡°Alright, I will apologize. Stand up, Roxanne. I¡¯ll get down on my knees!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Joann! Oh, Bruce, don¡¯t be so hard on her!¡± Roxanne had never felt better than this. moment. She told Bruce not to make things difficult for Joanna, but her body was more honest. Roxanne had already been on her feet, waiting jauntily for Joanna to kneel. Bruce¡¯s heart suddenly ached. He was just trying to humiliate Joanna, to see her get mad and angry. He never really wanted Joanna to kneel in front of another woman. However, she had already agreed. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t get down on your knees! Just say you¡¯re sorry, and I¡¯ll forgive you! You know me, I never like holding a grudge¡­¡± Mockery shed through Roxanne¡¯s eyes as she stared at Joanna with pleasure. Neither Bruce nor Roxanne expected what would happen next. While Roxanne was enjoying Joanna¡¯s defeat, thetter took off and kicked Roxanne hard right in the stomach! ¡°Ouch¡­ caught off guard, Roxanne stumbled back a few steps and mmed into the wall! Joanna looked back at Bruce indifferently. ¡°See? Now, this one is on me.¡± Bruce was enragedpletely. ¡°You asked for it, Joanna!¡± he growled. Taken control by rage. Bruce approached Joann with several steps and reached out to grab her by the neck. He was so tall that Joanna was swallowed by his shadow instantly. Roxanne was crouching on the floor with her hands over her stomach, hoping that Bruce would beat Joanna up for her. Yet the buzzing sound of electricity shocked her once again. Before Bruce could seize Joanna¡¯s neck, Joanna had struck first. She took a stun gun out of her pocket and stunned Bruce without hesitation. The powerful electric current went rampaging all over Bruce¡¯s body, disabling the man. He nearly passed out. Joanna had been a single mom for years, and safety always came first. That was why she always. carried a tapered the size of a lighter. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Time seemed to freeze for a while. Bruce felt so weak, but luckily, he was strong enough not to pass out on the spot. ¡°How dare you taser me?¡± Bruce fixed his murderous eyes on Joanna as if a falcon was targeting its prey. Joanna staggered back a little, but still, she managed to calm herself down. ¡°It was self¨Cdefense. If you Bruce snorted with angryughter. ¡°Call the police? Well, go ahead!¡± He was the number one man in Greyport! To put it bluntly, even the local government needed the support of the Everett family! Even if the police ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Bruce. Joann didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Bruce scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. This is between her and me!¡± At first, he did it for Roxanne. While now, he was just taken control by his rage. Joanna called out to the door, ¡°Cora.¡± Cora, her personal assistant, pushed the door open and came in. ¡°Yes, Ms. Haynes?¡± ¡°Call the police immediately. Tell them there¡¯s trouble here!¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve gone too far, Joanna Haynes!¡± Bruce cried. He thought Joanna had just been bluffing. And that made him even angrier with her. Yes, Bruce was not afraid of cops. He did not want to be bothered at all. Especially now at this critical moment when reporters were still downstairs. If he was taken away by cops, it would affect his reputation. Joanna hadpletely calmed down. She spoke up again as her tone got harsher, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind making a scene, let¡¯s go to the police station together! Doctors will know if I had really assaulted Roxanne. If I pushed her, there would definitely be my fingerprints on her dress! Anyhow, we will find out the truth soon!¡± Joanna then turned and looked at Roxanne coldly, taking out a recorder from her pocket. ¡°I have a recorder here. It has recorded everything you just said to me. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll y it right now so that we can all hear the conversation!¡± Joanna did like to carry a tiny recorder all the time! But it all happened too soon. So, she never had the chance to turn it on. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Still, under the circumstances, even though the recorder had recorded nothing, it was enough to protect her. At least, Roxanne would not dare to tell more lies. As expected, Roxanne¡¯s face went pale when she heard that. If Bruce heard what she just said to Joanna, then she could kiss goodbye to the innocent maiden image she had maintained for so many years. All her schemes would be ruined in an instant. ¡°Forget it, Bruce. I¡¯m fine, see? Let¡¯s just go look at the wedding dress¡­¡± Ignoring the pain in her stomach, Roxanne took Bruce¡¯s arm. Yet she failed to hide the slight unease in her eyes. Bruce frowned at Roxanne¡¯s nervous reaction, and he realized that things might not be so simple. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± he asked. ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not nervous! No, I¡¯m just¡­ I just don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it,¡± stammered Roxanne as her heart skipped a beat. The next second, she put on her usual innocent look and said, ¡°The police officers will have to take us to the police station. That will definitely cost us hours. After all, the wedding dress is what matters, right?¡± Bruce took a deep breath as he stared at Roxanne grimly. ¡°Roxy, did you just lie to me?¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t! Bruce, don¡¯t get me wrong. Don¡¯t believe any of her words! I¡­ I¡­¡± Joanna would not go easy on Roxanne. ¡°You go ahead,¡± she said. ¡°When the officers get here, let¡¯s go to the station together, and the truth wille out. Roxanne, there are a lot of reporters downstairs. I¡¯m sure if this evidence gets out, people will have their own judgments. After all, that one man is blind and stupid doesn¡¯t mean every man and woman is blind and stupid!¡± Driving by the anger, Bruce reached for the recorder in Joanna¡¯s hand. He was desperate to hear what exactly Roxanne had said! ¡°Stop the nonsense, Joanna. Just give me the recorder!¡± Joanna slipped the recorder back into her pocket, her lips curling into a sneer. ¡°You¡¯ll get the recorder Plus, if you destroy the recorder to protect Roxanne, my evidence will be gone.¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and red at Joanna. He didn¡¯t expect that after four years, she had be even more scheming. Roxanne¡¯s face went deadly pale as if the color was drained from it. Chewing her lips, she looked at Bruce pitifully. ¡°Bruce, we should stop this madness. We¡¯re getting married, remember? Let¡¯s not make a big deal out of it in front of the press¡­¡± Bruce shook off Roxanne impatiently. He hated the most when women yed tricks on him. ¡°We¡¯re not going to see any wedding dress today!¡± With that, Bruce Strode walked out of the conference room without hesitation. He would not wait for the police to arrive. It would only excite the reporters and give them more stories. ¡°Joanna, this is not the end!¡± Roxanne growled. ¡°You will pay for this.¡± Then she hurried out to chase Bruce. ¡°Bruce, wait for me, Bruce! I didn¡¯t say anything to her! You have to believe me¡­¡± Her voice was heard, and then it trailed off down the corridor. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 They were finally gone. Joanna fell back on her chair. A palpitation attacked her, and her face was ghostly white. Cora pushed the door open and hurried in. She looked at Joanna¡¯s pale face and asked with concern, ¡°Ms. Haynes, are you okay?¡± Joanna massaged her chest for a while and finally let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Get me a cup of coffee!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Cora answered and went to fetch the coffee at once. Cora had not been with Joanna for long, but she had been very disciplined, and she never asked things she should not know. That was why when Joanna came into the Haynes Group, she put Cora by her side immediately. It was lunchtime, and employees were gathering in the break room. They had just finished lunch and were all on their cell phones, browsing for gossip. ¡°Wow, is this Ms. Haynes? She is so open!¡± ¡°I heard that Ms. Haynes had a quickie with Mr. Everett in the bathroom on her first day here!¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s not her first time! Six years ago, at the engagement party of Mr. Everett and Roxanne Haynes, Mr. Everett got drunk, and good, ole Ms. Haynes crept onto the man¡¯s bed and forced him to do her! Then she threatened to kill herself. That was why Mr. Everett married her!¡± ¡°Really? How could any woman be so shameless?¡± Several new interns were dumbfounded by this. shocking news. They were fresh out of college, and they had no clue about such things before. Being young, dumb, and easy to be manipted, they were all outraged at once. Some of them were even thinking of storming into Joanna¡¯s office and spitting in her face right now. ¡°Why do you think she did it so well in CI? She slept her way up! High¨Clevel superiors, business. partners, and even their clients have all been conquered by her pussy!¡± ¡°That woman might look elegant and honorable, but deep down, she is cheaper than a 50¨Ccent whore!¡± A few of Ingrid¡¯s closest associates kept saying things like that, spreading rumors all over, trying to ruin Joanna¡¯s reputation for good. ¡°What the¡­ such a bitch! And yet, she hooked up with Mr. Grimm again? Oh, poor Mr. Grimm.¡± The interns who were infatuated with Jaydon felt so sorry for the man. ¡°And that¡¯s not all!¡± ¡°Exactly, Ms. Haynes isn¡¯t just a slut in her private life. She¡¯s also ruthless. She disowned all her rtives and was extremely vicious! She kicked Mr. Haynes out of the board of directors without any consideration!¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes even had a heart attack for this, I¡¯m told! How could she do that to her own father?¡± ¡°Oh, my God, how can this slutty, awful bitch still sit in her chair?¡± ¡°Yeah, how does a scheming bitch like that deserve to be chairwoman of the Haynes Group?¡± ¡°Well, you can always quit if you want to.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I have a life to live, right?¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, have you heard the rumor? The word is that IIRS are making a big move!¡± ¡°What move?¡± ¡°They said that a lot of employees are going to beid off!¡± ¡°Oh, no! We¡¯re not included, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If she dares to fire us, we¡¯ll go on a strike!¡± ¡°But she had been so calm about thements on the Inte. I would have hidden from everyone if I were her.¡± ¡°Alright, enough of that. If it gets to Ms. Haynes, we¡¯ll all be in trouble!¡± Of course, Joanna knew about this. She also knew that it was Ingrid¡¯s people who were stirring things up. They were deliberately inciting employees and spreading rumors. However, there was nothing she could do. Not right now. She had to wait for her team to arrive. That was when she got rid of all Ingrid¡¯s staff, whatever the cost! Back in the Haynes vi. ¡°Mom,¡± called out Roxanne, ¡°I¡¯m so mad!¡± She came home, kicked off her high heels, took off her coat, and dropped her purse on the floor. Without even changing her clothes, she threw herself on the couch. The maids who followed behind her were hurriedly cleaning up the mess. ¡°Get out,¡± Roxanne barked at them, ¡°you¡¯re annoying me!¡± ¡°Sure, sure! Right away!¡± The maids quickly left the sitting room. Roxanne was only a gentledy in front of outsiders. Only when she was with the housemaids, her true nature was revealed. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡± her mother asked, wearing a moisturizing mask. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to see the wedding dress with Bruce? Have you picked out the proper one?¡± Ingrid was surprised to see her daughter back so early. Roxanne gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°No!¡± sheined. ¡°It¡¯s been ruined by that bitch Joanna again!¡± Ingrid gasped. She had never expected this! She pulled down the mask at once and asked in a hurry, ¡°What the hell happened? Hurry up and tell me!¡± ¡°Bruce went to sign the bet¨Con agreement with that bitch today. I was worried. So, I went over there. to check it out. As soon as I arrived, I saw that bitch hitting on Bruce! Oh, I¡¯m so mad!¡± Ingrid asked even more frantically, ¡°And?¡± Roxanne punched the couch angrily before going on, ¡°And then I had a fight with Bruce! We were supposed to go to see the wedding dress today, but that bitch Joanna ruined it! She ruined it all!¡± Then with angry tears in her eyes, Roxanne told Ingrid briefly what had happened. She had been waiting for this day for six years. And when Bruce finally proposed to her, everything went back to the beginning. Roxanne had no idea how long she would have to wait for the next chance toe. Ingrid¡¯s face darkened with disappointment. She lowered her voice. ¡°Tell Brucest night?¡± Roxanne looked at her mother in bewilderment. ¡°Do what?¡± she asked. me, did you do it with ¡°Are This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. you serious? Do what every couple does! Did you sleep with him? What else are you thinking?¡± That was blunt enough for Roxanne to understand. Flushing, she replied, ¡°Oh, Mom, why do keep focusing on these things?¡± you ¡°You foolish girl, you spent the whole night with Bruce!¡± Ingrid said anxiously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that nothing happenedst night!¡± ¡°But, it just didn¡¯t happen¡­¡± Roxanne said. Ingrid was even angrier when she heard that. ¡°Tell me the truth, Roxy! Did you do it or not? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? Bruce said that he was going to save the best for our wedding night.¡± Ingrid paused a few seconds to consider this information. Then she asked suspiciously, ¡°Is he¡­ bad in bed?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Mom, what are you thinking?¡± Bruce was never a celibate man! Just because he had not slept with Roxanne over the years, it did not mean that he had not been. hooking up with others. It was just that the girls whom Bruce hooked up with had never been capable of threatening Roxanne¡¯s position. Therefore, Roxanne seldomined about that. She merely paid no attention. After all, she was Bruce¡¯s fiancee. She found it demeaning to be jealous of those cheap whores. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so stupid! You can¡¯t even handle a single man!¡± said Ingrid, frowning. ¡°Do I have to teach you everything?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it right now, Mom. I¡¯m just too annoyed to think any of that.¡± Ingrid narrowed her eyes. ¡°That little bitch is a disaster!¡± she cursed fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m gonna avenge you. I¡¯ll make her ¡®famous¡® again!¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Stories about Joanna had been cooked up. One by one, they were posted online. Overnight, it was all about Joanna Haynes all over the inte. Every day, downstairs in Joanna¡¯s office, there were reporters and strikes against her. Despite this, she still insisted oning to work daily. Back in the Hilbert Hotel. Early in the morning, Jaydon came to see Joanna with a bunch of flowers. ¡°Oh, hey, Jay!¡± Joanna greeted him as she opened the door. She had been preparing breakfast for the kids. Even with three nannies, she still cooked for her children from time to time. ¡°Have you eaten anything? Sit down and let¡¯s eat together,¡± said Joanna. She poured Jaydon a ss of milk and went to make another sandwich. Jaydon did not say no. He just sat down and started digging in. As a matter of fact, he had always hated sandwiches. However, since it was made by Joanna, that changed everything. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ve found a good house. The neighborhood is friendly, and the facilities will protect your privacy just fine. You should move in with the kids recently,¡± said the man. ¡°I will. Thank you, Jay,¡± Joanna replied. She was still making the sandwich, looking a little exhausted. Jaydon stared at her thin back, feeling so sorry for her. He rose from his seat and went to give her a gentle hug from behind. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to the office. these days,¡± he was saying. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°I always said you were fine. But look at you. How much sleep did you getst night?¡± Joanna gave him a smile and flipped her hair a little. ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± she said confidently. ¡°I¡¯m just a This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. little tired.¡± Obviously, she did not convince Jaydon. He looked at her side face, concerns in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that you have three children to take care of? Who will look after them if you fall down?¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows and paused. Then she shrugged and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way.¡± Jaydon gave a long sigh and spoke up again, ¡°Joann, you can¡¯t put up with this anymore. You have to fight back!¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not the girl I was six years ago. I¡¯m not going to allow Ingrid and the others to do whatever they want to!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m so happy to see you pull yourself together,¡± said Jaydon with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got my PR team working on it. We shall see a reversal tomorrow.¡± ¡°Um, Jay, I¡­¡± Joanna was not sure how to put it. Jaydon gave her a bright smile and cut in, ¡°no, you better stay out of sight for the time being.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It will make people even more curious about you. And we would want people to assume that you¡¯re having a breakdown. Then the rebound will be even stronger.¡± ¡°Well, all right.¡± Joanna agreed. ¡°Just in time. I can take the kids and move.¡± After all, staying in the hotel was not a long¨Cterm solution. She was settling down in the city with the kids. ¡°By the way, you need to take a set of photos,¡± Jaydon added. Joanna looked at Jaydon in bewilderment. ¡°Photos?¡± ¡°Yeah, the public opinion is against you now. You must show some positive images before your reputation is ruinedpletely. Also, the Haynes Group¡¯s share price has plummeted recently. We need to do something. Otherwise, yourpany will fall apart.¡± ¡°Okay, whatever you say!¡± Joanna had always trusted Jaydon. This man was the onest person whom Joanna trusted in this world. The next day, Joanna did not show up at the office. No one at work saw her for the whole day. ¡°Did that bitch kill herself or what?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just hiding from the heat. People are mad with her. Who knows if someone will attack her all of a sudden if she¡¯s seen in public!¡± In the Haynes vi. Roxanne ran over to Ingrid cheerfully with her phone. ¡°Mom, look at thements below! Ha! These guys you hired are awesome!¡± Ingrid sneered as she replied disdainfully, ¡°These are just appetizers. They are far from enough. Don¡¯t worry. I will make her pay the most painful price. But then again, it feels good to see so many people calling her a whore!¡± Mother and daughter were talking when Shaun came downstairs. ¡°What¡¯s so exciting?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing!¡± Ingrid answered first. ¡°Dad, have you seen the news?¡± Frowning, Shaun said impatiently, ¡°No, and I won¡¯t. Nothing interesting anyway.¡± He did not even have to check to know that there must be nasty news about Joanna everywhere. ¡°Dad, are you just gonna leave her on a rampage like this?¡± ¡°Thepany is a mess right now. If Joann wants to make a ssh, so be it,¡± Shaun answered tly. ¡°When things go out of control, she¡¯ll beg me to go back with tears!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since that bitch gave us a hard time, we will make her suffer, too!¡± said Roxanne fiercely. Shaun heaved a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t call her that. She¡¯s your sister after all¡­¡± Roxanne pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister like that!¡± she said angrily. ¡°Dad, do you want my brothers and me, or do you want Joanna?¡± ¡°Of course, you three. We¡¯re a family. As for Joanna, s, that wretched girl¡­ Oh, enough of her. I need to take care of my blood pressure.¡± The next day, someone posted something anonymously about Joanna. ¡°Three Crimes of Joanna Haynes!¡± This title drew Netizens¡® attention at once. There were thousands of words in the article. It recorded Joanna¡¯s whole life from her birth up until now. Especially in her teens when she had returned to the Haynes family and had been shunned by everyone, including Shaun Haynes who had never given her any fatherly love. This article seemed to be criticizing Joanna. While in effect, it allowed everyone to take a more global approach to the issue. Netizens¡® opinions were not so easy to be changed, but they had already taken a glimpse at the full picture, which was the crucial first step. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Not long after that, another shocking news was posted on social media. ¡°An Easy Prey¨Cthe Story of Joanna Haynes with Her Bloodsucking Family!¡± It mainly talked about Joanna¡¯s mother. Even Shaun¡¯s background had been revealed in the article, too. It turned out that he was just Raymond Haynes¡® adopted son. And Joanna¡¯s mother was Raymond¡¯s own niece! That meant only Joanna was really rted to Raymond. So, it was not hard to exin why Raymond left Joanna 51% of the Haynes Group. Meanwhile, Shaun and Ingrid¡¯s affair had exploded as well! ¡°Joanna and Roxanne¡¯s birthdays are only ten days apart.¡± ¡°In other words, Shaun was having an affair with Ingrid when Joanna¡¯s mother was still pregnant!¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Ingrid Haynes was a homewrecker?¡± Theizens were all taken aback! All these years, Shaun and Ingrid were known for their happy marriage. No one could ever imagine that their marriage was a mistake in the very beginning. This news disgusted every Netizen badly. Maybe in the old days, people would not say too much about such affairs. But now,izens had little tolerance for such things. Jaydon¡¯s PR team made good use of Ingrid¡¯s past. And it took them only one night to make Ingrid trending. The social media was inundated with hashtags, ¡°Ingrid Haynes Proven to Be a Homewrecker; Shaun Haynes Abuses His Eldest Daughter¡± and ¡°What You Don¡¯t Know about Ingrid Haynes ¨C A Mean Stepmother Who Kicked Her Stepdaughter Out.¡± News and posts were everywhere, and with no exception, they were aiming at Ingrid. ¡°No Wonder Roxanne has a big birthday party every year! The Haynes family never holds any birthday party for Joanna!¡± ¡°Holy shit, I wonder how many filthy stories of this wealthy family still remain unrevealed!¡± ¡°Ingrid is so mean! How could she treat Joanna like that?¡± As theizens were enjoying the stories, nearly half of them started to side with Joanna imperceptibly. However, Joanna had been known as a horrible, scheming woman for too long, and it took more time topletely reverse people¡¯s views of her. ¡°No wonder Joanna has been a shameless woman. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°All because of Ingrid! Man, if I grew up in a family like this, I might be more bitchy than her.¡± Back in the Haynes vi. ¡°Mom, Mom, look at all this news!¡± Roxanne dashed over with her phone, and she showed it to Ingrid in a hurry. Ingrid was giving herself facial care when hearing it. She smirked triumphantly and didn¡¯t even open her eyes. ¡°More stories of that little bitch? What are they about? Go on, read a few paragraphs. I need some entertainment.¡± Roxanne replied anxiously, ¡°No, Mom, no! Someone posted online about the stories of you and dad! They said you were a homewrecker and a terrible stepmother!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face fell at once as she hurried to grab Roxanne¡¯s phone. ¡°It must be Joanna who did this,¡± she said through her gritted teeth. ¡°She must have found someone to do the dirty work for her!¡± With that, Ingrid looked down at the phone and read, ¡°Ingrid Haynes was a homewrecker who drove Shaun¡¯s ex¨Cwife away with babies in her belly. Ha, so what? That old, ugly bitch failed to keep an eye on her husband. That¡¯s not my fault.¡± But Roxanne appeared to be more worried about this. ¡°But, Mom, it¡¯s not good! People are talking about us everywhere. You know the Everetts, they think a lot of reputation. What will Bruce think of me if he reads the news? Dad is no longer chairman of the Haynes Group after all, and people in the N?velDrama.Org content. Greyport have stopped treating us with respect. You remember my birthday party? Several girls never even showed up!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face turned even more gloomy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will make some calls to make sure these. boring stories disappear.¡± ¡°Mom, is this gonna work?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know the wives of some online celebrities. They¡¯ll do me a favor.¡± Ingrid assured her daughter. Finally, Roxanne felt a little relieved. ¡°Mom, you have to deal with this! We can¡¯t afford the Everetts to see this!¡± Ingrid twitched her lips a little. She dialed the manicurist¡¯s number as she asked nonchntly, ¡°have you worked things out with Bruce recently?¡± Frowning, Roxanne heaved a sigh. ¡°Bruce¡¯s on a business trip to Europe these days. He¡¯ll be back tomorrow,¡± said she, slightly injured. ¡°So you called him?¡± ¡°Yeah. But he always hung up the phone, saying that he had a meeting or something like that, and I barely got the chance to say anything.¡± Ingrid narrowed her eyes to process this information for a while. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the old Everett mansion.¡± she rose, putting the manicurist behind her. ¡°What? But why?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyebrows were knitted. ¡°Silly girl, we¡¯re going to visit Bruce¡¯s grandmother, Margaret! Haven¡¯t I always told you to visit the old ¡°Fine¡­¡± Roxanne replied, and reluctantly, she went upstairs to change. Margaret Everett was Bruce¡¯s grandmother. She still lived at the old Everett Mansion. And Roxanne had a feeling that Margaret didn¡¯t like her at all. Margaret never said anything harsh to Roxanne, but every time they met, the olddy had always been cold. Therefore, Roxanne normally avoided seeing Margaret if it was not necessary. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Soon, Ingrid and Roxanne arrived at the old Everett Mansion. It was located on a mountain near the coast. Although the mansion was old, it was one of the most expensive estates in Greyport. The Everett family had countless properties all over the world, but Margaret had always lived in the old mansion. During the holidays, Bruce would go back here to live with his grandmother. Ingrid drove along the mountain road, slowly getting into the lush greenery. Even the oxygen here. was abundant and clean. Greyport was a very busy city, and the air pollution was also serious. Nevertheless, this ce was like an isted fairnd. At the gate, the handsome young guard stopped the car and asked warily, ¡°What are your business here?¡± Ingrid rolled down the window hastily and gave the young guard a sweet smile. ¡°It¡¯s me. I just got off the phone with your butler. I have an appointment with Margaret at ten o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°Oh, so you must be Mrs. Haynes!¡± said the guard and opened the gate.. Ingrid and Roxanne went through two more gates after that. The car had been driving for more than ten minutes, and finally, they arrived at the front yard of the vi. ¡°Greetings, Mrs. Haynes, Ms. Haynes,¡± Margaret¡¯s butler, Korbin, greeted them. He had been waiting at the door. Korbin wore a neat tail coat and gold¨Crimmed sses, polite and meticulous. He had been working here for over 30 years, and he was Margaret¡¯s most trusted servant. ¡°Oh, dear, this ce is huge! It¡¯s several times bigger than our house,¡± said Ingrid. Even though she was a richdy, she still couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the splendid mansion. Ten minutester, the butler took Ingrid and Roxanne into the living room. The living room was more like a banquet hall, in Roxanne¡¯s opinion. It was sorge that it was enough to hold a party for hundreds of people. And the olddy, Margaret Everett, caught her eyes at once. Margaret was sitting on the sofa. A pair of sses with a chain was ced on her nose, and she was wearing a gown with a silk shawl on her shoulder. Margaret was so noble and dignified that it was not hard to tell her beauty when she was young. ¡°So nice to meet you, Mrs. Everett!¡± Ingrid said. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time!¡± She smiled obsequiously as she approached Margaret to shake her hand. Margaret just sat there without even looking at her. She had no interest in responding to Ingrid¡¯s ttering, false manner. ¡°Yeah, it has. Now, please, be seated,¡± said the olddy indifferently. Smiling awkwardly, Ingrid quickly handed over the fancy gifts she had bought. ¡°Here, this is our gift for you, Mrs. Everett. A small token of our appreciation. Please, take it.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so kind,¡± said Margaret and turned to speak to the maids aside. ¡°Tea for our guests!¡± She was petting the cat in her arms, showing no interest in the gift at all. Ingrid had to put down her gift on the coffee table. Then she and her daughter sat down stiffly. The maids walked over and poured them teas. ¡°So, um, is Bruce back from his business trip?¡± Ingrid asked tentatively. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Margaret raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s not back until tomorrow,¡± she replied with an aloof voice. ¡°Oh, well¡­ then will he¡­¡± ¡°Why are you here today, Ingrid?¡± Margaret interrupted her. ¡°Let¡¯s just cut to the cheese here.¡± Ingridughed dryly and answered a little sheepishly, ¡°Nothing important. I just thought I should stop by and visit you. Because, you know, Roxy misses you so much. She¡¯s always telling me she¡¯sing to see you¡­¡± That made Margaret¡¯s lips curl into a faint sneer, and her sharp eyes turned to Roxanne. Roxanne was too nervous to make eye contact with Margaret. She merely forced ? smile. In fact, Roxanne was not always like this. In the beginning, she tried to impress Margaret. She acted. like an innocent maiden, she pretended to be sensible, and she even tried to do things as a virtuous girl did. But her attempts all failed. Margaret just did not buy it at all! ¡°Oh, well,¡± said Margaret and rose from her seat, ¡°since you have no important matters, I¡¯ll go upstairs and take my afternoon nap.¡± Ingrid stopped her and said, ¡°Please wait a minute! Yeah, um, I do have something to discuss with you. I¡¯m just embarrassed to say it.¡± Margaret sneered. ¡°Then perhaps you shouldn¡¯t say it at all!¡± Ingrid was retorted rather speechless, and on the inside, she could not help cursing the olddy¡¯s ruthlessness. However, on the surface, Ingrid was still wearing the false smile. ¡°Uh, well¡­ it¡¯s about Bruce and Roxy. You see, they¡¯ve been dating each other for too long. Maybe, it¡¯s time for them to get married?¡± With a frown, Margaret said nothing. Roxanne was rubbing her fingers nervously, her face scarlet. Here in Greyport, normally, it should be the groom¡¯s family taking the initiative to talk about the wedding. However, given the circumstances, she could only ignore the tradition as long as she could be Bruce¡¯s legal wife. Ingrid gave the silent Margaret another sheepish smile. ¡°The sooner they get married, the sooner they can have children! Imagine that, Margaret, you will have great¨Cgrandchildren!¡± Margaret¡¯s mouth twitched as she replied coldly, ¡°You should discuss this with Bruce. I don¡¯t have a problem with when he¡¯d like to get married.¡± ¡°Right, right, but young people don¡¯t like to bother themselves with these matters. As their guardians, we have to make arrangements, don¡¯t we? And¡­¡± Before Ingrid could finish, Margaret had already stood up. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ingrid. I¡¯m tired. Besides, Bruce is not a kid anymore. He can make his own decision.¡± ¡°What? But Mrs. Everett, I¡­¡± ¡°Korbin, see the guests out!¡± Ingrid was so embarrassed, her mind upied by anxiety. ¡°Mrs. Haynes,¡± said Korbin who had blocked Ingrid¡¯s view. ¡°Mrs. Everett is not well and needs to rest. She can¡¯t be disturbed. Please, allow me to see you out.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Ingrid and Roxanne had hit dead ends, and they had no choice but to leave now. After they were gone, Margaret snorted with a sneer. ¡°Humph, those two clowns thought we Everetts are a bunch of idiots!¡± Bruce had alsoe out of his bedroom. Unlike the poker¨Cfaced man whom people considered, Bruce pur his arms around his grandmother¡¯s shoulder with a bright smile. ¡°Grandma, why are you so prejudiced against Roxy?¡± He came back from a business trip to Europe yesterday. But he did not want to see Roxanne. So he lied that he wasing back the day after tomorrow. ¡°How can she be any better when her mother is a woman like that? Like mother, like daughter!¡± Margaret replied. She disliked every part of Ingrid. She might be too old to fight in the front, but behind the scenes, Margaret was still in control of the Everett Corp. After all, an incapable olddy could not help her grandson all the way up to the most sessful entrepreneur in the city. Back in Margaret¡¯s days, Ingrid had already been a famous gold digger in Greyport. After hooking up with Shaun Haynes, Ingrid finally made her way into the so¨Ccalled upper¨Css society. Thus, how could Ingrid¡¯s history and little tricks hide from Margaret¡¯s sharp eyes? ¡°Grandma, Roxy is not like her mother at all. They are not the same. You can¡¯t just¡­¡± Bruce tried to convince the olddy. Yet his grandmother¡¯s face sank as she interrupted, ¡°Do you remember what I¡¯ve told you? Have you done it?¡± Bruce looked confused. ¡°Done what?¡± ¡°Oh, you silly boy, Joanna¡¯s kids! Haven¡¯t I told you to invite Joanna and her sons over? I¡¯d like to see them.¡± Bruce froze, at a loss for words. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Both of them remained silent for quite a while. Then Bruce finally spoke up first with an angry snort, ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the point of seeing her sons?¡± ¡°Oh, you stupid child. Do the math. Those two boys might be your children!¡± Bruce¡¯s jaw nearly dropped when hearing this. ¡°What? No way! That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s impossible! I asked her, and she told me herself that they are not my sons!¡± ¡°s. you don¡¯t understand women at all. She hates you so much, and she might be saying that to simply make you mad!¡± ¡°To make me mad?¡± Bruce blinked stupidly. But then, it came to him. Indeed, he had been quite awful to her. It made sense. ¡°Anyhow, bring the boys over first and take a paternity test,¡± said Margaret. ¡°If they are not your sons, so be it However, if they are your kids, they can¡¯t wander alone out there without a father!¡± ¡°Well, I see¡­¡± After the work of five days, Joanna had finally moved into her new apartment. She had cleaned it up. and they were able to settle down atst. The apartment was in the city center, and it was quiterge. Apart from the four bedrooms and the sitting rooms, there were also two nannies¡® rooms. The rent was 40 thousand dors a month. Though Joanna was the current chairwoman of the Haynes Group, she did not have too much cash. She had properties andpany shares. If she required arge amount of cash, she had to sell them. And over the years, there was none left of the money that her mother left her with. However, in a city like Greyport, where every square inch counted, it could easily cost people tens of millions to purchase afortable apartment. Therefore, between afortable apartment and life, Joanna had to make a choice. She chose the ¡°Joann, have you read the news?¡± Jaydon came over and helped Joanna clean up. Joanna, busy with her three children¡¯s clothes, replied without looking up. ¡°I¡¯m too busy to think of anything else. Moving is so tiring!¡± Jaydon smiled slightly. ¡°Well, have a look then. You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± With that, Jaydon handed Joanna his cell phone. After reading a few pages of thements, Joanna sighed. ¡°To be honest, I really don¡¯t want this to happen! I don¡¯t want to fall out with my dad! Yet, he left me with no other options¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much,¡± said Jaydon. ¡°You need to show your strength. The more you ignore the bad guys, the more they think you¡¯re a pushover. Only when you fight back can you really protect yourself and your children.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you, Jay!¡± ¡°Come on. You¡¯re always so polite to me!¡± ¡°But I own you. That¡¯s the least I should say. I don¡¯t know what I could do without you,¡± said Joanna. Jaydon stared at her beautiful eyes and asked, ¡°Do you really want to thank me?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Jaydon gave her a bright smile. ¡°Then¡­ will you marry me?¡± Joanna froze, and there was a hint of fluster in her eyes. She did not know if Jaydon had meant it. What she did know was that if she had no kids and if she was still a young girl, she would not hesitate to ept his proposal. But now? No. She was not good enough for him. Noticing the unease on her face, Jaydon smiled sheepishly as he patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just kidding!¡± An awkward smile broke on Joanna¡¯s pretty face. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t make such jokes. You¡¯re embarrassing N?velDrama.Org content. me!¡± Jaydon was looking at her gently with a warm smile, but on the inside, her hesitation cut deeply. For him, tenderness was the thing he had never given to any woman. Any woman but Joanna. Six years ago, on Joanna¡¯s birthday, when Jaydon was going to tell her his feelings, Bruce ruined the moment. That was the regret of his life. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need to take some pictures of you today!¡± said Jaydon. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°And you need to take Davian and Irvin with you,¡± he added. Joanna hesitated for a few seconds. But in the end, she agreed with a smile. Hourster, they were out in the park. At sunset, Joanna was strolling in a white dress with her sons. With a click, Jaydon recorded this. moment with his camera. In the photo, the scene of Joanna and her sons looked quite harmonious. Haynes¡® house. It had only been days, but the public opinion hadpletely reversed. Ingrid¡¯s dirty past just kept trending on the Inte. It annoyed Ingrid badly. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re so shameless,¡± she cursed. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Roxanne asked tentatively. ¡°I just called the wife of the website¡¯s manager, and she said she couldn¡¯t do anything about it! Damn it. I¡¯m so mad!¡± Ingrid smashed her cups into pieces and went on furiously, ¡°Hire more people to write stories about Joanna! I¡¯ll crush her!¡± The next day, several new posts came as expected. ¡°Joanna Haynes, A Promiscuous Woman Who Brings Shames on Her Family.¡± ¡°Ten Tricks that Joanna yed while Taking Raymond¡¯s Legacy.¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes Seducing Her Brother¨Cin¨CLaw.¡± Posts and news like these were spread on the Inte once again. Ingrid had spent a lot of money, paying off a lot of trolls to keep attacking Joanna. ¡°She will never make it this time!¡± Ingrid was saying to her daughter. ¡°But Mom.¡± Roxanne asked, ¡°we¡¯ve spent too much money. And it doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s working at all!¡± ¡°Oh, you know nothing.¡± Ingrid replied. ¡°Just wait, that Joanna bitch will be spat on by the whole Greyport in no time!¡± Ingrid smirked viciously, picturing her moment of victory. However, things did not go as she expected. On the next morning, before these new stories could get out, ounts of the trolls hired by Ingrid were blocked. One night passed. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The public¡¯s attention had shifted from Joanna to a popr actress, Carmel Basil. She was a new star in Jaydon¡¯spany, and she won her first best actress award yesterday. Besides, Carmel just announced she had a boyfriend who was an aplished actor. N?velDrama.Org content. The news instantly rocked the whole Inte. It caught the public¡¯s attention. Actually, it was a marketing strategy masterminded by Jaydon. Carmel was not in a rtionship with that actor at all. Thepany hyped such a rtionship to attract the public. Also, they wanted to distract the public¡¯s attention from Joanna. Ingrid had been waiting to see Joanna¡¯s scandal. However, although she had spent a lot of money, it didn¡¯t work at all. ¡°Mom, I told you. It doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Let me figure out another way to deal with her.¡± Ingrid gnashed her teeth in hatred. ¡°Roxy, Mr. Everett will be back soon. Get ready to pick him up.¡± ¡°Remember to further your rtionship. You¡¯ve been dating for so many years. It¡¯s okay to be proactive and bold.¡± ¡°Are you still a virgin? It¡¯s not a bad thing. This would make you more valuable.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roxanne felt a little embarrassed. Actually, she was no longer a virgin.) When she was in college, she once went to a summer camp with her ssmates. It was a crazy night for everyone. A boy paid special attention to her, and he was also good at flirting. He was a school hunk who was tall and handsome. Stimted by the alcohol, Roxanne failed to control herself and slept with him. Since she had the first experience, she did it again and again. The boy was very good at flirting. She was titited every time. Until now, she still contacted that boy every month. And then she would spend a crazy night with him. However, that boy was poor. He could give her nothing but physical pleasure. Therefore, she would not marry him. But as an adult, she had physical needs. She tried to maintain a pure image before Bruce. So she couldn¡¯t casually allow him to touch her or let him feel she was not pure. By contrast, she could enjoy the physical pleasure without any scruples when she was staying with that boy. Since she pretended to be pure for too long, she was a little agitated. She needed to vent her feelings. On this side. Bruce dared not disobey his grandma, so he had to bite the bullet and ask Joanna for the child. His grandma was his only family, and she was old. He was very filial to her. No matter what she asked him to do, he would try his best to make her happy. Since she wanted to see the child, he wouldn¡¯t disappoint her. In the early morning, Bruce directly went to the Haynes Group. ¡°Where is Joanna?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes hasn¡¯t been in the office for several days.¡± Bruce was a little surprised. Then he took out his mobile phone to call her. But he found he didn¡¯t have her number. Two years into their marriage, Joanna had always been the one who made the phone call. And he disdained saving her number. Now, four years had passed, and her number had already been wiped from the phone records. But it seemed that he could still contact her through Facebook Messenger. They had divorced four years ago, though. He didn¡¯t delete her in Messenger. Sometimes, when a message came, he would hope it was from Joanna. However, she never texted him once. At first, he thought she could not live without him. He thought she would continue to pester him after the divorce and use all kinds of methods to get him back. Only now had he discovered that this was not the case. Joanna was actually a very proud person. Bruce¡¯s face darkened, and he found her Messenger ount. Her profile photo was still the same as before. It was a picture she took when she was in high school. She was beautiful and energetic at that time. Her eyes were like bright stars. People would be amazed when they saw them. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t see her eyes shining like stars anymore. Bruce hesitated for a few minutes and then typed ¡°Hello¡°. It was the first time he had reached out to her. After the message was sent, he gave a dry cough to hide his embarrassment. As an arrogant and paranoid man. Bruce was unlikely to admit his care about others. An hour passed. Bruce still hadn¡¯t received her reply. His face darkened. Being ignored by Joanna really hurt his pride. He thought, ¡°How dare this woman not reply to me!¡± ¡°We need to talk.¡± Bruce sent a second message in anger. After waiting for a long time, he still didn¡¯t receive her reply. Now, things got worse. Bruce waspleted irradiated. His face was dark and grim. He involuntarily loosened his tie and smoked several cigarettes. ¡°Andy, inform the Haynes Group. Tomorrow we will hold a general meeting of stockholders. All the shareholders must be present.¡± Actually, he didn¡¯t care whether Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul came or not. He just wanted to see Joanna. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Since he couldn¡¯t see her in private, he nned to meet her in thepany. He thought she dared not miss the shareholders¡® meeting. The next day. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul arrived at thepany early. Although Bruce was not the chairman of the board, his words were much more powerful than Joanna¡¯s. They could overlook Joanna¡¯s words but dared not disobey Bruce. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Everett.¡± The meeting was set for nine o¡¯clock. Bruce arrived at the lobby ten minutes earlier.. After a while, Joanna finally came. She wore a ck Dior suit with a skirt and white shirt today. As her hair was casually tied in a low ponytail, she looked cool and chilly with a pair of ck rimmed sses. She walked fast and looked sassy. Joanna¡¯s personal assistant Cora followed her. They walked one by one toward the elevator. Seeing Joannae, Bruce immediately caught up with her. He acted as if he had just arrived and met her by ident. ¡°Joanna.¡± Joanna looked back and said, ¡°Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for days. I thought you were dead.¡± Bruce said sarcastically. Then he calmed himself and felt a little regret. That was not what he thought. He grew up with everyone sucking up to him. He had a powerful family, and he was also capable. Therefore, his temper wouldn¡¯t be too good. Joanna rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t want to answer him. Bruce asked, ¡°Yesterday, I sent you a message on Facebook Messenger. Why didn¡¯t you reply?¡± Joanna was confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t receive it.¡± ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t receive it, or you just don¡¯t want to reply.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t use my previous ount anymore.¡± Bruce was speechless. He said sarcastically, ¡°So I should go to thepany to find you if I want to contact you.¡± ¡°Cora, give him my business card.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, this is Miss Haynes¡¯s business card. Her office number was on it.¡± ¡°But she only answers it during her office hour.¡± Bruce was lost for words. He was angry that she only gave him the office number. It meant that she was not even willing to give him her private number. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 It did not matter. After all, he could find her number anyway as long as he wanted. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll ask my assistant to inform you if there is something important.¡± Bruce replied sourly. Joanna frowned and said in a cold tone, ¡°What is it you want to see me about?¡± Bruce cleared his throat with embarrassment and said, ¡°Well, my grandma wants to see the two kids. So¡­¡± Before Bruce finished speaking, Joanna turned angry. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°We can talk in thepany if you want to discuss anything about work. I don¡¯t think we need to meet in private.¡± ¡°Besides, my kids are not obligated to meet strangers.¡± ¡°Joanna, grandma is getting old. She just wants to see the kids. She doesn¡¯t have other thoughts.¡± ¡°Sorry, they can¡¯t go to see her.¡± Joanna refused firmly. Bruce¡¯s grandma was shrewd. She wanted to see the kids because she was already wondering if they were Bruce¡¯s kids. If she saw them, she would surely let Bruce take them to do the paternity test. By then, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to get the kids back. Bruce was angry. He lifted his hand and hit the elevator wall. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t overdo it¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s what I want to say to you!¡± ¡°We made a deal when we got divorced. We have nothing to do with each other from then on. What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Whose kids are they?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. They are not yours anyway.¡± Bruce sneered, locked her in his arms, and said, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If I know they are my kids, I¡¯ll give you a hard time.¡± ¡°You are just insane.¡± Seeing that they began to quarrel, Cora was pale with fear. She wished she could be invisible. Just then, the elevator reached the floor where the conference was. ¡°You go out first,¡± Bruce said to Cora. ¡°Okay.¡± Cora lowered her head and hurried out of the elevator. Bruce still supported the elevator wall with his hands, trying to trap Joanna from getting out of the elevator. He softened his voice and said, ¡°Grandma just wants to see them. It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°I can do whatever you say, as long as you agree to take the kids to see her.¡± ¡°Bruce, my kids have nothing to do with your family. And they don¡¯t need to see anyone.¡± ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Joanna pushed Bruce several times in anger. But Bruce was tall and strong since he worked out a lot. Although she tried her best to push him, it was useless. ¡°Bang!¡± Bruce stepped forward and pushed her against the wall. ¡°If you continue to be like this, I won¡¯t be so polite.¡± Joanna tried to find the electric shock rod in the pocket. However, since he had learned the lesson before, he wouldn¡¯t let her do it again. Bruce caught her hands and trapped them on the elevator wall. ¡°We can do it the easy way or the hard way. It¡¯s your choice. You know it. If I want to do something, I will do it anyway.¡± ¡°Let go of me! Bruce, don¡¯t be rude!¡± ¡°Ding!¡± The elevator door opened again. ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes. What are you doing?¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were startled. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. He released Joanna unhappily. Then he walked out of the elevator with a sullen face. Joanna calmed herself down and also followed him out. In the conference room. ¡°Mr. Everett, do you have any announcements for the shareholders¡® meeting today?¡± Mr. Roger asked with a ttering smile. ¡°Nothing. I just want to see you guys since we haven¡¯t met for several days.¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were stunned. ¡°Seeing you are all good, I am also reassured. You are free now.¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were more confused. When they received the news that Bruce would hold the shareholders¡® meeting in person, they took it seriously and stayed up all night with excitement. They prepared for a long time in the early morning. They specially dressed up for fear of being indecent. But now they felt they were fooled by Bruce. Bruce frowned and said, ¡°I have nothing to announce. The meeting is over.¡± Although his voice was not loud, his natural august vibe made people terrified. ¡°What?¡± ¡°OK, all right. We will go back then.¡± ¡°Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul, please hold on!¡± Joanna stopped them in time. Bruce turned unhappy. ¡°I ask them to go.¡± ¡°Well, we should leave now.¡± After finishing speaking, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul dared not to stay longer and fled. Joanna was very angry. ¡°Bruce, what the hell are you doing? We are in thepany, the working ce. It¡¯s not a ce for fun.¡± ¡°So what? That¡¯s my freedom. What are you gonna do to me?¡± ¡°You are shameless!¡± Joanna gnashed her teeth in anger. ¡°Now, take the kids to visit Grandma. Otherwise, I will interrupt your work every day.¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t overdo it!¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be so stubborn!¡± As he was speaking, he stepped forward and clutched her wrist. She panicked and tried to get rid of him. ¡°Just speak. Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Bruce suddenly felt restless. He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn¡¯t. He had lusted after her scent since it was still in his memory. Once she got close, he would be crazy. All of a sudden, Bruce pressed her against the conference table. ¡°Oh¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± He couldn¡¯t resist the urge to conquer her. Today, he decided to conquer this obstinate woman again. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Joanna struggled desperately. Unfortunately, her resistance brought even greater danger. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t¡­ Please¡­¡± His kisses were fierce, hard, and aggressive. Her shirt was torn. Joanna waspletely afraid. She knew that this imperious man would never be gentle to her. When they were still married, he had already been so tyrannical. The harder it was for her to bear, the ruder he was. ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t get rid of him, so she bit him hard. The smell of blood filled his mouth. However, it made him fiercer. She suddenly got some bruises on her neck. Joanna couldn¡¯t help crying. She beat him feebly. She hated this terrible man much. She didn¡¯t know why she had loved him before. Not only that, she loved him so much. Her love toward Bruce had made her so humble when facing him. But this man had never given her a little love or tenderness. Now, she just hated him as much as how she had loved him before. Just then, a buzz interrupted them. Bruce¡¯s cell phone rang. He ignored it. The cell phone was still buzzing. His movements slightly softened. At first, he didn¡¯t want to answer the phone. However, he told his grandma that he would take the kids to see her today. So he worried that it was his grandma calling. He was distracted for a moment. Joanna took the opportunity to bite him hard.. It was a nasty bite. Beads of red blood rolled from his lips. Bruce gasped and frowned. He touched his lips and saw blood on his hand. ¡°The damned woman,¡± he thought. ¡°How dare she bite me so hard!¡± Joanna freed herself and struggled to slide down the conference table. But her body was weak, and she was barely able to stand steadily. She had to hold the conference table and tried to be stable. ¡°Bruce, if you do this again, I will call the police!¡± ¡°Do whatever you want!¡± Bruce ignored her menace and picked up his cell phone to take a look. The caller was Roxanne. There had been five missed calls on his cell phone. Bruce frowned and finally answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Bruce, did you get on the ne? I¡¯m going to pick you up.¡± ¡°I havee back.¡± The phone was silent for a few seconds. Roxanne asked with disappointment, ¡°So when did you get. back?¡± ¡°Last night.¡± Roxanne felt sadder after hearing that. ¡°Since he came backst night, why didn¡¯t he call me?¡± she thought. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m gonna hang up if you have nothing else to say.¡± Bruce¡¯s lower lip hurt badly. He just wanted to hang up the phone immediately and continue to deal with Joanna. ¡°Bruce, how about having dinner tonight?¡± ¡°I have a meeting tonight. Maybe some other time.¡± Listening to their talk, Joanna knew it was Roxanne who made the call. Joanna was annoyed that Bruce always bullied her. So she wanted to take revenge on him. ¡°Mr. Everett, you should spend more time with your girlfriend.¡± ¡°After all, we¡¯re divorced. Leave me alone.¡± Joanna deliberately said in a loud voice. The other end of the line suddenly became silent. Bruce also frowned, ring at Joanna. Joanna red back more sternly. Yes, she was on purpose. She wanted Roxanne to know that Bruce was staying with her. Besides, it was Bruce who was haunting her, not she was haunting Bruce. ¡°I¡¯ll hang up then.¡± Bruce directly hung up the phone. ¡°Beep¨Cbeep.¡± Roxanne was bitterly disappointed at that moment. Her hand quivered slightly as she was holding the phone. ¡°Joanna, you slut! I can¡¯t believe you hooked up with Bruce again!¡± She couldn¡¯t help crying. The more she thought, the angrier Roxanne was. She directly called that boy. ¡°Hello, Gavin. Are you there?¡± The boy¡¯s name was Gavin. He was a little ttered when he got Roxanne¡¯s phone call. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s me.¡± Roxanne rarely looked for him recently. Thinking that she was ready to have further development. with Bruce, she did not want to get too close to Gavin. She was more afraid that Bruce would discover her secret. ¡°I want to see you.¡± ¡°When.¡± ¡°Now.¡± ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the usual ce.¡± ¡°OK.¡± The ce where they met secretly was a sushi bar. The sushi bar had many private rooms where they would not be disturbed. As soon as they got into the room, they embraced each other passionately without saying a word. ¡°Roxy, I miss you much,¡± said Gavin.. At the same time, he did all he could to please her. A few momentster. Roxanne was too impatient to wait. She was sweating profusely. She was as soft as mud. Actually, she didn¡¯t love Gavin. But she liked the excitement and pleasure he brought her. Gavin understood her and knew what she needed. After they were done. ¡°Roxy, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Gavin hugged Roxanne and asked gently. He liked Roxanne, but he knew he was not good enough for her. He was already very content to meet her secretly like this. Roxanne was a little wistful. She said softly, ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just feeling sad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Gavin asked more gently. Roxanne couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. She wished Bruce could also be so considerate, know her so well, love her so much, and be so obsessed with her body. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°Are you alright? Can you tell me what happened?¡± Gavin asked more gently. Roxanne sneered, ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling you? You are just a gigolo.¡± Hearing that, Gavin grinned. Then, his gestures and postures became more wanton and provocative. ¡°Oh, G o d. Be gentle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a gigolo. So what?¡± Gavin was infuriated by this remark. His movements became fierce. Roxanne liked wolf¨Clike men like him. She indulged in it again. Gavin knew himself. It was true that he could give her nothing materially. Even the high cost of the sushi bar was far beyond hispetence. Roxanne had to pay for it every time. However, he had an awareness of his advantages. So he could serve Roxanne very well every time and let her fully enjoy the pleasure of being a woman. He knew what women really wanted. A woman needed a man who could bring her much physical pleasure. At least, she couldn¡¯t leave him until someone better could rece him. ¡°Gavin, I don¡¯t want to go back today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Then, they left the sushi bar. Sitting on the back of Gavin¡¯s motorcycle, Roxanne went to Gavin¡¯s home with him. It was a shanty in a slum at the foot of a hill. D irty. Messy. Sme lly. There was arge gap between the poor and the rich in Greyport. Even though the two ces were both close to the mountain, their situation could be drastically different. Although Roxanne was from a rich family, she felt morefortable here. Here she could shed all her disguise, and no one knew her. They became crazy again. In the conference room. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m gonna ask you onest time¡­¡± ¡°No matter how many times you ask, I won¡¯t let my kids meet strangers. No frea king way!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart ached with anger. Pointing the finger at her, he shouted, ¡°Fine, fine. Don¡¯t push me!¡± Being rebuffed, Bruce left in a rage. Since he failed to persuade her, he could only y hardball. After seeing that Bruce had gone away, Joanna sank into the chair. Her tears ran uncontrobly. That was a close call. If Roxanne had not called Bruce, she would have been ¡°bullied¡± by him. ¡°Beep¨Cbeep.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but call Jaydon. On the other end of the line. Jaydon was busy in his office. The coquette Carmel was wearing a ck silk ser vant costume. With cute bunny ears on her head, she was kneeling on the ground and pleasing him eagerly and seductively. The phone rang. His interest was damped down, and he frowned. Originally, he did not want to answer it. But hearing it was Joanna calling, he immediately picked up the phone. He had set a special ring tone for her, and he was excited to hear it. Joanna seldom called him. Taking a deep breath, Jaydon calmed down and motioned Carmel to stop. But she had been spoiled by him recently and was very capricious. She ignored him and continued. Jaydon had to hold his breath and answered the phone. ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the matter? Joann.¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice was gentle and maic. People who heard this voice would naturally think that the person on the other end of the line should be a gentle, elegant man. The phone was connected. Joanna suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t tell him what had happened between her and Bruce just now. Even if she told him, there was nothing he could do. ¡°Nothing. I just¡­want to call you.¡± Jaydon was a little surprised. He smiled and asked, ¡°Do you miss me?¡± Hearing that, the coquette who was kneeling on the ground was certainly jealous. She gave him at scrape with her sharp little teeth. Jaydon couldn¡¯t help but gasp. His voice was very low, and it could almost be ignored. But Joanna still heard it at the other end of the line. ¡°Well, take your time. Bye!¡± Then, she weakly pressed the button and hung up the phone. ¡°Hold on, Joann!¡± After Joanna hung up. Jaydon felt a little lost. It was the third time Joanna had called him. The first time was right after her divorce. It rained heavily that night. She came out of Everett¡¯s house, dragging her suitcase. She had nowhere to go and couldn¡¯t even get a cab. So she called him and asked him to take her to the airport. The second time was when she was about to give birth to a child. She slipped and fell in the bathroom, and the unborn fetus was damaged. She was bleeding badly. And this time¡­ This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He thought something must have happened to her again, or she wouldn¡¯t have called him. Jaydon felt very worried. He immediately sent a message to Joanna. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll be right with you.¡± After sending the message, Jaydon immediately stood up and put on his pants. Carmel was in a daze. She pouted and said, ¡°Sir, I haven¡¯t finished yet.¡± ¡°You will be the heroine of the next show. Get out of here.¡± Hearing that, Carmel immediately smiled. Wiping her mo uth, she eximed, ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t want to say anything more and tidied up his clothes. He took his car key and left in a hurry. On the other end of the line. Looking at the message sent by Jaydon, Joanna was silent for a long time. She didn¡¯t reply to him. What was Jaydon like? She actually knew him. He gave her all his tenderness, probably just because he had never got her. Send Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Joanna didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her. Strangely, she suddenly became sensitive again. After divorcing Bruce, she made a secret vow that she would not fall in love with anyone in this life. Being in a rtionship with someone could only bring her nothing but pain. But now, only four yearster, her mind was in turmoil again because of Bruce. Joanna frowned, shedding bitter tears. Then she opened her bag and took out some pills of sertraline and paroxetine. Without any hesitation, she took the pills. Then she became a work maniac and buried herself in work again. She didn¡¯t go to thepany these days, thus having a lot of business to do. Today, she would work overtime to get all these things done. Her work team was starting to roll in. It was time to get rid of some deadwood in thepany. Half an hourter. A ck Mercedes Benz S600 was parked downstairs. As soon as the door opened, Jaydon got off in a hurry. He had numerous luxury cars and drivers. But he didn¡¯t want to show off when he went out alone. So when he was outside by himself, he drove this car most often. ¡°Where is Joann?¡± Jaydon went to the reception of thepany and asked with concern. ¡°Miss Haynes is having a meeting. Please take a seat here and wait for a while, Mr. Grimm.¡± ¡°OK, alright.¡± Jaydon sat down in the reception room, and Cora poured him a ss of lemonade. Jaydon was thirsty. He took the lemonade and drank it up. ¡°Would you like another cup, Mr. Grimm?¡± Cora asked with a smile. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± With a meaningful smile, Jaydon blinked at Cora. He was good at flirting with girls. Many girls were mesmerized by his amorous eyes. Cora gave him another ss of water and went back to her post. Looking at Cora, Jaydon couldn¡¯t help but praise her, ¡°You are in great shape. It¡¯s a pity that you choose to join the showbiz.¡± didn¡¯t ¡°Mr. Grimm, please don¡¯t make jokes.¡± Cora¡¯s face turned red at once. It was true that her body was hot. Although her face was not so attractive, she had a good figure. She was 5 feet and 7 inches tall. She was well¨Cshaped with a slender waist and long legs. Jaydon had to admit that her figure was quite striking. Thinking of this, he took more nces at Cora again. He had a weakness for girls with big chests and long legs. Of course, Joanna was an exception. She was too thin and weak. But her face was stunningly pretty. Her eyes were especially amazing. They were the prettiest eyes he had ever seen in a woman. One hourter. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Joanna¡¯s meeting was over. Jaydon and Cora also finished flirting. They friended each other in Messenger and kept each other¡¯s numbers. The next thing they would do was date someday. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Grimm ising.¡± ¡°OK. Let him in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± Jaydon ogled Cora and then went into Joanna¡¯s office. In the office. Joanna was sitting by theputer and seriously looking at the documents. She was focused and careful, and her face was beautifully made up. She looked fresh, capable, and shrewd. It brought him right back to sobriety and decency. ¡°You¡¯vee. Take a seat. Give me ten minutes. I have some work to do right now.¡± ¡°OK. Take your time.¡± Jaydon sat down on the sofa opposite her. Joanna continued to read the documents. Jaydon looked at her without saying anything. He also enjoyed it very much. Looking at her was different from looking at other women. When he was looking at other women, there would be a burning desire in his heart. But he felt very cid when he was looking at her. He just wanted to protect her and take care of her. Just now, Joanna suddenly hung up the phone. He had thought she was angry, so he rushed here to apologize. But when he got here, he suddenly felt he didn¡¯t need to do it. Joanna had always known he often had women around him. Ten minutes had passed. Joanna finished processing the documents. She brushed her hair from her forehead and smiled at Jaydon. ¡°Are you done?¡± Jaydon stood up, slowly walked to her, bent over, and put his hand on her chair. ¡°Why did you just now?¡± all me Joanna smiled at him and said, ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to call you. I wondered if there were any good restaurants nearby.¡± Jaydon was surprised. Being lost for words, he didn¡¯t believe her excuse at all. Seeing this, Joanna exined, ¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing. I just moved. I thought I hadn¡¯t had dinner with you in a while. So I wanted to have dinner with you tonight.¡± Smiling, Jaydon got an idea and said, ¡°Well, I know a good restaurant. Let¡¯s have dinner there tonight. There is nothing good to eat around here.¡± Hearing that, Joanna frowned. She asked, ¡°Is it far from here? I can¡¯t go too far. I still have work to do tonight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me down. You should listen to me if you want to invite me to dinner.¡± ¡°Alright. Do we need a reservation?¡± ¡°No. I am a member there.¡± ¡°But let me pay today. Every time I asked you to dinner, you ended up footing the bill.¡± ¡°OK. I will eat something good this time. After all, you¡¯re on the board of directors of such a big Joanna couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°OK. You can eat as much as you like.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take Davian and Irvin together.¡± ¡°OK. I know.¡± Then Joanna called Miranda. ¡°Hello, Miranda.¡± ¡°Take Davian and Irvin downstairs. I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out for dinner tonight. Tell Nancy she didn¡¯t need to cook today. You can go downstairs 20 minutester.¡± ¡°OK, got it, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°OK¡± Joanna turned off theputer and tidied things up. Joanna¡¯s house. Hearing someone call Miranda, Davian and Irvin ran over excitedly and eximed, ¡°Miranda, was mommy calling you?¡± ¡°Yes. Your mommy said we would go out for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°She asked you to get dressed right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great!¡± They hurried to change their clothes. After changing the clothes, they happily followed Miranda downstairs. Ten minutes had passed. Miranda and the two little boys stood at the gate of themunity, waiting for Joanna toe. They just had been waiting one minute. All of a sudden, some malicious¨Clooking men in ck suits came over. Without saying a word, they went ahead and forcibly took the two children. Miranda was freaking out. ¡°What are you doing?¡± away. ¡°Put them down. There is a kidnapping! Help!¡± Miranda cried and tried to snatch the children back. However, she was more than 50 years old. She was too weak to snatch them back. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Miranda was pushed to the ground by a man in ck. ¡°There is a kidnapping! Help!¡± ¡°Let go of me! Let go of me!¡± Two men in ck hurried to the car parked nearby, with two little boys under their arms. ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Davian shouted. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 hapter 30 He had a fiery temper, which made him more resemble Bruce. Just then, lowering his head, he bit the man in ck on the wrist. The sting made the man let out a scream. ¡°Oops. How dare you!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± When the man in ck was rubbing his wrist, Davian suddenly reached out and punched his eyes. The man felt it really hurt and had to release Davian. Davian fell to the ground. Although it was painful, he was not afraid at all. Getting up quickly, he shouted as he ran to the front, ¡°You let my brother go! Let my brother go!¡± ¡°Help! Someone is abducting the children!¡± Miranda also threw herself at one of the men in ck and clung to his ankle. The scene was a mess. Just then, Jaydon and Joanna¡¯s cars arrived one behind the other. Seeing the situation, Joanna soon realized it was Bruce who sent the men to grab the children. ¡°Stop it!¡± said she sternly. Joanna quickly stopped the car and got out without closing the door. She immediately took an arm¨Cthick electric baton from the trunk. ¡°Put my kids down!¡± The electric baton hissed. Joanna rushed at them like a maniac with her electric baton. The baton carried a strong current. A man immediately fainted. Noticing this, the men in ck were shocked. They all stepped back out of fear. ¡°Put my kids down!¡± Joanna said again. But these men were all professional bodyguards. Since they were hired by Bruce, their physical strength and fighting strength could not be underestimated. They were really difficult men. After a few seconds, one of those men kicked the electric baton out of Joanna¡¯s hand. Joanna fell to the ground at once. About this time, Jaydon also stopped the car and quickly hurried up to her. He had been practicing boxing since childhood and had won a boxing championship. He can handle these men. Seeing that the man in ck wanted to kick Joanna again, Jaydon stopped him immediately. Then, Jaydon got into a fight with these men in ck. Joanna also joined the fight, but she was too weak. She couldn¡¯t even get close to these professional bodyguards. ¡°Miranda, call the police!¡± ¡°OK. got it.¡± Miranda got up and ran to the security room. There was an rm in the security room. It had already set the information of location, address, and so on. As soon as the button was pressed, the car would arrive in five minutes. ¡°Someone is kidnapping the children there.¡± Hearing this, the security guards ran out to check what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s a kidnapping! Someone is abducting the children¡­¡± ¡°You let go of me! Let go of me!¡± Davian and Irvin had been pulled to the door of the car. The two little boys clung to the door and refused to get in. Not far away, several security guards rushed over. Meanwhile, the sound of the police car could also be heard. Many passers¨Cby also stopped to watch. In another car. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. Apparently, he couldn¡¯t take the children away today. He would have more trouble if reporters and police officers cameter. Bruce¡¯s face became cold. He said into the pager, ¡°Everybody, get in the car and go!¡± All the bodyguards wore a headset in their ears. Hearing the instructions of Bruce, they dared not to dy. They had to release the children, get into the car, and drive away quickly. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± The two little boys were still frightened. They ran over to Joanna one after the other. Joanna was also very worried. She ran a few steps forward and held the two children close to her. ¡°Davian! Irvin! Don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy is here.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Let mommy check if you are hurt.¡± Joanna hurriedly checked the injury of the two children. Davian had skinned his arm, and blood was oozing out. Irvin also got a finger¨Clong scratch on his face. Even if he recovered, he might have a scar on his face. Seeing that, Joanna felt very sorry for the children and shed tears. At the same time, she was even more determined not to let Bruce take the two children away. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The security guards arrived. Miranda said in a panic, ¡°Someone was abducting the children just now. They almost took the two children away.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°They have run away.¡± ¡°Come here and make a statement, so that we can tell the officers what happened when they got here.¡± ¡°Miranda, you go with them to make the statement. I¡¯ll take Davian and Irvin to the hospital.¡± ¡°OK, got it.¡± Jaydon was also slightly injured. His arm was twisted. His face was also punched, and it was starting to swell up. But the bodyguards who fought against him didn¡¯t take advantage, either. Two of them had their arms broken, and one lost a tooth. Jaydon frowned. ¡°Joann, they don¡¯t look like child abductors.¡± Joanna replied coldly, ¡°It¡¯s Bruce.¡± ¡°Bruce? Did he know everything?¡± ¡°He must have suspected it.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused now. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Joann, we can¡¯t go on like this. If there is no way out, we can send Davian and Irvin abroad.¡± Hearing that, Joanna hesitated. She had been busy with work for the past four years, but she was with her children every day. If sending the children abroad now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to look after them. She would not be reassured of letting others attend to her kids. Therefore, she must go abroad with them. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Fortunately, Davian and Irvin were only slightly injured. They were all right after the doctors sterilized their wounds and applied some ointment. And Jaydon was also not badly hurt. He just needed to be simply bandaged, ¡°Joann, if you don¡¯t want to send them abroad, how about sending them to Venturas? They¡¯ll be in kindergarten soon. There is an exclusive private kindergarten there.¡± ¡°You can send them there to study. Venturas is also close to Greyport. It¡¯s only an hour away by boat, and you can visit them every week.¡± ¡°Let them take shelter for some time. After Bruce and Roxanne get married, he will probably forget it and won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Pausing for a while, Jaydon continued, ¡°Lilia still has not been exposed. You don¡¯t need to worry. about her. Just let her stay by your side.¡± Hearing that, Joanna looked at him with hesitation. Greyport and Venturas were separated only by a sea. Although Venturas was small, it was the only city in the country where gambling was allowed. The Grimm family was one of the top three gambling tycoons in Venturas. ¡°But it¡¯s too close. I¡¯m afraid it will be easy for Bruce to find them.¡± Jaydon smiled, gently put his arm around her shoulder, andforted her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I can send someone to protect them. Don¡¯t worry. Besides, you can tell him the children are abroad. When things calm down, you can bring them back.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m gonna arrange it.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Mommy, where are we going?¡± ¡°You are old enough to go to kindergarten. Soon, you will be a big boy and begin to study.¡± ¡°We get it,¡± the kid answered. The next day. Jaydon drove Joanna and the two little boys to the dock to take a boat. They prepared to take them to Venturas. Roxanne also went home tiredly. As usual, Gavin took her to the city on a motorcycle. Then she would take a taxi to the designated ce and ask the driver to pick her up. The main reason they went to all this trouble was to keep it secret. She was also afraid of being photographed with Gavin. The motorcycle just drove past Jaydon¡¯s car. Coincidentally, Joanna was looking out of the window. Suddenly, she saw the woman on the motorcycle, who resembled Roxanne very much from the back. Although the woman was wearing a helmet, her figure looked exactly like Roxanne¡¯s. ¡°Well, look at that person. Is that Roxanne?¡± Jaydon was driving. He mmed on the brake and nced in the rear¨Cview mirror. ¡°Looks a bit like her from the back.¡± They couldn¡¯t see the person clearly. But just then, the motorcycle suddenly stopped. Gavin got off, and Roxanne followed. They took off the helmets. Gavin kissed Roxanne¡¯s cheek again and again. Obviously, he was intimate with her. Now, Joanna could recognize the woman. It was exactly Roxanne. It looked like she had an affair with this man. ¡°Oh, sure enough, it¡¯s Roxanne. Bruce is really a cuckold,¡± Jaydon scoffed. Joanna frowned and said, ¡°Maybe they are just friends¡­¡± Jaydon sneered, ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t understand men. In this case, they couldn¡¯t be just friends¡­¡± Jaydon stopped short in the middle of the sentence. He couldn¡¯t show his true nature. ¡°Take a photo and send it to Bruce or the media.¡± Hearing that, Joanna hurriedly stopped him and said, ¡°No. Don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt her.¡± Joanna knew that if the photo was sent to the media, Roxanne¡¯s life would be ruined. She knew the feelings of being cyberbullied. That was terrible. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t want to hurt her, but she can hurt you.¡± Joanna let out a sigh, ¡°Anyway, she is my sister. Six years ago, she failed to marry Bruce. It was my fault. I owe her. So I can cut her some ck. I hope she can conduct herself well.¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Jaydon stepped on the gas pedal again, and the car sped away. At Haynes¡¯s house. After some twists and turns, Roxanne finally returned home with a tired body. She stayed out all night yesterday. Because of Gavin, her legs were still trembling now. Ingrid was having breakfast. Seeing her daughter was back, she walked over with a smile. ¡°Roxy, you finallye back.¡± Roxanne said in anguid voice, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m gonna go upstairs and take a shower first.¡± Ingrid grinned and asked, ¡°Tell mom why you stayed outst night. Did you sleep with Mr. Everett?¡± Hearing that, Roxanne looked away in dismay. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be gossipy. I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. Go ahead. You are finally enlightened, my silly daughter. I told you that you should make the first move when you have to.¡± Before Ingrid finished speaking, Roxanne had run upstairs. Ingrid saw her daughter was in low spirits. Her legs were weak, and they couldn¡¯t evene together. There were also hickeys on her neck. Obviously, she¡¯d had a wild night. But Ingrid was very happy because she thought Roxanne had spent the night with Bruce. She would be furious if she knew her daughter was sleeping with a poor guy for the whole night. Soon, the children were ready for kindergarten. All the admission procedures were also in order. The students in this kindergarten were all from rich families. Apart from money, you also need connections to go to this kindergarten. Of course, everything here was top¨Cend, and the tuition cost hundreds of thousands of dors a year. The secrecy was also very excellent. Even the paparazzi couldn¡¯t get information on the kids. After settling Davian and Irvin down, Joanna felt more reassured. She returned to Greyport the same day. Venturas was the Grimm family¡¯s ce. She thought Bruce wouldn¡¯t find there too soon. Joanna went home. It was gettingte. It was already nine o¡¯clock at night. Without the two little guys, the big house suddenly became quiet. After Joanna had changed her clothes and disinfected her whole body, she went to see her daughter. Lilia was lying quietly on her pink bed. Because she didn¡¯t see the sun all year round, her skin was stunningly pale. ¡°Lilia, mommy is back.¡± Lilia smiled sweetly at Joanna. ¡°Mommy, where are my brothers?¡± Joanna gently brushed her daughter¡¯s soft hair. ¡°Mommy sent them to kindergarten. They are big boys. It¡¯s time for them to study.¡± ¡°When can I study?¡± Hearing that, Joanna felt more sorry. She exined patiently, ¡°My dear Lilia, when you get well, you can study like your brothers.¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°It is time to take medicine, dear.¡± Joanna took out a few pills and a variety of vitamin tablets. ¡°Yes.¡± Lilia was obedient and was used to taking pills. She never cried, no matter how bitter the medicine was. ¡°Good night. Mommy is with you here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Lilia smiled sweetly and closed her eyes. Her eyshes were long, and her eyes looked like Joanna¡¯s. She looked like a cute little doll when she was sleeping. It was a great pity that such a lovely girl was disabled. She was not able to walk and couldn¡¯t even stand Chapter 32 Chapter 32 When Lilia finally fell asleep, Joanna sighed and turned off the light, going out of her daughter¡¯s room without making any noise. ¡°Beep¨Cbeep.¡± The phone rang and gave her a fright. Joanna saw a strange number on the screen. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Joanna, where did you hide the children?¡± It was Bruce. It was obvious that he was quite angry at present. Joanna replied in a brusque tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? They are my children and have nothing to do with your family. Don¡¯t disturb us anymore. I will sue you if you abduct the children again!¡± Bruce swallowed and growled coldly, ¡°Tell me, where are the children?¡± ¡°I have sent them to study abroad. Don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Bruce exined, ¡°Joanna, Grandma is getting old. She just wants to see the children¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯m under no obligation to meet your request.¡± She knew that if the children went to see Margaret, they would be forced to stay there. She knew how shrewd Margaret was. She would not release them easily. Bruce was lost for words. Being upset, he said, ¡°Joanna, you have one day left. You will be screwed if you don¡¯t take the children to see her.¡± ¡°Beep. Joanna directly hung up the phone without saying anything. On the other end of the line. Seeing Joanna hang up the phone, Bruce was very angry. No one had ever hung up on him. ¡°Beep¨Cbeep.¡± ¡°Beep¨Cbeep¡­¡± Then Bruce made a dozen phone calls in session but were all hung up by Joanna. The more she hung up, the more he called. Finally, a voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Sorry. The number you dialed is off. Please redial ¡°Joanna, you just wait and see!¡± Bruce gasped with anger. ¡°Andy, get the word out right now that the Haynes Group is about to be acquired. Within two days, let the Haynes Group¡¯s shares fall below the daily limit.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Crack! The cell phone was mmed to the ground, and its screen was shattered. The next day. The news that the Haynes Group was facing bankruptcy and was about to be acquired quickly made headlines on the financial boards. The news rattled many investors. Soon after, the Haynes Group¡¯s stock fell sharply. Seeing this, many small investors began to sell their shares of the Haynes Group. Just in one day, the Haynes Group lost hundreds of millions of dors in market value. At this rate, the Haynes Group would soon face the risk of being delisted. In the Haynes Group. ¡°Miss Haynes has note to thepany for three days. Will thepany go bankrupt?¡± ¡°Have you seen the financial news today? Thepany is going bankrupt!¡± ¡°Will Miss Haynes run away with the money?¡± ¡°If it goes on like this, it would be impossible to be one of the world¡¯s top 500 enterprises. We need to figure out how to keep thepany afloat first!¡± ¡°She is just blowing hot air.¡± ¡°With Mr. Grim on her side, she¡¯s not afraid at all. But it¡¯s not gonna work out for us. If thepany goes bankrupt, I don¡¯t know how to support the whole family.¡± ¡°Yeah, she overreaches herself. I can¡¯t believe she has signed the Valuation Adjustment Mechanism with Mr. Everett. Now, before the contract expires, she will be screwed.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯te to thepany these days. I guess she is too afraid toe.¡± ¡°See, there¡¯s been a lot of negative news about her these days.¡± ¡°What a jinx she is¡­¡± Some employees were in a heated discussion. Just then, Joanna appeared unexpectedly behind them. An intern on the other side saw her first, and his face turned pale. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± Other people also hurried back to their posts. ¡°You guys don¡¯t need toe tomorrow.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± They looked at each other. ¡°Miss Haynes, ording to thebor contract, if you want toy us off, you have to give one month¡¯s notice.¡± ¡°Besides, you should give us unemployment benefits.¡± ¡°Yeah, even Mr. Haynes cannot fire us easily. Why do youy us off?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will give unemploymentpensation to each of you following legal procedures.¡± Joanna added, ¡°Go to the finance department to settle this month¡¯s sry. I will ask thewyer to check This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. the unemploymentpensation, and it will be sent to your wage card.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± They were shocked and couldn¡¯t believe it. They didn¡¯t expect Joanna to be so decisive and fire them so quickly. ¡°Cora, here is theyoff list. People on the list don¡¯t have toe here tomorrow.¡± ¡°Got it, Miss Haynes.¡± There were a dozen people on the list. All of them were Ingrid¡¯s rtives and confidants. These people didn¡¯t bring many benefits to thepany. Besides, they often spread rumors and ndered Joanna behind her back. Therefore, she had to get rid of these people no matter how much it took. Soon, those who had been fired called Ingrid toin. Knowing that her trusted followers were all fired, Ingrid was angrier. ¡°Damn! Joanna has fired six of my cousins!¡± ¡°She is so cruel!¡± Ingrid cursed Joanna while crying, and she punched Shaun from time to time. Shaun kept smoking without saying a word. ¡°Shaun, see what your daughter did. If you don¡¯t do anything to her, she¡¯s gonna be more rampant.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Shaun drew on his cigarette and sighed. ¡°What can I do? That rebellious girl disrespects me. Will she be polite to your people?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a wimp. You¡¯re her father, and you can¡¯t even control your own daughter! I think you should hold a press conference and sever ties between father and daughter with her!¡± Shaun pped his thigh and said with a wry face, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not bring something like this to the press! Isn¡¯t it disgraceful enough? Besides, even if I¡¯m not the chairman, our family still has a lot of savings and so many side businesses. We can still live our lives!¡± Ingrid snapped back, ¡°How is that the same? Haynes Group is a family business and has managed to N?velDrama.Org content. get on track to be a listedpany! However, something big like it has fallen into others¡® hands. easily now! I will not tolerate it.¡± ¡°So what? My father can give his inheritance to anyone.¡± ¡°Come on. Who would give his inheritance to his granddaughter instead of his son? If I had known you were such a coward, I would never have married you!¡± Shaun sighed and shook his head in frustration. He would not have betrayed his family if not for Ingrid seducing him back then. Shaun had just married Joanna¡¯s mother and was on their honeymoon back then. However, Ingrid seduced him. He only wanted to have a little fun with her, but Ingrid got pregnant after that. Moreover, Ingrid went straight to Joanna¡¯s mother and told thetter that she was pregnant with Shaun¡¯s baby. Joanna¡¯s mother had a bad temper. She left the Haynes residence and was determined to get a divorce without a second thought. In hindsight, Shaun really felt sorry for Joanna¡¯s mother. However, he had no choice but to marry Ingrid. ¡°Darling, I don¡¯t care. You have to seek an exnation for my two cousins! My cousin has been in the Shaun sighed before replying, ¡°I¡¯ll call Joann and ask what¡¯s the situation now!¡± Beep! Beep! Shaun had no choice but to bite the bullet and make a phone call to Joanna. ¡°Hello, Dad. What¡¯s up?¡± Joanna answered the phone. ¡°Joann, I heard you¡¯veid off a dozen old employees. Is that true?¡± On the other end of the line, Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Yes, Dad!¡± ¡°These people are thepany¡¯s old employees who have worked in thepany for more than 20 years. How can you fire them just like that?¡± Joanna said calmly, ¡°Dad, these people don¡¯t work seriously. Besides, their positions are important! The new elites have no suitable job arrangement, which will only drag thepany¡¯s development!¡± ¡°Joann, I¡¯m not being harsh to you, but you can¡¯t be so cruel! These people are Mdm. Lowe¡¯s rtives have worked with me for 20 years! Call them now and let them all go back to work!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. These people have been fired, and it¡¯s impossible to ask them toe back!¡± Chapter 33 ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else you want to discuss, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Then, Joanna hung up the phone. Shaun was very upset and scolded, ¡°That gal sure is cruel!¡± ¡°You, see? I¡¯ve told you so! This woman is trying to make life miserable for us! If she doesn¡¯t give us an easy time, you mustn¡¯t give her an easy time too! Hold a press conference tomorrow and sever ties with her! Let¡¯s see if she can stay in Greyport after that.¡± The next day, the shares of Haynes Group hit rock bottom again as soon as the market opened. At this rate, thepany would no longer be able to survive within a few days. At that moment, James and Luca could not sit still anymore, and they rushed to thepany. ¡°Miss Haynes, the stock prices have fallen so much. What should we do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Haynes Group¡¯s share price has never had such a dramatic decline since it became a listedpany. At this rate, Harrison Group maye crashing down¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll think of something!¡± Joanna thought it was abnormal for the stock price to fall so badly all of a sudden. Then, she immediately came to a realization. She thought Bruce had to be the one scheming it. Joanna had no choice but to call Bruce in the early morning. Looking at Joanna¡¯s caller ID, Bruce smirked. Then, he answered the callzily, ¡°What? Can¡¯t resist calling me so soon?¡± When Joanna heard that, she was even more certain that he was to me. . + Agitated, she couldn¡¯t help screaming into the phone, ¡°Bruce, is there any point in doing this? Don¡¯t forget that you have shares in Haynes Group too!¡± On the other end of the line, Bruce sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I can afford to lose a little money!¡± ¡°Can you not do dirty tricks? If you want topete, we canpete fair and square! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s despicable to do something behind people¡¯s backs?¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment. I¡¯m despicable just like that! I can even do something more despicable. Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Joanna gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°How is it? Have you thought about it yet?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was full of all aggression and arrogance. ¡°Bruce, can you stop messing around? You have to differentiate between business and personal matters! If you¡¯re dissatisfied with me, we can solve it privately. Don¡¯t mess with the business!¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Bruce sneered and drawled, ¡°Stop pointing fingers if you don¡¯t have any proof. What did I do? What does the plummeting of Haynes Group¡¯s shares have to do with me?¡± Infuriated, Joanna took a sharp breath and clenched the phone. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? Isn¡¯t it clear to you?¡± Joanna roared into the phone, ¡°I¡¯m telling you that there¡¯s no way it¡¯s going to happen! The child has already gone abroad and is unlikely to return soon! And, for the record, the child has nothing to do with you and the Everett family! We¡¯re all adults. Please don¡¯t resort to this underhanded tactic.¡± Bruce stuck his tongue out. ¡°Hehe. Are you angry?¡± Joanna was rendered speechless by his response. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m not!¡± she cursed in her mind. A wicked grin broke out on Bruce¡¯s face as he spoke deliberately in a rascal tone, ¡°I just love it when you¡¯re pissed off but can¡¯t get to me.¡± Bruce burst out intoughter after saying that. Joanna rolled her eyes in annoyance. She would¡¯ve killed him a hundred times if the killing wasn¡¯t against thew. ¡°Do you want to stabilize the share price of Haynes Group?¡± Joanna growled with exasperation as she thought, ¡°Do you really have to ask?¡± ¡°Beg me then!¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ve had enough of this. Bruce, please don¡¯t do this again!¡± ¡°Is this your way of begging? Fix your attitude before you talk to me!¡± With that, Bruce hung up the phone. He felt slightly better for being able to vent out his frustration. ¡°Hello! Hey! Hello?¡± Joanna called a few times before she realized that the call had been disconnected. Joanna, seething with rage, immediately called him again. Bruce saw that Joanna¡¯s call hade in again, and he knew that she was anxious and angry. He raised his brow and ended the call again. ¡°This damned woman had the nerve to hang up on me the day before yesterday! I want you to know the price of hanging up on me and how frustrating it is when someone deliberately does not answer the phone,¡± he grumbled inwardly. ¡°Ring!¡± The phone kept vibrating. Bruce didn¡¯t answer on purpose, but he didn¡¯t switch his phone off either. He loved the feeling of leaving her hanging. Right then, Andy came to the office to deliver some documents. Noticing that the phone kept vibrating, he couldn¡¯t help but remind Bruce, ¡°Mr. Everett, the phone is ringing. Aren¡¯t you going to answer it?¡± Bruce took the documents and replied indifferently, ¡°Let it ring. I will pick it up when this damned woman calls a hundredth!¡± He was convinced that Joanna would do nothing but call him today. After all, the market value of Haynes Group had shrunk by nearly 300 million dors in two days. Nobody could sit still after such shocking development. Joanna continued dialing Bruce another four or five times, but thetter still didn¡¯t pick up the phone. Joanna gulped and put away the phone. ¡°Cora, hold a press conference tomorrow. Please make preparations for it!¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes!¡± Now she had to redeem the public image of Haynes Group and spread the news of their partnership with CI Technologies at the same time. Regardless, for the time being, she had to reassure the investors that everything would be all right. With that in mind, Joanna took out her phone and called Jaydon. Jaydon quickly answered, ¡°Hi, Joann!¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m ready to take your advice on packaging myself. I¡¯m holding a press conference tomorrow. I¡¯ll appreciate it if you can lend me a helping hand.¡± Jaydon¡¯s softugh was heard over the phone. ¡°Finally? I told you a long time ago. A desirable image. is needed for both yourself and thepany. You can rest assured that I will arrange everything beforehand for you! You will only need to bring up your most confident smile in front of the camera!¡± ¡°Sure, thank you, Jay! Please excuse me first. I¡¯ll call the public rtions officers and set up reception!¡± ¡°All right!¡± After hanging up the phone, Joanna went to the bathroom. She washed her face with cold water and heaved a long sigh. Then, she started practicing her smile in the mirror. Deep down, she wasn¡¯t a confident person. the She was going to face a number of media interviews tomorrow. She had to show the best and most confident side of herself. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce was surprised to receive no call from Joanna after 20 minutes. He scratched his chin. He thought that the phone might be dead. He turned on the screen and saw the battery level at its maximum. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this damned woman has such patience!¡± Bruce furrowed his brow and muttered to himself, ¡°This is impossible! Haynes Group has lost over 300 million dors of its market value in thest couple of days! I don¡¯t believe that she isn¡¯t worried. I¡¯m sure she wille begging to me in no time!¡± Another hour had passed, and Bruce still didn¡¯t receive any calls from Joanna. Bruce scratched his forehead and suddenly felt a little bored. He¡¯d never been so distraught while waiting for someone to call him. Soon, another two hours had passed, and the phone was still silent. ¡°Well, that darn woman sure hasposure!¡± Bruce suddenly felt agitated. He had always been good at guessing others¡® thoughts. However, Joanna proved to be an exception. For example, in the case of their divorce, he thought Joanna wouldn¡¯t be able to cope. He thought she would pester him nonstop andin sullenly. As it turned out, she left like it was not a big deal. She left without even making a scene. She cut contactpletely, never pestered him, nor threw a tantrum. However, it was precise because of this attitude that he found it hard to let go of her. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Bruce smoked two cigarettes in a row. His throat felt parched. Meanwhile, his handsome face darkened. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He took out his phone and took the initiative to call Joanna. ¡°Ring!¡± Joanna¡¯s phone started to ring. It was a pity that Joanna missed the call as she was still in the bathroom, practicing facial management and body movements. ¡°Ring!¡± The phone was still not connected. ¡°Hello, the person you¡¯ve dialed is currently unavable¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Damn!¡± Bruce cursed. With a bang, the phone mmed to the ground. ¡°This damned woman! How dare she not answer my call!¡± Bruce cursed in his mind. Andy frowned upon seeing this. He picked up the phone, whipped out the SIM card, and reced it with another phone. This was the fifth phone that Bruce had broken this month. ¡°No wonder people say that the rich can do whatever they want,¡± Andy thought to himself. ¡°Andy, notify Well Street financial market.to block Haynes Group¡­¡± ¡°Noted! By the way, I just got the news that Miss Haynes is holding a press conference tomorrow. There might be an announcement!¡± Bruce gulped and scowled deeply. ¡°What? Joanna is holding a press conference?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°When did you get the news?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± ¡°Haha! What is this damn woman up to this time?¡± Bruce let out a wildugh and quirked his brow. He had nice eyebrows. Both were well¨Cgroomed, thick, and heavy. He looked poised when he raised his eyebrows. He looked elegant when he was at ease. It was a pity that his venomous tongue had ruined his image. Meanwhile, in the Haynes residence, Roxanne was surprised by the news from the press. ¡°Look at this, Mom!¡± She added, ¡°Joanna is holding a press conference tomorrow. I wonder what she¡¯s going to announce!¡± Ingrid took a peep at the news and swore, ¡°This bitch sure is getting more and more capable. A press conference, huh? Just in time! Tomorrow, ask your uncle and the staff who had beenid off to have a protest in front of theirpany during the press conference. Get two more people to stir up the scene. Ssh her with feces and make her look like a pig!¡± The next day, the venue of the press conference held by Grimm Group was well decorated. Grimm Group had temporarily allowed Joanna to hold the press conference in their office building. All the invited press were personally arranged by Jaydon. Those unscrupulous press and undesirable parties were all shunned away. ¡°I heard that Haynes Group is going under?¡± ¡°I wonder if the news is true!¡± ¡°It should be true. The shares of Haynes Group have fallen so much in thest couple of days!¡± ¡°Then, is Miss Haynes going to announce the bankruptcy in this press conference?¡± ¡°Quite possibly!¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Everett has siphoned off funds from Haynes Group! Besides that, Haynes Group hasid off many of its employees this month.¡± ¡°I heard that Haynes Group is going to be taken over by anotherpany!¡± A reporter sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve said that she¡¯s not capable enough. I didn¡¯t expect that she would lead the ¡°Who cares? The news is going to hit the headlines tomorrow!¡± Early in the morning, Bruce turned on the TV to see what Joanna was up to. The venue¡¯s live broadcast had been prepared for a long time! At nine o¡¯clock, there was amotion outside as a limousine pulled slowly into the parking lot of Grimm Group¡¯s building. Some media reporters who didn¡¯t get invited could only wait patiently downstairs. ¡°Hurry up! Herees Miss Haynes!¡± The reporters swarmed over. Fortunately, the scene had already been fenced, and arge number of security guards were also standing guard to maintain order. Rolls Royce stopped. Jaydon got out of the car first before he gentlemanly helped Joanna out. Joanna smiled and waved to the crowd. ¡°Wow, is that¡­ Miss Haynes?¡± The entertainment journalists almost couldn¡¯t recognize her. ¡°She looks so beautiful!¡± ¡°I thought she was an artist recently scouted by Starlight Media!¡± ¡°Click! Click! Click!¡± The sh went wild. Joanna was wearing a white dress today. A delicate make¨Cup had been put on her fair countenance. Her pair of iridescent eyes were glistening. Her hairstyle was sleek and elegant. Normally, Joanna looked quite bleak in front of the public. She always wore ck rimmed sses without any make¨Cup or hair styling, and she didn¡¯t usually put on heels. Her in attires had dimmed her beauty and hampered her true temperament to shine. Now that she had taken off her sses and dressed up properly, her beauty instantly dazzled the eyes of the whole Greyport. ¡°Wow! Miss Haynes is so beautiful¡­¡± Joanna seemed to be glowing in front of the camera. She was beautiful, confident, and elegant. ¡°First of all, I would like to wee you all to this press conference. There are three main announcements for the near future. The first is about getting through the legal process concerning my granddad¡¯s estate! I will officially take over as Chairman of Haynes Group. Secondly, I would like to clear up the recent rumors of the bankruptcy of Haynes Group. Next month, Haynes Group and CI Technologies will officially join hand in hand and be partners. Please continue to support us! Third, some say that Haynes Group has taken a stake in Starlight Media! This is all a misunderstanding. Although Mr. Grimm and I are very good friends, our business philosophy is different from each other. So, as for now, we have no business dealings.¡± very ¡°Click! Click! Click!¡± The shes flickered. All the lenses were focused on Joanna. Even the ever¨Cmean¨Clooking Edmeda Media gavepliments on Joanna¡¯s beauty. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re so beautiful. Are you interested in joining the entertainment industry?¡± Joanna smiled gracefully toward the camera. ¡°Nice joke. I¡¯m more than content if Haynes Group would flourish.¡± ¡°Excuse me, when are you and Mr. Grimm getting married?¡± ¡°That¡¯s personal. I can¡¯t answer it right now!¡± Joanna had been nonmittal about her affair with Jaydon over the years. After all, she still needed Jaydon as her patron at the moment. Of course, the partnership was a two¨Cway street. With her title as Mr. Everett¡¯s ex¨Cwife, she would automatically be dragged into the limelight. That way, she could bring more attention to Jaydon¡¯s film and televisionpany. ¡°Mr. Grimm, when are you going to propose to Ms. Haynes?¡± Jaydon smiled, looked lovingly at Joanna, and said in a half¨Cearnest and half¨Cin¨Cjest manner, ¡°That This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. depends on when she¡¯s okay with that! If she wants to marry me now, I can propose immediately!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s sweet!¡± ¡°Propose now!¡± The reporters cheered. Joanna smiled bashfully and turned to Jaydon. She made an eye gesture to him not to let the press digress in this direction. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Jaydon gazed soulfully at Joanna. His demeanor indicated that he did not just throw out a joke. ¡°You two even have your babies. So you¡¯d better hurry up and get married! Don¡¯t forget to invite us to your wedding too!¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t look Jaydon in the eye again and quickly withdrew her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer any questions about this topic outside of work. As you know, my grandfather has just died, and I¡¯m still mourning. Marriage will not be in my n for the uing three years! I hope everyone. will stop asking.¡± After the reporters heard that, they stopped probing. After all, they need to respect someone who was mourning her loss. Jaydon listened and suddenly felt a little despondent. He had met countless women in his life, be it an innocent girl or a coquettish seductress. He was finally tired of love hunting. He had an open mindset and didn¡¯t mind that Joanna would be in her second marriage and have three children. Sadly, Joanna always used this excuse to turn him down. Jaydon quickly put aside his inner turmoil and smiled. ¡°I will stop hogging the limelight now and leave the press conference to Miss Haynes!¡± With that, Jaydon smiled politely and headed offstage. Meanwhile, outside of the camera, someone watched Joanna on TV. Bruce was smoking a cigarette before he stopped his movement in a daze. The cigarette in his hand burned right up to the end. He only snapped back to his senses when the bud burnt his hand. He got up quickly and ditched the cigarette butt in the ashtray. Joanna was undeniably good¨Clooking. However, it was not until today that he realized, apart from her beauty, that she also carried a strong will and indomitable spirit. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t lessen the disdain he felt for her. ¡°They say that a beautiful woman always carries a wicked heart. Isn¡¯t Joanna a good example?¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Hmph!¡± Seeing Joanna interacting with Jaydon, Bruce turned off the TV indignantly. Even though they were divorced, he didn¡¯t want to see her get too close to other men. Halfway through the press conference, a ruckus erupted downstairs. Two middle¨Caged men brought in more than ten people and started making trouble downstairs. Everyone was holding banners and shouting slogans. ¡°The new chairman of Haynes Group has made several families¡® lives difficult due to the sudden. downsizing.¡± ¡°Haynes Group is an image of greed and heartlessness. They do nothing but rip us off!¡± ¡°Joanna, get out of Greyport!¡± ¡°Joanna has no conscience at all!¡± The guards stopped them and tried to disperse the crowd. The protesters shouted at the media. Some even harmed the security guards to the ground. Jaydon frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s making trouble down there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dozen ex¨CHaynes Group employees. They¡¯re not happy with beingid off, so they came here and made trouble.¡± ¡°Chairman of Haynes Group, pleasee out and give us an exnation!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be such a coward, you heartless bitch! Get out of Haynes! Get out of Greyport!¡± ¡°Heartless being, you don¡¯t deserve to be a human.¡± When the media saw this, they couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Miss Haynes, how do you exin theyoffs?¡± Joanna¡¯s face fell. She looked at the camera with a solemn expression. ¡°Thisyoff was done in ordance with the standard operating procedures of thepany. Moreover, the personnel who have beenid off have all beenpensated.¡± ¡°Well, did those staffs make a mistake that led to their unemployment?¡± ¡°Haynes Group wouldn¡¯t fire its employees without a valid reason. Thisyoff is, for one thing, an attempt to bring in new blood. Secondly, it¡¯s also a means to break through thepany¡¯s trouble. Haynes Group has uncovered evidence of corruption, bribery, and job pocketing by certain individuals. I can promise before the media that the police are wee toe in and investigate at any time! Some individuals definitely need to go through a thorough inspection andpensate for the damages they have inflicted on Haynes Group!¡± Joanna asserted eloquently. She answered every question thrown at her by the media. She made her statement reasonably and incisively, without the slightest hint of panic. Joanna¡¯s statement was a big p on Ingrid¡¯s face. Joanna saved Ingrid some dignity by not exposing her to the public. Her statement was meant to be a warning to Ingrid to behave herself. ¡°This¡­¡± Ingrid broke into a cold sweat when she was watching the live She realized she had underestimated Joanna. press conference. For sure, she didn¡¯t want to get the police involved. She hurriedly took out her phone and called the two middle¨Caged people who were making trouble on the scene. The two middle¨Caged men were shouting slogans with their faces reddened when Ingrid¡¯s call came in. ¡°You guys should leave now.¡± ¡°Why? Joanna is almost out. The feces are ready to roll as she walks out of the building. We¡¯re going to throw it at her!¡± Ingrid¡¯s furious rant rang out over the phone. ¡°It¡¯s an order. I want you to get out of there immediately! The market won¡¯t be able to strike back if the ruckus continues.¡± ¡°Whoa! All right then. We will leave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go now!¡± They didn¡¯t watch the live broadcast and had no idea what was going on. They were hoping to make a bigger scene. However, a phone call from Ingrid brought their actions to a halt. They dared not to disobey Ingrid and scurried off. After hanging up the phone, Ingrid¡¯s face contorted in anger. ¡°Joanna, you son of a bitch! I won¡¯t let you giddy on for long! Just you wait!¡± Those people were executives in various departments of thepany. They were running amuck in thepany with Ingrid as their backup. If the police found out, not only would they go to jail, but they would also need to paypensation. to Haynes Group. Moreover, the reason why Ingrid was afraid of the police¡¯s investigation was that the two cousins she mentioned were not actually her cousins at all. Instead, they were her lovers. Ingrid always paid them a visit using the excuse of wanting to y cards with friends. Instead of ying Rolling Stones, they were rolling in the hays. Usually, suspicion would arise if a man and a woman traveled alone. However, people would stop gawking when a woman traveled with more than one man. No one should underestimate the hunger of a mature woman. Ingrid had higher needs than Roxanne. Shaun suffered from diabetes and a heart condition. Moreover, Shaun didn¡¯t even work out. There was no way he could quench Ingrid¡¯s biological needs. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Joanna looked even more stunning than a celebrity on TV. It didn¡¯t look like she was holding a press conference. This was clearly a demonstration. Roxanne was upset and felt more anxious than ever. Ever since Joanna came back, Bruce had been treating her more coldly. ¡°Mom, look at Joanna¡¯s smug face! Do something! Don¡¯t let her get so cocky!¡± Ingrid swallowed heavily, snorted, and swore, ¡°Rx. Let her think that she has had her way first. Her plummet awaits her in a couple of days. By the way, have you been in touch with Mr. Everett in the past two days?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes darkened when she heard that. Bruce hadn¡¯t called her in two days. Roxanne sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Why the frustration? You should strike while the iron is hot. In case of any undesirableplication, the matter between you and Mr. Everett shouldn¡¯t be put off any longer. If we keep stalling, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen!¡± Resignedly, Roxanne retorted with gritted teeth, ¡°What can I do? Surely, I can¡¯t beg him to marry me?¡± Ingrid listened and poked her daughter in the forehead. ¡°You are so stupid, forget it! I¡¯m so smart. Why did I give birth to such a stupid daughter? If you were half as good as I am, you wouldn¡¯t be so bad at dealing with a man for so long!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you propose to him yourself since you¡¯re this tough? What¡¯s the use of ming me here?¡± Roxanne said and stormed upstairs. ¡°Look at yourself! You sure have a way when ites to dealing with me!¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go propose to him myself. You¡¯re useless! You even need your mom to do something this trivial for you!¡± Since Shaun stepped down as Chairman, the Haynes family seemed to have fallen out of the Greyport elite circle overnight. Besides that, the marriage of Bruce and Roxanne kept on getting postponed. Ingrid and Roxanne had been shunned out of the socialite gatherings. Now, if they still wanted to gain back their glory as one of the riches and elites, Roxanne would have to marry into the Everett family as soon as possible. All thedies would definitely change their impressions of them if Roxanne sessfully got married. into the Everett family. Ingrid preened herself and decided to meet Bruce in person. She had decided to fight tooth and nail to keep Bruce as her son¨Cinw. Ingrid showed up downstairs at Everett Corporation after one hour. Her heart thumped as she looked at the towering skyscraper in front of her. This was the tallest and most luxurious business building in Greyport. It was also where Bruce worked daily. Ingrid¡¯s heart beat with excitement whenever she envisioned her daughter being thedy boss here. in the future. ¡°Well, wait till my daughter gets married into the Everett family! Mrs. Paul, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Roger, I will make you guys lick my feet!¡± Ingrid fastened her sling bag and put on her sunsses. Then, she strode confidently like a model into Everett Corporation¡¯s building. She was wearing a rose red hugging dress today and a big little vintage ruffle hat. Although she was already in her forties, her figure was well maintained, and she looked ten years. younger than her actual age. Everyone was stunned looking at the gorgeous and ostentatious woman. Ingrid was like a colorful butterfly that suddenly flew into a colorless world. ¡°Hold on, Madam! No entry is allowed unless you are an employee of thepany.¡± The guard hurried over and stopped Ingrid. Ingrid raised her chin high and put her hands on her waist. She red at the security guard. ¡°Well, is Mr. Everett in the office? I¡¯m looking for him.¡± The security guard was overpowered by Ingrid¡¯s domineering aura as he heard her. Seeing how she was dressed, he dared not to offend her further. ¡°Just a moment, madam!¡± Then he paged the security manager. ¡°There¡¯s ady in the lobby asking for Mr. Everett!¡± The security manager saw Ingrid through the recording in the surveince room and didn¡¯t dare to take things lightly. He immediately reported Ingrid¡¯s presence to Bruce¡¯s special assistant, Lily. Lily received the message and quickly came downstairs to greet Ingrid. Meanwhile, Ingrid was arguing with the manager downstairs. ¡°Do you know who I am? Do you recognize me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam! Outsiders cannot enter the group without an appointment! Please wait downstairs for a while.¡± ¡°Let me tell you this. I just got off the phone with Mr. Everett. You don¡¯t recognize me, do you? I¡¯m Mr. Everett¡¯s future mother¨Cinw. How dare you call me an outsider? Believe it or not, you¡¯ll be fired by tomorrow!¡± The manager replied sheepishly, ¡°I believe you, Madam. Please calm down. When Mr. Everett¡¯s assistant arrives, she¡¯ll take you up!¡± Lily finally arrived and greeted politely, ¡°Hello Mrs. Haynes, please follow me!¡± Ingrid nced at Lily and said in a sour voice, ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Everett¡¯s assistant? Howe you¡¯re at woman?¡± Lily shrugged slightly, not answering her question. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, this way, please. Do you have an appointment with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see my son¨Cinw, Do I still need an appointment?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is busy, and anyone would need an appointment to meet him. Why don¡¯t you hang on a second, and I¡¯ll report back to Andy!¡± ¡°All right. Please be quick.¡± Lily swiped her elevator card and took Ingrid to the 32nd floor. Meanwhile, in the office, Bruce was burying himself with work when Andy knocked on the door. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Haynes is here!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes?¡± Bruce was puzzled. Bruce frowned and hesitated for a few seconds. He didn¡¯t want to meet Ingrid. However, she was an elder, after all. Perhaps she was here for an urgent matter. ¡°Let her in!¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, this way! Mr. Everett has agreed to meet you!¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯ve told you so! You don¡¯t need an appointment to see your son¨Cinw!¡± Ingrid eximed proudly and followed Andy into Bruce¡¯s office. ¡°Wow!¡± It was the first time Ingrid had been here. To her surprise, the office was even more luxurious and atmospheric than she had imagined. Bruce¡¯s office upied the whole floor. Not only was there a gym inside, but there was also a small golf course. ¡°Tsk! Tsk!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help but admire what she saw. She was bbergasted to learn that someone had taken this much space for an office in a golden district like Greyport. ¡°What extravagance!¡± she thought to herself. ¡°What a big office. It¡¯s such a waste!¡± Andy smiled and said nothing when he heard that. After five minutes, Andy and Ingrid reached Bruce¡¯s working space. ¡°Hey, Mr. Everett¡­ Oh no, Bruce!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, what brings you here?¡± Bruce rose politely to his feet and greeted Ingrid. Ingrid came up to him with a big smile and said passionately, ¡°Oh, I have a shopping date with some of my girlfriends. I happened to pass by, so I thought I¡¯d stop by and visit you!¡± Bruce¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Have a seat, please.¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, would you like tea or coffee?¡± ¡°Just coffee will do!¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Ingrid took a seat on the Epean leather couch. Across from her was a rosewood desk that spanned several meters long. Bruce perched back in his desk chair. Behind him was a ss bookcase that extended to the whole wall. ¡°Wow, what an opulent office!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help herself from ncing around. When she smiled, her cheeks puffed out on her face, which was pumped with hyaluronic acid. Her plump lips were crimson red like blood. Bruce nced ufortably at Ingrid. He would be devastated. He almost wanted to throw up at the pungent smell of Ingrid¡¯s perfume. Bruce looked grim. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing! I just came to see you,¡± Ingrid said with a flirty smile while staring at Bruce intently. Bruce was really handsome. It was like his angr features were carved by God. Not only did he have a stunning countenance, but his physique was alsoparable to international male models. He was literally oozing hormones all over. If Ingrid were 20 years younger, she would¡¯ve pursued this handsome man. Bruce shuddered under Ingrid¡¯s intense stare and averted her gaze. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, if there¡¯s nothing else, I need to get back to work.¡± Ingrid crossed her legs and rested her arms on the couch. She smiled. ¡°Bruce, I know it¡¯s important. to make money, but you should also value your health. Why don¡¯t you join me for dinner at home after work today? You haven¡¯t been to our house in ages!¡± Ingrid propped herself up. She was wearing a low¨Ccut top, and her bosoms were shown under the stretch of the fabric. Bruce quickly swept his eyes aside and said with a stilted voice, ¡°Well, I have a meeting tonight, so I don¡¯t have time. Perhaps next time.¡± ¡°Bruce, no matter how busy you are, you still need to have your meals regrly. Take good care of yourself, especially since you are so busy these days.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± ¡°Well, I want to talk to you about your rtionship with Roxy. Did you guys have a conflict in thest couple of days?¡± Bruce was dumbfounded. ¡°No¡­¡± Ingrid smacked her thigh and said with a smile, ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal for two young lovebirds to fight. with each other. I¡¯ve been through this kind of rtionship dilemma before. Roxy hasn¡¯t been able to eat or sleep for two days. She has lost a lot of weight! As a man, you should take the initiative sometimes. You can¡¯t keep giving her the cold shoulder like this!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Well¡­ All right!¡± Ingrid put on a serious expression and said earnestly, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve been with Roxy for over six years. A woman¡¯s youth is only a few years! How many six years can one have in a lifetime? You guys are not young anymore. It¡¯s time to move to the next stage of life.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Bruce was thrown off guard by Ingrid¡¯s statement and didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. Honestly, if it hadn¡¯t been for Ingrid, he and Roxanne would¡¯ve been married years ago! It was because of Ingrid that his grandmother didn¡¯t like Roxanne, which caused their marriage to be dragged on. After his divorce from Joanna, the whole Greyport saw him as aughing stock. With that, Margaret objected even more to his marriage to Roxanne. Ingrid sighed as Bruce stayed silent. She added, ¡°Our Roxy is waiting for you. Please don¡¯t let her down. You¡¯ve failed her before. Roxy can¡¯t stand the shock and has already harmed herself once! You can¡¯t let her down again. If anything happens to Roxy, I¡¯m dead too¡­¡± With that, Ingrid¡¯s face changed instantly. She made a gesture of wiping her nonexistent tears. Bruce frowned. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Roxy down!¡± Ingrid smiled through tears when she heard Bruce¡¯s assurance. ¡°Bruce, I know you¡¯re a gentleman with a good conscience. You will never abandon your partner. Roxy was raised in a well¨Cto¨Cdo family. She¡¯s nothing like those skittish women out there!¡± ¡°Yeah, I understand!¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be heading off first!¡± ¡°Andy, please escort Mrs. Haynes downstairs!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, this way, please!¡± Ingrid stood up and wriggled away. The staff couldn¡¯t help but whisper to one¨Canother, ¡°My goodness! Is this Mr. Everett¡¯s mother¨Cin¨C ¡°Why is she like that?¡± ¡°Word is, she used to be Greyport¡¯s social butterfly!¡± ¡°Jeez! Roxanne looks so gentle, but I¡¯ve never expected her mother to be so hot and boisterous!¡± ¡°She certainly leads a charmed life!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡± The smell of perfume still permeated the air even after Ingrid left. Bruce pushed open a window to get some fresh air. He felt more agitated than before. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He could admit that he had been snubbing Roxaely. However, he couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint his feelings at the moment. Speaking of love, it seemed like he no longer felt passion toward Roxanne. However, they had been in a rtionship for six years. He didn¡¯t want to be an irresponsible man. Roxanne had been waiting for him for six years. If he were to leave her now, she would be devastated. Besides, it was Roxanne who saved him from drowning ten years ago. It seemed like he was obliged to promise her a marriage to repay her the favor. He knew it was kind of a cliche. But, at this moment, this was what was running through his mind. After much deliberation, he whipped out his cell phone and made a call to Roxanne. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The phone started to ring. When Roxanne saw it was Bruce on the phone, she immediately picked it up. She squelched her throat and said, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Roxy!¡± ¡°Yes, Bruce?¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart was racing with delight when she heard that. Bruce hadn¡¯t asked her out for a long time. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m free!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner tonight!¡± ¡°Great! About what time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at eight o¡¯clock! We¡¯re going to Blueiva Dinner. Remember to dress up.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll see you tonight!¡± ¡°See you tonight!¡± The phone hung up, and Roxanne jumped for joy. Ingrid happened to be back. Seeing her daughter so happy, she sneered and asked, ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± ¡°Mom, Bruce just called me and asked me to dinner at the Blueiva Diner tonight! Mom,e and help me pick the right dress!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s all thanks to me. I can only help you so far. The rest is up to you!¡± Ingrid hummed. Roxanne was a little shocked. ¡°Mom, did you visit Bruce?¡± ¡°So what if I did?¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so annoying! I told you not to go after Bruce! Don¡¯t snoop your nose into our business!¡± ¡°How could I leave you guys alone? You definitely can¡¯t handle it by yourself. Look at you! You guys almost broke up. If I hadn¡¯t made my move, a random girl would¡¯ve wooed Bruce away.¡± Roxanne¡¯s excitement immediately disappeared when she heard this. ¡°It looks like Bruce didn¡¯t ask me out because he misses me¡­¡± she thought to herself. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Hurry up and get dressed. You two have a good time tonight! Be more open being so reserved.¡± Ingrid thought that her daughter was always good and shy. She had no idea that her daughter actually quite enjoyed having fun with men. ¡°All right.¡± Regardless, Roxanne would never stand Bruce up. Thus, she went off to pick up her clothes. and stop However, even if they rummaged through the whole closet that was full of clothes, they still couldn¡¯t find the right dress for Roxanne. Either the colors were inappropriate, or the style didn¡¯t fit her. ¡°Mom, these clothes are so out of fashion!¡± ¡°Well, I told you to go shopping for new clothes the other day, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen! Now that there¡¯s something going on, you¡¯re finally worried, aren¡¯t you? I told you a long time ago. Clothes and bags are women¡¯s weapons. You need to always be dressed up beautifully. How can we get our enemies to surrender and throw themselves at our feet if we¡¯re not well equipped?¡± Roxanne rolled her eyes and stopped listening to Ingrid¡¯s lecture. After all, she and Ingrid didn¡¯t start out the same way. They were in different eras too. Ingrid¡¯s experience with men was just not applicable to her. ¡°Just wear the white one! Itplements your figure and temperament!¡± After they picked the dress, Roxanne took a shower, styled her hair, and put on make¨Cup. She took the whole evening to dress up. Looking at her glowing self in the mirror, Roxanne beamed with satisfaction. She secretly swore from the bottom of her heart that she would drag Bruce to the bed tonight. She was no longer a virgin, and Bruce was bound to find out if they went to bed together. So, she had already got her secret weapon ready. It was some sort of contraction pill. She would need to put it into her private part before she made an advance on Bruce. By then, her body would be like a young girl again. It was eight o¡¯clock at night. A Maybach was parked outside the Haynes residence. Bruce personally drove to pick up Roxanne. Roxanne was wearing a white dress and a silk shawl today. Her face was embellished with sophisticated make¨Cup. She looked beautiful and innocent. Blueiva Diner was the most exclusive restaurant in Greyport. They would turn away customers that did not follow the appropriate dress code. Hence, everyone would dress up to the nines if they wanted to dine there. ¡°You¡¯re here, Bruce!¡± ¡°Get in the car!¡± ¡°All right!¡± Roxanne opened the door and made a delightful entrance. Bruce shot her a nce and casuallyplimented, ¡°You look gorgeous today!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that gorgeous most days!¡± Bruce handed her a bunch of flowers and kissed her lightly on the forehead. ¡°Thank you!¡± Bruce smiled and started the engine. There were two cars following behind him. The bodyguard and chauffeur were in the cars. 1 Actually, he didn¡¯t need to drive the car himself. asionally, he would feel the itch to get his hand on the steering wheel. Soon, they reached Blueiva Diner. ¡°Wee¡­¡± The customers here were either rich or elite.. A lot of celebrities were regr customers here too. That was why no picture¨Ctaking was allowed in the restaurant. The customers here never needed to worry about breach of privacy. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°It seems like an engagement ising on the way.¡± The upper¨Css circle was small, and only a few people were going in and out of the venue. Roxanne walked beside Bruce, enjoying the admiring stares that showered her. ¡°What would you like to have tonight?¡± ¡°A steak, please.¡± ¡°Some red wine, please, Bruce!¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He had a chauffeur on standby anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter if he drank. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Joann, it¡¯s rare that you¡¯re treating me to dinner. I will definitely feastter. ¡°That¡¯s a must!¡± Right then, Joanna and Jaydon came in side by side.. They saw Bruce and Roxanne the moment they walked into the restaurant. Joanna paused and suddenly didn¡¯t feel like eating here anymore. ¡°Jay, why don¡¯t we go somewhere else?¡± ¡°What are you scared of? We¡¯re here for dinner. We don¡¯t need to say hello!¡± Send Gift Chapter 40 Chapter 40 hapter 40 Bruce looked up and happened to see Joanna too. She was wearing a ck below¨Cthe¨Cknees skirt. The ck heightened her delicate swan neck and corbone. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Although the dress didn¡¯t expose her bosoms, she still looked gorgeous and s*y. It was the first time he had seen her in such revealing clothes. Her entire corbone and her calves were exposed. Bruce frowned. He felt a surge of inexplicable anger. What made him even angrier was that Jaydon was now intimately holding Joanna¡¯s shoulders while eyeing her with adoration. He could tell from Jaydon¡¯s eyes that thetter really liked her. The thought of them doing something unspeakable after finishing their meal irritated him. Bruce was flooded withplicated emotions. He coughed awkwardly and loosened his cravat with an icy cold expression. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing. Go ahead and ce the order.¡± Roxanne¡¯s face fell. She had just ordered. ¡°Bruce, why do you seem so distracted?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Bruce tried to contain his irritation but couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off Joanna. Roxanne finally realized that something was wrong. She looked in the direction of Bruce¡¯s gaze. ¡°Joanna!¡± Roxanne gaped when she saw Joanna. A surge of jealousy swept over her instantly. ¡°No wonder Bruce has such a reaction. So, he has seen Joanna,¡± she mused. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say hello to her, Bruce?¡± Roxanne said sourly. ¡°What for? Let¡¯s have a toast.¡± Bruce raised the red wine ss in front of him. Roxanne paused, picked up her ss, and gently touched it against his. ¡°Cheers¡­¡± By the time Bruce finished speaking, he had gulped down the drink. The red wine ss was immediately emptied. This made Roxanne even more furious, and herplexion clouded. ¡°Why is this bi tch everywhere? It seems like today¡¯s atmosphere is going to be ruined again,¡± Roxanne thought. Bruce poured himself another half ss of red wine and gulped it all down. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? You¡¯ll get drunk if you drink in such a hurry! You can¡¯t drink Conti like that!¡± This bottle of Romance¨CConti was worth a dozen thousand dors. People usually took a small sip and enjoyed the lingering taste. However, Bruce was gulping down the alcohol like it was water. Meanwhile, Jaydon and Joanna passed by Bruce and Roxanne and took a seat on the left side of the dining room. They had actually booked another table which was in a better location. However, in order to avoid Bruce and Roxanne, they gave up the table. The restaurant was fully air¨Cconditioned. Jaydon asked with concern, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Joanna rubbed her arms and said, ¡°A little.¡± Jaydon looked over at the waiter. ¡°Get us a shawl, please!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Grim. Just a moment, please!¡± The waiter then handed them a dining¨Croom shawl. Jaydon stood up and stretched out the shawl, draping it over Joanna¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Thank you!¡± The two of them exchanged a smile. Today¡¯s press conference was a great sess. Under the efforts of Jaydon¡¯s public rtions team, Joanna was packaged as an independent, strong, beautiful, and inspiring woman. As of now, various articles and edited videos were being widely circted on the Inte. Within a day, Joanna¡¯s reputation was on the mend. After the news of the partnership between Haynes Group and CI Technologies spread out, the investors¡® minds were finally at ease. By mid¨Cafternoon, the share price of Haynes Group had stopped fluctuating wildly. Jaydon helped her out so much that Joanna thought he deserved to be treated to dinner. Jaydon looked at her ambiguously and tenderly. He smiled and said, ¡°What would you like to it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a steak and a sd!¡± Jaydon browsed through the menu. ¡°Make it two then!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± The top beef in the restaurant was very famous and a must¨Ctry. ¡°Will you join me for a movie after dinner?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Jay, you know the drill. I¡¯ve got to go back and take care of Lilia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a movie. It won¡¯t take up much of your time.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m feeling a bit tired today.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes deepened as she politely turned down his invitation. Jaydon smiled and gently grabbed her hand. ¡°This is a film produced by mypany. Today is the premiere. I¡¯d like you toe with me!¡± Subconsciously, Joanna flinched. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡­¡± She knew that if she agreed to join himter, it would be equivalent to agreeing to be his girlfriend. ¡°Joann, I apanied you to the press conference today. It¡¯s only fair for you to apany me to the premiere.¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not good at dealing with grand events like this!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to deal with it. Just stand beside me and keep mepany.¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°There are so many beautiful women in yourpany. Why don¡¯t you ask them to apany you?¡± As Jaydon heard this, his eyes gleamed with disappointment. ¡°Would you like them toe with me? Do you have any idea what this means?¡± Joanna merely fell silent. She knew, of course, that he wanted her to attend the premiere as his girlfriend. However, she really didn¡¯t want to be in a rtionship ever again. Jaydon squeezed Joanna¡¯s hand and watched her in silence. ¡°Joann, are you sure you don¡¯t want to give me this chance? Don¡¯t you want to give yourself a chance too?¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¡°Joann, will you marry me?¡± Boom! Joanna¡¯s mind was in a mess as if it was going to explode. She looked at Jaydon in horror. Immediately, Jaydon took out a diamond ring the size of a dove¡¯s egg from his pocket. As the music in the restaurant began, couples dressed in matching outfits turned up at the restaurant with huge bouquets of flowers in their hands. Blueiva Diner was a sanctuary for marriage proposals, and the restaurant would cooperate with customers who wanted to propose to set up the scene. Of course, the cost was prohibitive for the average person. ¡°Joann, I give you my official confession today! I love you. Marry me!¡± With that, Jaydon knelt on one knee and offered the diamond ring to Joanna. Joanna was not mentally prepared for his proposal. ¡°Jay, get up. Please don¡¯t do this!¡± Now that Jaydon suddenly confessed to her on a high profile, she was utterly dumbfounded. ¡°Joann, we¡¯ve known each other for 3652 days! Today is the 2520th day I loved you, and there are days to go in the future!¡± Joanna was so nervous that her face turned pale, and her throat became dry. ¡°Please stop with the jokes, Jay! Get up quickly. There are so many people watching¡­¡± Jaydon remained on one knee and gazed earnestly at Joanna. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m serious! I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time! In the past, we missed each other, and it became the biggest regret in my life! Now that God has given me this opportunity again, I don¡¯t want to miss it!¡± When Joanna heard that, her cheeks flushed red, and she didn¡¯t know what to do. She eximed inwardly, ¡°If I¡¯m still theplete self from the past, I¡¯ll ept him without hesitation! But now that I¡¯m broken, how could I be worthy of him! I can¡¯t hurt him, and I don¡¯t want to be a burden to him!¡± ¡°Marry him! Marry him! Marry him!¡± The melodious piano sound filled the air, and countless rose petals were falling from above like snowkes in the sky, spreading all around her. The atmosphere was warm and romantic. However, Bruce¡¯s eyes were full of jealousy as he watched the scene in front of him. He clenched his fists, and they emitted loud cracking sounds. Even if he had abandoned Joanna, he still couldn¡¯t allow anyone else to covet her. That feeling was like someone had picked up on the rubbish he had just thrown away and found out that what he had thrown away was a rare gem. It made him feel regret, frustration, indignance, and irritation. Roxanne uttered with jealousy, ¡°Wow, Mr. Grimm is so romantic! He indeed prepares his marriage proposal wholeheartedly!¡± After saying that, she looked at Bruce with a forlorn expression. Unfortunately, Bruce was furious and didn¡¯t pay attention to her emotion. At that moment, disappointment and jealousy were written all over Roxanne¡¯s beautiful face. Judging from Bruce¡¯s reaction, she understood his thoughts about Joanna. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Meanwhile, Joanna was so anxious that she burst into tears. ¡°Jay, get up. Don¡¯t be like this!¡± Jaydon fixed his eyes on her, staring at her intensely. ¡°Are you willing to ept it?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± Joanna turned around, grabbed her bag, and fled for the restroom. As she had severe depression, she couldn¡¯t get emotional, or she would get another attack. ¡°Joann!¡± When Jaydon saw her run away, he was dazed instantly, and his brain went nk. She still rejected him in the end. ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce got to his feet as he was unable to stand it any longer. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± He ignored the question and headed straight to the restroom. Bang! The restroom door was pushed open. When Joanna looked back and saw it was Bruce, she got startled even more. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing?¡± Bruce had a fiendish expression on his face like the devil. Without saying a word, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the restroom. Joanna suddenl felt her heart tremble, and she struggled desperately. ¡°Bruce, let me go! What on earth are you trying to do¡­¡± Bruce didn¡¯t answer and just dragged her out in a fury like a husband catching a cheating partner. Joanna kept struggling and flung herself to the ground, causing her gown to slip and expose herself. As Bruce couldn¡¯t pull her away, he bent down and carried her up forcefully. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Let go of me!¡± Bruce held her and forced her out of the restaurant. Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixated on the duo. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm is making a marriage proposal, so why is Mr. Everett out there making a scene?¡± Roxanne was so furious that her whole face was deformed when she saw that. She ran out of the restaurant in tears. At the parking lot downstairs, Bruce stuffed Joanna into the passenger seat of the car before he got in. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? You¡¯ve been drinking, so you can¡¯t drive!¡± Vroom! He had started the car and stepped on the pedal. The car elerated to 75 miles per hour instantly. ¡°Bruce, are you insane? Stop the car. What the hell are you trying to do?¡± The car drifted sharply and sped in the direction of the mountain road. Joanna was thrown against the car door. Panicked, she quickly buckled her seat belt. ¡°Bruce, you have to stop. It¡¯s dangerous¡­¡± she persuaded. ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, the steering wheel turned violently. The wheels drifted, leaving a long tire track on the ground. The car almost crashed into the truck on. the other side. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Joanna was scared out of her wits. Her heart was thumping so hard that it almost leaped out of her chest. She thought. ¡°If he hit the truck on the opposite just now at that speed, even with seat belts, we would¡¯ve died! It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m dead, but what about my three children?¡± Hence, Joanna did not dare to shout at him again. Instead, she pleaded in horror, ¡°Bruce, I beg you. Don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Vroom! He started the car again. It then moved like an out¨Cof¨Ccontrol beast, roaring while rushing into the traffic. ¡°Bruce, please stop! I¡¯m begging you!¡± It was as if Bruce had not heard anything. He kept speeding up. The car repeatedly overtook cars on the road. It was nerve¨Cwracking every time he overtook another car. Luckily, he was an adept driver. Whenever it seemed like his car was about to sh with the others, they would end up brushing past each other. ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± Joanna closed her eyes in fear several times. She would hold on tightly to the handle above the car door even with her seat belt buckled. She eximed inwardly, ¡°I mustn¡¯t die! For my three children, I can never die!¡± ¡°Bruce, please. Don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but beg while grabbing his arm. Bruce was extremely incensed, but he didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do as well. He only knew that he felt the fury erupting within him, so he wanted to speed up to vent his anger. ¡°Bruce, you have to stop the car now! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Since Bruce had drunk some alcohol earlier, it was very dangerous for him to drive at that moment. The car¡¯s speed grew faster and faster, and it had already reached 87 mile per hour. Moreover, the car was on a mountain road, which woulde to a hairpin turn in a short distance. Thus, he was putting them at risk by driving that way. ¡°Bruce, stop the car! What the hell is wrong with you? Ah! Ah¡­¡± Joanna was scared out of her wits as she mused, ¡°If this goes on, we¡¯ll definitely get into a car ident! I want to jump out of the car! But at such a high speed, I¡¯ll surely lose my life by jumping off the car!¡± ¡°Bruce, you have to stop!¡± Joanna tried to stop him from speeding up. All of a sudden, a car appeared from the other side. Bruce quickly swerved the steering wheel because his car was going too fast, but it was toote. Under such urgent circumstances, Bruce turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction. Crack! Chapter 42 Crash! All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The car smashed through the roadside barrier and plunged into the sea. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna shouted in shock, closing her eyes tightly. Bang! Thump! The car smashed into the sea hard. The impact was so powerful that Joanna momentarily lost consciousness, and her mind went nk. Bruce banged his head on the steering wheel. Then, the airbags ejected and inted. Five minutester, Joanna gradually woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she broke out in a cold sweat immediately. Water had already entered the car and was halfway to filling it up. Bruce had passed out. ¡°Bruce, Bruce, wake up! The water is getting into the car!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t react at all. It was dark inside the car, and she could only scan the surroundings with the help of the faint street Bruce had a cut on his forehead, and his face was covered with blood. Joanna trembled in shock and frantically shook him. ¡°Bruce, wake up¡­¡± The water continued to rise. Joanna began to panic and couldn¡¯t be bothered about waking Bruce anymore. She hurriedly pushed the car door, but unfortunately, there was water in the car, and the door wouldn¡¯t open under the strong pressure. ¡°Where¡¯s the car safety hammer?¡± There would usually be a car safety hammer inside the car to facilitate smashing the windows in case it fell into the river. However, she rummaged through the frontpartment and couldn¡¯t find the car safety hammer. The water was already up to her chest. Without hesitation, Joanna immediately took off her heels. She aimed at the edge of the car window, which was the weakest part of it, and smashed it crazily. Bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! After smashing it several times, the car window finally loosened. Joanna smashed it a few times again, and the window finally broke. She then climbed out the window. By that time, the whole car was full of water. Joanna waited for the car to bnce and swam to the other side. Luckily, the water pressure in the car had bnced out. Joanna opened the car door to drag Bruce out. However, he was strapped in. As it was very dark under the water, Joanna fumbled for a long time but still failed to unbuckle the seat belt. She couldn¡¯t hold her breath anymore and needed toe to the surface of the water to breathe, but she did not dare to do so. Because by the time she got to the surface, the car would probably havepletely sunk to the bottom. Bruce was still in the car, and he was unconscious. If she didn¡¯t save him, he would surely die. In fact, at that moment, Joanna could give up on saving him and escape by herself. Yet, Joanna held in her breath. With her final breath, she finally unfastened the seat belt. Joanna dragged Bruce out of the car. Ssh! The duo finally got to the surface. Joanna heavily panted as she tried to regte her breathing. Bruce, wake up¡­ Since Bruce was 6 feet and 2 inches tall, it would almost be impossible for Joanna to drag him to the shore. However, she didn¡¯t give up. She put her hands around his armpits and struggled to swim toward the shore with all her strength. As Bruce arrived at the surface, he slightly regained consciousness. While he was half awake and half dazed, he vaguely felt as if he had returned to the incident ten years ago when he was drowning. It was also the same as that moment, a thin and delicate figure dragging the behemoth him, struggling to swim to the shore. The sealed memory seemed to have been unlocked. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Back then, he didn¡¯t get a good look at the girl¡¯s face. But at this moment, he seemed to remember it. The girl who saved him had hair so long that it almost twisted around his neck in the water, and Roxanne had never had such long hair. However, after he was rescued to the shore and woke up, the first person he saw was Roxanne. So, he had subconsciously assumed that it was Roxanne who had saved him. Joanna coughed violently and was totally drained. After being in the ocean for so long, she had choked on quite a lot of seawater. Even though she could float well, she certainly felt quite helpless as she had to drag such a well¨Cbuilt man with her. The two of them were bobbing in the water, only about ten meters away from the shore. If she was swimming back to the shore alone, she could probably do it in less than a minute. However, she was now dragging Bruce with her and struggled in the water for over ten minutes. before finally reaching the shore. Joanna continued to cough as she staggered up the steps on the shore and was so exhausted that she was on the brink of copse. She couldn¡¯t move Bruce at all, much less bring him all the way to the shore. In the end, she could only drag him a little so that the upper half of his body was lying on the steps, making sure that he wouldn¡¯t drown or suffocate. ¡°Bruce, wake up!¡± she called out while still coughing. Bruce was half¨Cconscious, but he couldn¡¯t open his eyes no matter how hard he tried. Joanna shook him hard and immediately performed a few rounds of CPR on him. Bruce finally opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of seawater, his breathing bing much smoother. Joanna was relieved to see him wake up. However, he had banged his head hard and was losing a lot of blood. He had to be sent to a hospital immediately. Several people had gathered on the shore, pointing at them andmenting among themselves. ¡°Help! Please call an ambnce for us!¡± Joanna staggered ashore to ask for help. As he looked at the back of her thin, delicate figure, Bruce instantly had a moment of deja vu. His brain rewound like a tape as he searched within his memories. Finally, the image of a delicate figure with long, wet hair froze in his mind. He totally remembered it now. Ten years ago, it was exactly like this, too. The girl dragged him to the shore and ran off, anxiously asking for help. And when he woke up. Roxanne was there, taking care of him. Thus, his memories had gotten messed up, and he had mistakenly thought that it was Roxanne who had saved him. That was also the day he began to take a liking to Roxanne. Before that, he was in love with the long¨Chaired Joanna. Joann¡­¡± Bruce lifted his arm as he called out weakly. On the shore, several cars headed toward them at top speed. Over a dozen people got out of their cars and came down the coast to help! Bruce¡¯s bodyguards and assistants had tracked the car¡¯s location via the GPS and hurried over. ¡°Mr. Everett is here. Hurry up!¡± The bodyguards made it down to the coast, immediately lifting Bruce into a car and rushing him to the hospital. Meanwhile, Andy stayed back to deal with the police. Once they arrived at the hospital, Bruce was sent straight to the emergency room, while Joanna was sent to a treatment room as well. She had several scratches on her body from the broken ss of the car window. Some of the cuts were deep and needed stitches. Overall, though, she wasn¡¯t as badly hurt as Bruce. Soon, Margaret, Roxanne, Ingrid, Shaun, and many more rushed to the hospital. ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Old Mrs. Everett. Mr. Everett has just gotten a few stitches and is now awake.¡± Margaret heard that, but her heart was still full of worry. She hurried into the ward to check on Bruce. He was the only son of the Everett family. If anything happened to him, the Everett family, which had such a huge business empire, would have no heir. Thus, of course, Margaret was anxious about Bruce¡¯s condition. In the ward, Bruce¡¯s wound was already dressed, and he was resting on the hospital bed. ¡°Bru, are you okay? Is it bad?¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m all right!¡± ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett was just in an ident.¡± Margaret came to the bedside and gripped Bruce¡¯s hand tightly! ¡°Oh, how many times have I told you not to drive? Why won¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Her expression was imbued with worry and heartache. ¡°Bruce, you scared me!¡± Roxanne ran up and plunged her head into Bruce¡¯s arms. Ingrid also added nervously, ¡°Yes, you scared us, Bruce! Always be careful when you drive. If it¡¯s possible, don¡¯t drive. After all, we¡¯ve hired so many drivers, haven¡¯t we?¡± Shaun looked concerned as well as he added. ¡°Fortunately, you ended up safe this time, but you¡¯d better be extra careful from now on.¡± Everyone was fussing over Bruce, and not a single person showed any concern about Joanna. Even Shaun didn¡¯t even bother about her. Joanna¡¯s wounds were dressed as well. She had been given anti¨Cinmmatory medicine and was about to leave the hospital. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon hurried over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Jaydon kept repeating his apologies as he hugged Joanna tightly. ¡°I¡¯m all right. My wounds are already dressed, and I can leave the hospital now.¡± Looking at her face, which was pale as a sheet, Jaydon was even more worried. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right? Let me take a look at the wound!¡± Enduring the pain, Joanna gave him a faint smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯ll just need toe back tomorrow and change the dressing. That¡¯s all!¡± Actually, her entire body was burning in pain. She had just gotten more than a dozen stitches, and the effect of the anesthetic had faded away by now. Of course, she would be in pain. Jaydon looked at Joanna with a heartbroken expression and lifted her shirt anyway to take a look at her wounds. Her abdomen, thighs, and arms were all covered in stitches! Even if the wounds healed, they would probably leave scars on her body. ¡°Bruce! That son of a bitch! I¡¯m going after him¡­..¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°No, Jay, don¡¯t go!¡± Joanna stopped Jaydon at once. After all, what good was there to go after him? At most, she would only get a small amount inpensation. There was no way he would be sent to prison or anything like that. ¡°Ouch!¡± She let out a groan. Jaydon frowned and supported her at once. ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t you stay in the hospital for a few days? If the wound gets infected, it will be more serious!¡± Joanna bit her pale, dry lip, holding back the pain. ¡°No, I¡¯m going home to take care of Lilia. She¡¯ll be worried if she doesn¡¯t see me. It¡¯s already past twelve o¡¯clock now. I have to hurry back!¡± ¡°Then, let me send you back!¡± ¡°All right!¡± In the ward, the people were still fussing over Bruce, chattering endlessly. ¡°Have a good rest for a few days, Bruce.¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry to have worried you, but I¡¯m really fine now.¡± Ingrid furrowed her brows and deliberately blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re a young man. Like so many others, you¡¯re particrly impulsive when you¡¯re not yet married. Look how dangerous a situation you got yourself into! Old Mrs. Everett, the way I see it, once Bruce recovers, he should quickly get married to Roxy. It¡¯s better to settle down sooner rather thanter, too¡­¡± Before she could finish, however, Margaret¡¯s forehead had already knitted into a frown. It was true that the Everett family and the Haynes family had good connections. However, the Everett family was connected with Raymond, not Ingrid. It was not Ingrid¡¯s ce toment on Bruce at all. ¡°Bruce needs to get some rest. You should all go out first. Don¡¯t disturb his rest!¡± As Ingrid heard this, an awkward expression washed over her face. ¡°Well, then, Bruce, have a good rest.¡± With that said, Ingrid, Roxanne, and Shaun left the ward begrudgingly. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°That woman sure is long¨Cwinded and annoying!¡± The truth was, Margaret had nothing but disdain for a woman like Ingrid. When Raymond was alive, she had been kind and tolerant to the Haynes family, all for Raymond¡¯s sake. However, now that Raymond was dead, the Everett family obviously had no rtions with Shaun and his wife anymore. Margaret was merely maintaining a good rtionship with them for the sake of Raymond. However, to Margaret, Ingrid simply had no tact. An ident had just happened that almost scared her to death, yet Ingrid brought up the subject of marriage at this time. Ingrid couldn¡¯t have made her intentions clearer. ¡°How is Joanna?¡± ¡°Joanna?¡± Margaret was stunned. Bruce frowned, and his lips quivered as he muttered, ¡°She was in the ident with me.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t see her!¡± Hearing that, Bruce struggled to sit up and get out of bed. Seeing this, Margaret quickly stopped him. ¡°You have to lie down. You¡¯re still on the IV drip! You¡¯ve been hurt so badly. Where do you think you are going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move! Let¡¯s just call the nurse over and ask about her.¡± With that, Margaret pressed the beeper. A minuteter, a nurse hurried in. ¡°Mr. Everett, what do you need?¡± This hospital was run by the Everett family, so all the doctors and nurses knew Bruce. ¡°What happened to thedy I came here with?¡± ¡°Oh! She has had some stitches and has left the hospital.¡± Bruce listened with a frown. ¡°What? She¡¯s out of the hospital?¡± ¡°Well, yes! A man has just picked her up!¡± Bruce fell silent. His brows scrunched into a frown, and he felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. Through this ident, he finally realized he seemed to have been in love with the wrong person. The girl who rescued him from the pool ten years ago was Joanna, not Roxanne. He had been mistaken all these years. ¡°Bru, don¡¯t worry! There¡¯s probably no major problem with her, and that must be why she was discharged from the hospital. By the way, didn¡¯t I ask you to have her bring her two kids over to see me? Howe there¡¯s been no news about that for so many days?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t!¡± The moment Margaret heard that her eyes narrowed as she froze, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yes¡± This girl has got a real temper, hasn¡¯t she? She reminds me of myself back in the day!¡± The truth was, if those kids were real flesh and blood of the Everett family, it would be as if a gift had fallen from heaven and into Joanna¡¯sp! In fact, even if they were not flesh and blood of the Everett family, she would still have nothing to lose if she went to visit Margaret. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m so confused right now. I want to be alone to sort out my thoughts!¡± ¡°Oh, all right! Stay in bed and have a good rest, then!¡± ¡°Sure, I will.¡± With that, Margaret sighed and left the room. After Margaret left, Brucey in bed, quietly reflecting on everything that had happened in the past. years. He mentally sorted out all the events that had happened. Initially, he had a good impression of Joanna. N?velDrama.Org content. It was Roxanne who kept telling him that Joanna was a withdrawn and scheming woman. Over time, he really began to think that it was true. Outside the ward, seeing that Margaret hade out, Roxanne and Ingrid immediately rushed over to her, greeting her in unison, ¡°Old Mrs. Everett!¡± Margaret frowned slightly. ¡°Bruce needs to rest. You should go home as well. Ingrid cracked a smile. ¡°All right, then. Well, Roxy, I guess you¡¯d better stay and take care of Bruce. Your dad and I won¡¯t stay here and cause more inconvenience to the Everetts.¡± Margaret listened and said nothing. She merely adjusted her shawl and walked away expressionlessly. Seeing that, Roxanne sighed aloud. Ingrid, who heard her, frowned as she asked, ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Roxanne began but couldn¡¯t find the right words. She knew that a rift had developed between her and Bruce. ¡°You! All you know is acting like a brat at home. How did I get such a stupid daughter like you?¡± ¡°Mom, there you go again! This matter has to do with rtionships. What does it have to do with. whether one is smart or not?¡± ¡°Of course, it matters!¡± ¡°Forget it. Just go home!¡± ¡°Stay close to Bruce, and don¡¯t let anything happen.¡± ¡°Got it¡­¡± After Ingrid and Shaun left, Roxanne sat in the corridor of the hospital for nearly half an hour. After finally calming down, she went back into the ward. ¡°Are you hungry, Bruce? I¡¯ve packed you some broth!¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds but couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Roxy, I want to ask you something!¡± ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± ¡°Ten years ago, I drowned in your swimming pool. Who saved me?¡± The moment Roxanne heard that, a strange look immediately shed across her eyes. are you asking this question out of the blue?¡± ¡°I just remembered it today, so I¡¯m just asking.¡± Roxanne clenched her fists nervously and managed a smile. ¡°Of course, it was me!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± It took Roxanne everything she had to maintain a calm facade. She knew very well why Bruce suddenly took a fancy to her ten years ago. That year, Margaret had brought Bruce to the Haynes residence for a visit. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 When it was around lunchtime, Bruce was swimming in the pool. He suddenly got a cramp in his foot and drowned. Although the Haynes family had servants, unlike the Everett family, they did not have that many housekeepers and bodyguards. When Bruce was drowning, Joanna was the first to spot him. As the situation was so critical, Joanna dove in to save him before she could call for help. After rescuing him out of the pool, Joanna ran off to call for help, and Roxanne rushed over to Bruce¡¯s side to take care of him. After Bruce woke up, he asked her, ¡°Did you save me?¡± Roxanne knew he had misunderstood the situation but nodded anyway. It was also from that day onward that Bruce¡¯s attitude toward herpletely changed. Despite being five years older than her, he refused to date all because he had been waiting for her to grow up. ¡°Why, after all these years, is he suddenly asking such a question? Could it be that¡­ Joanna said something to him?¡± Roxanne wondered. Seeing Bruce¡¯s silent demeanor, Roxanne asked cautiously, ¡°Did Joanna say something to you?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Bruce drily. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. He knew he did not need to ask anymore. Joanna was his rescuer, and all those years, he had gotten everything wrong. Roxanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurried to say, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m sure Joanna told you something. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have asked! You know that she has always been smarter than me and better. than me. She loves you so much, so of course, she won¡¯t let go of you. It¡¯s obvious that she deliberately tried to split us up. Whatever she told you, Bruce, you mustn¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Bruce had a grim look on his face. He said impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t say any more. My mind is in at muddle. I want to be alone.¡± ¡°But Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Please leave the room for now!¡± His mind was indeed all muddled up right now, and he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I made a mistake! I can¡¯t me others. The only person I can me is myself!¡± He berated himself internally. ¡°Do you not love me anymore, Bruce? You¡¯ve been giving me the cold shoulder ever since Joanna came back. I can¡¯t lose you, Bruce! I won¡¯t let her snatch you away from me!¡± Roxanne dove into Bruce¡¯s arms, gripping his arm frantically as she wept miserably. Judging by Bruce¡¯s reaction, she had guessed that he must have found out the truth and would soon break up with her. As his fiancee, she had enjoyed the envious looks of otherdies and socialites. If she was dumped now, she would probably be theughingstock of the whole of Greyport. ¡°Please go out first!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you, Bruce!¡± Being impatient, Bruce immediately pressed the beeper, and a nurse quickly came in. ¡°Please get her out of here!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mr. Everett is going to rest and recuperate, so please leave the room first!¡± ¡°Well, then I shall leave first, Brucel You must believe me!¡± Bruce merely scowled and didn¡¯t answer. He hated it most when women lied to him, and Roxanne had lied to him for years. No matter what happened next, there was no way he was going to continue his rtionship with her. After Roxanne left, Bruce punched the bed twice, his eyes bloodshot. He was really furious. ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve gotten it all wrong!¡± he admonished himself inwardly. ck! Bruce pulled out his IV drip, put on his hospital gown, and shuffled out of the ward. ¡°Mr. Everett, your IV drip hasn¡¯t finished yet. Where are you going?¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± The nurses didn¡¯t dare to stop him, while the bodyguards hastened to follow. ¡°Give me your car keys!¡± he ordered. Hearing that, the bodyguards were shocked. After all, Bruce had just been in an ident. Yet, he was now asking to drive again. ¡°Just give me the keys!¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you follow!¡± With that said, Bruce got into a Bentley, mmed his foot on the elerator, and drove off. Soon, he arrived at the doorstep of Joanna¡¯s house. Knock! Knock! ¡°Who is it?¡± Joanne called out before mumbling to herself, ¡°Who¡¯s knocking at this hour?¡± Knock! Knock! Knock! Another few knocks sounded from the front door. Joanna had just fallen asleep and was immediately awakened. ¡°Talia, go and see who¡¯s at the door, please.¡± Since Davian and Irvin went to Venturas, Miranda and Anne had followed to take care of them. Thus, there were only Joanna, Lilia, and Talia in the house now. Talia hurried over to the door. ¡°It¡¯ste. May I ask who it is?¡± ¡°Open up! Hurry! It¡¯s the property manager. Your house has a gas leak!¡± When Talia heard that it was the property manager, she thought there was indeed a gas leak and quickly opened the door. Outside the door stood a tall man who radiated a cold and frightening aura from head to toe. ¡°You¡¯re not from the property management, are you?¡± Not bothering to exin himself to her, Bruce rushed into the house. ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna?¡± Joanna was wide awake. Clutching the wound on her abdomen, she painfully staggered out of the room to see what was going on. ¡°Who is it?¡± Taking a look outside her room, Joanna was taken aback when she saw Bruce. It was as if he was a ghost who wouldn¡¯t stop haunting her. ¡°Bruce, what do you want now?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The moment he saw her, Bruce immediately took a few steps forward without thinking and wanted to say something. However, as though the words were stuck in his throat, he couldn¡¯t get a single word out at all. Joanna frowned. ¡°What are you doing barging into my house in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡­¡± Bruce managed only to force out two words before he wrapped Joanna in his embrace. ¡°Ouch! Argh! Let me go!¡± Send Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Hearing her groans of agony, Bruce quickly let her go. ¡°Joanna¡­¡± He wanted to say that he was sorry, but those words just couldn¡¯t be uttered. Joanna gave him a cold look. ¡°It¡¯s past three o¡¯clock in the morning. What the hell are you doing?¡± Bruce had a thick white bandage on his head, and half of his face was swollen. Besides that, he was also d in a hospital gown. He indeed looked a little creepy. ¡°I¡¯ve juste to see you!¡± ¡°You must be crazy! If you don¡¯t leave soon. I¡¯ll call the police.¡± ¡°Then go ahead and call the police!¡± Joanna was furious. She swallowed and frowned, asking, ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Bruce¡¯s thin lips quivered as he looked at Joanna with a gentle yetplicated expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. All I wanted was to see you!¡± Looking at the gentle expression in his eyes, Joanna started having goosebumps for no reason. ¡°Bruce would never look at me so gently! This vicious and violent man must be nning some trick. on me again!¡± she remarked internally, putting up her guard. ¡°This is my house. Get out, please! Haven¡¯t you done enough harm to me? Don¡¯t you know that not. only did you almost get yourself killed, you almost got me killed as well! Bruce, I beg you, will you please leave me alone? I really don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Joann¡­¡± Bruce instinctively took a step forward and reached out. He wanted to hug her but didn¡¯t dare to do so. Joanna¡¯s heart clenched as well. He had always called her name in a cold tone. Never had he ever called her in such an affectionate tone. It was baffling. ¡°Talia, call the cops. Tell them a psycho¡¯s trespassing!¡± ¡°Joann, do you have to do this? I have something I want to say to you!¡± Hearing that, Joanna folded her arms and red at Bruce. ¡°All right, I¡¯m listening now. What exactly do you want to say?¡± ¡°L¡­ Bruce stammered. He simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he was sorry. It was not in his nature to be subservient to women. After all, it had always been the women who surrounded him, racking their brains to please him. All he had to do was give them the slightest signal, and a whole bunch of women would swoop toward him. Asking such a proud man to lower his head humbly in front of a woman was akin to taking his life. ¡°Come on. It¡¯s past three! Even if you don¡¯t intend to sleep, other people do. You might as well just go home first. If there¡¯s anything else to say, we can talk about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, I need to talk to you now!¡± ¡°Then just do it, Mr. Everett. It¡¯s not in your nature to hesitate!¡± He had always been sharp¨Ctongued. When he spoke to her, he was always either bitter or sarcastic. If not, he would be roaring at her. In any case, this was the first time he was speaking in such a calm tone. Joanna was really running out of patience. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t want to say it,¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Hearing that, Joanna was utterly speechless. ¡°Can you fix me something to eat? I haven¡¯t eaten all day, and I¡¯m hungry!¡± The moment Bruce finished talking, he looked at Joanna pleadingly. Joanna was taken aback for a moment. She thought she had heard wrongly. ¡°I beg your pardon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat something!¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t resist scrutinizing his expression again, hoping to get an exnation for the way he was acting. When they were married, she would cook and wait for him to eat it almost every day. However, not once had he tasted her cooking. Yet, now, he came over in the middle of the night, telling her that he was hungry and wanted something to eat. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s your game? If you still don¡¯t go, don¡¯t me me for doing something drastic!¡± As she spoke, Joanna could not help but reach out, trying to push him out of the house. However, Bruce stood as firm as a mountain, refusing to move. ¡°I¡¯m really hungry. I want to eat something!¡± he stated, patting his belly. Joanna was even more speechless. ¡°So, what would you like to eat?¡± ¡°Anything!¡± Joanna paused for a few seconds, spoke no more, and turned toward the kitchen. After all, it would not take much time to make some buttered noodles. All she had to do was fill up his stomach and make him leave the ce. It really could not be simpler to make buttered noodles. She started by boiling the pasta and then draining it. Then, she mixed in the butter, cheese, salt, and pepper. Ten minutester, Joanna ced a te of buttered noodles on the table. ¡°The food is ready! Eat up and get going!¡± It was indeed a simple dish, but it smelled great. In just a moment, the entire room was filled with the pungent scent of butter mixed with cheese. Bruce was really hungry. He had always been a picky eater. Yet, he gobbled up the te of noodles, relishing it. Soon, he finished the entire te of noodles. ¡°Are you finished?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m still not very full. I would like to have another te.¡± When Joanna heard that, she became even more furious. ¡°This man almost got me killed. Yet, he¡¯s here now at my house in the middle of the night just to torture me. What the hell is going on?¡± she wondered. ¡°I¡¯ll call Andy and tell him toe and get you!¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to go!¡± At her wits end, Joanna could not even find the words to retort. ¡°May I lie down on the couch?¡± ¡°Bruce, what the hell are you trying to do?¡± Bruce¡¯s sharp eyes were filled with gentleness at this moment. ¡°I¡¯m here to protect you in case you¡¯re in danger.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Joanna choked on her saliva and nearly popped a vessel when she heard that. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°As long as he¡¯s not here, I would be safe!¡± she thought. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous. Go lie down if you want!¡± she stated. With that, she didn¡¯t bother saying anything more but turned around, heading back to her room. After all, it was not like she could stop him from doing what he wanted. Bang! She mmed the door shut. Thoroughly exhausted, all she wanted right now was to go to sleep. She no longer had any energy to quarrel with him and did not care anymore about whatever tricks were on his mind. After Joanna returned to her room, Talia went into Lilia¡¯s room as well. Bruce was left all alone in the living room. Looking around, he could not help but feel a little sad. ¡°How could she be living in such a rotten ce now?¡± he remarked internally. Indeed, the living room was tiny and was even smaller than the bathroom in his house. With that, he made up his mind to help her move into a new house the next day to make up for what he owed her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner, Joann?¡± Bruce sank into the couch. His heart filled with even more mixed emotions. ¡°How could I have made such a blunder and been mistaken about such an important thing? For more than ten years, I¡¯ve been in love with the wrong person!¡± he continued to berate himself inwardly. The next morning, the bodyguards were in a frenzy. ¡°Mr. Everett is missing!¡± ¡°Call Mr. Everett immediately and ask where he is!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t bring his phone! ording to the GPS in his car, he should be in the area, but there¡¯s no sign of him!¡± ¡°What are you guys even hired for? How could you not follow him?¡± ¡°You know very well about Mr. Everett¡¯s temper. If he doesn¡¯t allow anyone to follow him, who would dare to do so?¡± ¡°So, what do we do now? Where could Mr. Everett have gone? How would we answer when Old Mrs. Everett asks about himter?¡± ¡°Oh my god! Mr. Everett hasn¡¯t been kidnapped, has he?¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°What else can we do? Go and find him before it¡¯s toote!¡± The group of bodyguards was panicking. After all, their job was to provide protection to Bruce 24 hours a day. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Now that Bruce was missing, there was no way they wouldn¡¯t be afraid. The previous night. Bruce would not let anyone follow him. The bodyguards did not dare to disobey him, nor did they dare to let him out of their sight. Thus, all they could do was follow him sneakily. However, Bruce drove too fast. Within minutes, they had lost him. They searched all night but couldn¡¯t find him, and that made them even more frightened! At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, the rm clock rang, and Joanna got up to turn it off. Nowadays, she was a terrible sleeper and would only sleep for three or four hours a day. Last night, because of Bruce¡¯s interruption, she only managed to get less than two hours of sleep. In the living room, Bruce was lying on the couch, sound asleep. As he had lost a lot of blood, his brain was very deoxygenated, which was why he was particrly sleepy. After Joanna got up, he was still asleep. Talia got up as well and gazed at Bruce on the couch with a look of resignation. ¡°Miss Haynes, what should we do about him?¡± ¡°Leave him be. Just let him sleep!¡± After Joanna washed up, she was ready to make breakfast. With Miranda being away, Talia had to take care of Lilia. Thus, Joanne had to prepare breakfast by herself. However, she only prepared simple meals. Sometimes, it would be as simple as a sandwich or a sd with boiled eggs, served with a cup of strong coffee. Just as Joanna finished making a sandwich, Bruce awakened. His face had swelled up even more after he had gotten one night of sleep. His left eye was swollen and was an appalling sight. The white bandage on his head had also leaked a little, looking yellow and gooey. ¡°Joann, what are you doing?¡± Joanna shot him a nce. ¡°It¡¯s morning now, so get back to the hospital!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to keep me for breakfast?¡± ¡°Please, I have to workter. Will you stop messing around?¡± Hearing that, Bruce instantly softened his tone. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been hurt pretty badly too, so why don¡¯t you take a day off? Anyway, work never ends. There¡¯s no need to work so hard.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart clenched even more. She wouldn¡¯t have had to work so hard if he hadn¡¯t pressured her into signing the agreement. ording to the agreement, in three years¡® time, if she did not fulfill her promise to thepany, she would lose everything. And he was the one who had cornered her into signing it. Yet, he was now standing there, saying nonsense to her. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s enough. Stop it with your pretense. You have to go now!¡± ¡°Joann, there¡¯s been a misunderstanding between us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any more of this! Please get out of there!¡± Joanna pushed Bruce, trying to force him to get out of the house. ¡°Joann, let me exin. There¡¯s truly been a misunderstanding between us! I¡¯m sorry for not knowing the truth until yesterday¡­ ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want to hear anything you have to say. If you don¡¯t go now, don¡¯t me me for being discourteous to you!¡± As the two of them tugged and pushed at each other, a sweet and crisp voice rang out from the room. ¡°Mommy! Who are you talking to? Has Davian and Irvine back?¡± Bruce froze and looked nkly at the room¡¯s door. ¡°Who¡¯s calling you?¡± With a look of panic on her face, Joanna shoved Bruce toward the front door. ¡°Just go! Don¡¯t stay in my house!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in the room?¡± Bruce ignored her and walked straight into the room. ¡°Bruce, stop right there! You¡¯re not going in there!¡± Joanna tried desperately to stop him. Unfortunately, she was not strong enough to do so. Even if he was injured, Bruce was still much stronger than her. Click! He opened the door. ¡°Lilia!¡± Seeing that she was unable to stop him, Joanna barged into the room first, afraid that Bruce would frighten her daughter. Once the door was opened, Bruce fixed his eyes on the little girl who was lying in bed. The little girl was very pale and looked frail. ¡°Is this¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯d better get out of here!¡± ¡°Mommy, who¡¯s that man?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him!¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Bruce was instantly stunned again as the blood rushed up to his head. He thought that Joanne only had two children, but now it turned out that she had a daughter as well. ¡°Mommy, he looks so strangel Was he hurt?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Lilia, be a good girl. I will exin it to youter, okay?¡± ¡°All right!¡± Turning over, Joanna gave Bruce¡¯s chest another push. ¡°Bruce, I beg you! Will you stop bothering me? I just want to live my life in peace now. Please, will you stop pestering me?¡± Bruce gathered his thoughts and said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, ¡°Joann, there¡¯s been a misunderstanding between us, and I¡¯m hoping that we can resolve it¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s been no misunderstanding. You don¡¯t need to exin anything. All we need is some distance, and then we¡¯ll be all right!¡± She had nearly died trying to crawl out of the pain that he had caused her, and she no longer wanted. anything more to do with him. ¡°Joann, I can exin!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. I just want you to go!¡± Ding Dong! The doorbell rang. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s Mr. Grimm!¡± Hearing that Jaydon had arrived, Joanna felt relieved. ¡°Go and get the door!¡± Talia opened the door, and Jaydon walked in, carrying several packages in his hands. Send Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°Joann, I¡¯ve brought you some breakfast and some daily necessities¡­¡± Before Jaydon could finish his words, he caught sight of Bruce. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± ¡°Jay, don¡¯t get me wrong! I don¡¯t know what was wrong with himst night. He came all the way here.¡± Hearing that, Bruce responded by tightening his grip around Joanna¡¯s shoulder while looking at Jaydon tauntingly. ¡°Joann and I are married. We don¡¯t need someone else to tell us what to do.¡± Joanna struggled a little. ¡°Bruce, we¡¯re divorced already!¡± ¡°We can still remarry, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You¡¯re nuts. Let go of me!¡± Jaydon couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s he doing here?¡± From the looks of the situation, he figured that Bruce had spent the night here. The idea was driving Jaydon up the wall. Bruce sneered, ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯ll exin it to youter! Bruce, you have to go! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll really call the police!¡± Bruce gulped and looked grimly at Joanna. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m going to ask you again. Who is the father of the child?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered, and she looked at Bruce with rage. ¡°I¡¯ve told you so many times. The child has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯m taking her for a paternity test!¡± ¡°Who are you to take my child away? I gave birth to her after we divorced. She has nothing to do with you!¡± Bruce wouldn¡¯t listen and turned around to take Lilia. He was determined to take the child for a paternity test that day. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He didn¡¯t believe Joanna would fall in love with another man so soon after she divorced him. ¡°Don¡¯t you touch my child, you lunatic!¡± ¡°Ah, Mommy!¡± Lilia cried, her small body trembling. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t get up or run away. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you touch my baby! You¡¯ll scare her like this!¡± When Jaydon saw what was going on, he was enraged. He pounced, punching Bruce. ¡°You bastard. Stop this! Haven¡¯t you harmed Joann enough? Will you only feel happy after you kill her?¡± Pow! Bruce was caught off guard as a punchnded on his face. Immediately, he staggered back a few steps. After steadying himself, he touched the blood on the corner of his lips. Chapter 48 Bam! Infuriated, Bruce threw a punch back at Jaydon. Boom! His punch was even harder and more ruthless than Jaydon¡¯s. It was as if he wanted to punch Jaydon to death. Boom! Bam! Pow! The two men started tussling, fighting their way from the room to the living room. The coffee table, the television, and other furniture were smashed to the ground. The entire living room was a mess. ¡°Stop it. Stop fighting!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Lilia cried with fright. Talia was also stunned. She rushed over to put her arms around Lilia. ¡°Jay, Bruce, stop fighting. Stop it now!¡± The two men had long wanted to fight each other, and they finally got the chance that day. Thud! Thud! Bruce was more aggressive and cruel in fighting, but he had lost a lot of blood the day before due to the car ident. Thus, he was a bit groggy and slow to react. They were both very tall. Bruce was 6 feet and 2 inches, while Jaydon was also over 6 feet tall as well. One of them had been learning boxing since childhood, and the other had been practicingbat since young. They refused to yield to each other, just like two fierce beasts! Presently, both of their faces and bodies were covered in bruises. As he was having a hard time fighting with Jaydon, Bruce went all out and picked up a wine bottle before aiming it at Jaydon¡¯s head. ¡°Stop fighting! Jay, watch out!¡± Joanna was terrified at the scene before her. She rushed over to shield Jaydon. Pow! The bottle hit Joanna on the arm. Luckily, it didn¡¯t hit her head. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna¡¯s arm broke then and there. She screamed in pain and slumped to the ground. ¡°Joann! Joann!¡± When Jaydon saw this, he stopped fighting. He quickly ran up to Joanna to check her arm. Excruciating pain shot up from her arm, making it hard for her to breathe. The next moment, her eyes closed, and she fainted from the pain. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m taking you to a hospital!¡± Seeing that, Bruce yelled, ¡°Let go of her! Joanna is my woman!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Lilia called out while crying. ¡°Stop wasting time. We have to get Joann to the hospital!¡± Bruce domineeringly pushed Jaydon out of the way and picked Joanna up. ¡°Joann, I really didn¡¯t mean it! Hang in there. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡± Since Joanna lost consciousness, it wasn¡¯t a good time for Jaydon to fight over her with Bruce. ¡°Talia, you take care of Lilia. I¡¯m going to the hospital to take care of Joann!¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Grimm¡­¡± With that said, Jaydon ran after Bruce and sprinted out the door. After the three were gone, Talia looked at the house that was in shambles. She was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t even cry. ¡°My goodness, they¡¯re so troublesome! They created such a big mess in the house. How am I going to clean this all up?¡± she grumbled. Meanwhile, Lilia continued to wail, ¡°Mommy! Where¡¯s Mommy?¡± ¡°Lilia, your mommy is fine. She¡¯ll be back in a while!¡± Talia quicklyforted Lilia. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Margaret arrived at the hospital early in the morning, only to discover that Bruce was missing. Anxiousness pulsed through her veins, causing her to almost lose consciousness. ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce? Haven¡¯t you found him yet?¡± ¡°Last night, Mr. Everett insisted on driving out of here. He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to follow him¡­¡± ¡°You bunch of losers. If something happens to Bruce, I¡¯ll bury all of you with him!¡± Margaret had a fit. Being in her 70s, she had a weak heart. Once she got mad, her heart would ache, and her brain would be deprived of oxygen. The assistant swiftly whipped out an oxygen tank and put the mask on Margaret¡¯s face. She only calmed down a little after inhaling a few mouthfuls of oxygen. ¡°Hurry up and find him. We have to find him!¡± Andy quickly reassured Margaret, ¡°Yes, yes. We¡¯re already looking. Kyle headed out with some people to look for Mr. Everettst night. I¡¯ll call him now to ask if he has found Mr. Everett!¡± Roxanne also hurried to the hospital at that moment after getting the message. ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce? Hasn¡¯t hee back yet?¡± ¡°Not yet!¡± ¡°Could he have gotten into an ident? Maybe we should report it to the police!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been 24 hours. We can¡¯t call the police. Besides, Mr. Everett may be deliberately preventing us from finding him!¡± ¡°Where in the world did he go? He didn¡¯t take his phone with him, and he didn¡¯t tell anybody anything. I¡¯m worried sick!¡± ¡°Grandma, calm down first. I¡¯m sure Bruce went out to take care of something. Maybe he¡¯ll be back Margaret¡¯s face darkened as she clutched her chest. ¡°How can I calm down? He¡¯s so heavily injured. Where could he have gone?¡± Just as she was talking, amotion erupted in the hospital lobby. ¡°Hurry up, doctor! Somebody¡¯s hurt!¡± Covered in blood, Bruce rushed into the hospital with unconscious Joanna in his arms. ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Bruce was distraught. He roared, ¡°Doctor,e on! Somebody¡¯s hurt!¡± Seeing that it was Bruce, a group of doctors and nurses ran over and moved Joanna onto a bed. Then, they pushed Joanna into the emergency room. Margaret was relieved to see her grandson back. ¡°Where did you go yesterday, Bruce? Oh my, why are you covered in blood?¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for questions, Grandina!¡± Worried about Joanna, Bruce tried to make his way into the emergency room. Seeing this, Roxanne immediately stood in his way and asked with a frustrated expression, ¡°Did you go looking for Joannast night, Bruce?¡± Margaret interrupted. ¡°Stop asking questions. He¡¯s bleeding all over! Doctor, hurry up and get over here!¡± Just then, Jaydon hurried over and questioned, ¡°Where¡¯s Joann?¡± Bruce scowled and didn¡¯t answer. Jaydon became impatient and grabbed Bruce¡¯s cor. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Where¡¯s Joann?¡± Joanna has been sent to the emergency room. Let go of Bruce!¡± Jaydon¡¯s white shirt was also covered in blood. However, he ignored it and threatened, ¡°If anything happens to Joann. I won¡¯t let you get away with it!¡± Bruce knew he was wrong. He could only sit on a stool outside the emergency room in dejection. Seeing that, Roxanne felt her heart grow cold. Judging from the situation, she could guess what Bruce had been up tost night. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s going on? How did you end up like this?¡± Margaret asked. ¡°Stop asking me, Grandma! My mind is in a mess right now.¡± Bruce held his head, looking despondent. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t ask you anymore. You¡¯re injured all over your body. Hurry up wounds treated.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°How could you just let them be? Go right now!¡± and have your Left with no choice, Bruce clenched his jaw and followed the doctor to get treated. Meanwhile, Jaydon gave a cold snort and sat down on a stool on the other end. Thirty minutester, the emergency room door was opened, and a doctor came out. ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s left arm is broken, and she¡¯s suffering from severe hypoglycemia. That¡¯s why she passed out! We¡¯re going to give her a ster cast now¡­¡± Hearing the noise, Bruce couldn¡¯t be bothered with his treatment and ran over. ¡°How¡¯s Joann? Is she okay?¡± As he spoke, he tried to barge into the emergency room. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from Joann from now on!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also warning you to leave Joanna alone!¡± The air between the two men turned hostile as they were ready to fight again. Several bodyguards quickly gathered around Jaydon and surrounded him. Jaydon usually didn¡¯t take bodyguards when he went out, so upon seeing the situation, he could only hold himself back and give up. Roxanne was upset. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s going on with you and Joanna?¡± Bruce took in a deep breath and looked at Roxanne calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s break up!¡± Chapter 49 Boom! His words struck Roxanne like lightning, and her heart dropped. Never had she thought that they would break up so suddenly. ¡°Bruce, what are you talking about? You¡¯re emotionally unstable right now¡­¡± ¡°I said, let¡¯s break up!¡± Roxanne bit her thin lip and burst into tears. ¡°Bruce, no. Didn¡¯t we just talk about getting married the other day?¡± Bruce frowned and said in a cold voice, ¡°I said, let¡¯s break up. Don¡¯t you know what the reason is?¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Instinctively, Roxanne took two steps backward. Then, she stepped forward again and gripped Bruce¡¯s arm. ¡°Bruce, even¡­ Even if Joanna was the one who saved you ten years ago, are you going to throw away the rtionship we¡¯ve had for years?¡± Bruce looked stern and replied drily, ¡°Our rtionship has been a mistake since the beginning.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! You can¡¯t say goodbye to me for such a trivial thing! I won¡¯t ept this. I won¡¯t!¡± Roxanne swung Bruce¡¯s arm desperately as she got all worked up. ¡°You do love me, Bruce! We are so in love. How can we break up so easily? I waited for you for six years, and now, you want to part with me?¡± Roxanne¡¯s tears streamed down her face, and her slim body was quivering nonstop. As the bodyguards backed away, Margaret sighed without saying anything. She had never liked Roxanne from the start. After all, thetter had a bourgeois mother. However, Margaret did not want to interfere too much in her grandson¡¯s rtionships, which was why she had always acted indifferent. Bruce also felt a bit bad. After all, he hurt Roxanne badly. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you with marypensation. Give me an amount.¡± He¡¯d agree to it as long as it was not too outrageous. Although they dated for six years, he never once touched her. At least he did not harm her or take advantage of her physically. ¡°No, I¡¯m not breaking up with you. I won¡¯t ept this. I disagree! Have I waited for you for six years only to be dumped in the end? I¡¯ll never agree to break up with you! If you leave me, I¡¯ll surely make you regret it.¡± Roxanne cried as she backed away. Then, she turned around and ran away. ¡°Roxanne!¡± Seeing her in such a state of agitation, Bruce was worried that she would do something stupid. Just as he was about to go after her, the door to the emergency room was opened. A nurse pushed out a bed with Joanna sitting on it. Seeing that, Bruce immediately approached Joanna. ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± ¡°We already splinted her arm. She has to rest properly. She might have to wear the splint for a whole month.¡± Bruce frowned at this and looked at Joanna¡¯s pale face. He felt his heartache. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Sadly, Joanna was still unconscious and wouldn¡¯t be able to hear his apology. ¡°Mr. Everett, please step aside first. We have to bring the patient to the ward.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Joanna was wheeled into the hospital room while Bruce stood by the doorway dejectedly. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry. I only learned that I¡¯ve been wrong all this time. I¡¯ve been so stupid. I¡¯ll slowly make it up to you for the harm I¡¯ve done to you!¡± As he watched Joanna through the ss on the door of the ward, Bruce made up his mind to pursue Joanna and make her ept him again. After the nurses were done settling Joanna down, Andy rushed over. ¡°Mr. Everett, bad news!¡± Bruce was startled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes cut her wrist to end herself!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce¡¯s worst fear was that Roxanne would do such a thing. Unexpectedly, she really did it. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°In a ward! I¡¯ve just taken her there.¡± Bruce rushed over to check after hearing that. After running out of the hospital, Roxanne slit her wrist on a whim. While it was impulsive, she also took into consideration the fact that she was at the hospital, a ce where she could conveniently be treated. She didn¡¯t want to die. She just wanted to pressure Bruce! In fact, she only nned to cut her skin slightly. To her surprise, Andy appeared at that time. Upon seeing her holding a knife to her wrist, Andy was terrorized and rushed forward to stop her. In a state of panic, she mishandled the knife and cut her artery, causing blood to spurt out. Now, things turned dangerous for real. Roxanne rushed into a ward while the doctors hurriedly prepared an operating room. ¡°The patient is losing too much blood. Go and get more sma!¡± ¡°Stop the bleeding first. Bring me the hemostat!¡± Bruce arrived at that moment. A nurse happened toe out of the operating room, so he asked. her, ¡°How¡¯s Roxy?¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s artery has been cut, and she is losing too much blood. She needs a blood transfusion!¡± With that, the nurse sprinted to the blood bank. A chill ran down Bruce¡¯s spine when he heard the nurse. He lowered his head and banged it against the wall in dismay. ¡°Roxy, how can you be so stupid¡­¡± Soon, Ingrid and Shaun rushed to the hospital after being told their daughter had shed her wrist. ck! ck! ck! Ingrid¡¯s heels clicked loudly against the floor as she ran. ¡°Roxy! Where¡¯s Roxy?¡± ¡°The doctors are saving her¡­¡± ¡°My goodness. Why did Roxy suddenly think of doing something like this? She was fine just earlier!¡± Bruce stayed silent as he kept his head lowered with a sorrowful expression. ¡°Did you reason?¡± do something to hurt Roxy, Bruce? Otherwise, why would she try to take her own life for no Bruce did not say anything. He didn¡¯t try to deny nor exin himself. Seeing his tacit agreement, Ingrid felt her heart jolt. When Roxanne came home the day before, she had asked Ingrid what she should do as it seemed like Bruce was going to break up with her. At that time, Ingrid thought her daughter was joking. Now, it seemed like Bruce really did ask to break up. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¡°What the hell is going on? Did you break up with Roxy?¡± Bruce let out a sigh of relief and made no reply. In an instant. Ingrid knew she had guessed correctly. She immediately started creating a scene, crying out, ¡°How can you do such a horrible thing to Roxy? If anything happens to her, I¡¯m going to hang myself at the doorstep of Everett Corporation! You¡¯re so heartless. You¡¯ve dated Roxy for six years and wasted six years of her youth! And now, you¡¯re leaving her like this. You¡¯re so merciless! I¡¯m not going to live anymore!¡± Hearing her, Shaun sighed deeply and, with a sad face, tried to persuade Ingrid, saying, ¡°We¡¯re at the hospital. Don¡¯t make a scene. Let¡¯s wait till Roxy¡¯s operation is over first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! If anything happens to Roxy, I¡¯m going to hang myself at the entrance of Everett Corporation! I¡¯m going to let everyone see that their boss is an emotionless, heartless man! Gosh, my dear Roxy! Please stay alive! If something happens to you, how will we be able to take it?¡± Ingrid thumped her chest and threw a fit, catching everyone¡¯s attention. Back then, she used a simr method and went all out to force Joanna¡¯s mother to leave. In the end, Shaun had no choice but to marry her as everyone was aware of what had happened. Now, she was doing the same thing again. Using this as an excuse, she was ready to make a big fuss. This time, it was to get her daughter into the Everett family. Her daughter was too shy to throw a tantrum. However, Ingrid was different. She had a lot of experience. With such amotion, she was sure the.Everett family would want to save its image. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. People in the hospital came over one after another to watch the drama. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It seems like Mr. Everett¡¯s fiancee tried to take her own life!¡± ¡°Huh? This is big news! Film them and post it on the Inte!¡± Just then, a doctor hurriedly came over to persuade Ingrid. ¡°Please be quiet. You¡¯re not allowed to be noisy at the hospital. Please calm down and stop causing a scene.¡± ¡°How can I calm down when my daughter is dying? My poor daughter. I can¡¯t believe she has met a heartless man. Everyone, please be the judge. Mr. Everett wasted six years of Roxy¡¯s youth, and now he¡¯s going to dump her! Are you going to bully us, ordinary people just because you¡¯re wealthy and influential? You have to give us an exnation today! What did Roxy do for you to throw her away like this?¡± Shaun¡¯s head throbbed as he listened to Ingrid. ¡°Gosh, what are you talking about? Stop talking!¡± Then, he turned to Bruce and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, give us an exnation! Speak. Don¡¯t stay silent!¡± Ingrid knew that families like Bruce¡¯s valued their reputation the most. Under normal circumstances, after she threw a tantrum in public like this, he would choose to avoid unnecessary trouble andply obediently to uphold his reputation. Margaret was also rmed by the chaos. She rushed over and said, ¡°Mrs. Haynes, please calm down! If you have anything to say, you can tell me about it!¡± When Ingrid saw Margaret, she started acting more unreasonably. Sobbing, sheined, ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Old Mrs. Everett. My daughter was so hurt that she tried to end her own life! You know that Roxy is a simple girl who tends to overthink. You can¡¯t treat us like this. This is all Mr. Everett¡¯s fault! You have to give us an exnation ande up with at proper solution today!¡± Margaret took a deep breath and coaxed, ¡°Don¡¯t be so worked up! If Bruce really did something wrong to Roxy, we¡¯ll make it up to her.¡± ¡°Well, Roxy¡¯s our spoiled little princess! She¡¯s not an easy woman you can chase away after giving her some money!¡± ¡°I know that. We can sit down and talk about these things. Don¡¯t be so agitated.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Mr. Everett, you must give Roxy an exnation today! Otherwise, I¡¯m not going to let this go so easily! I¡¯ll make the presse and show them what kind of bullies Everetts are!¡± Hearing that. Margaret couldn¡¯t help but frown. For a woman of her age, dignity and reputation mattered the most. Ingrid¡¯s outburst would have a big negative impact on Everett Corporation. ¡°They¡¯re still operating on Roxy now, so calm down first. We¡¯ll talk about this after they save her. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll give Roxy a proper exnation and make sure that she won¡¯t be wronged.¡± Since Margaret gave her promise, Ingrid quit it and stopped acting out. Then, she began to weep. ¡°Roxy, you¡¯ve got to wake up!¡± Bruce was sitting dejectedly beside the doorway of the operation room. He didn¡¯t care that he was at the hospital as he smoked cigarettes one after the other. He and Roxanne had been going out for six years. Now that he suddenly wanted to break up, it was understandable that she was devastated. As a matter of fact, he was the one who made a mistake. He couldn¡¯t me Roxanne for it. Meanwhile, Joanna woke up in her ward. Upon hearing that Roxanne was being resuscitated after shing her own wrist, Joanna was shocked. After all, Roxanne was her sister! Thus, she struggled to get out of the bed and went over to check what was going on. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How¡¯s Roxy?¡± Upon seeing Joanna, Ingrid strode forward in a fury and snapped at her, ¡°Joanna Haynes, it¡¯s all because of you! You have been hitting on Mr. Everett, shameless bitch! Are you satisfied now that Roxy tried to take her own life out of frustration?¡± Joanna was bewildered. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I don¡¯t know! You¡¯ve been flirting with Mr. Everett. If it weren¡¯t for you, Roxy wouldn¡¯t have tried to take her own life! If anything happens to Roxy, I¡¯m not going to let you get away with it!¡± Joanna ignored Ingrid and looked at Bruce. ¡°Get up. I don¡¯t want to waste too much time on you. What¡¯s going on?¡± she demanded. When Ingrid saw how Joanna still dared to talk to Bruce, she was even more incensed. ¡°How dare you talk to Bruce? You are so shameless! If you dare to do it, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid to admit it!¡± As Ingrid scolded, she turned her attention to Shaun and vented her anger on him. ¡°Look at your wonderful daughter. Six years ago, she ruined Roxy¡¯s marriage and took Roxy¡¯s ce. Now, she¡¯s jumping out to wreck Roxy¡¯s life again. She¡¯s a devil! If it weren¡¯t for her, why would Mr. Everett want to break up with Roxy?¡± Shaun was pissed, too. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t fond of Joanna, so he was even disgruntled at her now that such a thing had happened. ¡°Joann, why can¡¯t you just stay away from Bruce? Six years ago, you created a big mess in the family. Now, you¡¯re doing it again! Why did we have to have a daughter like you? There are so many men in Greyport. Why do you have to go after your sister¡¯s boyfriend?¡± The color drained from Joanna¡¯s already pale face at that moment. All she could feel was the blood rushing to the top of her head. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 She could overlook it when others did not believe her and reprimanded her. However, even his own father did not believe her. Growing up, she worked hard and tried to excel in every way to get her father¡¯s approval and However, no matter how hard she tried, her father had always been cold and indifferent to her. He never praised her, nor did he ever give her fatherly love. But now, she had finally epted the fact. She had decided that she no longer wanted to try to please anyone or expect anyone to nourish her with love. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not hooking up with Bruce Everett! I had no idea they¡¯d split up!¡± Joanna was pissed too. Bruce had made her life difficult for the past two days. Now, she got a broken arm because of him. Instead of criticizing him, everyone was putting the me on Joanna. Ingrid scoffed andshed out, ¡°Hmph! You didn¡¯t know? Why would you be here if you didn¡¯t know? If you didn¡¯t seduce Mr. Everett, why would he go see you in the middle of the night? If it weren¡¯t for you, This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. why would he dump Roxy? Before you came back to Greyport, they were already at the stage of preparing for marriage. Since you came back, you kept hitting on Mr. Everett and caused conflicts between them. You¡¯re so shameless! Are there no other men in the world? How could you rob your sister¡¯s man?¡± Shaun frowned. His face was stern and cold. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ll say this onest time. Don¡¯t do anything disgraceful and immoral anymore. You¡¯ve already stolen the inheritance and be the chairman. of the board. The least you could do is not steal your sister¡¯s man! If you ever mistreat your sister again, I¡¯ll disown you!¡± Bang! Joanna staggered precariously as if someone had shot her in the heart. She felt like her heart had broken into a million pieces. Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly. ¡°Dad, for thest time, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to find excuses. It¡¯s embarrassing for me to have a daughter like you. You should reflect on your behavior.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. There¡¯s no use trying to reason with her.¡± Ingrid was getting increasingly agitated as she chided Joanna, pushing and shoving her menacingly. ¡°You better get lost. You disgust us.¡± Joanna, who had a splint on her arm and several cuts on her body, was immensely weak at that point. Ingrid¡¯s push made her wobble, and she staggered backward. Just then, Jaydon happened to be back from shopping. Seeing what was happening, he rushed over and caught Joanna in his arms. She was so thin that she felt weightless in his embrace. Jaydon hugged her distressedly and felt more empathetic about what happened to her in the Haynes. family. ¡°Joann, are you okay?¡± ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Grimm. You should control your girlfriend. Tell her not to go around hitting on another person¡¯s boyfriend, lest you be cuckolded and kept in the dark about it.¡± Jaydon¡¯s face darkened in an instant. He retorted, ¡°Watch your mouth! When your daughter wakes up, you should ask her what she¡¯s been up to!¡± ¡°My daughter is graceful and delicate. A promiscuous woman shouldn¡¯t bepared to her!¡± ¡°You have no idea what your daughter has done, do you? Shall I show you?¡± Joanna immediately tightened Jaydon¡¯s hand. Her pale little face had a note of supplication. ¡°Jay, that¡¯s enough talking. Let¡¯s go.¡± Roxanne had attempted to harm herself. If the matter of her cheating with a guy friend was brought to light, it could kill her. Joanna was not a saint, but she did not want to see Roxanne die. Jaydon frowned in anger. ¡°Joann, there is no need to be considerate to such unreasonable people!¡± ¡°Jay, let¡¯s just leave.¡± As Joanna said that, she started to cough and felt a sense of dizziness, and her legs wobbled. When Jaydon saw this, he stopped the debate instantly. ¡°Joann, calm down. We¡¯ll go now. I won¡¯t argue with lowly people like them.¡± He looked at Bruce. ¡°Bruce Everett, if you call yourself a man, you ought to leave Joann alone! You¡¯ve already caused Joann so much trouble. Please be kind and leave her alone.¡± With that, Jaydon put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder and carefully carried her back to her ward. Bruce sat in the doorway of the ward like a stone statue. His mind was a mess, and he was extremely confused. Crack! At that moment, the door of the ward was opened, and a doctor came out. Ingrid and Shaun rushed over to greet him and asked, ¡°Doctor, how is Roxy?¡± Bruce also stood up subconsciously. ¡°We¡¯ve finished the operation on the patient, but she¡¯s still in a critical condition. She needs to stay in the ICU to be kept under monitoring.¡± ¡°Doctor, you¡¯ve got to bring Roxy back! She¡¯s our only daughter. We can¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, we¡¯ll do our best.¡± ¡°Can we go in to see her?¡± ¡°Not for now. If you want to see her, you can see her through the monitor.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Through theputer monitor, Roxanne was seen wearing an oxygen mask and looking as pale as a sheet. She was receiving IV drip through tubes and needles jabbed into her body. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°Roxy! You must wake up! What am I supposed to do if you don¡¯t wake up?¡± Ingrid said and cried out loudly. Shaun raised his eyebrows and patted Bruce on the shoulder. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve been with Roxy for six years now! You have aplicated rtionship with both of my daughters, so you should think about how to resolve it. You¡¯ve hurt Roxy before, and she can¡¯t take being hurt again.¡± Bruce frowned when he heard that. Ingrid whimpered, ¡°Bruce, you must be responsible for Roxy! She¡¯s a nice and innocent girl. She¡¯s different from other women. She already has a rtionship with you. You can¡¯t hurt her like that!¡± Bruce drew in a breath. He wanted to say that he hadn¡¯t done it with Roxanne, but he swallowed it back. It was pointless to talk about it anymore. After all, they had been dating for six years. Nobody else would believe him if he said he hadn¡¯t had sexual intercourse with her. In fact, he hadn¡¯t even touched her. When he was in need, he spent money on other women. When they were done and he had paid, they would go their separate ways. Through theputer screen, Bruce looked sadly at Roxanne. He was frightened today. Her life could have ended because of him. He wasn¡¯t the type of person who wouldn¡¯t take responsibility. Even if something like this happened, he wouldn¡¯t try to avoid taking responsibility. He and Joanna were, after all, star¨Ccrossed lovers. He had already hurt Joanna badly, and he couldn¡¯t hurt Roxanne again. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, Mr. Haynes, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll marry Roxy as soon as she wakes up!¡± Ingrid was crying. After she heard that, she felt relieved. ¡°You must mean what you say. No more excuses to put this off.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll propose to Roxy when she wakes up.¡± After hearing that, Ingrid and Shaun were relieved. However, they were still worried about their daughter. They were worried that she would never wake up. In the ward, Jaydon carefully helped Joanna lie down and tucked her in. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re always so soft¨Chearted. You¡¯d rather be wrong than tell the truth.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Jay. After all, Roxanne is my sister, and I can¡¯t watch her die!¡± Jaydon frowned and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s all Bruce¡¯s fault! That asshole!¡± Joanna was a little absent¨Cminded, and her voice was hoarse. ¡°Jay, that¡¯s enough. Please help me with the discharge procedure. I want to get discharged.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re so hurt! You have to stay at the hospital for a few more days!¡± ¡°No! Lilia¡¯s still at home. I¡¯m worried!¡± ¡°Talia is looking after Lilia. When I get back, I¡¯ll check up on her. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Joanna shook her head stubbornly. ¡°There¡¯s no difference between me at the hospital and at home, and I don¡¯t want to see Ingrid again!¡± Joann¡­¡± As they were talking, someone pushed open the door. Bruce came in with a grim look on his face. In a rage, Jaydon stood up. ¡°What brings you back here?¡± Bruce calmly looked at Jaydon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just want to say a few words to Joanna.¡± ¡°She has nothing to say to you!¡± ¡°Could you please step outside for a moment? I¡¯ll only be here for a minute.¡± ¡°No way! Don¡¯t even think of bothering Joann again!¡± ¡°This is thest time. I promise! I just want to apologize.¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Jay, please go out first.¡± Jaydon red at Bruce. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t ever hurt Joann again!¡± With that, he stormed out of the ward. Joanna looked coldly at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, what do you want to say?¡± Bruce¡¯s face was gloomy, and he pondered for a short while. He slightly bowed to Joanna, and he said solemnly, ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Joanna was surprised and speechless. She never thought that Bruce would apologize to her. In an instant, a lot of the anger in her heart went away. Joanna¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she looked at Bruce with sadness in her eyes. ¡°Have a good life with Roxanne. Keep me out of your affairs. I just want to have a peaceful life¡­¡± With a hint of hostility in his eyes, Bruce interrupted her and said, ¡°Joanna, 1 just want to ask you one ¡°Bruce, I have answered you many times! The child has nothing to do with you and will have no effect on you whatsoever!¡± After Bruce heard that, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then, he took a ck bank card out of his pocket and pushed it into Joanna¡¯s hand. Joanna was taken aback. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s 75 million dors as alimony and to make up for what happened. The password is your birthday.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression changed abruptly, and she pushed the card back. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Take this away¡­¡± Bruce stared at Joanna with sharp eyes and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°No, keep it! I¡¯ll be even more upset if you don¡¯t ept it. You needn¡¯t feel uneasy. Neither you nor I owe each other anything. Don¡¯t I won¡¯t interfere with your life.¡± worry. Bruce grabbed her hand and forced the card into her palm. ¡°Take the money and think of it as medical bills. It¡¯s my way of making it up to you. Take the money and go find a better house. If you don¡¯t have enough money, just tell me!¡± He couldn¡¯t think of any way other than money to make it up to her. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Roxanne had tried to end her life, and he was determined to marry her. As for Joanna, he was just trying to make up for what he had done. ¡°Bruce, I really don¡¯t need it.¡± After Bruce gave Joanna the card, he turned around to exit the ward. As Bruce got close to the door of the ward, he stopped and said, ¡°Joanna, Jaydon is a yboy! He¡¯s not right for you, so stop loving him so much.¡± After that, Bruce opened the ward¡¯s door and walked out. It would be more than appropriate to put an end to their rtionship. Joanna looked at the card in her hands. Her nose grew sour. She felt like crying, but she couldn¡¯t shed a tear. ¡°Forget it. Since he insisted, I¡¯ll just keep it!¡± she thought. After Bruce left, Jaydon returned and noticed Joanna was dazed. He hurriedly went to her bed and hugged her. ¡°Joann, what did he say to you? He didn¡¯t hurt you, did he?¡± Joanna shook her head dully. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s just¡­¡± At that, she paused. She thought, ¡°There are some things that I probably shouldn¡¯t tell him.¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¡°Have youpleted the discharge procedure?¡± Jaydon frowned and said in concern. ¡°I haven¡¯t done it yet. You¡¯re hurt so badly. I still think you should stay in the hospital for a few more days.¡± Joanna persisted and got out of bed. ¡°No, I can¡¯t stay in the hospital! Lilia will be scared if she doesn¡¯t see mel¡± ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll fill out the paperwork for your discharge.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After half an hour. Jaydonpleted the discharge procedure. Joanna had also changed her clothing. It was just that having a splint on her hand was a little inconvenient. Jaydon carried all the medicine and sundries. Just as they opened the ward¡¯s door, Shaun suddenly appeared at the entrance. Joanna was surprised when she saw Shaun. ¡°Dad¡­ ¡°Joann, what are you doing?¡± He didn¡¯t know how badly Joanna was hurt until that moment. He was so angry that he didn¡¯t notice that Joanna¡¯s arm was broken. Maybe she didn¡¯t get enough fatherly love as a child. However, Shaun¡¯s simple greeting warmed her heart. She thought Shaun had speciallye to see her. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m all right. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Shaun replied indifferently. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Dad, what are you trying to say? Just tell me.¡± ¡°Well, Mr. Everett has just appeared in front of us and promised to marry Roxy when she gets well.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said, ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Shaun straightened his face and said seriously, ¡°Joann, I don¡¯t want you to have anything to do with Mr. Everett anymore!¡± Joanna was dumbfounded when she heard that. She thought he came to check on her condition. In the end, she was just too naive. Shaun only thought about his two sons and Roxanne. How could he possibly care about her? He was not there to care about her but to warn her! ¡°I know that this will put you in a difficult situation. Nheless, you saw what happened to Roxy! Keep away from Mr. Everett, and don¡¯t hurt Roxy again. She is too fragile and innocent, and she doesn¡¯t know how to protect herself! You¡¯re her elder sister. You must give in to her¡­¡± Before Shaun could finish his words, Jaydon interrupted him and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Haynes, you worry too much! Bruce was the one who was always bothering Joann, not her. Also, your daughter is. not innocent at all!¡± Shaun didn¡¯t listen to him at all and continued, ¡°Anyway, it will be better if you and Mr. Everett stay apart! Look at Mr. Grimm. He¡¯s also a very talented young man. You¡¯ve found a wonderful man, so don¡¯t think about your sister¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°Dad, you think too much. I never kept Bruce in my mind! By the way, I won¡¯t ever take the initiative. to go near him! You don¡¯t have toe all the way here to warn me!¡± After saying that, she rushed forward. ¡°Joann, hold on for a minute. I still have something to tell you!¡± Joanna paused subconsciously when she heard that. ¡°Well, you have to remember to calcte thepany¡¯s dividend for the quarter. Also, your two brothers and Roxy are all senior employees. Even if they aren¡¯t working for thepany, you still have to pay them.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Joanna could not help but sneer. Herst hope that her father would love her was shattered. She turned around and smirked at Shaun. ¡°Dad, you think way too much. Employees can¡¯t get paid if they aren¡¯t working for thepany. But, don¡¯t worry. Haynes Group will definitely pay you a ten percent dividend, and I¡¯ll transfer all of it to your bank card.¡± ¡°Joann, Rick, Ry, and Roxy are your brothers and sisters. Why can¡¯t you just turn a blind eye?¡± ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think they really need this sry. Grandpa has enough assets to pay for all of your daily forall expenses. In his will, he also said I would get some of his money, property, and other assets. However, I didn¡¯t get a single thing. Shouldn¡¯t you give those to me?¡± ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s too long ago! That no longer counts!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± She was in so much pain that it felt like a knife was gouging her heart, and she didn¡¯t want to see her father for one more second. She left Shaun there and left the scene. While driving, Jaydon couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Your dad is so weird and biased!¡± Joanna let out a long sigh, and she couldn¡¯t stop her tears froming out. Except for her three children, she had no other family. Jaydon gave her some tissues and felt bad when he looked at her. Although they didn¡¯t share the same affliction, he could understand her feelings. The Grimm family was aplicated family. Even though he was Sebastian¡¯s second son and the son he loved the most, Sebastian married three Women. He had four younger brothers and five younger sisters. None of them was born to the same woman. Hence, he had no ns to stay in Venturas and take over the family business after he graduated. Instead, he moved to Greyport and worked alone. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 After returning home, Joanna realized that the house had already been tidied up. It turned out that Jaydon had sent someone to do so. ¡°Joann, I think it¡¯s better that you move! I still have a mansion in ck Hollow Bay. It¡¯s vacant, so you can just move in!¡± ¡°No, thanks! I¡¯ve troubled you enough already. I shouldn¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± ¡°How would that be troubling me? The house is empty anyway. It¡¯s perfect for you!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too far for me and my workce!¡± Jaydon sighed and stopped insisting. Eventually, he gave in and said, ¡°Okay. Just let me know if you need anything!¡± ¡°Thank you, Jay!¡± ¡°There you go again. How many times do I have to tell you that you don¡¯t have to thank me?¡± Joanna¡¯s expression and feelings became more conflicted when she heard his remark. ¡°Jaydon treats me too well. I just wish I knew how to repay him,¡± she thought. As she arrived home, Joanna keyed in the passcode and opened the door. Talia¡¯s eyes were red as she hurried to the door. ¡°Miss Haynes, you are back!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Lilia?¡± ¡°Lilia has a fever. I was just about to call you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she rushed to Lilia¡¯s room and did not even bother changing out of her clothes. Lilia suffered from thssemia and a heart condition, so it was vital that she maintained robust health. A cold could be deadly for her. In the room, Liliay limp on the bed. Her cheeks flushed red due to the fever. ¡°Lilia, Mommy is back!¡± Feeling heartbroken, Joanna reached out her hand and ced it on Lilia¡¯s forehead. ¡°It¡¯s burning hot! Her temperature must be at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit!¡± she thought. Lilia opened her eyes. Like a butterfly¡¯s wings, her eyshes slowly pped open. Her voice was weak and tender as she called, ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy¡¯s back! Are you not feeling well, Lilia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, and I miss you, Mommy. I miss Davian and Irvin too. When are theying back?¡± Joanna gently stroked Lilia¡¯s hair as she answered, ¡°Next week. I¡¯ll go and pick them up then. We¡¯ll all ¡°Yeah, okay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s heart ached when he witnessed the scene. ¡°Hurry up and take Lilia to the hospital!¡± he said. Lilia trembled at the mere mention of going to the hospital. Every time she was in a hospital, it was like a walk through hell to her. The ice-cold scalpels and needles left her with a huge trauma. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital! I¡¯m afraid of needles. I can take pills, no matter how bitter they are. Mommy, please don¡¯t send me to the hospital¡± Lilia started to cry as she spoke. After she heard this, Joanna¡¯s nose turned sour as tears flowed down her cheeks. ¡°There, there. Let¡¯s not go to the hospital then. I won¡¯t take you to the hospital. Let¡¯s eat some medicine to control the fever.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not scared of taking medicine, Lilia said. Joanna kept her head down so that Lilia would not see her cry. ¡°She needs to go to the hospital once every three months for a blood transfusion. She¡¯s only three years old, but she¡¯s already had seven major operations. So far, except for her face, Lilia is covered in This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. post-op needle holes and scars. I¡¯d give my life up just so that she could recover,¡± Joanna thought. In the hospital, the ICU door opened, and the nurse wheeled Roxanne out. Ingrid and Shaun immediately approached the doctor and asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s Roxy?¡± ¡°The patient has woken up. Don¡¯t worry. Her life is out of danger! She can be transferred to the VIP ward now.¡± ¡°Oh, Roxy! Thank goodness! You silly child, you scared Mom and Dad to death!¡± Eventually, Roxanne was moved into the ward. ¡°Roxy, how could you be so stu pid?¡± ¡°You silly girl, what would Mom and Dad do if something had happened to you?¡± ¡°Mom, Dad¡­¡± Roxanne muttered weakly. She did not expect things to turn out this way. Originally, she was just trying to graze her skin so that she could give Bruce a scar. However, she did not expect herself to identally use too much force and cut her arteries. Ingrid sighed. Her expression was filled with both worry and relief. ¡°It¡¯s still a blessing in disguise. Mr. Everett has agreed to marry you!¡± Roxanne froze as she looked at Ingrid in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s true. He¡¯s made a promise in front of Dad and me! You¡¯ll marry him once you¡¯ve recovered.¡± ¡°Tsk, you silly girl. Why did you even do it? Don¡¯t you know how dangerous that is?¡± Just then, Bruce entered the ward with a big bouquet of flowers. Ingrid chuckled and said, ¡°Bruce is here!¡± Roxanne looked weakly at Bruce and called, ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce sighed in relief as he walked slowly to the hospital bed and ced the flowers on it. He then pulled a pink diamond ring the size of a dove¡¯s egg from his pocket and said, ¡°Roxy, will you marry me?¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Tears flowed from the corner of Roxanne¡¯s eye, and her heart was filled with excitement. Ingrid and Shaun were overjoyed when they saw this. When Ingrid noticed the ring, she could not help but feel as if she wanted to sn atch it. ¡°Roxy, why are you still in a daze?¡± Bruce took her hand and put the ring on her ring finger. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± he asked again. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t you ever do such a foolish thing again!¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¡°We¡¯ll get married as soon as you¡¯ve recovered,¡± Bruce said softly as he gently stroked the hair on Roxanne¡¯s checks. ¡°Okay¡± Roxanne could not stop crying. ¡°I almost died, but it was worth it!¡± she thought. ¡°Dad and I will head out first. You guys go ahead and have a nice talk.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As she exited the ward, Ingrid broke out into a smile that creased her face. ¡°Oh, thank goodness. Mr. Everett is finally marrying Roxy!¡± ¡°As soon as they get married, I¡¯ll make sure I rub it in Mrs. Paul, Mrs. Roger, and the other¡¯s faces!¡± Shaun could not help but frown. ¡°Look at you! Roxy almost died. How could you still be in the mood to show off?¡± ¡°Well, the process was frightening, but we got a happy ending. I did not expect her to have some of my old tricks up her sleeve. She sure pulled a cruel trick!¡± Hearing this, Shaun sighed and shook his head. After they found out about Roxanne, Derick and Ryan rushed to the hospital. ¡°Mom, Dad, how¡¯s Roxanne?¡± The duo was prepared to push the door and enter the ward as they spoke. Ingrid quickly stopped them and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go in there. Roxanne is inside having a talk with Mr. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Everett! Don¡¯t go in and disturb them!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°I have great news for you. Roxanne is finally getting married!¡± Derick looked surprised. ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course!¡± Derick pped his thigh in excitement and eximed, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Mom and Dad, I want a sports car!¡± Ingrid felt very angry when she heard this. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just buy your Porschest year? Why do you want to buy another car?¡± ¡°Then, what about the bags you boughtst year? Didn¡¯t you buy more bags again this year?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different! Do you know how much a bag costs? Now think about how much your car costs!¡± ¡°Gosh, Roxanne is already getting married to Mr. Everett. It¡¯s only hundreds of thousands of dors! All my ssmates have changed their cars to sports cars. I have my eyes on a Ferarri, so please just buy it for me,¡± Derick begged as he shook Ingrid¡¯s arm. Ingrid pursed her lips and asked, ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°It was not expensive. It¡¯s just a little more than 750 thousand dors.¡± ¡°More than 750 thousand dors? You¡¯re truly the ck sheep of the family!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t buy it for me, I¡¯ll go and ask Bruce for it! Since he has so many extravagant cars, I¡¯ll just ask him to give me one.¡± Ingrid grabbed Derick and scolded angrily, ¡°Stop right there, you brat. Don¡¯t you dare embarrass us! Mr. Everett has just proposed to your sister, so please don¡¯t go to him and make demands. We¡¯re better than this. I¡¯ll buy it for you when Roxanne gets married.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom. I¡¯m off then!¡± Ryan cheekily gave Ingrid a kiss on her cheek and turned to leave. I¡¯m leaving too, then!¡± With that. Ryan left together with Derick. After they both had left, Ingrid let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, her expression darkened. ¡°Joanna, the little b itch. Did she deduct Rick and Ry¡¯s pay? No money has been sent for two months!¡± Shaun said dejectedly. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention her. She really is a pain. Not only did she cut off Rick and Ry¡¯s payroll, but she¡¯s also stopped paying me too!¡± Ingrid was even more indignant when she heard this. ¡°I told you to just hold a press conference and announce that you¡¯re going to sever ties with her. We¡¯ll see how she¡¯ll be able to stay confident.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be worse to sever ties with her now? She¡¯s running Haynes Group, so she can ask for quarterly dividends¡± ¡°This is so irritating. We can¡¯t just let her have her way. We must do something to stop her after Roxy marries Mr. Everett.¡± After Ingrid and Shaun exited the ward, Bruce suddenly felt self-conscious. He tried to make conversation, so he asked, ¡°Roxy, does it hurt?¡± ¡°Well, a little!¡± ¡°Never do such a stu pid thing again!¡± ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Just focus on your recovery. When you¡¯re all better, we¡¯ll just get married.¡± ¡°All right!¡± With that, Bruce was suddenly at a loss for words. Looking at the bandages on Roxanne¡¯s wrists, his heart still felt heavy. ¡°You should rest. There¡¯s a meeting in thepany soon, so I¡¯ll have to leave first.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Bruce pecked Roxanne¡¯s forehead, got up, and left. Ingrid could not wait to enter the ward after Bruce left. She removed the diamond ring from Roxanne¡¯s hand and put it on her own finger. ¡°Quickly, let me take a look at it! Wow! It¡¯s got to be at least 20 carats! Gosh, a big diamond ring is just so beautiful. Look at how shiny it is!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Let me wear it for a couple of days just to feel good.¡± Bruce walked out of the hospital, distraught. Just as he exited the hospital, a tall and thin young man ran to the hospital in a hurry. The two brushed past each other, and the young man ran so fast that he bumped into Bruce. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! So sorry!¡± Bruce frowned and red at the young man. However, he could not be bothered by it since he was in a hurry. The young man ran to the nurses¡¯ station and asked anxiously, ¡°Which ward is Miss Roxanne Haynes in, please?¡± Gavin was worried sick when he heard what had happened to Roxanne. Disregarding the danger of being discovered, he rushed to the hospital just to visit her. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a friend of Ms. Haynes. I came specially to visit her because I heard she had an ident.¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes is in Ward S. ¡°All right. Thank you.¡± With that, Gavin went on a mad dash for Ward S. When he got to Ward 8, he saw Ingrid and her husband there, so he dared not intrude. After he lingered around outside for more than an hour, Ingrid and Shaun finally left the ward. Ingrid had gone to the restroom while Shaun had gone to get food for Roxanne and Ingrid. Gavin took advantage of this moment and slid into the ward. He had missed Roxanne to the core. Some time ago, Roxanne told him that she was getting married and would like to end their rtionship. That night, he was mad as hell to take Roxanne into his arms, objecting to her wishes. Gavin hadn¡¯t seen her for so many days. The second he heard that she had had an ident, he became a nervous wreck. ¡°Roxy! Roxy¡­¡± Gavin ran to the bedside. The moment Roxanne caught sight of Gavin, she broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Gavin rushed to the bed and hugged her. ¡°I heard something happened to you, so I came to see you.¡± Roxanne¡¯s face took a drastic change as she heard that. She snapped in a hurry, ¡°You have to go. Don¡¯t show up here. Go now before anyone sees you.¡± Seeing Roxanne all worked up, Gavin hastily exined, ¡°I only wanted to see you, Roxy. I have no other intentions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to see me. Just leave right now¡­¡± Roxanne got so emotional that she leaped up in a huff and hurled a pillow at Gavin. That would be logical, for Bruce had finally asked her to marry him. If he were to find out about her rtionship with Gavin, she would be so dead. ¡°Fine, fine. Calm down. I¡¯ll leave.¡± Gavin didn¡¯t dare to loiter around. With lightning speed, he left the ward. s, immediately after stepping out, he bumped into Ingrid. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in my daughter¡¯s ward?¡± ¡°Hello, Mrs. Haynes! I¡¯m Roxy¡¯s ssmate. I came to visit her.¡± Ingrid sized Gavin up from head to toe, only to see his ripped jeans and washed-out whitish T-shirt. In her opinion, he was obviously a poor loser. She couldn¡¯t help but pout and say haughtily, ¡°Do not disturb Roxy! If I catch you sneaking in to look for her again, I¡¯ll kick your a ss!¡± Gavin didn¡¯t dare to answer. With that, he quickly scurried off. Ingrid then walked into the ward, frowning. ¡°Roxy, who was that poor loser earlier?¡± Panicked, Roxanne was a litle flustered as she replied falteringly, ¡°Oh! Uh¡­ He¡¯s just a ssmate from university.¡± Ingrid¡¯s face fell as she listened to her daughter¡¯s response. Noticing her daughter¡¯s ufortable visage, she immediately thought of a potential crisis. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t me me for nagging, but now that you¡¯re getting married, don¡¯t keep in touch with these scu mbags. What if Mr. Everett finds out?¡± ¡°Got it. Mom.¡± ¡°That kind of poor loser is very hard to get rid of, so don¡¯t get entangled with them. Don¡¯t let these poor losers ruin your whole life. I¡¯ve been there before¡­¡± Halfway down the line, Ingrid abruptly stopped making a sound. She, too, was frustrated these few days. Two of her so-called cousins were retrenched and had been pestering her day by day. Every now and then, they would ask her for money. She was afraid of her scandals of making love with them would be exposed, so she could only swallow her anger and give them however much penny they asked. Inparison to her daughter, her acts were much more atrocious. Back then, Ingridid eyes on the two of them just because they were good-looking. With that, they oftenmitted adultery together. Every week, they would use the same excuse of ying poker just so they could get into bed with each other. Before this, nothing bad had happened. She had been drawing funds from Haynes Group to satiate those men while enjoying their scandalous services. Yet, ever since Joanna cut their coffers, Ingrid had to pay them with her own money instead. More importantly, those two were getting old, so they graduallycked the stamina to please her in bed. Therefore, she went to the beauty salon and met another younger, more handsome guy. Not only that, but he had asked for a lower fee from Ingrid. That was why she wished to ditch those two older men. However, the older men made an outrageous demand of 1.5 million dors each for their dismissal. Only then did she realize that not only were the poor losers poor, but they were also tainted by greed. on the inside. And so, Ingrid was worried that her daughter might follow in her footsteps. Meanwhile, Bruce exited the hospital. All of a sudden, he felt a stinging pang in his heart. He drove straight to Joanna¡¯s house. Even so, he didn¡¯t dare to go up, so he just stayed downstairs for a while. He felt a pri ck in his heart as he recalled the moment Joanna pulled him out of the water. He was supposed to be with Joanna. Yet, all these years, he had been trapped in a misunderstanding. Now that Roxanne had gotten into this mess, all Bruce could do was bite the bullet and marry Roxanne instead. In a sh, ten days passed. Joanna had recuperated well, and her arm had gotten a lot better, too. Under her leadership, the order was gradually restored in thepany. Without Bruce messing around, Haynes Group¡¯s shares stabilized once more. Back in the conference room of Haynes Group, there was a meeting. ¡°Good news! David, the CEO of CI Technologies Chanaea Division, ising to Greyport next month to discuss the coboration. Thepany has decided to organize a banquet to wee him.¡± Thepany¡¯s executives apuded at the news. ¡°We can finally sign the contract with CI Technologies! H o oray!¡± ¡°Well, hopefully, it will be a sess.¡± The rest chattered on. As the executives apuded one after another, James and Luca were ted as well as they listened to the announcement. ¡°We owe it to Miss Haynes. With her courage and boldness, we can finally see hope!¡± Joanna shed a grin. ¡°As long as we all work together, I¡¯m sure Haynes Group will make it big very soon. After the meeting, Jaydon brought Joanna to lunch. ¡°How I wish my arm would get better soon. If not, I won¡¯t be able to wear my gown to the banquet.¡± Jaydon suddenly knitted his brows. ¡°Is the CEO of CI Technologies that mixed-blood David?¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°Nope, but I¡¯ve heard of him.¡± Jaydon sliced the steak on his te as his brows knitted to a tight knot. In actuality, he had always been in the loop of the background information of those famous figures in the business industry, so he knew them, more or less. Serving the piece of meat into his own mouth, Jaydon went on, ¡°Hmm¡­ Do you need me to get you some public rtions officers to attend the banquet?¡± ¡°Huh? Public rtions officers?¡± Joanna was taken aback as she heard his words. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you get some beautifuldies to apany you, the contract signing will be smooth sailing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, right?¡± With a solemn expression, Jaydon put on a half-smile and said, ¡°Joann, you do know the unspoken. rules of the business, right?¡± Joanna also frowned when she heard his remark. Not only was David mixed-blood, but he was also famous for knowing the domestic market like the back of his hand and being a yer at the same time. To make matters worse, Joanne was a gorgeous single pringle. When she first worked at CI Technologies, David had been taking special care of her. Even though he imed to have made this trip to Greyport for the partnership with Haynes Group, he had always sent the vice president to sign any contract in his stead in the past. Now that he was going to make a personal appearance, he had to have some other ulterior motive up. his sleeve. ¡°Fine, then.¡± ¡°All right. There are several A-list models in mypany. All of them have voluptuous figures. Plus, they¡¯re all young and beautiful. It¡¯d certainly put up a good image for us to have them at the banquet.¡±. ¡°But Jay, is it really a good idea? I don¡¯t want you to force them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re always looking for extra ie. As long as they¡¯ll be paid, they couldn¡¯t be happier to ept the job.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll pay them ording to the market rate.¡± B Send Gift Comment Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Back at the hospital, Roxanne had been resting in her ward for over ten days. The wound on her wrist was more or less healed up. On that very day, it was ultimately time for her to be discharged. Shaun. Ingrid, and Bruce all arrived to pick her up. ¡°Oh, Bruce, now that Roxy has been discharged from the hospital, what is the i your marriage?¡± Bruce could barely manage a smile on his handsome face. ¡°We nned to go pick the wedding gown in a few days, but only after Roxy¡¯s body haspletely recovered. After that, we¡¯ll pick an auspicious date to get engaged.¡± Ingrid¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as she listened to his speech. ¡°An engagement? What¡¯s the point of getting engaged? Why can¡¯t they ski p all these and get their marriage certificate at once?¡± she wondered. Of course, she didn¡¯t have the temerity to tell them that. After all, if she were to press the matter, she would make her daughter look bad and cheap. ¡°Okay, then. You two call the shots. As your elders, we¡¯ll only offer our advice when needed. Let¡¯s hop in.¡± The driver opened the car door. Ingrid got into the car first, followed by Roxanne and Shaun. Bruce was thest to slide into the car. As the car headed for the Haynes residence, Bruce¡¯s heart became heavier and more entangled as he thought of his feelings toward Roxanne.. He suddenly discovered that he actually didn¡¯t have a thing for Roxanne at all. After all these years, he remembered never having a stir of rush whenever he faced her. Even so, he could only muster his courage and go with the flow. The first thing that came to Ingrid¡¯s mind the second she reached home was to make a phone call. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Roger! My dear Roxy is getting engaged. Well, who else would it be? Of course, it¡¯s Mr. Everett. He has even bought a pink diamond that¡¯s at least 20 carats and proposed to Roxy.¡± After a while, Ingrid dialed another number. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Paul! Roxy¡¯s getting engaged next month, so you have toe to witness the ceremony¡­¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t hold back her overflowing joy as she rang up those housewives of the upper echelons to brag about it. A few dayster, the news of Bruce getting engaged with Roxanne from Haynes Group spread like wildfire. All the Greyport socialites couldn¡¯t stop scoffing, ¡°Another engagement, huh? Didn¡¯t they already have one six years ago? What good hade out of it?¡± ¡°Hmph! Did you see how smug Ingrid has been? How could the Everett family take her daughter in? Who does she think she is?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is also really blind to have chosen Ingrid¡¯s daughter, of all women.¡± 10 18 ¡°I heard that it was her daughter who had cut her wrist and threatened Bruce into submitting to this marriage. The Everett family had to ept her daughter for fear of causing a fatality.¡± ¡°Hah! It¡¯s the same old tricks. It¡¯s just like what Ingrid had done when she forced herself into her man¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Like mother, like daughter. Ingrid¡¯s daughter must be a person with ill intentions as well.¡± Soon enough, Gavin also got wind of Roxanne¡¯s engagement. As soon as he heard the news, he fell into a state of total meltdown. He began to call Roxanne¡¯s number and sent her gazillions of text messages. Roxanne was so irritated that she had to answer his call and try to sever all ties with him. ¡°Hello, Roxy. You finally picked up my call¡­¡± ¡°Gavin, don¡¯t you ever call me again!¡± On the other end of the line came Gavin¡¯s bursting voice. ¡°Roxy, I know. I just want to see your onest time. I promise. This will be thest time. After that, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± face Roxanne gulped on that note. ¡°No, Gavin, we do not see each other anymore. There¡¯s no way I would let Bruce know about us.¡± ¡°But I miss you, Roxy! I really do!¡± On the other end of the line, Gavin muttered the same sentence over and over again. s, Roxanne relented and agreed to his pleas. ¡°Fine. See you at our usual meeting ce.¡± ¡°Great! You¡¯ve got toe, Roxy!¡± In the blink of an eye, Roxanne arrived at the sushi bar. Gavin was already waiting in the private room. ¡°I missed you like hell, Roxy!¡± When he caught sight of Roxanne¡¯s presence, he pounced on her and held her in his arms. Furrowing her brows, Roxanne jostled him. ¡°Gavin, we have to stop doing this, all right? I¡¯m getting N?velDrama.Org content. married. We ought to stop meeting up in the future.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± As Gavin replied, he was busy nting kisses all over Roxanne¡¯s cheeks! ¡°Let go of me! Stop right there!¡± Roxanne was struggling and shoving him away, but deep down, she was yearning for more. ¡°Roxy, I really missed you¡­ I missed you so much! Rest assured. I won¡¯t disturb your life, and I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± As he said that, Roxanne wriggled for a bit before her breath became light. ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡­ Stop¡­¡± ¡°Did you miss me, Roxy?¡± Gavin knew that she had always enjoyed the thrill, so he made sure to always give her a different experience. In truth, Roxanne couldn¡¯t suppress her desire anymore, for she had spent more than ten days in the hospital. She had wished to turn him down, but she caved in because Gavin genuinely had a knack for it. 10:18 ¡°Roxy, let¡¯s forget about your engagement, okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Sure¡­¡± Soon, Roxanne¡¯s heart melted into a puddle. Both of them had never stepped out of the room all afternoon. After the incident, the heat dissipated. Roxanne regained her sanity on the spot. She knew she had to stop allowing Gavin to badger herself like that. As they always said, if one yed with fire, the person was bound to get burned sooner orter. Once Bruce found out about this, even the Haynes family would be doomed. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°Gavin, I¡¯m really getting married. Let¡¯s not contact each other ever again. Here, there are 40 thousand dors on this card. Treat it as mypensation for you. Don¡¯te bothering me again.¡± Gavin took a puff on his cigarette and blew it toward Roxanne¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t want any money, Roxy. I only want you.¡± As Roxanne was getting dressed, she said peevishly, ¡°You already know it, Gavin. I¡¯m getting married. into the Everett family, and you simply can¡¯t give me the happiness I desire. If you really love me, don¡¯t stand in my way and take my happiness away from me.¡± Gavin leaped up and embraced her again. ¡°I¡¯ll never stand in your way, Roxy. I won¡¯t even stop you from marrying into the Everett family. I only hope that we can continue our rtionship. Even if you¡¯re married, you can always call me up¡­¡± ¡°No way! You¡¯ll only get me killed!¡± Roxanne spurned his wishes outright. ¡°But, Roxy¡­¡± Before anything else could happen, Roxanne had already finished tidying up herself and scurried out of the sushi bar. Unlike the Haynes family, the Everett family traveled everywhere with bodyguards. If she were to stay entangled with Gavin, Bruce would undoubtedly be informed one way or another. ¡°The happiness that I¡¯ve traded with my life mustn¡¯t be made a blunder by Gavin!¡± she yelled in her heart. Half a monthter, David finally arrived at Greyport, along with several senior members of CI Technologies. The engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne would also take ce early next month. At Everett Corporation, Andy reported to Bruce about work as usual. ¡°What? Joanna is throwing a banquet just to receive the CEO of CI Technologies?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that the CEO of CI Technologies Chanaea Division, David, wille to Greyport for an on-site inspection. Miss Haynes is going to hold a coc ktail party to wee him and his entourage. At the same time, they¡¯ve invited some elites in the industry as well. It looks like Miss Haynes is ready to give it her best shot and be a part of the Greyport businessmunity.¡± Upon hearing the story, Bruce put on a darkened visage. ¡°When¡¯s the event taking ce? Why am I not informed?¡± ¡°The message from Miss Haynes only came in yesterday. I¡¯ve just received the message, too.¡± ¡°Was I not invited?¡± When Andy heard that question, he looked at Bruce in astonishment. That would make sense, for Bruce had always loathed that sort of crowded event. On top of that, he had never wanted to attend any of those gatherings. Consequently, Joanna didn¡¯t send him an invitation either. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m still a shareholder of Haynes Group. How can they not invite me for that? Call Joanna and tell her I¡¯m attending.¡± *All right!¡± Andy was about to make the phone call when Bruce opened his mouth once more and said, ¡°No, wait¡­ Forget it.¡± In his mind, if he wanted to join the banquet, no one would have the nerve to stop him, be it with an invitation card or not. Moreover, the vast majority of the public had been longing for Bruce to show up at their events. Hence, he reckoned there was no need for him to request Joanna for an invitation because no one would be so foolish to shut the man of fortune out. And so, the banquet went off as nned at a mansion by the beach that Joanna had rented. In addition to weing David and his entourage, she had also invited celebrities from all walks of life, as well as the senior executives of Haynes Group. Needless to say, several female artists under Jaydon¡¯s wings also showed their support. Initially, Jaydon himself was going to be there, too. Sadly, his father suddenly fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. The butler rang Jaydon up and ushered him to rush back home. Having no choice, he made a beeline for Venturas. At the banquet, everyone was decked in their tuxedos and nightgowns. They toasted each other and clinked their sses as they exchanged pleasantries. Those stunning models were dressed in an ever-so-s exy manner, only to attract the eyeballs of many. Naturally, a bunch of men came up to hit on them. Despite that, they were all willing to show up at such asions, for not only would they broaden. their Most of the people who came to this kind of banquet were all wealthy elites. From the models¡¯ perspective, if they could h o ok up with a big shot, they could then. escape the struggles of life and rise to the top very easily. Soon after, David and his gang from hispany reached the venue. Immediately, both Cora and Luna weed them in. David was born mixed-blood, and he was 6 feet tall. His facial features were chiseled, and he was quite outspoken. ¡°Wee!¡± ¡°Hello! Nice to meet you all.¡± David was omniscient about Chanaca, so he knew about their domestic affairs inside and out. The second he made his entrance, he instantly garnered everyone¡¯s undivided attention. Celebrities from all walks of life came forward to get to know him. ¡°Wow! So, that¡¯s the CEO of CI Technologies Chanaea Division? He¡¯s a famous bachelor.¡± ¡°Goodness gracious! I never thought he¡¯d be so young and handsome!¡± ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s head over to say hello.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. A couple of gorgeous models and socialites also made their way over to David¡¯s side Very quickly, there was anothermotion at the entrance. A dozen bodyguards in suits and sunsses cut through the crowd to make way. Immediately afterward, a stiff-lookingvish man in a suit was seen striding in. His powerful aura gave off tension all over the ce at once. With that, pin-drop silence engulfed the atmosphere right away. ¡°Gosh! Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Is that Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Oh my Go d! I think it¡¯s Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Wow! Even Mr. Everett is here. Today must be my lucky day. I didn¡¯t expect to see him!¡± ¡°Indeed! Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t know Mr. Everett was so good-looking in person.¡± A few socialites couldn¡¯t help but feel starstruck. They seemed to be total nymp homaniacs. Bruce had never attended any parties like this, so even if they had been dying to get close to him. they had never gotten an opening before. And now, Bruce was right before their eyes. For an instant, all socialites had diverted their attention and were eager to snuggle up to Bruce. Someone piped up at that moment, ¡°Oh, forget it! Mr. Everett is already engaged, all right?¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¡°What¡¯s there to fear about being engaged? It¡¯smon for men to cheat!¡± ¡°Exactly. Engagement is not a big deal. Even if you¡¯re married, you can still get a divorce!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying that when there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and say hello to Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to. I¡¯m not that confident!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go if you don¡¯t!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go tool¡± As such, a few beauties, each grabbing a ss in their hands, walked toward Bruce in groups. When the other two saw that, they also hastened to carry ss and went over. Indeed, for someone with Bruce¡¯s status, plenty of women were willing to be his lover. After Bruce entered the venue, he did not say anything. He went straight to the corner and sat down. A few bodyguards immediately stood on the sides, forming a half-moon shape. ¡°Mr. Everett, hello. I am¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t drink. Thank you!¡± Two bodyguards immediately stopped the beauty. ¡°I just wanted to say hello to Mr. Everett!¡± The bodyguards kept silent and forcefully stopped the beauties from approaching. Several beauties left in dismay after failing to get close to Bruce. Bruce sat on the couch with a cold face and no words, looking like an honorable man. The brilliant lights shone on his face, making him look like a Gregan sculpture, looking extremely handsome. ¡°Mr. Everett, would you like a drink?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce was indeed fussy. He would not touch the wine and the food at this ce, not even the fruits. Usually, when he went out, he would only drink the pure water brought by his assistant, which cost over 150 dors per bottle. His falcon-like eyes started looking around in the crowd for Joanna. Sadly, there was no sign of her after he searched for a round. It was not yet time for the official start of the party. Thus, Joanna was still upstairs. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce hated this sort of asion. Even though he was sitting in the corner, he could feel the re It made him feel totally uneasy, and he wanted to go home. However, thinking of Joanna, he was suddenly reluctant to leave. As such, he patiently waited for another ten minutes. The party officially started. A room on the second floor swung open slowly. Joanna came out of it. The staircase in this mansion was Y-shaped, and both sides could go upstairs, forming a turning stair. Halfway in the middle, there was a tform for people to stand on and host the event. Joanna gracefully stepped down to the tform and waved to the crowd downstairs. She spoke into the microphone. ¡°Wee to the party, everybody. Let¡¯s have fun tonight!¡± p! p! p! Apuse sounded downstairs, and all eyes were on Joanna. ¡°Wow, Miss Haynes looks gorgeous today! She¡¯s the goddess of my dreams¡­¡± Tonight, Joanna was wearing a dark velvet backless gown. With her high skirt, her fine legs could be seen clearly. The back of the gown was empty and disyed the dazzling fair skin on her back perfectly. As her arms had notpletely recovered, she was wearing a pair of ckce arm casts. Her hair was tied in a bun, and an expensive diamond ne adorned her neck. Under the light, she looked extremely elegant and charming. ¡°Herees Miss Haynes! Herees Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Joan, long time no see!¡± David weed her passionately. She also smiled and shook David¡¯s hand, followed by a polite kiss on the cheek. ¡°Long time no see!¡± David¡¯s brown eyes kept gazing at Joanna closely. ¡°Joan, you¡¯re gorgeous tonight!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Let me introduce you to mypany¡­¡± ¡°Oh, can we not talk about work tonight?¡± David raised an eyebrow and smiled at Joanna. Joanna smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wee Miss Haynes and Mr. David to do the opening dance!¡± The guests pped again. David took a gentleman bow and made a gesture of invitation. Joanna smiled while reaching for David¡¯s hand. David kissed the back of Joanna¡¯s hand gently, and they smiled at each other. With the sound of a beautiful melody, the two of them started dancing. They performed a waltz in the middle of the dance floor. In the corner, Bruce watched the two of them dance amiably, and his face darkened instantly. As a matter of fact, it was the first time he had seen Joanna in something so revealing and se xy, not to mention her heavy makeup. Even though she was really beautiful, he did not want so many people to see her se xy side. ¡°Ahem!¡± Bruce frowned and coughed dryly, then loosened his tic. Immediately, he picked up a ss of wine on the wine table and emptied it. In fact, he never drank like that at a dinner party. However, he now only wanted to drink for the moment. He would drink anything in front of him. even whiskey. On the dance floor, Joanna and David finished dancing to a whole song. After bowing to the crowd, they walked out of the dance floor. The emcee took over the rest of the event. Joanna and David found a corner and sat down. ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± David and Joanna exchanged toast and started chatting enthusiastically. The other guests started inviting their partners into the dance floor. ¡°Another toast!¡± As the host, Joanna could not refuse it. After she had three drinks with David, her cheeks started to burn hot. ¡°Cora!¡± Joanna lowered her ss and winked at Cora, signaling her to arrange some beauties to entertain. David. ¡°David, I¡¯d like you to meet some beauties¡­¡± Instantly, Cora summoned some beautiful models. However, David was not too impressed with the models. He had only Joanna in his mind. ¡°Joan, it¡¯s been so long! I¡¯ve got so much to tell you! I¡¯m so d to see you today! Let¡¯s get wasted tonight!¡± David stared at Joanna with an ambiguous look. Joanna managed a reluctant smile. ¡°I can¡¯t drink anymore¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no. I know how much you can drink! Let¡¯s have another drink! I won¡¯t be happy if you don¡¯t drink!¡± Joanna had no choice but to have another round of drinks with David. However, she was really not good at drinking. After a dozen sses of red wine, she was getting drunk and started sweating. ¡°Joan, you¡¯re really gorgeous tonight!¡± David leaned in, thoughtfully wiping the sweat on her face. Joanna waspletely drunk as she started limping on the couch! ¡°Joan, let¡¯s have another drink. I¡¯m not satisfied yet¡­¡± Seeing that Joanna was drunk, David still offered the drink to Joanna. In the corner, Bruce¡¯s entire face darkened. He had been enduring it. After all, he was about to get engaged to Roxanne. Hence, he did not want to get involved in gossip. But now, he couldn¡¯t stand it any longer! Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°David, I really can¡¯t drink anymore¡­¡± ¡°Joann, are you drunk?¡± David¡¯s voice was a little ambiguous! David¡¯s body also got closer and closer to Joanna. He gently hugged Joanna¡¯s head and let Joanna¡¯s head rest on his shoulder! Joanna¡¯s mind was blurry, and she felt her entire body hot and weak. Everyone else was busy socializing. No one dared to go forward and ask! ¡°Joann¡­¡± David gently held Joanna¡¯s hand. But before David could do anything, someone lifted David up grabbing the back of his cor. David was shocked, and he subconsciously turned around to look. When David turned around, he was punched on the face with heavy force! ¡°Ah¡­¡± David groaned as his sses were knocked away! Blood instantly spurted out of his nose! Everyone was shocked and went forward to watch! David was also shocked. He looked at the terrifying man in front of him in horror! Joanna was also in a daze. She tried to stand up to stop the fight. Unfortunately, Joanna was very drunk. She could not even get up from the sofa. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Bruce was still furious. His eyes were bloodshot! Then, Bruce pulled David up from the sofa and punched David hard again! ¡°Why did you hit him?¡± The security guards stepped forward one after another! Bruce¡¯s bodyguards also came forward. When the security guards saw that it was Bruce, they were so frightened that they did not dare to stop him! David¡¯s people were also so frightened that they did not dare to move! In the next few minutes, Bruce repeatedly punched and kicked David! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bruce, stop!¡± Although Joanna was already drunk, she was still slightly conscious! Unfortunately, no one could stop the enraged Bruce! David was beaten up! He curled up on the sofa and tried his best to protect his head with his arms! ¡°Mr. Everett, that¡¯s enough. If you continue, he will die!¡± Andy saw that David could not take it anymore, and he quickly went forward to persuade Bruce! Bruce frowned and shook his aching hand. He finally stopped! Then, Bruce strode to the sofa. He took off his suit and covered the part of Joanna that was about to be exposed! Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Bruce bent down and carried Joanna h o ri zontally! Joanna was drunk. She muttered to Bruce, ¡°Let go of¡­¡± Bruce did not say a word. With a cold expression, he carried Joanna out of the vi!! Cora and Luna quickly went forward to check on David¡¯s injuries. ¡°David, are you alright?¡± ¡°Call an ambnce now!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± David¡¯s nose was broken, and his shirt was torn! It was really embarrassing for David to be beaten up like this in front of everyone! David shook off everyone and stood up angrily. ¡°Tell Joann that there will be no further coborations between CI Technologies and the Haynes Group!¡± With that, the group of people left angrily! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett beat up David. This is really bad. Our coboration with CI Technologies is probably going to faill¡± ¡°Why would Mr. Everett hit David for no reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think David kept pushing Miss Haynes to drink! Mr. Everett couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he beat David up.¡± ¡°Tsk! Looks like Mr. Everett still has feelings for his ex-wife!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Mr. Everett is now Miss Haynes¡¯s brother-inw! In any way, he would never want Miss Haynes to be bullied!¡± ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯te for nothing today! The gossip is too good¡­¡± The nice atmosphere of the banquet waspletely destroyed. Everyone was in dismay. Then, the guests left one after another. ¡°Bruce, let go of me. Where are you taking me?¡± Bruce stuffed Joanna into the car and got in. ¡°Go to Reagan No. 8 Residence!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett! The driver responded and started the car. In the car, Joanna felt extremely ufortable in her stomach. She wanted to vomit, but she couldn¡¯t! Joanna could only curl up on the chair. She was allergic to alcohol, and her face was very red. Her face was like a ripe tomato. Bruce did not say a word. His eyes were filled with fear! Soon, the car drove into the Reagan No. 8 Residence! This was Bruce and Joanna¡¯s wedding house from 4 years ago! Ever since the two of them divorced, Bruce had nevere back! Seeing that it was Bruce¡¯s car, the ser vants hurriedly came out to wee them! Everyone was shocked. It had been 4 years, and this was the first time Mr. Everett hade back ere! The ser vants even felt that they were the owners of the vi! With a sullen expression, Bruce carried Joanna and strode into the vi! Although Bruce usually did note here, there were still several ser vants in the vi! Therefore, the vi was very tidy! It was almost exactly the same as when Bruce left four years ago! Bruce carried Joanna and walked straight to the bathroom! Bruce ced Joanna in the bathtub! Then, Bruce turned on the showerhead and poured water all over Joanna! Chapter bl ¡°Uh, what are you doing?¡± Joanna, who was originally in a daze, was doused by water! She woke up a little and struggled to think in the bathtubs! However, Joanna¡¯s entire body was so weak that she could not get up at all! She could only struggle helplessly. Bruce was furious. He used the shower head to spray at her face! Bruce just couldn¡¯t stand the sight of Joanna wearing heavy makeup! He couldn¡¯t ept her in such revealing clothes! ¡°Are you crazy¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s makeup waspletely ruined by the water. Bruce rubbed her face with his hands and tried to wash it clean! ¡°Ugh. Let go of me!¡± Joanna almost felt like she was drowning as he started crying unconsciously! ¡°Joanna, look at yourself now. How dare you cry!¡± The gown on her body was torn off by Bruce! Bruce threw arge towel over and wrapped it around Joanna. Only then did he carry her out of the bathtub! ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re so cheap! ¡°When did you be an escort? Do you climb into men¡¯s beds to talk business? ¡°Since you want to sleep with other men, you might as well sleep with me!¡± Bruce threw Joanna onto the bed! ¡°Ah!¡± Even though the bed was very soft, Joanna was still dizzy from the fall! Bruce loosened his tie. The blood in his body was boiling! ¡°No¡­¡± Bruce pounced over like a wolf and pressed Joanna under his body as if he was hunting! ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Before Joanna could react, her breathing had already been blocked! Bruce¡¯s kiss was as aggressive as ever! ¡°Ugh, what are you doing? Let go¡­¡± Joanna struggled. Joanna¡¯s fear was instantly magnified! Before the two of them divorced, Bruce was as violent as a wolf every night. Bruce ravaged her ruthlessly and invaded her! In the past two years, every cell in Joanna¡¯s body had retained the fear and submission toward Bruce! Send Gift Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Joanna was terrified and fragile like a rabbit being hunted! Facing the ferocious beast¡¯s attack, the prey could only tremble. Bruce kissed Joanna¡¯s lips fiercely. Then, Bruce became ruthless¡­. ¡°Ah¡­ help me The pain instantly took over Joanna¡¯s entire body! Joanna had nowhere to run, and she was on the verge of copse. Joanna struggled with all her might, her long eyshes trembling violently. Warm tears rolled down her eyes and soaked the pillow! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, Bruce only became more agitated to see Joanna¡¯s weakness and struggle. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He hadpletely lost his mind! At this moment, Bruce waspletely lost in the urge to conquer and hunt! It had been 4 years. Bruce had been with many other women. But every time Bruce had sex with those women, he could not help but subconsciously fantasize about Joanna! Only imagining those women as Joanna could make Bruce turn on! At this moment, Bruce finally knew that his body had long fallen in love with Joanna¡¯s scent! ¡°Joanna, Joanna¡­ don¡¯t you love me very much? I¡¯ll give it to you!¡± On the day of the divorce, Joanna wanted Bruce to call her name and make love to her onest time! Bruce thought that Joanna could not leave him! However, Bruce did not expect Joanna to be such a proud woman deep down! Joanna left just like that without any hesitation. Now, Bruce kept calling Joanna¡¯s name, each time more intense than thest¡­ They did it for the entire night. At dawn, they gradually stopped. It was 7 in the morning. Out of her habit, Joanna woke up in a daze! ¡°Hiss, I¡¯m so dizzy!¡± Joanna felt her entire body hurt, and she had a terrible headache. Only when she moved slightly did Joanna realize that she was resting her head on a muscr arm! Joanna¡¯s mind exploded. It was as if she had fallen into a vortex. Joanna went into a daze. She turned around slightly and saw Bruce sleeping beside her! Joanna gradually regained her senses from the ckout. Last night, she had been vited by this bas t ard for the entire night! Bruce was sleeping soundly. He was too tired! He didn¡¯t even realize that Joanna had woken up. Joanna hit her head a few times in pain, not daring to wake Bruce up! Bruce was a very difficult man to deal with. If he saw that Joanna was awake, he would continue to pester her endlessly! Joanna stag gered off the bed, but her legs were so sore that she could not stand straight. Joanna fell back onto the bed! She did not know where her phone was. When she recalled the remaining memories fromst night, Joanna was even more worried! The coboration between the Haynes Group and CI Technologies was extremely important! It would be a devastating loss to the Haynes Group if the Haynes Group and CI Technologies ended. their cooperation now Joanna had to go talk to David now. Joanna had to, even if she had to sleep with David¡­. Joanna would grit her teeth and agree to David¡¯s requests if she could keep the coboration with CI Technologies. After resting for a few moments, Joanna got off the bed in pain! ¡°Where am I Joanna looked around for her clothes!. She suddenly looked up and saw the wedding photo hanging on the wall! That was her wedding photo with Bruce! In the photo, Bruce¡¯s expression was cold. He even looked like he was about to cry! Meanwhile, Joanna looked petty and humble! Unexpectedly, Bruce did not throw away the wedding photo! ¡°This is Reagan No. 8 Residence?¡± Joanna looked at the wedding photo on the wall in a daze. Her heart ached! This was their former wedding house! The decorations in the room were exactly the same as when she left! Joanna slowly opened the closet door. The clothes inside were the same as when she left! It was a heartbreaking scene! Joanna felt an inexplicable pain in her heart. Tears flow down her face! However, this was not the time to be sad! Joanna had to find David quickly. Joanna found a set of clothes and hurriedly put them on. There was no time to me Bruce. All Joanna wanted was to keep the coboration between the Haynes Group and CI Technologies and exin what happened yesterday to David. Joanna hurried downstairs! ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Everett!¡± The serv ant, Ms. Chain, greeted Joanna with a smile and brought at ss of milk over! Joanna was stunned! Joanna had already divorced Bruce. She was no longer Mrs. Everett! If people found out that Joanna was with Bruce again, Joanna would probably be harshly med again! This society was tolerant toward men! Especially rich men! If something like this happened, people would only me a woman for seducing a man! ¡°Ms. Chain, please let me use your phone!¡± Ms. Chain was stunned. ¡°Mrs. Everett, the phone is right there!¡± Joanna patted her head and quickly walked to thendline phone to call Cora! ¡°Hey, Cora.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Hurry up and pick me up at Reagan No. 8 Residence!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After hanging up, Joanna hurriedly walked out of the vi! Ms. Chain hurriedly followed behind her. ¡°Mrs. Everett, the milk!¡± Joanna nced at Ms. Chain with mixed feelings! Unexpectedly, Ms. Chain still remembered Joanna¡¯s habits! However, after Joanna divorced Bruce, she changed many of her habits. In the past, Joanna drank a ss of milk in the morning every day. But now, she took coffee instead. Joanna also added a lot of sugar and milk to her coffee. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¡°I¡¯m okay, thank you!¡± Joanna politely declined. Joanna endured the pain in her abdomen and entire body. She hurriedly left the vi! 20 minutester, Cora drove over to pick Joanna up. Joanna opened the car door and got into the front passenger seat. Then, Joanna asked anxiously, ¡°Cora, where¡¯s David?¡± ¡°Derick and David have already returned to Melta! Before they left, David was very angry before he left. He said that he wanted to terminate the coboration with the Haynes Group!¡± Joanna heard it, and she held her forehead. That bas ta rd Bruce really gave her a headachet ¡°Give me the phone!¡± ¡°Here you go!¡± Cora handed the phone to Joanna! Joanna hurriedly dialed the number. ¡°Beep, beep, beep!¡± The busy tone came from the other end of the line. It was obvious that David had turned off his phone! ¡°Miss Haynes, David is probably on the ne and can¡¯t answer the phone! Why don¡¯t you callter?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna sighed in frustration and leaned against the seat helplessly! ¡°Miss Haynes, should I send you to the office now? Or should I send you home?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to thepany!¡± Joanna was in no mood to go home after something so crucial had happened at thepany. For the entire morning, Joanna kept calling David! ¡°Hey, did you hear? Yesterday at the banquet, Mr. Everett took Miss Haynes away! Mr. Everett even had a fight over Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Where do you think Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett wentst night?¡± ¡°Shh, stop talking!¡± ¡°Hurry up and get to work! Something big is going to happen to the Haynes Group. Let¡¯s keep a low profile for the time being!¡± The employees of thepany whispered to each other. They were all worried about the future of the Haynes Group! After all, if they offended a big supplier like CI Technologies, the Haynes Group would be in a difficult position! At noon, Joann made a few more calls before David finally answered! ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°David, it¡¯s me! I¡¯m really sorry aboutst night¡­¡± ¡°Joann, there¡¯s no need to exin! I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this!¡± David was very unpleasant! ¡°I¡¯ve already returned to Melta. Maybe we should talk about the coboration some other time!¡± ¡°Hey, David. Listen to me! Tm really sorry aboutst night. I sincerely apologize to you! I hope you can give the Haynes Group another chance. Let¡¯s talk again! ¡°I was drunkst night. It was my mistake. I¡¯m really, really sorry!¡± Joanna kept apologizing to David. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone Finally, David¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Joann, if you still want to talk about the coboration,e to Melta and talk to me personally!¡± ¡°Hey, David I want to see your sincerity!¡± With that, David hung up. Joanna closed her eyes and sighed helplessly It was really difficult for women to survive in the business world! There were many unspoken rules that she could not avoid. Even though Joanna was now the chairwoman of the Haynes Group, she still had no choice! The Haynes Group had just broadened its h o r izon a little, and the news that the Haynes Group was going to coborate with CI Technologies was released long ago. Many partners chose to cooperate with the Haynes Group because of CI Technologies. If the Haynes Group failed to coborate with CI Technologies now, they would have a hard time maintaining profits, let alonepleting the betting agreement in three years. Joanna was not a pretentious person. In this situation, other thanpromising, she really could not find a way to fix it. ¡°Cora, book me a flight to Melta as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± 10 minutester, Cora booked a flight. ¡°Miss Haynes. Thetest flight is at 7 o¡¯clock tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s book it!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Then, Joanna sent a message to David. Tve already booked a ne ticket. I¡¯lle and see you in Melta tomorrow!¡± At Reagan No. 8 Residence. Bruce slept until 11 p.m. before finally waking up! Bruce flipped over and wanted to hug Joanna, but there was no one beside him. When he suddenly opened his eyes, Bruce realized that Joanna was already gone. rice got up from the bed and hurried downstairs! Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± The ser vants hurriedly went forward to greet Bruce. ¡°Where is Joannia?¡± Ms. Chaun replied. ¡°Mrs. Everett has already left!¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°When did she leave?¡± A little past 7 in the morning Bruce did not say anything else. He frowned. However, when Bruce recalled the intensity ofst night, he could not help but smile. Then. Bruce picked up his phone and looked at it. He was about to call Joanna! There were already dozens of missed calls on Bruce¡¯s phone! However, they were all calls from Roxanne! It was impossible for Roxanne not to know what happenedst night! Roxanne called Bruce all night, but Bruce didn¡¯t pick up! Andy handed the phone to Bruce and whispered, ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes called me!¡± Bruce then took the phone. ¡°Hello, Roxy!¡± ¡°Hello, Bruce, where are you?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I heard that you fought with someonest night?¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. On the other end of the line, Roxanne was silent for a few seconds before asking softly, ¡°Are you injured?¡± ¡°No!¡± The two of them exchanged a few words. Bruce really did not know what to say! ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first. I have a meeting!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Roxanne didn¡¯t dare to ask further and could only hang up! Now, as long as Bruce could marry her, Roxanne could turn a blind eye to everything else! Even though Roxanne knew that Bruce was with Joannast night, she did not dare to cause trouble for him! Chapter 64 Chapter 64 After the call ended, Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but cry uncontrobly! Roxanne knew that even if Bruce was willing to marry her, it was only out of sympathy, not because he loved her! However, after crying for a few seconds, Roxanne suddenly started to sneer! So what if there was no love? As long as Roxanne was Mrs. Everett, she would be able to change her social statuspletely. Even if Roxanne and Bruce got a divorce, Roxanne would be able to get arge sum of money from Bruce. Joanna, this time, I will never let you steal Bruce! No matter what, I will marry into the Everett family and be Mrs. Everett¡­¡± Roxanne thought to herself. At the Haynes Group.. Bruce called Joanna all afternoon, but Joanna did not answer his call at all! ¡°This da mn woman, she actually didn¡¯t answer my call again!¡± Andy came in to report. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes booked a flight to Melta tomorrow!¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. He suddenly had a bad premonition surge in his heart! Joanna was definitely going to find David in Melta! David was obviously up to no good. If Joanna went, she would be in danger. ¡°What time tomorrow?¡± ¡°The flight is at 7:00 in the morning!¡± ¡°Book me a ne ticket to Melta too.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± The next day. Joanna woke up at around 5 o¡¯clock! Joanna had to fly to Melta today, and the flight would take 11 hours. She had to prepare her luggage in advance! ¡°Lilia, Mommy is going on a business trip for three days. Be good at home!¡± Lilia was still in a daze. She answered obediently, ¡°Yes, I got it, Mommy!¡± Joanna kissed Lilia on the forehead, and then she gave some instructions to Tracy. Then, Joanna carried her luggage and hurried out of the door! Cora was going on the trip with Joanna. At that time, Cora was already waiting for Joanna downstairs! It was 10 past 6 in the morning. Joanna went downstairs and got into the car. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Cora replied and started the car! Joanne and Cora arrived at the airport. Cora went to get the ne tickets. Joanna and Cora didn¡¯t bring a lot of things with them, so they didn¡¯t need to consign the luggage. At 6:30, Joanna and Cora got on the ne. Cora booked the first ss for Joanna, while she was in economy ss. Last night, Joanna barely slept at all! Now was the perfect time to catch up on sleep! Therefore, Joanna specially brought a blinder. Anyway, the flight would take more than 10 hours, so Joanna could catch up on her sleep! Joanna found her seat and adjusted the angle of the seat! Then, she fastened her seatbelt, put on the blinder, and prepared to sleep! In a daze, Joanna did not know how long she had slept. The flight attendant came over to deliver drinks. Joanna took off her blinder in a daze. She wanted to see what time it was. Joanna yawned and looked down at her watch. The ne had only flown for more than an hour. It was still early! Joanna stretched her limbs and subconsciously looked to the side! All of a sudden, Joanna noticed a familiar and handsome man sitting next to her! At this moment, Bruce was leisurely flipping open a magazine in his hand! Joanna was shocked and suddenly sat up straight. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± Bruce put away the magazine and took off his sunsses. He deliberately stared at Joanna in surprise. ¡°Oh my, what a coincidence. You¡¯re going to Melta too?¡± Joanna¡¯s mind went nk for a few seconds! Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with shock, anger, and speechlessness! ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Bruce shrugged and said innocently, ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m following you? I happen to be going to Melta too!¡± When Joanna heard that, she felt even more stifled! Bruce had a private ne. When Bruce traveled, most of the time, he would fly in his private ne! Why would Bruce travel in an ordinary passenger ne? Moreover, this airline was run by Bruce¡¯spany. Bruce naturally knew all about Joanna¡¯s trip! Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental that even their seats were next to each other? Recalling what happened the night before, Joanna felt her heart stifled and painful! Joanna¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Bruce, what are you trying to do?¡± Bruce¡¯s handsome and cold face revealed a mocking smile. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m on a business trip to Melta! Who knew that we would meet on the ne? ¡°Looks like we¡¯re fated!¡± Joanna would not believe Bruce¡¯s nonsense. Joanna was furious. However, they were on a ne now. She couldn¡¯t possibly get off the ne and avoid Bruce! Joanna stood up angrily and walked towards the economy ss with her bag! Joanna wanted to find a flight attendant and change her seat! In short, the further away she was from Bruce, the better! ¡°Miss Haynes, why are you here!¡± Cora was surprised to see Joanna walking over! Fortunately, the economy ss was very empty. Joanna sat beside Cora. ¡°Nothing. I just ran into a lu natic!¡± ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Cora revealed a trace of surprise in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask further! Joanna angrily put on her blinder again and leaned against the window! Now, Joanna had to seize the time to catch up on her sleep. Only then, Joanna would only have the energy to deal with David when she arrived in Melta! 20 minutester, Cora also started to feel drowsy. Just as she was dozing off, Cora felt someone pat This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. her shoulder lightly! Cora opened her eyes in a daze and saw that it was Bruce. Cora was instantly shocked! Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Bruce made a shushing gesture, signaling Cora not to wake Joanna up! Cora was frightened, and she quickly nodded. Bruce pointed at the flight attendant behind him and gestured for Cora to follow the flight attendant. to go to the first-ss cabin in front! Cora nced at Joanna uneasily andined in her heart! It seemed that the lu natic Miss Haynes was talking about was Mr. Everett! However, Cora did not dare to offend Bruce! Cora could only stand up quietly and follow the flight attendant to the first-ss cabin in front! Then, Bruce carefully sat in Cora¡¯s seat! After sleeping for a while, Joanna felt that her limbs were sore and numb, and she even felt her bones were ufortable. The seats in the economy ss cabin were too small, and Joanna could barely stretch her legs. In her daze, Joanna felt someone gently turn her head! Then, Joanna rested her head on a broad and firm shoulder! At first, Joanna thought it was Cora, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention! This shoulder was veryfortable to rest on, much morefortable than leaning against the window. Looking at Joanna sleeping soundly, Bruce curled his lips and put on a mocking smile. ¡°Little thing, don¡¯t even think about getting rid of me!¡± Bruce thought. The prey Bruce had his eyes on would never escape his grasp! Even if Bruce agreed to marry Roxanne, he did not promise Roxanne that he would not find another woman outside! In any case, Bruce would find another woman. It was better to find someone familiar than strangers! Bruce didn¡¯t buy the whole moral thing. Morality was not one of the most important things for him. Joanna slept for more than 10 minutes and felt that something was wrong! There was a scent of cologne. Although it was light and smelled good, it was definitely not Cora¡¯s perfume! Joanna¡¯s heart ski pped a beat as she hurriedly removed her blinder! As expected, Cora was nowhere to be found. Sitting beside Joanna was Bruce! ¡°Why is it you? Why did youe here again?¡± Joanna suddenly sat up straight with a face full of anger! ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Why did we meet again?¡± ¡°Bruce, what exactly are you going to do?¡± Joanna shouted a little too loud. The other passengers on the ne turned around to look. Joanna¡¯s face darkened in embarrassment. She quickly lowered her voice. ¡°Bruce, haven¡¯t you harmed me enough? What else do you want to do?¡± Bruce still had an innocent look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m going to Melta on a business trip¡­¡± Joanna interrupted Bruce angrily and said, ¡°Then, can you stay away from me?¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Is this ne yours? It¡¯s my free will to sit wherever I want!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Joanna could not be bothered to argue with Bruce. She stood up and walked angrily toward the first- ss cabin! There were too many people on the ne. If they quarreled, it would bother the other passengers! Joanna and Bruce might as well quarrel in the first-ss cabin! As expected, Bruce followed Joanna to the first-ss cabin! ¡°How dare you say you are not following me?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned serious, and his tone softened. ¡°Joann, I have something to tell you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have nothing to say to you! Do you know that you¡¯ve ruined the coboration between the Haynes Group and CI Technologies? ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± Bruce sneered in disdain. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a supplier? Without CI Technologies, there are still a lot of When Joanna heard this, she was even more furious. ¡°You make it sound so easy! ¡°Do you know how much effort I put in to get the chance of coboration? Do you know how much the Haynes Group has to pay for you beating David up?¡± Bruce¡¯s handsome face was instantly rmed. ¡°So, are you going to Melta to deliver yourself to David?¡± When Joanna heard this, her face turned even paler! The air conditioning on the ne was cold. Joanna could not help but shiver! N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Joanna, when did you be so depraved? Are you willing topromise your pride just for business?¡± ¡°Bruce, shut up! Stop talking¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, I won¡¯t allow you to see David! That David clearly has ill intentions toward you! ¡°He wants to sleep with you. Do you know that?¡± How could Joanna not know that? However, in the current situation, as long as Joanna could keep the coboration, she could only say yes even if she had to sleep with David. Otherwise, if the Haynes Group lost this big supplier, it would be a devastating blow! Joanna had only started to make some progress, and everything was about to go down. Under such circumstances, it was no longer just a matter of morality, but the survival of thepany! ¡°I beg you, can you leave me alone?¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Joanna, I can make up for the ¡°Make up for it? Ha, do you think it¡¯s that easy? This is not only a million-dor business deal. This concerns the Haynes Group¡¯s future international influence. How can you make up for it?¡± ¡°If you want to be famous internationally, there are many ways. I can provide you with methods! Instead of sleeping with another man, you might as well sleep with me!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. Joanna worked so hard to prove that she would live a better life without Bruce. Joanna wanted to prove her capability! Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Joanna would rather suffer more blows and pay a higher price than ept Bruce¡¯s help! ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. All I want now is to stay as far from you as possible! ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to nder me or scold me anymore! I don¡¯t want anyone to say that I can¡¯t get over you and that I¡¯ve tried my best to seduce you!¡± ¡°Joanna¡­ Bruce took a step forward. And then, he grabbed Joanna¡¯s arm tightly! Joanna struggled with all her might. ¡°Let go of me. Stay away from me!¡± ¡°Joann!¡± Bruce stared deeply at Joanna. Then, Bruce kissed Joanna¡¯s lips fiercely! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Ah¡­¡± A crisp pping sound rang out! N?velDrama.Org content. Joanna pushed Bruce away angrily and pped him hard! Bruce had been pped. He looked at Joanna with a cold andplicated expression. Joanna¡¯s heart was beating wildly as if she was facing a ferocious beast! As long as the two of them were close to each other, the terrifying memories of Bruce that remained in Joanna¡¯s body would be magnified infinitely! Bruce had long conquered Joanna¡¯s body! Deep down in Joanna¡¯s heart, she was afraid of Bruce! This kind of trauma would never leave Joanna. for the rest of her life! After a while, Bruce took a deep breath and frowned at Joanna. ¡°Joanna, do you still love me?¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes flickered. Then, Joanna turned her head to the side and avoided. looking into Bruce¡¯s eyes! ¡°Bruce, we¡¯re already divorced! I¡¯ve said before that I would never love you again in this life! ¡°Please, just stay out of my life and leave me alone!¡± ¡°Look me in the eye and answer me!¡± Bruce forcefully turned Joanna¡¯s head back to face him. Bruce stared at Joanna like a ferocious beast! It was as if Bruce could see through people¡¯s eyes and pry into the secrets hidden in their hearts! Joanna did not dare to look Bruce in the eye at all. Joanna¡¯s eyes were flustered as she avoided him. ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind. Let go of me!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even look me in the eye. You still love me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t! I don¡¯t¡­¡± Bruce cupped Joanna¡¯s face and kissed her fiercely! Joanna panickedpletely and subconsciously struggled! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, someone help!¡± Bruce raised his head and forcefully dragged Joanna into the restroom! The narrow and cramped space of the restroom made it impossible for Joanna to escape! ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t touch me again!¡± Joanna was like prey hunted by a ferocious beast, trembling but unable to resist! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t you love me? I¡¯m willing to make it up to you¡­¡± Bruce turned off the lights in the restroom and trapped Joanna tightly! Joanna¡¯s dress was torn apart¡­. Half an hourter, the restroom door finally opened! Bruce walked out carrying Joanna in his arms. Joanna was on the verge of copse! Joanna¡¯s consciousness was in a daze. She felt weak and soft all over her body. There were hic keys all over her neck. ¡°Bruce, you are a real b ast ard!¡± Bruce sent Joanna back to her seat andy down beside her! Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and tears filled her eyes! Coupled with the fact that she had not slept well for the past few days, Joanna was exhausted and fell right asleep. After flying for a few more hours, the ne finally arrived at the airport in Melta! However, Joanna had not even walked out of the airport when she was detained by Bruce in the airport¡¯s VIP lounge! David called Joanna several times, but the call was never picked up. David and Joanna had agreed that David would pick Joanna up today. But now, he had lost contact with Joanna! This made David very angry. He thought that he had been stood up by Joanna again! David sent Joanna several messages! ¡°Bruce, stop following me like this! You¡¯re really annoying! Give me my phone!¡± ¡°Joanna, no matter what, I won¡¯t let you see David today! ¡°Come with me!¡± ¡°Give me back my phone!¡± Joanna was furious and tried her best to s natch the phone back! Unfortunately, Bruce was too tall! He just casually raised his arm, and Joanna could not reach the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting your phone back. I won¡¯t let you contact him!¡± ¡°Bruce, can you let me go¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Cora, book a ticket back now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Cora, go and call David. Tell him that I¡¯m already in Melta!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. He looked at Cora threateningly. ¡°If you dare to call this number, you won¡¯t be able to go back to Greyport!¡± Cora was so scared that her face turned pale. She gripped the phone nervously! Cora looked at Joanna and then at Bruce! Compared to Joanna, Cora was naturally more afraid of Bruce! If she offended Bruce, she would really die! ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be like this! If you continue like this, I¡¯m really going to call the police!¡± ¡°Alright! When we get back to Greyport, you can call the police and say that I raped you. Then you can ask the police to arrest me!¡± ¡°Cora, book a flight back immediately!¡± Cora didn¡¯t dare to refuse. She nodded. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± 20 minutester. ¡°Mr. Everett, the tickets have been booked!¡± Before Joanna could even walk out of the airport, Bruce pulled her onto the returning flight! Cora followed them all the way, feeling even more panicked! What should Cora do? She had to call for help! However, Cora did not dare to call David for help! After thinking about it, Cora could only call Jaydon! ¡°No, no, I¡¯d better call Mr. Grimm¡­ Jaydon was still at Venturas when he received Cora¡¯s message! Jaydon was instantly shocked! Jaydon did not expect such a big thing to happen! He had not been in Greyport for only two days! Jaydon couldn¡¯t wait for his father to recover and had already rushed back to Greyport! At the airport. Joanna and Bruce got off the ne! As soon as Joanna turned on her phone, the phone rang! Bruce took a look and saw that it was Jaydon calling. He hung up the call immediately! ¡°Bruce, we¡¯ve already arrived at Greyport. Give me my phone! ¡°Can you not be so overbearing?¡± A victorious smile appeared on Bruce¡¯s face. He frowned and looked at Joanna. ¡°Joanna, you have no choice now! Without CI Technologies, you can only rely on me! ¡°Cut all ties with Jaydon ande back to me!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was furious. ¡°Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost CI Technologies. If you want yourpany to run, you can only rely on me!¡± ¡°So ¡°So, I want you to be my woman!¡± Joanna choked in anger and looked at Bruce in disbelief. What did you say?¡± ¡°Be my secret lover. You have toe and stay with me when I need you!¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear me wrong ¡°Crazy! Give me the phone!¡± Chapter 66 ¡°Joann!¡± At the VIP exit, Jaydon was anxiously waiting! When he saw Joanna walk out, he hurriedly took a few steps forward! Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The two of them were in a tug-of-war as they walked out of the airport. Suddenly, Bruce saw Jaydon! At this moment, Jaydon was outside the gate, looking over anxiously! Bruce frowned, and an evil look appeared on his face! Then, Bruce suddenly trapped Joanna in his arms and lowered his head to kiss Joanna¡¯s lips fiercely! Bruce was too tall, and Joanna¡¯s neck was almost bent at 90 degrees. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna pounded Bruce frantically. Unfortunately, the more she struggled, the tighter she was trapped! Everyone at the airport turned to look at Joanna and Bruce! Cora was so frightened that she did not dare to move! Jaydon also saw this scene. Instantly, his eyes became bloodshot as he rushed towards the gate! ¡°Bruce, let go of Joann!¡± Unfortunately, Jaydon was stopped by a fence! Otherwise, he would have rushed over and punched Bruce hard! Secondster, Bruce finally let go of Joanna. Bruce and Joanna¡¯s lips were both red and swollen from biting! ¡°Bruce, are you crazy?!¡± Joanna was so angry that she cried and struggled angrily! Bruce smiled smugly. Bruce¡¯s arm was still wrapped around Joanna¡¯s shoulder as he looked at Jaydon provocatively. ¡°She has already slept with me! You should ditch her!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Jaydon clenched his fists so tightly that they creaked! ¡°Joann, is this true?¡± Joanna closed her eyes in pain. At this moment, she did not know how to exin! ¡°Joanna, tell him¡­¡± p! Joanna raised her hand and pped Bruce hard! Bruce touched his cheek and subconsciously stared at Joanna! Joanna¡¯s eyes were extremely red, and her entire body trembled violently! Joanna looked like an angry animal about to attack! Joanna looked fragile but stubborn! Then, Joanna took a few steps back and fled with tears streaming down her face! Joann, Joann!¡± Jaydon then chased after Joanna! Bruce was still rooted to the ground, still reminiscing about Joanna¡¯s gaze just now. Bruce wondered if he had really gone a little too far. However, this feeling of guilt onlysted for a few seconds! Since he dared to do this, Bruce naturally had the confidence to bear the consequences! Even if the Haynes Group really went downpletely, at most, Bruce would invest in a newpany for Joanna! It would only cost tens of millions. Bruce could still afford to lose! Joanna ran all the way out of the airport and squatted in a hidden corner. She covered her head and cried! It was all over now! The Haynes Group was the groundstone that supported Joanna¡¯s spirit, and it was also the source of her courage and confidence! This time, Joanna hadpletely fallen out with CI Technologies. Joanna did not know how to face the other shareholders! With the current situation of the Haynes Group, it was extremely difficult to maintain profits! The next day. Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the other high-level executives of the Haynes Group had arrived at the office early in the morning. Even Shaun rushed to the office in a hurry when he heard the news that the coboration between Haynes Group and CI Technologies ended! In the conference room. Mr. Roger looked worried and kept sighing. ¡°Oh my, what should we do? Everything was fine before. How did it be like this?¡± Mr. Paul was also frowning. ¡°Miss Haynes has to take the main responsibility. Back then, it all started because she said that she could get the dealership of CI Technologies in Greyport! This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That was why we agreed to let her be the chairwoman! ¡°Now, it turned out like this. The Haynes Group has already lost all the profits this year!¡± ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Miss Haynes arrived yet? Hurry up and call her!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get through to Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not afraid to answer the phone, is she?¡± Seeing that Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were furious, Shaun was secretly happy! Back then, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had strongly approved of Joanna bing the chairwoman. And they insisted on kicking Shaun out of the position! And it didn¡¯t turn out well. Now, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul should finally know that Shaun was the right choice. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that she¡¯s just a little girl. How can she bear such a heavy responsibility?¡± Shaun¡¯s tone was filled with righteousness. It sounded like Shaun was objective and didn¡¯t care if Joanna was his family. Shaun had to seize this opportunity to take back the Haynes family! This was the heritage that Shaun wanted to pass on to his son in the future. Even if Shaun passed it to his daughter, he would never pass it to Joanna! Mr. Roger sighed heavily. ¡°We only believed her because she said that she had gotten the dealership of CI Technologies! ¡°Hurry up and call her! ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, get her to resign from her position as the chairwoman! ¡°This is too risky! Some time ago, the Haynes Group¡¯s stock plummeted. I was so scared that I couldn¡¯t sleep for a few nights! ¡°Now that the stock of the Haynes Group has finally stabilized, the coboration with CI Technologies 10:20 has failed! I¡¯m old and can¡¯t stand this kind of dramal¡± The shareholders were collectively attacking Joanna! The door of the conference room was pushed open! Joanna walked in! Joanna was dressed very thinly today. She was in a white shirt and suit pants. Joanna didn¡¯t even wear a coat. Although Joanna put on some makeup, she could not hide her haggardness! Under herrge ck- framed sses was a pair of swollen eyes! From the looks of it, Joanna must have cried the entire night! Mr. Roger immediately used, ¡°Miss Haynes, you finally appeared! Hurry up and exin the whole thing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Didn¡¯t you swear that you would be able to get the dealership of CI Technologies?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of apologizing now? What we want is the final oue!¡± Shaun also quickly pointed his attack at Joanna. ¡°Joann, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you! But you¡¯re 100 rash and arrogant! ¡°Hurry up and resign before the Haynes Group goes downhill! ¡°You really can¡¯t handle the position of chairwoman!¡± B Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve really failed miserably this time! This step is too risky. Young people are always rash!¡± ¡°It seems like Mr. Haynes will have to take over this hot mess!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You even signed a betting agreement with Mr. Everett! I didn¡¯t want to me you, Joanna. But you really overestimated yourself!¡± ¡°Hurry up and resign from your position as chairwoman before you¡¯repletely cornered! Leave yourself a way out, and we can still keep our jobs!¡± ¡°Otherwise, if we really wait for 3 years, the Haynes Group will probably lose so much that we have absolutely nothing left!¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were no longer polite. Their words were like elders lecturing their juniors! Joanna sat there in a daze, and she couldn¡¯t find the words to say. At this point, what else could Joanna say? Unless she could find a better supplier than CI Technologies! However, even if there was another supplier, it could not solve the urgent matter that Joanna was faced with. ¡°Dear shareholders, I really feel guilty! It¡¯s true that I have to take the main responsibility for this incident! ¡°However, the three-year time is not up yet. Even if I want to leave, I have to wait until the deadline¡­¡± When Mr. Roger heard this, he showed shock and disdain on his face. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t hear your wrong, did I? You really n to do it for 3 years?¡± Mr. Paul was also furious. ¡°If you ask me, I think it¡¯s better to let Mr. Haynes beg Mr. Everett to revoke the betting agreement! ¡°Mr. Haynes is Mr. Everett¡¯s future father-inw after all. Mr. Everett will definitely pay some respect!¡± When Shaun heard this, he felt that this suggestion was exactly what he wanted. Shaun deliberately sighed and said earnestly, ¡°Joann, Daddy will help you talk to Mr. Everett and revoke the betting. agreement! ¡°When the timees, you¡¯d better hand over the stock rights! It¡¯s better if you only keep the shares. and don¡¯t participate in the management of the Haynes Group anymore! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mistreat you! I won¡¯t give you a single cent less than what you deserve!¡± When Joanna heard this, she stared coldly at Shaun! At the end of the day, Shaun still wanted to regain control of the Haynes Group! However, Joanna¡¯s grandfather put his life¡¯s work into the Haynes Group. If Joanna handed over the Haynes Group to Shuan, it would be no different than giving thepany to Ingrid! Joanna could not let Ingrid ruin her grandfather¡¯s hard work! ¡°I won¡¯t resign. If any of you don¡¯t want to be a shareholder anymore, the Haynes Group can buy the shares back from you!¡± Joanna¡¯s words were meant for Shaun to hear! Shaun still had 10% of the shares in his hands. It would be easier if Joanna bought Shaun¡¯s shares and Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. keep Shuan away from the Haynes Group for good. Then, Shaun would no longer think about the Haynes Group! ¡°You¡­¡± Shaun was so angry that he was panting heavily! Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were already angry. When they heard this, they thought that Joanna had contempt for them! ¡°In that case, alright! I¡¯ll withdraw from the board! Miss Haynes, buy back my 15% shares!¡± When Mr. Paul heard this, he echoed, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll withdraw too!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt her heart immediately turned cold. She instantly fell silent. 15% shares. If Joanna was to buy it back, she would spend about 200 million dors! The two of them added up to about 400 million dors! However, there were not even 10 million dors in the Haynes Group¡¯s ounts. How could Joanna do that? Joanna had the 100 million dors that Bruce gave her, which was just enough to buy back Shaun¡¯s shares. However, if Joanna was to buy Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul¡¯s shares, there was not enough money. Seeing that Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had changed sides, Shaun became even more confident. ¡°This is the ending now. Either you quit the Haynes Group or buy back our shares. ¡°Joann, I must tell you something. You¡¯re a girl. Don¡¯t waste your energy on something meaningless! You still have 3 children. It would be better if you go home and take good care of your children. ¡°This business is not something you girls can handle!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes lit up. She ced her hands on her temples and leaned against the conference table in frustration. Bruce had really hurt her. This time, Joanna was afraid that she would not be able to hold on anymore! The shareholders were denouncing Joannia! The atmosphere was intense. The door of the conference room was suddenly pushed open. Bruce was dressed in a suit. His hair wasbed and shiny. He looked dignified and handsome. The moment Bruce arrived, the originally noisy conference room instantly fell silent! ¡°Is this a board meeting?¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Everett, why are you here today?¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul hurriedly stood up and bowed to wee Bruce. Shaun also hurriedly stood up and gave up his seat to Bruce. Bruce curled his lips and put on a confident smile as he strode to the center of the conference room! Then, Bruce sat down on Joanna¡¯s left. Seeing that Bruce was here, Joanna became even more furious. Needless to say, Bruce was here to kick her when she was down. Bruce wanted to see Joanna¡¯s miserable ending. ¡°What are you doing here again?¡± Joanna¡¯s tone was filled with frustration and a hint of despair! When Bruce heard this, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you having a board meeting? I¡¯m also a shareholder of the Haynes Group! ¡°Continue. What were you discussing just now?¡± ¡°Bruce, can you stop messing around?¡± Joanna¡¯s shoulders trembled as she raised her voice. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were even more shocked! Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Everyone was so frightened that their hearts trembled! Joanna was already at a dead end. Instead of trying to rely on Mr. Everett, she was being so rude to Mr. Everett! ¡°Joann, how can you talk to Mr. Everett like that?¡± ¡°You were the one who messed things up. What right do you have to be angry? Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t be angry! Miss Haynes is still young. I apologize to you on her behalf!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more speechless. It was Bruce who messed things up! If Bruce hadn¡¯t beaten David up, the coboration between the Haynes Group and CI Technologies wouldn¡¯t fail. But now, no one med Bruce. Instead, they all med Joanna! Bruce looked around at everyone and ignored Joanna¡¯s murderous gaze. He said, ¡°Oh, I heard you guys shouting outside just now. Some of you want to quit the Haynes Group?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul looked at each other, and they looked kind of embarrassed. ¡°You want to sell your shares? ¡°That¡¯s great. I happen to be considering it. Which one of you is willing to quit the Haynes Group? I¡¯ll buy back the shares in your hands at the market price!¡± When Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul heard this, they were instantly dumbfounded! In the Haynes Group, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had at least millions of profits a year! How could they withdraw so easily? Now, they knew that Joanna did not have the money to buy back their shares! They said it just to force Joanna to resign. However, Bruce was different. Bruce had enough money, and he could easily buy Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul¡¯s shares. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯re just discussing with Miss Haynes about this! We don¡¯t really want to quit! It¡¯s Miss Haynes who doesn¡¯t want us to stay in the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Really? Then why did I hear that Miss Haynes is going to coborate with the Stark Group from Nory?¡± Hearing this, Mr. Roger¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah! When did this happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in these few days!¡± Bruce had a faint smile on his face! The Stark Group from Nory was not inferior to CI Technologies! Moreover, the Stark Group had always been working with the Everett Group! Joanna was also stunned when she heard that! What the hell was Bruce up to? Since when did Joanna coborate with the Stark Group? Then, Bruce took out a document from his briefcase and pretended to be stunned as he looked at Joanna. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sign this contract, Miss Haynes? ¡°So. Miss Haynes, you haven¡¯t told everyone about this good news?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Joanna waspletely dumbfounded. She looked at Bruce in disbelief. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had already snatched the contract and read it. That was true. This was the coboration contract between the Haynes Group and the Stark Group. ¡°The Stark Group has already stamped it. We¡¯re just waiting for Miss Haynes to stamp it! ¡°As long as the Haynes Group¡¯s official seal is stamped, this contract will take effect!¡± Bruce said calmly. He looked at everyone yfully with his sharp eyes! This is really wonderful news! Isn¡¯t this surprising?¡± ¡°When did Miss Haynes strike a deal with the Stark Group?¡± Joanna felt a chill run down her spine as she stared straight at Bruce. Bruce smiled at Joanna with a yful look as if he enjoyed seeing Joanna surprised. The day before, Bruce called the president of the Stark Groupte at night. If the Stark Group wanted to continue working with the Everett Group, they had to sign a coboration contract with the Haynes Group as well.. And the Stark Group had to provide all the goods to the Haynes Group first. The Stark Group was unwilling to abandon such an important client as the Everett Group, so they naturally agreed! Then, Bruce quickly printed out the coboration contract and sent a resident representative to have the contract signed. Bruce¡¯s courage as a sessful businessman immediately turned the situation around! ¡°With the Stark Group as a supplier, I think the Haynes Group¡¯s business will prosper in the future! Why quit now? Do you want to miss out on this opportunity? ¡°That¡¯s great. If you don¡¯t want this opportunity, Miss Haynes and I will share the fruit! If you want to quit the Haynes Group, you can sign the repurchase agreement today!¡± ¡°Ah, no, no, no!¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger¡¯s expressions immediately changed! The two of them did not expect such a huge turn of events! Joanna waspletely stunned! She never thought that Bruce would help her at this critical moment! ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°It was really a misunderstanding just now. We were just anxious when we heard that the coboration between the Haynes Group and CI Technologies had failed!¡± ¡°That was how it started.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in the Haynes Group for so many years. I¡¯ve spent half of my life¡¯s effort on the Haynes Group. How can I quit?¡± Bruce smiled and looked at Joanna. ¡°That depends on Miss Haynes¡¯ decision!¡± Mr. Roger immediately took the initiative to apologize to Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t take what I just said to heart! ¡°What I said just now was just out of anger. I take back what I said just now! No matter what, I won¡¯t quit the Haynes Group!¡± Seeing this, Mr. Paul hurriedly followed. ¡°Me too! ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t quit the Haynes Group!¡± After all, everyone loved money! People could do all kinds of things for money. Joanna was speechless for a moment. She just stared nkly at Bruce! This da mn ba stard. Was this another trap Bruce had set up? ¡°Miss Haynes was just testing you. I didn¡¯t expect you to have such little loyalty! ¡°It seems like it¡¯s always easy to share happiness, but hard to undergo hardships together!¡± After saying that, Bruce leanedzily against the seat with a teasing expression. When Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul heard that, they became embarrassed! However, they knew that Bruce was supporting Joanna! To be honest, with Bruce¡¯s support, the Haynes Group would not copse. Losing CI Technologies was nothing. It would be a real nightmare if the Haynes Group lost the support N?velDrama.Org content. from Bruce! When Shaun saw this, his entire face turned pale! Unexpectedly, at this critical moment, Shaun¡¯s future son-inw not only did not help, but he also sided with outsiders! ¡°Hmm!¡± Shaun was so angry that he felt stifled in his chest. His blood pressure was skyrocketing. Shaun was so close to getting the Haynes Group back, but Bruce pulled Joanna out of the abyss of despair! ¡°Mr. Haynes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°My heart is a little ufortable. I have to go first!¡± With that, Shaun stood up and walked towards the door with a dark expression. Bruce looked at Joanna with an ambiguous but smug expression. It seemed like Bruce wanted to earn some credit. When Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul saw this, they knew what Bruce was feeling about Joanna! At this time, they better leave and not be the third wheel. ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it a day! We¡¯ll leave first!¡± After saying that, the two of them looked at each other. They said goodbye to Bruce and Joanna and left with a smile! The other high-level executives also tactfully left the conference room! Joanna tidied the hair on her forehead and prepared to get up and return to the office. Bruce smiled suggestively and stretched out his arm to block Joanna¡¯s way. ¡°Are you going to leave just like that?¡± ¡°Bruce, what the hell are you ying at?¡± ¡°Ha, what do you mean? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be thanking me?¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¡°Thank you?¡± Joanna rolled her beautiful eyes and red at Bruce! Bruce looked down at Joanna and smiled frivolously! Then, he took off her ck-framed sses! ¡°I still like it when you¡¯re not wearing sses!¡± As he spoke, Bruce touched Joanna¡¯s cheek. suggestively! The delicate and smooth touch made the blood in Bruce¡¯s body boil again! When facing Joanna, Bruce always felt his adrenaline surge uncontrobly! There was a trace of hatred in Joanna¡¯s eyes. Joanna pped Bruce¡¯s hand away fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bruce¡¯s hawk-like eyes were filled with mockery and evilness. He took a few steps forward and pressed Joanna against the conference table. With a flip of his hand, Bruce fixed Joanna¡¯s chin with his hand. Because Bruce yed golf all year round, there were slight calluses on his palm. Joanna felt a little pain when Bruce rubbed her chin. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re really turning your back on me! A woman like you really needs to be taught a lesson! ¡°After I teach you a lesson, you¡¯ll be obedient for a few days. So, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson every week from now on! I¡¯ll teach you how to be obedient!¡± Joanna moved her chin away angrily and kicked Bruce between his legs. ¡°Ba stard, get lost!¡± Bruce had been attacked at that spot before, so naturally, he would not let Joanna seed! He took a step with his long legs and dodged Joanna¡¯s attack! Then, with a gentle push, Bruce pushed Joanna onto the conference table! ¡°Look at you. After using me, you want me to get lost in the blink of an eye! And you still say that you don¡¯t need to be taught a lesson! ¡°I happen to be free now. Do you want me to take care of you again?¡± A trace of fear appeared in Joanna¡¯s eyes. She scrambled to the middle of the conference table! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! If you touch me again, I won¡¯t be polite to you!¡± Bruce grabbed Joanna¡¯s slender ankle and dragged her to the side of the table! ¡°Don¡¯t you feel good when you¡¯re with me?¡± Bruce had always been confident in his male abilities. Joanna was extremely angry when she heard that! Joanna did not want to have any more contact with Bruce, let alone physical contact. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce was an extremely nasty and difficult man. If Bruce wanted to do something, he would definitely achieve his goal! If Joanna didn¡¯t cooperate when Bruce wanted to have sex, Bruce would pester Joanna endlessly! Bruce liked when the woman went from struggling and resisting to being forced topromise. Only when Bruce¡¯s desire to conquer was satisfied would he let the other party go! ¡°Bruce, I beg you to stay away from me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite away from you now!¡± There was an evil look on Bruce¡¯s handsome face. It was as if Bruce was teasing his prey, appreciating the terror of the prey. 1/3 Joanna waspletely flustered. She was really afraid of Bruce! On the ne, she had already resisted desperately. But in the end, she still could not escape! Now, Joanna was really afraid that Bruce would mess around again! ¡°Bruce. I beg you, stop pestering me!¡± The fear in Joanna¡¯s heart was magnified, and her thin body began to tremble. Joanna was going to have a rpse. As an aftereffect of taking antidepressants all year round, Joanna trembled. If Joanna didn¡¯t take the medicine in time, she would tremble so much that she wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold a cup. Seeing Joanna trembling. Bruce¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Are you so afraid of me? I¡¯m not going to eat you!¡± ¡°Go away, don¡¯te over!¡± Joanna stag gered down from the conference table, grabbed her bag, and rushed into the bathroom. Joanna didn¡¯t want anyone to know that she was sick, and she didn¡¯t want Bruce to know that she had such a serious depression! ¡°Stop right there. Why are you running?¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Joanna entered the bathroom and locked the door! Then, Joanna opened her bag with trembling hands! She took out a medicine bottle, poured more than ten pills, and swallowed the pills with tap water! If Joanna didn¡¯t take medicine when she was sick, she would be anxious, lose control of her emotions, and even hurt herself! Bruce did not understand what was going on. He continued to knock on the door. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t do anything to you just because you¡¯re hiding inside! ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do anything to you. You should at least give me a kiss! ¡°Come out!¡± In the washroom, Joanna squatted on the ground weakly and pulled her hair fiercely! It would take more than ten minutes for the medicine to take effect. This was the most painful. process. It was like the end of the world. ¡°Joanna, open the door!¡± ¡°Bang bang!¡± Bruce vaguely felt that something was wrong! Outside, Bruce began to knock harder on the door. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± ¡°Joanna, what are you doing in there?¡± There was no sound in the washroom. Bruce¡¯s heart sank as he kicked the door open! In the washroom, Joanna squatted on the ground with her head between her knees and her hands in her hair! ¡°Joanna, what are you doing?¡± Bruce was shocked and quickly went forward to check! Bruce grabbed Joanna¡¯s hand with his big hands and helped her from the ground. As Joanna¡¯s hand was pulled away, arge ball of hair fell off! Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. She seemed to be in endless despair, and she seemed to be a little unconscious! Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s hawk-like eyes instantly turned cold. ¡°Joanna, are you crazy?¡± As he spoke, Bruce looked at the top of her head with heartache! It must have been extremely painful to pull out so much hair. There was already a blo ody bump on the top of Joanna¡¯s head, and blood was seeping out! Joanna, are you stu pid? Why are you so ruthless to yourself?¡± Joanna blinked and tears fell from her eyes! The medicinal effect also happened to take effect! Send Gift Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Bruce¡¯s heart ached when he saw Joanna¡¯s current state and pulled her tightly into his arms. ¡°Joann, I know I¡¯ve hurt you in the past. I¡¯ll slowly make up for it in the future¡­¡± Under the effects of the drug, Joanna¡¯s emotions stabilized. She didn¡¯t need Bruce to make any amends. Some things could never be undone. Joanna coldly withdrew from Bruce¡¯s embrace and asked disdainfully, ¡°Mr. Everett, why do you like. barging into the female washroom so much?¡± The words stuck in Bruce¡¯s throat as he studied Joanna¡¯s expression suspiciously. She looked like she was on the verge of copse and was even hurting herself. It made one¡¯s heart. ache to look at her. However, she had returned to her previous aggressive self in the blink of an eye. ¡°Joanna, are you alright?¡± Joanna regained herposure and looked back at Bruce calmly. ¡°Mr. Everett, that¡¯s a strange question to ask. ¡°I should be the one asking if you are alright. If you keep barging into thedies¡¯ room like this, you¡¯ll be arrested as a lu natic!¡± Bruce pursed his lips and pointed at the ball of hair on the ground. ¡°You were hurting yourself just now. Do you know that?¡± ¡°Ha! It¡¯s just hair. So what if it falls off? It¡¯s not like it won¡¯t grow back!¡± Bruce was even more shocked when he heard this. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel pain tearing off so much hair?¡± ¡°I have an itchy scalp and like to pull my hair. Is there a problem?¡± Joanna crossed her arms and stared back at Bruce. Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered. He vaguely felt that something was amiss. But looking at Joanna¡¯s reaction, he did not want to agitate her further. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. You win. I can¡¯t win an argument against you. ¡°By the way, clean out an office for me.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming to work for the Haynes Group from now on.¡± Joanna did not say anything. She subconsciously let go of her crossed arms when she heard this and looked at Bruce in confusion. ¡°You¡¯reing to work for the Haynes Group?¡± Bruce shrugged slightly. ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± Speechless, Joanna snorted. ¡°Mr. Everett, can you stop fooling around?¡± The Everett Group was the leadingpany of Greyport, with billion-dor assets! There were already so many things that he had to handle with his ownpany, so why would Bruce ¡°I¡¯m serious! In the future, I¡¯ll take some time off ande here to work.¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Bruce, what are you trying to do?¡± Bruce smiled and answered solemnly, ¡°Leave Jaydon and be my woman.¡± ¡°Did I hear wrongly? You¡¯re about to be engaged to Roxanne. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going overboard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true I¡¯m getting engaged. So, will you be my lover?¡± ¡°Ha! To think that you are shameless enough to say that!¡± Bruce exhaled and looked at Joanna with a faint smile. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to date other men from today onwards. ¡°You can only be my woman in this lifetime!¡± ¡°Crazy b astard!¡± Joanna could not be bothered to waste her breath on him and turned around to leave. Bruce took two steps forward and grabbed her arm. He asked a question that brought up the past, Joanna, who is the children¡¯s father? ¡°You dare not let the children do a paternity test because they are mine, am I right?¡± Joanna frowned and pushed Bruce away angrily. ¡°I already said my children have nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°Since the children have nothing to do with me, why are you afraid I¡¯ll take them for a paternity test?¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re strange, Mr. Everett. Why should my children do a paternity test with you? ¡°Stop dreaming. My children have nothing to do with you!¡± Bruce shrugged nonchntly when he heard this. ¡°Alright, if you say so. ¡°Now, I¡¯m solemnly telling you that I will no longer ask about the past. ¡°From today onwards, you¡¯re my woman! You can¡¯t date other men, let alone let them touch your body! ¡°Otherwise, you know the consequences!¡± Joanna was so angry that sheughed. ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re relying on me now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to rely on you!¡± ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll call the president of the Stark Group now and tell him to rescind his contract with the This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± Joanna could no longer suppress the fury in her heart. Her chest hurt from anger, and she could not help but hit Bruce¡¯s arms a few times. He really knew how to drive her crazy! Bruce grabbed her arm and forced her into a corner. ¡°If you hit me again, I¡¯ll take you right here!¡± ¡°You lu natic!¡± Bruceughed mockingly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave Greyport forever if you wish to be rid of mepletely. ¡°You¡¯ll have no choice but to be my woman if you want to continue living in Greyport.¡± ¡°Ha! Fine. I¡¯ll be your woman. But what about Roxanne?¡± Bruce paused and pondered for a few seconds. ¡°She will be my wife, and you will be my lover. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Do you think Roxanne will agree?¡± Bruce smiled slyly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she agrees or not. It¡¯s done as long as you agree.¡± He was already reluctant to give Roxanne the status of his wife. Roxanne would have to agree even if she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Never! I¡¯ll never agree even if you kill me!¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you agree or not. I¡¯ll make you agree!¡± After speaking. Bruce left the conference room and headed straight for Joanna¡¯s office. Seeing this, Joanna became even more exasperated. ¡°Stop right there! Where are you going? What are you going to do?¡± Bruce pushed open Joanna¡¯s office door and strode in. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling to find an office for me, I¡¯ll reluctantly share yours.¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he sat on Joanna¡¯s office chair and ced his long legs on her desk. He looked like a dove upying a magpie¡¯s nest. Joanna was so angry that she was close to vomiting blood. ¡°Bruce, are you crazy? Get up!¡± With that, Joanna tried her best to push Bruce off the chair. But Bruce grabbed her arm and suddenly dragged Joanna toward him as she screamed. Joanna¡¯s entire body fell into Bruce¡¯s arms. Bruce hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek suggestively. ¡°Are you so eager to throw yourself at me? ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll satisfy you every week from now on!¡± Joanna choked when she heard this.. Her lungs almost exploded from her anger as she struggled to stand up. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Let go of me!¡± Meanwhile, outside the office. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett were in the conference room for a long while. And now, they¡¯re alone in her office for so long!¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll rekindle their rtionship?¡± ¡°Definitely! Mr. Everett beat David up at the c ocktail party because he was jealous! ¡°After that, he took Miss Haynes away with him. You can imagine what happened next!¡± N?velDrama.Org content. A female employee said in surprise, ¡°Gosh, isn¡¯t Mr. Everett engaged to Miss Roxanne? ¡°And yet he¡¯s entangled with Miss Haynes now. Don¡¯t tell me that the two sisters and Mr. Everett¡­¡± A female employee in her forties chimed in, ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Polygamy exists.¡± ¡°Two sisters sharing the same husband. Gosh, the wealthy have suchplicated rtionships!¡± ¡°Who cares! We only have to do our job and get paid!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± In the meantime, Shaun had returned home to the Haynes¡¯s house, his face red as a pig¡¯s liver from anger. ¡°Dad, why are you back so early?¡± Roxanne and Ingrid, who were flipping through wedding dress designs, asked. They were shocked to see Shaun home so early. Shaun took a few deep breaths and cursed, ¡°I¡¯m so angry, I¡¯m so angry!¡± ¡°Shaun, why are you so angry?¡± ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s all because of my unfilial daughter!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she darted her eyes in thought and quickly realized he was talking about Joanna. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Joanna?¡± Shaun sighed repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s not her. It¡¯s Mr. Everet!¡± *Mr. Everett?¡± Ingrid and Roxanne¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°He was also at the board meeting today! That rebellious daughter of mine was initially unable to hold out any longer and was prepared to step down from the position of chairwoman.¡± ¡°But at that critical moment! Sigh¡­ ¡°What happened at the critical moment?¡± Shaun answered with a mncholic expression. ¡°Out of nowhere, Mr. Everett took out a contract between the Haynes Group and the Stark Group! ¡°Who would have thought that the Everett Group and the Stark Group have a history of working exclusively with one another? If not for Mr. Everett pressurizing them, the Stark Group would never have cooperated with the Haynes Group!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ingrid and Roxanne looked at each other in disbelief. ¡°Roxy, I don¡¯t want to criticize you, but you¡¯re already engaged to Mr. Everett. Why don¡¯t you talk some sense into him? Get him to stop siding with outsiders!¡± Ingrid was instantly enraged when she heard this. ¡°Hmph! There¡¯s no doubt that little bi tch Joanna racked her brains trying to seduce Mr. Everett again!¡± Roxanne was very displeased when she heard this. Although Bruce had proposed to her, he had not called her in the past few days. Nor could she find him too. She had already heard about what happened at the c ocktail party and initially wanted to call Bruce and get him to exin the situation. Unfortunately, Bruce had flown to Melta and had been there for the past two days, so she could not get through to him on his phone. She did not expect Bruce to be entangled with Joanna again as soon as he returned! ¡°I¡¯ve already said I¡¯ll sever my father-daughter rtionship with her. She¡¯s the jinx of our family! Don¡¯t even think about living a peaceful life with her around!¡± Shaun looked worried and sighed. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, him and Joann, again¡­¡± ¡°Why not? Which man doesn¡¯t cheat? The key is that he wouldn¡¯t do it if it went against his interests. So why does he continue to be entangled with Joanna? ¡°It¡¯s all because of that daughter of yours. She¡¯s jealous that Roxy is marrying into the Everett family and is wreaking havoc behind our backs!¡± Just as they were talking, Roxanne¡¯s phone rang. She took out her phone and saw that Gavin had sent her a photo from the Inte. The background in the photo showed that it was the airport. And Bruce was publicly hugging and kissing Joanna passionately in it! The scene of them had been captured on camera by someone and posted online. Roxanne was stunned upon seeing the photo. Her body felt like it had fallen into an ice cave. ¡°What is it? Show mel¡± Ingrid sna tched the phone away from Roxanne. After seeing the photo, Ingrid felt like her lungs were about to explode from anger. ¡°Shaun! Look at what your good daughter has done! This news is all over the Inte!¡± [Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes were spotted kissing at the airport.] Shaun¡¯s blood pressure soared from anger when he saw the headlines. ¡°See, what did I say? That sl ut Joanna won¡¯t give up so easily! ¡°Roxy, I don¡¯t want to scold you, but why can¡¯t you control your boyfriend?¡± When she heard this, Roxanne was so angry that she cried. ¡°How can I control him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re useless!¡± Photos of Bruce and Joanna kissing passionately at the airport soon became the top story In an instant, the Inte was in an uproar! online. Andy also hurriedly found Bruce and reported, ¡°Mr. Everett, the news released online will have a huge impact on the Everett Group¡¯s image!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Go and suppress it. Don¡¯t make a big deal out of it!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Andy immediately went to find thewyer and told him to send awyer¡¯s letter to the website that had forwarded the photo. However, news travels fast on the Inte. In just one day, the entire Inte knew about it! The next day, Roxanne charged into Bruce¡¯s office. ¡°Bruce, how do you exin the photo?¡± Bruce remained expressionless and silent for over a minute as he looked at the photo. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to exin. What you see is the truth.¡± Roxanne was stunned. Tears instantly flowed down her face. She never expected Bruce to admit it without even bothering to give her a superficial exnation. ¡°Bruce, how could you do this? We¡¯re about to get married. How could you¡­.¡± Bruce¡¯s hawk-like eyes looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°So, are you still willing to marry me? If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll hold the wedding as scheduled. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling, the wedding can be canceled anytime!¡± Roxanne took a deep breath as tears streamed down her face. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 However, it had not been easy for Roxanne to reach this step in her rtionship with Bruce, and she was unwilling to give up just then. Her wish was to marry Bruce and into the Everett family. As long as Bruce could give her the status of Mrs. Everett, she had no choice but to silently ept his infidelity, even if he went out with other women every day. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s not what I meant! What I meant is that you and Joanna have a history. ¡°And we¡¯re biological sisters, after all. If word gets out, it won¡¯t be good for Joanna, you, or me! ¡°Bruce, I know you¡¯re under a lot of pressure and need somewhere to vent, but can you not do it with Joanna?¡± After saying that, Roxanne looked pleadingly toward Bruce with tears in her eyes. The meaning behind Roxanne¡¯s words was evident. Bruce could seek thepany of another woman, but that woman could not be Joanna. Even gold diggers were preferable to Joanna, who would threaten her status. When Bruce heard this, he raised his eyebrows and looked back at Roxanne expressionlessly. Her words made him feel extremely ufortable. If a woman loved a man, would shepromise and allow him to have other women? Roxanne probably only loved his status and not him as a person! ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Bruce gave a strange smile. Roxanne was stunned for a moment before deciding to go all out. ¡°Bruce, I can do whatever Joanna can! ¡°I understand. I was too conservative in the past, so you no longer harbor certain thoughts toward me. ¡°But I just didn¡¯t want to hand myself over so easily! I didn¡¯t want you to think I was easy! ¡°But Bruce, we¡¯re about to get married. I don¡¯t want to stay chaste any longer!¡± Roxanne began taking off her outerwear as she spoke. Then, she threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms and hugged his neck tightly. ¡°Bruce, I love you. I can¡¯t live without you! Whatever Joanna can give you, I can too! ¡°Don¡¯t look for Joanna anymore. If you have needs, you can look for me anytime! We¡¯ve been in love for six years. What else can¡¯t we do?¡± After saying that, Roxanne deliberately pretended to be shy and trembled as she kissed Bruce¡¯s lips. At the same time, her soft petite hands began unbuckling his belt. Bruce frowned slightly but did not react, allowing Roxanne to continue exploring his body. ¡°Bruce, I love you! Take me today¡­¡± No matter what, Roxanne was determined to be Bruce¡¯s woman today. She had already made sufficient preparations beforeing to meet him. She had washed her body clean and soaked in fragrances. All she needed to doter was act inexperienced, and Bruce would think that it was her first time. She was confident he would be in her grasp as long as he believed she gave him her first time. However, Bruce¡¯s frown deepened as Roxanne became increasingly proactive in her advances. Even though Roxanne appeared clumsy, the ces where she would inadvertently graze past were always a man¡¯s most sensitive parts. She was also very good at kissing. These were not things that an inexperienced woman would know how to do. However, the more she acted like this, the less interested Bruce became. It was man¡¯s nature to hunt and chase. The prey that delivered itself to his mouth did not taste as good. ¡°Roxy, stop!¡± ¡°Bruce, I love you. Don¡¯t hold back anymore!¡± Roxanne¡¯s lips were soft, and the perfume on her body was fragrant. In an instant, she had already unbuttoned Bruce¡¯s clothes. Her seduction was about to work when Bruce suddenly pushed her away. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be like this!¡± Roxanne was stunned. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you want me? Don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± He clearly wanted her in the past. However, her mother had taught her not to easily give her first time to men. Therefore, Roxanne pretended to be innocent and always maintained a pure, untainted appearance This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. before Bruce. Gradually, Bruce became less impulsive in his advances toward her. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this when we get married.¡± With that, Bruce tidied Roxanne¡¯s clothes around her. Then, he pushed her away and walked out of the office. Roxanne was embarrassed and angry and chased after him anxiously. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± ¡°I have an appointment with some clients. I have to meet them now. You should go back first!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne shouted from behind him but could only stop to tidy herself as she was not fully dressed. Meanwhile, Bruce had already strode out of the office. Now, he was bored of Roxanne. In the past, he thought she was naive and innocent and found it interesting to coax her. But now, he found it annoying. Bruce got into the car. The chauffeur asked respectfully, ¡°Mr. Everett, where are you going?¡± Bruce thought for a moment. At this moment, he inexplicably wanted to see Joanna. ¡°Go to the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Half an hourter, the chauffeur stopped the car in the underground garage of the Haynes Group. Bruce exited the car and took the elevator to the office. As it was ten in the morning, everyone in thepany, including Joanna, was busy. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± The employees greeted him respectfully. Bruce nodded slightly and walked straight to Joanna¡¯s office. Send Gift Comment ¡°Gosh, Mr. Everett is here again!¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Everett has beening here every two to three days recently. In the past, it would be rare if he even visited once a year!¡± ¡°Hey, do you think Mr. Everett intends to remarry Miss Haynes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. I heard that Miss Haynes gave birth to triplets, not twins. The children¡¯s father is probably Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Wow, if Miss Haynes¡¯ children are Mr. Everett¡¯s, why is she still working so hard? She¡¯s set for life!¡± ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t Miss Haynes¡¯ children Mr. Grimm¡¯s?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t Miss Haynes¡¯ boyfriend Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Well, no one knows the details. The rtionships between the wealthy areplicated. Ordinary people like us can¡¯t figure them out!¡± ¡°Stop talking. Cora is here!¡± The employees quickly returned to their duties and did not dare continue gossiping. Meanwhile, Joanna was busy dealing with the contract in the office. Although she had signed a contract with the Stark Group, there were still many small details in the contract that she had yet to figure out. ¡°Knock! Knock!¡± There was a knock on the door. ¡°Pleasee in!¡± Joanna thought that Cora was here to deliver the coffee. Bruce pushed open the door and walked in. Joanna didn¡¯t even raise her head. ¡°Leave it there!¡± Cora would bring in a cup of strong coffee every two hours during office hours. Coincidentally, she had just finished a cup of coffee, so she thought Cora had brought the next cup in. Bruce did not say anything and quietly walked to the table. He just ced his hand on the desk and looked at Joanna amorously. Joanna finally realized that something was amiss half a minuteter. When she looked up, she realized Bruce had entered her office. Joanna immediately frowned and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you here again?¡± This ba stard had pestered her in the office for half a day yesterday. If Cora hadn¡¯te in, he would have forced himself on her again! Bruce smiled teasingly. He raised his eyebrows slightly and leaned his face closer to hers. ¡°Is there a problem? ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯lle to work asionally. I¡¯ll also inspect your work efficiency when I¡¯m here.¡± Joanna felt her chest hurt from anger when she heard this. She was the chairwoman of the Haynes Group, thepany¡¯s leader! What right did he have to inspect her work efficiency? ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re really annoying!¡± Bruce walked over and lifted her chin slightly. ¡°Babe, what are you busy with?¡± ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Joanna almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She didn¡¯t expect Bruce to have such a sleazy side. She felt like retching. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Please watch your words. Don¡¯t misuse them!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m also thepany¡¯s chairman! Don¡¯t I have the right to ask aboutpany matters?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, you own a big business and have a bunch of elites from all over the world working under you and earning money for you. ¡°Of course, you needn¡¯t busy yourself. But please don¡¯t disrupt other people¡¯s work! ¡°Now get out of here!¡± Struck by how adorable Joanna sounded when she was serious, Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Why would this silly woman need to work so hard if she just agreed to be with him? She was making life difficult for herself. ¡°Alright! Alright! I won¡¯t disrupt you. Continue doing what you were doing!¡± Bruce sat down on the sofa opposite Joanna as he spoke and stared at her with an ambiguous and mischievous smile. Joanna, who had initially returned to focusing on her work, felt her body pric kling now that he was staring at her. It was challenging to concentrate when she felt extremely ufortable. ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s strange for you to stare at me like that.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have no choice. I don¡¯t have an office, so I must share one with you. ¡°Now hurry up and get back to work. Don¡¯t disrupt me from working!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you being serious? I¡¯m disrupting your work?¡± Bruce shrugged innocently. ¡°That¡¯s right! My job is to supervise you. ¡°You¡¯re disrupting my work if you¡¯re not working hard!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes, wide from shock just now, instantly narrowed into a re. This da mn bas tard. No wonder he could dominate the industry. His craftiness and twisted logic were unmatched. Joanna suppressed the anger in her heart and called the secretarial desk. ¡°Cora.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what are your orders?¡± ¡°Clean out an office for Mr. Everett immediately! ¡°In the future, when Mr. Everettes over, let him go to his office!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes!¡± After hanging up, Joanna was still furious and so decided to turn off theputer. Bruce did not think much of it. He liked to see Joanna¡¯s reactions when she was angry. ¡°Babe, what are we having for lunch?¡± ¡°Bruce, stop fooling around! I¡¯m working now!¡± ¡°You have to cat to work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have thepany¡¯s staff meal. Now leave me alone!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out and eat together?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not free!¡± Bruce smiled ambiguously. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll eat thepany¡¯s staff meal with you. alright?¡± Soon, it was noon and time for lunch. The employees were given an hour and a half to eat and rest. Joanna could not be bothered with Bruce. She went to the staff canteen and had the staff meal like the employees. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Many of the employees were queuing up to get food in the canteen. Joanna took a stainless steel te from the disinfection cab. She then went to the kitchen window, ordered a staff meal, sat in the staff canteen, and ate. Joanna knew Bruce was a picky eater and would not cat staff meals. As expected, Bruce did not eat and just sat beside Joanna and watched her eat. Joanna used the stainless steel spoon and mixed the dishes on her te. Then, she ate the concoction. one spoonful at a time. Bruce frowned, his face full of disdain and shock. To him, this was no different from feeding pigs. How could a human use stainless steel cutlery? The usually lively staff canteen was exceptionally quiet today.. Because with Joanna and Bruce around, no one dared to eat there. ¡°Is it good?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. She could not be bothered with Bruce. She wasn¡¯t as fussy as him and didn¡¯t pick on her food. To her, the purpose of eating was to fill one¡¯s stomach. After hurriedly finishing her meal, Joanna went to make another cup of coffee. She then added four sugar cubes and two milk capsules to her coffee. Bruce frowned even more when he saw this. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this is fit for human consumption!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes coldly. She held the cup and swayed it tauntingly in front of Bruce. Then, she drank a few mouthfuls of the coffee. Appalled, Bruce subconsciously gulped. His obsessivepulsive disorder and mysophobia would not allow him to ept such a diet. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting fat after adding so much sugar and milk? This is very unhealthy!¡± ¡°So?¡± Bruce was stunned. Joanna did not drink coffee in the past. After all, coffee contains caffeine that stimtes the nerves. Even if she had coffee asionally, she would only drink the best Blue Mountain Coffee and not add sugar or milk. Therge amounts of milk and sugar she added now were very unhealthy. However, Joanna¡¯s depression was getting worse. She also had hypoglycemia and malnutrition. Therefore, she did not like bitter things. In addition, sugar and milk could stimte dopamine secretion, which induces the feeling of happiness. ¡°You can¡¯t eat like this anymore. You have to change your eating habits! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I remember that you used to have a very healthy diet. Why are you so negligent now?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too nosy?¡± Only go d knew how she had survived the four years since her divorce from Bruce. However, it was for the better. At least it had cured her of her past fussiness and cowardice. ¡°You can¡¯t let this ki nd of junk food enter your body. You can¡¯t drink this anymore!¡± Bruce said and tried to snatch the cup from Joanna¡¯s hands. Joanna ignored him and finished her cup of coffee. ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯m going back to work! ¡°Your office is also ready if you want to work at the Haynes Group. Please go to your own office in the future.¡± ¡°Buzz buzz!¡± Joanna was about to leave when her phone rang. She took out her phone and saw that it was Jaydon calling. Jaydon had called her dozens of times over the past few days, but she had not answered his calls. That was because she did not know how to exin the situation to him, let alone face him. Seeing Joanna¡¯s hesitation, Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Who called?¡± Joanna returned to her senses and put her phone back in her pocket. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°Give me the phone!¡± Bruce reached out to grab Joanna¡¯s phone. Joanna panicked and grabbed her phone tightly, refusing to give it to him. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Let go!¡± However, the more e r efused to give her phone to him, the more frustrated Bruce became. He harshly snatched the phone away and immediately knew it was Jaydon calling when he saw that the caller ID was [Jay). Bruce answered the call without hesitation. ¡°Hello, is this Jaydon?¡± On the other end of the phone, Jaydon was stunned. He also recognized Bruce¡¯s voice. ¡°Why is it you? Where¡¯s Joann?¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Joanna is with me. Don¡¯t call her again!¡± Unable to figure out what was happening, Jaydon was speechless. ¡°Joanna will be my woman from on. If you dare harass her again, I won¡¯t stay polite.¡± Anxious, Joanna jumped up to snatch the phone back from Bruce. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s enough. Give me the phone!* ¡°Joann, did something happen? Where are you now? I¡¯ll go look for you now¡­¡± Before Jaydon could finish his sentence, Bruce hung up. ¡°Bruce, are you done fooling around? What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that you can only be my woman from now on! ¡°You can¡¯t date any other man. Break up with Jaydon.¡± ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°You know the consequences if you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°Ha, you still want to kill me?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? We¡¯re in a society governed byw. How can I just go around killing people? ¡°But those who dare get too close to you will pay a price p ai nf ul than death!¡± Joanna almost broke down when she heard that. ¡°Crazy bastard! Can you stop acting like this? ¡°We¡¯re already divorced. There¡¯s no possibility between us! I beg you to stop harassing me!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Impossible. As long as you¡¯re in Greyport, I won¡¯t let you off! ¡°You are my woman. Whoever dares to have designs on you is intentionally going against me! ¡°If you don¡¯t want anything to happen to Jaydon, you¡¯d better keep a good distance from him! If I find out that you¡¯re secretly interacting with him¡­ You know what I¡¯m like, Joanna.¡± Joanna could not help but gasp for breath when she heard this. With bloodshot eyes, she looked at Bruce in hatred and helplessness. Joanna was aware of Bruce¡¯s personality. Whatever Bruce wanted, he got. If he wanted to harm Jaydon, then Jaydon would be in danger. Moreover, Bruce¡¯s methods were sinister and vicious. Jaydon would be secretly resolved without anyone knowing if Bruce took action. He was impossible to guard against! ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you! Can you not be like this?¡± Bruce took a step forward and held her chin in his palm. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you for thest time! ¡°Be my lover, and I¡¯ll treat you well! ¡°Other than a marriage license, you¡¯ll have everything else. Why are you still dissatisfied with being my woman?¡± Joannaughed coldly. ¡°Hmph! ¡°Bruce, haven¡¯t you always hated me? Haven¡¯t you always thought that I was scheming? What do you mean by pestering me like this?¡± Bruce smiled slyly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. I just like sleeping with you.¡± ¡°Let go of me! If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± ¡°Go a he ad and call the police. Let everyone in Greyport know that you¡¯re my woman!¡± ¡°You lunatic, let go¡­.¡± Meanwhile, Ingrid had barged angrily into thepany¡¯s lobby. ¡°That bitch Joanna, where is she?¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, you¡¯re in apany!¡± ¡°Hurry up and get Joanna out here! That damn shameless bitch! ¡°She seduces men all day long. Of all people, why does she have to seduce her sister¡¯s man?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Ingrid had specially made the trip down to the Haynes Group to stand up for her daughter, Roxanne. She had long borne a hatred for Joanna. Now that Joanna and Bruce were entangled again, it threatened Roxanne¡¯s status. Ingrid would not tolerate this. ¡°Dam n bitc h, get out here! ¡°Everyone,e look at Greyport¡¯s most shameless woman! She specializes in seducing her sister¡¯s man! ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re a one-of-a-kind bi tch! A piece of trash! You¡¯re desperate to let at man¡­¡± Ingrid began cursing loudly as soon as she stepped into thepany building. All sorts of vulgarities. filled the air. Apanying behind her were four middle-aged women who were also dressed fashionably. ¡°Hurry up and get out here! Joanna is a professional mistress who specializes in sleeping with men! Get out here and tell us how many men you slept with!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so shameless. How dare you stay in Greyport!¡± ¡°In ancient times, women like you would be whipped and paraded through the streets!¡± Like Ingrid, these middle-aged women also gained wealth and status by fishing for men in their youth. Therefore, it was natural that they didn¡¯t care about manners. All kinds of insults spewed out from their mouths whenever they scolded people.. The employees on the first floor were all rmed. Everyone came out to watch the spectacle. ¡°Mrs. Haynes is here. Gosh, she¡¯s making such an unpleasant scene!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How uncivilized of her! Why can¡¯t they talk behind closed doors? Why make a scene in public when they¡¯re a family?¡± An old employee smiled faintly. ¡°This is how Mrs. Haynes always acts. She cries, throws tantrums in public, and threatens to kill herself when things don¡¯t go her way. ¡°Now that Miss Haynes is entangled with Mr. Everett, she must be here to stand up for her daughter.¡± ¡°Hey, stop talking. Just watch the show quietly!¡± Cora and Luna quickly went forward to stop Ingrid. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, this is apany. Please take note of your behavior¡­¡± Ingrid looked Cora up and down. With her hands on her hips, she pointed at Cora¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°Ha! Little hu ssy, who do you think you are? How dare you tell me how to act? ¡°Do you know? The Haynes Group belongs to the Haynes family. Sooner orter, it will return to the Haynes family! ¡°That da mn bi tch shamelessly seized it from us and is upying what is rightfully ours! ¡°Where¡¯s that d amn b itch Joanna? Hurry up and get her toe out! I will tell the world her misdeeds today and let everyone see how she seduces men!¡± Cora couldn¡¯t stop Ingrid and quickly called for security. A few security guards hurriedly went upstairs. Meanwhile, Bruce had eagerly pinned Joanna down in the office and attempted to conquer her again. But he was so shocked when he heard themotion caused by Ingrid that he frowned and stopped his actions. He had also heard all of Ingrid¡¯s insults. Joanna sneered and looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°Let go of me. Your mother-inw is here! ¡°What else do you want from me? Haven¡¯t you put me through enough?¡± Bruce listened and stared deeply into Joanna¡¯s eyes. In the past, her eyes were clear, like a resplendent gxy. But now, her eyes were filled with numbness and exhaustion. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Ha, it¡¯s because of you that I have to suffer the insults of so many people.¡± Six years ago, everyone in Greyport was insulting her. They were even worse than whatever Ingrid. was spewing now. The online abuse back then almost drove her to suicide. It was also then that her depression started to worsen. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying this? I beg you, stop pestering me! ¡°I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to be insulted anymore!¡± ¡°Ignore them. Let them throw their insults.¡± After saying that, Bruce lowered his head and kissed Joanna¡¯s lips deeply. In the meantime, Ingrid and her four aplices had already aggressively barged into the office¡¯s entrance. The security guards had also rushed over. ¡°You can¡¯t enter the office. Leave the Haynes Group now!¡± Ingrid sneered, put her hands on her hips, and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares to stop me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is Mrs. Haynes! She¡¯s the real boss of the Haynes Group!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you guys blind? How dare you stop Mrs. Haynes!¡± Although Ingrid¡¯s four aplices were middle-aged, they had all maintained good figures and were dressed in bright, revealing clothes. The few of them pinched and hit the security guards, who dared not hit back. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the office and find that da mn bi tch!¡± The five of them walked towards the office aggressively. ¡°Joanna, da mn b itch, get out here!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Ingrid pushed the door open. In the office, Bruce sat upright and frowned slightly as he looked arrogantly at the women who had barged in. Upon seeing Bruce, Ingrid swallowed the curse words about toe out of her mouth.. She quickly retracted her shrewish attitude and said sourly, ¡°Oh, Bruce, you¡¯re here too!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ingrid took a deep breath and nced sideways at Joanna. Joanna sat behind her desk with a cold expression. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re about to get married to Roxy! What are you doing now?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Need I report to you what I do?¡± Send Gift Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Bruce¡¯s voice was not loud, but it exuded a pressure that made people breathless. Ingrid¡¯s face turned pale. She pursed her lips as a look of difort crept up her face. To put it bluntly, she dared not ask if Bruce went out to find other women. Given the current situation, it would already be a miracle if Bruce went ahead and married Roxanne as scheduled. If Bruce canceled the wedding, their family would really be theughingstock of Greyport! Ingrid dared to cause trouble for Joanna, but not Bruce. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Bruce crossed his long legs and leaned against the sofa with a deep frown. ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± Ingrid quickly thought and answered, ¡°I meant you¡¯re about to get married. So you should spend more time with Roxy! ¡°Why do you keep finding Joanna when you are free? People will gossip!¡± Bruce sneered. His hawk¨Clike eyes blinked, and a menacing aura flowed from him. ¡°Who¡¯s gossiping? What gossip?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Didn¡¯t you see the news online? Everyone is spreading nasty gossip!¡± ¡°Does their gossip sound as nasty as your insults just now?¡± Ingrid, choked and tongue¨Ctied, replied, ¡°No, Bruce, I was angry just now! So the words I spoke were unpleasant. ¡°I just hope that everything is fine between you and Roxy. Roxy is simple¨Cminded and can be stubborn sometimes. ¡°You know what happenedst time. Roxy almost lost her life! What if something like that happens again?¡± Bruce frowned and, without looking up, said. ¡°You¡¯re using the same trick again. It won¡¯t work if you use it too much!¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve agreed to marry Roxy, I won¡¯t go back on my word! ¡°As for my personal matters, I don¡¯t want anyone to interfere!¡± Feeling like her heart was in her throat, Ingrid gulped. She was afraid of offending this wealthy son¨Cin¨C ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interfere in your personal matters. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Before Ingrid could finish her sentence, Bruce stood up. I¡¯m working now. If you have nothing else to say, hurry up and return home. ¡°If you dare return to the Haynes Group and cause trouble for Joanna again, I¡¯ll make sure the Haynes family regrets it.¡± Ingrid¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Bruce was increasingly disdainful of them. However, besides swallowing her anger, Ingrid could not do anything else. The other women quickly pulled Ingrid out. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back first!¡± Ingrid was choked with anger. Her eyes were like knives as she viciously red at Joanna. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re Roxanne¡¯s elder sister. No matter what, you should know your limits. Don¡¯t constantly think about taking your sister¡¯s things for yourself ¡°I don¡¯t dare to control you, but your father has heart disease and high blood pressure. If anything happens to him, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Ingrid turned around angrily and left after she finished speaking. The five women had just reached the elevator when the elevator door happened to open. Jaydon hurried out of the elevator. Ingrid became even more furious when she saw Jaydon. ¡°Mr. Grimm, you¡¯re finally here! ¡°Hurry up and get a grip on your girlfriend. Don¡¯t let her go around seducing other people¡¯s men! ¡°Don¡¯t you feel cuckolded?¡± Jaydon¡¯s handsome face instantly darkened when he heard this. He ignored Ingrid and hurriedly walked toward Joanna¡¯s office. The employees were still watching the spectacle unfold and were whispering to each other. ¡°Wow, Mr. Grimm is here too! Something exciting is going to unfold!¡± ¡°Do you think Mr. Grimm and Mr. Everett will fight when they meet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. Wow, wow, wow! It¡¯ll be like watching two titans fighting!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so lively in the office today! We¡¯ve been blessed with so much drama recently!¡± Cora reprimanded the employees with a cold expression when she heard this. ¡°Go back to your jobs and stop gawking! ¡°Whoever continues gossiping will be punished!¡± When they heard this, the employees did not dare to gossip anymore and quickly returned to their work cubicles. There were more than a thousand employees in the Haynes Group. Even the office workers in the same office building as Joanna amounted to a few dozen. Meanwhile, in the office. Joann, everything¡¯s fine! I¡¯ve already warned Ingrid. She won¡¯t dare to cause trouble again!¡± Joanna leaned against the desk and weakly ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°Bruce, my heart is weary. ¡°Can you stay away from me?¡± Bruce took her by the shoulders and nuzzled his chin against her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll look after you no matter what happens. What else are you worried about?¡± Joanna suddenly raised her head and screamed at the top of her lungs, ¡°I simply don¡¯t want anything to do with you now, do you understand?¡± Bruce looked back at her calmly. After a few seconds, he answered, ¡°I know you still love me. Why do you have to reject me like this? ¡°If you¡¯re trying to y hard to get, it won¡¯t work on me.¡± Joanna became even more furious when she heard this and mmed her fists on the table several times. ¡°I don¡¯t love you. I haven¡¯t loved you for a long time now! Since the day of our divorce, I have stopped loving you! 07:16 Thu I¡¯m begging you, stop being so narcissistic!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, you wouldn¡¯t have had such a big reaction to me when I touched you! ¡°Your body can¡¯t fool anyone!¡± Joanna was so enraged when she heard this that her entire body trembled. A difficult and cruel man like Bruce would never stop until he achieved his goal. No woman could remain calm when being pestered by a man like him. You crazy bastard! Stop talking!¡± ¡°Joanna, stop lying to yourself!¡± After saying that, Bruce wrapped his arms tightly around her waist again. ¡°Let go of me, don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The two were entangled in a scuffle when the office door was pushed open again. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon was stunned when he saw the scene before him. Joanna turned around and saw that it was Jaydon. Her face turned even paler. ¡°Jay, why are you here?¡± Joanna struggled violently against Bruce after saying that. Unfortunately, he had firmly trapped her in his arms. She could not break free at all. ¡°Hmph! Jaydon, what are you doing here?¡± Bruce sneered and left the tableside. Like an eagle with a chick in its ws, he pulled Joanna along with him in his arms. ¡°Bruce, let go of Joann!¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Jaydon cruelly. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. If you continue to pester Joanna, I won¡¯t remain polite!¡± Jaydon walked over to them with a cold expression on his face. ¡°Let go of her quickly! Otherwise, I won¡¯t remain polite too!¡± ¡°Joanna has already slept with me and agreed to be my woman! Are you sure you still want to fight with me for her?¡± ¡°Joann, is it true?¡± Joanna gasped and closed her eyes in agony. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s enough! I¡¯ve had enough of you! ¡°I¡¯m telling you now that the person I love is Jay! The children are also Jay¡¯s! It¡¯s up to you whether you believe it or not!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes turned cold when he heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°Jay and I were childhood sweethearts, We¡¯ve been in love for a long time, and he¡¯s a hundred times better than you!¡± Joanna could only lie to Bruce as she did not want him to continue pestering her. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 With a terrifying expression on his face, Bruce stared at Joanna Joanna, don¡¯t talk nonsense. You have to take responsibility for your words!¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away and met his eyes angrily Tll take responsibility. And Im responsibly telling you now that the person I love has always been Jay! I only married you because you¡¯re the president of a billion¨Cdor consortium! ¡°I spent so much effort to set you up with myself because you¡¯re the wealthiest man in Greyport! My goal was to marry into the Everett family and make use of you! ¡°But I have no use for you now! I don¡¯t want to toy with you anymore! Please stop pestering me!¡± Bruce clenched his fists. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? Alright, I¡¯ll tell you today that the children are Jay¡¯s! ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll show you the children¡¯s birth certificates and their paternity test results with Jay another day! Bruce felt his blood freeze when he heard this, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Joanna, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± If the children were Jaydon¡¯s, it meant Joanna had cheated on him when they were still married. This was a humiliation that Bruce could not swallow. Joanna held her breath and looked toward Jaydon with pleading eyes. ¡°Jay, tell him!¡± Jaydon pondered for a few seconds before calmly meeting Bruce¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, the children are mine and Joann¡¯s! ¡°I didn¡¯t announce this to the public because I was afraid of the repercussions it would cause. There¡¯s no need to hide the truth from you anymore since you keep misunderstanding the children¡¯s parentage, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Frowning, he tried his best to control his anger. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll give you onest chance.¡± ¡°I am serious and telling you now that the children are Jay¡¯s! I can show you the paternity test results and the children¡¯s birth certificates another day. ¡°I was already in love with Jay before I met you!¡± Bruce tutted and sneered. ¡°In other words, you still had contact with him while we were married?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. In the end, she nodded firmly. ¡°Yes¡± Her confirmation was enough to anger Bruce regardless of whether it was true. ¡°p! The crisp sound of a p rang through the air Bruce had pped Joanna. He had not held back and had given her a tight p Joanna lost her bnce and staggered Fortunately, Jaydon reacted quickly and caught her in time. ¡°Bruce, how can you consider yourself a man?¡± Malice and anger were overflowing from Bruce. He stared at Joanna threateningly. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll make sure you regret this!¡± 0/16 Thu, With that, Bruce mmed the door behind him and left with a cold expression. Joanna slumped limply onto the ground after Bruce left. It was as if she had been sucked of all her energy. Joannydon quickly got down on his knees and hugged her. Joanna leaned weakly in Jaydon¡¯s arms and cried out loudly. Jay¡­ ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll stand by your side no matter what happens!¡± ¡°Jay, I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡± Jaydon tightened his grip andforted her gently. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t hold on anymore if you can¡¯t. ¡°If things don¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll take you away from Greyport. We¡¯ll go back to Surbano!¡± Joanna hugged Jaydon and cried bitterly when she heard this. Meanwhile, in the parking lot. ¡°Screech!¡± Bruce had started his car. The Aston Martin swerved around like a wild beast that had lost control. Bruce then suddenly drifted the car and charged it out of the garage. The chauffeur in the passenger seat was scared out of his wits and hurriedly grabbed the side handles. ¡°Mr. Everett, why don¡¯t¡­ why don¡¯t I drive instead?¡± Bruce did not answer and turned the steering wheel fiercely. The wheels of the car drifted again and rushed into the traffic. Bruce was vexed and only felt better when venting his irritation by speeding. However, this greatly frightened the chauffeur. Bruce initially did not believe Joanna when she said the children belonged to Jaydon. However, he was half¨Cconvinced when she said she would show him the children¡¯s birth certificates and paternity test results. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If Joanna¡¯s statement was true, she had cheated on him with Jaydon during their marriage. With his personality, Bruce could not ept such a betrayal. ¡°Joanna, I didn¡¯t expect you to dare lie to me! I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Bruce cursed and mmed on the steering wheel hard. The car tilted to the side and nearly flipped over. ¡°Mr. Everett, be careful! There¡¯s a red light ahead¡­ The chauffeur¡¯s face turned white from the fear that Bruce had run a red light. Bruce had just got into a car identst month and had crashed his car into the sea. It had only been a month, and he was driving recklessly again. If Margaret found out, she would fire all the chauffeurs! The chauffeur was so frightened when he saw the intersection that he closed his eyes. He thought that Bruce was going to drive through it without a care. 07:16 Thu, 22 Jun Unexpectedly, Bruce suddenly stepped on the brakes. The car came to a halting stop. The huge force made the two of them fly forward. Thankfully, they were locked back into their seats by the seatbelts. The chauffeur was scared out of his wits. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to jump out of the car. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ The chauffeur was trembling with fear. ¡°Shut up!¡± The chauffeur was so frightened that he did not dare to speak anymore. He knew Bruce¡¯s temper and could only silently pray they remained safe. Margaret called as soon as Bruce returned home. Bruce frowned but still picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Grandma!¡± Margaret¡¯s voice sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°Bruce,e and have dinner tonight with me!¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m a little tired today. Can we do it another day?¡± Margaret pondered briefly before earnestly advising, ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to interfere in your personal matters. ¡°But you have to think of potential repercussions. Don¡¯t act recklessly! ¡°Since you¡¯re preparing to marry the Haynes family¡¯s second daughter, don¡¯t get too involved with their eldest daughter. Otherwise, people will gossip, negatively affecting the Everett Group!¡± Margaret had also seen the pictures of Bruce and Joanna kissing passionately at the airport. After all, the Everett family was the wealthiest family in Greyport. Every move of theirs was bound to be eye¨Ccatching, so many things had to be considered when they acted. Although Margaret did not like Roxanne, she was a person who valued promises. Her word given was as good as done. Since she had promised the Haynes family that Bruce would marry Roxanne, Margaret would not allow Bruce to fool around outside. Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Got it, Grandma!¡± ¡°I asked you to bring Joanna¡¯s children back so I could look at them. It¡¯s been so long. Why haven¡¯t you brought the children. back yet?¡± Speaking of Joanna, Bruce¡¯s heart red with anger. He pursed his lips. ¡°She said that the children don¡¯t belong to the Everett family. There¡¯s no need for you to take a look at the children, Grandma.¡± Margaret fell silent on the other end of the phone. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first! I¡¯ll go back and eat with you this weekend, Grandma.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± After hanging up, Bruce let out a long sigh of relief and lit a cigarette. He was still doubtful of Joanna¡¯s words! However, he was furious at her attitude. When he thought of the ambiguous rtionship between her and Jaydon, his heart tightened even more. A Rolls¨CRoyce pulled up in front of the Haynes Group¡¯s entrance the next day. Margaret hade to see Joanna personally. In the office, Joanna was surprised to see that Margaret hade down personally. She quickly stood up to wee Margaret and greeted her politely and respectfully, ¡°Hello, Grandma! Why are you here?¡± Margaret was wearing a retro dress and round¨Cframed sses with a chain on the bridge of her nose. On her neck and wrist was an emerald set of jewelry. She looked elegant and noble. Joann! It¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡± Joanna paused and answered, ¡°Oh. I¡¯m fine! Grandma, why are you here today?¡± Margaret was a supporter when she and Bruce got married six years ago. She had treated Joanna well during Joanna¡¯s two years of marriage with Bruce. Therefore, Joanna also respected Margaret and habitually called her Grandma. Margaret sat down on the sofa and looked at Joanna in a dignified yet kindly manner. ¡°I came here today to see you!¡± ¡°Oh. Please have some tea, Grandma!¡± ¡°No, thank you. Take a seat!¡± Margaret smiled calmly, indicating that Joanna need not be nervous. Margaret was the guest, but the aura she exuded inadvertently suppressed that of Joanna¡¯s. Still uneasy, Joanna sat down on the other end of the sofa. ¡°Grandma, please speak if you have something to say.¡± Margaret paused for a few seconds and smiled kindly. ¡°I wanted to ask about the children.¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve already made things very clear to Mr. Everett about the children.¡± Margaret¡¯s eyelids drooped as she quietly stared at Joanna. Her eyes were kind and amiable but seemed to be able to cut through hearts and minds when she stared at people. ¡°Joanna, this is no small matter! If the children belong to the Everett family, we will take responsibility!¡± Joanna pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood, Grandma. My children do not belong to the Everett family!¡± ¡°I intend to find out whether it¡¯s true or not!¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Bring the children here, and let me see them! I will take the children for a paternity test with Bruce. If they are not of the Everett family¡­¡± Joanna interrupted Margaret. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but they are my children! You have no right to take my children away!¡± ¡°Oh, no, no, no, I won¡¯t take your children away! ¡°I¡¯m also a woman. I know how protective a mother is of her children. Even if the children are of the Everett family, I will not snatch them away from you. ¡°You can rest assured about this. But if you insist on disagreeing, I will think of other ways!¡± Margaret was always polite unless she had to resort to force. Her gentle words carried a chilling threat. Joanna frowned slightly and pondered for a few seconds. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll show you something, Grandma. 07:16 Thu, 22 ¡°Please give me a moment, Grandma!¡± With that, Joanna went straight to a corner of the office. Then, she opened the safe and took out a folder. ¡°Grandma, you can take a look at this.¡± Joanna handed the folder to Margaret. Margaret eyed Joanna suspiciously. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°These are my children¡¯s birth certificates from the hospital and their paternity test results.¡± Margaret opened the folder when she heard this. Inside the folder were two documents embossed with steel stamps. One was the children¡¯s birth certificates with the hospital¡¯s seal. Jaydon¡¯s name was in the father¡¯s columns. The other was the paternity test results. It showed that the probability of paternity between the three children and Jaydon was 99%. In other words, Jaydon and the three children were biologically rted. After looking at the two documents, Margaret adjusted her sses, and a hint of disappointment crept Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. up her face. ¡°You can take these certificates to any institution for appraisal, Grandma. They are authentic and valid. ¡°So please stop suspecting that the children are of the Everett family, Grandma!¡± Joanna had spent a lot of money to get someone to fake these two certificates. Even the children¡¯s birth dates were deliberately pushed back by three months. After a while, Margaret finally came back to her sense. ¡°In that case, sorry to disturb you.¡± Margaret stood up and prepared to leave as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s alright, as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up!¡± Margaret walked toward the office door. When she reached it, she suddenly stopped. ¡°I still want to give you a reminder.¡± ¡°Please go ahead, Grandma.¡± ¡°You and Bruce have a past. But Bruce is going to marry your sister soon. ¡°However you put it, this matter reflects negatively on all of us. I hope you will distance yourself from Bruce.¡± Joanna chuckled and replied coldly, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve misunderstood. ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted anything to do with Mr. Everett! ¡°As long as he can maintain distance, I will not disturb his life. ¡°Also, I hope you can advise Mr. Everett, Grandma. Tell him not to suppress and disrupt the normal operation of the Haynes Group!¡± 0716 Thu, 22 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Margaret was a proud person. Naturally, she understood what Joanna meant. Margaret knew her grandson¡¯s personality well. As for Joanna, she could tell that Joanna was a strong and proud person from the words she spoke. Some things were probably Bruce¡¯s fault. Margaret looked back at Joanna kindly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will advise Bruce. ¡°No matter what, the Haynes Group is your grandfather¡¯s hard work. I don¡¯t wish for the Haynes Group to suffer any negative impact too!¡± Thank you, Grandma!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Grandma!¡± Joanna personally sent Margaret downstairs. Joanna heaved a long sigh of relief once she had sent Margaret away. She could not help but feel a little nervous and prayed that Margaret could manage Bruce. Joanna was confident she could manage the Haynes Group well as long as Bruce did not y any tricks behind her back. Bruce returned to the Everett mansion as promised over the weekend. He would go back for dinner with his Grandma every weekend on time. Bruce pretended to be nonchnt during dinner time. ¡°Grandma, I heard that you went to see Joanna?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Margaret replied calmly. Seeing that Margaret did not continue, Bruce couldn¡¯t help but ask after a while. ¡°And?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Bruce gently took a sip of the ginseng soup. His eyes were unfocused. Margaret suddenly sighed after checking her grandson¡¯s reaction. ¡°The children are not of the Everett family. In the future, don¡¯t make things difficult for Joanna.¡± Bruce¡¯s heart tightened when he heard this. The spoon in his hand fell into the bowl, generating a crisp, ringing sound. ¡°How did you know, Grandma?¡± Margaret put down the cutlery in her hand. ¡°Joanna showed me the children¡¯s birth certificates and paternity test results. ¡°I have checked. The certificates are real. So, the children are not of the Everett family.¡± Bruce instantly felt the blood rushing to his head and a hint of hatred gathered in his eyes. Joanna had cheated on him during their marriage! Bruce could not take it anymore. He fervently wished that he could settle the score with Joanna right then. Margaret observed her grandson¡¯s reaction and continued, ¡°In business, we prioritize benefits. Even more important is keeping promises. The Everett family has reached where we are today because we kept our promises. Other than keeping promises, it is also vital to be magnanimous. The Haynes Group was Raymond Haynes¡® life¡¯s work. When your grandfather illegally immigrated to Greyport, he was without rtives and at wit¡¯s end. It was Raymond who took your grandfather in! ¡°He also helped your grandfather get through the most challenging times. As a person, you can¡¯t forget your roots. You must remember them! ¡°I don¡¯t want to see the Haynes Group destroyed!¡± The country had yet to undergo reformation and open up in the 1960s and the 1970s. Many people had gone south, illegally migrating from Porash and the surrounding areas into Greyport, which was not yet part of the country, looking for gold. Bruce¡¯s grandfather was one of those people. At that time, Greyport was particrly cruel to illegal immigrants. Women were directly sold into prostitution when caught by human traffickers, while men were beaten to death and thrown into the sea. Raymond was one of Greyport¡¯s locals and had taken in Bruce¡¯s grandfather, who had just arrived in Greyport. After more than 40 years of hard work, the Everett family had be the wealthiest family in Greyport. Therefore, after they prospered, the Everett family took care of the Haynes family, who, under the former¡¯s help, also entered the circle of the rich. ¡°I advise you to be magnanimous when settling the matter between yourself and Joanna. She is a woman already having a hard time raising three children alone. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to interfere with the Haynes Group¡¯s business anymore, and you are not allowed to Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. suppress the Haynes Group secretly!¡± Bruce was silent for a few seconds after hearing this. I understand, Grandma!¡± Having finished her dinner, Margaret stood up and prepared to leave the dining room. ¡°You¡¯re getting engaged to the Haynes family¡¯s second daughter next month. Stop fooling around outside! ¡°Since things havee to this, you should get married as soon as possible. You¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s about time you give me a great¨Cgrandson to dote on! ¡°I don¡¯t have many years left to live at my age. Before I die, my only wish is to have a great¨Cgrandson!¡± Bruce felt upset when he heard this. ¡°You will definitely live to be a hundred years old, Grandma! Forget a great¨Cgrandson! You¡¯ll live to carry a great¨Cgreat¨Cgrandson!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be cheeky! ¡°Call Mr. Haynes and Mrs. Haynes over someday to discuss the engagement.¡± ¡°You make the arrangements, Grandma.¡± Margaret snorted and said dotingly, ¡°I will help you make the arrangements this time. Don¡¯t make any more mistakes!¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Margaret called Shaun in the evening and invited him and Ingrid to discuss marriage ns. Ingrid was so happy that she could not close her mouth from smiling after receiving the call. ¡°That¡¯s great! Margaret called us personally and invited your father and me to discuss the engagement! 07:16 Thu, 22 JUN ¡°Oh my! Thank heavens! This marriage is finally on the agenda! ¡°Roxy! You must do well this time!¡± Roxanne listened from the side. Although she smiled, her heart was filled with sorrow. She could feel that Bruce no longer had any love for her. If she married him, she would probably only gain the coveted status of Mrs. Everett. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Ingrid smiled and patted her daughter¡¯s shoulderfortingly. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing to worry about! ¡°Everything will be fine once you¡¯re married. No matter what, you¡¯ll marry into the Everett family and be Mrs. Everett! Then the Haynes family can be proud! ¡°We can¡¯t afford to mess things up this time! We have to endure everything. Don¡¯t make a scene before Bruce!* Roxanne nodded and answered, ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Then hurry up and get packing! We have to prepare and go over to the Everett mansion tomorrow. Go to bed early today!¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go back to my room!¡± ¡°Go! Sleep early! Don¡¯t forget to apply a facial mask to hydrate your skin!¡± ¡°Got it, Mom!¡± Roxanne answered impatiently and went upstairs. After returning to her room, Roxanne eagerly took out another phone. Gavin had sent her many messages and was asking to meet her again. But the wedding was imminent, so Roxanne dared not meet Gavin. If Bruce found out, she and the Haynes family would be finished! Roxanne was staring at her phone, dazed, when it suddenly vibrated. Gavin¡¯s message popped up. [Roxy, I miss you!] Roxanne hesitated briefly before replying. [We can¡¯t meet again. Let¡¯s not contact each other for the time being!] Another message from Gavin came in less than a minuteter. [Roxy, don¡¯t you miss me?] [If you¡¯re afraid of being seen, you cane to my house! I¡¯ll pick you up!] Roxanne stared at the message on her phone and could not help but feel her body burn up. She hadn¡¯t seen Gavin for half a month, so she naturally craved his touch again. Roxanne felt like she could not live without a man once she had experienced their touch. Besides, Gavin knew her so well. Every moment she spent with him was so exciting and so satisfying.. Roxanne hesitated for a few minutes but could not resist her urge to see Gavin. She typed a word on her phone screen. [Okay!] After replying to the message, Roxanne quickly changed and quietly went downstairs. Ingrid happened toe out of the room to get some water and saw her daughter sneaking out of the house. She quickly stopped her daughter. ¡°Roxy, it¡¯s already sote. Are you going out?¡± When Roxanne heard this, she panicked and stammered, ¡°Oh! 1¡­ I¡¯m going to meet Bruce!¡± Upon hearing that Roxanne was meeting Bruce, Ingrid smiled and did not suspect anything else. ¡°Then hurry up and go! ¡°Don¡¯t keep Mr. Everett waiting too long. Be more daring, and stop being so conservative! ¡°Don¡¯te back tonight. Get along well with Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Roxanne replied nervously. She took her bag and hurried out of the door. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That silly daughter of mine has finally been enlightened!¡± Ingrid took a sip of water and went upstairs happily. If she knew that her daughter had not gone out to meet Bruce, but that poor boy Gavin, Ingrid would probably spew blood from anger! As usual, Roxanne took a taxi to where she and Gavin often met before he picked her up on his motorcycle. Gavin lived in a cottage in the suburbs. Even though it was only a cottage, many people in Greyport could not afford it. Gavin¡¯s parents had long stopped living with him. Therefore, he was the only one in the cottage. Upon getting off the motorcycle and returning to the cottage, Roxanne and Gavin could hardly wait before they fell into one another¡¯s arms. ¡°Roxy, are you really getting married? What will happen to me if you get married? ¡°You lusty kitten, can you live without me?¡± Gavin knew Roxanne was getting married, so he worked harder than usual to impress her. He wanted her to remember him so that she would never be able to leave him! He wanted her always to remember him even if she was married! After a while, Roxanne could not take it anymore and moaned with pleasure. A week passed in a sh. Bruce had not gone to the Haynes Group to cause trouble for one week. Joanna¡¯s days were finally peaceful. As it was the weekend, Lilia could not wait any longer. She kept asking Joanna, ¡°Mommy, will Irvin and Davian being back today?¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring them backter.¡± In the afternoon, Joanna fetched Davian and Irvin back from Venturas. As soon as they entered the house, Davian and Irvin shouted happily, ¡°Lilia, we¡¯re back!¡± Irvin! You¡¯re back! I missed you both so much!¡± ¡°We missed you too! Look, I brought a gift back for you!¡± Davian took two cookies out of his pocket and presented them as if he were presenting a treasure. ¡°What are these?¡± These are handmade biscuits that I made at school!¡± 07:16 Thu, 22 Jun M Lilia took the cookies. ¡°Thank you, Davian!¡± Irvin hurriedly took out a few biscuits too. ¡°I brought you some too!¡± Thank you, Irvin!¡± ¡°Was kindergarten fun?¡± ¡°Yes, it was very fun! I can get to know many, many friends!¡± ¡°What do you do every day?¡± ¡°ying games, learning, and doing arts and craft!¡± Disappointment appeared on Lilia¡¯s face when she heard this. She wanted to go to kindergarten too. Unfortunately, she could only lie down all day long. ¡°I want to go to kindergarten too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can go to kindergarten with Davian and Irvin once you recover, Lilia.¡± Davian looked at Joanna. ¡°Mommy, can we bring Lilia downstairs to y?¡± ¡°The weather is good today. Mommy will bring you¡¯ll to the Ocean Park to y!¡± ¡°Oh, yay! That¡¯s great! We get to go to Ocean Park!¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll have to behave yourselves and don¡¯t run around!¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Joanna looked at the time. It was one in the afternoon. There was just enough time for the children to y in the park for two to three hours. It had been long since she had gone out to y with the children. Joanna decided to take the children out for a trip as she happened to be free today. ¡°Alright then, go and change your clothes!¡± ¡°Yay! We¡¯re going to Ocean Park!¡± Davian and Irvin happily ran to change their clothes. Joanna also carried Lilia and changed her into a beautiful dress and sunhat. Lilia was delighted. She had not gone out for a long time because of her health. After dressing up, Lilia sat on the wheeled stretcher. Her rosy face and big blinking eyes made her look as beautiful as at princess. Besides being unable to stand, she was no different from a normal child.. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The family set out, with Tracy pushing Lilia and Joanna holding Davian and Irvin¡¯s hands. Under the wheeled stretcher were the children¡¯s water bottles and some snacks. As there was no room in the car, Joanna only brought one helper, Tracy. Half an hourter, Joanna¡¯s car arrived at Ocean Park. The three children were incredibly excited. Especially excited was Irvin, who would run in front from time to time to lead the way. Davian had a quieter personality and exuded a matureness that did not match his age. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s a dolphin performance here!¡± Irvin shouted excitedly. Lilia looked at the dolphins in the water and smiled so radiantly that her eyes curved into moon¨Clike crescents. ¡°Mommy, can wee and y once a week from now on?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Joanna gently stroked Lilia¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, Mommy will bring you here when I have time!¡± Joanna brought the children to the fantasy¨Cthemed aquarium after watching the dolphins. The aquarium led straight to the bottom of the sea. The elevator was directly built into the sea, and one could see the sea creatures living at the bottom of the sea through the ss cover. It was also the most fun and scenic spot in the park. There¡¯s more fun ahead. Let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna and the children arrived at the aquarium. Just as they were about to enter, the staff stopped them. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to enter here. It¡¯s temporarily closed!¡± When the children heard this, their faces were filled with disappointment. Chapter 82. They had long wanted to see the sea creatures at the bottom of the sea. ¡°Why?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Um, the aquarium is under repair today, so it¡¯s not open to tourists!¡± Joanna felt that it was a pity when she heard this. However, she could only give up since the aquarium was under repair. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Mommy, we want to go in and take a look!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not open to the public today. I¡¯ll bring you¡¯ll here next time, alright?¡± When Davian and Irvin heard this, their faces were filled with disappointment. They knew how busy their mother was with work and that it would be long before they could revisit the aquarium. ¡°Be good. There¡¯s a dinosaur¨Cthemed park ahead. Let¡¯s go see the dinosaurs, okay?¡± ¡°Alright! The three children pouted. Although unhappy, they did not want to anger their mother, so they could only agree. Joanna was about to leave with the children when she heard cheerfulughter from the aquarium¡¯s entrance. ¡°Wow, this background is the best! Stand on the elevator and take a picture! ¡°Take one for me too!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, you can put your hand on your shoulder! I¡¯ll take another photo¡­¡± From the sound of it, people were taking photos in the aquarium. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the aquarium was under repair and not open to the public?¡± The staff continued to answer vaguely, ¡°Um, yes!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°There are tourists taking photos inside. Why can they go in but not us?¡± The staff¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Someone booked the aquarium today. It¡¯s not open to the public!¡± Joanna was even angrier when she heard that. The aquarium was not a private park, and booking it for private use was prohibited. Joanna wondered who was so powerful that they could book the aquarium. ¡°We want to go in. We bought tickets too! Why can¡¯t we go in?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Just know that it¡¯s not open to the public today!¡± ¡°Ha! Is the person inside the president of another country? Are tourists not allowed to enter?¡± Joanna argued with the staff. Meanwhile, a few photographers came out of the aquarium. Then, a beautiful woman in a white wedding dress and exquisite makeup walked out with a smile. Behind her were four or five assistants specially hired to lift the long hem of her wedding dress. The group appeared to be ing wedding photos inside, with the aquarium as their background. Chapter $2 Joanna took a closer look. That bride was Roxanne! Behind Roxanne was the stylishly dressed Ingrid. Ingrid was still posing seductively in front of the photographer. ¡°Hey, Bruce, when are you arriving? We¡¯ve already finished photographing the solo photos. We¡¯re just short of pictures with both of us in it. ¡°What? You¡¯ll be here in half an hour? I¡¯ll take photos at the next location first, then!¡± Roxanne hung up the phone. As she walked, she said, ¡°Mom, the aquarium is a beautiful background. How many photos did you take?¡± ¡°I took a lot of pictures! ¡°Where are we going to shoot next? When are we going to shoot in Paris? I want to go too!¡± The photographer smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s shoot photos set domestically first! When Mr. Everett has enough time, we¡¯ll shoot overseas!¡± Just as they were talking, Ingrid and Roxanne looked up and happened to see Joanna and her three children beside her. ¡°Hey, look what we have here. Isn¡¯t this the chairwoman of the Haynes Group?¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 er 83 Ingrid¡¯s face darkened. Her eyes scanned Joanna up and down, and her face was filled with mockery. ¡°So they¡¯re the ones who booked the aquarium? Is this what you meant when you said it was under repair?¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at the staff. Irvin tugged at Joanna¡¯s hand. ¡°Mommy, can we go in now? ¡°Sir, others can enter, so why can¡¯t we? ¡°My sister really wants to go in and take a look!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The staff member turned and looked toward Ingird inquiringly. Ocean Park was not private property. Booking the entire venue was prohibited. But it had been booked for a wedding photoshoot. Only the Everett family was powerful enough to do so in Greyport. Roxanne had yet to marry into the Everett family, but people already regarded her as Mrs. Everett. ¡°Can we enter now?¡± Joanna asked. The staff ignored her. He turned to look at Ingrid and Roxanne. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, Miss Roxanne, are you done with your wedding photoshoot?¡± Ingrid nced at Joanna and sneered. ¡°Not yet! Just wait!¡± Joanna was choked with anger. ¡°Mr. Everett hasn¡¯t arrived yet. They still have to take photos of the coupleter! They¡¯ve only taken solo photos. ¡°Outsiders are not allowed to enter the aquarium today!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Take your time, Mrs. Haynes and Miss Roxanne!¡± The staff turned to look at Joanna. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t enter for now!¡± ¡°Mommy, what should we do?¡± Irvin¡¯s face was filled with grievance and disappointment. Davian stood there coolly and red at Roxanne and Ingrid. ¡°Mommy, why can they enter? Why can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mommy, why don¡¯t wee back another day!¡± Lilia was timid and gently pulled on Joanna¡¯s finger. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring you over another day! ¡°Davian, Irvin, let¡¯s go!¡± Seeing Joanna was about to leave, Roxanne raised her eyebrows and smiled smugly. ¡°Bruce and I are getting engaged next month, Joanna. ¡°I won¡¯t go through the trouble of especially informing you since I happened to bump into you today. Here¡¯s the invitation. Do bring your children to my engagement party with Bruce!¡± As she spoke, Roxanne asked her assistant to get an invitation and handed it to Joanna. Joanna sneered and did not reach out to take it. ¡°No need! We¡¯re not free! ¡°Davian, Irvin, let¡¯s go!¡± Ingrid curled her lips and snorted disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, aren¡¯t you ashameding out with that little cripple of yours?¡± The anger that Joanna had tried to suppress red when she heard this. ¡°Who are you calling a cripple?¡± Ingrid crossed her arms and looked at Joanna disdainfully. ¡°Oh, did I say something wrong? ¡°A kid that age is still riding in a pram. What is she, if not a cripple? ¡°Haha, this is retribution. Even the heavens are punishing her for her many misdeeds! ¡°Oh, wait, the punishment fell on her child. That¡¯s some well¨Cdeserved retribution!¡± Davian and Irvin were instantly enraged when they heard this. Their tiny faces scrunched up in anger. ¡°Our sister is only sick, not crippled!¡± Lilia pouted and lowered her head, sobbing when she heard this. Sensitive and timid, she was already different from other children. It was a significant blow to her now that others had called her a cripple. Roxanne did not miss the opportunity to add insult to injury. She smiled and added, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t make it sound so unpleasant! ¡°Medicine is so advanced now. Even if you¡¯re crippled, you can still be cured!¡± Ingrid snorted coldly and continued, ¡°No matter how advanced medicine is, it can¡¯t treat congenital disabilities!¡± ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re right! Nowadays, pregnancy tests can detect everything. Why insist on giving birth if you knew she would be crippled, Joanna?¡± ¡°Roxy, remember to do a pregnancy test when you and Mr. Everett have children! It would be such a burden to give birth to a cripple!¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re overthinking! Bruce has good genes. He won¡¯t give me an unhealthy child!¡± The mother and daughter kept repeating the word ¡®crippled.¡® Joanna¡¯s heart ached terribly hearing their conversation, and she clenched her fists tightly. Davian¡¯s eyes widened in anger. He pounced on Ingrid and pushed her hard. ¡°You¡¯re the cripple! ¡°My sister is just sick. She¡¯s not a cripple!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ingrid was wearing high heels and stumbled when Davian pushed her. She nearly fell. ¡°Ouch! You damn child! You have no manners at all. Get lost!¡± Ingrid red and raised her hand to p Davian. Seeing this, Joanna suddenly reached out and grabbed Ingrid¡¯s arm. Then, she pushed Ingrid hard. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my child!¡± ¡°Heh, damn bitch, you¡¯re indeed mother and son. You¡¯re both lowlifes! ¡°Serves you right for giving birth to a cripple¡­.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned cold. She raised his hand and pped Ingrid. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± Stunned by the hard p, Ingrid covered her face. Joanna, how could you hit mom? She is your elder, after all!¡± Roxanne quickly went forward to check on Ingrid. Ingrid came back to her senses five secondster. ¡°How dare you hit me! I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Flustered and exasperated, Ingrid reached out and tried to retaliate. The expression on Joanna¡¯s face was cold. Without waiting for Ingrid to retaliate, Joanna raised her hand and pped Ingrid hard again. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Although Joanna was delicate, she had also taken the time to practice female self¨Cdefense over the years. While her attacks were not lethal, they were more than enough to deal with someone like Ingrid. Roxanne¡¯s pretty face was filled with fury. She hurriedly went forward to help Ingrid. ¡°How could you hit Mom again?¡± Ingrid was even more indignant after suffering another p. She screamed angrily and charged forward to fight Joanna again. However, Joanna grabbed Ingrid¡¯s arms, kicked her hard behind the knees, and pressed her to the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you if you dare call my daughter a cripple again!¡± As Roxanne was wearing a wedding dress, it was inconvenient for her to interfere, and she could only stand aside and shout, ¡°Stop fighting!¡± The assistants also hurriedly went forward to stop the fight. The scene was still raucous when more than ten men dressed in ck rushed over from afar. ¡°Mr. Everett is here! Mr. Everett is here!¡± Joanna stopped her actions. Bruce also happened to stop before her. Bruce could not help but frown when he saw the farce before him. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Roxanne immediately cried and ran forward to grab Bruce¡¯s arm. ¡°Bruce, Joanna hit my mom!¡± A hint of surprise appeared on Bruce¡¯s face when he heard this. ¡°What happened?¡± Joanna let go of Ingrid and stood up angrily. Ingrid was disadvantaged and became even more unyielding when she saw that Bruce had arrived. ¡°Joanna, you little bitch! How dare you hit me? You¡¯ve gone overboard! I¡¯ll tell your father and make sure he severs his father¨Cdaughter rtionship with you!¡± ¡°Do as you please!¡± Joanna answered coldly. ¡°Alright, just wait! What a shameless bitch! You¡¯re the Haynes family¡¯s jinx!¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you up again if you say another word!¡± ¡°Bruce, quickly persuade Joanna to stop!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna coldly. The expression on his face was extremely dark. He hadn¡¯t seen Joanna in more than a week. Now that they met, he felt inexplicably frustrated. Joanna, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so capable!¡± Bruce said sarcastically. However, Bruce was not standing up for Ingrid. Instead, he was still angry that Joanna had dared betray him. Davian hurriedly ran to Joanna¡¯s side. ¡°Mommy, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! Let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna stood to leave with the children as she spoke. ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°What do you want, Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Hmph! You hit her and want to leave without apologizing?¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°Ha!¡± She turned to leave again. ¡°Joanna, stop right there!¡± The bodyguards immediately surrounded Joanna and stopped her. Davian red at Bruce fiercely. ¡°They bullied Mommy first! That¡¯s why mommy hit her!¡± Irvin quickly added, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! She was the one who called my sister a cripple first! ¡°This baddy deserves to be beaten!¡± Bruce sneered and stared at Joanna. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving today unless you apologize!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, will you interfere in this matter too?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ( Ingrid said fiercely. ¡°Bruce, teach this damn bitch a lesson!¡± ¡°Tracy, call the police! Let¡¯s all go to the police station!¡± Roxanne gritted her teeth in hatred when she heard this. They could not take any more wedding photos today if they went to the police station. She quickly changed her attitude and gently coaxed, ¡°Forget it, Bruce. We still have to take our wedding photos! ¡°Don¡¯t waste time on her!¡± Ingrid scolded angrily upon hearing this. ¡°This evil little bitch! She caused trouble six years ago and wants to do it again now that she sees Roxy will marry Mr. Everett! ¡°I¡¯ll call your father over now and get him to take a good look at this daughter of his!¡± Joanna looked at Ingrid coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll say this onest time. I was framed by someone six years ago! ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯ll rify this onest time. I¡¯ve never set you up!¡± ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s the point of saying this now?¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it. We¡¯re all family. Stop arguing!¡± Roxanne hurriedly acted as the peacemaker and kept winking at Ingrid. Ingrid understood her daughter¡¯s hints. It was not easy to get Bruce toe for the wedding photoshoot. ??? They had more important business toplete first. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m fine! I won¡¯t argue with her any longer!¡± Joanna and the children were no longer in the mood to y after themotion. Thus she brought the children home. early. After returning home, Irvin and Davian could not help but discuss the day¡¯s happenings. ¡°Davian, that man called Bruce Everett seems to be Mommy¡¯s ex¨Chusband!¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Well, do you think he¡¯s our daddy?¡± Davian was shocked when he heard that. ¡°Huh? ¡°Hmph! We won¡¯t want him to be our daddy! He is a big baddie that constantly bullies Mommy! ¡°He¡¯s not our daddy!¡± Irvin tilted his head and said in an adorable voice, ¡°But Mommy has never told us who our daddy is. ¡°He¡¯s most likely our daddy! ¡°I heard he¡¯s getting engaged to another woman next month!¡± Davian eyes sparkled with mischief. ¡°Oh, hehe! We¡¯ll send him a big gift when he gets engaged!¡± Irvin¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Davian, what idea did youe up with this time? ¡°Our previous prank on him didn¡¯t seem to have much effect. It didn¡¯t cause any harm to him either!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely teach him a lesson when he gets engaged!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t let him marry that evildy! If he¡¯s our daddy, we can¡¯t let him marry another woman!¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet! Don¡¯t tell Mommy! ¡°She¡¯ll stop us if she finds out!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Go to sleep!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± It was Sunday the next day. Joanna had to send her two sons to Venturas again. ¡°Lilia, be good at home! Mommy is sending us to Venturas!¡± ¡°Okay, Davian and Irvin. Goodbye!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Lilia! We¡¯ll be back next weekend!¡± Joanna led Davian and Irvin out the door. She had to send them to Venturas every Sunday afternoon. TNU, 22 J M She would then bring them home on the weekend. Jaydon apanied Joanna, Irvin, and Davian on their way to Venturas. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing! ¡°I think I would still like to bring Davian and Irvin back to Greyport to study if possible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome to fetch them back and forth every week.¡± ¡°Are you not worried about Bruce then?¡± Joanna smiled faintly. ¡°I think he already believes they are not his children. He won¡¯t harp on the matter anymore.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer! At least until this semester ends!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Be good in kindergarten. Do you two hear me?¡± ¡°Got it, Mommy!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± ¡°Goodbye, mommy!¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Joanna returned to Greyport after sending Davian and Irvin to kindergarten. She had yet to arrive home when her phone. rang.. Joanna took out her phone and saw that it was Shaun calling. Joanna hesitated. She didn¡¯t want to answer his call. Since she had beaten Ingrid up yesterday, her father must be calling to reprimand her. But the phone would keep ringing if she did not pick up the call. Joanna picked up the call reluctantly, ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± Shaun¡¯s dull voice sounded from the other end of the phone. ¡°Joann.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Dad?¡± Shaun paused briefly before directly asking. ¡°Well, I heard you and Ingrid had an unhappy incident yesterday?¡± After Ingrid returned home yesterday, she threw a tantrum at Shaun and pushed him to sever his father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Joanna. Shaun was stuck in a dilemma. Frowning slightly, Joanna answered with a not¨Cvery¨Cpolite tone. ¡°Why? Are you calling to reprimand me?¡± ¡°Sigh, your personality is bing increasingly like your mother¡¯s. You¡¯re bing more and more brusque and unreasonable! ¡°Things wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this state if you could just listen to others¡® advice¡­¡± Joanna interrupted Shaun before he could finish. ¡°Dad, is there anything else? If there¡¯s nothing else, All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. I¡¯ll hang up first. I still have work to deal withter!¡± Shaun pondered for a few seconds and quickly asked, ¡°Mr. Everett and Roxy are getting engaged on the sixth of next month. Are youing?¡± Joanna paused for a moment before rejecting him. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for that, right? My presence at such an asion will only dampen everyone¡¯s mood.¡± Shaun felt slightly relieved when he heard Joanna¡¯s rejection. He was not sincere about inviting Joanna but was afraid she would cause trouble at the engagement party otherwise. ¡°Alright then! I won¡¯t force you in that case.¡± ¡°You and Roxy are both my daughters, after all. I hope you will both find happiness with a good man. ¡°I don¡¯t want what happened six years ago to happen again!¡± Joanna smiled wistfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I won¡¯t be at the scene, let alone cause trouble.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Mr. Grimm is a good man too. I have a good impression of him. Bring him back for a meal sometime when you are free!¡± Joanna tried her best to raise her spirits and speak calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for that, Dad. You don¡¯t have to ask about my personal matters in the future.¡± 0/1/ Chapter & She was not blind to reality and knew Shaun¡¯s care for her was not genuine. She had also yearned for her father¡¯s love and care in the past. But all her fantasies had been shattered now. Joann, why are you bing more and more rebellious? I remember that you used to be a very obedient child! ¡°As ady, you should be more docile¡­¡± ¡°Dad, the elevator is here, and I¡¯m going in. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± Joanna directly hung up after saying that. The elevator arrived just after she hung up the call. Feeling lost and with her head lowered, she got into the elevator. Anyway, she had already divorced Bruce. All her thoughts now were on her three children and the Haynes Group¡¯s business. As for other matters, she did not care anymore. ¡°Ring!¡± The elevator reached Joanna¡¯s floor. Joanna walked home in frustration when the elevator door opened, with her head lowered. Walking too fast, she suddenly bumped into someone when turning a corner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Joanna subconsciously apologized. The person she had bumped into said nothing and continued blocking her way. Joanna rubbed her sore forehead and looked up. Only then did she realize that the person standing opposite her was Bruce. The expression on Bruce¡¯s handsome face was icy, and his eyes were red with anger. However, there was a hint of haggardness in his frosty appearance. Seeing that it was Bruce, Joanna¡¯s eyebrows twitched subconsciously, and her heart was in her throat. ¡°Mr. Everett, what are you doing here?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was cold as he retorted. ¡°Can¡¯t I be here?¡± ¡°You have the freedom to be where you want. Please step aside now. I¡¯m going into my house!¡± Stretching his arm to the wall, Bruce blocked Joanna¡¯s path. ¡°Joanna, I want to ask you this. When exactly did you cheat on me?¡± Joanna tried her best to calm the panic in her heart. ¡°When did I cheat on you?¡± ¡°Grandma has already told me that the children aren¡¯t mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The children are indeed not yours!¡± Bruce gasped. He could not suppress his anger and grabbed Joanna¡¯s chin. ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping with Jaydon since we were still married, haven¡¯t you?¡± Joanna gulped, and her eyes darted around in panic. Bruce¡¯s temper had never been good. Angering him was not a fun thing to do. ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯ve never cheated on you during our marriage. ¡°Jay and I only got together after we divorced.¡± ¡°Ha! Is that so?¡± Bruce stepped forward and pressed Joanna against the wall. He had been questioning himself for the past few days. Who did he really love? Could his rtionship with Joanna continue? Joanna panicked and tried her best to remain calm. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯re already divorced! We have each started a new life. ¡°Please don¡¯t disturb me again!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°It turns out that women are more heartless than men!¡± ¡°Whatever you say. You¡¯re about to get engaged too! Stop pestering me!¡± Bruce narrowed his eyes, and the anger in his heart surged. ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯m going home. Please let go¡­¡± Joanna tried to crawl out from under his arms. Bruce grabbed her wrist and mmed her against the wall again. ¡°Joanna, I feel like strangling you to death! ¡°How could you cheat on me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s funnying from you, Mr. Everett! I only got together with another man after our divorce! ¡°Now, please let go and stop pestering me like this. We¡¯re all adults. There¡¯s no need to act like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mr. Everett, and don¡¯t pretend to be distant from me!¡± Bruce¡¯s breathing quickened. He could feel his body getting hotter whenever he got close to Joanna. Joanna¡¯s heart trembled, wishing she could walk through the wall and escape to the other side. ¡°Bruce, what do you want?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t know what he wanted either. He only knew that his feelings were in a mess now and that he felt restless and uneasy. However, his pride prevented him from admitting he could not relinquish his rtionship with Joanna. Bruce suddenly lowered his head and kissed Joanna¡¯s lips fiercely. Joanna, I¡¯ll end you¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do this! Someone help!¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away with all her might and started screaming in the corridor. ¡°Thud!¡± A neighbor opened the door and peeked out to see what was going on. ¡°What are you doing? Stop it now. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll call the police! Bruce turned around and looked coldly at that neighbor. The neighbor looked closer and was shocked when he saw Bruce. He quickly adjusted his sses and took another closer look. It was really Bruce Everett! Bruce was the wealthiest man in Greyport and often appeared on television. Therefore, almost everyone in Greyport would recognize him. The neighbor was so frightened that he mmed the door shut again. As amoner, he did not dare to poke his nose into the business of someone like Bruce. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t do anything rash!¡± Tracy also heard themotion and hurriedly opened the door. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett¡­¡± Bruce released his grip on Joanna reluctantly. ¡°Just wait. I won¡¯t give up just like that!¡± With that, Bruce turned around and left with a cold expression. Joanna was still filled with fear after Bruce left and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Tracy rushed to Joanna¡¯s side. ¡°Miss Haynes, are you alright? ¡°Let me help you into the house!¡± ¡°Okay¡± After Joanna returned home, she swallowed a few antidepressant pills andy down on the sofa. Her mood gradually calmed down after a long time. The sixth of the following month arrived in the blink of an eye. The engagement party for Bruce and Roxanne was held at the Victoria Hotel. The entire hotel had been booked for the day. Greyport celebrities from all walks of life arrived at the engagement party one after another. Jaydon called early in the morning. ¡°Joann, today is Bruce and Roxanne¡¯s engagement party. Are you really not going?¡± Joanna chuckled on the other end of the line. ¡°Why would I go there? ¡°I have a lot of work to do!¡± ¡°Then shall we have dinner together tonight?¡± ¡°Okay, see you for dinner!¡± Joanna knew no one would wish for her presence at the engagement party since she was Bruce¡¯s ex¨C wife. The stage was filled with flowers at the engagement party, and the emcee was dressed beautifully and hosted the engagement party cheerfully. ¡°Wee, everyone! Today is Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne¡¯s engagement party. ¡°Congrattions to Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne on your engagement! Let¡¯s raise our sses and wish the couple a happy marriage!¡± The scene at the party was extremely lively. 07:18 hu, 22 Guests invited were celebrities from all walks of life. Margaret was also present and personally greeted guests from the business and political circles. Ever the social butterfly, Ingrid darted around the party and mingled excitedly. Today was finally the engagement party. The next step after the engagement party would be the official wedding. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 ¡°Congrattions!¡± Wee, thank you foring!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The venue was filled withughter. Though Bruce was not very happy, he was still wearing a polite smile on his face in the face of so many guests. Roxanne was wearing a white fishtail dress today. This was a dress designed by one of the most high¨C end designers in Paris and she looked elegant and graceful in it. She was wearing a crown encrusted with diamonds on her head, and on her neck and wrists was matching top¨Cnotch jewelry. The big diamond on her finger was dazzling. She looked like she was covered in jewels and she was both glowing and stunning. At this moment, Roxanne was happily snuggling up to Bruce. On the huge autograph wall, all the celebrities from all walks of life had left their signatures. Below the stage, some girls got really jealous and could not help but gossip. ¡°Do you think Miss Haynes wille today?¡± A girl in a ck gown snorted. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°No one will wee her on such an asion.¡± ¡°Six years ago, she schemed and forcefully separated Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne. How can she still have the courage toe here now?¡± Another girl in a red dress chimed in sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re right. How shameless would she be if she really does such a thing?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Who wouldn¡¯t miss a golden bachelor like Mr. Everett? As long as there¡¯s a chance, no one will give up.¡± ¡°However, Miss Roxanne and Mr. Everett are true love! Even if someone forcefully tries to break them up, they won¡¯t get their way!¡± ¡°Shh, this is their engagement banquet. Let¡¯s not talk about this! If the host family hears this, it¡¯ll be very rude.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s drink!¡± Today, they were having a buffet. Of course, the dishes were of the highest quality. How much they wanna eat, how much they wanna drink, and what they wanna eat were all up to the guests. Today happened to be the weekend. Davian and Irvin had also returned to Greyport. In the room. Irvin looked curiously at Davian. Davian had a serious expression on his face. He was focused on theputer and he was working on the keyboard. ¡°Davian, how do you n to mess with Bruce?¡± Davian¡¯s cold face tensed up. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for news online recently. ¡°Everyone said online that mommy tried to seduce Bruce. I¡¯ve checked a lot of news in the past. I don¡¯t believe that mommy would do such a thing. Mommy must have been wronged. Today, I¡¯m going to clear mommy¡¯s name in public.¡± After Davian finished speaking in his childish voice, a hint of maturity that did not match his age appeared on his face. Irvin tilted his head and looked at his brother. ¡°Davian, what do you n to do?¡± Davian quickly found a video from the document. ¡°This is the video of the engagement party of Bruce and that wicked woman six years ago. ¡°Although the surveince video at that time was destroyed, I used technical means to repair the ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to y this edited video at the wedding banquet. As long as everyone watches this video, they will know that mommy did not do that.¡± When Irvin heard this, he looked at his brother with admiration. ¡°Wow, Davian, you¡¯re really amazing!¡± Davian patted his chest and said the most badass words in the sweetest voice, ¡°Needless to say, I¡¯m determined to be the best hacker in the world! ¡°Whoever dares to bully mommy, I¡¯ll teach them a lesson!¡± At the engagement banquet. The banquet had reached its climax. The wedding MC was still hosting the wedding banquet enthusiastically. ¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to invite everyone to watch a video of Mr. Everett proposing to Miss Roxanne.¡± As he spoke, the wedding MC got someone to open the huge projection screen and some elegant and moving music started ying. A huge screen on the wall began to y the scene of Bruce proposing. All the guests looked at the screen enviously. ¡°Wow, so romantic! Miss Roxanne is so lucky!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Everett actually booked an ind to hold the proposal ceremony¡­¡± Everyone was focusing on the video. Suddenly, the huge projection screen sizzled twice before turning ck. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just bad contact. Hurry up and inform the backstage.¡± ¡°Oh my god, how could there be such a malfunction?¡± ¡°Yeah, this is Victoria Hotel. How can there be such a malfunction?¡± Everyone was wondering what was going on here. The technicians hurriedly went backstage to check on the situation. Suddenly, the projection screen shed and then began to y again. Everyone started focusing on the screen. However, the screen had already been switched to another video and the quality of the video was very blurry. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It seems to be a video of the engagement six years ago, right?¡± A guest recognized it. ¡°Huh? Why is the engagement video from six years ago ying now?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened when he saw that. ¡°Andy, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hurry up and turn off the video!¡± Andy¡¯s face turned pale and he said, ¡°There might be a hacker. I¡¯ll deal with it immediately.¡± When Ingrid and Roxanne saw this, their expressions changed. ¡°MC, what¡¯s happening right now?¡± ¡°Turn off the projection right now¡­¡± Soon, Joanna¡¯s face appeared on the screen. The video was ying at a faster speed and had obviously been edited. However, people could still see the content of the video clearly. Six years ago, Joanna was also one of the bridesmaids. There were no idents happening during the entire ceremony. Toward the end of the engagement banquet, Joanna got a drink from a waiter. After finishing her drink, Joanna clearly felt that something was wrong as if she was drunk and then she leaned weakly on the sofa to rest. Then, a burly middle¨Caged woman in a servant¡¯s uniform carried Joanna into Bruce¡¯s room while she was unconscious. Bam At this point, the entire banquet hall instantly fell silent. Although none of them could see the middle¨Caged woman¡¯s face clearly, they could tell for sure that Joanna was drugged at the wedding banquet six years ago and was sent to Bruce¡¯s room on purpose. In other words, six years ago, Joanna did not take the initiative to enter Bruce¡¯s room and someone had deliberately nned this. Ingrid was so frightened that her face turned pale. She was the one who ordered that person to drug Joanna. Originally, she wanted to y a little trick. She wanted to set Joanna up and make her a shameless person who tried to seduce her brother¨Cinw. She wanted to ruin Joanna¡¯s reputation and made her lose the right to inherit the Haynes Group. She didn¡¯t expect that she would mess it up. ¡°Oh my god, this is¡­¡± ¡°It turns out that we¡¯ve misunderstood Miss Haynes all these years!¡± That¡¯s right! From the looks of it, Miss Haynes has been set up by someone with ill intentions!¡± ¡°But why did she do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The person who¡¯s responsible for this probably has some shameful secret.¡± ¡°Woah, so everyone has misunderstood Miss Haynes for so many years!¡± Yeah, she¡¯s a victim too!¡± ¡°Who did this on purpose?¡± Ingrid came back to her senses and her expression changedpletely. ¡°Who did this? It¡¯s an engagement banquet. Why are you showing this crap? ¡°Turn off the screen!¡± After watching the video, Bruce waspletely shocked. All these years, he hated Joanna for setting him up. No matter how she exined or denied it, he did not believe anything she said. In the two years of their marriage, he had humiliated her in all sorts of ways. But now¡­ Bruce took a deep breath and there was a gloomy expression on his handsome face. He subconsciously loosened his tie and left the stage without saying a word. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing?¡± Seeing that Bruce was about to leave, Roxanne hurriedly chased after him down the stage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Soon, the backstage staff turned off the projection¡¯s power, and the screen finally turned ck. ¡°Bruce, where exactly are you going?¡± I¡¯m sorry, the engagement is canceled. I can¡¯t marry you!¡± When Roxanne heard this, her whole heart sank. She shouted with a trembling voice, ¡°Bruce!¡± Ingrid also rushed forward and shouted, ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Everett¡­¡± Bruce felt extremely frustrated in his heart. As everyone was watching, he unbuttoned his suit coat and took it off. Then, despite that people were persuading him to stay, he strode away with a long face. Seeing this, everyone looked at each other, stunned. Bruce left the hotel. And Andy was chasing after him carefully. ¡°Andy.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Find out who the hacker is.¡± Yes, sir.¡± Bruce said grimly, ¡°Also, find out who sent Joanna to my room six years ago. ¡°No matter what the price is, we have to find out who this person is.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± After Bruce left, the entire engagement banquet became quite awkward. Tears streamed down Roxanne¡¯s face. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Ingrid and Shaun had no choice but to go to Margaret. ¡°Mrs. Everett, this is¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry about what happened today. Please enjoy yourselves and make yourselves ¡°Mrs. Everett, what about the engagement?¡± Margaret covered her temples with her hands. I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯m sorry but I think I have to leave now.¡± ¡°What about the marriage?¡± Margaret pondered for a few seconds and said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Bruce to make his own decision about the marriage.¡± With that. Margaret didn¡¯t say anything else. Under the escort of her bodyguards, she also left in a hurry. ¡°Mom, what should we do?¡± Ingrid stomped her feet and cursed, ¡°It must be that slut, Joanna. I knew she wouldn¡¯t be willing to see you marry into the Everett family!¡± Derick could not help but scold, ¡°Other than her, no one else will interfere! I won¡¯t let her off!!¡± ¡°Mom, will Bruce cancel the engagement with me?¡± ¡°How would I know? It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯ve failed me! ¡°I have to make every decision for you!¡± Shaun looked worried. ¡°Stop arguing! You can¡¯t me Roxy for what happened. ¡°Who deliberately ruined the marriage between Roxy and Mr. Everett six years ago?¡± When Ingrid heard this, she pursed her lips. There was a ming anger in her heart that was suffocating her. What happened six years ago was all designed by her. However, her goal was only to ruin Joanna¡¯s reputation. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She had never expected things to turn out this way. Now that she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t regret it more. If she could go back to six years ago, she would definitely not. have done that. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Shaun, Roxanne, Ingrid and the others returned to the Haynes¡¯s house frustratedly. Along the way, Roxanne kept crying. After returning home, she ran upstairs and locked the door. Ingrid was furious. ¡°Look at your daughter. She failed again!¡± Shaun frowned and could not help but sigh. Ingrid was even more upset when she saw his cowardly look. ¡°No matter what, I want you to hold a press conference immediately and announce that you¡¯re severing your father¨Cdaughter rtionship with her! ¡°She destroyed Roxy¡¯s engagement banquet six years ago. Now, she¡¯s trying to ruin it again! ¡°Roxy¡¯s whole life is ruined by her!¡± Shaun looked at Ingrid with a frown. ¡°From the video, Joann was also set up six years ago. ¡°I don¡¯t think she did it on purpose. Now it seems that it¡¯s better to find the person who set her up first.¡± ¡°She might¡¯ve made up the whole story. ¡°Six years ago, she might have nned it herself. No matter what, it was because of her that the marriage between Mr. Everett and Roxy was dyed again and again. ¡°This time, if Roxy¡¯s marriage is ruined, I won¡¯t let her off!¡± Derick and Ryan were also mad. ¡°If Roxy¡¯s marriage is ruined, we¡¯lle after Joanna right now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t meddle. You¡¯re still in school and the only thing you should concern is your study.¡± Derick gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°How can I still be in the mood to study? ¡°You promised me that you would buy me a new sports car after Roxy gets married! Now that this thing has happened, can I still get a new sports car?¡± ¡°Keep dreaming! If your sister¡¯s marriage is ruined, you won¡¯t even get a bicycle, let alone a sports car!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The whole family was anxious about what happened. They wished they could find Joanna and made her pay for this right away. In a Rolls¨CRoyce. Bruce was wearing a long face and looked quite serious. Andy had already traced the hacker¡¯s IP address. ¡°Mr. Everett, the hacker¡¯s IP address has been found.¡± Tell me. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Andy quickly showed Bruce the address he found. ¡°Also, the hacker doesn¡¯t look like an adult. He must be a child.¡± Bruce was stunned when he heard that. What kind of child could manage to do that? If it was really done by a child, then this child was undoubtedly a genius hacker. Bruce looked at the address carefully and frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Joanna¡¯s address?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really her.¡± Bruce could not help but sneer. He knew that Joanna still loved him. ¡°Go find her.¡± Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± On the ground floor of the Haynes Group. Joanna left thepany and Jaydon came to pick her up for dinner. ¡°Joann, what do you want to eat for lunch?¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Your call.¡± Jaydon looked at her gently. Then let¡¯s go to the restaurant we went tost time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vroom vroom! A few luxury cars pulled up in front of the two of them. In an instant, they were surrounded by them. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Joanna and Jaydon were shocked. More than ten men in suits got out of the car and blocked their way to escape. A Rolls¨CRoyce car door opened and Bruce slowly got out. Seeing this, Joanna could not help but frown. ¡°Bruce, what do you want?¡± Bruce walked in front of the two of them coldly and looked at Joanna gloomily. ¡°What do I want? I should be asking you that question. What do you want?¡± Joanna was stunned and looked at Bruce in confusion. Jaydon frowned and subconsciously shielded Joanna behind him. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t do anything rash!¡± Bruce ignored Jaydon. He looked at Joanna coldly and said in amanding tone, ¡°Joanna, go with me.¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes darkened and he wanted to fight Bruce. More than ten bodyguards quickly rushed forward and forced Jaydon to back off. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t go out of line!¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you! Come with me now, or I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but gasp. He would definitely do what he said. Jay, just leave.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Tll be fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes widened. In the current situation, he also knew that there was no way he could get Joanna away and he knew it would be stupid to fight when the odds were against him. He must go get more people for help immediately to negotiate with Bruce. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Jaydon angrily broke free from the bodyguards¡® control. Bruce looked at Joanna expressionlessly and ordered, ¡°Get in.¡± Joanna pouted but still got into the car. ¡°Bruce, what exactly do you want?¡± Bruce sneered and looked at Joanna with a wicked smile. ¡°You¡¯re still ying dumb?¡± ¡°What do you want? How would I know if you don¡¯t say it?¡± Andy forced a smile and exined, ¡°Umm, Miss Haynes, the thing is that a hacker hacked into the system at Mr. Everett¡¯s engagement banquet today.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Joanna was even more confused when she heard that. ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°Then, we found out the hacker¡¯s IP address and it¡¯s your home.¡± After all, Davian was still a child. Although he was very good at crackingputer programs, he was still young and it was inevitable that he would make some mistakes and expose himself. Therefore, he didn¡¯t manage to hide the IP address. When Joanna heard this, she retorted without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡± ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this the address of your home?¡± Joanna looked down and her heart skipped a beat. This was indeed her address. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impossible! I¡¯m at the office all day long. There are only the children at home¡­¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and sneered. ¡°Why is it impossible? And it¡¯s the same person who deliberately photoshopped my photos and made them nude photosst time.¡± Hearing that, Joanna was even more confused. There were only the children, Tracy and Miranda at home. It was impossible for them to have such powerful skills. Could it be that an uninvited guest hade to their house? Thinking of this, Joanna became even more anxious. ¡°Calm down. Things will definitely be rified. ¡°I want to go home and see if someone else went to my house.¡± Soon, the car arrived at Joanna¡¯s neighborhood. Joanna got out of the car and rushed home. As she rushed over, she took out her phone and called Tracy to ask what was going on at her house. Bruce followed her closely behind. ¡°Open the door!¡± Tracy hurriedly opened the door. Joanna hurriedly dashed into the house and looked around. ¡°Davian, Irvin, did you do something today?¡± The two little boys looked at their mommy¡¯s angry expression and were so frightened that their faces turned pale. Looking at Bruce who was clearly quite upset, the two little kids shrank their necks in fear, looking guilty. ¡°Did you touch mommy¡¯sputer?¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Irvin stammered and looked at Joanna carefully. ¡°Mommy, we didn¡¯t¡­¡± When she saw Irvin¡¯s reaction, Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It seemed that these two had really touched herputer. ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t like dishonest children. Tell me the truth!¡± The boys did not dare to hide it and said in their childish voices, ¡°We did use theputer.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at her two sons in disbelief. ¡°So you really did the sabotage at Mr. Everett¡¯s engagement banquet, didn¡¯t you?¡± The boys looked at each other and did not dare to speak. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, did you do it?¡± ¡°¡­. Yes, we did it.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Joanna raised her voice. Irvin was so scared that he started crying. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be mad at us!¡± Davian made up his mind and raised his little face. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s not Irvin¡¯s fault. I did it! I¡¯m the one you should punish!¡± When Joanna heard this, she gasped as her eyes darkened. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± After saying that, Joanna could not help but re at Davian. She was furious and she had never got so mad at him like this. Six years ago, when Bruce and Roxanne¡¯s wedding was ruined, everyone thought Joanna was responsible and said bad things. about her for six years. Now, her sons were causing trouble at Bruce and Roxanne¡¯s wedding banquet in this way. People would probably say that she was the one who did this again. This time, she could not clear her name no matter what she did now. Joanna couldn¡¯t contain herself anymore and scolded Davian again. She was so angry that tears were streaming down her face. Davian was very stubborn and he did not exin or cry. He just stood there and let Joanna talk. ¡°Say something. Why are you doing this? Who taught you to do this?¡± ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be so mad at Davian! ¡°We¡­We just want to clear your name, Mommy!¡± Joanna was stunned and became speechless. Irvin cried, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t me Davian anymore, ¡°Davian saw some people attacking Mommy online. They said that you¡¯re a bad woman and that you ruined someone else¡¯s marriage! ¡°Davian and I don¡¯t believe that Mommy would do such a thing, so Davian copied the engagement video from six years ago. He fixed the lost video and found evidence of Mommy being wronged. We know that Mommy was wronged, so we did this because we don¡¯t want others to call Mommy a vixen. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be angry anymore! Don¡¯t me Davian for this. Just me it on me!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± Joanna started crying again when she heard that. She hadn¡¯t watched the video yet. She did not expect her sons to know so much at such a young age. ¡°Don¡¯t do such things again! Do you hear me?¡± ¡°We hear you! We just want to protect you, Mommy.¡± Bruce looked at Joanna coldly. ¡°How is it? What else do you have to say now?¡± Joanna closed her eyes. At this point, what else could she say? No matter what, she would take the me for her sons. Davian looked at Bruce with hatred. ¡°You bad guy, I won¡¯t allow you to bully our mommy! And I won¡¯t allow you to call her a vixen! ¡°I¡¯m the one who did this. You don¡¯t have to pick on my mommy!¡± When Bruce heard that, he raised his eyebrows. He lowered his head and looked at this angry little guy carefully. He really could not believe that a four¨Cyear¨Cold child could do such a thing. However, this little guy was really adorable. For a moment, he felt that Davian looked especially simr to him when he was young. What a pity! Such a cute and smart child was actually Jaydon¡¯s child! At the thought of this, his admiration immediately turned into disgust. ¡°Joanna, how do we solve this?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Bruce, since things havee to this, I¡¯ll apologize to you on my children¡¯s behalf. ¡°I will bear all the consequences. Hearing this, Bruce looked at Joanna with a faint smile. ¡°Do you really have what it takes to bear all the consequences?¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want?¡± Bruce repeated her words. His eyes turned dark. He had not thought of what to do. ¡°Then I have to think about it carefully. There was aplicated look in Bruce¡¯s eyes. No one could tell if he was happy or angry. Actually, he was not mad at all and in fact, he was d that he finally knew the truth. Six years ago, he jumped to the conclusion and did not think too much about it, which was why he misunderstood Joanna for so many years. ¡°If you want to me someone, me me! This has nothing to do with my mommy! My mommy was wronged and she would never do such a thing!¡± Joanna sighed and calmed herself down. ¡°Davian, Irvin, go to your rooms immediately!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± The boys looked at Joanna uneasily. ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± The two little guys didn¡¯t dare to talk back to her anymore and could only walk toward All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. the room. After entering the room, they slowly closed the door. When the children entered the room, Joanna heaved a sigh of relief. There was a hint of guilt in her tone. ¡°Bruce, how do you want to deal with it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me what I wanna do about it?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Right!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to you on my sons¡® behalf. I will bear all the losses at today¡¯s banquet.¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bear the responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­Then what do you want?¡± Bruce stared at Joanna quietly. After pondering for a few seconds, he blurted out, ¡°Leave Jaydon!¡± ¡°Bruce, please be realistic!¡± Bruce said seriously. ¡°If you want me to leave this all behind, break up with Jaydon.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And be my lover.¡± When Joanna heard this, she became quite gloomy. ¡°No, other than this condition, I¡¯ll agree to anything else.¡± ¡°I only have this condition.¡± Joanna looked at Bruce speechlessly. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Joann, I¡¯m serious. My wedding with Roxanne has been canceled.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna was dumbfounded when she heard that. If Bruce¡¯s wedding with Roxanne was canceled, she would probably be wronged by everyone again. No matter what, this would definitely be med on her. ¡°Bruce, can you act like an adult? Marriage is not child¡¯s y!¡± ¡°I know!¡± A strange expression appeared on Bruce¡¯s face. Joanna frowned. ¡°Do you know that you¡¯ll hurt many people by doing this? Everyone will think that I¡¯m the one who sabotaged¡­¡± 22 Bruce took a step forward and stopped her from saying more. ¡°You¡¯re indeed responsible for this. ¡°Joanna, I love you! I¡¯ve misunderstood you all these years.¡± Joanna¡¯s pupils constricted at his words. Then, she subconsciously backed away and looked at Bruce in fear. The two of them were in a deadlock. There was suddenly a lot of noise outside the door. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon led his men and charged back. ¡°Bruce, what are you trying to do to Joann?¡± ¡°Jay, why are you here?¡± ¡°Jaydon, don¡¯t interfere in the matter between me and Joanna! Otherwise, I won¡¯t have mercy on you!¡± Jaydon sneered. ¡°Bruce, I suggest that you should not go overboard. Joann has nothing to do with you anymore. Stop bothering her!¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The two of them were furious and looked like they were at the edge of fighting each other. ¡°Stop arguing. Calm down, you both¡­¡± Seeing that they were about to fight, Joanna panickedpletely. Beep. At this moment, Bruce¡¯s phone rang. Bruce took a look. It was a call from the butler, Henry. Henry had always been a sedate guy and wouldn¡¯t call him easily unless it was an emergency. Bruce frowned and answered the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett. Your grandmother is in the hospital. Pleasee over quickly!¡± ¡°What happened to Grandma?¡± ¡°She has a sudden cerebral infarction. Come as fast as you can!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there!¡± After hanging up, Bruce panicked. He didn¡¯t have the time to deal with Joanna anymore and went to the hospital hurriedly. After Bruce left, Jaydon sighed with relief. ¡°Joann, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°What exactly is Bruce trying to do?¡± Joanna sighed, not knowing what to say. ¡°My head is a mess right now. I want to be alone for a while.¡± ¡°Alright, go back to your room and have a rest.¡± ¡°Jay, you can go now. I need some space.¡± ¡°¡­Alright then, call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Jaydon left, Joanna called out Davian and Irvin. Then, she carefully watched the video edited by Davian. She had a vague impression of the servant who sent her to Bruce¡¯s room and that servant seemed to be one of her grandfather¡¯s nurses. Unfortunately, this nurse had already left the Haynes family. ¡°What exactly was going on? Why did she do this?¡± Joanna was puzzled and immediately checked the nurse¡¯s information. She had to find out why this nurse did this. Bruce rushed to the hospital. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandma?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the emergency room. ¡°Mr. Everett, you can¡¯t go in now!¡± Bruce was stopped by a nurse and started pacing outside the door. ¡°Grandma looked just fine back then. Why did she suddenly fall ill?¡± Henry said with a serious expression, ¡°After Mr. Everett left the engagement banquet, Mrs. Everett had a rpse on the way back. When Bruce heard this, he stared at the emergency room door in fear. Needless to say, his grandma must have been angry with him! His grandma had already talked to him about his marriage countless times! Beep beep beep! Just as Bruce was feeling frustrated, his phone started ringing again. He took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Roxanne. Bruce was even more upset. He did not want to answer her call at all. After a while, Andy¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Roxanne is calling me.¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t answer the call.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Andy did not dare to answer it. An hourter, the door of the emergency room finally opened. A doctor walked out. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient?¡± ¡°Fortunately, the infarction is not very serious. She has already been rescued but she hasn¡¯t woken up now.¡± ¡°However, the patient has shown signs of a stroke. She can¡¯t be agitated anymore.¡± Bruce¡¯s heart turned cold. ¡°Alright, I understand. Please do your best to treat Grandma.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, I will.¡± As they were talking, the nurse pushed Margaret out of the emergency room. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Bruce quickly went up to her. Margaret was lying on the wheeled stretcher with an oxygen mask on and had yet to wake up. Bruce¡¯s heart broke when he saw this and he grabbed his grandmother¡¯s hand. He only had his grandmother as his only rtive and had relied on her since he was young. In front of his grandmother, he was like a child who refused to grow up, apletely different person from the vigorous and decisive shark in the eyes of outsiders. 25 At the Haynes¡¯s house. Roxanne called Bruce dozens of times, but he never picked up. She angrily threw the phone to the ground. Ingrid also looked anxious. ¡°How is it? Is Mr. Everett still not answering your calls?¡± ¡°No!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do the Everett family think we¡¯re some kind of a joke? ¡°Even if Joanna didn¡¯t set him up on purpose six years ago, what does this have to do with your marriage with him?¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart sank. She knew that Bruce did not love her and did not want to marry her at all. Therefore, he used this as an excuse to escape. The more Ingrid thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡°No, let¡¯s go find him now!¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cause any more trouble!¡± Ingrid red at her and said angrily, ¡°How can this be called causing trouble? We¡¯ve already informed our rtives and friends at the engagement banquet. Everyone knows! ¡°Now he¡¯s suddenly saying that he wants to cancel the engagement. Isn¡¯t he treating us like we¡¯re some kind of a joke?¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roxanne was so mad that she began to cry, but there was nothing she could do, ¡°Roxy! You have to learn to be smart this time! You can¡¯t hurt yourself so badly likest time!¡± ¡°You have to be clear that the purpose of this is to cause trouble, not to actually risk your life. ¡°If something really happens, how could your father and I live anymore? ¡°This kind of thing requires your mother to do it personally!¡± Ingrid took out her phone and called Henry, the Butler. After her call was finally picked up, she gasped, ¡°What? Mrs. Everett is in the hospital?¡± ¡°Go to the hospital and see what¡¯s going on right now!¡± Roxanne was also shocked. ¡°Is Mrs. Everett in the hospital?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Hurry up and go to the hospital!¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 At ten o¡¯clock at night in the hospital. Ingrid and Roxanne rushed over hurriedly. Margaret had just woken up, and Bruce was apanying her in the ward. Then the ward door was pushed open and Ingrid and Roxanne walked in. ¡°Bruce, how¡¯s Mrs. Everett?¡± Seeing these twoe in just like that, Bruce frowned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ingrid walked towards the bed and ced a fruit basket by the head of the bed. ¡°I just called the butler and he said that Mrs. Everett is sick, which really scared our entire family! After we heard the news, we immediately came here in a hurry. ¡°Mrs. Everett, how are you?¡± Ingrid greeted Margaret with concern and acted like she was really her in¨C engagement banquet. However, as long as they did not announce the annulment of the engagement in public, she would still act like Bruce and Roxanne had really got engaged. ¡°Grandma had just woken up and she can¡¯t be agitated. You two should leave now.¡± ¡°Oh, then Mrs. Everett, have a good rest and get well soon.¡± ¡°Bruce, let Roxy stay here to take care of Mrs. Everett with you.¡± Roxanne hurriedly walked to the bed. Before she could say anything, tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Bruce, Grandma, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m the reason why Grandma is hospitalized.¡± ¡°You guys just go home. I got this.¡± ¡°How can we do that? Grandma is sick. How can I not be by her side? No matter what, I have to wait for Grandma to recover before I can be at ease!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mrs. Everett is sick. As her granddaughter¨Cinw, how can she not take care of her?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Bruce frowned and let them be. After all, they were in the hospital now. He did not want to agitate his grandmother anymore. No matter what, he had to wait for Grandma to recover before he could discuss with Roxanne about breaking off the engagement. The next day. The inte was in an uproar again. ¡°Oh my god, the engagement between Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne has been postponed again!¡± ¡°What happened this time?¡± ¡°I heard that Miss Haynes retaliated and posted a video at the engagement party.¡± ¡°It turns out that six years ago, Miss Haynes did not take the initiative to seduce Mr. Everett. Instead, she was framed.¡± ¡°Huh? That happened?¡± ¡°How can this be a set¨Cup? Aren¡¯t you going to let her put on such a big show?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so! If it was really just a show, it should have been exposed six years ago. Why did it only be exposed now?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? She married into the Everett family six years ago. Was there even a need for her to make a fuss? Now that she¡¯s been kicked out of the family. In order to return to the Everett family, she had no choice but to expose the video and plead for justice.¡± ¡°Phew, this feud between thesedies is really tiring!¡± Theizens were all discussing the engagement banquet. However, no matter how they spread the news,izens still thought that Joanna could not get over Bruce and now she was just trying to break up Bruce and Roxanne again. In the afternoon. Joanna was busy working in thepany when Jaydon called. ¡°Hello, Joann, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the office. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Did you see today¡¯s news?¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°What news?¡± She was too busy with work to surf the Inte. ¡°It¡¯s about Bruce¡¯s engagement banquet. It¡¯s all over the Inte again.¡± ¡°Oh. Joanna replied coldly, not wanting to say anything more. Even though she had not watched the news, she could already guess what was being said online. Therefore, she might as well not check what they were saying. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, they can say whatever they want.¡± Jaydon pondered for a few seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Mypany is going to shoot a children¡¯s public service advertisement. Can you lend me your kids?¡± Joanna was stunned. Then, she rejected him immediately. ¡°No way! I don¡¯t want the kids out in the open!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? They¡¯ve already been exposed. We might as well go all the way! ¡°This advertisement is a public service film that announces positive energy!¡± Joanna was still unwilling to agree. ¡°No, they¡¯re already getting enough attention now¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Besides, this advertisement is a public service film. It can help establish the image of the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Hmm, what kind of charity film is it?¡± ¡°A public service advertisement that promotes environmental protection. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not that kind of crappy advertisement.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll think about it and discuss it with the kids to see if they agree.¡± Thu, 22 07:19 In ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll wait for the good news.¡± At the weekend. Joanna went to Venturas to pick up Davian and Irvin. 71% ¡°Davian, Irvin, Mr. Grimm said that he wants to shoot a public service advertisement with you guys. Do you want to take part in it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Davian was more of an introvert, and he did not like to socialize. So he rejected her directly. But Irvin was a cheerful and lively extrovert. ¡°If we shoot the advertisement, does that mean we can be celebrities?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a public service advertisement to promote environmental protection.¡± ¡°Sure, I love taking pictures!¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll call Mr. Grimmter.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± After Joanna returned home, she called Jaydon back. ¡°Hello, Jay.¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Joann, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jaydon said. ¡°Speak!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said, ¡°Um, I¡¯ve already asked Davian and Irvin about the advertisement shooting. ¡°Davian is unwilling to go, but Irvin is willing to go.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great!¡± Jaydon said. Joanna still asked worriedly, ¡°I want to ask again. The advertisement shooting won¡¯t take too long, right? Don¡¯t let it interfere with his studies.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Jaydon said. ¡°One day is enough!¡± Joanna then replied, ¡°Alright then! ¡°When will the advertisement be shot?¡± ¡°Next Sunday,¡± Jaydon said. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna said. Jaydon smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drive to pick him up next Sunday then.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Okay. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jaydon said. He then casually ced the phone on the table. No matter what, he always waited for Joanna to hang up the phone first. He would never hang up before she did. After Jaydon hung up, Carmel the little minx sat on Jaydon¡¯sp and whined unhappily. She said, ¡°Mr. Grimm, you¡¯re being too nice to Ms. Haynes! ¡°You¡¯re willing to fork out your own money to get her son to shoot a public service advertisement, yet she doesn¡¯t appreciate it. Why bother doing so much for nothing?¡± Jaydon stretched out his fingers and pinched Carmel¡¯s face with a faint smile. ¡°Why?¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. trying to control the huh?¡± boss now, ¡°Humph, you¡¯re so biased,¡± Carmel said. ¡°You treat Ms. Haynes so well! From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to treat her so well!¡± After the little minx finished talking, she leaned coquettishly into Jaydon¡¯s arms. Her restless little hands began to unbutton his shirt. Lately, the little minx had been receiving a lot of favor from Jaydon. Be it attending press conferences or high¨Cend cocktail parties, Jaydon took her along, and almost every night he spent it with her. Gradually, the little minx even started to fantasize. She wanted to take on a higher position and be the boss¡¯s wife! At the other end of the line, Joanna did not hang up the phone for the first time. As she listened to their flirting and bantering, she suddenly felt an indescribable emotion. She knew that there had always been women around Jaydon and that he was a yboy. Therefore, no matter how well Jaydon treated her, she refused to ept him and kept her distance from him. After a while, the heavy breathing sounds of a man and a woman could be heard from the phone. Joanna pursed her lips and hung up silently. Then, she took a deep breath and forced a big smile. ¡°The children and work are the most important things!¡± she said. ¡°Everything else is unimportant!¡± Half an hourter¡­ Jaydon and Carmel were done with their business. The little minx waspletely exhausted that she was unable to stand up. Jaydon lit a cigarette and habitually picked up the phone. He casually browsed through his contact list. As he was browsing through his contacts, his expression suddenly changed and he became visibly upset. He did not even notice the ashes from his cigarette falling onto his chest. He had only spoken to Joanna for less than two minutes. However, the call log disyed on the phone was five minutes! This meant that after he put down the phone, Joanna did not hang up and still listened for three minutes! Upon seeing this, Jaydon frowned. His heart began to race. He really wanted to call Joanna. but quickly dismissed the thought, realizing that he had nothing to say to her. For two consecutive days, Jaydon did not call Joanna. Joanna did not take the initiative to look for him too. On the third day, Jaydon could not resist any longer. He hesitantly gave Joanna a call. ¡°Hey, Joann, Jaydon said. Joanna picked up the call and said calmly, ¡°Jay, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jaydon raised his chin and pretended to be nonchnt as he said, ¡°What are you busy with? Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy at work today,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Let¡¯s do it another day.¡± Jaydon hesitated and said, ¡°Uh, that day¡­¡± ¡°Which day?¡± Joanna said, pretending to act clueless on purpose. She knew what Jaydon was saying. She also knew that Jaydon wanted to gauge her tone and see if she was angry. However, since she did not intend to be in a rtionship with him, she naturally had no right to ask about his private matters. Neither did she have any reason to demand that he kept a distance from other women. ¡°Um, it¡¯s alright,¡± Jaydon said. After Jaydon hesitated for a moment, he still did not know what to say. Joanna smiled and said, ¡°No matter what, you will always be my best friend!¡± Jaydon was left speechless. After he heard that, he felt even more upset. He would rather Joanna be angry and vent her anger on him. At the very least, it proved that she was jealous. But now, it seemed that she really only saw him as a regr friend. ¡°Well, next Sunday, I¡¯lle and pick you and Irvin up and we¡¯ll go to the photography studio, Jaydon said. Joanna paused for a few seconds after hearing this. ¡°Jay, if shooting the public service advertisement is meant to help me, it¡¯s not necessary, Joanna said. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Jaydon said. ¡°This advertisement is also meant to pro still have to film it.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Joanna said. Soon, the weekend arrived. Jaydon came and picked up Joanna and Irvin. The advertisement was an environmental public service advertisement. environmental protection. In any case, we A young boy picked up water bottles on the street and sold it for money to donate to children in mountainous areas. The advertisement shoot was very sessful. It looked very soothing and heartwarming. After filming the advertisement, Joanna left with Irvin. She did not ask about any subsequent matters rted to the advertisement. Jaydon insisted on paying a service fee, but Joanna refused to ept it no matter what. At the hospital. Margaret had been hospitalized for a week. Bruce canceled all his work and social engagements and stayed at the hospital around the clock to look after his grandmother. For the past few days, Roxanne had also been carefully apanying him at the hospital. She said, ¡°Bruce, take a rest. ¡°I¡¯ll look after Margaret.¡± Bruce¡¯s handsome face had noticeably be much more haggard over the past few days. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything more. You go back first.¡± ¡°Bruce, Margaret hasn¡¯t been discharged yet, Roxanne said. ¡°I can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°You have been watching over her for several days,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Grandma has passed the critical period. You don¡¯t need to keep watching over her anymore.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Roxanne said. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and change my clothes beforeing back to apany Margaret¡­¡± After Roxanne left, Margaret slowly opened her eyes. Because of the surgery, she was a bit weak. She asked, ¡°Bruce, how do you n to handle your marriage with Roxanne?¡± ¡°Um. I don¡¯t know,¡± Bruce said, looking a little dejected. He did not dare to rashly mention breaking up now. If he were to mention breaking up again, Roxanne might not be able to handle the blow, and she would harm herself again. ¡°Since you¡¯re already engaged, don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Margaret said. ¡°Just live a good life!¡± When Bruce heard this, he ced his hands on his temples. He did not know what to say. He no longer had any feelings for Roxanne. If they really got married, it would only harm her for the rest of her life. Upon eagerly returning home, Roxanne hurriedly went up to the second floor and locked herself in the room. She then quickly took out another phone to check. As expected, Gavin went crazy again. He called her countless times and sent her hundreds of messages. Roxanne quickly called Gavin back. ¡°Gavin, I told you not to call me again!¡± she said. ¡°Roxy, even if you¡¯re married, it doesn¡¯t stop us from being together!¡± Gavin said. ¡°Bruce doesn¡¯t love you at all. Why do you have to be with him?¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Gavin kept pestering Roxanne frantically. She was starting to worry. She said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he loves me or not. I love him and that¡¯s enough. ¡°Gavin, if you really love me, stop harassing me! You can¡¯t give me what I want!¡± At the other end of the line, Gavin was in a state of deep despair. He begged Roxanne with dissatisfaction. ¡°Roxy, marriage is a lifetime of happiness!¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about your own happiness¡­¡± Without waiting for Gavin to finish talking, Roxanne interrupted him impatiently. She said, ¡°My happiness is marrying Bruce! ¡°And I love Bruce too. I¡¯m just fooling around with you! How dare you push your luck and want me to marry you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me again,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°If you dare to ruin my happiness, I won¡¯t forgive you for the rest of my life!¡± Bang! As soon as Roxanne uttered those remarks angrily, she ended the call. Outside the room, Ingrid had been eavesdropping on her daughter¡¯s phone call. Although the soundproofing of the room was good, she could vaguely hear that something was wrong. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Instantly, Ingrid was stunned. The thing she was worried about had finally happened. ¡°It¡¯s true that Roxanne is involved with that poor boy!¡± Ingrid thought. ¡°Judging from the tone of her voice, it seems that they have gotten involved with each other for quite some time.¡± After the call, Roxanne opened the door feeling distressed and ready to go downstairs. ¡°Mom, why are you standing outside my room?¡± Roxanne asked. Ingrid¡¯s face turned red with anger. She looked at Roxanne resentfully and said, ¡°Roxy, who were you on the phone with just now?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes flickered. She stammered, ¡°No, no one!¡± ¡°Are you still in touch with that poor guy who visited you at the hospitalst time?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Roxanne said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Upon replying, Roxanne wanted to go downstairs. Ingrid was flustered and exasperated. She followed behind Roxanne and said, ¡°Hurry up and tell me the truth. Did you get involved with that poor guy?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Roxanne said. She kept denying it. If Ingrid were to find out about Gavin, she would probably be infuriated. ¡°I¡¯ve been through this before,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Let me give you a piece of advice. Don¡¯t provoke these poor people. Once you provoke them, they¡¯ll be like sticky candy that¡¯s hard to get rid of.¡± Roxanne did not want to listen to Ingrid nagging anymore. She shouted impatiently, ¡°I told you! I don¡¯t keep in touch with him!¡± ¡°What kind of attitude is that?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°How can you talk to your mother like that?¡± Ingrid red at Roxanne, getting even angrier. Ingrid continued, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage. Look at the situation you¡¯re in with Bruce. Whether or not you can sessfully marry into the Everett family is still a question mark. ¡°If you continue to cause this kind of trouble, do you know the consequences if Mr. Everett finds out?¡± Roxanne was feeling down. She said irritably. ¡°Mom, stop talking. Can you let me have some peace for a while? If I can¡¯t marry into the Everett family, then I won¡¯t get married!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she got even angrier. She said, ¡°What are you talking about? ¡°If you don¡¯t marry into the Everett family, our family will be theughing stock of Greyport! Even if you die, you have to die as a member of the Everett family! ¡°Give me that poor guy¡¯s phone number. I¡¯ll call him! No matter what, I can¡¯t let this poor guy ruin your happiness!¡± Roxanne stomped her feet in frustration. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll handle my own matters,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere anymore!¡± ¡°Can I not interfere?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Look how terrible things have be now!¡± The two of them were arguing. Shaun walked out of the bedroom. ¡°What are you two arguing about in the middle of the night?¡± Shaun asked. Ingrid and Roxanne paused. They quickly rxed their facial expressions. ¡°Nothing, Hubby,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°It¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Shaun frowned as he looked at Ingrid and Roxanne. ¡°I was about to sleep when I heard you two arguing, so I walked out of the room to take a look,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Go to sleep quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but don¡¯t interfere in the affairs of young people,¡± Shaun said. ¡°Got it, got it,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Hurry up and sleep!¡± Roxanne ran back to her room and mmed the door shut. Ingrid tried her best to suppress her anger and pushed Shaun back to the bedroom. For the past two days, she had been even more distressed. Her two ¡°cousins¡± had been calling her frantically. Each of them wanted to extort 2 million dors from her as hush money. Even though Ingrid could afford to pay 4 million dors, she could not bear to give them the money as she thought about it. If she were to give it to them so easily this time around, they would be even more greedy in the future. But if she did not give it to them, these two ¡°cousins¡± would threaten her to expose their rtionship with her. If Shaun were to find out about her abnormal rtionship with her cousins that had been going on for so many years, he might beat her to death! Because she had learned her lesson, she was especially afraid that her daughter would follow in her footsteps. She said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t let Roxy jump into the fire pit! This poor guy must be dealt with as soon as possible!¡° 07:19 Thu, 22 Jun M Ingridy on the bed. She was not in the mood to sleep. After thinking for a while, she made up her mind. A fierce glint appeared in her eyes. She thought, ¡°If there really isn¡¯t any other way, I¡¯ll find someone to get rid of the poor guy. ¡°No matter what, I can¡¯t let such a potential danger stay by Roxy¡¯s side!¡± ¡°Honey, are you still awake?¡± Shaun asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Shaun thought that Ingrid was worried about Roxanne and Bruce. He could not help but give Ingrid a piece of advice. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. They¡¯re already engaged. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Everett family will refuse to recognize it¡­¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 At the hospital. Margaret had been hospitalized for more than a week. Her condition had basically stabilized. Today was the day of discharge from the hospital. ¡°Grandma, be careful!¡± Bruce said. There were four healthcare workers and two family doctors taking care of Margaret. However, Bruce was still not at ease. He personally helped Margaret onto the wheelchair. Margaret¡¯s speech was a little slurred because of the signs of a stroke. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you home, Grandma,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Alright!¡± Margaret¡® replied. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve been in the hospital for so many days!¡± Margaret continued. ¡°Work is more important. You should go to the office tomorrow.¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll take care of you for a few more days,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Nothing is more important than your health. I¡¯ll go to the office after you recoverpletely.¡± Margaret shook her head and said, ¡°I really am fine. There are so many people looking after me. You can¡¯t neglect the work in the office. ¡°Alright then,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the office tomorrow.¡± Margaret paused and sighed. Then, she said, ¡°The engagement with Roxanne has to be arranged properly. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble! ¡°Many negative rumors regarding the Everett Group have spread!¡± Bruce frowned and said, ¡°Yes, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, Grandma.¡± After saying that. Bruce involuntarily turned his head to look out of the car window. His grandmother was seriously ill now. He did not want her to be stressed again. As for the issue of breaking off the engagement with Roxanne, he could only put it on hold for now. The next day, as soon as Bruce returned to the Everett Group, his personal assistant Andy and secretary Mark came up to him and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, something bad has happened!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°The deals with the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group are gone!¡± they said. Bruce¡¯s face clouded over when he heard that. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. ¡°During Margaret¡¯s hospitalization, you didn¡¯t pick up the phone. It just so happened that apany offered a profit margin that was 2 percent lower than that of the Everett Group. ¡°Therefore, these twopanies coborated with the otherpany.¡± Bruce frowned even more after hearing this. The Everett Group¡¯s offer was the lowest price in the market, yet there was actually apany that offered a price that was 2 percent lower than its offer. This was disrupting the market trend. It was deemed unfairpetition. Moreover, these twopanies had always worked exclusively with the Everett Group and could be considered the two major clients of the Everett Group. Losing these two deals would not cause a significant impact on the Everett Group. However, it was still the leading enterprise in Greypori. Many industries, such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation, had been monopolized by the Everett Group in Greyport for a long time. Now that someone was taking business away from the Everett Group, it meant that that person was deliberately snatching meat from the Everett Group. Bruce naturally would not tolerate such a situation. ¡°Whichpany did the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group work with?¡± Bruce asked. Andy replied. ¡°The Haynes Group.¡± ¡°The Haynes Group?¡± Bruce said. His eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Yes,¡± Andy said. ¡°I heard that the contract was quickly signed yesterday.¡± Bruce looked displeased. He felt intensely angry. ¡°No wonder these twopanies dared to do this!¡± he thought. They must have known about the rtionship between Joanna and Bruce. That was why they dared to give up on the Everett Group and choose the Haynes Group with more profits! After all, the Everett Group and the Haynes Group were ¡°rted¡°. It was expected that the Everett Group would not do anything to harm the Haynes Group. At the Haynes Group. Over the past few days, Joanna had been in a particrly good mood. This was because she had sessfully signed tworge deals. The Haynes Group was getting more and more stable. ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is to announce some good news to everybody!¡± Joanna said. Everyone cheered and apuded excitedly. They had already heard the good news in advance. Joanna said, ¡°The Haynes Group has sessfully signed two big deals again! ¡°If we canplete the tasks this year, the year¨Cend bonus will double¡­¡± Joanna had just announced the good news, but no one had the chance to be happy. ¡°Bang!¡± There was a loud sound. The door of the conference room was forcefully pushed open. Cora and Luna followed behind and said in a panic, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is here.¡± Joanna was stunned. While Joanna was still in shock, Bruce had already walked into the conference room in a gloomy manner. He was dressed in pure ck today. His well¨Ctailored suit matched his height of nearly 6 feet and 3 inches. It highlighted his intimidating and aggressive aura, 07:20 Thu, 22 Jun M making people feel intimidated just by looking at him. ¡°Hi, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is here?¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger quickly stood up and greeted him. Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Oh, you people are in a meeting!¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Get out first!¡± Everyone was stunned and left speechless. Three secondster, everyone hurriedly stood up. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± they said. $371%0 Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the other high¨Clevel executives quickly left the conference room. They did not even have time to tidy up the things on the table. Upon seeing this, Joanna¡¯s face clouded over. ¡°Bruce, what are you up to now?¡± she said. Bruce sneered and gave Joanna a disdainful look. ¡°Did the Haynes Group sign a contract with the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Joanna said. Bruce said, ¡°Do you know that these twopanies have always worked exclusively with the Everett Group? ¡°The two deals you signed have also been negotiated with the Everett Group.¡± Joanna was left speechless. She was stunned. These two deals were indeed meant to be signed with the Everett Group. The contracts had already been prepared. However, because Margaret was hospitalized, Bruce had been apanying her in the hospital. As a result, these two contracts were not signed in time. Coincidentally, the Haynes Group offered a Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. price that was 2 percent lower than that offered by the Everett Group. Therefore, the twopanies changed sides at thest minute and signed a contract with the Haynes Group. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 The Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group approached us,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I can¡¯t just push away business thates knocking at our door, can I?¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s lips curved into a sinister smile. He stared at Joanna with a gloomy expression. The loss of these two deals by the Everett Group was not a matter of concern. Instead, the fact that Joanna had disrupted the market was a matter of concern. Once news of this matter spread, it was bound to trigger a bigger butterfly effect. Therefore, he must take action to stop it in time. He could not tolerate such market¨Cdisrupting behavior. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing now?¡± Bruce said. ¡°Trying to undermine me and my business?¡± As Bruce spoke, he menacingly walked a few steps closer to Joanna. His tall and burly figure shrouded Joanna in shadow. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She involuntarily took two steps backward. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group nned to sign contracts with the Everett Group,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Hmph, you didn¡¯t know, huh?¡± Bruce said as heughed coldly. Joanna took another step backward and said, ¡°Alright! So what if I know? ¡°Partnerships mean you can coborate with whoever you want. You can¡¯t monopolize the market¡­¡± Joanna, you¡¯ve got guts!¡± Bruce said. He then continued, ¡°You dumb woman. Do you know the consequences of your actions? The consequences of your actions will only disrupt the market! Otherpanies will follow suit and take advantage of the situation topete maliciously!¡± When Joanna heard those remarks, she could not help but sneer. She said. ¡°It¡¯s reasonable to ¡°The Everett Group has monopolized the market for so many years. It¡¯s time to promote fair In the entire Greyport, probably only Joanna had criticized Bruce for monopolizing the market. Bruce¡¯s face was extremely gloomy. He was already close to Joanna. He reached out and pinched her chin. It was as if he was going to tear her apart in the next second! ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll give you onest chance!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Cancel the coboration and I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened!¡± Joanna was cornered. Her heart was pounding rapidly. However, these two deals represented the profits that the Haynes Group could make this year. In the past few months, the Haynes Group had been continuously losing money. Without these two deals to make the Haynes Group would not only have no profit this year but also suffer losses. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. up for it, In particr, she had signed a betting agreement with Bruce. No matter what, she could not give up on these two deals. That¡¯s impossible,¡± Joanna said. ¡°The contract has already taken effect. It¡¯s impossible to withdraw from the contract now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time, Bruce said. ¡°Will you give up on the deals?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Joanna said. Bruce twitched his lips. A sh of anger appeared in his eyes. Joanna tried to calm down her inner panic and kept her gaze as calm as possible. In the next second, Bruce loosened his tie and kissed her fiercely. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson today!¡± Bruce said. With that, Bruce grabbed her wrist and lifted her up like she was a little chick. Then, he threw her fiercely onto the conference table. Joanna¡¯s lower back was hit hard. It was so painful that she almost fainted. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t mess around,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Before she could finish talking, she looked like a prey that had been pounced on by a beast. Bruce was particrly manic today. The pent¨Cup anger he had felt for the past few days, coupled with what happened today, made him full of rage. He did not hold back at all. Joanna frantically struggled and tried to shout for someone toe in. ¡°Someone pleasees in!¡± she said. Unfortunately, before she could shout, her throat was grabbed by Bruce. ¡°Uh. Cough¡­¡± She was unable to make a sound at all. ¡°If you make any more noise, I¡¯ll strangle you to death!¡± Bruce said viciously. He tore her shirt in an instant¡­ An hourter, Bruce was satisfied with having taught Joanna a lesson. He straightened his suit and regained his usual dignified and elegant demeanor,pletely different from the violent and aggressive attitude he had just disyed. Joanna curled up on the sofa, looking disheveled and distressed. She was trembling uncontrobly, Her whole body was covered in bruises, with drops of sweat sticking her hair to her face, making her look like she had just been pulled out of a swimming pool. He was ruthless to begin with. When he was angry, he would be even more ruthless. He wished he could kill her just now. Bruce gave Joanna a cold nce and walked straight out of the conference room¡¯s door. Outside the conference room. Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and others were still waiting, afraid to leave. Upon seeing Bruce walking out of the conference room, everyone¡¯s face showed a strange expression. Obviously, everyone had heard the sounds in the conference room just now. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you leaving?¡± Mr. Paul said, smiling awkwardly as he greeted Bruce. Bruce walked away with a cold face, leaving the others behind. ¡°What should we do? Quick, let¡¯s go in to check on Miss Haynes.¡± Cora and Luna quickly entered the conference room. The two of them took a look. They could not help but feel frightened. Joanna was covered in torn clothes. She could be seen curling up on the sofa and trembling. Her fair neck was covered in bite marks, and the deepest one was almost bleeding. Cora quickly took off her coat and covered Joanna with it. ¡°Miss Haynes, let me send you to the hospital,¡± Cora said. ¡°Cora, get me a set of clothes,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Miss Haynes, you, um. I had better send you to the hospital,¡± Cora said. Tears rolled down from the corners of Joanna¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°Get me a set of clothes. Go do your own things.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± ¡°Get out of here,¡± Joanna said. Cora and Luna frowned. They left the conference room again. ¡°How¡¯s Miss Haynes?¡± Cora said coldly, ¡°Go back to your respective work desk. Don¡¯t ask about things that you shouldn¡¯t ask!¡± The high¨Clevel executives no longer dared to ask any questions. Thurriedly returned to their respective work desks. However, based on the intense screaming from Joanna just now, everyone could imagine what had happened. Nheless, no one dared to meddle in this matter. After a while, Joanna struggled to go to the washroom. She turned on the tap and allowed the cold water to drench her. Tears of humiliation flowed down her face along with the cold water. ¡°You¡¯re so ruthless to me, Bruce,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it for the rest of my life. ¡°In this lifetime, I will never reconcile with you!¡± Twenty minutester, Cora brought over a set of clean clothes. Joanna was done showering. She looked numb and emotionally detached. 07:20 Thu, 22 Jun M Cora asked, ¡°Miss Haynes, are you sure you don¡¯t need to go to the hospital? ¡°Maybe you should go home and take a rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯ll just do whatever that needs to be done.¡± When Cora heard this, she was even more moved. She was also a little heartbroken. Cora thought, ¡°Miss Haynes is really tough! ¡°Other women would have broken down long ago if faced with such an incident.¡± Bruce left the Haynes Group. He got into the car, ready to go back to the Everett Group. In the car, Bruce casually lit a cigarette, appearingpletely expressionless. However, when he recalled the scene earlier, he felt a little regretful. He thought he should not have treated Joanna so cruelly. Unfortunately, this damn woman also had a stubborn temper. From the beginning to the end, she refused to give in. He would have been kinder to her if she had begged him. ¡°Mr. Everett, how do you n to resolve the issues with the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Bruce thought for a moment and raised his eyebrows slightly. He sneered and said, ¡°Since the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group are so keen to cooperate with the Haynes Group, let them cooperate! ¡°With such a huge production capacity, the Haynes Group simply cannot handle it given its current capabilities. ¡°Purchase arge number of raw materials from the market. The Everett Group¡¯s microchips are not allowed to be provided to the Haynes Group.¡± Andy was left speechless. He was shocked when he heard that. Bruce¡¯s actions undoubtedly meant to force the Haynes Group into a dead end. The Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group were both in the electronics industry. Both needed microchips. However, only the Everett Group could produce this kind of microchips currently. Andy said. ¡°Mr. Everett, the Haynes Group¡¯s finances are in a very bad state and it may not be able to continue much longer. ¡°If these two orders cannot be fulfilled in terms of quantity, the Haynes Group may have to pay so much in breach of contract penalties that it will go bankrupt. ¡°You are also a shareholder in the Haynes Group. Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Bruce smirked wickedly and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. ¡°It¡¯s even better if the Haynes Group goes bankrupt. The Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group will then have toe back and beg the Everett Group.¡± ¡°Oh, then I will arrange it right away,¡± Andy said. Bruce blew out thest smoke ring and pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray. Despite his outward appearance and actions, Bruce had a different n in his mind. If the Haynes Group went bankrupt, Joanna would lose her confidence. At that time, she could only rely on him. At the Everett Group half an hourter. Bruce returned to thepany and started to tackle the backlog of work that had umted during his absence. In the afternoon, Roxanne went to thepany to see him. Bruce was reading the contract when Andy knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes is here,¡± he said. Bruce, upon hearing this, showed a hint of disgust and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to see her. Just say that I¡¯m in a meeting.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Andy said. Andy then left the office. Roxanne was waiting in the lounge. Andy walked over and smiled politely. ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mr. Everett is in a meeting,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t have time to see you.¡± Upon hearing this, Roxanne¡¯s pretty face showed disappointment. She asked, ¡°Oh, when will Bruce finish the meeting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Andy said. ¡°It may take a whole day.¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him here then,¡± she said. ¡°Alright then!¡± Andy said as he gave a warm smile. After pouring a ss of water for Roxanne, he went back to work. She waited and waited until it was eight in the evening. After a busy day, Bruce finally finished his work. He was like this. If he was not working, he wouldpletely stay away from work. Once he started working, he would devote himself wholeheartedly. Bruce straightened his back and stood in front of therge floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, overlooking the night view of Greyport. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Greyport was renowned for its beautiful night scenery, earning it the nickname ¡°City of Lights.¡± In the evening, the city was lit up with dazzling lights. It looked like a sparkling treasure city. As he looked at the neon lights outside the window, he suddenly felt a sense of mncholy and loss. The image of Joanna¡¯s beautiful yet stubborn face, when she huddled on the sofa in a distressed state, involuntarily emerged in his mind. In the morning, he had been too harsh on her. She was so delicate and frail, so she must have been injured. ¡°It¡¯s past eight o¡¯clock!¡± Bruce said. ¡°What is Joanna doing now?¡± Bruce then picked up his coat and left the office. He had just left the office and had not even pressed the elevator button yet when Roxanne came running from the lounge and said, ¡°Bruce, have you finished your work?¡± Bruce turned around and saw that Roxanne had yet to leave. He could not help but frown. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± he said. Roxanne bit her lower lip gently like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°I, um. I¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± she said. ¡°Have you been waiting since this afternoon?¡± Bruce asked. Roxanne¡¯s eyshes fluttered, and her tone carried a hint of grievance as she said, ¡°Yes. ¡°Are you done with your work now?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m done!¡± Bruce said. Roxanne looked at Bruce carefully and said, ¡°Shall we go have dinner together?¡± Bruce¡¯s brows were still tightly furrowed. ¡°I want to go back to the Everett mansion to see Grandma,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s do it another day!¡± I¡¯lle along with you to see her then,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Grandma sleeps early these days. Let¡¯s not disturb her, okay? ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne spoke hesitantly and looked at Bruce pitifully. Bruce was expressionless. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired today,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together another day.¡± As he spoke, the elevator arrived. = Bruce went straight to the elevator. Roxanne had no choice but to follow him into the elevator. 07-20 Thu, 22 Jun Soon, the elevator arrived at the parking lot downstairs. Roxanne followed Bruce as she pondered silently. 57/1%% When she got into the carter, she would refuse to get out of the car. Today, no matter where he went, she would stick to him. Bruce personally opened the car door and helped Roxanne into the car. ¡°Kody, send Ms. Haynes back!¡± Bruce said. The driver, Kody, nodded respectfully. ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± he said. When Roxanne heard this, she immediately felt even more disappointed. ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t you getting into the car?¡± she asked. ¡°Let the driver send you back.¡± Bruce said. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll drive another car.¡± With that, Bruce closed the car door. Then, he took out another Lamborghini car key from his pocket. ¡°Bruce! Bruce!¡± Roxanne shouted twice, hurriedly trying to get out of the car. Bruce had already gotten into the other car and started the engine. Roxanne hurriedly pushed open the door and got out of the car. Bruce had already stepped on the elerator and driven off. ¡°Bruce!¡± Roxanne watched as the car sped away. A trace of disappointment and resentment appeared on Roxanne¡¯s face. She did not expect Bruce to ask the driver to send her back. ¡°Get in the car, Ms. Haynes,¡± Kody said. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 After Bruce left, Roxanne stomped her feet helplessly. Tears instantly filled her eyes. She shouted at the driver, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to send me!¡± With that, Roxanne ran out of the car park angrily. She had waited for Bruce the whole afternoon! She did not expect him to care so little about her feelings. Roxanne ran out of the car park. Feeling angry, she called Gavin again. Whenever she felt she was mistreated by Bruce, she always wanted to call Gavin to seekfort from him. Gavin was very excited when he received Roxanne¡¯s call. He immediately rode his motorcycle over to pick her up. Bruce drove aimlessly. After driving around the elevated highway twice, he strangely ended up at the building of the Haynes Group. He knew that Joanna was focused on her work now. It was only past eight o¡¯clock. She must still be in thepany. He really wanted to see if she was seriously injured. Bruce took a look at the first floor of the building. Indeed, Joanna¡¯s car was still parked in its original position. The lights in the office building were still on.. However, instead of going upstairs, Bruce chose to stay in his car, smoking and waiting. At ten o¡¯clock in the evening. Joanna finished her work. Looking at the time, it was already past ten in the evening. Most of thepany¡¯s employees had left, leaving only a few programmers working overtime on their coding. Joanna felt her eyes getting sore. She turned off theputer and prepared to go home. She had been tortured by Bruce for nearly an hour in the morning. Her body was bruised all over. Coupled with the fact that she had been busy for the entire day, she really felt like she was about to copse. When she was at work, she was highly focused and did not feel it. Now that she rxed, she felt a sudden sense of dizziness as soon as she stood up. She immediately fell back onto the chair. After a long while, her dizziness subsided slightly. She stood up with great effort and walked toward the elevator. One minuteter, the elevator arrived. Joanna held the elevator door and got into the elevator. Upon entering the elevator, she could barely stand steadily. She leaned weakly against the elevator wall. At the car park downstairs, Bruce, who had been waiting for two hours, finally saw the elevator door of the car park open. A woman with a weakened physique walked out of the elevator slowly. Bruce took a closer look. It was indeed Joanna. However, she appeared very tired and weak. She looked as though she had to catch her breath after taking two steps. 07:20 When Bruce saw this, he felt a little sad and heartbroken for some reason. Then, he got out of the car and quietly walked toward her. Joanna weakly walked to the door of the car and reached into her handbag for her car key. However, due to her extreme weakness, it took her quite a while to find her car key in her handbag. She then pressed the unlock button and struggled to open the car door. The car door had just been opened. She had not had a chance to get in yet when suddenly she heard a bang! Someone unexpectedly closed the car door. As a result, she was jolted by force. She staggered and knocked against the car door. Joanna was shocked, thinking that she had encountered a robber. After all, she was now the chairwoman of the Haynes Group. Ingrid would not let her remain in this position peacefully. There was a possibility that Ingrid got a few gangsters to cause trouble for her. ¡°How can you drive in your current state?¡± Bruce said. When Joanna heard Bruce¡¯s voice, her heart raced even faster. ¡°Bruce, what are you up to again?¡± Joanna asked. Bruce did not say anything. He just looked at her coldly. Joanna became even more anxious and quickly tried to open the car door again. She was really afraid of this man! Bruce reached out and firmly held onto the car door, while his other hand grabbed onto Joanna¡¯s wrist and held her in his embrace. A hint of fear appeared in Joanna¡¯s big eyes. Her beautiful face was filled with nervousness and uneasiness. ¡°Bruce, what are you going to do again?¡± Joanna asked. Bruce did not say anything. His pupils contracted slightly as he nced at the wounds on Joanna¡¯s neck. Her slender and fair neck was covered in bruises, and there were two faint scabs. Whenever he was excited, he wanted to bite her. Moreover, her skin was especially tender. A gentle bite would leave a peach¨Clike mark, which made him very addicted to biting her. He did not have this fetish when he was with other women. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Bruce asked. He frowned and reached out to gently caress the wounds on her neck. Joanna flinched all over and was even more frightened, trying to avoid him. ¡°Let go of me,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± Seeing that she was so resistant to him, he became even more inexplicably restless. His expression suddenly turned grim. He pinned her arms behind her back against the car door. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± he said. UAZU Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Thu, 22 Jun M 471% Joanna took a few deep breaths. Her eyes were filled with fear. ¡°I beg you, Bruce,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me again!¡± However, the more she resisted him, the more he wanted to approach her, to possess everything about her, and topletely conquer her, making her unable to leave him. A strange sense of brutality appeared on Bruce¡¯s handsome and cold face, but his tone was gentle. ¡°Why are you so afraid of me he asked. ¡°1. um. can you please let go of me first?¡± Joanna said. She was afraid that he would use force on her again, so she could only show the impression of weakness. She pleaded in a weak and gentle tone. As Bruce looked at her weak and helpless appearance, he was moved. The hostility in his eyes also dissipated a bit, and he released one of his hands. Joanna broke free from his grip, her eyes showing a hint of hatred. She quietly reached for her handbag. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in a good state of mind,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Don¡¯t drive¡­¡± Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Before Bruce finished talking, Joanna took out a stun baton from her handbag and fiercely poked it toward him. Bruce reacted quickly. Before the stun baton could touch him, he suddenly grabbed Joanna¡¯s hand and knocked it away. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna was shocked. The stun baton fell to the ground. Bruce¡¯s expression suddenly changed. The guilt he had just felt toward Joanna instantly turned into anger. ¡°Joanna, how dare you try to give me a sneak attack again,¡± Bruce said. Joanna¡¯s stun baton fell to the ground. She panicked even more and involuntarily retreated. Bruce was furious. He approached with a sinister expression, taking two steps closer to Joanna. Joanna¡¯s heart was pounding with fear. She quickly ducked and slipped under Bruce¡¯s arm before he could react. Then, she gathered all her strength and ran toward the exit of the car park. She really dared not be alone with Bruce. She was even more afraid of the pain of not being able to resist but being forced to bear it. ¡°Joanna, stop right there!¡± Bruce said. Joanna said, ¡°Ah, don¡¯te over¡­ Joanna panicked like a frightened prey, desperately trying to escape. Bruce was even more furious and chased after her. Unfortunately, Joanna was so weak that she could not outrun Bruce. Just as she ran for about ten steps, she tripped over a barricade on the ground and fell heavily to the ground. The ground was covered in lime. When she hit it, it was so painful that her brain buzzed and she almost fainted. ¡°Joanna!¡± Bruce eximed in shock and hurried over to check on her. Joanna¡¯s arm was scratched. She could not get up after falling to the ground. Bruce helped her up. His heart ached and he was worried. However, he scolded harshly, ¡°Serves you right! You brought this on yourself!¡± Joanna opened her eyes slightly and exhaled weakly. She then closed her eyes and passed out. ¡°Joanna, Joanna, wake up, Bruce said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Joanna had already lost consciousness. Her body was very soft, as if she had no bones. Bruce panicked. He quickly stretched out his thumb and pressed the area under her nose. This was one of the most sensitive areas of the body to pain. When people were unconscious, as long as this area was pressed hard, they would wake up due to the pain. Unfortunately, Bruce pinched it hard for nearly a minute, but Joanna did not react at all. Clearly, she had fallen into a deep state of unconsciousness. Bruce waspletely flustered. He hurriedly carried her horizontally. He drove her to the hospital. Ten minutester, Bruce sent Joanna to the hospital. He drove and ran several red lights along the way to get Joanna to the hospital as quickly as possible. ¡°Doctor, someone fainted,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Pleasee quickly!¡± Bruce rushed into the hospital with Joanna in his arms. His face was filled with panic. When two nurses heard the shout, they hurriedly went to check. Another nurse quickly pushed a wheeled stretcher over. After Bruce ced Joanna on the wheeled stretcher, the nurse hurriedly pushed the wheeled stretcher toward the emergency room. Bruce worriedly followed and ran as the wheeled stretcher was pushed. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely wake. up¡­ ¡°This is the emergency room, the nurse said. ¡°Please wait outside.¡± ¡°Okay, please make sure to treat the patient well!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± the nurse said. Bruce took a deep breath. He had no choice but to wait outside the emergency room. ¡°Sir, pleasee here and pay the registration fee¡­¡± Due to the critical situation, Bruce did not go to his own hospital. Instead, he went to the nearest hospital nearby. Bruce said. ¡°Oh. Okay. ¡°How much is the registration fee?¡± The person behind the counter did not even look up. She said in a cold tone, ¡°2 dors for registration, 20 dors for emergency treatment, and please prepay 200 dors for medical expenses¡­¡± This was a private hospital, and the fees were not standardized. However, the situation was critical. Bruce had no choice but to send Joanna here first, fearing any dy in treatment. Bruce reached into his pocket and realized that he did not bring any money. His phone was also left in the car. He did not usually carry money when he went out. He had assistants to take care of everything in his daily life. ¡°Oh, I forgot my wallet!¡± Bruce said. The cashier pursed her lips and said, ¡°How can youe to the hospital without your wallet? ¡°Without prepaying the medical expenses, we cannot process the admission procedures. Please go back and bring the money first.¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce became extremely angry. Then, he threw the Lamborghini car key into the counter. ¡°Let¡¯s first handle the admission procedure for the patient,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I will have my assistant bring the medical feester.¡± Only then did the cashier look up and see a handsome and distinguished face through the window. 07:21 Immediately, the cashier was stunned. The cashier next to her muttered softly, ¡°Oh my god, is this guy Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°I think so! Oh my god, why did Mr. Everette to our hospital?¡± Half an hourter, the door of the emergency room was opened. The doctor and nurse walked out of the emergency room. Bruce hurriedly approached the doctor. ¡°Doc, how¡¯s the patient?¡± he asked. The doctor did not even raise his head. ¡°The patient¡¯s injuries aren¡¯t that serious,¡± the doctor said. ¡°They¡¯ve already been. treated. She¡¯ll recover after resting for a few days. You have to be more careful when ites to making love in future. Young people should not be reckless.¡± When Bruce heard this, a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face. ¡°Also, the patient has severe hypoglycemia,¡± the doctor continued. ¡°On top of that, she¡¯s malnourished and she has anemia. She needs proper treatment and care. ¡°Otherwise, it will be very troublesome in the future!¡± When Bruce heard this, he repeated in disbelief. ¡°Hypoglycemia?¡± he said. ¡°Malnourished?¡± The doctor replied nonchntly, ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Um, does the patient have depression?¡± the doctor asked. Bruce said, ¡°Depression!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Bruce replied involuntarily. ¡°There¡¯s no way she has depression¡­¡± ¡°How could Joanna, with her strong and outspoken personality, possibly have depression? Bruce thought. ¡°Regardless, the patient is very weak right now and needs proper care and treatment, the doctor said. ¡°Got it!¡± Bruce said. Bruce then entered the ward immediately. Joanna was still unconscious with an IV drip attached to her wrist. There were several bottles of glucose hanging on the pole beside her. Bruce quietly stared at Joanna. She looks so delicate and frail, but¡­ ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Bruce said weakly as he held Joanna¡¯s hand. After watching over Joanna for a while, Bruce suddenly remembered that she loved the dessert from Honeymoon Dessert in the past. She had hypoglycemia now. It would be best for her to eat some dessert when she woke upter. Initially, Bruce wanted to call his assistant and ask him to buy it. Bute to think of it, there was a Honeymoon Dessert shop nearby. He could drive there and it would not take more than five minutes. A round trip would take twenty minutes. 0/21 Inu, 22 JUI Thinking of this, Bruce left the ward and went to buy the dessert himself. Twenty minutester, Bruce rushed back with the dessert he had bought. This was the first time he had personally gone to buy food for someone. Unfortunately, when he returned to the ward, it was already empty. The IV drip was still hanging on the pole and had not finished yet. ¡°Where¡¯s the patient?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she in the ward?¡± ¡°Oh my, when has the patient gone out?¡± Joanna had already woken up earlier. She just did not want to face Bruce. While Bruce was out buying the dessert, she took the opportunity to leave the hospital.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Bruce furrowed his brow tightly, and the dessert in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. The patient may have just left, the nurse replied with a hint of surprise in her eyes. Just a moment ago, she did not believe that Mr. Everett came to their hospital, but now she can see it clearly. It was indeed. Mr. Everetil Bruce did not say anything else. With a cold expression, he turned around and strode away. His back was cold and cool, tall and straight, exuding a strong sense of masculinity. His physique was even better than western male models. The nurses behind her were all infatuated. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s really Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Mr. Everett actuallye to our hospital! Wow, he¡¯s so handsome in person. He beats Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. all the male celebrities!¡± ¡°By the way, the patient Mr. Everett just sent over seems to be Miss Haynes, right?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, that seems to be the case! I just heard from the attending doctor that Miss Haynes¡¯s external injuries are very serious. It¡¯s as if someone has roughly handled¡® her.¡± ¡°Wow, this is too juicy! Could it be that Mr. Everett used violence against her?¡± Another married nurse pursed her lips and said, ¡°The more handsome a man is, the worse he is. Rich people like them have messy private lives!¡± When a young nurse heard this, her eyes lit up. ¡°Mr. Everett is so handsome in person,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s much more handsome than he is when he appears on TV! I want to be treated badly by Mr. Everett in a romantic rtionship too. If I can be treated badly by Mr. Everett, it¡¯s worth dying for!¡± ¡°Stop daydreaming and get back to work! Don¡¯t look anymore. He has left.¡± ¡°He even talked to me just now. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t ask him for an autograph!¡± ¡°Look at how infatuated you are¡­¡± In the female toilet beside them, Joanna was hiding inside and did note out. She did not leave the hospital earlier, but instead hid in the restroom. Hearing the nurses¡® infatuated voices, her face turned even paler. Bruce was the richest man in Greyport. He was young, rich, and so good¨Clooking! It was inevitable that he would frequently appear in various media reports. The media often captured him in a refined and elegant appearance, dressed in suits and leather shoes, giving off an air of a restrained and elite gentleman. Such a person would naturally be the object of women¡¯s fantasies. Unfortunately, only Joanna knew how terrifying he could be when he lost control. Joanna just received a glucose infusion and now her dizziness had cased a lot. After spending some time in the restroom, she left the hospital. It was already past twelve o¡¯clock after she took a taxi back home. Lilia was already asleep while Tracy was waiting on the sofa. When she saw Joanna back at home, she hurried over to greet Joanna and take her handbag. ¡°Hi Miss Haynes, you¡¯re back,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Joanna said. ¡°You haven¡¯t slept yet, huh?¡± Tracy looked concerned. ¡°Why did youe back sote today?¡± she asked. ¡°I worked overtime today and finishedte,¡± Joanna said. When Tracy took the handbag from Joanna, she saw the wounds on Joanna¡¯s arm. ¡°Miss Haynes, why is your arm injured?¡± she asked. Joanna forced an awkward smile and said wearily, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just tripped and fell identally. I¡¯m tired, I¡¯ll go to bed first! You should go to bed early too.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Tracy asked. ¡°Do you need me to cook you some food for supper?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Joanna said. She then went straight to her room. Today, she was just too tired. In addition, her entire body was in pain. As soon as shey down, she fell asleep. At seven in the morning the next day, Joanna woke up on time again. ¡°Lilia, Mommy is going to the office now,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Be good at home!¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes and said sensibly, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll be good! Mommy, you have toe back early to be with me too!¡± ¡°Alright, got it!¡± Joanna said as she caressed her daughter¡¯s head lovingly. She leaned over and kissed her daughter¡¯s face. ¡°Mommy is leaving!¡± she said. Lilia blinked her big eyes again. She looked at Joanna with a cute and innocent expression as she said, ¡°Mommy, can I watch TV a little longer today? ¡°I saw Irvin on TV yesterday. Irvin was on TV!¡± Joanna was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, ¡°You can watch a little longer today, but not too much. It¡¯s not good for your eyes.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lilia said. ¡°Got it, Mommy!¡± ¡°Tracy, I¡¯m going to work now,¡± Joanna said. ¡°The weather is good today. Take Lilia for a walk in the afternoon.¡±. ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes, Tracy said, handing the handbag to Joanna and seeing her off the door. Tracy, Miranda, and Kelly had been with Joanna since the birth of her three children. It had been a long time since they started working for Joanna. Joanna trusted them very much. Of course, she also provided. them with generouspensation. Adding to that were the expensive medical expenses for Lilia and the school fees for Davian and Irvin. Joanna¡¯s expenses were quite substantial. Therefore, she had to work hard to earn money. Joanna took her handbag and car key. She then hurriedly left the house. However, she felt a little groggy and ufortable all over her body today. She really wanted to stay home and rest for at day. Nheless, when she thought about it, she felt insecure if she did not go to thepany for a day. 0/21 Thu, 2 Jul She currently derived all her sense of security from work. She also enjoyed the busy and fulfilling feeling that it brought. Joanna arrived at thepany at eight in the morning. ¡°Good morning, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± Upon entering thepany, Joanna felt energized. She quickly walked toward the elevator. No matter what, she had already signed a contract with the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group. She had to quickly fulfill the orders. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Joanna had just stepped into the elevator. Before the elevator door closed, someone had already pressed the button to open the door. The elevator door slowly opened again. Bruce walked in with a cold expression. He was not wearing a suit today. Instead, he wore a knee¨Clength overcoat with a ck shirt underneath. His hair was still meticulouslybed on top of his head, with a few irregr strands loosely hanging at the ends. He exuded a strong presence with a hint of wickedness. He was incredibly handsome! However, when Joanna saw him, she felt a sudden intense feeling of anxiety. She involuntarily pressed herself against the clevator wall. Seeing her frightened reaction, Bruce did not show any anger. Instead, he had a calm expression, and he did not ask her why she had snuck out yesterday. Joanna¡¯s heart was beating rapidly. She clenched her fists, ready to defend herself at any moment. Fortunately, Bruce did not make things difficult for her. He ignored her presence as if she was invisible. As the elevator slowly ascended, Joanna felt extremely anxious. The atmosphere was tense, as if time was passing at a snail¡¯s pace. One minuteter, the elevator arrived at the office floor and the elevator door slowly opened. Bruce did not even look at Joanna. He walked out of the elevator first. Then, he walked straight to the conference room. The Haynes Group held a meeting every morning at nine. At nine o¡¯clock, the high¨Clevel executives would gather in the conference room. They would report yesterday¡¯s work to their superiors and convey today¡¯s instructions. Bruce walked past everyone. The high¨Clevel executives, who were chatting andughing, instantly fell silent when they saw Bruce. ¡°Hi, Mr. Everett!¡± the employees greeted him one after another. Bruce just nodded slightly and entered the conference room. When Joanna saw this, she became even more terrified. For a long while, she remained hesitant and did not dare to go into the conference room. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Wow, Mr. Everett is here at the office again today!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s scary. Will he do that to Miss Haynes again today¡­¡± ¡°Shh, shh, stop talking! It¡¯s almost time for the meeting. Let¡¯s go in quickly!¡± ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so nervous!¡± Two high¨Clevel executives adjusted their expressions and walked into the conference room with a serious and restrained demeanor. In the conference room, several high¨Clevel executives had already arrived early. All of them looked cautious and careful, afraid of making any mistakes. Ten minutester, Joanna still had not entered the conference room. Several high¨Clevel executives were afraid that Joanna would bete and anger Bruce. They could not help but mutter softly, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Miss Haynese yet?¡± ¡°She¡¯s noting to work today, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I just saw Miss Haynese to thepany,¡± ¡°Should we go and call her¡­¡± Joanna kept dilly¨Cdallying until twenty past nine before she toughed it out and walked into the conference room. As soon as she walked in, more than ten pairs of eyes shot at her. Bruce was sitting right next to her seat. At this moment, he sat quietly with his hands folded, just like other high¨Clevel executives, looking serious and waiting for the meeting to start. However, there was a hint of a smirk in his eyes. Due to the presence of Bruce, Joanna felt extremely anxious about being watched. She was somewhat uneasy when she walked in. However, she did not dare to sit in her original seat. She was even more afraid of getting too close to Bruce. ¡°Good morning, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna pursed her lips and tried her best to calm down. ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± she said. The agenda of the meeting that she had prepared waspletely forgotten due to fear. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting!¡± Joanna said. She stood by the other end of the conference table, without any intention of taking a seal. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is today¡¯s report.¡± ¡°This is yesterday¡¯s purchase data and the progress of Original Equipment Manufacturing¡± ¡°Here are the contracts from the past two days. They have already been signed. Please take a look, Miss Haynes. The high- level executives reported their work one after another. Joanna was listening absentmindedly. She said, ¡°Oh, send them all to my officeter. ¡°There are three main topics in today¡¯s meeting. I just sent the agenda to the work chatgroup. ¡°Take a closer lookter. Today¡¯s meeting is over!¡± As Joanna spoke, she had already stood up and walked toward the door. Everyone was left speechless. They were stunned when they saw her leaving. The meeting today was too short. The part about the meeting agenda ended in less than five minutes. After the meeting, Joanna quickly left the conference room. She did not want to see Bruce for even a moment. Unfortunately, when she returned to her own office and before she could even close the door, Bruce followed her in. Upon seeing her about to close the door, Bruce rushed forward and blocked it. He then pushed his way into the office forcefully. Joanna stepped back in fear and asked, ¡°Bruce, what do you want to do?¡± 07:21 Thu, 22 Jun M Bruce shrugged and said with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯m here to work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that again,¡± Joanna said. ¡°This is my office. You¡¯re not allowed toe in!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Bruce said with a slight smirk, exuding a yful and mischievous air. Joanna involuntarily swallowed her saliva. She did not dare to drive him away anymore. JUAL Even more so, she did not dare to stop him forcefully. ¡°He¡¯s a nasty man!¡± she thought. ¡°The more I resist him, the more aggressive he will be!¡± ¡°Wh¨Cwhat exactly do you want?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°I told you,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I want to work!¡± He walked into the office in a domineering manner. Then, he sat down on Joanna¡¯s desk chair, lookingpletely at ease. ¡°Hey¡­ Can you please stop doing this?¡± Joanna said. ¡°If you continue like this, I¡¯ll really have to call the police!¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 ¡°Call the police then!¡± Bruce said as he sneered. When Joanna heard this, her beautiful face turned extremely displeased! She would never dare to call the police. With work being so important now, any negative impact would be a heavy blow to the Haynes Group. ¡°Please, Bruce, I beg you!¡± Joanna said. ¡°Can you stop disrupting the order of the Haynes Group¡­¡± Bruce interrupted her immediately. ¡°How did I disrupt thepany¡¯s order?¡± he said. ¡°I haven¡¯t even pursued the matter of you disrupting the entire market! ¡°You still have the cheek to say that I¡¯m disrupting thepany¡¯s order, huh? Besides, I¡¯m also a director of thepany. Can I note to the office?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and said, ¡°What are you even doing here in the office? You¡¯re not involved in the management. You¡¯re here purely for fun!¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce raised his eyebrows and gave a sly smile. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right!¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to have some fun! ¡°I gave you two big deals. shouldn¡¯t you make me happy? In other words, shouldn¡¯t you make an effort to please me?¡± Joanna retorted angrily, ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re really shameless! I fought for those two deals myself. They were not given to me by you!¡± Bruce lit a cigarette and took a slow drag. ¡°Well, women have two mouths and can make any argument seem reasonable. Women control men!¡± As he spoke, there was a hint of provocation and frivolity in his eyes as he enjoyed the sight of Joanna being angry and frustrated. He liked to see her stomping her feet in anger and losing her mind! ¡°You¡­.¡± Joanna¡¯s little face turned angry. She was so angry that her entire body was trembling. She even coughed twice because of the smell of smoke. ¡°Can you not smoke in my office?¡± Joanna said. Bruce was stunned. As he saw Joanna coughing continuously, he subconsciously put out the cigarette. Bruce said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that my job is to supervise you! ¡°From today onwards, I¡¯lle to the office every day to supervise you at work!¡± ¡°What right do you have to supervise me?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Are you the president of the country? Who gave you such authority?¡± Joanna waspletely speechless with anger. The feeling was like a bullying into one¡¯s home, eating and drinking everything, and then throwing pots and pans around! However, one could not afford to offend the bully. Neither could one avoid the bully. Bruce smiled. He leanedzily against the backrest of the chair, crossed his long legs, and ced his feet on theputer desk in a domineering manner! Then, he leisurely read the newspaper. ¡°Could you make me a cup of tea?¡± Bruce said. Joanna was so choked up with anger that she could not even speak. She was left speechless. ¡°Hurry up and go. Bruce said. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and walked out. Alright, since he wanted her to make tea, she would do it! Joanna went to the pantry and took a cup. Then, she ced a tea bag of ck tea in it. After pouring half a cup of hot water into the cup, she proceeded to add some dirty water from the sink. A momentter, Joanna held the teacup and ced it in front of Bruce. ¡°Here you go!¡± she said. Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered. He looked at Joanna with a half¨Csmile. ¡°So obedient, huh? This doesn¡¯t seem like your style.¡± ¡°Do you want to drink it?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Sigh, forget it!¡± Bruce said. ¡°In ancient times, Wu Dng was poisoned by his own wife. Who knows if history will repeat itself today?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no poison in the tea!¡± Joanna said. ¡°If I were to poison you, wouldn¡¯t I have to pay with my life? It¡¯s not worth it to sacrifice myself for a man like you!¡± Bruce sneered. He then held the teacup and sniffed it. There was a strange smell in the teacup. Bruce was such a picky person, so he naturally would not drink it. He casually put the teacup back. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Since you said it¡¯s not worth it, it¡¯s not worth it then!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Jeez, after eating and drinking their fill, women forget about the goodness of men!¡± Joanna said, ¡°Bruce, stop talking nonsense¡­¡± As Joanna was speaking, she suddenly stopped. ¡°Why bother arguing with him?¡± she thought. Then, she said. ¡°Forget it. Say whatever you want.¡± With that, Joanna turned around, wanting to leave. Bruce¡¯s eyes widened and he sat up straight. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked. ¡°Ohe on, how am I supposed to work when you¡¯re upying my office?¡± Joanna said. ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Bruce said. ¡°If you want to work, work here! Don¡¯t get out of my sight!¡± Joannaughed out of anger. ¡°Bruce, are you sick?¡± she said. Bruce raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Yes, I am! You¡¯re my cure!¡± ¡°Psychopath!¡± Joanna said. She could not help but curse. She turned around, wanting to leave. ¡°Try taking another step!¡± Bruce said. His voice suddenly became serious. Joanna stopped in her tracks upon hearing Bruce¡¯s words. This damn bastard, if she provoked him, he might use force on her again. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Come back and work under my watchful eyes!¡± Bruce said. ¡°If you dare to leave my sight, you know the consequences.¡± Joanna swallowed her anger. She angrily moved the documents andputer onto the coffee table. She still had a lot of documents to deal with today, so she did not have the time to argue with Bruce. Just as she put on her sses to start working on the documents, her phone began to vibrate with a series of beeps. Joanna instinctively took out her phone and nced at it. The call was from Jaydon. Joanna muted her phone and stood up again. She did not dare to answer the call in front of Bruce. ¡°Where are you going now?¡± Bruce said. ¡°Can I go out and take a call?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Just take the call here,¡± Bruce said. Joanna replied, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re so annoying! ¡°Can you not be so overbearing?¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t answer the call then,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Is that good enough for you?¡± She then angrily hung up the phone. Jaydon called a few more times, but none of the calls made to Joanna was able to go through. It was almost noon. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jaydon personally came to the office to look for Joanna. When Cora saw Jaydon, she quickly went forward to greet him. ¡°Hi Mr. Grimm, you¡¯re here,¡± she said. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm!¡± Several staff members also greeted Jaydon one after another. Jaydon brought Starbucks coffee and cakes. He smiled and handed it to Cora. ¡°This is for everybody!¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Grimm,¡± Cora said. ¡°You¡¯re so kind!¡± One after another, a few high¨Clevel executives came over to get coffee and cake. However, they felt worried. Today, it seemed that there would be another intense conflict. ¡°Where¡¯s Joann?¡± Jaydon asked. Cora shifted her gaze a few times before she said, ¡°Uh, Miss Haynes is in the office.¡± ¡°Is she busy today?¡± Jaydon said. ¡°I called her several times, but she didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Cora said. She hesitated, wanting to say something but she held back. ¡°I go in and look for her,¡± Jaydon said. Cora quickly stopped Jaydon. ¡°Mr. Grimm, please wait!¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jaydon asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a good time for you to go in right now,¡± Cora said. 07:21 Thu, 22 Jun Jaydon was left speechless. He looked at Cora in confusion. Cora knew about his rtionship with Joanna. He often went in and out of Joanna¡¯s office in a casual manner. ¡°Um, I think I¡¯ll go in and report to Miss Haynes first,¡± Cora said. ¡°Alright, Jaydon said. ¡°Please wait in the reception room for a while, Mr. Grimm,¡± Cora said. ¡°Okay!¡± Jaydon said. Cora gathered her courage and knocked on the office door loudly. ¡°Come in!¡± Cora walked in with a stack of files and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, there¡¯s a client here.¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 After speaking, Cora gave Joanna a nce that subtly signaled a message. Joanna understood Cora¡¯s message without needing to say anything. The two had been working together for a long time, so sometimes they could understand each other¡¯s intentions just by looking at each other. In addition, Jaydon had just called Joanna several times, so she knew right away that he hade. ¡°Alright, got it.¡± Joanna said. ¡°You may go and receive the client first. I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes, Cora replied and left respectfully. Bruce¡¯s eyelids drooped. ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± he asked. Joanna did not dare to ignore him, so she replied, ¡°A client. I¡¯m going out to meet the client.¡± Bruce was left speechless. He rolled his eyes and lowered his head to read the newspaper again. Joanna stood up and made her way out of the office. At the reception room. Joanna pushed open the door to the reception room. Indeed, Jaydon had arrived. ¡°Jay, why are you here?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jaydon said. ¡°Can I note and see you?¡± After Jaydon finished talking, he smiled warmly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± Jaydon said. ¡°I thought something happened to you!¡± A trace of difort appeared on Joanna¡¯s face. She forced a smile and said. ¡°No, I was busy just now. I didn¡¯t hear the phone ring.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Jaydon looked up and happened to see several dark bruises on her neck. Although she covered it with a scarf, he could still see several bruises on her neck. As a man, he naturally knew what had happened at a nce. ¡°Uh, is there something wrong?¡± Joanna asked. Upon hearing that, Jaydon¡¯s heart ached, but he still put on a gentle smile and said, ¡°I brought you coffee and cake.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Joanna said as she took the delicate tote bag. There was a hint of worry in her eyes. ¡°Jay, if there¡¯s nothing urgent, you may go back first,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy today, so I probably don¡¯t have time to entertain you. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight.¡± Bruce was in the office now. Joanna was afraid that if they met, there would be another conflict between them again. Jaydon paused. He felt a sense of disappointment. In the past, when Joanna was busy with work, he would watch her work in the office. He enjoyed watching her serious expression while working. But today, she did not even let him into the office. ¡°By the way, the advertisement that Irvin shot the other day is very sessful,¡± Jaydon said. ¡°The response is particrly good!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna said. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll have to invite Irvin to shoot another advertisement,¡± Jaydon said. Jaydon wanted to sign Irvin to his entertainmentpany. Firstly, Irvin was indeed very talented. He was especially cute and good¨Clooking. Secondly, if he really signed Irvin, he would be able to meet Joanna more often. Joanna was left speechless. She was stunned. ¡°Also, mypany is preparing to shoot a movie,¡± Jaydon said. ¡°We need a child actor. Irvin is very suitable for the role. ¡°Next Sunday, I want to take him to the production team for an audition.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression turned serious. She declined without hesitation. ¡°Jay, you know that I don¡¯t want my children to be in the public eye too often. ¡°So, I¡¯m sorry! I have to decline this time around.¡± Jaydon said, ¡°Joann, with the media being so developed nowadays, it¡¯s hard to avoid exposure even if you want to. ¡°Moreover, Irvin is so cute. He can definitely develop a career in the entertainment industry. I¡¯ve asked him. He¡¯s very interested in this industry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect his studies and life.¡± Joanna shook her head and looked at Jaydon awkwardly. ¡°Jay, he¡¯s still young,¡± she said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what conditions he needs. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to be too picky about the choices in life.¡± Jaydon was not discouraged at all. He still tried to persuade Joanna. ¡°Just shoot one movie,¡± he said. ¡°It won¡¯t take long. ¡°Just think of it as helping me. I really can¡¯t find a suitable candidate now.¡± ¡°Jay, it¡¯s really not possible this time around,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Just as Jaydon was about to continue persuading Joanna, Bruce suddenly appeared at the door of the reception room. ¡°Joanna, is he the client you mentioned?¡± he asked. Upon hearing Bruce¡¯s voice, Joanna trembled involuntarily. Jaydon was displeased. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± he asked. Bruce strode in and said, ¡°I¡¯m a director of thepany. Is it strange for me to be here? ¡°And you, why are you here? ¡°Joanna, I thought thepany is going to set rules that non¨Cemployees cannot enter thepany premises.¡± Jaydon said, ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°Jay, you may go back first,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight.¡± With that, she pushed Jaydon¡¯s back, wanting him to leave quickly. Jaydon looked extremely displeased. ¡°Joann, did he do something to you again?¡± he asked. Joanna took a deep breath. A hint of helplessness shed across her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. ¡°Please leave first!¡± Upon hearing that, Bruce let out a cold sneer and looked at Jaydon in a wicked way, ¡°Hey, you guessed it right!¡± he said. ¡°She, 12:47 Fri, 23 Jun. slept with me again! ¡°Do you still want such a woman?¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re not a fucking man!¡± Jaydon said. He was so angry that the veins in his temples bulged! He raised his fist and was about to hit Bruce. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t do it!¡± Joanna said, immediately dashing forward to stop Jaydon. Bruce smiled coldly and said, ¡°What right do you have to criticize me? ¡°You have gotten involved with every female artist under your management, haven¡¯t you? When it loving?¡± When Jaydon heard that, it hit a nerve. ¡°Shut up. Bruce!¡± he said. Indeed, several top female artists under his management had ambiguous rtionships with him. Jaydon could not help it. He was naturally romantic. All the female artists were young and beautiful. Facing such a gentle, handsome, and wealthy boss like Jaydon, who would not want to get close to him? Even if he did not make the first move, those little minxes would do everything they could to throw themselves at him. Bruce looked at Jaydon with a faint smile and a hint of disdain in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m warning you,¡± he said. ¡°Joanna is my woman. She will be my woman for the rest of her life! ¡°Other men shouldn¡¯t think about trying to make a move on her, especially a yboy like you!¡± Neither Bruce nor Jaydon was a good person. Although Bruce did not sleep with Roxanne, he had also sought out many women privately. However, he was much more heartless than Jaydon! He had never put any emotional attachment to those women. Usually, after having fun with them, he would give them at sum of money to cut off all ties. If he encountered women who pestered him, he would be disgusted. He would even send someone to teach them how to ¡°behave properly¡°! Therefore, there were not many scandals about him circting around. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense,¡± Jaydon said. ¡°I really have feelings for you¡­¡± Jaydon was a little flustered and exasperated. He subconsciously wanted to exin to Joanna. Joanna frowned. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t say anything,¡± she said. ¡°Go back first! We¡¯ll talk when we meet tonight!¡± With that, Joanna pushed Jaydon out of the reception room. Jaydon said, ¡°Hmph! ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be too overbearing!¡± ¡°Jaydon, you had better know your ce!¡± Bruce said. SEND GIFT Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Although Jaydon was also a scion from a top¨Cnotch wealthy family, he was still much inferior to Bruce. In particr, his family was a little chaotic. He had many siblings. Moreover, flie power of the family was still under hist father¡¯s control. On the other hand. Bruce was the only child of the Everett family and the person in charge of the Everett family¡¯s billion- dor business empire. Therefore, he naturally would not take Jaydon seriously. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t stoop to his level,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Leave quickly!¡± As Joanna pushed Jaydon toward the elevator, she kept giving him a series of eye signals, signaling that he should not confront Bruce directly. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jaydon swallowed his anger and left resentfully. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Keep your distance from Jaydon! ¡°This is thest time I see you having contact with him. If I find out that you¡¯re in contact with him again, I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Joanna was so angry that she felt a sharp pain in her heart and her eyes were almost spewing mes. ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t you too domineering?¡± she said. With that, Joanna walked angrily toward the office. Bruce chased after her. Ignoring the employees¡® gaze, he shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to pursue your past with Jaydon anymore. From this moment on, if you dare to let him touch you again, you will be dead meat!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Jaydon is the father of my children. How can I not have any contact with him?¡± Upon hearing that, Bruce smiled sinisterly. ¡°Oh, right!¡± he said. ¡°Speaking of children, I just remembered something. ¡°Those three children, either let Jaydon take care of them, or you raise them alone, and I will cover the expenses. In short, you can¡¯t have a rtionship with him anymore!¡± ¡°Crazy!¡± Joanna said. ¡°Joanna, he¡¯s much more phndering than me,¡± Bruce said. ¡°He has ambiguous rtionships with all the female celebrities under his management. ¡°You are willing to ept him but not me, huh? ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m very devoted when ites to rtionships.¡± Joanna felt extremely angry upon hearing that. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me! I have to go to work now. You¡¯ve already made my morning chaotic and unproductive. I can¡¯t get my work done.¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce became even more furious. ¡°Who made your morning unproductive?¡± he said. ¡°Even if your morning was messed up, it is Jaydon who messed it up. How can you put the me on me?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and felt like her argument with him had left her with a dry mouth and tongue. Then she opened the Starbucks packaging and took out the coffee, intending to take a sip to calm down. Bruce saw this. He suddenly reached out to knock the coffee out of her hand onto the ground. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to drink or cat anything he buys!¡± he said. As he spoke, he snatched the delicate cake from Joanna¡¯s hand and violently threw it on the floor. He then stepped on it twice. The full cup of coffee was spilled all over the floor, and the cake was mashed due to getting stepped on by him. Joanna was stunned and extremely angry. She said, ¡°Bruce, you have gone too far!¡± Looking at her bloodshot eyes, Bruce frowned and said proudly, ¡°Well, if you want coffee and dessert, I can send someone to buy them. ¡°In any case, you can¡¯t eat the food he buys!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Joanna snorted coldly. She then stormed into the office. Bruce hurriedly followed her into the office. The employees who worked on this floor witnessed this scene. Everyone could not help but whisper to each other. ¡°Oh my god! Mr. Everett and Mr. Grimm almost got into a fight just now!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. There are weird things every year. There are especially a lot of weird things today! I really didn¡¯t expect to have so much gossip to indulge in this year.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is already engaged to Miss Roxanne. Now, he is pestering Miss Haynes every day, and he even wants to help Miss Haynes raise her children. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I know, right? I used to think it was because Miss Haynes pestered Mr. Everett! Now I realize Mr. Everett is the one who pesters Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying that goes like this? What¡¯s lost and what can¡¯t be obtained are always the most precious!¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stop talking and get to work! We can¡¯t understand the thoughts of these upper¨Css people anyway.¡± In the office, Joanna was still furious. She hurriedly turned on herputer, preparing to deal with today¡¯s work. Because of Bruce, she did not get any work done for the entire morning. Looking at Joanna¡¯s angry expression, Bruce no longer said mean things. He sat on the sofa with his head lowered. Then, he took out his phone and sent a message to Andy. [Andy, buy a cup of coffee and a cake from Skyluxe and deliver them to the Haynes Group. Make sure they are well prepared!] This cafe was the most high¨Cend in Greyport, with a single cup of coffee costing over 200 dors. It was far more high¨Cend than Starbucks. Andy was stunned when he received the message. ¡°Holy shit he said. ¡°Mr. Everett actually sent me a message, and it¡¯s a handwritten message!¡± When Mark heard this, he quickly came over to take a look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he said. ¡°What instruction did Mr. Everett give?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett asked me to buy coffee and cake and deliver them to the Haynes Group!¡± Andy said. ¡°What?¡± Mark said. ¡°Really? Mr. Everett never eats these things.¡± 12:47 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°Needless to say, it must have been bought for Miss Haynes!¡± Andy said. He then quickly replied to Bruce¡¯s message. [Got it.] Mark shook his head and clicked his tongue. He could not help but tease, ¡°Ohly, this rtionship is getting more and moreplicated! Mr. Everett ignores the billion¨Cdor business of the Everett Group and goes to work at the Haynes Group instead! ¡°Has Mr. Everett lost his mind?¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡± Andy said. ¡°I need to quickly go buy coffee and cake! If I¡¯mte, Mr. Everett will get angry again.¡± ¡°Well, you should go quickly then.¡± Mark said. Andy did not say anything else. He hurriedly took the car key and left the Everett Group. Half an hourter, Andy arrived at the Haynes Group, panting and carrying the coffee and cake. ¡°Andy, why are you here?¡± Cora asked. She was surprised to see Andy running so quickly. Andy said breathlessly, ¡°Um. Mr. Everett asked me to buy coffee and cake and bring them here. Where is Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett is in Miss Haynes¡¯s office,¡± Cora said. ¡°I¡¯ll send the things to Mr. Everett first!¡± Andy said, not bothering to exchange pleasantries. He hurriedly ran toward the ollice. ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡± Bruce heard the knock on the door. He then personally went over to open it. Seeing that it was Bruce who opened the door, Andy was shocked. He quickly handed the bag to Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, coffee and cake from Skyluxe,¡± he said. ¡°Okay,¡± Bruce said. He took the bag and closed the office door with a bang. Joanna ignored Bruce and focused on her work. Bruce could not help but sneer inwardly when he watched Joanna working seriously. He thought, ¡°What¡¯s the point of working so hard? ¡°Even if you work until you drop, you won¡¯t make much money. You might as well cozy up to me! Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that this damn woman is stubborn and wants to bring trouble to herself!¡± Bruce ced the bag on the desk. His expression was still tense. ¡°This is for you!¡± he said. Joanna gave him a skeptical nce and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Bruce said, ¡°Coffee and cake! ¡°From now on, you are to only eat the food that I buy!¡± Bruce was tall. He sat at the corner of the desk. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Joamma muttered under her breath. She then continued to lower her head and work, not touching the things he had bought After a while, seeing that she did not move, Bruce touched her chin in annoyance and personally unpacked the coffee and cake, cing them in front of her. ¡°Stop being stubborn!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Hurry up and drink it, or it will get coldter.¡± He clearly wanted to please her, but when he spoke, he somehow sounded rude. ¡°I¡¯m not eating,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Move it aside!¡± Bruce was left speechless. He looked displeased. 124/ Fri, 23 ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Bruce said. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to eat it. I¡¯ll throw it into the trash can now!¡± As Bruce spoke, he angrily picked up the coffee and cake, intending to throw them into the trash can. Upon seeing this. Joanna choked in anger. ¡°Hey, these are all bought with mongy¡± she said. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t eat them, you can give them to someone else!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t eat it, is there a need to give it to someone else?¡± Bruce said. Joanna gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Forget it,¡± she said. ¡°Just leave it there!¡± ¡°You should have said so earlier!¡± Bruce said. Joanna had no choice but to take a sip of coffee. When Bruce saw Joanna drink the coffee, he smirked. He then turned around and sat on the sofa, pretending to read the newspaper. Joanna rolled her eyes at him fiercely and went back to work. ¡°This possessive and domineering man is really making people hate him to the extreme!¡± Joanna thought. At the Haynes¡¯s house. Roxanne had been lying on the sofa all day today, looking listless. While Ingrid was using a beauty device to massage her face, she curiously looked at her daughter. ¡°Roxy, why didn¡¯t you go out today?¡± she asked. Roxanne replied casually, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you with Bruce yesterday?¡± Ingrid asked. ¡°Where did you guys go?¡± Upon hearing the question, Roxanne felt fretful. ¡°Mom, stop asking!¡± she said. Sensing that her daughter sounded off, Ingrid stopped using the beauty device to massage her face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she said. ¡°Quick, tell me!¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re annoying.¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Can you leave me alone for a while?¡± Ingrid stood up and sat next to Roxanne. She then said, ¡°Roxy, we can¡¯t let anything go wrong at this critical juncture! ¡°Did you have a conflict with Bruce again? Quick, call him and rify things!¡± Roxanne said impatiently, ¡°He¡¯s busy now! He¡¯s not free!¡± ¡°No matter how busy he is, you can still apany him!¡± Ingrid said. ¡°He can¡¯t be busy twenty¨Cfour hours a day!¡± Roxanne said, ¡°I waited for the whole afternoon at thepany yesterday, but in the end¡­¡± ¡°What happened in the end?¡± Ingrid asked. ¡°In the end, he didn¡¯t even say a few words to me,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°He immediately asked the driver to send me back home.¡± Upon hearing that, Ingrid widened her eyes and said. ¡°Send you back home? Then where did you go When Roxanne heard that, she realized that she had said the wrong thing. ¡°1. um, I didn¡¯t go there!¡± Roxanne said. Ingrid suddenly raised her voice and said, ¡°Roxy, you didn¡¯t go to see that poor guy, did you?¡± 12:48 FTI, ¡®I didn¡¯t!¡± Roxanne said, her eyes shifting slightly. You didn¡¯t, huh?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°If you didn¡¯t go to see him, why are you avoiding eye contact? It¡¯s not that I want to reprimand you, but this kind of poor guy shouldn¡¯t be messed with. Once you get involved, it¡¯s hard to get rid of them! ¡®Quick, call Mr. Everett now!¡± Tm not going to call!¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ingrid said. ¡°You have to strike while the iron is hot. It¡¯s a rare opportunity for you to take advantage of Margaret¡¯s illness to ease your rtionship with him! ¡°It¡¯s a critical time now, so you shouldn¡¯t give him the silent treatment. Listen to me, be amodating. No matter what, we can¡¯t let anything go wrong with the marriage.¡± Roxanne had no choice but to take out her phone and call Bruce. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. §à SEND GIFT Chapter 104 Chapter 104 The call was from Roxanne. Bruce put the phone back into his pocket. He had already made up his mind to cut off all ties with Roxanne. From the beginning, there was a misunderstanding between him and Roxanne. Now, there was even less of a need to prolong the misunderstanding. Beep, beep, beep!¡¤ The phone kept vibrating! ¡°Mr. Everett, you are so busy,¡± Joanna said, sneering without even lifting her head. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry back to do your own things!¡± Bruce said, ¡°You are in such a hurry to drive me away, huh? ¡°After I leave, you¡¯ll be able to seduce other men, right?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and said irritably, ¡°Bruce, I really have no idea what you¡¯re thinking. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to have nothing to do with each other after the divorce? You¡¯re already engaged. You should be spending time with your fianc¨¦e.¡± The two years of marriage had caused her so much pain that she would never forgive him for the rest of her life. It had not been easy for her to finally move on from the emotional pain that she experienced during her rtionship with Bruce. Hence, there was no turning back for her. Joanna, whether or not I have a fianc¨¦e, it doesn¡¯t prevent me from being with you,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Are you saying that you can date other women, but I can¡¯t date other men?¡± Joanna said. Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°You can interpret it that way.¡± ¡°Hmph, what a unique way of thinking!¡± Joanna said. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll agree to it?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you agree or not!¡± Bruce said. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I have plenty of ways to make you agree!¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s low and boring of you to do this?¡± Joanna said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Bruce said. No matter what, Bruce would do whatever it took to get what he wanted. He was determined to achieve his goals, even if it meant resorting to unscrupulous means. Perhaps it was his sense of superiority since childhood that made his personality paranoid and spoiled. Sometimes, even when he liked something very much, he would deny it in his heart over and over again. Joanna shook her head speechlessly. She then continued to look down at herputer. Bruce stood up and slowly walked toward her, saying, ¡°Joanna, there is still a chance for us to continue our rtionship.¡± As Bruce spoke, he fell into a moment of contemtion. Then, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t even mind you having children with another man, so why are you still putting on airs?¡± When Joanna heard this, she almostughed out of anger. ¡°Are you saying that I should be deeply grateful for your tolerance?¡± she said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Bruce said. ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t you too narcissistic?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Do you think that all the wori in Greyport love you and like you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Bruce said. He had always been very confident about his charm. He was Greyport¡¯s richest man, and he was so handsome and so young! Shouldn¡¯t women like him? Joanna choked. She was extremely angry. ¡°Mr. Everell, you seem to be overly confident,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I suggest you buy a mirror and take a good look at yourself!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to check,¡± Bruce said. ¡°No man is as handsome as me in Greyport! So, if I¡¯m interested in you, you should feel extremely honored!¡± Joanna was left speechless. She felt ufortable after listening to what was said. This was the first time she realized that Bruce was so shameless. He was simply a narcissist! At first, her first impression of him was that he was steady and wise, exuding a cool and noble demeanor of a scion. His demeanor immediately captivated her, back when she was still a young girl. Now, it seemed that it was really an illusion. In the entire Greyport, there was no man who was more shameless than him. Bruce adjusted his tie slightly and walked toward her with a wicked smile. ¡°Don¡¯te over,¡± Joanna said. ¡°If you want to say something, just sit there and say it!¡± Upon seeing Bruce approaching her, Joanna unconsciously felt nervous. Yesterday¡¯s frightening experience had left her still feeling uneasy and unable to fully recover her ¡°Why?¡± Bruce said. ¡°Do you hate me so much now?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. She did not dare to answer ¡°yes¡°. She really hated him now! She hated his bossiness, his desire to control, and his ruthlessness. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Joanna said. ¡°Can you please not be like this? Your behavior is putting a lot of pressure on me.¡± Upon hearing that, a trace of guilt shed across Bruce¡¯s eyes. Up to now, he had to admit that he really liked her. Or perhaps he had always liked her, but he was unwilling to admit it. In the past, he stubbornly wanted to repay a debt of gratitude. He had been forcing himself to like Roxanne. Coupled with the misunderstanding with Joanna, he had tortured and humiliated her in every way possible. Presently, he had let go of his inner turmoil and finally realized how much he truly loved her. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone vibrated frenziedly again. If someone had the audacity to call him like this and he did not answer, it could only be Roxanne at the other end of the line. Joanna paused and looked at Bruce with a solemn expression. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve already hurt me,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Roxanne again.¡± 2/4 Bruce was left speechless. He was stunned. Joanna said. ¡°In the past, you insisted on divorcing me because you wanted to give Roxanne the title of being your wife. ¡°Now that you¡¯re engaged to Roxanne, you still want to get involved in aply ated rtionship with me! Is it okay to be so fickle?¡± Bruce frowned when he heard that. He said, ¡°Joanna, it was a misunderstanding right from the start. ¡°I made a mistake. The woman I should have loved is actually you.¡± Ten years ago, he mistakenly thought that Roxanne had saved him, so he developed feelings for her. But now, he knew that the person who had truly saved him was Joanna. If he had known back then that it was Joanna who saved him, he would never have ended up with Roxanne. Joanna looked at Bruce with an incredulous expression after hearing this. Now, no matter what he said, she would not believe him. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really funny!¡± Joanna said. ¡°How can there be right or wrong when ites to matters of the heart?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Bruce took a deep breath in shock. He knew that repaying the debt of gratitude to someone that saved him with romantic love might sound old¨Cfashioned, but that was exactly what he had thought at that time. He was the only child of the Everett family. If he died, his grandmother would be very sad. Therefore, not only had his savior saved him, but also his grandmother and the Everett family. As a result, he thought offering his love to his savior was the right thing to do. ¡°What happened between me and Roxanne was a misunderstanding,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Roxanne was the one who took away everything that was originally meant for you¡­¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying is very strange,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! What happened between you and Roxanne was a misunderstanding. What happened between you and me was a misunderstanding. ¡°Can you not use misunderstanding as an excuse?¡± Joanna could not help but mock. She did not know that it was actually Roxanne who reced her and pretended to be Bruce¡¯s savior. She also did not know that Bruce would have so much emotional turmoil because of this incident. ¡°Joanna, there really was a misunderstanding between us,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Please give me some time, now that this misunderstanding has been cleared up. I will make you fall in love with me again. Without waiting for Bruce to finish, Joanna interrupted him. ¡°There is no misunderstanding,¡± she said. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to know what misunderstanding it is. ¡°I just want to live a peaceful life. Please don¡¯t disturb my life anymore!¡± ¡°Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Please stop talking,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Stay away from me, okay?¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 At the Haynes¡¯s house. Roxanne called Bruce more than ten times, but no one answered. Ingrid watched anxiously from the side and said, ¡°How is it? Is the call connected?¡± Roxanne said dejectedly, ¡°No. Bruce has been refusing to answer my calls.¡± Upon hearing that, Ingrid looked even more anxious. She said, ¡°Oh no, this is going to be troublesome. ¡°Listen to me. Hurry up and go to his office to look for him.¡± ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to go!¡± Roxanne said. Ingrid looked displeased. ¡°You have to go even if you don¡¯t want to!¡± she said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go alone, I¡¯ll go with you! ¡°Let¡¯s go. Hurry up and change your clothes.¡± Roxanne pounded the sofa impatiently. ¡°Mom, can you not be like this?¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re giving me a lot of pressure! I¡¯m annoyed. Do you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this because I¡¯m worried about you,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°If your marriage with Mr. Everett falls through, think about how our family will live in the future. How will others see you and the Haynes family?¡± Upon hearing that, Roxanne leaned back andy on the sofa. She was on the verge of a breakdown and felt helpless. Bruce had already ignored her. She did not know what else she could do. Even more so, she did not know how to win his heart back. ¡°Get up quickly.¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Why did I give birth to such a useless daughter like you?¡± ¡°Mom, can you leave me alone for a while?¡± Roxanne said. ¡°I¡¯ve got intense mental stress now!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t, Ingrid said. ¡°It¡¯s a critical situation right now, and you still don¡¯t have a sense of crisis!¡± Ingrid stepped forward and grabbed her daughter¡¯s arm, trying to pull her up. Roxanne pounded her head hard. She red at Ingrid with teary eyes and said, ¡°Mom, can you stop forcing me? ¡°If you force me again, I¡¯ll die in front of you! I¡¯m serious this time around!¡± Upon hearing that, Ingrid was so frightened that she felt a tightness in her chest. She did not dare to nag Roxanne anymore. Her tone softened. ¡°Alright, alright, alright,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t force you anymore, okay?¡± As she spoke, she could not help but mutter quietly, ¡°Sigh, why am I so unlucky to have such a useless daughter?¡± When Shaun heard the two of them arguing, he quickly came down from upstairs. ¡°What are you two arguing about again?¡± he asked. Ingrid rolled her eyes and said, ¡°What else can we argue about?¡± As soon as Shaun heard that, he knew that they were arguing about Roxanne¡¯s marriage. He said, ¡°Oh my, marriage is predetermined from one¡¯s past life! ¡°If they are not fated to be husband and wife, then they might as well not get married. ¡°It¡¯s not like our family can¡¯t afford to provide for Roxy. There are so many worry about not being able to find a suitable match for her?¡± young men in Greyport. Why should we Ingrid was instantly enraged upon hearing that. ¡°You make it sound so easy,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s the Everett family! If one can marry into the Everett family, one will be sessful for the rest of one¡¯s life! ¡°We¡¯re at the most crucial juncture now, and you are not urging Roxy to try harder. Instead, you are making things worse! What kind of father are you?¡± Shaun was most afraid of quarreling with Ingrid. Whenever they quarreled, Ingrid would be like a strong Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. fighting rooster, pecking him until he retreated continuously. ¡°Alright, alright, stop quarreling!¡± Shaun said. ¡°Let nature take its course. ¡°Don¡¯t give Roxy too much pressure. It¡¯s not like our family is so poor that we have to rush for her to marry into the Everett family¡­ Without waiting for Shaun to finish talking, Ingrid had already ced her hand on her waist and pointed at Shaun¡¯s nose as she started to argue. ¡°Hmph, do you really think the Haynes family has a lot of money?¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re just living off our past earnings! ¡°You¡¯re no longer the chairman of the Haynes Group. Our entire family has been chased out of the Haynes Group! Now, all of our expenses rely solely on the meager dividends and rent. ¡°The rest can only rely on our savings! How long can thatst? ¡°When I attend banquets with those richdies, they are no longer interested to talk to me anymore. It¡¯s only after Roxy gets engaged that I can get back into their circle.¡± When Shaun heard this, he sighed with a frown. ¡°Why are you always so vain?¡± he said. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all in all these years!¡± Ingrid got even more intense and aggressive in arguing back. She pointed her finger at Shaun¡¯s head and said, ¡°Hmph, do you regret it now? Why didn¡¯t you say you regretted it when you were with me back then? ¡°I have spent half of my life with you. I gave birth to your children, and I take care of a lot of household chores for you! And now you despise me for being old and unattractive! Tell me, are you seeing another woman outside of our marriage?¡± Shaun took a few steps back in defeat and said, ¡°Jeez, what are you talking about? I¡¯m already at this age, you know?¡± ¡°Hmph, you men, as long as you can still breathe, it¡¯s impossible not to think about women!¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Don¡¯t assume I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re fooling around behind my back!¡± Roxanne was feeling very annoyed and fretful from listening to her parents¡® argument. She then raised her voice and shouted at them. ¡°Dad, Mom, can¡¯t you just stop arguing?¡± she said. Ingrid lowered her voice and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you argue with your father? ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s all because of that damn Joanna! If she hadn¡¯te back, we wouldn¡¯t have had any of these problems! ¡°The moment shees back, she¡¯s the bane of our family! Hubby, I¡¯ve told you to disown her, but you refuse to listen!¡± Shaun was so frustrated that he mmed the table in anger. ¡°You¡¯re doing it again!¡± he said. ¡°What you said is impractical! Joanna is my daughter. This is a fact that can¡¯t be changed in this lifetime! ¡°Even if I announce that I am cutting off my father¨Cdaughter rtionship with her, does that mean she¡¯s no longer my daughter?¡± Ingrid stomped her foot hard and said, ¡°Mr. Everett ignores Roxy. Who knows, maybe he¡¯s with Joanna that despicable woman right now! ¡°Hubby, hurry up and call your good daughter! Warn her not to get too close to Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m really scared of you!¡± Shaun said. He was so scared that he did not dare to speak up. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Hurry up and call! Are you waiting for them to get together before figuring out a solution? ¡°Don¡¯t forget that she was the one who seduced Bruce six years ago!¡± ¡°Stop using Joann.¡± Shaun said. ¡°What happened six years ago was not because of Joann!¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t it because of her? If it wasn¡¯t because of her, would Mr. Everett and Roxy¡¯s marriage be dyed for so long?¡± Ingrid was used to throwing tantrums and treating Shaun harshly. Shaun was dejected. He did not have the strength to argue anymore. Ingrid said, ¡°Hubby, if Mr. Everett and Roxy¡¯s marriage fails, what will you do? ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Quick, call Joanna!!¡± Roxanne could not stand it anymore. She was further annoyed by the argument. ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs first!¡± As she said that, she stood up and ran upstairs. Shaun had no choice but to pick up the phone and call Joanna.. Beep, beep, beep! Inside the office, Joanna was arguing with Bruce when the phone rang. Joanna took a look and picked up. ¡°Hello, Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡± she said. At the other end of the line, Shaun sighed dejectedly. ¡°Um, I want to talk to you on the phone,¡± he said. Joanna was stunned. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡± she said. ¡°Just say it!¡± ¡°Did you meet Bruce these past few days?¡± Shaun asked. Joanna was left speechless. She was stunned upon hearing that. She found herself ncing involuntarily at Bruce, who was beside her. Bruce clearly heard the voice on the phone as well. He frowned and listened quietly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Shaun said. ¡°Did you meet him?¡± ¡°Dad, I¡­ Joanna wanted to say something but hesitated. She did not know what to say. ¡°Roxy has been unable to eat or sleep well these days, and she has lost a lot of weight,¡± Shaun said. ¡°My heart aches for her.¡± ¡°So?¡± Joanna said., Shaun paused and let out a deep sigh. Then, he said, ¡°So, Roxy has depression, and she can¡¯t handle any more stress. ¡°You¡¯re the elder sister and have always been resilient. But I still want to advise you not to get too close to Bruce.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to get too close to him either¡­¡± Before Joanna finished talking, Bruce snatched the phone away and said, ¡°Hello! It¡¯s me!¡± Shaun was stunned when he heard Bruce¡¯s voice. He involuntarily looked at Ingrid. ¡°Bruce, are you with Joann?¡± he said. ¡°Yes!¡± Bruce said. 12 Fri, 23 Shaun was left speechless. He was stunned. Ingrid¡¯s eyes instantly widened. She held her breath and listened quietly. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s wrong with you now?¡± Shaun said. ¡°Sorry,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Roxanne and I¡­¡± Bruce wanted to exin the reason to Shaun directly. When Joanna heard that Bruce¡¯s tone was not right, she hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, indicating that he should not say too much. Bruce was stunned for a moment. He was about to say something, but then stopped himself from saying it. Roxanne had depression and had just harmed herself not long ago. If he said that he wanted to break up with her, she would probably not be able to take the blow again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Bruce said. ¡°Joanna and I were discussing work. We¡¯re done with the work discussion now.¡± When Shaun heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. He then said, ¡°Oh. Everything is fine between you and Roxy right¡­¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds before he said, ¡°Tell Roxy that I¡¯ll pick her up and have dinner together tonight. I¡¯ve got something to tell her.¡± ¡°Oh, sure thing!¡± Shaun said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Shaun said. Shaun sighed and hung up the phone silently. ¡°How is it?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Is Bruce with that bitch Joanna again?¡± ¡°They were discussing work,¡± Shaun said. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. ¡°Hmph, discussing work?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°What work do the two of them have to talk about? A man and a woman talking about work, huh? You expect me to believe that? No way! Joanna the bitch must be trying her best to seduce Bruce again!¡± Shaun frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk so much. Bruce said that he¡¯ll have dinner with Roxy tonight!¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll hurry up and urge Roxy to dress up!¡± As Ingrid spoke, she quickly went upstairs with a ttering sound. Ingrid said. ¡°Roxy, open the door! ¡°Mr. Everett just said on the phone that he¡¯s picking you up for dinner tonight. Quick, get dressed up.¡± Roxanne did not believe her at all. She replied impatiently, ¡°Mom, stop annoying me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you believe me? ¡°Hurry up! You look terrible now! If you don¡¯t dress up, you¡¯ll scare people!¡± In the office, Bruce hung up and returned the phone to Joanna. Joanna said, ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s not continue to be entangled in thisplicated situation anymore¡­¡± Without waiting for Joanna to finish talking, Bruce suddenly pulled her into his arms. ¡°Uh.¡± * 12:49 Fri, 23 Jun Bruce kissed her deeply and tightened his arms around her a little bit more. He wished he could merge her into his body. Joanna was instantly frightened. She pushed and hit Bruce with all her might Fortunately, Bruce only kissed her and did not do anything else. SEND GIFT Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Five minutester, Joanna was almost suffocating. It was only then that Bruce reluctantly let go of her. If she had not been hurt badly yesterday and he did not want to hurt her again, he would not have been able to control himself. Joanna¡¯s entire body was weak. She fell weakly onto the chair and looked at Bruce in fear. She said. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t touch me again¡­ She was really afraid of him. That kind of unbearable dominance and strength. That feeling of forced submission. Perhaps, some women just liked the feeling of being subdued! But she really could not take it. Looking at Joanna¡¯s tearful eyes that were filled with fear, she was simply like a frightened deer. She was very beautiful, so much so that her look could intoxicate people. Bruce¡¯s emotions were affected by Joanna¡¯s fear and vulnerability. He hugged her gently and said, ¡°Be good and listen to me. You¡¯re not allowed to think about anything else. And you¡¯re not allowed to date other men.¡± Joanna was left speechless. Her heart ski pped a beat. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Bruce said as he raised her chin and stared deeply into her eyes. Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered. She avoided his gaze. ¡°Bruce, I beg you not to force me anymore!¡± she said.. Bruce raised her chin and said in a low voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll be angry! ¡°From today onwards, you¡¯re not allowed to date other men! If I find out, you know the consequences!¡± Joanna was left speechless. She frowned gently. She really had to think of a way to avoid this domineering man. ¡°Respond to me!¡± Bruce said. Joanna¡¯s chin hurt from being pinched. She replied helplessly, ¡°Got it!¡± After hearing her answer, Bruce smiled satisfactorily. He nted a kiss on her forehead and kissed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll leave then,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯lle and see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna said. Pretending to cry, she wanted him to leave as soon as possible. ¡°Give your husband a kiss!¡± Bruce said. Puff! Joanna really could not take it anymore. She tried her best to break free from his control. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s enough!¡± Joanna said. Bruce curled her lips slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re not being obedient again, are you?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ski pp ed a beat. She took a deep breath and gently kissed his cheek. However, the kiss was very light, like a feather gently brushing against his cheek. Bruce smiled. No matter what, Joanna had started to give in. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re good, I will dote on you!¡± When Joanna heard that, she swallowed her anger and ignored him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Bruce said. With that, he stood up and left. After all, there was still a pile of work in hispany waiting for him to deal with. He could not really stay in the Haynes. Group all day. After Bruce left. Cora hurriedly knocked on the door and entered. She looked at Joanna with lingering fear and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, are you okay? Did Mr. Everett make things difficult for you again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Joanna said. She breathed a sigh of relief, propped her hand on the desk, and held her forehead in frustration. This can¡¯t go on like this,¡± she thought. If she wanted to dissociate herself from Bruce, she had to stay away from him. ¡°Cora, have you checked the factory site in Porash that I asked you to look into?¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at it for the past two days,¡± Cora said. ¡°There are two suitable locations, but the rent is a little high.¡± Joanna sighed and said, ¡°Thepany needs to expand its business model now. Mossbourne is developing very fast, so we need to seize the opportunity and open a branch in Mossbourne. ¡°After all, the rent in Greyport is too high, and thebor cost is also high. It¡¯s not a bad idea to move the factory to Porash. ¡°Make some preparation. Come with me to Porash tomorrow to inspect the factory sites.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± Cora said. Joanna made up her mind. If she wanted to get rid of Bruce¡¯s entanglement, she had to leave Greyport. Now, taking advantage of the opportunity of expanding the scale of the Haynes Group, she nned to set her sights on Mossbourne. After all, Greyport¡¯s rapid development had almost reached its limit. If she wanted to make a strongeback, she could only explore new opportunities for development. Porash and Greyport were separated by sea, and they were also special economic zones. It was just the perfect ce to build a factory. After Cora left, Joanna did not dare to dy any longer. She hurriedly turned on herputer and prepared to deal with her current work. She had to hurry up and arrange her current work as she would visit the site in Porash tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. At the Haynes¡¯s house. Ingrid was still knocking on the door of her daughter¡¯s room. ¡°Roxy,e out quickly!¡± she said. ¡°Bruce really asked you out for dinner tonight¡­¡± ¡°Mom, can you stop bothering me?¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Beep! Beep Beep!¡± Roxanne¡¯s phone rang. Roxanne picked up her phone and nced at it. Surprisingly, it was a call from Bruce. Roxanne was instantly overjoyed. She quickly jumped off the bed and opened the door. ¡°Mom, be quiet,¡± she said. ¡°Bruce is calling!¡± Upon hearing this, Ingrid immediately stopped talking. Her face was full of anticipation. Roxanne closed the door again and answered the call. ¡°Hello, Bruce,¡± she said. ¡°You finally call me?¡± 12:49 Fri, 23 Jun. Bruce¡¯s cold voice could be heard from the other end of the line. ¡°Roxy, are you free tonight?¡± he asked, ¡°Oh yes, I am, Roxanne said. I¡¯ll pick you up tonight, Bruce said. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Upon hearing that. Roxanne restrained her excitement and responded softly, ¡°Okay, Bruce *Alright, get ready!¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at eight in the evening.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Roxanne said. Bruce hung up the phone as soon as he finished talking. After hanging up, Roxanne was still a little surprised and ttered. Bruce had not taken the initiative to call her for a long time, but tonight, he actually took the initiative to call and ask her out for dinner. After Roxanne hung up. Ingrid could not wait to ask. ¡°Roxy, what did Bruce say?¡± Ingrid asked. ¡°Mom. Bruce just called me and said that we¡¯ll have dinner togetherter!¡± Roxanne said. Upon hearing that, Ingrid smiled brightly and said, ¡°I told you so, but you didn¡¯t believe me. Quick, get out of bed and dress. up nicely.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Roxanne said. She brightened up and quickly got out of bed to wash her hair and put on makeup. At eight in the evening, Bruce¡¯s car arrived punctually at the entrance of the Haynes¡¯s house. Roxanne looked especially beautiful today. She had put in a lot of effort to dress up and even had her nails done. ¡°Bruce, where are we going to eat tonight?¡± she asked. ¡°Um, how about going to Blue Pavilion, that ce we went the other day?¡± Bruce said. Roxanne smiled gracefully and said, ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce then turned on the ignition. ¡°Bruce, why do you have time to ask me out for dinner today?¡± Roxanne asked. Bruce was driving. His profile looked like a sculpture, perfect and extremely cold. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got something to tell you,¡± he said. Roxanne¡¯s heart ski p ped a beat. She asked carefully, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it over dinner,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Alright!¡± Roxanne said. Her eyes flickered for a moment. She felt uneasy. Bruce stopped talking. He drove the car quietly. Half an hourter, the car pulled up by the entrance of Blue Pavilion. ¡°Let¡¯s go in Bruce said. ¡°Okay,¡± Roxanne said. Bruce got out of the car alone. In the past, he would always open the door for Roxanne like a gentleman. But today, after getting out of the car, he walked straight to the restaurant. Moreover, he walked very fast. 12:49 Fri, 23 Jun Roxanne quickly got out of the car and followed Bruce. They entered the restaurant. Bruce had already reserved a table. It was the same one near the window when they came previously. ¡°What do you want to eal?¡± ¡°Steak and mushroom soup, please!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Sure, please wait a moment!¡± The service manager came forward to serve them personally. After a while, the steak was served. Bruce did not say a word during the nearly twenty minutes of waiting for food. The atmosph¨¨re was quite gloomy and awkward. Finally, Roxanne could not stand it anymore. She filled the silence by saying something. ¡°Bruce, you said earlier that your have something to tell me,¡± she said. ¡°What is it?¡± Bruce cut the steak and looked up. Roxanne looked at him expectantly, with big and attractive eyes that were full of gentleness and vulnerability. Bruce shifted his gaze again and nced at the deep cut on her wrist. He chewed his steak, but still hesitated. If he were to mention breaking up with her now, she would probably try to hurt herself again. ¡°Um, about the wedding. Bruce said. ¡°Oh, what about the wedding?¡± Roxanne asked. Bruce paused for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy this year, so the wedding may have to be postponed until next year.¡± Roxanne was left speechless. When she heard that, her heart sk i p ped a beat. They had originally agreed to get married in October, but now it was suddenly postponed to next year. She knew that he did not want to get married and that he was making excuses to postpone it. ¡°Bruce, the wedding can be postponed until next year,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°We can get the marriage license first and temporarily not hold the wedding¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Roxanne was even more stunned. She was holding the knife and fork to cut the steak earlier. She now stopped cutting the steak. Judging from Bruce¡¯s tone, he might not even marry her next year. However, she did not know how to argue back. Fortunately, Bruce did not mention breaking up. This made her feel a little more at ease. After a while, Roxanne broke the silence again and asked softly, ¡°Bruce, is it because of Joanna?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes turned cold. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Roxanne coldly as he said, ¡°You should notpare, 12:49 Fri, 23 Jun. yourself to Joanna or think that Joanna¡¯s actions will affect your rtionship with me. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to interfere in the matter between me and Joanna, including you!¡± Ji When Roxanne heard this, she felt as if her heart had been stabbed by a knife was cold and painful, and her eyes instantly turned teary. Despite feeling dissatisfied, she did not dare to say anything more. Ever since Bruce found out that Roxanne lied to him, she had be extremely submissive and humble whenever she was in his presence. She was no longer the little princess that he doted on. While Roxanne was silent, Bruce had already finished his steak. ¡°Are you full?¡± Bruce asked. Roxanne was not in the mood to eat anymore. She stuttered and said, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Bruce said, getting up from his seat eagerly. Roxanne was stunned. He looked at Bruce in a daze and said, ¡°Bruce, where are we going? ¡°It¡¯s still so early. Why don¡¯t we go watch a movie?¡± ¡°I have a meeting tonight,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first.¡± Upon hearing that, Roxanne felt even more upset. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She spent the whole afternoon dressing up for the date, but now, after less than an hour of dining out, he was so eager to send her back. SEND GIFT Chapter 107 Chapter 107 ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up,¡± Bruce said. Roxanne had no choice but to get up and leave the restaurant with him. After getting back into the car, Bruce remained silent. He turned on the ignition as soon as Roxanne fastened her seatbelt. Just as the car left the car park, they happened to see a silver Bentleying toward them. Bruce felt a sudden shock upon seeing the car that he suspected belonged to Joanna. He nced at the license te. It was indeed Joanna¡¯s car. He reckoned that Joanna also came to this ce to eat. Thinking of this, Bruce looked displeased, suspecting that Joanna must have made an appointment with a man. It was rare for someone toe to such a high¨Cend restaurant alone to eat. ¡°Roxy, I have something to do now, so I can¡¯t send you back, Bruce said, stepping on the brake abruptly and stopping the car on the roadside. ¡°Please take a taxi by yourself.¡± Roxanne was jolted by the sudden stop of the car due to inertia. She looked at Bruce in shock and said, ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce looked a little ufortable. ¡°Um, why don¡¯t I call Andy and ask him to pick you up?¡± he said. ¡°Bruce, why are you in such a hurry?¡± Roxanne said. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Bruce said, ¡°I suddenly remember something very important that needs to be dealt with right away. ¡°Get out of the car first!¡± Upon hearing that, Roxanne was so angry that her face turned red. It had never urred to her that Bruce had treated her coldly to such an extent. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s more urgent than the matter between us?¡± Roxanne said angrily, stiffening her body and refusing to get out of the car. ¡°I¡¯m not getting out of the car!¡± Bruce frowned and made up his mind. ¡°Drive back by yourself then!¡± he said. As he spoke, Bruce threw the car key to Roxanne. Then, he got out of the car and left without looking back. ¡°Bruce, Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne hurriedly got out of the car. Bruce was already walking into the distance. Over here, Joanna had just parked her car, opened the door, and got out of the car. She had just arranged to have dinner with Jaydon. Today¡¯s incident was quite a scene, so she naturally wanted to treat him to a meal and apologize to him. However, she never expected Bruce to be here too. After getting out of the car, Joanna took out her phone and involuntarily called Jaydon. ¡°Hello, Jay,¡± she said. ¡°Are you here?¡± Jaydon was almost there. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Tll be there in five minutes.¡± 12:49 Fri, 23 ¡°I¡¯ll go in first then,¡± Joanna said. ¡°It¡¯s the same seat asst timel ¡°Alright!¡± Jaydon said. As Joanna hung up the phone, locked the car doors, and prepared to head toward the restaurant, a tall and sturdy figure suddenly blocked her way. Joanna was so frightened that she stopped in her tracks. When she looked up, she was even more frightened. She took a step back. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± Joanna asked. Bruce frowned and looked inside her car. There was no one else. ¡°Whom did you make a dinner appointment with?¡± Bruce asked. Joanna was at a loss for words. Her eyes widened. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too nosy?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Can¡¯t I even ask someone out for a meal?¡± Bruce¡¯s handsome face was extremely displeased. ¡°Is the person you¡¯re meeting a man or a woman?¡± he asked. ¡°Is it Jaydon?¡± Joanna suddenly felt anxious. She took a deep breath and looked at Bruce irritably. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re really strange!¡± she said. ¡°Does it have anything to do with you whom I¡¯m meeting for a meal?¡± ¡°Of course it does!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Are you meeting a man or a woman?¡± Joanna was so angry that she could not help but curse. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± she said. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Bruce said. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t bother me like this!¡± Joanna said. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to have dinner with someone else, but I¡¯m not allowed to have dinner with someone else?¡± Bruce grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his arms. He said domineeringly, ¡°Yes. If you want to eat, you can only ask me out!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more exasperated. She tried her best to break free from his grip. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore,¡± she said. ¡°I am not your ve, let alone your girlfriend. You have no right to demand this from me!¡± Bruce held her arm tightly and said angrily, ¡°It seems that you ignored everything I told you this morning!¡± ¡°Hmph, Bruce, I hate you,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I really hate you!¡± Joanna struggled desperately to break free from his grasp and ran toward the exit of the car park. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Bruce said. He ran a few steps forward and stopped her again. Joanna was so angry that she let out a puff of air and said, ¡°I¡¯m not eating, okay? Can I just go home now?¡± After saying that, Joanna turned around angrily and walked toward the car. Bruce followed behind her and sneered. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go home with you!¡± he said. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Who are you to me? Why do you want to go home with me?¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Send me home then since I¡¯m not driving now.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you call your assistant or your driver toe pick you up?¡± Joanna said. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Jaydon called three times in a row, but Joanna did not pick up. Jaydon had no choice but to send several voice messages to Joanna. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m already here. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up the phone? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Ding! Ding!¡± Joanna¡¯s phone kept reminding her of iing messages on Messenger. Bruce¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°Whose message is it?¡± he said. ¡°Give me the phone!¡± ¡°Why should I let you see my phone?¡± Joanna said angrily while driving. The message must have been sent by Jaydon. If Bruce were to see it, he would definitely go berserk again. ¡°Give me the phone!¡± Bruce said as he tried to reach into Joanna¡¯s pocket to grab the phone. ¡°I¡¯m driving,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Can you please stop making a scene?¡± ¡°Hurry up and give me the phone!¡± Bruce said. He continued to reach for the phone regardless of Joanna¡¯s protests. 4 In a moment of panic, Joanna turned the steering wheel and the car instantly veered out of thene, almost getting hit by the car behind her car. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna was so scared that she broke out in cold sweat. The car stopped in the emergency The driver behind Joanna¡¯s car was also frightened. He wound down the window and scolded, ¡°Damn it! Do you know how to drive?¡± After the car came to a stop. Joanna was still frightened. ¡°Bruce, can you not act like this?¡± she said. ¡°Give me the phone! Bruce said. As he spoke, he forcefully snatched her phone away. Although the phone was locked, the caller ID showed it was Jaydon. The nickname of the person that sent the message was also shown. In an instant, Bruce was filled with jealousy. He was so angry that he flew into a rage. His eyes showed a sinister look. ¡°Joanna, did you arrange to meet Jaydon again?¡± he said. Joanna was so angry that her eyes turned red. She reached out and wanted to snatch the phone back. ¡°So what if I did?¡± she said. ¡°Hurry up and give me the phone!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the phone password?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Give me my phone,¡± Joanna said. ¡°You can¡¯t invade someone else¡¯s privacy!¡± ¡°Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Jaydon called again. Bruce answered the call. Jaydon¡¯s worried and maic voice could be heard from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, Joan, where are you?¡± Jaydon said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls? I¡¯m already at the restaurant¡­. Before Jaydon finished talking, Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Joanna is with me. I¡¯m warning you. Stop harassing Joanna! Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you pay the price!¡± ¡°Why are you the one who answers the call?¡± Jaydon said. ¡°Where¡¯s Joann?¡± Joanna was equally exasperated. She tried her best to snatch the phone back. ¡°Bruce, give me the phone quickly!¡± she said. ¡°Snap!¡± Bruce hung up the phone and then wound down the car window, throwing the phone out forcefully. His temper was extremely bad. In just one year, he had smashed many phones. Joanna¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s my phone!¡± she said, ¡°What right do you have to smash my phone?¡± After saying that, Joanna hurriedly opened the car door, wanting to get out and look for her phone. Unfortunately, the phone had already been thrown into the sea. There was no way she could find it. Bruce also got out of the car and looked at Joanna angrily. Joanna was so angry that her eyes turned red. Tears fell uncontrobly as she punched Bruce¡¯s body a few times. ¡°Bruce, are you crazy?¡± she said. After that, Joanna could not help but squat on the ground and cry! The phone stored many photos of her children as they grew up, as well as photos of her mother, who had passed away. Now, they were all destroyed. Upon seeing the typically tough Joanna burst into tears over a phone, Bruce frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a phone, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯llpensate you.¡± ¡°You want topensate me?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Do you know that my mother¡¯s photos are in the phone? How are you going topensate me?¡± After Joanna yelled in a hoarse voice, she waspletely Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. devastated. She held her head and cried uncontrobly. As Bruce watched her cry, crouching on the ground looking fragile and vulnerable, he pursed his lips before he involuntarily squatted down and tried to embrace her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Joanna said. She pushed Bruce away and rushed into the car while crying. Then, she locked the door. Joanna, Joanna, open the door!¡± Bruce said. He was anxious. He knocked on the window hard./ Joanna turned on the ignition, wanting to leave Bruce behind. Unfortunately, Bruce stood in front of the car before Joanna could drive off. ¡°Just run over me!¡± Bruce said. Joanna took a deep breath and changed into reverse gear. The car quickly reversed dozens of feet. Then, she changed into the forward gear. She stepped on the elerator pedal, swerved to avoid Bruce, and drove off. ¡°Damn woman,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Stop the car¡­¡± Bruce stretched out his arm to stop Joanna. Unfortunately, he could not stop her. Joanna drove off, leaving him alone on the overpass. Bruce was so angry that he stomped his feet. He had left his car to Roxanne, and to make matters worse, his phone and wallet were also left in the car. It was very difficult to get a taxi on this overpass, so he had no choice but to walk down the overpass. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Bruce took off his tie and walked down the overpass. Rumble! The sky rumbled with thunder. It was very gloomy. Suddenly, heavy rain poured down. The pouring rain drenched Bruce, but it actually helped to cool his anger and calm him down. Swish! Cars whizzed past him, sshing mud and water all over him. His expensive suit was now a mess, and his handsome hairstyle was also as disheveled as a chicken coop. He had never been in such a sorry state in his life. After walking for more than ten minutes, Bruce finally walked down the overpass. He finally saw a convenience store after walking for a long time. Bruce had already been drenched in the rain for more than twenty minutes. He was thoroughly soaked, and he was so cold that there was no warmth at all. When he saw the convenience store, he hurriedly went into the convenience store to take shelter from the rain. ¡°Um, is there a pay phone here?¡± Bruce asked. The female shop assistant looked at Bruce with a surprised expression, but she did not say anything. In this era, it was rare to see people using pay phones. Moreover, judging by Bruce¡¯s appearance, even though he looked disheveled, he did not seem like he could not even afford a cell phone. ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have one,¡± the female shop assistant said. Bruce bit the bullet and said, ¡°Can I borrow your phone?¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± the female shop assistant said. She hesitated for a moment before obediently handing the phone to him. Bruce took the phone and hurriedly called Andy. Beep! Beep! Beep! The call was quickly picked up. ¡°Hello!¡± Andy said. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Bruce said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s me. Quicklye over to pick me up!¡± Andy was stunned. ¡°Mr. Everett, where are you now?¡± Andy said. ¡°Can you send me your location?¡± Bruce looked around in frustration. Then, he said, ¡°There¡¯s a convenience store under the overpass in Barlsher. I¡¯m here. Come over quickly!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, can you send me your exact location?¡± Andy said. ¡°I just told you the address,¡± Brue said angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± Andy was scared and his heart skipped a beat. He no longer dared to ask questions. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± he replied. After making the call, Bruce returned the phone to the female shop assistant and said, ¡°Thank you!¡± 12:49 FTI, The shop assistant was also shocked by his tone. She replied in a soft voice. ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± she said. Despite Bruce¡¯s disheveled appearance, the shop assistant could not resist hisleidsome face as well as his innate air of refinement. The shop assistant stared straight at Bruce. She felt that he looked very simr to the Mr. Everett in media reports. However, she quickly changed her mind and thought that it could not possibly be him. ¡°Who¡¯s Mr. Everett?¡± she thought. ¡°He¡¯s the wealthiest man in Greyport. How could he be in such a sorry state?¡± Twenty minutester, several luxury cars whizzed and stopped at the entrance of the convenience store. Andy and a few bodyguards in suits hurriedly got out of the car and rushed toward the convenience store. Upon seeing Bruce, Andy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you okay?¡± Andy said. ¡°How did you end up like this?¡± Bruce looked displeased. He immediately walked out of the shop and said, ¡°Cut the crap! ¡°Give a tip to the shop assistant.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Andy said. He hurriedly handed the umbre to the bodyguard beside him and rushed back to the convenience store. He opened his wallet and took out a 200¨Cdor banknote. ¡°Thank you!¡± Andy said. ¡°This is a tip from Mr. Everett!¡± After saying that, Andy put the 200¨Cdor banknote on the cashier¡¯s counter. Without waiting for the shop assistant to say anything, he hurriedly left. Looking at the luxury cars outside and the tip on the cashier¡¯s counter, the shop assistant¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Now, she was certain that the person that came in earlier was Bruce Everett! ¡°Oh my god, it really is Mr. Everett!¡± she said. Bruce returned to the car and Andy quickly got into the car. ¡°Mr. Everett, aren¡¯t you supposed to have dinner with Ms. Haynes?¡± Andy said. ¡°Stop asking!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Achoo! Achoo!¡± Bruce could not help but sneeze a few times. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Upon seeing this, Andy was so frightened that he did not dare to speak. He quickly took out a tissue and handed it to Bruce. Bruce wiped his face with the tissue. He then suddenly thought of something. He said, ¡°By the way, let¡¯s take a round on the overpass now. ¡°Turn around. Get on the overpass!¡± A few cars whizzed onto the overpass again. Soon, they arrived at the spot where Bruce had thrown Joanna¡¯s phone. ¡°Here it is. Bruce said. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± The driver hurriedly pulled over. ¡°Find a few professional divers and salvage a phone for me!¡± Bruce said. Andy was left speechless. He looked displeased. ¡°It seems that Mr. Everett has thrown a cell phone again,¡± he thought. ¡°And this time around, he throws it into the sea!¡± He still felt that it was a little strange. In the past, after Bruce smashed his phone, he would immediately get a new one. ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett!¡± Andy said. After Roxanne was left behind by Bruce, she drove to look for Gavin in a fit of anger. In front of a dpidated vige house, a top¨Cnotch luxury car suddenly arrived, looking out of ce. ¡°Wow, Roxy, is this your new car?¡± Gavin said as he sat in the front passenger seat of the Maybach, looking pleasantly surprised. Even if he worked hard for the rest of his life, he probably would not be able to afford such a car. Roxanne replied coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not my car!¡± Gavin¡¯s eyes were filled with envy. ¡°This car is expensive, right?¡± he said. ¡°It costs at least 1 to 1.2 million dors, right?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Roxanne snorted coldly. She did not answer Gavin¡¯s question. ¡°Wow, this car is so cozy,¡± Gavin said. He could not help but smack his lips. Looking at Gavin¡¯s envious gaze, Roxanne felt even more bored. The gap between Gavin and Bruce in terms of social status and wealth was just too wide. ¡°Roxy, can I drive it?¡± Gavin said. ¡°I¡¯ve never driven such an expensive car before.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Roxanne replied angrily. She then stopped the car. After all, Bruce left her behind. With a vengeful mentality, Roxanne got out of the car and exchanged seats with Gavin. Gavin got into the car and started the engine carefully. However, this car had a very powerful engine. Gavin had never driven a luxury car before, so he could not control it at all. He identally stepped on the elerator pedal too hard. The car suddenly elerated forward. A loud bang could be heard. The front of the car hit the tree in front of the house. Instantly, the two of them were scared silly. After a long time, Roxanne finally came back to her senses. She yelled at Gavin, ¡°Are you dumb?¡± she said. ¡°How can you be so careless? How did you even manage to hit a tree?¡± ¡°1¡­¡± Gavin was also stunned. He hurriedly went down to check. The front of the car was deformed from the impact and there was a dent where it hit the tree trunk. ¡°Do you know that this isn¡¯t my car?¡± Roxanne said. Gavin was so scared that he broke out in cold sweat and said, ¡°What should we do then? ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be anxious! It isn¡¯t very serious. I can get someone to fix it¡­¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Do you know that this car costs over 2 million dors? It can only be sent to a car dealer for repairs!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Gavin was so scared that he did not dare to say a word. Since Gavin had crashed the car, Roxanne did not dare to tell Bruce. Naturally, she could not file an insurance im and she had to pay for the repair costs herself.. This was not the most crucial thing. The most crucial thing was that if Bruce found out about Gavin¡¯s existence, he would definitely dump her. However, Bruce had a lot of cars. He had also given a few luxury cars to Roxanne. He might not necessarily be in a hurry to ask her for the car. The only thing she could do was to secretly fix the car and pretend that nothing had happened. Just as Roxanne was feeling stressed out, her phone started to ring. She took out her phone and took a look. It was actually Andy calling! She felt tense. She quickly ¡°Hello¡­¡± Andy¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, Ms. Haynes, this is Andy,¡± Andy said. ¡°Yes, Andy,¡± Roxanne said, trying her best to calm down. ¡°Where are you now?¡± Andy said. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s phone is in the car. I¡¯ll send someone to get itter and drive the car back.¡± Upon hearing that, Roxanne felt even more tense. She stammered as she said, ¡°Oh, um, I, I quite like this car. I want to drive it for two days before returning it to Bruce.¡± When Andy heard this, he quickly looked at Bruce. Bruce listened from the side. He could not help but frown. This car was a limited edition and one of his favorite cars. If he had not been in a hurry to chase after Joanna, he would not have let Roxanne drive his car. However, since she had already said so, he could not be bothered to argue with her. Bruce then nodded at Andy. Andy continued, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go overter to get Mr. Everett¡¯s phone and wallet.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Roxanne said. After hanging up, Roxanne still had a lingering fear. She could not help but pinch and kick Gavin. Gavin was even more frightened. He kept apologizing. The repair cost of this luxury car was at least tens of thousands of dors, and he could not afford it. This money had to be paid by Roxanne herself. After Bruce returned home, he quickly took a hot shower. The weather had turned cool now. He caught a cold that same night after being drenched in the rain for so long. The next day, Bruce woke up feeling groggy all over his body. His family doctor prescribed him some fever¨Creducing medicine, but even after taking it, he still insisted on going to work. At nine in the morning, Bruce arrived at the Haynes Group in an imposing manner. This damn woman actually left him on the overpass yesterday and caused him to be drenched in the rain for more than half an hour. He would not swallow this anger! At the Haynes Group. ¡°Hi. Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna?¡± Bruce asked. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Haynes is noting to work today.¡± Bruce was left speechless upon hearing that. He was dumbfounded. Come to think of it, Joanna the damn woman knew that he wasing to cause trouble today. She was so frightened that she did not dare toe to work. However, it did not matter. If she did note to work, he would go to her house to look for her. ¡°Quickly call her and ask her toe back for a meeting,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Um, Miss Haynes went to Mossbourne today.¡± Bruce was left speechless. He was even more dumbfounded upon hearing that. ¡°What is she doing there?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Miss Haynes said that she¡¯s preparing to build a factory in Mossbourne, so she went to Mossbourne for an inspection today.¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°When will she be back?¡± he asked. Luna looked at Bruce carefully and said, ¡°Um, Miss Haynes didn¡¯t say anything about when she would be back.¡± ¡°Whom did she go with?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°She went with Cora and two marketing managers,¡± Luna said. ¡°Got it!¡± Bruce said. Upon responding, Bruce left in an imposing manner. This damn woman actually wanted to go to Mossbourne to build a factory. The crucial point was that she actually did not discuss such an important matter with him. Obviously, she wanted to avoid him. However, it was not so easy to avoid him, After Bruce returned to the Everett Group, Andy came in to report. ¡°Mr. Everely, your phone has been salvaged,¡± he said. ¡°But the phone has been submerged in water and cannot be turned on.¡± Andy continued. ¡°It has been taken for repairs.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Send it over after it¡¯s repaired.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Andy said. Early in the morning. Joanna brought her staff members to Porash for a site inspection. This factory was built in 2001 withplete facilities. The owner is now in a hurry to sell it, so we can make an offer and take it over.¡± There is another piece ofnd with a suitable area, but we need to build the factory and install the equipment ourselves.¡± ¡°Just these two ces?¡± A marketing manager said seriously, ¡°There are other ces. However, it¡¯s a little far and the location is a little remote. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be convenient to hire workers.¡± ¡°Then we don¡¯t have to consider it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna brought two marketing managers and Cora to a few production sites near Porash for a day. ¡°Miss Haynes, we won¡¯t be able to finish seeing everything today. We¡¯ll probably have to spend another two more days.¡± ¡°Yes. We won¡¯t go back to Greyport today. Let¡¯s find a hotel to stay in, so we don¡¯t have to travel back and forth.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The next day, Joanna had yet to return to Greyport. Bruce was furious. He called more than ten times, but Joanna did not answer at all. He had no choice but to call Cora. ¡°Hello!¡± Cora said. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Bruce.¡± Cora felt tense upon hearing that it was Bruce. ¡°Oh, hi Mr. Everett,¡± she said. ¡°Is there anything you need to instruct me?¡± ¡°Are you with Joanna?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Um, yes, Cora said. ¡°Send me the address, Bruce said. ¡°I want toe over.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cora looked surprised. She whispered to the person next to her. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett¡¯s calling,¡± she said. ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Joanna said. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Everett, Cora said. 12:49 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°Hang up on him!¡± Joanna said. As Joanna spoke, she took the phone and said, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t call again!¡± ¡°Beep! Beep!¡± Joanna immediately hung up. Bruce was even more furious. ¡°This damm woman actually dares to hang up on me!¡± he said. After ranting, he called again. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is calling again,¡± Cora said. ¡°Ignore him.¡± Joanna said. ¡°Switch off the phone!¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Cora did not dare to disobey Joanna. She had no choice but to switch off her phone. When Bruce dialed back, the customer service voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, the phone you are trying to reach has been switched off¡­¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Bruce said. He threw the phone on the table and panted heavily. This damn woman did not take him seriously at all. In the past, she was so submissive and humble in front of him, but now she actually dared to be so arrogant! Indeed, women. could not be spoiled. ¡°Mark, track Joanna¡¯s current location, Bruce said. ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett!¡± Mark said. Upon receiving the order, Mark left the office. Andy happened toe in. The two of them looked at each other anxiously. They then hurriedly went about their own business. ¡°Mr. Everett is very irritable today,¡± they thought. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be extremely careful!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, the phone is fixed,¡± Andy said. ¡°Bring it here!¡± Bruce said. ¡°There you go,¡± Andy said, respectfully handing the phone over. Joanna¡¯s phone had been fixed. The password had been unlocked, and the data had been restored. Bruce turned on the phone and scrolled through it. This was Joanna¡¯s personal phone. The contact list only included the numbers of people such as Jaydon, Miranda, Kelly, Tracy, and other people who were close to her. She used another phone for work, so Bruce was not in her contact list. He only had her work phone number and not her personal phone number. A surge of jealousy instantly overwhelmed him. ¡°Damn woman, you didn¡¯t save my phone number!¡± Bruce said. Bruce cursed resentfully before flipping through the photo album angrily. In the photo album, almost all the photos were photos of Joanna¡¯s three children. From the time when the children were one or two months old until now, these photos captured many moments of their growth. As Bruce looked through the album, he felt an inexplicable sense of affection. He could not help but think how nice it would be if they were his own children. Unfortunately, these adorable children were the children of that trash, Jaydon. How infuriating! At the bottom of the photo album were photos of Joanna when she was young, as well as photos of her and her mother. After looking through the photo album, Bruce was stunned for a moment. 12:50 Fri, There were no photos of Jaydon. Neither were there any photos of Jaydon with the children. Jaydon was the children¡¯s father. Logically speaking, he should have taken photo with the children. However, there was not a single photo of him with the children. ¡°How strange!¡± Bruce said. ¡°What else is this damn woman hiding?¡± Bruce was letting his imagination run wild when Mark came in to report. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes¡¯s position has been located,¡± Mark said. ¡°Where is she?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°She¡¯s around here.¡± Mark said. Bruce squinted and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to Porash now!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, do you want to postpone all the work that has been scheduled for today?¡± Mark said. ¡°The vice president of thepany from Melta and Aldano will being to reportter. ¡°There is also a lunch appointment with the president of Rax Financial Group from Surbano this afternoon¡­¡± Bruce thought for a moment and decided to deal with his current work first. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while then,¡± he said. ¡°Cancel tonight¡¯s social engagement!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Mark said. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. In the evening, Joanna and the others had strolled around for a whole day. The four of them were already exhausted. Fortunately, they had already found sites that they liked. One of the sites had an old factory that upied an area of more than 100 thousand square feet. They could acquire it directly and install the equipment to start using it. The other factory site had a cheaper rent, but they had to build their own factory. ¡°Let¡¯s look for another day tomorrow,¡± Joanna said. ¡°If there¡¯s no better option, we¡¯ll have to choose one of these two options. ¡°Tell me. Which one do you think is more suitable?¡± Michael, who was the marketing manager, frowned and said seriously, ¡°I think the first site is better. We can start working after bringing in the equipment. ¡°The Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group haverge business volume. If we build the factory now, it will take at least a few months.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Joanna said. Another marketing manager, George, added, ¡°But the rent for the second factory is cheaper. If we want to develop in the long term, we definitely have to choose the second one!¡± ¡°Alright, Joanna said. ¡°Let¡¯s look around for another day tomorrow. Also, we have to discuss it with Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger.¡± Cora smiled and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s extend the hotel stay for another day.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna said. Michael smiled and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, do you want to go out and unwind? N Chapter 111 N Chapter 111 However, Joanna did not expect Bruce to chase her to the hotel. Bruce dominated Joanna again. This triggered Joanna had a depression attack! Boom! Boom! Boom! Bruce knocked on the bathroom door heavily a few more times. Bruce shouted, ¡°Joanna, what are you doing in there? Get out now! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you keep staying inside, I¡¯ll break in!¡± However, Joanna did not reply or open the door. Bruce held his breath and leaned over to hear. He did not even hear a sound! Therefore, Bruce panicked and kicked the bathroom door open! After that, Bruce turned on the lights. Joanna curled up in the bathtub, and her eyes were tightly shut. Joanna¡¯s face waspletely soaked in the water in the bathtub. Bruce asked, ¡°Joanna, what are you doing?¡± However, Joanna did not reply. It seemed that she had already passed out. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Thus, he hurriedly pulled Joanna out of the water. ¡°Joanna, Joanna!¡± Joanna was already unconscious. Her body went limp, and she was like a snake without a spine. Bruce was flustered. He hurriedly carried Joanna out of the bathroom and ced her on the bed. Then Bruce began to press Joanna¡¯s chest to give her CPR. After Bruce performed more than ten sets of CPR in a row, there was finally an indication that Joanna came back to life. ¡°Ugh. Ugh,¡± moaned Joanna. As Bruce pressed down, Joanna choked and spat out a lot of water. Bruce was even more shocked and panicked when he saw Joanna being like this. Thus, Bruce hurriedly put on a bathrobe and grabbed a bedsheet to wrap Joanna up. Bruce had never heard that a person could drown herself in a bathtub. If Bruce did not kick the door to break in just now, Joanna would have drowned! Bruce said, ¡°Joanya, wake up. I¡¯m sending you to the hospital now!¡± Bruce hastily tied the belt of his bathrobe. Then he held Joanna up and headed out. A few bodyguards were standing outside. When they saw Bruceing out, they hurriedly came up to Bruce. The bodyguards greeted, ¡°Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce shouted anxiously. ¡°Hurry up! To the hospital!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± 12:51 Fri, 23 Chapte? 111 The bodyguards did not dare to hesitate. One of them rushed to the elevator and pressed the button. Another bodyguard called the driver to start the car through a walkie¨Ctalkie. ¡°Kody, Mr. Everett needs a ride to the hospital. Start the car right now!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The others guarded Bruce out of the hotel. Soon, they reached downstairs. The driver had already parked the car at the entrance of the hotel. A bodyguard quickly went forward and opened the car door! Bruce carried Joanna and got into the car. Bruce shouted, ¡°To the nearest hospital!¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± The driver stepped on the elerator and sped toward the nearest hospital. Sitting in the car, Bruce hugged Joanna tightly. Bruce was so nervous that he held Joanna in his arms as if he was holding a baby. Joanna was as soft as a cloud. Joanna¡¯s face became even paler because it had been soaked in the water. Bruce felt his heart ache when seeing Joanna¡¯s face. ¡°Joann, Joann! Hang in there. You can¡¯t leave the world like this. Do you hear me?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, and she did not have any reaction. Bruce could not understand how Joanna could drown herself. Ten minutester. The car roared to the nearest hospital. Bruce carried Joanna out of the car, and one bodyguard rushed into the hospital to call the doctor. Within a minute, two nurses came out with a wheeled stretcher, and Joanna was sent to an emergency room. The bodyguards held their breaths and stood aside. Bruce was wearing a robe and nervously walking around outside the ward. A patient murmured, ¡°What¡¯s this for? Why is that guy bringing bodyguards?¡± Another patient said, ¡°No idea, but he looks like he¡¯s from an organization.¡± The third patient replied, ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go. Just leave them alone if you don¡¯t want trouble.¡± The patients who passed by all turned their heads and looked at Bruce and his bodyguards from afar as if they were watching a show! Hall an hourter. The emergency room door finally opened. A doctor walked out of it. Bruce immediately walked to the doctor and asked anxiously, ¡°Doctor, is everything okay?¡± The doctor answered, ¡°Where did she drown? Fortunately, she was sent in time! We have saved her. ¡°However, she hasn¡¯t woken up yet because she had choked some water in her lungs.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Doctor, please bring her back to life by all means!¡± The doctorforted, ¡°No worries. Her life is no longer in danger. Young adults should be more tut when swimming. This is a matter of life and death!¡± The doctor thought that Joanna had drowned in the pool. He would never expect that Joanna drown in a bathtub. Hearing the doctor¡¯s words, Bruce tightly frowned. He did not reply to the doctor or exin anything. At the same time, Bruce felt deep pain inside. Bruce thought, ¡°Joanna used to love me so much. I can¡¯t believe that she doesn¡¯t love me anymore.¡± Bruce hesitated for a second. Then he asked, ¡°May I go in and see her?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied the doctor. The doctor left after giving the permission. Bruce pushed open the door and heavily and slowly walked to the bed. Joanna was lying on the hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask and having IV drips on her arm. She was still unconscious. Bruce said, ¡°Joann, please wake up. ¡°Do you¡­ I never know you hate me so much now. You hate me so much that you had to harm yourself if I touched you.¡± Bruce felt a little guilty deep down and frowned so tightly that his thick eyebrows almost turned into a knot. Bruce held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly and had an indescribable feeling inside. Bruce thought, ¡°I always feel that Joanna loves me and is just ying hard to get. But now, it seems that she really doesn¡¯t love me anymore.¡± Early the next morning, Cora cried, ¡°Oh my gosh, Miss Haynes is missing. I keep calling her this morning but can¡¯t get through!¡± Cora was so anxious that sweats covered her forehead. Michael frowned and replied, ¡°Could Miss Haynes have returned to Greyport?¡± Coco said anxiously, ¡°How is that possible? We agreed to go to the venue today. Why would Miss Haynes go back to Greyport alone? ¡°Even if Miss Haynes wants to return to Greyport, she will at least leave us a message.¡± George said in shock, ¡°This is not good news. Did Miss Haynes encounter a bad guy and get kidnapped?¡± Hearing George¡¯s assumption, Cora and Michael were shocked and dreadful. Michael said, ¡°No. That¡¯s not possible.¡± Cora said, ¡°It may be possible, it¡¯s all your fault. You insisted on going to some clubsst night! Now, Miss Haynes is missing!¡± ¡°Is Miss Haynes sleeping soundly? Is that why she didn¡¯t hear the call? Why don¡¯t we try calling her again?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t get through at all! It¡¯s already nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Miss Haynes can¡¯t be still sleeping at this time.¡± ¡°Then what should we do? Should we call the police?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes hasn¡¯t missed up to 24 hours yet. I¡¯m afraid the police won¡¯t ept the case even if we ask them for help.¡± Cora was anxious and hurriedly called Joanna again. What Cora received was an automated answer. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is currently unavable. Please try againter.¡± ¡°Try again with my phone.¡± The three of them took turns calling Joanna. However, all they received was the same automated answer. ¡°Oh my gosh, why doesn¡¯t Miss Haynes answer the phone?¡± ¡°Maybe we can ask the front desk whether Miss Haynes has checked out.¡± Then the three of them rushed to the front desk. The receptionist checked the room number and said, ¡°The customer hasn¡¯t checked out yet.¡± ¡°Then why isn¡¯t Miss Haynes in the room?¡± The receptionist said, ¡°Oh, I saw someone take her to the hospital yesterday. We thought those guys were with you.¡± Hearing this, Cora was even more anxious and asked, ¡°Who are they?¡± The receptionist replied, ¡°Well, I only know they had several people.¡± ¡°Do you know which hospital they went to?¡± The receptionist replied, ¡°I have no clue about that.¡± ¡°Could you please show us the surveince footage? Our friend is missing!¡± The receptionist showed the three of them the surveince footage. Cora cried, ¡°Oh my god, isn¡¯t this Mr. Everett? ¡°What happened to Miss Haynes? Why was she sent to the hospital? She was safe and sound when she was with us.¡± Michael and George frowned. Michael assumed, ¡°It seems that Mr. Everett had abused Miss Haynes again.¡± Cora shouted at the receptionist, ¡°Can you do your jobs better? How can you give strangers free ess to the hotel?¡± The receptionist replied, ¡°Well, they can get in the hotel as long as they are our customers, and we have no responsibility to protect customers or avoid things like that.¡± Michael stopped the fight by interrupting anxiously, ¡°Enough. There won¡¯t be a big problem since we know Mr. Everett, not a kidnapper, takes Miss Haynes away. ¡°Cora, you have Mr. Everett¡¯s number, haven¡¯t you? Call Mr. Everett and ask him!¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± replied Cora. Then Cora quickly called Bruce Everett. Unfortunately, no one picked up the phone. Cora said, ¡°I can¡¯t get through to Mr. Everett either.¡± ¡°Then call Andy and ask him.¡± Bruce stayed by the bed in the hospital all night, and Joanna woke up in the middle of the night. However, Joanna only opened her eyes for a second and fell asleep again because she was weak, and the drowning took too much energy from her. It was ten o¡¯clock now. Joanna¡¯s hand and eyelids moved slightly. Bruce¡¯s eyes were red because he had stayed up the whole night. He held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly, saying, ¡°Joann, are you awake? I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± Soon, Cora and the others rushed to the hospital. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Cora asked anxiously, ¡°How¡¯s Miss Haynes?¡± A lew bodyguards stood at the door of the ward and stopped the three of them. ¡°You can¡¯t go in!¡± ¡°We need to get in to visit Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes isn¡¯t awake yet. You can¡¯t go in there!¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll have a look standing outside.¡± In the ward, Joanna slightly rolled her eyes and became conscious. She tried to get up buty back after struggling to force herself up. Seeing this, Bruce hurriedly went forward to help Joanna get up, saying, ¡°Joann, what do you want? I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Joanna nced at Bruce and asked weakly, ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in a hospital,¡± answered Bruce. Joanna cried, ¡°Hospital? Why am I in a hospital?¡± Bruce held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly. A hint of tenderness appeared in Bruce¡¯s eyes. He said, ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t do such a thing again. Do you hear me? You almost scared me to death!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes turned red after he finished his words. He had been worried a whole night and did not even get some rest. Joanna took a while to recall what happenedst night. Joanna thought, ¡°I remembered I probably had a depression attack when sitting in the bathtub. Then I didn¡¯t know why I passed out.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s after 10 o¡¯clock in the morning,¡± said Bruce. Joanna was shocked and cried out, ¡°What? It¡¯s already after 10?¡± Then she struggled to sit up. Joanna had made an appointment with a client and agreed to view a factory at 9 o¡¯clock. She thought, ¡°I¡¯m probably going to miss the appointment. since it¡¯s already 10 o¡¯clock now!¡± Seeing this, Bruce immediately pressed Joanna back to the bed, warning, ¡°You haven¡¯tpletely recovered yet. You should lie down to have some rest.¡± Joanna struggled to get up agam, looking anxious. She said, ¡°I¡¯m okay! Don¡¯t get in my way!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes lit up. Then he pressed Joanna back onto the bed and said, ¡°Joanna, do you have to do so? ¡°See? You¡¯re so weak now. Can¡¯t you justy back in bed and rest?¡± ¨C Joanna coughed a little and said, ¡°Go away. I need to get off the bed.¡± ¡°What exactly are you going to do?¡± asked Bruce, Joanna was angry and anxious. However, she didn¡¯t have the energy to argue with Bruce because she was too weak. Thus, Joanna shouted, ¡°I need to go to the bathroom. Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bruce was speechless after hearing that. He seemed relived and stopped frowning. Bruce quickly helped Joanna off the bed and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? The bathroom is a little far away. I¡¯ll carry you there.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Just as Joanna finished her words, Bruce carried Joanna in his arms. Joanna panicked and tried to push Bruce away, shouting, ¡°Let go of me! I can walk by myself¡± However, Bruce ignored Joanna and carried her into the bathroom. After that, Bruce stood by the door and watched Joanna as if he was her guard. Bruce kept an eye on Joanna because he was afraid that Joanna would do something in the bathroom again. Joanna looked at Bruce, frustrated. She shouted, ¡°Get out! How can I use the toilet if you look at me like that?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Just pretend that I¡¯m invisible. I¡¯ve already seen every inch of your skin!¡± ¡°Weirdo, Just get out now!¡± Joanna was furious but had no energy to fight with Bruce. All she could do was frown and re at Bruce. Brucepromised and said, ¡°Umm, okay, but promise me you won¡¯t do anything stupid again!¡± Joanna said, ¡°You¡¯re crazy. What can I do in the bathroom?¡± Bruce failed to control his sharp tongue and said, ¡°Hmph, what if you drown in the toilet?¡± He thought, ¡°After all, Joanna drowned herself in a bathtub!¡± Listening to Bruce¡¯s words, Joanna could not say a word. She was so angry that her chest was about to explode. Therefore, Joanna red at Bruce. Her gaze was like an ice de stabbing Bruce. Joanna would have killed Bruce with her eyes if a gaze could kill a person. Joanna¡¯s staring was so creepy that Bruce gave in. He said, ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m going out. See?¡± As he spoke, Bruce nced at Joanna and turned to leave the bathroom. Creak! The moment Bruce went out, Joanna locked the bathroom door. Joanna thought, ¡°If Bruce barges in when I¡¯m in the middle of using the toilet, I will probably feel disgusted and throw up.¡± Bruce anxiously knocked on the door and shouted, ¡°Hey, why did you lock the door? Are you going to do that again? Open the door!¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Bruce, can you let me use the toilet in peace? You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Joanna almost could not control her anger. Joanna thought, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Bruce is so clingy. Where is that cold, calm, and unapproachable Bruce?¡± Half a minuteter. Boom! Boom! Boom! Bruce knocked again and asked, ¡°Arn you still in there?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Joanna frowned and felt frustrated, thinking, ¡°I can¡¯t pass through walls. Where am I supposed to be if I¡¯m not in here? Is Bruce worrying that I¡¯m going to disappear through the sewer?¡± Bruce shouted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you reply to me? I¡¯ll break in if you don¡¯t say a word!¡± Joanna replied, ¡°I¡¯m in here!¡± ¡°Oh, alright!¡± Bruce was relieved after he heard Joanna¡¯s answer. Another half a minuteter. ¡°Are you still in there?¡± Bruce was afraid that Joanna would faint again, so he asked every half a minute to make sure that Joanna was fine. Joanna could not use the toilet in peace due to Bruce¡¯s disturbance. Thus, she shouted angrily, ¡°Stop being crazy! Leave me alone!¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s shouting, Bruce was stunned. No one had ever dared to shout at Bruce like this. Bruce touched his nose resentfully and shouted back, ¡°Damn it, Joanna. When did your temper be so bad? ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a lesson someday!¡± Five minutester. Joanna could not take it anymore and hurriedly came out of the bathroom. Bruce said resentfully, ¡°Why do you need to use the toilet for so long? It looks like you have remarkable bowel movements!¡± After that, without asking Joanna, Bruce bent down and carried Joanna in his arms again. Joanna was so angry that she shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Put me down!¡± She was not used to this different Bruce. Bruce warned, ¡°Behave, or I¡¯ll put you in the toilet!¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not hold her anger anymore. She lowered her head and bit Bruce¡¯s shoulder with all her might. Bruce said, ¡°Ahh. Are you a werewolf? You¡¯ve got sharp teeth.¡± Cora and the others heard something happening inside and gathered around the door. They saw everything through the ss on the door and noticed that Bruce was carrying Joanna and smiling dotingly. Cora said, ¡°Aww, I can¡¯t take that. Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett look like a loving couple!¡± ¡°Stop it, Cora. Don¡¯t ruin Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett¡¯s moments.¡± The two marketing managers were shy and turned their heads away, not looking at the couple inside. Seeing Michael and George be like that, Cora was nervous. However, Cora could not help asking through the door, ¡°Miss Haynes, are you alright?¡± Hearing Cora¡¯s voice, Joanna reluctantly let go of Bruce¡¯s shoulder. Joanna replied to Cora, ¡°I¡¯m okay now. Call Mr. Zaborski and tell him we¡¯ll make another appointment.¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Bruce lost his smile and warned, ¡°Joanna, you are weak now, so drop the work and forget about it temporarily! ¡°I don¡¯t want you to build a factory in Mossbourne!¡± Joanna did not intend to argue with Bruce. Instead, she rolled her eyes in anger, Joanna said, ¡°Bruce, can you stop bothering me? Will you only stop when I die?¡± Hearing this, Bruce was stunned. Bruce stared at Joanna and found that she was so weak. Bruce felt his heart ache and did not argue with Joanna. Bruce thought, ¡°Joanna almost fost her lifest night. It was so close that she would go to another world. ¡°Perhaps I should keep the distance with Joanna.¡± Bruce ced Jaanna on the bed. The sadness appeared in his eyes. Bruce said, ¡°Joanna, I just want to ask you onest time. Are you sure you don¡¯t love me anymore?? Joanna was exasperated and replied, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve already answered you several times! I don¡¯t love you. I don¡¯t love you! I¡¯ve never loved you! ¡°Don¡¯t ask such a boring question again!¡± Bruce retorted, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You said you loved mest night.¡± Joanna was stunned and asked, ¡°When did I say I love you?¡± ¡°When we did thatst night,¡± said Bruce. ¡°Ugh!¡± cried Joanna. Hearing what Bruce said, Joanna was so angry that her heart ached. She could not help rubbing her chest and lying back on the bed. She was unwilling to continue the conversation with Bruce. Joanna thought, ¡°When we did that, Bruce kept asking me whether I loved him. He was like a wolf at that time. ¡°After I answered that I didn¡¯t love him, Bruce wanted more from me. ¡°In that case, I had topromise to make the experience morefortable.¡± Bruce asked again, ¡°Answer me!¡± Joanna coughed and frowned, saying, ¡°I feel dizzy¡± Seeing this, Bruce was nervous and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ll call a doctor over here now!¡± Then, Bruce hurriedly hit the call button. Minutester, a doctor and several nurses rushed over. The doctor hurriedly went forward to check Joanna and asked, ¡°How does she feel?¡± Bruce replied anxiously, ¡°Doctor, she just said she felt dizzy!¡± ¡°She has hypoglycemia. She needs a dose of glucose now,¡± said the doctor. After the doctor finished his words, he quickly prescribed, and the nurse immediately gave Joanna a dose of glucose. The doctor warned, ¡°She needs to maintain emotional stability, so please keep quiet.¡± Bruce sighed in relief and replied with a frown, ¡°Got it.¡± After the doctor left, Kody came to knock on the door. ¡°What?¡± asked Bruce.. Kody reported, ¡°Mr. Everett. Butler Henry has called.¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Bruce hurriedly left the room after he heard that. Bruce thought, ¡°Henry rarely calls me. He must have important messages if he calls me.¡± Bruce picked up the phone and said, ¡°Hello?¡± On the other end of the phone, Henry said anxiously, ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett. Mrs. Everett doesn¡¯t feel well and wants you to go back to the Everett mansion immediately.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with grandma?¡± asked Bruce. ¡°Mrs. Everett¡¯s condition has returned, and the doctor has already arrived.¡± When Bruce heard the butler¡¯s words, he immediately felt anxious and said, ¡°I¡¯m going back home now!¡± ¡°Noted, Mr. Everett.¡± After hanging up the phone, Bruce was about to leave in a hurry. However, he suddenly thought of Joanna. Then Bruce went back into the ward. Bruce said, ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve got a bit of an emergency. I need to rush back home. You¡­¡± Joanna was upset about Bruce¡¯s existence. Hearing Bruce¡¯s words, Joanna replied coldly, ¡°Just head home now. No need to worry about me!¡± Bruce ordered, ¡°Cora, Kody, you guys stay here and take good care of Joanna. Call me if necessary.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett. No worries.¡± Bruce did not have time to say anything else. Thus, he leaned over to kiss Joanna¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Take care!¡± Joanna pouted and did not reply to Bruce. Joanna thought, ¡°It sounds like Bruce is saying goodbye to his pet dog when he goes out. He¡¯s always self¨Ccentered and doesn¡¯t care about my feelings.¡± Bruce could not afford another minute here, so he hurriedly left. In Bruce¡¯s eyes, nothing was more important than his grandmother¡¯s health. Margaret was Bruce¡¯s only family member, and that was why Bruce always followed Margaret¡¯s words. Bruce rushed back to Greyport and arrived at the Everett mansion. Bruce asked, ¡°How¡¯s grandma?¡± Henry answered with a grip expression, ¡°The doctor came by and gave Mrs. Everett an injection. She¡¯s stable now. However, it was really emergent just now.¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt even more uneasy. Then he walked to bed nervously. Margaret was still on a venttor and had yet to wake up. Several family doctors were observing Margaret at the side of the bed. Margaret¡¯s heart was not in good condition, and she had blood clots. If ordinary people had these diseases, they would notst too long. Margaret spent countless money to maintain her life. The next few days, she would have to ept the injection of expensive regenerative stem cells and nutrients. 12:51 Fri, 23 Jun. These were not the things that ordinary people could afford. A bottle of regenerative stem cells cost over 2 million dors, and a bottle of nutrient cost more than 200 thousand dors. ¡°Grandma, how do you feel?¡± asked Bruce. He grabbed his grandmother¡¯s hand tightly, worrie Perhaps sensing the arrival of her grandson, Margaret opened her eyes slowly and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Bruce?¡± Then, Margaret indicated a doctor to remove the venttor for her. The doctor at the side immediately understood and quickly took off the venttor. Bruce said, ¡°Grandma, you should probably put on the venttor.¡± Margaret looked at Bruce lovingly and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to talk to you.¡± Bruce tried his best to squeeze a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you all day after you recover.¡± Margaret smiled and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t youe over for the past two days?¡± ¡°Oh, I went to Mossbourne for a business trip,¡± replied Bruce. Margaret gently stroked Bruce¡¯s head and said earnestly, ¡°Is everything okay between Roxanne and you? Are you good now?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and replied, ¡°Grandma, we are good.¡± Margaret said, ¡°You already grew up. It¡¯s not a bad idea to get married earlier. Ask Roxanne toe over. I want to see her. It¡¯s time to give something to the future Mrs. Everett.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± said Bruce. He did not want to go against his grandmother¡¯s wishes. Therefore, Bruce would agree no matter what Margaret said. Actually, Bruce wanted to cancel the engagement with Roxanne a long time ago. However, Bruce was afraid that his grandmother would suffer a blow, so he dyed it for so many days. Margaret continued, ¡°I always expect to have a great¨Cgrandson. From my current condition, it seems it¡¯s already good enough for me to see you get married.¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Grandma, stop these inauspicious words! You can definitely celebrate your 100th birthday. You can not only have a great¨Cgrandson but also a great¨Cgreat¨Cgrandson.¡± Margaret smiled when she heard Bruce¡¯s words. Margaret knew that her body was in a terrible state now. However, she did not know how many days she could have even if she spent all her money on her health. That was why Margaret wanted to see her grandson get married before she died. On the other side. Gavin looked at Roxanne excitedly and said, ¡°Roxy, I fixed the car!¡± Roxanne asked, ¡°Really? You had it fixed so fast?¡± Gavin uncovered the hood and pointed at the repaired Maybach, saying, ¡°Look, it¡¯s as good as new!¡± Roxanne nced at it and realized that the car was fixed. Roxanne asked, ¡°I asked you to take it to a car dealer. Howe they finished the repair so soon?¡± ¡°Well, it will cost a lot if I take it to a car dealer. Besides, I have to fill out all kinds of documents. Look, I only spent 1,000 dors to repair the car.¡± When Roxanne heard this, she immediately shouted angrily, ¡°What? Did you take the car to a random car repair station?¡± 12:51 Fri, 23 Jun. Gavin said, ¡°Rx. My friend has been repairing cars for more than ten years. He can repair any car. ¡°This car¡¯s front cover is dented, and ayer of paint is chipped. ¡°It will be as good as new as long as we fix the dented part and spray ayer of paint. See?¡°, Roxanne angrily stomped. Then she rushed to check the front of the car. At first nce, the car seemed perfect. However, if looked closer, it was like sewing a rough patch on an expensive satin. Although the color was simr, anyone could tell the difference. Expensive cars like Maybach needed to send to the car dealer for repainting if they had small damage. The paint emitted a pungent smell and had a color deviation. Ordinary people could tell it, not to mention Bruce Everett. Roxanne said, ¡°You¡­ You piss me off! It would be even better to let it stay the same!¡± Gavin quickly held Roxanne¡¯s shoulder andforted her, ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be angry! You know Bruce, do you? He has so many cars and is so busy with work. How can he have the time to check the car carefully? hose rich people have seen lots of luxury things. Bruce won¡¯t notice it if I give him a fake one. Rx. We¡¯ll be fine!¡°, hearing Gavin¡¯s words, Roxanne angrily stomped and felt her lungs were about to explode. However, Roxanne could do nothing now since the car was repaired like this. Thus, she said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s forget about it. I hope I can get away with it!¡± Gavinforted, ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be angry. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± After saying that, Gavin could not help hugging Roxanne and touching her with his hands. Roxanne pushed Gavin angrily and said, ¡°This is an inappropriate time for it! Why are you still in the mood for it? Go away!¡± Gavin murmured, ¡°Roxy, please, let me make this right. I¡¯ll show you what I got tonight and satisfy you.¡± As he spoke, Gavin carried Roxanne into the house. Gavin had no strengths except for his skills. He could make Roxanne feel really good. Therefore, even if Gavin was poor and unsessful, Roxanne was still willing to hang out with him. After all, this was Roxanne¡¯s first man. From her first time until now, Gavin had turned Roxanne from an ignorant young girl to an experienced woman, They had been together and did that many times. Roxanne was satisfied each time.. Soon, heavy breathing arose in the room. ¡°Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.¡± Roxanne¡¯s phone cuddenly vibrated. Roxanne intended not to pick up the phone since she was in the middle of pleasure. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. However, Roxanne realized it was Bruce calling because she had set a specific ringtone for him. Roxanne hurriedly gestured for Gavin to stop when she realized it was Bruce calling. ¡°Hi, Bruce!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Where are you now?¡± 12:51 Fri, 23 Jun. Gavin knew that it was Bruce. He felt jealous and deliberately gave Roxanne a thrusting. Roxanne almost shouted out loud. She did her best to hold it and replied, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hanging out ¡°Okay. Grandma wants to see you. Send me your location, and I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up ¡°Oh, oh! No, thanks. I just had the car fixed. I can go there by myself,¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± After that, Bruce hung up the phone. However, Bruce vaguely sensed something was wrong because Roxanne sounded weird and nervous. Roxanne¡¯s voice used to be cheerful and crisp when she received a phone call from Bruce, but her voice sounded hoarse just now. After Roxanne hung up the phone, she cuffed Gavin in exasperation, shouting, ¡°You¡¯ll be dead if you ruin my business. Go away now!¡± ¡°Roxy, we haven¡¯t finished it yet!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Are you rushing to see Bruce?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Roxanne pushed Gavin away. Then she quickly put on her clothes and went to the mirror to put on some makeup. After that, Roxanne drove away. When Roxanne came out of Gavin¡¯s house, some gangsters were on the streets. They all widened their eyes when they saw Roxanne walk out of Gavin¡¯s ce as if they saw a superstar. SEND GIFT Chapter 114 Chapter 114 These local gangsters were Gavin¡¯s creditors. They directly barged into Gavin¡¯s house. Gavin was still naked. When Gavin saw them, his face turned pale, asking, ¡°Bosh, Kurt, what brings you here?¡± Bosh held a cigarette in his mouth and patted Gavin on the shoulder, replying, ¡°Hey. Well done, kid. You¡¯ve got such a beautiful girlfriend!¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re so lucky to get such a beauty. She is so pretty that she almost looks like a superstar.¡± These gangsters all agreed that the woman they saw just now was gorgeous, but no one would have thought she was the Haynes family¡¯s second daughter, Bruce¡¯s fianc¨¦e! After all, this was a slum. None of them would believe a decent woman woulde here. Besides, she hung around with a guy like Gavin. Gavin¡¯s face was paler, and his voice was shaking. Gavin replied, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no such thing. She¡¯s just one of my friends.¡± ¡°A friend? Haha!¡± Those gangsters allughed in disdain. Gavin dressed like a mess. Everyone knew Gavin must get it on with that woman. ¡°Alright, cut the crap! When are you going to pay back the money you borrowed?¡± Gavin replied, ¡°In a few days!¡± Then Gavin quickly took out cigarettes and lightened them for these people. Roxanne caught Gavin¡¯s all attention even since Gavin hooked up with Roxanne. When Gavin was with Roxanne, Roxanne was the one who paid most of the expenses. However, Roxanne would asionally wheedle Gavin into buying her a gift. One handbag cost Gavin more than 20 thousand dors.. Gavin could not afford it at all. Therefore, he could only borrow money from others. Until now, Gavin had already owed tens of thousands of dors to loan sharks. ¡°You¡¯ve missed the due date for days. At least you should pay back the interest!¡± Gavin begged, ¡°Bosh, Kurt, please give me a few more days. I¡¯m really tight on money these days!¡± Bosh said, ¡°Tight on money? Then how do you have the mood to mess up with a woman? How much does that woman charge for a night?¡± Beautiful women were either socialites or prostitutes. Roxanne was willing to get it on with Gavin. Therefore, those people thought Roxanne was in that industry. Gavin was instantly enraged and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t you insult her! She¡¯s a decent woman!¡± Hearing this, Bosh was more interested and asked, ¡°Wow. You got a decent woman to sleep with you. ¡°Ask your girlfriend to spend some nights with me if you can¡¯t pay me back. I¡¯ll take it as your repayment of interest.¡± Hearing those words, Gavin was so angry that his face turned red. He said, ¡°Bosh, please don¡¯t a joke like that!¡± ¡°Then give my money back!¡± warned Bosh. Bosh¡¯s sidekicks pushed Gavin and said, ¡°We were trying to be nice. How dare you speak to Bosh like that? ¡°We want the money back!¡± Speaking of money, Gavin suddenly felt discouraged, thinking, ¡°How can I have the money to repay the loan?¡± 12:51 Fri, 23 Jun. Roxanne was rich, but Gavin could not drop his male ego and was too embarrassed to ask Roxanne for money. Gavin thought, ¡°Roxy already despises me for being poor. If I ask her for money, Roxy would probably be more disgusted and think I¡¯m useless.¡± Therefore, Gavin said, ¡°Bosh, Kurt, please give me a few more days. I¡¯ll pay you back dayster. I promise it.¡± Kurt said, ¡°No negotiation. I want the money back today. You can¡¯t repay the principal, but at least you should repay the interest, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Kurt widened his eyes, and the muscles on his face swung. He warned, ¡°Pay back the interest of 6 thousand dors now!¡± Gavin put on a long face and kept begging, ¡°I really don¡¯t have money now. I can¡¯t give you 6 thousand dors now even if you beat me to death.¡± ¡°Kill you? Nice dream! How can we have our money back if you die? ¡°How about this? Ask your girlfriend over to spend a night with me. Maybe I¡¯ll waive your interest if I¡¯m happy!¡± Gavin cried, ¡°I can¡¯t. Please stop joking!¡± ¡°Who the fuck is joking with you? Pay the money back or ask that girl to y with us!¡± Gavin begged, ¡°Just give me a few more days. I promise I¡¯ll repay the loan. Please, Bosh. I promise I¡¯ll return the money in three days at most.¡± In the Everett mansion. Roxanne hurriedly drove and arrived at the Everett mansion. Butler Henry led Roxanne into the house and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes has arrived.¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Okay.¡± Roxanne looked at Bruce uneasily and said, ¡°Bruce, here¡¯s your car key.¡± Bruce took it and said, ¡°Grandma wants to see you.¡± Roxanne said, ¡°Oh, okay. How¡¯s your grandma? Is she feeling better?¡± Bruce did not reply. He just strode forward to lead the way. Soon, Bruce brought Roxanne into Margaret¡¯s room. With the help of the nurses and doctors, Margaret moved from the bed to a wheelchair. Bruce said gently, ¡°Grandma, Roxy is here to visit you.¡± Then Bruce put his arm around Roxanne¡¯s shoulder, trying to be like he was intimate with Roxanne. Bruce thought, ¡°Grandma is seriously sick now. All I want is to make her happy.¡± Roxanne bent down and asked gently, ¡°Grandma Margaret, are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m much better now!¡± Margaret looked at Roxanne and said in a hoarse voice. Margaret felt Ker body was getting heavier and heavier and wanted to see her grandson get married before she died. Margaret did not like Roxanne very much. However, after a big surgery, she wanted to see her grandson marry Roxanne. Margaret thought, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I like Roxanne. The most important is Bruce likes her.¡± Thus, Margaret said, ¡°Bruce, go get my jade jewelry.¡± ¡°Which set of jade jewelry?¡± asked Bruce. ¡°The emerald ones.¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun. Hearing this, Bruce subconsciously frowned. Bruce thought, ¡°That set of emerald jewelry is an engagement gift from Grandma¡¯s parents, and it is a family heirloom passed down from Grandma¡¯s ancestors! Grandma likes them so much that she only wears them on important asions.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Then Bruce reluctantly walked toward a safe. Bruce took out the set of jade jewelry and passed them to Margaret, saying, ¡°Grandma, here you are.¡± Margaret took the set of jewelry shakily and gently opened the box. Inside was a pair of green bracelets, a bead ne, a pair of earrings, and a ring, Each one of them was priceless. An entire set of antique emerald jewelry like this could not be measured with money. Margaret touched the jewelry shakily, her eyes filled with gentleness. She said to Roxanne, ¡°This is my engagement gift from my parents. It¡¯s passed down from my ancestors. ¡°Now, I¡¯m passing this set of jewelry to you. You need to take good care of them.¡± Hearing Margaret¡¯s words, Roxanne was instantly stunned. She answered with a shaking voice, ¡°Grandma Margaret¡­¡± ¡°Come closer. I¡¯ll put them on for you,¡± said Margaret. ¡°Thank you, Grandma Margaret!¡± Roxanne was so excited that tears flowed out of her eyes. Margaret picked up the bracelet and put it on Roxanne¡¯s wrist. Then, she put the rest jewelry on Roxanne. Margaret said, ¡°Oh, they look beautiful. Young beauty makes this jewelry look even better.¡± Roxanne asked, ¡°Bruce, is it beautiful?¡± ¡°Yeah, it looks great!¡± replied Bruce. He had a smile on his face, but deep down, he was extremely annoyed. Bruce thought, ¡°Grandma gave this set of jade jewelry to Roxanne, meaning that Grandma has already recognized Roxanne as a member of the Everett family. ¡°However, I no longer have any feelings for Roxanne.¡± Margaret said, ¡°Bruce, Roxanne. Live a happy life after you get married and have children as soon as possible!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Grandma, we will! You will see your great¨Cgrandchildren.¡± After saying that, Bruce deliberately hugged Roxanne¡¯s shoulder tightly and kissed her forehead gently. Margaret¡¯s smile became bigger when she saw how loving the two of them were. After Bruce kissed Roxanne, he vaguely noticed a strange smell. Bruce did not like perfume, so Roxanne rarely wore perfume in front of Bruce. When Roxanne was having it with Gavin, Bruce called and asked Roxanne to rush over. Therefore, Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Roxanne went here without a shower, and her body sent out a smell that revealed Roxanne had intimate behavior with others. Bruce suddenly felt suspicious and subconsciously took a closer look at Roxanne. Roxanne¡¯s face was as red as a rose because she had a wonderful time with Gavin. Besides, Gavin was so good that Roxanne was a little weak now. Bruce became more suspicious. Then he said, ¡°Grandma, you must be tired now. How about having some rest? I¡¯ll send Roxy back home.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± replied Margaret. Bruce said to Roxanne, ¡°You¡¯d better get moving!¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°Goodbye, Grandma Margaret!¡± Roxanne gently said goodbye to Margaret. Then, Bruce and Roxanne left Margaret¡¯s room. Roxanne smiled happily and asked, ¡°Bruce, where are we going now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you home,¡± replied Bruce. ¡°What?¡± Roxanne suddenly lost her smile. ¡°Get in the car!¡± urged Bruce. ¡°Alright.¡± Bruce and Roxanne got into the car, and Bruce drove out of the Everett mansion without saying a word. Roxanne sneakily nced at Bruce and felt a little uneasy in the car. After all, Roxanne was guilty because she cheated on Bruce. Roxanne thought, ¡°Well, things were funny today. Margaret finally recognized me as her grandson¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Bruce, where are we going?¡± asked Roxanne. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. I¡¯m taking you home.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Bruce suddenly ordered, ¡°Take off the jewelry!¡± Roxanne was stunned and asked, ¡°What? Bruce? What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll repeat. Take off the jewelry!¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¡°Brucel¡± ¡°Hurry up and cut the crap!¡± Bruce urged impatiently. Bruce thought, ¡°This is Grandma¡¯s family heirloom. It should be for my wife, Grandma could not really give it to Roxa¡± When Roxanne heard this, she felt like she had fallen into an ice cave. Roxanne could not help but cry, ¡°Bruce, Grandma gave this to me!¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°This is a gift from Grandma to my wifel¡± In other words, Bruce would not marry Roxanne. BOOM! Roxanne looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She widened her eyes and stared at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, what do you mean by that?¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds. Then he frowned and replied, ¡°The literal meaning!¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes were full of fear and disappointment. Roxanne asked in a shaking voice, ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t marry me?¡± Bruce remained silent without knowing what to say. ¡°Bruce, answer me now. You will marry me, won¡¯t you?¡± Bruce exined, ¡°Grandma is seriously sick now, so I need you to cooperate with me, and we pretend to be a loving couple in front of Grandma. ¡°We can have a certificate if you want. However, you have to sign a prenuptial agreement. Also, don¡¯t expect too much from me, especially don¡¯t expect me to ony have you as my woman.¡± Hearing this, Roxanne felt desperate. Bruce urged again, ¡°Hurry up and take off the jewelry!¡± Then Bruce continued, ¡°If you want, I can buy another set for you. You can¡¯t have this one.¡± Roxanne sobbed and started crying, ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± Bruce wasmanding in a cold voice. Roxanne did not dare to disobey. All she could do was take off the jewelry and silently put them back into the box. Bruce took the jewelry box and handed a ck card, saying, ¡°Go to a jewelry store and buy another one for yourself. You can use my card.¡± Bruce was a gentleman and felt embarrassed for asking things back from a woman. Therefore, Bruce wanted to make it up to Roxanne after having his grandma¡¯s jewelry back.. Roxanne sniffled and cried, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± Bruce frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask such a question again. You know the answer!¡± Squeak! The car stopped in front of the Haynes¡¯s house. ¡°Here we are. Now get out of the car!¡± However, Roxanne sat still after Bruce said that. Roxanne held Bruce¡¯s arm, crying, ¡°Bruce, what did I do to make you hate me so much now? Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°It must be Joanna. Before Joanna came back, we loved each other so much. Bruce, you¡¯ve changed so much ever since Joanna came back. You don¡¯t love me anymore¡­¡± Bruce retracted his arm impatiently and interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Don¡¯t involve Joanna in our matters! ¡°Joanna is Joanna, and you are you. You two can¡¯t bepared!¡± *Brucel¡± ¡°Hurry up and get out of the car. I still have to go back to thepany for a meeting!¡± Roxanne sniffled and opened the car door sadly. Just as Roxanne had gotten out of the car, Bruce stepped on the elerator and drove away. Roxanne¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Roxanne stomped and murmured, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ll regret what you¡¯ve done to me!¡± Half an hourter, Bruce arrived at the Everett Group. Bruce subconsciously locked the car after parking it. Just as Bruce was about to get into the elevator, he suddenly noticed the reflecting light of the front of the car. Bruce thought, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. The color of the front of the car also seems strange!¡± Bruce frowned and returned to the car. Then he bent down to check the front of it. Bruce was infuriated with what he had seen. It was obvious that Bruce¡¯s car had been hit before. Moreover, the quality of the repair was poor. It was so bad that it ruined the hood. Roxanne casually mentioned it to Bruce over the phone and said the car was slightly scraped. Bruce thought it was not a big deal because Roxanne did not ask him to call the insurancepany. Then, Bruce checked the dash camera video. Bruce found that Roxanne had been in the car with a stranger. This stranger was the person who bumped Bruce¡¯s car. Roxanne and the stranger did not do anything that crossed the line in the car, but they seemed very intimate. Bruce probably wouldn¡¯t have looked at the dashcam for the rest of his life if Bruce did not notice the damage to his car. That was why Roxanne dared to drive Gavin around fearlessly. After watching the dash camera video, Bruce felt a chill run down his spine and a bad feeling about this. Bruce thought, ¡°This man and Roxanne should not be just friends!¡± ¡°Andy!¡± shouted Druce. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett? Is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°Go and check this person.¡± ¡°No problem, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Send all the information about this person to my email in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun¡¤ Ten minutester, Andy sent Gavin¡¯s information to Bruce¡¯s email. Bruce clicked it and took a look. Bruce thought, ¡°This person is from the same school as Roxane There is no other strange information. ¡°Roxanne usually meets her ssmates or has parties with them. I can¡¯t conclude that Roxanne has a special rtionship with Gavin. ¡°Besides, in the six years we have been together, Roxanne always looks like a pure and innocent girl in front of me. ¡°In the past, Roxanne would have blushed for a long time if I held her hand. She would be so shy that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes for minutes if I kissed her. Her face would turn pale, and her body would be shaking, if ! wanted to touch her.. ¡°Roxanne told me that did not ept premarital sex. ¡°I don¡¯t think such a conservative girl will cheat on me. I always respect her and never touch her because of her conservativeness. ¡°However, all the information indicates Roxanne is probably a two¨Cfaced woman!¡± In the hospital. Joanna had alreadypleted the documents to check out. The doctor advised Joanna to stay for a few more days. However, Joanna decided to go home on the same day she was sent to the hospital because she was worried about her three children. ¡°Miss Haynes, are you sure you want to leave the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine now. I have to rush to Venturas to pick up Davian and Irvin.¡± Cora said worriedly, ¡°But you¡¯re still weak¡­¡± Joanna interrupted andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m okay and am not that delicate.¡± Not long after Bruce left, Joanna insisted on leaving the hospital. Today was the weekend. Joanna had to hurry to Venturas to pick up Davian and Irvin. Joanna set off in the afternoon. The sky was already dark by the time Joanna arrived at Venturas. The two little fellows waited for Joanna for so long that they got anxious. ¡°Mommy, why are you picking us up sote today?¡± Joanna replied, ¡°I have something to do, so I came here a littlete.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home!¡± The two little fellows bopped onto the boat and chattered all the way. Greyport and Venturas were coastal cities, and Greyport was across the sea from Venturas. Therefore, the most convenient transport between these two cities was to go to a dock to take a ship. Irvin looked at Joanna and said, ¡°Mommy, I have something to tell you.¡± Joanna looked at her son with a smile and replied, ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± Irvin tilted his head and said cutely, ¡°Well, Mr. Grimm said I have talent in acting!¡± ¡°And?¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°Then Mr. Grimm said I can be a star!¡± ¡°Irvin, you are just a kid now. Maybe focus on your studies?¡± Irvin looked at Joanna proudly and argued, ¡°But I¡¯m very interested in acting! Mr. Grimm told me that hispany wants to film a movie and needs a cute baby! ¡°Mr. Grimm thinks I¡¯m perfect for that part!¡± Hearing these words, Joanna could not help butugh, asking, ¡°Then what do you think?¡± Irvin answered, ¡°I think I¡¯m so cute, so smart, and so talented in acting that I will definitely get that part!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help frowning and did not know whether tough or cry. Joanna thought, ¡°When does Irvin be so thick¨Cskinned?¡± Luckily, Joanna respected her children¡¯s thoughts. She would not stop Irvin if Irvin really wanted to go. ¡°Do you really want to go?¡± asked Joanna. Irvin answered. ¡°Yeah! Absolutely!¡± ¡°Davian, what do you think?¡± asked Joanna. Davian showed a cool face and replied, ¡°Mommy, just let Irvin go since he really wants this opportunity.¡± Joanna sighed and said, ¡°You two always get your way, don¡¯t you?¡± Irvin held Joanna¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Mommy, please! I really want to get in that movie!¡± ¡°Alright then! If you really want to go, I¡¯ll call Mr. Grimm. But let¡¯s make it clear first. You can¡¯t hide away from hardship and exhaustion since you¡¯re going. ¡°You should also focus on your studies.¡± After that, Joanna suddenly paused. Joanna said inside, ¡°Am 1 being too harsh on Davian and Irvin? ¡°They are only four years old. I don¡¯t have to treat them like this. I should support them to chase their dreams if they are interested in something.¡± Then Joanna asked, ¡°Then what do you like, Davian?¡± Davian replied, ¡°I like ying on theputer, such asputer games!¡± Davian was sensitive to numbers and taught himself to y on theputer. It seemed that Davian had the potential to be an agent or a hacker. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll call Mr. Grimm tomorrow!¡± said Joanna. SEND GIFT Chapter 116 Chapter 116 After they returned home, Davian and Irvin put down their schoolbags and ran excitedly to Lilia¡¯s room, shouting, ¡°Lilia, we¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Davian! Irvin! You are finally back home!¡± Lilia waved her little hands andughed brightly. Tracy hurriedly carried Lilia into the wheelchair. ¡°Look! We¡¯ve got a gift for you!¡± Davian and Irvin handed the paper airne they had made to their sister. Davian and Irvin doted on Lilia very much. They knew that Lilia was sick and needed more love. Therefore, every time Davian and Irvin returned home from kindergarten, they would bring gifts for Lilia. ¡°Thank you, Davian and Irvin. This paper airne is so beautiful!¡± ¡°Of course, we made it ourselves! It can fly very far. Our handmade task this time is to make paper airnes.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When speaking, Irvin took the paper airne and threw it into the distance. The paper airne flew in the air and did not fall until it reached a corner of the living room and hit the wall. ¡°Lilia, look! Isn¡¯t it flying very far?¡± Lilia pped her hands and giggled, saying, ¡°Wow! You guys are awesome! I¡¯m so happy!¡± ¡°Mommy, can we take Lilia to the Burger King where we atest time?¡± ¡°Agreed. Lilia loves the fries there the most. Can we bring Lilia there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a slide and a children¡¯s yground!¡± Joanna looked at Davian and Irvin and was frustrated, replying, ¡°Well, it looks like the two of you want to go there.¡± She did not like her children to eat so much junk food. However, she could do nothing about it. It seemed that most children liked junk food, such as burgers, fried chicken, and fries. Lilia pouted and said in a baby voice, ¡°Mommy, I want to go there too!¡± Joanna thought, ¡°It should be okay if they only have it once a week!¡± Thus, Joanna said, ¡°Sure! But it¡¯s toote today. Can we go tomorrow?¡± When the three little fellows heard this, they nodded excitedly and said in unison, ¡°Yay!¡± The boys yelled, ¡°Now let¡¯s paly with Lilia!¡± Looking at three cute little ones, Joanna smiled gently. She thought, ¡°No matter how hard life is, all my bad mood is gone when I see my three children.¡± The three little fellows got up early in the morning the next day. Joanna also got up to make breakfast for her children. Joanna was very busy with work and had great pressure, but she would stop work to spend time with her kids every weekend. Beep. Beep. Joanna¡¯s phone suddenly rang. . 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun Joanna took up her phone and saw that it was Jaydon calling ¡°Hi, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Joann, are you busy now?¡± He sounded le he was slightly upset. Jaydon asked, ¡°Am I bothering you?¡± Joanna felt very apologetic when she heard Jaydon¡¯s upset in his voice. Joanna had stood Jaydon up a few times because of Bruce¡¯s disturbing. She wanted to invite Jaydon for lunch and apologize to him. Thus, Joanna answered, ¡°How could that be? I was just about to call you!¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Jaydon smiled and asked, ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, it is,¡± said Joanna. Jaydon asked, ¡°Anything I can do for you? Tell me.¡± Joanna paused for a moment and smiled awkwardly, replying, ¡°Well, you said that you were going to film a movie and wanted to get Irvin to audition. I¡¯ve asked Irvin, and he told me he really wants to go! ¡°Have you picked a person for that character yet?¡± When Irvin heard this, he hurriedly ran over, asking, ¡°Mommy, is that Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Mr. Grimm.¡± ¡°Mommy, give me the phone! I want to talk to Mr. Grimm!¡± When speaking, Irvin stretched out his little arm to get the phone in Joanna¡¯s hand. Joanna had no choice but to hand the phone to Irvin. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm. This is vin!¡± ¡°Hi, Irvin!¡± Irvin smiled and proudly said, ¡°Mr. Grimm, I¡¯ve already convinced my mom. She agreed me to y this role.¡± Jaydon smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s great. Are you free this afternoon? How about I bring you to the studio for an audition?¡± Irvin pouted and asked, ¡°Hmph. My acting is wonderful. Do I still need an audition?¡± ¡°Well, you have to take some photographs. This is an action movie. You¡¯ll be the male lead when he was young, so your costume has to be customized.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Jaydon smiled dotingly and said, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! Now give back the phone to your mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy, here¡¯s your phone!¡± Joanna took back the phone and said, ¡°Hi, Jay.¡± ¡°Joann, it¡¯s a deal since you¡¯ve agreed. No more changes!¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡± Hearing this, Joanna hesitated for seconds. She did not want to cause too much trouble for Jaydon. Thus, Joanna replied, ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you give me the address? I¡¯ll drive them there.¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°No, it¡¯s better that I pick you up now.¡± Jaydon sounded assertive. Joanna smiled and did not turn Jaydon down, replying, ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for now. I¡¯m going to hang up the phone.¡± ¡°See youter!¡± Just as Joanna hung up the phone, Irvin jumped happily and yelled, ¡°Oh, oh! I can make a movie now. I¡¯m going to be a star! ¡°Mommy, Mr. Grimm told me this is an action movie. I¡¯ll act as the male lead when he was young! He¡¯s a hero and can y powerful martial arts!¡± Davian looked at Irvin with a cold expression and said in disdain, ¡°What¡¯s so good about being a star? You should be a superhero so you can save the Earth!¡± ¡°Davian, go be your superhero! Anyway, I want to be a star and make lots of money for mommy! ¡°I¡¯m a handsome boy. I¡¯ll definitely be famous overnight. Just wait to see me be a superstar!¡± When Joanna heard these words, she could not help frowning. Then Joanna started her speech. ¡°Irvin, it¡¯s good to be confident, but you can¡¯t be arrogant! If you¡¯re too confident, it will be condescending.¡°. Irvin put his hands on his hips proudly and said, ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not arrogant. I¡¯m just telling the truth! ¡°Lilia, look at me. Do you think I¡¯m handsome?¡± Lilia pped her hands in admiration and replied, ¡°Irvin is so handsome!¡± Joanna sighed, frustrated. Joanna thought, ¡°Irvin develops thick skin as he grows up. Who does Irvin take after?¡± Then Joanna shouted, ¡°Hurry up and eat breakfast. After breakfast, change your clothes. Mr. Grimm will be here soon!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After breakfast, Joanna left the house with the three little guys, Tracy and Miranda. Joanna thought, ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste this precious Sunday. I¡¯m going to take Lilia out today.¡± They went downstairs and found that Jaydon was already waiting outside. ¡°Hi, Jay. You¡¯ve arrived,¡± greeted Joanna. The three little guys liked Jaydon very much. They greeted Jaydon in unison, ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, and Lilia!¡± Jaydon smiled gently. Then he opened the car door and the trunk. After that, Jaydon carried Lilia¡¯s wheeled stretcher into the car, saying, ¡°Get in the car, kids!¡± Jaydon was driving a Hummer SUV today. It was big inside but did not have enough seats. Joanna took a look and said, ¡°Well, it looks like we can¡¯t all get in this car. How about I drive another car?¡± Jaydon said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Maybe Miranda and Tracy don¡¯t have to be with you this trip.¡± Joanna was stunned and hesitated, murmuring, ¡°Well¡­¡± It was hard for Joanna to take care of three children. Therefore, Joanna had to bring at least one servant if Joanna went out with her children. 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun After all, Lilia was disabled. She needed special care. Jaydon smiled and said, ¡°Can¡¯t we take care of three little kids?¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment. Then she agreed and said, ¡°Alright¡± Jaydon often helped Joanna take care of the children, and the children were even happier with Jaydon than with Joanna. The three little guy¡¯s got in the car and sat in the back seats. Then they buckled their seatbelts. Jaydon thoughtfully prepared a special child seat for Lifia Joanna sat in the passenger seat. Then, Jaydon started the car and drove toward the photography studio in Hudter Bay. The car had been on the road for about 20 minutes. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Joanna¡¯s phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw that it was Bruce. ¡°Bruce is haunting me.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression changed. Then she directly hung up the phone. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. After Joanna hung up the phone, Bruce called again within a minute. Joanna hung up again and turned the phone into silent mode. Bruce called Joanna four or five times. However, Joanna declined all the calls. Bruce was so angry that he had a pained look. Then Bruce sent messages to Joanna. [Joanna, where are you? I want to see you!] [Why didn¡¯t you answer my phone? I¡¯ll give you three minutes. Call me back!] [If you don¡¯t call back, you know the consequences!] Bruce¡¯s messages also revealed hismanding and aggressive tone. Noticing Joanna¡¯s frown, Jaydon could not help asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it Bruce?¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 117 Chapter 117 ¡°Oh, god.¡± Joanna sighed heavily. Joanna was so scared of Bruce now. She could not offend Bruce or hide from Bruce. Joanna was even threatened and bullied by Bruce at all times. Seeing Joanna¡¯s serious expression, Jaydon did not know what to say or how tofort Joanna. Jaydon thought, ¡°I can get Joanna¡¯s back and solve her problems if a man annoys her. ¡°Unfortunately, the man who harasses Joanna is Bruce. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything with Bruce!¡± Ten minutester, Joanna still hadn¡¯t called Bruce back. Bruce currently lived in the Sherane Bay Vi. After he divorced Joanna, Bruce moved back to where he used to live. This vi was luxurious. It faced the sea and was the only building on the mountain. The mayor of Greyport lived in the vi on the left side of the mountain, while a high¨Cranking official of All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Mossbourne lived in the mansion on the right side. At this moment, Bruce was so angry that he felt he was going to explode. Bruce walked around the living room. Outside of the window was the sea. Bruce¡¯s handsome face looked sinister. He shouted, ¡°Damn it, Joanna. How dare you not answer my phone again! ¡°Heh, do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you if you don¡¯t pick up the phone?¡± Bruce raised his thick eyebrows and became paranoid again. Soon, Bruce drove and arrived at Joanna¡¯s residence. Knock! Knock! Knock! Bruce stood at the door and knocked heavily on it. Tracy heard the knock on the door and hurriedly came over to open it. Tracy was dumbfounded when she saw that it was Bruce. She remembered thest time Bruce came here and smashed everything into pieces. Tracy thought, ¡°Why is Bruce here today?¡± Bruce looked terrible. It was obvious that Bruce was angry. He asked gloomily, ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna? Open the door now. I want to see her!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ Miss Haynes ¡­ She¡¯s not at home!¡± Tracy was so nervous that she stammered. ¡°Joanna¡¯s not at home?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows. Then he frowned in disbelief. Seeing Bruce not believe her words, Tracy hurriedly opened the second door and brought Bruce in. Tracy said, ¡°Miss Haynes is not at home. If you don¡¯t believe me,e in and take a look.¡± When Bruce heard this, he became even angrier and asked, ¡°Where did Joanna go?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± replied Tracy. ¡°Who did Joanna go out with?¡± asked Bruce. ¡°Miss Haynes¡­ Miss Haynes brought her three children out.¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun. Tracy stuttered to reply. She was so scared that cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Luckily, she was clever and did not tell Bruce that Joanna had gone out with Jaydon. Tracy thought, ¡°Last time, Mr. Everett got jealous and had a fight with Mr. Grimm. Mr. Everett e knows that Miss Haynes goes out with Mr. Grimm, Mr. Everett will probably fight with Mr. Grimm mashed everything here into pieces! If Mr. Everett gain Bruce seemed a little rxed. Then he turned around and left. Tracy cried, ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m almost scared to death!¡± She closed the door and patted her chest with lingering fear. ¡°Who is it?¡± Miranda and Kelly came out and wanted to know what happened. Tracy said nervously, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Everett! ¡°Oh my god, you didn¡¯t see him. Mr. Everett looks so scary!¡± ¡°What brought Mr. Everett here?¡± Miranda and Kelly had been in Venturas for the past few months and did not know what had happened in Greyport. Tracy replied, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Mr. Everett now. He pesters Miss Haynes every day!¡± Tracy murmured, ¡°No, no! I have to call Miss Haynes and ask her to be careful.¡± Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Joanna¡¯s phone vibrated again.. Joanna took the phone and saw that it was from Tracy. Then Joanna quickly picked up the phone. Joanna said, ¡°Hello, Tracy. Is everything okay?¡± Tracy¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯ve to tell you that Mr. Everett came here just now!¡± Tracy sounded fearful and nervous. ¡°What?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Tracy said, ¡°Maybe you need to call Mr. Everett back. His expression is so terrible that he seems he will pick up a fight with anyone.¡± Joanna could not help frowning and asked, ¡°Bruce didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, did he?¡± Tracy replied, ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t. However, Mr. Everett¡¯s tone is very bad, and he looks awful. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to tell Mr. Everett that you go out with Mr. Grimm. I only said that you go out with your three children. It may help if you call Mr. Everett back.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Alright, got it.¡± Then Joanna hung up the phone. After that, Joanna sighed in frustration, saying, ¡°It¡¯s so annoying!¡± Jaydon suddenly became nervous and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna supported her head with her hand and looked helpless, answering, ¡°I might have to move again.¡± Jaydon was stunned, asking, ¡°Did Bruce just go to your ce?¡± ¡°Yeah. Bruce is haunting me,¡± replied Joanna. Jaydon sighed andined, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Bruce can find you no matter where you move to, as long as you are still in Greyport.¡± Jaydon thought, ¡°Joanna and I would have a chance to be together without Bruce. 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°However, I¡¯m feeling the chance is fading out.¡± Hearing Jaydon¡¯s words, Joanna felt even more frustrated and annoyed. Joanna thought, ¡°Jaydon is right. At some point, Greyport is Bruce¡¯s city. ¡°No matter where I hide, Bruce can always dig me out.. ¡°That is why I can¡¯t wait tounch a factory in Mossbourne. I want to transfer my major business to Mossbourne. ¡°I¡¯ll move to Mossbourne when the business there gets on the right track. Then I can keep a good distance from Bruce. The further away from Bruce, the better! ¡°If the business goes well in Porash, I¡¯ll develop the business in other cities in the north¡± Five minutester, Jaydon stopped the car. There was a huge signboard in front of them. Hudter Bay Pictures. ¡°Here we are. Let¡¯s get out of the car!¡± ¡°Yay! Yay!¡± Jaydon frowned. He hesitated for seconds. Then Jaydon said to Joanna, ¡°Maybe¡­ You should call Bruce back?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I can¡¯t always let Bruce get his way. He will push further if I give him a call back today. Bruce will keep doing so if he knows I¡¯m scared of him. Just ignore him!¡± Joanna said as she released her seatbelt. Then she opened the car door. ¡°Mommy, who are you talking about?¡± ¡°No one. Get out of the car now,¡± said Joanna. ¡°Okay.¡± Irvin whispered to Davian, ¡°Davian, is mommy talking about Bruce?¡± Davian nodded and said with a serious expression, ¡°I think so!¡± Irvin said, ¡°Hmph! That bad guy keeps annoying mommy!¡± Davian¡¯s little face was tense. Davian replied, ¡°Hmm, looks like we have to think of a way to deal with that bad guy!¡± ¡°Davian, is that Bruce really our daddy?¡± asked Irvin. Davian replied, ¡°How is that possible?¡± Irvin said, ¡°That¡¯s very likely! If he¡¯s our daddy, we¡¯ll be rich! I heard that this big baddie is the richest man in Greyport!¡± Davian snorted disdainfully and said, ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t care if he has money. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson if he dares to bully mommy!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, what are you talking about?¡± asked Lilia. ¡°Nothing!¡± replied the boys. As the kids spoke, Joanna had already opened the back door. ¡°Davian, Irvin, hurry up!¡± urged Joanna. ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun. The two little guys unbuttoned their seatbelts and happily jumped out of the car. Jaydon took the wheeled stretcher out of the trunk. Joanna carefully carned Lilia out of the car. Although Lilia was four years old, she was very light, and her weight was like a two¨Cyear¨Cold¡¯s. ¡°Here. Be careful!¡± Jaydon helped Joanna put Lilia on the wheeled stretcher. Jaydon said, ¡°Irvin, let¡¯s go to the photography studio for an audition1¡± Irvin immediately forgot about the unhappiness and said excitedly, ¡°Yes, Mr. Grimm!¡± Irvin shouted, ¡°Davian, Lilia, I¡¯m going in!¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± Joanna waited outside the photography studio with Davian and Lilia. Meanwhile, Jaydon brought Irvin into the dressing room. On the other side. Bruce angrily left Joanna¡¯s residence and immediately called Andy. Andy quickly picked up after he saw that it was Bruce. Andy said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett. What can I do for you?¡± Bruce ordered, ¡°Andy, find out where Joanna is now.¡± Andy replied, ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Soon, Andy used a satellite to track Joanna¡¯s current location. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes is currently in the Hudter Bay Pictures. I¡¯m sending her location to you now!¡± ¡°Hudter Bay Pictures?¡± asked Bruce. ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, Bruce became very jealous. Bruce thought, ¡°Jaydon works in a filmpany. Joanna probably goes to see Jaydon since she¡¯s in the Hudter Bay Pictures.¡± ¡°Send me her location now!¡± shouted Bruce. ¡°I already sent it.¡± Then Bruce hung up the phone and started his car, heading to Hudter Bay Pictures. Bruce murmured, ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ll see what I¡¯ll do to you if you dare to stay in the rtionship with Jaydon!¡± Along the way, Bruce was furious. Andy noticed that Bruce was in a bad mood from Bruce¡¯s tone. Therefore, Andy quickly called Kody and asked Kody to bring more bodyguards to Hudter Bay Pictures. Andy said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent you an address. Hurry up and go there. Mr. Everett goes to the Hudter Bay Pictures alone.¡± ¡°No problem. We got it!¡± replied Kody. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Hudter Bay Pictures was a film and television base. There were various sets inside, and several production teams were filming there. Jaydon brought Irvin into the dressing room. People greeted Jaydon, ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm.¡± Jaydon said, ¡°Irvin,e on in ¡°They will give you a style.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Irvin followed Jaydon¡¯s words and walked in. A makeup artist and a stylist began to design Irvin¡¯s style. Outside the dressing room. Lilia asked, ¡°Mommy, can we go and eat hamburgers after Irvin finishes his audition?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring you guys for hamburgers at noon, okay?¡± ¡°Great!¡± Lilia smiled like a sunflower. Lilia could not go out often due to her body¡¯s condition. It was rare for Lilia to go out with Joanna, Davian, and Irvin. Therefore, it was Lilia¡¯s happiest moment when Joanna took her out. Meanwhile, Davian tensed his handsome face and sat quietly on the chair. He crossed his arms and had a serious expression. It looked like Davian was deep in thought. Davian kept thinking about how to figure out a way to deal with the big baddie Bruce Everett. He thought, ¡°I can¡¯t let this big baddie bully mommy! I¡¯m the elder brother and have the responsibility to protect mommy and my younger siblings!¡± Noticing Davian was so serious, Joanna gently stroked Davian¡¯s forehead and asked, ¡°Davian, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°Nothing, mommy!¡± Davian replied. Then Davian immediately recovered his innocent look. Davian thought, ¡°I can¡¯t let mommy know what I was thinking! Otherwise, she will definitely stop ome.¡± ¡°Joann, you can hang around with the kids. I¡¯m going over there to interview two actresses. I¡¯ll be back Joanna said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Focus on your work. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jaydon smiled and replied, ¡°See youter then. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Joanna said, ¡°Okay, No worries.¡± Then Jaydon hurgedly walked toward the office. Two new actresses arrived here for an audition today, so Jaydon had to go over and interview them. Jaydon especially valued the filming of this movie and did many things by himself. After all, stars could not only rely on poprity now. Therefore, Jaydon needed more capable actors and actresses in his That rule fitted perfectly in the film industry. The audience would not buy it if the movie was not good. Joanna said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. There are many attractions here. I¡¯ll bring you guys to take a look!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Lilia could not wait to go out and see the scenery. 12:52 FI, Davian also nodded to agree. Joanna smiled gently and took Lilia Davian out of the photography studio. Then they walked a the ce. There were many ancient sets and famous buildings from all over the world. They were imitations but still worth a look. In the dressing room. Jaydon came over to exin, ¡°Irvin, thisdy will give you makeup and put a covering on your head.¡± Irvin said. ¡°Sounds great!¡± Then he sat on a stool. ¡°Wow, what a cute boy!¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment!¡± replied Irvin. Although Irvin was just a young actor, his style had to be exquisite. It took over an hour to give Irvin the costume and a hairstyle. After the styling was done, Irvin had already be an adorable young decent gentleman from ancient times. ¡°Now we can go to the studio and find the director to give you an audition!¡± ¡°Great!¡± said Irvin. Then the assistant brought Irvin to the studio. ¡°Hey. I heard that this little actor is Mr. Grimm¡¯s illegitimate son.¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that Mr. Grimm hasn¡¯t made it public.¡± ¡°Wow. No wonder Mr. Grimm cares about that little boy so much. Mr. Grimm even personally brought that boy to the dressing room.¡± ¡°That boy is so lucky that he can be one of the Grimm family.¡± ¡°Then who¡¯s that boy¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°That boy¡¯s mother is Mr. Everett¡¯s ex¨Cwife!¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. When the other makeup artist heard this, she could not help clicking her tongue and said, ¡°No way! ¡°If so, that boy has a rich mother. Why does he need to be here to film a movie?¡± ¡°Many people like to experience life, and many superstars have rich parents. Filming a movie is just their interest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but that boy¡¯s so young! I can¡¯t believe he has to get in this industry at this age.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up! Many people want such an opportunity and can¡¯t get it. That boy will do great in this industry since he has Mr. Grimm.¡± In the studio: The director asked Irvin to try out a scene. The director said, ¡°Express your sadness and desperation after knowing your father¡¯s enemy had killed your father.¡± ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t die! What about me if you die? You can¡¯t leave me and mom¡­¡± Irvin became the character in a second. 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun Irvin really had the talent for acting. He could have tears easily and even took the initiative to add several lines. Everyone present was surprised by trvin¡¯s acting skills. They all looked at Irvin and started disctg. ¡°This little kid has talent in acting. I was worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to cry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to cry in less than a minute. That boy is a born actor!¡± ¡°Where did you find it?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm rmended that boy.¡± ¡°Good, very good!¡± After the audition, the assistant brought Irvin back to the dressing room, The assistant said, ¡°You can remove your makeup now.¡± ¡°Oh, but I want to show mommy how I look before removing my makeup.¡± It was rare for Irvin to dress up in an ancient style. Irvin was curious about this style. He was so smug and appreciated himself in the mirror. Irvin murmured, ¡°Sadly, mommy is not in the photography studio.¡± Irvin had no choice but to return to the dressing room to remove his makeup. ¡°Sorry, I think I got in the wrong room!¡± said Irvin. Irvin pranced and opened the door of a dressing room. Then Irvin found an actress sitting inside. That actress was the second female lead in this movie. After realizing that he had walked into the wrong room, Irvin hurriedly walked out of it. Coincidentally, a thin young man dressed fashionably walked over with flowers in his hands. That man and Irvin had passed each other. However, the young man subconsciously turned around to take a second look. The man murmured, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Joanna¡¯s child?¡± This young man was Ingrid¡¯s son, Derick Haynes. Recently, Derick had been pursuing and pestering this second female lead. Derick had also spent a lot of money on her. Unfortunately, the actress had no interest in Derick. Realizing that boy was Joanna¡¯s child, Derick immediately gritted his teeth in hatred. Derick thought, ¡°Kanna took away everything that was supposed to be mine. She even cut off my fixed sry at the Haynes Group! ¡°If it weren¡¯t because Joanna, I wouldn¡¯t have been looked down upon by others. Luckily, I¡¯m still a member of the Haynes family. ¡°However, losing the right to inherit the Haynes Group, I can never have my moments back when hanging out with other rich boys.¡± Thinking of this, Derick had a terrifying n in his mind. Derick thought, ¡°I want to take revenge on Joanna and teach her a lesson!¡± The photography studio did not have surveince cameras because those cameras may invade the privacy of celebrities. Moreover, the studio was very big. It was difficult to notice a child when people ran around. 12:52 Fri, 23 Jun Derick immediately stopped Irvin and stared at Irvin with a smile, asking, ¡°Hi, cutie. Do you know where the bathroom is?¡± ¡°Yeah. I know. It¡¯s over there!¡± Irvin enthusiastically pointed the direction in the air. Derick and Irvin had met each other once at Raymond Haynes¡¯s funeral. However, many people gene at the funeral, so Derick and Irvin only met each other briefly there. Therefore, Derick remembered Irvin, but Irvin did not remember Derick. ¡°Cutie, do you mind bringing me there?¡± Irvin thought for a moment and felt he also wanted to go to the toilet. Thus, Irvin nodded and agreed, saying, ¡°Yes, this way!¡± Soon, Irvin brought Derick to the bathroom. There were no surveince cameras in the bathroom. Irvin said, ¡°Here we are. This is the bathroom¡­¡± Before Irvin could finish his sentence, Derick covered Irvin¡¯s mouth and dragged Irvin into a stall. On the other side. Jaydon returned to the dressing room after he finished his work. ¡°Where¡¯s the little actor?¡± asked Jaydon. The makeup artists were stunned and replied, ¡°He went out long ago.¡± ¡°Where did he go?¡± asked Jaydon. ¡°I thought you took that little boy for an audition.¡± Jaydon continued to ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t hee back after the audition?¡± ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t see him.¡± Jaydon was stunned when he heard that! Then Jaydon took out his phone and called Joanna. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Joanna quickly picked up the call and said, ¡°Hello, Jay. Have you finished your work?¡± ¡°Hi, Joann. Is Irvin with you?¡± asked Jaydon. Hearing this, Joanna suddenly became nervous and replied, ¡°No! Didn¡¯t you take Irvin for the audition?¡± ¡°Oh, alright then, it look around.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°Jay, what happened?¡± Her heart was beating faster and faster. Joanna was not afraid of anything except for the safety of her children. ¡°Jaydon did not want Joanna to worry, so he hurriedlyforted Joanna, ¡°¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, Irvin has finished the audition. He might just run around to y. I¡¯ll go find him now!¡°¡± ¡°Okay¡± Then Joanna anxiously hung up the phone. After hanging up the phone, Jaydon rushed to several dressing rooms in the photography studio to search for Irvin. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡°Did you see that little actor just now?¡± asked Jaydon. ¡°No, Mr. Grimm.¡± Jaydon searched all the dressing rooms and the photography studio he rented. However, he could not find Irvin Then Jaydon panicked and immediately asked his assistants to search for Irvin separately. About eight assistants began to search the photography studio and the nearby scenic spots. Joanna was worried and said, ¡°Davian, let¡¯s go back now.¡± ¡°Mommy, what happened?¡± asked Davian. Joanna exined, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and pick up Irvin. It¡¯s been so long. Irvin must have finished his audition.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After that, Joanna hurriedly returned to the photography studio. Then Joanna happened to see Jaydon anxiously looking around. Joanna asked, ¡°Jay, where is Irvin?¡± Jaydon took a deep breath and did his best to calm down, replying, ¡°Joann, please calm down first.¡± ¡°Jay, where is Irvin? Did you hide something from me? Tell me now!¡± Seeing that Joanna was so anxious that her eyes were red, Jaydon did not dare to conceal the truth. Thus, Jaydon said, ¡°Irvin had an audition here. After the audition, he went to remove his makeup. ¡°Then Irvin disappeared. I¡¯m looking for him now! Don¡¯t worry. This photography studio is not that big. Irvin must have run out to y.¡± Boom. Jaydon¡¯s words were like a p of thunder to Joanna. When Joanna heard that, she could not stand still. Then Joanna staggered along. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon immediately went forward to hold Joanna and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. No need to worry so much.¡± Joanna came back to herself and hurriedly looked around, shouting, ¡°Irvin, Irvin! Where are you? Come out now!¡± Davian and Lilia were also getting anxious. They used all their might and shouted, ¡°Irvin! Irvin!¡± Everyone panicked and began to look around. Half an hourter, people searched the entire studio but failed to see Irvin. ¡°Irvin, Irvin!¡± Joanna was about to go crazy. Joanna cried inside, ¡°This photography studio has no surveince cameras. I¡¯m afraid someone kidnaps Irvin. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do if a kidnapper really takes Irvin away!¡± Jaydon said, ¡°Check the surveince cameras. This photography studio has no surveince cameras, but the scenic spots outside have cameras. We can find out who takes Irvin away.¡± ¡°Good.¡± 12:53 Fri, 23 Then Joanna and Jaydon hurriedly headed to the surveince room. Just as Joanna turned around, she saw a few bodyguards in suits standing behind her. Bruce had a cold expression and was frowning at Joanna. Bruce said, ¡°Joanna, it turned out that you really hooked up with Jaydon again. Well, it looks like you ignored everything I said. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. If I find out that you¡¯re with Jaydon again, I¡¯ll make you pay the price.¡± Seeing Bruce, Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her beautiful eyes were filled with fear. Then Joanna stared at Bruce with her open¨Cwide eyes. Joanna shouted inside, ¡°I should have known it was Bruce who did that!¡± Before Bruce could finish his words, Joanna stepped forward and pped Bruce heavily in the face. ¡°p!¡°A crisp sound arose. Bruce was confused and shocked. Joanna gritted his teeth and roared, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re so despicable!¡± Joanna wished she could take Bruce down now. Bruce became angrier after being pped. Bruce thought, ¡°Damn it. How dare you, Joanna! You pped me in public! She even picks a fight before me. ¡°It¡¯s true. Women will never satisfy with what they have.¡± Bruce touched his cheek, and his anger was about to fly out of his eyes. Bruce red at Joanna viciously. Then he raised his hand and was about to p back. However, noticing Joanna¡¯s expression, Bruce could not do it. Joanna cried, ¡°Bruce, where did you take my son? ¡°Tell me! Where did you take my son? Come to me if you are annoyed or something. Don¡¯t do anything to my son!¡± Then Joanna rushed over and punched Bruce in a frenzy. Bruce was stunned and speechless. He had no idea of what had happened. To Bruce thought, ¡°I should be the one to confront Joanna. ¡°Well, now this woman takes the first step and releases her anger at me!¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Are you out of your mind? How would I know where your son is?¡± Joanna gritted her teeth, and her entire body was shaking. She shouted, ¡°Stop pretending. You must have taken away my son! ¡°Give me back my son now if anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll fight you until I die with you!¡± Bruce frowned coldly and flung Joanna¡¯s arm away, shouting, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Jaydon was also furious and said, ¡°Bruce, did you take away Irvin? How could you do that?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Jaydon, Joanna, I¡¯ve told you. I don¡¯t know anything about your child! Stop being like mad dogs.¡± Bruce¡¯s words made Jaydon and Joanna firmly believe that Bruce was the one who took Irvin away. Joanna pounced on Bruce again and grabbed Bruce¡¯s sleeve tightly. Tears flowed out of her eyes uncontrobly. Joanna begged, ¡°Bruce, where exactly did you hide my son? ¡°Can you stop the fight? Please return my son to me now!¡± Bruce said, ¡°You¡¯re crazy. How would I know where your son is?¡± Bruce was angry. He hated being wronged by others the most. Bruce thought, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing as kidnapping. And kidnapping a kid? That would be diculous to me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use such a dirty mean even if I wanted to take revenge on Joanna.¡± Davian was so angry that his face turned pale. He pointed at Bruce¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°You big baddie! Where did you take my brother? I want to see my brother now!¡± ¡°Wahh. Irvin, where did you go?¡± Lilia was scared and started crying. Joanna sobbed uncontrobly and said, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Please give back my son to me. You must have taken my son away. Please don¡¯t use my child to punish me!¡± I¡¯m begging you! Bruce took a deep breath and frowned. Then he held Joanna¡¯s face and stared into Joanna¡¯s eyes, saying, ¡°Joanna, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯ve never seen your son either!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It must be you. It must be you!¡± ¡°My son is missing. You must have hidden him! Just give Irvin back to me. I¡¯ll call the police now and charge you with kidnapping if you refuse.¡± ¡°Heh. Then call the police now!¡± Jaydon stepped forward and pushed Bruce away, shouting, ¡°Let go of Joann!¡± Bruce staggered but did not let go of Joanna. ¡°Bruce, Irvin is just a child. You can¡¯t do this! You can release your anger to me, but please don¡¯t do anything to my child!¡± ¡°Bruce, let go of Joann!¡± warned Jaydon. The bodyguards quickly surrounded Jaydon and started fighting with Jaydon. Then the security guards and assistants of the photography studio rushed over to join the fight. Seeing how nervous Joanna and Jaydon were, Bruce realized that Joanna¡¯s son was really lost. Bruce could not help sneering. He said, ¡°Well, it looks like someone has already made a move before me. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m telling you onest time. I didn¡¯t kidnap your son! ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use such a shameless method if I want you to pay the price.¡± Joanna looked at Bruce with tears in her eyes, begging, ¡°Bruce, if you take Irvin away, please don¡¯t hurt him under all circumstances. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely regret it. You¡¯ll definitely regret it!¡± After saying that, Joanna shook Bruce crazily, and tears ran down Joanna¡¯s face. Joanna thought, ¡°Bruce will hurt his biological son if he hurts Irvin.¡± However, Bruce replied coldly, ¡°I never regret what I do! ¡°Also, believe it or not. All I said is true. If I tell yout didn¡¯t do it, then I didn¡¯t do it. I will admit it if it was me.¡± Looking at Bruce¡¯s gloomy expression, Joanna began to believe Bruce. Joanna thought, ¡°Bruce is righteous deep down, and he will admit things that he has done. ¡°If Bruce kidnaps Irvin, Bruce will openly provoke me and force me to follow his words. ¡°Now that Bruce said he did not take Irvin away, I think I might have wronged Bruce.¡± 12:53 Fri, 23 Jun. ¡°Irvin, where did you go?¡± Joanna cried out. Then she closed her eyes and fainted. ¡°Joanna!¡± cried Bruce. ¡°Joann!¡± cried Jayden. Bruce was faster and took Joanna into his arms. Then Bruce said to his bodyguards, ¡°Send some people to search around for Joanna¡¯s kid!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Joanna only passed out for seconds. Then she struggled to get up and murmured, ¡°I need to find my son. I need to find my son!¡± Bruce replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look for Irvin, It¡¯s useless to be anxious like this!¡± Joanna murmured, ¡°The surveince room. I need to go to the surveince room!¡± Then Joanna ran toward the surveince room as if she was mad. Joanna thought, ¡°The photography studio doesn¡¯t have surveince cameras. However, surveince cameras are everywhere outside of the studio. ¡°I will definitely get some useful information!¡± SEND GIFT COMMENT O 12:53 Fri, 23 Soon, Joanna arrived at the surveince room. A security guard pulled up all the surveince videos. Joanna held her breath and attentively watched the surveince videos. Joanna was scared that she would miss trvin, so she was unwilling to take a second to blink. Bruce was smoking outside gloomily. Jaydon apanied Joanna to check all the surveince videos. After watching dozens of surveince videos, Joanna did not find anyone suspicious or see Irvin leave the studio. However, after searching the entire studio, they could not find Irvin. Irvin seemed to disappear into thin air. Until now, Irvin had been missing for more than three hours. Joanna was about to break down. She kept ming herself, her eyes were bloodshot, and her body was uncontrobly trembling. Jaydon med himself even harder. Then he asked the security guard to pull out more surveince videos of other ces. The security guard frowned and sighed, replying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all I can do. I only have surveince videos of this area. ¡°You need to go to another surveince room if you want surveince videos of other areas.¡± Jaydon said, ¡°Then let¡¯s rush to the next surveince room now.¡± The security guard was reying the video. Suddenly, Joanna saw a familiar figure on the screen. Joanna said, ¡°Wait! Rewind this video. I want to watch it again.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Then the security guard reyed it. A tall and think man appeared in that video. The camera did not capture that man¡¯s face, but Joanna found that man familiar. Joanna almost recognized that man at a nce. She cried inside, ¡°This person is Derick Haynes!¡± Watching the video, Joanna suddenly grabbed the mouse and zoomed the screen to see this man. Jaydon frowned and murmured, ¡°Is this person¡­¡± Joanna was shocked and cried, ¡°It looks like he is Derick Haynes!¡± ¡°Derick Haynes?¡± repeated daydon. Joanna firmly repked, ¡°Yes, it must be Derick!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt a chill run down her spine after confirming that it was Derick Haynes. Joanna thought, ¡°Ingrid and her three children all hate me deeply. It sounds reasonable if Derick wants to take revenge on me. ¡°The meanest way to hurt me is to hurt my children.¡± Jaydon shook his head subconsciously and said, ¡°Really? Derick is your brother to some extent. He¡¯s probably not the one who takes away Irvin.¡± Joanna sneered and thought, ¡°Heh. Siblings from another mother are worse than strangers. 12:53 Fri, 23 Jun ¡°At least strangers won¡¯t desire to kill me. As for my half brothers and sisters, they with me to disappear from the world.¡± ¡°That could actually be Derick,¡± said Joanna. Jaydon said, ¡°But Derick didn¡¯t bring anything with him, and we didn¡¯t see he¡¯s with Irvin.¡± Joanna urged, ¡°Call the police now. I¡¯m afraid it will be toote if we keep wasting time here.¡± Jayden sighed and replied, ¡°Irvin has not missed up to 24 hours yet. Even if we call the police, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t file a case.¡± Joanna suddenly stood up and said emotionally, ¡°I¡¯m going to find and confront Derick!¡± Jaydon suggested, ¡°Maybe call your father first and see where Derick is. Ask Derick if he has seen Irvin.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Good idea. I¡¯m calling my father now.¡± Joanna immediately took out her phone and called Shaun. Beep Beep Beep. The phone got through quickly. Shaun¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Hello, Joann!¡± Joanna greeted, ¡°Hey, dad!¡± ¡°Joann, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Shaun sounded very cold. ¡°Is Derick home?¡± asked Joanna. Shaun was stunned when he heard that, thinking. ¡°Derick never gets along well with Joanna since they were young. Now Joanna calls me and asks where Derick is. What a surprise.¡± Shaun subconsciously nced at Derick¡¯s room and replied, ¡°It looks like Rick goes out. Why are you looking for him?¡± ¡°Any idea of where Derick went?¡± Joanna sounded anxious. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Shaun, ¡°Can you give me Derick¡¯s number? I need to speak to him now!¡± ¡°Oh. Wait a moment. I¡¯m looking for it.¡± Shaun said and was about to open his contact list! Ingrid heard Shaun on the phone. Then she walked in coquettish steps and came downstairs. Ingrid asked, ¡°Hubby, who are you talking to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Joann,¡± said Shaun. Ingrid¡¯s face changed when she heard that. Ingrid shrieked, ¡°Why are you talking to that bitch?¡± Shaun said, ¡°Conon. Stop it.¡± Then Shaun replied to Joanna, ¡°Joann, I can¡¯t find it now. I¡¯ll send it to youter. ¡°By the way, why are you looking for Rick?¡± Joanna paused for a moment and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°My son is missing. It¡¯s likely that Derick took Irvin away! ¡°Dad, ask Derick if he took Irvin away!¡± Hearing this, Shaun was shocked and subconsciously retorted, ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. Why would Rick take your son away?¡± 12:53 Fri, 23 Jun Chapter 120 Chapter 120 ¡°Dad, this is serious. It could be a criminal case. Ask Derick to send Irvin back if he did take away Irvin. Otherwise¡­¡± Before Shaun could hear Joanna finishing her speech, Ingrid snatched the phone. Ingrid cursed to the phone, ¡°Bitch, I¡¯m telling you. Don¡¯t you dare wrong Rick! ¡°Your son is lost. Then you should me yourself for not looking after him. The me for your son¡¯s missing should not be on others! ¡°If you dare to nder my son again, I¡¯ll sue you! Bitch, you deserve to lose your son! This is God¡¯s punishment for you!¡± Pomp! Ingrid hung up the phone after finishing her scolding. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. Then she tried her best not to break down and forced herself to calm down. Joanna said to herself, ¡°At this moment, my brain will only work when I¡¯m calm.¡± After hanging up the phone, Ingrid kept cursing. Shaun frowned and asked, ¡°Where is Rick?¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°Who knows? Rick probably goes out with that barely¨Cknown star.¡± Hearing this, Shaun could not help sighing. Heined, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Rick graduated. He should get a job!¡± ¡°Rick does nothing every day. All he does is to flirt with female stars.¡± Ingrid red at Shaun and scolded, ¡°It¡¯s all because of your good daughter, Joanna! Otherwise, would Rick have nothing to do? ¡°Joanna doesn¡¯t allow anyone from the Haynes family to enter thepany. The Haynes Group has be her ownpany! ¡°Bitch. Such an awful woman. I wish a car hits and kills Joanna someday!¡± Shaun couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He stood up and was about to go upstairs,ining, ¡°Can¡¯t you keep your mouth shut?¡± Ingrid chased after Shaun and continued to scold him, ¡°Why should I shut my mouth? I can¡¯t wait to take Joanna down. ¡°What a cunt. I wish Joanna a wonderful death!¡± Shaun was in the middle of getting upstairs. He suddenly stopped and looked at Ingrid, saying, ¡°Enough. Call Rick now and ask if he¡¯s seen Joann¡¯s child. ¡°I¡¯m worrying that it would be Rick.¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes. However, hearing those words, Ingrid had a heavy heart. Then she took out her phone and called Derick. After the phone got through, Ingrid¡¯s expression changed instantly, and her tone became gentle. ¡°Hi, Rick!¡± ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Derick sounded very impatient. Ingrid said, ¡°The bitch foanna called just now and asked if you¡¯ve seen her damn son? Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Tell me the truth. Did you see Joanna¡¯s damn son or not?¡± Derick replied, ¡°What? Why would I have seen Joanna¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Ingrid. Derick replied, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! Don¡¯t call me so often. It¡¯s annoying!¡± ¡°Oh, okay, okay!¡± Ingrid was afraid that her son would get angry. Ingrid had a sharp personality and was not afraid of anything. Sadly, she failed to treat the same to her children. 12:53 Fri, 23 Jun. ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up if you don¡¯t have other things. Oh right, mom. Transfer me another 100 thousand dors!¡± Hearing this, Ingrid¡¯s temper red up. She questioned, ¡°I gave you 100 thousand dorsst week Why are you asking for money now?¡± Derick replied, ¡°It was just 100 thousand dors. It¡¯s only enough for days. Cut the crap. I want it gow Ingrid said, ¡°No money for you. You¡¯re extravagant. Do you think we have a money printing machine at home?¡± ¡°Spending 400 to 600 thousand dors a month. You¡¯re such a spendthrift!¡± ¡°Mom, how about 40 thousand dors? Give me now. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll jump off a building!¡± Ingrid was even more exasperated after hearing those words. Ingrid thought, ¡°Rick has spentvishly since he was young. He will throw a tantrum if I don¡¯t give him money. Sometimes, Rick even threatens me bymitting suicide.¡± Unfortunately, there was nothing Ingrid could do. Ingridined, ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. I¡¯ll give you the moneyter.¡± Derick said, ¡°Thank you, mom. I¡¯m gonna hang up if you don¡¯t have other things.¡± Then he hung up the phone. Derick was trying to get a barely¨Cknown star. That girl asked Derick to buy everything for her, such as bags, cars, and jewelry. Once Derick refused to buy anything, that girl would immediately stop talking to Derick. Derick was from a rich family. However, he had no ability to be rich. Thus, Derick had to ask his parents for money. It was impossible to get tens of millions of dors from Derick at once. That girl was smart and nned to dig more gold from rich men when she was young. Except for Derick, that girl hooked up with several rich old men. §à SEND GIFT Chapter 121 Chapter 121 After Ingrid hung up. Shaun asked, ¡°What did Rick say?¡± Ingrid snorted and scolded in a high pitched voice, ¡°What else can Rick say? How could Rick take Joanna¡¯s son away? ¡°Joanna failed to take after her son, and now she¡¯s ndering Rick like a mad dog! ¡°What a b***h. It would be great if Joanna¡¯s son had been kidnapped. Oh, right. I heard that some people specialize in kidnapping children. ¡°Those traffickers would deliberately c*le **children, throw them out on the street, and ask them to beg for money. ¡°Haha. It would be great if Joanna¡¯s da***n son was taken away by those traffickers!¡± Shaun frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re being vicious. Joann is my daughter, and her child is my grandson. How can you curse Irvin like that?¡± ¡°Oh, Joanna is your daughter. Then how about Roxy? Roxy would have not be what she is today if it wasn¡¯t because of Joanna. And now you¡¯re still defending Joanna!¡± Shaun said, ¡°I¡¯m not defending Joanna!¡± Without waiting for Shaun to finish, Ingrid waved her hand and said impatiently. ¡°Never mind. I don¡¯t want to argue with you. I¡¯m going out to y poker!¡± As she spoke, Ingrid went upstairs to get her handbag and was about to leave. Shaunined, ¡°All you do every day is y poker. How much money did you lose in ying poker?¡± E Ingrid would tell Shaun she had lost money in poker after she secretly gave the money to her two cousins and failed to make the ounting right. Actually, Ingrid used all the money to support her two cousins. However, Ingrid¡¯s cousins did not take the money without doing anything. They would do their best to serve Ingrid. After seeing her cousins, Ingrid would feel really good. Ingrid said, ¡°I¡¯ll know when I¡¯ve had enough! Don¡¯t be so annoying!¡± When speaking. Ingrid took her bag and left. Today, Ingrid had asked her two cousins out to negotiate.. Each of Ingrid¡¯s cousins had asked Ingrid for 2 million dors. Ingrid dyed it for so long that her cousins almost lost patience. Ingrid hated her two cousins deeply now. She finally realized what her cousins really wanted and was not going to continue the rtionship with them. Unfortunately, Ingrid¡¯s cousins had recorded many videos of them ¡°ying poker¡± together. Sitting in the photography studio and considering for a while, Joanna decided to call the police. Joanna said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer. I¡¯m calling the police now!¡± Jaydon replied, ¡°We can¡¯t call the police now because we don¡¯t have any evidence. Even if the police arrest Derick, if there¡¯s no evidence, they¡¯ll just keep Derick up for 24 hours at most. Then Derick will be free again.¡± Joanna and Jaydon were still figuring out a n. Bruce thought for a moment. Then he took out his phone to call Derick. Beep. Beep Beep. Derick¡¯s phone rang. He immediately picked up after he saw that it was Bruce. ¡°Hi, Bruce?¡± said Derick, Bruce frowned and asked. ¡°Where are you?¡± Derick answered, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m outside. What¡¯s the matter, Bruce?¡± Roxanne and Bruce had not gotten married yet, but Derick and Ryan had already treated Bruce as a family member and called Bruce by his first name. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you. Where are you?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°Right now?¡± asked Derick. ¡°Yes!¡± said Bruce. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Derick said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time now. Maybeter?¡± Derick had just sent another bag to that barely-known star, and now he was dating her. Bruce replied, ¡°No. Where are you now? I¡¯ll send a driver to pick you up.¡± Derick said, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m really sorry. Honestly, I don¡¯t have time to see you now. How about another day? I¡¯ll buy you lunch another day. I gotta go!¡± Then Derick hurriedly hung up the phone. Noticing Bruce¡¯s tone was bad, Derick knew Bruce would probably not give him something good if he went to see Bruce. Besides, Derick was guilty and did not dare to see Bruce. The girl asked curiously, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Derick replied, ¡°Hey. Nothing. It¡¯s just my brother-inw.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up. She said, ¡°Your brother-inw? Isn¡¯t that Mr. Everett?¡± Derick straightened his back proudly and replied, ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Why did Mr. Everett call you?¡± ¡°Nothing. Oh, by the way, I saw Bruce had a great car in his garage days ago. I¡¯ll ask my sister to drive it out another day and give it to you!¡± Hearing this, the girl became ecstatic and cried, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Babe, when have I ever lied to you? My brother-inw is Bruce Everett, the richest man in Greyportth. You¡¯ll live a wonderful life if you agree to be mine!¡± After that, Derick took that girl to bed. 20 minutester. Boom! Someone kicked the door open when Derick and the girl were busy in bed. About eight muscr men in ck barged in without exining. Derick and the girl were so frightenied that they hurriedly covered themselves with the nket. Derick asked, ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± ¡°Get up ande with us!¡± Derick took a closer look at the leader of the men in ck and recognized that man was Bruce¡¯s bodyguard. Then Derick sighed in relief and asked, ¡°Did Bruce send you?¡± ¡°Cut the crap ande with us!¡± Those burly men did not let Derick ask any questions and dragged Derick down from the bed. Derick was in a terrible state, shouting, ¡°Wait, wait! At least let me put on my pants!¡± Soon, Derick was brought to the studio. He was disheveled and only wore a pair of pants. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯ve got Derick here!¡± When Joanna saw Derick, she became even more agitated. Joanna asked, ¡°Derick, did you take my son away?¡± When speaking. Joanna pounced on Derick. She looked like a lunatic. Derick sneered. Then he looked at Joanna arrogantly and said, ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I take away your son?¡± Joanna retorted, ¡°It must be you. I checked the surveince and found that you showed up at the photography studio in the morning. No one has a reason to take my son except you! ¡°Tell me where my son is now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Derick said, ¡°Go ahead. Anyway, I don¡¯t know where your son is! I¡¯ve never seen him before either!¡± Derick looked like he was not afraid of anything. Derick thought, ¡°There are no surveince cameras in the photography studio, and no one has seen me take that kid away! ¡°Besides, I have apelling alibi. Even if the police interrogate me, they won¡¯t get anything out of me.¡± Joanna continued, ¡°Tell me where my son is. I¡¯m begging you. Please don¡¯t hurt my son¡­¡± Derick deliberately said, ¡°What? Are you begging me now? It¡¯s hard to believe!¡± Seeing Joanna¡¯s breakdown, Derick became even more arrogant and felt extremely joyful. Joanna cried even harder after realizing she could not get anything out of Derick. Bruce was sitting on a stool at the side and smoking a cigarette. His expression was terrible. Derick nced at Bruce and obsequiously said, ¡°Hey, Bruce. What¡¯s the matter? Why are you looking for me so urgently? Could it be this crap?¡± Bruce did not answer. Instead, Bruce tilted his chin slightly at the bodyguards. Two bodyguards immediately understood Bruce¡¯s indication. A bodyguard grabbed Derick¡¯s head and stuffed it into the toilet bowl. Then another bodyguard pressed the flush button. ¡°Ugh!¡± Derick coughed violently. He was almost choked to death on the water and disgusted by the smell of the toilet bowl Whoosh. Whoosh. The bodyguard pressed the flush switch over ten times in a row. When seeing Derick was about to drown, Bruce waved his hand slightly to ask the bodyguard to stop. The bodyguard immediately pulled Derick out of the toilet bowl and threw him at Bruce¡¯s feet. Derick kept coughing. Then he asked, ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? Uh, uh!¡± Derick was so scared that he was shaking. Bruce¡¯s eyes were sharp when he nced at Derick. Bruce did not show any mercy just because Derick was Roxanne¡¯s younger brother. ¡°Now tell me the truth!¡± warned Bruce. Derick pretended to know nothing and asked, ¡°What¡­ What truth? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Where did you take Joanna¡¯s son?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was not loud, but it had a terrifying power. It was as if an ancient emperor was issuing an imperial edict. Derick denied, ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t know! How would I know where Joanna¡¯s son is?¡± Bruce lit another cigarette after seeing that Derick was unwilling to tell the truth. After taking a drag of the cigarette, Bruce put it on Derick¡¯s shoulder. Sizzle! Then a smell of roasted meat wafted out.. ¨C 69% ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± Derick¡¯s shouting immediately spread throughout the photography studio. Derick howled in pain and rolled on the ground in pain. He could not believe that Bruce would leave no room for negotiation. Bruce replied gloomily, ¡°Tell me. Where did you take Joanna¡¯s son?¡± Bruce did not want to waste any time on Derick. A bodyguard also warned, ¡°Hurry up and tell the truth. Then you don¡¯t have to suffer so much! Otherwise, you can¡¯t even walk out of here alive!¡± The bodyguard was right. It would be a piece of cake if Bruce wanted someone to disappear from the world. Moreover, Bruce did not even need to do anything by himself. He would not let the police have any evidence either.. ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t we a family?¡± cried Derick. Bruce said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me, are you?¡± Derick shouted, ¡°Bruce, I swear I don¡¯t know! Why do you assume it¡¯s me?¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Bruce raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Are you still not going to say it?¡± Derick covered his scalded arm and hesitated for a while. 3 69 Then Derick replied, ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t know where Joanna¡¯s son is.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Bruceughed sinisterly. Bruce said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even tell you which child Joanna lost. How did you know Joanna¡¯s son but not her daughter was missing?¡± Hearing this, Derick paused and realized he had given himself away. Everyone only asked Derick if he had seen Joanna¡¯s child. No one had told Derick if it was a boy or a girl. Derick looked around nervously and stammered, ¡°Bruce, I¡­ I¡¯m just guessing.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce said, ¡°It looks like I should push you harder.¡± When speaking, Bruce gestured to his bodyguards.. Immediately, four bodyguards stepped forward. They took Derick down, grabbed his ankles, and turned him upside down. Then, they stuffed Derick into the toilet bowl again. A bodyguard kept pressing the flush button. The water kept rushing into Derick¡¯s nose. Derick could not breathe this time. He could not even struggle. Water flowed into Derick¡¯s nose and throat. ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± Derick kept coughing. Derick twisted his body and tried to struggle. Unfortunately, Bruce¡¯s bodyguards were all one¨Cin¨Ca¨Cmillionbat experts. Dealing with Derick was a piece of cake for those bodyguards. Derick¡¯s body fell straight into the toilet bowl, and his head was tightly stuck in it. At this moment, Derick was in fear of drowning. Derick had never been tortured like this in his life. Bruce asked, ¡°How about that? Can you tell me the truth now?¡± Seeing that Derick was getting weaker and weaker, Bruce finally asked his bodyguards to let Derick down. ¡°Phew! Ugh! Ugh!¡± Derick kept coughing and rolling his eyes. One of his teeth was knocked out. Derick looked miserable and pitiful, with his nose and mouth kept bleeding. Joanna could not face such brutality and turned around to avoid watching this scene. Joanna thought, ¡°We just suspect it may be Derick and have no evidence to confirm it. Bruce is ruthless to torture Derick like that.¡± Therefore, Joanna said, ¡°Bruce, stop torturing Derick.¡± However, Bruce ignored Joanna and continued to interrogate Derick, ¡°Where is the child? This is your Bruce had a feeling that Derick had taken away the child. Moreover, if Bruce wanted an answer from a person, he would definitely get it. ¡°The child¡­ The child¡­¡± Derick rolled his eyes a few times, and his face turned red. Bruce threatened, ¡°Where is the child? I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t answer me, I¡¯ll get some lo throw you into the sea to feed the sharks!¡± Many gangs in Greyport often brought their enemies to the open sea. Then, they tied their enemies up tightly and threw them into the sea. Many rich people would spend money to hire those gangs. After taking the money, those gangs would finish their job without leaving any evidence. Bruce slowly counted down, ¡°One.¡± Derick was so frightened that his heart was beating faster. He looked at Bruce in fear. Derick tried to save the situation and shouted, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re engaged to my sister!¡± Bruce ignored Derick¡¯s shouting and continued, ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Bruce, I swear I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Three.¡± After counting to three, Bruce stood up and snapped his fingers at the bodyguards. The bodyguards immediately understood Bruce¡¯s indication and took out a ck stic bag. They were going to put it on Derick¡¯s head. Realizing Bruce was serious, Derick was so scared that he peed his pants. Derick stammered. ¡°I¡­ L¡­ I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Hearing this, Joanna came back to herself and asked, ¡°Where is my child?¡± Derick looked terrified and stammered, ¡°You child is¡­ in the cistern on the roof.¡± BOOM! These words were like a p of thunder to Joanna. After hearing what Derick said, Joanna gasped, and her feet were so weak that she almost fell. ¡°Go to the roof!¡± Then Joanna pulled herself together and ran toward the stairs. Bruce, Jaydon, and the bodyguards also ran toward the roof. The photography studio had three floors and a cistern on the roof. It was hard to imagine what would happen if a four¨Cyear¨Cold child was thrown into a cistern. Soon, they reached the roof. Then they found a ten¨Cfoot¨Ctall cistern with a diameter of about five feet. ¡°Irvin, Irvin!¡± Joanna crawled up thedder of the cistern like a mad woman. Thisdder had no handrails and looked very dangerous. However, Joanna did not care if it was dangerous now. Bruce was one step ahead. He grabbed Joanna¡¯s wrist and dragged her down, saying, ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s dangerous up there! Come down. I¡¯ll ask my bodyguards to get there.¡± Then, four bodyguards rushed over and climbed up thedder. Then, they lifted the lid of the cistern. 10-43 Odl, 24 Once they opened the lid, they found arge cistern. It was dark down there. ¡°Mr. Everett, we can¡¯t see anything inside!¡± ¡°Jump down and look for the child!¡± ordered Bruce. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Plop, plop!¡± Two bodyguards directly jumped down the cistern. Joanna was so nervous that she did not even dare to look at the cistern. Joanna worried that they would only find Irvin¡¯s cold body. Bruce hugged Joanna tightly and could not stop Joanna from shaking violently. Heforted, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Your child will be fine!¡± Afterforting Joanna, Bruce hugged her even tighter. At this moment, Bruce was also getting nervous and prayed for Joanna¡¯s child. The cistern was ten feet tall. Half of it was filled with water, by% Not to mention a child, an adult may not survive if he was thrown down in that cistern. A bodyguard jumped in and looked around inside. Then the bodyguard found a little boy beside a water pipe. At this moment, Irvin tightly grabbed the water pipe and kept bobbing up and down in the water. Irvin was almost unconscious. Seeing someone jump. down, Irvin thought it was his illusion and did not even have the strength to cry for help. ¡°I found him! I found him! I found a boy here!¡± The bodyguard hurriedly went forward and wanted to carry Irvin. The bodyguard shouted, ¡°Put down adder now! The child is still alive!¡± Hearing this, Bruce finally sighed in relief and said, ¡°Joanna, did you hear that? Your child is still alive!¡± Joanna was so emotional after hearing the exciting news that she could not take it and fell. Bruce hugged Joanna tightly. Then Joanna buried her head in Bruce¡¯s arms and could not help crying. Jaydon watched Bruce and Joanna from the side and suddenly felt upset. Jaydon murmured, ¡°Yeah. They are a family of three while I¡¯m just an outsider.¡± Soon, the bodyguards outside the cistern found a flexibledder and put it down. The bodyguardforted Irvin, ¡°Kid, let go of the water pipe. I¡¯m going to get you out of here.¡± Sadly, Irvin was so frightened that he tightly grabbed the water pipe, unwilling to let go. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The bodyguard had no choice but to pull open Irvin¡¯s little hand. Then he carried Irvin up Three hours ago. Derick covered Irvin¡¯s mouth and nose, and Irvin fainted. Then, he put Irvin into a trash bag and lifted Irvin to the roof. After that, Derick threw inven into the cistern After tinking into the water, Irvin felt the coldness from the water and woke up. Fortunately, Joanna had sent Davian and Irvin to learn how to swim since they were young. Therefore, Irvin quickly surfaced after sinking into the water However, Irvin was just a child and did not have good stamina. Irvin had been grabbing the water pipe for three hours. After working for a while, the bodyguards finally rescued Irvin. ¡°Here he is! He¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Irvin!¡± Joanna immediately rushed forward as if she was on steroids. Irvin¡¯s body was wet, and his face was pale. He widened his eyes in fear as if he was too shocked to speak. ¡°Irvin, it¡¯s mommy!¡± Joanna quickly pulled Irvin into her arms and hugged Irvin as she wailed. ¡°Mommy?¡± Irvin was stunned and scared. After a while, he burst into tears. Earlier in the cistern, Irvin relied on his willpower to hold on for three hours in the water. He knew he was safe since he saw his mommy. Thus, Irvin cried in grievance and fear. ¡°Irvin, baby, it¡¯s alright! It¡¯s all mommy¡¯s fault. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± said Joanna. Seeing Joanna cry like this, Bruce¡¯s heart ached. Bruce also got teary eyes as if he could feel Joanna¡¯s pain. Then Bruce could not help hugging Joanna and Irvin tightly. Bruce said, ¡°Irvin is weak now. Hurry up and send him to the hospital.¡± ¡°Right. Right! I need to go to the hospital!¡± Joanna hurriedly carried Irvin and walked toward the stairs. Irvin was cold. He must be sent to the hospital now. At this moment, Joanna could not be bothered to me Derick. A group of people rushed to the hospital. Twenty minutester. Bruce, Joanna, and the others took Irvin to the hospital Joanna said, ¡°Doctor, please save my child!¡± Soon, Irwin was sent to an emergency room. Irvin was greatly frightened to death. Fortunately, his life was not in danger. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. On the contrary, Joanna could not hold on any longer. She closed her eyes and fell. Bruce cried, ¡°Joanna, are you okay?¡± Then he caught Joanna and asked a doctor toe over. Sat, 24 Within a minute, Joanna was also sent to an emergency room. Bruce¡¯s heart was beating faster. He paced anxiously outside the emergency room. After a while, the doctor finished the examination for Joanna and walked out of the emergency rooni. Then Joanna was taken out by the nurses. Bruce asked, ¡°Doctor, is everything okay with Joanna? She kept trembling uncontrobly just now!¡± The doctor answered, ¡°Oh, no worries. Joanna just suffers from hypoglycemia. Coupled with the sequ caused by overdosing on sertraline.¡± ¡°Sertraline? What¡¯s that?¡± asked Bruce. The doctor frowned and replied, ¡°That depends on the prescription. Most women take it to treat depression.¡± Hearing the doctor¡¯s answer, Bruce frowned tightly. He thought, ¡°If so, does Joanna have a severe depression? ¡°But how is that possible? ¡°Joanna is such a strong woman. Howe she has depression?¡± The doctor said, ¡°Now we are sending Joanna to award and giving her two bottles of glucose IV. She may need a long time to recover since her hypoglycemia is severe.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Bruce. Joanna was taken into a ward with glucose IV. dripping into her arm. Looking at Joanna¡¯s pale face, Bruce could not help touching Joanna¡¯s cheek. Before a bottle of glucose IV. was finished, Joanna woke up from her sleep. ¡°Irvin? Irvin? Hiss!¡± Joanna woke up too fast and identally touched the needle. It was so painful that she immediately became conscious. Seeing this, Bruce immediately went forward to hold Joanna down and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get up. Lie back. Look at how weak you are.¡± Joanna could not lie down and sleep well. She threw the pillow away and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see my son. How¡¯s my son?¡± When speaking, Joanna already got off the bed. It seemed that she did not care about anything but her son. Joanna did not even remember to put on her shoes and hurriedly ran toward Irvin¡¯s ward. ¡°Your son is fine now. He¡¯s just frightened,¡± said Bruce. ¡°No, I need to check Irvin by myself.¡± Bruce could not stop Joanna, so he could only bring her to see Irvin. Irvin was sleeping soundly on a bed in the ward with an IV. dripping in his arm. Irvin was unconscious, but luckily, his life was not in danger. ¡°Irvin, it¡¯s all mommy¡¯s fault!¡± Joanna pounced on the bed and gently held Irvin¡¯s hand. Tears ran down Joanna¡¯s face. Joanna could not imagine what she would do if Irvin died. Bruce gently hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder andforted her, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t cry. Irvin is safe now.¡± As Joanna cried, she suddenly thought of something. Then she suddenly raised her head and looked at Bruce with bloodshot eyes. Joanna asked, ¡°Where¡¯s that bastard Derick? I must kill him!¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Derick¡¯s in the photography studio. I¡¯ve got people to keep an eye on him.¡± 10:43 Sat, 24 Joanna instantly gritted her teeth in hatred. Her entire body was trembling. Joanna murmured, ¡°This crazy bastard. I will definitely make Derick pay the price!¡± Joanna thought, ¡°It¡¯s okay if they hurt me. However, if they hurt my children, I will fight them to death!¡± Ingrid was still ¡°negotiating¡± with her two cousins. Today, Ingrid¡¯s two cousins finally showed who they really were. They forced Ingrid to take her clothes off and took many indecent photos of her. Then, they yed all kinds of ¡°games¡± with Ingrid.. They kept making it rough for Ingrid. Moreover, they did not care about Ingrid and only cared about their pleasure. Ingrid used to like these exciting ¡°games.¡± However, ever since each of her two cousins asked Ingrid for 2 million dors to keep their mouths shut, Ingrid could not enjoy the moments with them anymore. After the negotiations, Ingrid could not even stand straight. Her lower abdomen hurt terribly. Just as Ingrid was about to go home, her phone rang. Beep. Beep. Beep. Ingrid took out her phone and saw that there were several missed calls. Oddly, they were from an unknown number. Ingrid picked up the phone and asked, ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± An anxious female voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Mrs. Haynes, has Derick gone home yet?¡± Ingrid hated it when people spoke to her without introducing themselves. Thus, Ingrid immediately pulled a long face and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why don¡¯t you introduce yourself first?¡± ¡°Oh. Umm, I¡¯m Derick¡¯s girlfriend!¡± When Ingrid heard this, sty said in a softer tone, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that star.¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, when I was with Derick, a few men in ck suddenly took Derick away! I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I¡¯m calling you now!¡± Hearing this, Ingrid frowned and asked, ¡°What? Some men in ck took Derick away? Who are they?¡± The girl cried over the phone, ¡°I don¡¯t know. They said Mr. Everett sent them. In a word, they¡¯re fierce. ¡°Derick hasn¡¯t called me back until now. I¡¯m afraid that something will happen to him. All I can do is to call you, but I couldn¡¯t get through your phone for a long time.¡± Ingrid¡¯s body went cold, and she felt a premonition of something horrible. Then Ingrid replied, ¡°Oh, okay. I got it.¡± After hanging up the phone, Ingrid hurried to the garage. She ignored the pain in her legs and lower abdomen and called Shaun as she walked. After the phone went through, Ingrid said anxiously, ¡°Hi, hubby!¡± Shaun asked, ¡°What? Have you lost all your money?¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°No. Is Rick home?¡± Shaun answered, ¡°No, Rick¡¯s not home.¡± When Ingrid found out her son was not home, her heart beat faster. Ingrid said, ¡°Someone just called me and told me that Bruce had taken Rick away!¡± ¡°Bruce took Rick away? Why would Bruce do so?¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°How would I know? ¡°Hurry up. Get Roxy to call Bruce and ask him what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, on it Roxanne listened from the side and felt nervous, ¡°Dad, what happened?¡± Shaun replied, ¡°Your mother just called and said Bruce had taken Rick away. Hurry up and call Bruce. Ask him what¡¯s going on.¡± When Roxanne heard this, she did not dare to waste time. Then she hurriedly called Bruce. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Bruce¡¯s phone vibrated. Bruce took a look at it. After seeing it was a call from Roxanne, he immediately hung up. After that, Roxanne called over ten times. Bruce was annoyed and finally picked up, saying, ¡°Yep?¡± ¡°Bruce, did you take my brother away?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was cold. Roxanne could tell Bruce was in a bad mood from his tone. Thus, Roxanne asked carefully, ¡°Why did you take Rick away? Did he make you angry?¡± ¡°Rick didn¡¯t mess with me!¡± said Bruce. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Where is Rick now?¡± ¡°Rick¡¯s with me.¡± Roxanne asked, ¡°Then where are you?¡± Bruce subconsciously nced at Joanna as if he was asking for Joanna¡¯s opinion. Joanna gritted her teeth and did not say a word. Thus, Bruce replied, ¡°Rick¡¯s done something stupid. He¡¯ll probably be in jail for the rest of his life!¡± BOOM! On the other end of the phone, Roxanne felt like she had been struck by lightning. Roxanne could not believe what she had heard. Thus, Roxanne asked again, ¡°Bruce, what did you just say?¡± Bruce said, ¡°Enough. I¡¯m hanging up now!¡± Bruce did not answer Roxanne and directly hung up the phone. Soon, Derick was brought to the hospital¡¯s underground parking lot. At this moment, Derick was still only in his pants and was tied to a stool. Derick looked terrible with his swollen face. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ve brought you Derick!¡± ¡°Pong!¡± Joanna stepped forward and kicked Derick¡¯s chest. Her eyes were full of anger. ¡°Plop!¡± Derick fell along with the stool. The back of his head hit the ground heavily. Derick shouted, ¡°Ah! Help!¡± Joanna was furious. Then she picked up a folding stool and smashed it at Derick crazily. Joanna shouted, ¡°You bastard! Why did you do that to a child? Why did you hurt my child like that?¡± 10:43 Sul, 24 JULI B Bruce said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to spend time saying all these to him. Derick is guilty of murder. Just send him to jail! He will be sentenced to twenty years!¡± Soon, Ingrid, Shaun, and Roxanne rushed to the hospital¡¯s underground parking lot. The three of them rushed over. ¡°When Ingrid saw Derick¡¯s miserable state, her heart ached. She said, ¡°¡°Oh, Rick, Who beat you up like this?¡°¡± Then she yelled at the others, ¡°¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Joanna, you fucking bitch! How dare you kidnap my son!¡± Joanna said, ¡°Hmph, I kidnapped Derick? Ask him what he has done.¡± Shaun felt nervous and quickly went forward, asking, ¡°Rick, what have you done?¡± Derick was still tied to the stool. He was only wearing underpants and was very weak. Derick only said, ¡°Dad. Mom. Please help me!¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Ingrid and Shaun¡¯s faces changed. They began to suspect that Derick had kidnapped Joanna¡¯s stin until now. However, Ingrid was always unreasonable and would argue with anyone even though she did not have advantages. Thus, Ingrid would defend Derick even if Derick did something wrong. Ingrid shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t just do what you want to my son, no matter what happens. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you beat my son up like this?¡± Ingrid shouted and untied her son, distressed. Roxanne gingerly shook Bruce¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Bruce, maybe this is just a misunderstanding. ¡°Derick is my younger brother. Why can¡¯t we talk things out? Why did you have to beat him up like this?¡± Shaun alsoined, ¡°Joann, Rick is also your younger brother. How can you beat your brother so badly? ¡°We¡¯re a family. Why can¡¯t we talk things out? Look at your brother. A sister should never do this to her brother.¡± Joanna retorted, ¡°Hmph. Derick wouldn¡¯t have done such a crazy thing if he treated me as his sister! Why don¡¯t you ask Derick what he had done first?¡± Shaun frowned but still spoke arrogantly, ¡°As long as Ingrid and I are here, you don¡¯t have the qualification to teach Derick a lesson, no matter what he did.¡± Hearing what Shaun said, Joanna was speechless. Joanna did not want to continue the conversation with them. She thought, ¡°I knew it. Dad is always biased.¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Your good son is charged with an intentional homicide. It should be enough to condemn him to death!¡± When Ingrid heard this, her eyes widened. Then Ingrid retorted sternly, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Who did Rick kill? This is a ridiculous nder to my son!¡± Bruce replied, ¡°We don¡¯t make any nders. You¡¯ll see when the police arrive.¡± Hearing this, Ingrid lost a little of her aggressiveness and immediately asked Derick, ¡°Rick, what exactly have you done?¡°! Shaun anxiously asked Derick, ¡°Did you take Joann¡¯s son?¡± Derick lowered his head and did not dare to speak. It seemed that Derick admitted what he had done with his silence. Shaun shouted, ¡°How could you be so stupid? How could you do such a thing? ¡°Joann is your sister, and her son is your nephew! ¡°Where¡¯s the child? Give back the child to Joann and beg her to forgive you!¡± Derick stuttered, ¡°The child¡­¡± Derick was dreadful because he thought that the child was drowned. Derick said, ¡°Dad, mom, I was just hot headed. It was a one¨Ctimepse in judgment. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Shaun suddenly raised his voice and shouted, ¡°What did you do to the child?¡± Hearing Shaun¡¯s shouting, Ingrid was so scared that she even had goosebumps. She said to Shaun, ¡°Why are you yelling? You scared Rick!¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Rick, tell me what exactly happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Derick suddenly burst into tears. At this moment, Derick finally felt a lingering fear. He hadmitted the crime of intentional homicide and would probably be sentenced to death. .?? ¨¤ 69% Shaun took several steps back and had a heart attack. Shaun clutched his chest and said, ¡°You¡­ Did you kill Joann¡¯s child?¡± Ingrid was dumbfounded. She hit Derick in exasperation and shouted, ¡°Derick! Are you out of your mind? Roxanne was also terrified and cried, ¡°Rick, did you really kill Joanna¡¯s child?¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Derick threw Irvin into a cistern and almost killed Irvin!¡± Ingrid murmured, ¡°Almost killed Irvin?¡± Ingrid and Shaun were relieved when they heard that. Ingrid said, ¡°ording to what you said, the child is fine, isn¡¯t he?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°The doctor brought Irvin back to life. If we hadn¡¯t interrogated Derick about Irvin¡¯s whereabouts and found Irvin in time, Irvin would have drowned!¡± Ingrid calmed herself down and quibbled, ¡°Well, why do you have to hurt my son like this since the child is fine? ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away from it easily if something happens to my son!¡± Knowing the child was fine, Shaun gradually calmed down and said, ¡°Joann, just let it go since your child is safe and sound. ¡°You have vented your anger by beating Rick up like this. So let¡¯s get over it.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Heh. Get over it? Dad, that¡¯s easy for you. Do you know that Derick threw Irvin into a cistern, and Irvin stayed there for three hours? As speaking, Joanna could not help crying again and said, ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how Irvin got through it!¡± Joanna could not imagine how terrified Irvin was when he soaked in the water for three hours. Ingrid said, ¡°Then what do you want? You also hurt my son. Shouldn¡¯t youpensate my son for medical expenses? ¡°Joanna, your son is still alive, isn¡¯t he? We didn¡¯t use you of harming my son. Why are you exactly doing here?¡± Ingrid put her hands on her waist and red at Joanna aggressively. Shaun sighed deeply and said, ¡°Get over it. Rick is immature. He just had a moment of madness. You are his sister and should take the lead to stop this fight. ¡°We¡¯ll bring Rick back home now. You probably should also take care of your son. Don¡¯t worry. I will teach Rick a lesson when we are home.¡± Shaun put it lightly to erase Derick¡¯s crime as if Derick had yed a prank. Joanna sneered and replied, ¡°Derickmitted a crime of intentional homicide. I¡¯ve already called the police. I¡¯ll let the police take over this case.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Ingrid said exasperatedly, ¡°Hey, do you have to call the police for this? It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Hearing Ingrid¡¯s words, Joanna was speechless and furious, retorting, ¡°No big deal? Wow, you are excellent at putting things lightly Derickmitted a crime of intentional homicide!¡± Ingrid shouted, ¡°Your son is alive, isn¡¯t he? This is a prank at best! How can you be like this, thinking of ways to send your brother to prison!¡± Joanna didn¡¯t bother to continue the conversation with Ingrid. Thus, Joanna said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to continue to talk with you. Just wait for the police and let them judge. ¡°Did Derick y a prank ormit a crime? I¡¯m sure the police will have their judgment!¡± Joanna turned around and was about to leave after finishing her words. Joanna did not want to waste one more second on Ingrid and Derick. ¡°Don¡¯t you walk away from me!¡± shouted Ingrid. Joanna replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with you!¡± Realizing that Joanna was serious, Ingrid panicked. Roxanne was also anxious and said, ¡°Intentional homicide? Derick will be charged as an attempted murderer even if he didn¡¯t kill anyone! If so, Derick will still be sentenced.¡± Ingrid snorted coldly and replied, ¡°No need to worry. Howe this is Intentional homicide? Joanna just intimidated us, so don¡¯t listen to her! It is a prank at best.¡± When Shaun heard Ingrid¡¯s words, Shaun was so angry that he felt his heart even more painful. Then he raised his hand to p Ingrid and shouted, ¡°You are such an ignorant woman!¡± Ingrid widened her eyes and wanted tounch a drama when Shaun pped her. However, looking at Shaun¡¯s horrible face, Ingrid did not dare to say a word because she knew Shaun was really angry. Derick shouted, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to go to jail! Please help me. I don¡¯t want to go to jail!¡± Shaun replied, ¡°Why did you do such a s**d thing back then since you know the price is going to jail? It¡¯s good for you to go to jail for a few years. Maybe things in the jail will change you, so you won¡¯t do more bad things to destroy society¡¯s stability!¡± Shaun was so disappointed in his son for the first time. When Ingrid heard this, she waspletely anxious and said, ¡°Hubby, Rick¡¯s reputation will be ruined if he really has to go to jail. How can he continue his career in Greyport in the future?¡± Roxanne hurriedly held Joanna¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Joann, please forgive Rick this time. I believe Rick already learned a lesson.¡± Joanna flung Roxanne¡¯s hand away and said coldly, ¡°No way. If I forgive Derick this time, he will do it again! Derick has to ept the punishment byw formitting a crime¡± Roxanne said, ¡°Derick is our brother, and we are a family. Do you have to make our rtionship so bad?¡± Then Roxanne begged Bruce, ¡°Bruce, say something to Joann!¡± Bruce frowned and said, ¡°This is your family¡¯s business. I can¡¯t step in to persuade Joanna.¡± Ingrid tugged at Shaun¡¯s sleeve and begged, ¡°Hubby, do you really want Rick to go to jail? His life will be ruined if he is sent to jail!¡± Shaun just said those words out of anger. Derick was Shaun¡¯s favorite child. Thus, it was impossible that Shaun would sit back and do nothing to save Derick. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. B Shaun said, ¡°Joann, I apologize to you on behalf of Rick. ¡°After all, Rick is your brother. Do you really want him to go to jail?¡±¡± Joanna sneered and replied, ¡°Derick has never viewed me as his sister, so why should I view him as my younger brother? ¡°Also, you¡¯re family. I¡¯m just an outsider!¡± Ingrid was so angry that her heart ached. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Hubby, did you hear Joanna¡¯s words? She is ashamed of us after she got married. ¡°Joanna has long stopped treating herself as a member of the Haynes family. She either tricks Roxy or harms Rick. Joanna causes lots of trouble for us. If I were you, I would p this **h!¡± Joanna was enraged and shouted, ¡°Who are you calling a bitch? Considering you are a senior, I won¡¯t argue with you. Watch your mouth. I¡¯ll probably lose my manners. Be careful.¡± Ingrid kept scolding, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m calling you a bitch! You are the same as your dead mother!¡± The more Ingrid scolded, the more excited she became, Years ago, Ingrid called Joanna¡¯s mother every other day to insult Joanna¡¯s mother. Joanna¡¯s mother could not take it and gave the title Mrs. Haynes to Ingrid. After that, Ingrid kept insulting Joanna¡¯s mother. Ingrid pretended to be a victim even though she was the home wrecker. Joanna could not bear it anymore. p! Joanna rushed forward and pped Ingrid heavily on the face! ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± warned Joanna. Ingrid cried, ¡°Hubby, did you see that? Joanna pped me!¡± Shaun frowned and sighed, saying, ¡°You deserve this. Even I want to p you.¡± Ingrid cried, ¡°Hubby.¡± Shaun red at Ingrid and Shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Ingrid red at Joanna and wanted to p Joanna back. However, Ingrid thought of thest fight with Joanna. During that fight, Joanna pressed Ingrid on the ground and won the fight.. Therefore, Ingrid did not dare to start a fight with Joanna and knew that she could not win. Moreover, Ingrid just had wonderful moments with her two cousins today. They were so wild that Ingrid¡¯s legs and lower abdomen were sore. It hurt terribly when Ingrid moved. Shaun looked at Joanna solemnly and said gently, ¡°Joann, I¡¯m begging you. Please give Rick a chance so he can make everything right.¡± ¡°Save these words for the police,¡± said Joanna. ¡°Joann, do you want me to kneel and beg you? Your brother is still young. Rick will be messed up if he goes to jail. Can¡¯t you give Rick a chance to turn over a new leaf?¡± Joanna frowned and replied, ¡°Dad, these are two different things. Derick made a mistake, so he has to pay for it. Derick will onlymit more crimes if you keep indulging him like this.¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Ingrid red up again and shouted, ¡°Did my sonmit a crime? It¡¯s pt up to you to judge!¡± Shaun warned Ingrid, ¡°Shut your mouth right now!¡± Then Shaun said, ¡°Joann, just forgive Rick this time. I¡¯m begging you. If Rick goes to jail, how can he have a foothold in Greyport? ¡°Rick was in a moment of madness but learned his lesson. Please forgive him this time. I¡¯m kneeling to beg you!¡± Plop! As Shaun spoke, he really knelt in front of Joanna. Joanna immediately said, ¡°Dad, get up. Don¡¯t do this.¡± Joanna felt disgusted and quickly looked away to avoid looking at Shaun. Shaun continued, ¡°If you refuse to forgive Rick, I will keep kneeling!¡± Then Shaun was about to kneel in front of Joanna again. Joanna was annoyed and frustrated. Joanna immediately held Shaun up and said, ¡°Dad, please. Stop it.¡± ¡°Shaun¡¯s eyes turned red, and tears rolled down his chubby cheeks. Shaun said in a muffled voice, ¡°¡°Joarin, Rick is your brother! You can¡¯t be so heartless as to send him to jail!¡± When speaking, Shaun held his chest and took a few deep breaths. It looked like Shaun could not catch his breath. Ingrid shouted, ¡°Your father has a heart disease. Take out his pills!¡± Hearing Ingrid¡¯s order, Roxanne replied, ¡°Got it! Got it!¡± Then Roxanne hurriedly took out a bottle of pills from Shaun¡¯s pocket. Roxanne put several pills into Shaun¡¯s mouth. After that, Shaun took a while to recover and finally could breathe again. Roxanne cried as she patted Shaun¡¯s heart, ¡°Dad, how do you feel now?¡± Joanna stood by the side nervously and asked, ¡°Dad, are you alright?¡± Ingrid rebuked Joanna in a high¨Cpitched voice, ¡°Hmph, your father has heart disease and high blood pressure. Are you trying to kill your father with your stubborn attitude and harsh words?¡± Shaun rolled his eyes and warned Ingrid, ¡°Just keep silent!¡± Ingrid snorted, ¡°Hmph!¡± Shaun took another deep breath and looked at Joanna pitifully, saying, ¡°Joann¡­¡± Joanna closed her eyes and let out a breath. Then Joanna interrupted Shaun, ¡°Dad, enough. Stop talking¡± ¡°I can cut Derick some ck but I need a written guarantee from him.¡± ¡°What guarantee?¡± asked Shaun. Joanna replied, ¡°Derick needs to write down the entire process of his crime and sign the document. If Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Derick dares to hurt my son again, I¡¯ll give the evidence to the police.¡± Shaun paused for a few seconds. Then he agreed and said, ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll get Rick to write it now!¡± Joanna continued, ¡°Also, Derick needs to go to Irvin¡¯s bed and apologize to Irvin.¡± ¡°No problem! Rick will do it,¡± said Shaun. Soon, Derick wrote a guarantee and went to Irvin¡¯s bed. Derick bowed and apologized to Irvin, saying, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! It¡¯s all my fault. Please forgive me!¡± 10:43 Sat, Ingrid interrupted, ¡°Enough. Enough! Rick, you¡¯vepleted it. Save some dignity. ¡°Rick, let¡¯s leave here.¡± When speaking, Ingrid hurriedly went forward to hold Derick. Then Derick hobbled out of the ward. Derick was seriously injured but did not dare to stay in this hospital for treatment. Shaun and Ingrid hurriedly brought Derick to another hospital. On the way to the hospital, Ingrid was in distress. She checked Derick¡¯s wounds and said, ¡°You are such a silly boy. Even if you wanted to do it, you didn¡¯t have to do it yourself! Look at you. You¡¯re so stupid!¡± Then Ingrid suddenly cried, ¡°Oh my, who burnt you? You¡¯re scalded.¡± Derick was angry and scared. He said with lingering fear, ¡°Who else could it be? It was that bastard Bruce Everett. He burnt me with his own hands. Bruce is not my brother¨Cinw. I don¡¯t want to see Bruce as a member of our family. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone down like this if it was not because of Bruce! No one would know I did it!¡± Ingrid cried, ¡°Mr. Everett? How could he do that to you? You¡¯re Mr. Everett¡¯s brother¨Cinw. No, I can¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ll ask Mr. Everett about that by myself one day.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± asked Ingrid. ¡°How can it not hurt?¡± replied Derick. Ingrid gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Aww, my sweetheart. My heart aches so much. It¡¯s all Joanna¡¯s fault! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll avenge you!¡± Hearing Ingrid¡¯s words, Shaun was angrier and said, ¡°Enough, Ingrid. Stop saying such words. The reason why Rick did such a crazy thing is because you always spoil him!¡± ¡°How am I spoiling Rick?¡± said Ingrid. Shaun continued, ¡°You can¡¯t always protect Rick. If you keep spoiling Rick, you¡¯re turning him into a loser, and he will do more crazy things!¡± Ingrid retorted, ¡°How am I spoiling Rick? In the end, it¡¯s all because of that bitch Joannal¡± Shaun was so angry that his lips were trembling. Sadly, Shaun had never won a fight with Ingrid. Shaun said, ¡°You have been unaware of your mistake until now! ¡°You and your son are incurable!¡± Ingrid retorted, ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re the incurable one!¡± After finishing her words, Ingrid finally realized Roxanne was not in the car. Thus, Ingrid asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Roxy?¡± Ingrid and Shaun only focused on sending Derick to another hospital and did not even notice that Roxanne did not get into the car. Shaun replied, ¡°Roxy probably is with Mr. Everett if she doesn¡¯t get in the car.¡± Speaking of Bruce, Ingrid was furious. Ingrid said, ¡°Unbelievable. Bruce picked the side with an outsider. He¡¯s always on Joanna¡¯s side! ¡°Shaun, that¡¯s all because of your good daughter Joanna. She¡¯s seducing Bruce. I think Bruce and Roxy¡¯s marriage is going to be ruined again.¡± Shaun replied, ¡°It would be better they don¡¯t get married since Mr. Everett¡¯s heart isn¡¯t on Roxy.¡± Ingrid retorted, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say! Roxy will be a joke in Greyport if Roxy fails to get married to Bruce. ¡°Besides, Bruce is the richest man in Greyport. No one canpete with Bruce in Greyport. If we give up Bruce, can we find a better one for Roxy?¡± 1043 Sat, 24 Jun ¡°You can¡¯t measure a marriage like this,¡± said Shaun. Ingrid insisted, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Roxy must get married to Mr. Everett and be one of the Evereemily Shaun sighed and said, ¡°You! Sadly, I can¡¯t win the fight with you.¡± Shaun looked away, still arigry but not knowing what to say to Ingrid. In the Hospital, Joanna stood beside Irvin¡¯s bed. She did not want to leave for a moment. Irvin was still in aa. Irvin was frightened, and a doctor injected a sedative for him. Thus, Irvin was sleeping soundly. Joanna caressed Irvin¡¯s little face from time to time. Her eyes were filled with maternal love. Bruce also stood by the side and watched Joanna and Irvin silently. It had already been half an hour, and Joanna had not spoken a word to Bruce. Joanna only focused on looking at her son. This made Bruce upset. Bruce controlled himself for a while. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t help speaking first, ¡°Irvin is alright now. He¡¯ll recover after resting for a few days.¡± Hearing this, Joanna looked up at Bruce. Then, Joanna lowered her eyes and stared at Irvin again. Bruce thought that Joanna was going to say something to him. Unfortunately, after waiting for a long time, Joanna was still silent. Bruce thought, ¡°I saved Joanna¡¯s son! I should be a hero. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Joanna say thank you? ¡°I¡¯m pissed off at Joanna. She doesn¡¯t even thank me, even though I have saved her son.¡± Then Bruce cleared his throat, asking, ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± Joanna was speechless,pking at Bruce in confusion. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Bruce looked down at her from above. His hawk like eyes seemed to be seeking credit. Joanna took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She didn¡¯t want to say anything now¨Cnot a single word. Seeing she was still silent, Bruce pursed his lips proudly and walked toward Joanna from the opposite side of the bed. ¡°Without me, your son might have been dead! Shouldn¡¯t you express your gratitude?¡± Facing Joanna, Bruce was extremely thick¨Cskinned, as if everything was to be expected. Joanna took a deep look at Bruce and had mixed feelings. She was naturally grateful to him. However, after hearing what he said, the gratitude suddenly turned into ashes. ¡°Say something!¡± Bruce stretched out and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°What do you want?¡± Joanna¡¯s pupils constricted, revealing a faint sharpness. ¡°Judging from his expression, he probably wants me topensate him with that again!¡± Joanna thought. Thest bit of good impression she had of him was ruined. Bruce sneered and pinched her chin. ¡°Look at your eyes! You look like you want to kill me! Damn woman, you don¡¯t have any conscience!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Let go!¡± Bruce pinched her chin even tighter and said, ¡°I saved your son. Aren¡¯t you going to thank me?¡± Joanna struggled impatiently and pped his hand away. ¡°Thank you! How¡¯s this? Is this enough?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re not sincere at all!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes angrily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to thank you? I¡¯ve already said it! What else do you want?¡± Bruce choked in anger. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else left. You can go back now!¡± ¡°Kicking me to the curb after using me?¡± ¡°You heartless woman. You need to be taught a lesson! The more you behave like this, the more I want to punish you!¡± As he spoke, Bruce had already reached out and forcefully hugged her. Every time he faced her, his desire to conquer her grew crazily. He was never satisfied. Joanna struggled with all her might, but he continued to kiss her forcefully. ¡°¡­ T¨CThis is a hospital. Don¡¯t do anything rash¡­¡± The intensity of his kiss remained forceful, giving the woman a sense of being overpowered. His arms were incredibly sturdy, and she couldn¡¯t resist when he trapped her. When Joanna was almost out of breath, he stopped. He looked at her, who was weak all over, teasingly. ¡°Look at you. You can¡¯t stand it when I kiss you, right?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She punched him a few times in exasperation. ¡°Can you stop touching me?¡± 10:43 Sat, 24 Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. The yfulness in his eyes intensified. ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, will you have such a big reaction?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was speechless with anger. He was a tough man to handle, adept at pursuing women, and naturally in excellent physical shape, Any woman would not be able to take it, so¡­ However, this did not mean she would give in to him psychologically. This was not love. Joanna took a few deep breaths and cursed, ¡°You¡¯re sick! Don¡¯t touch me again!¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯re my woman. Why can¡¯t I touch you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your woman!¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t my woman, I wouldn¡¯t be so nice to you!¡± ¡°Bruce, can you stop fooling around?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly turned red again. ¡°You havepletely changed your attitude! Just a while ago, you were begging me with tears streaming down your face and snot running all over!¡± ¡°As soon as you¡¯re finished with me, you push me away! I¡¯m forgiving and don¡¯t want to argue with you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she gritted his teeth. ¡°This man has no shame in taking credit!¡± She thought. ¡°Alright! How do you want me to thank you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to owe you a favor either. You can make a request!¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so stingy. I can only make one request?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Alright then¡­ My request is for you to be my woman forever!¡± Joanna tilted her head and rejected coldly, ¡°I can¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°In that case, why do you tell me that I can make a request?¡± Bruce smiled yfully. ¡°Bruce, my son is still lying on the hospital bed. I¡¯m not in the mood to joke around with you! If you want to make a a request, then do it! If not, please get out now!¡± ¡°This is a hospital. Can you be more serious?¡± ¡°How am I not serious? I¡¯m asking you to make a request.¡± Joanna was so angry that her heart ached. She rolled her eyes speechlessly. ¡°Then hurry up apd mention it! As long as it¡¯s not too much!¡± In any case, his request was nothing more than for her to apany him. He had already forced her many times, so it didn¡¯t matter if she did it again. Joanna decided to go all out. She would apany him for one night and repay his favor. Bruce guessed her thoughts and smiled teasingly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make one!¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Bruce paused on purpose. He moved his face close to her ear and gently teased her. 9 ¡°Your skills aren¡¯t bad. I want you to perform well and make me happy¡­¡± Before he could finish, Joanna said with a straight face, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re disgusting!¡± ¡°A shameless man like him only has such dirty thoughts!¡± Joanna thought. She knew he would make such a dirty request. ¡°Forget it. This will be thest time!¡± She eximed inwardly. The mocking smile on Bruce¡¯s lips intensified. He deliberately said, ¡°I haven¡¯t even said what I wanted. How is it disgusting?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you just want to sleep with me? I can spend the night with you, but not today!¡± ¡°Hey, you make it sound like I want to sleep with you!¡± ¡°My request is to make me a bowl of noodles! What are you thinking? Or do you want me to sleep with you?¡± ¡°¡­Pfft!¡± Joanna¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°The noodles you made for mest time are not bad. I want you to make me another bowl!¡± Joanna¡¯s face was red as she looked at Bruce in surprise. ¡°Why? Is this request too much?¡± It was not too much, but Joanna could not believe it! He was a difficult man to deal with, yet he only made such a request. There must be other conditions. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Joanna asked in disbelief. Bruce shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Joanna immediately choked. She stared at his eyes, trying to see through his scheme. Bruce had a smile in the corner of his eyes as he looked at her teasingly. Then, he raised his eyebrows slightly and winked at her. ¡°Are you looking at me like that because you think your man is especially charming?¡± PH! Joanna almost vomited blood, but she held it back in her chest. ¡°Bruce, can you stop being so narcissistic?¡± ¡°Also, you¡¯re not my man! Don¡¯t make such jokes in the future. I don¡¯t like it when you make such jokes!¡± ¡°Hey, here you go again! Why are you still pretending to be a fierce woman in front of me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re annoying. Can you not behave like this?¡± Bruce suddenly turned serious and stared at Joanna gloomily. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you onest time! You can only be my woman for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°If you let another man touch you, I¡¯ll make you and your three children pay a painful price!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡­¡± Joanna tried to retort. However, when the words reached her mouth, she swallowed them back resentfully. ¡°This man is stubborn and domineering! Who can resist what he wants to do?¡± Joanna thought. ¡°It¡¯s useless to speak to him now!¡± 10:44 Sat, 24 ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Bruce hooked his arm around her neck again and lifted her chin. He forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± Joanna blew at him speechlessly. ¡°I¡¯m not deaf. How can I not hear you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you heard me. You can only let me touch your body!¡± ¡°So, can I ask you not to touch other women?¡± Bruce raised an eyebrow. ¡°No!¡± ¡°I can have other women, but you can only have me as a man!¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Joannaughed in anger. If it weren¡¯t for the difference in their strength, she would have killed him with one punch. ¡°Now let go, please!¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°The drip is finished. I¡¯ll call the nurse to change it.¡± When Bruce heard this, he let go of her resentfully. Joanna headed towards the ward, nning to go to the nurse¡¯s desk to call for the nurse. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a pager on the bed? Can¡¯t you press it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get some air, okay?¡± ¡°Fine, go ahead!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Joanna rolled her eyes and opened the ward door. Outside the ward, Roxanne stood in a daze. She must have stood there for a long time as her face was filled with despair and grief. Joanna was shocked. She blurted out, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Roxanne squeezed out a faint sneer, looking at Joanna coldly. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Then, go ahead!¡± Joanna said, avoiding Roxanne and heading towards the corridor. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice suddenly became shrill. Joanna turned around and her expression was extremely gloomy. She did not want to see anyone from the Haynes family at all. ¡°What do you want?¡± Suddenly, Roxanne smiled miserably like an injured little white rabbit. ¡°Why do you¡­ have to s***h my boyfriend?¡± Roxanne questioned as she gasped. The bridge of her nose trembled like a pitiful, dehydrated goldfish. ¡°Roxanne Haynes, I¡¯ll repeat it once more! From the start to the end, I never thought of s***ng Bruce from you!¡± ¡°But Bruce is my fianc¨¦ now. Do you really think it¡¯s appropriate for you to be involved with him like All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. this?¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice fluctuated between high and. low, with a hint of breaking down. The patients and nurses who passed by all turned their heads to look at her. Bruce heard themotion and hurried out of the ward. ¡°Roxy, what are you doing here?¡± Roxanne blinked and tears rolled down her face. ¡°I¡¯m here to see how loving my fianc¨¦ and my sister are!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. He wanted to go forward and put his arm around her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back first!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± Roxanne retreated. She looked at Bruce with tears streaming down her face as her neck swayed uncontrobly. Her pale and beautiful face was filled with hurt, grief, helplessness, and disbelief. She was the best at pretending to be weak and helpless. It was also because of this trick that Bruce could not bear to be cold to her. ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± ¡°Bruce, can¡¯t you leave my sister? Why must you be with her?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop fooling around!¡± Roxanne took another step back and sniffed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll back out! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bother you again¡­¡± Bruce looked at Roxanne in frustration. Her eyes were filled with despair and destion, and there was even a hint of death. If he mentioned breaking up, she would definitelymit suicide again. ¡°Roxy, I¡¯ve told you before that I agree to marry you, but I can¡¯t be faithful! If you¡¯re still willing to marry me, I¡¯ll hold the wedding as scheduled!¡± 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you can¡¯t ept it!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she finally turned hysterical ¡°But why did you have to choose my There are so many women in Greyport. Why did you have to choose her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hurt by you. I can¡¯t ept a third party in our rtionship! I¡¯llpletely disappear and fuffill your wish¡± As Roxanne spoke, she turned around and ran out frantically. ¡°Roxy!¡± Joanna looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°Hurry up and chase after her. Don¡¯t let her do anything stupid again!¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not care less about Joanna and hurriedly chased after Roxanne. ¡°Roxy, stop right there!¡± Roxanne had only run a few steps when Bruce caught up to her. ¡°Bruce, I won¡¯t disturb the two of you anymore!¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Bruce held her hand tightly. Roxanne struggled with all her might. She cried until she was out of breath, ¡± Although she didn¡¯t say that she was about tomit suicide, her posture was already telling Bruce her intentions The people around them stopped in their tracks. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne? Why are they quarreling in a hospital?¡± ¡°I heard that Miss Roxanne caught Miss Haynes getting involved with Mr. Everett again!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is already divorced. Yet, she¡¯s still pestering her ex-husband!¡± ¡°Right? An ex-wife shouldn¡¯t continue to disrupt the other party¡¯s life! Miss Haynes is a terrible woman!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. No woman can let go of such an outstanding man like Mr. Everett!¡± The people around them could not help but whisper and judge. Bruce frowned and ignored Roxanne¡¯s cries. He bent down and forcefully picked her up. Then, he stormed towards the underground parking garage. At the underground parking garage. ¡°Bruce, let go of me and let me die!¡± ¡°If I die, no one wif disturb you again, let alone stand between you!¡± Bruce did not reply. He hugged her and stuffed her into the front passenger seat of the car, ¡°Bruce, let me out. Don¡¯t worry about me. Boohoo¡­¡± Bruce took a deep breath. He looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°Stop making a fuss!¡± Roxanne cried, ¡°I¡¯m not making a fuss. I¡¯m serious about it. I¡¯m willing to make room for my sister and let her have you!¡± Bruce could not help but sneer when he heard that. TU 44 She had already snatched Joanna¡¯s position. If she hadn¡¯t lied to him back then, he would never love her. Roxanne continued sobbing. ¡°I know you don¡¯t love me anymore. I can¡¯t ept the fact that you love my sister and you have a change of heart. I¡¯d rather die than suffer like this!¡± ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t make me feel so much pain again. I really can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± ¡°This feeling is worse than death¡­¡± Roxanne cried as she spoke. She constantly expressed her grievances and love for him. Bruce was not touched at all. Instead, the more he listened, the more disgusted he became. This woman was skilled at ensnaring men. She often weaved webs to trap thempletely. However, men were most afraid of being restrained The more she wanted to trap him, the more he wanted to escape. Bruce interrupted Roxanne¡¯s crying and asked coldly, ¡°Roxanne, what happened to the car?¡± Roxanne suddenly stopped crying upon hearing Bruce¡¯s question. ¡°¡­ Car? What car? Bruce, what are you talking about?¡± Bruce lit a cigarette impatiently and took a deep breath. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about. Who is that man?¡± BOOM! Suddenly Roxanne¡¯s eyes wandered and her face instantly heated up. She already had a guilty conscience. Now that Bruce asked this, she was even more flustered. ¡°Bruce, w-what¡­ are you talking about?¡± Bruce narrowed his hawkke eyes. ¡°Who hit my car?¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she stuttered, ¡°¡­ B-Bruce, hear me out!¡± ¡°That day, I drove your car home! I happened to meet a ssmate on the way, so I brought him along!¡± ¡°He¡­ has never seen such a great car before. He wanted to try driving it, so ¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked at Roxanne with a faint smile. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Bruce, you have to believe me! Nothing happened between me and that man. You¡¯re the only one I love!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t assume anything. Why are you so nervous?¡± Seeing how visibly nervous she was, with her hands trembling and her voice quivering, Bruce started to have serious doubts about her. He could not help but be suspicious of her. ¡°I¡¯ll call Andy now and call that man out!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she became even more flustered. She could not care less about being jealous of Joanna anymore. ¡°Bruce, you don¡¯t need to do that! He¡¯s just an ordinary ssmate!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll call him out to confront him!¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart s***d a beat. She clenched her fists tightly and panicked. Her mother was right. She should have broken up with Gavin long ago. 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun Gavin was a disaster. ¡°In that case¡­ call him up and prove my innocence!¡± Bruce listened and stared at Roxanne. Roxanne tried her best to hold back her panic. She acted calmly as she looked back into Bruce¡¯s eyes. Bruce immediately called Andy. ¡°Andy, bring that man called Gavin to me immediately!¡± ¡°Right away, Mr. Everett!¡± Seeing that Bruce had made the call, Roxanne panicked even more. ¡°Bruce, do you not believe me? I couldn¡¯t believe that you would doubt me.¡± ¡°You can stop loving me, but you can¡¯t insult me like this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not insulting you. I want to know the truth!¡± At that moment, Bruce hoped that Roxanne was in a rtionship with Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Seeing Bruce had found Gavin to confront him, Roxanne was frightened and uneasy. Bruce¡¯s face was covered with ayer of coldness. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nervous!¡± Although Roxanne denied it, her heart was about to jump out of her throat. Bruce examined Roxanne with a sinister expression. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t look at me like that. Do you¡­ not trust me?¡± Roxanne¡¯s body went numb from his stare. As she spoke, her tears fell again. She looked weak and helpless. Bruce did not say anything else. He just smoked silently and waited. While waiting, Roxanne became even more uneasy. She wanted to find an opportunity to call or send a message to Gavin to warn him not to spout nonsense. Unfortunately, Bruce was watching her. She had no chance at all. Half an hourter! Gavin was brought to an office. There was a huge double¨Csided mirror in the office. Bruce and Roxanne were behind the mirror. They could see Gavin¡¯s every move. However, Gavin could not see them. Seeing Gavin, Roxanne¡¯s face turned pale. Her fingertips dug into her flesh uneasily. Bruce crossed his legs and quietly observed Gavin¡¯s every move through the double¨Csided mirror. With his status, he couldn¡¯t show up personally.. He was the wealthiest man in Greyport. If word got out that his fianc¨¦e cheated on him with a poor kid, it would be too embarrassing- Therefore, he would leave it to his subordinates to ask. Even if they had an improper rtionship, they would not make it public. However, someone like Bruce would not be willing to suffer in silence. In the office. Gavin looked at the few bodyguards in suits and leather shoes with cold expressions. He was so frightened that his mouth went dry and his scalp tightened. ¡°May I ask why you brought me here?¡± There was a professional smile on Andy¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, Mr. Tate, don¡¯t be nervous. I invited you here to briefly understand the situation.¡± Gavin¡¯s gaze became even more uncertain as he stuttered, ¡°Understand the situation?¡± ¡°Have you seen this car before?¡± Andy turned on his phone and showed a photo of a Maybach to Gavin! When Gavin saw the car, he was so frightened that he panicked and broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Y¨CYes.. 10 44 Sat, ¡°We checked through the dashcam and found that you were the one who drove the car and hit a tree!¡± ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Besides, the car has already been repaired¡­¡± Andy frowned slightly. ¡°Sir, the so¨Ccalled repairs caused damage to the car again!¡± ¡°The damage to the car is serious. It needs to be repaired at the original factory! The repair fee for this car is as high as 200 thousand dors. You have topensate ording to the price!¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t have that much money! What kind of car is this? Why is the repair fee so high?¡± Gavin waspletely anxious. He was already in debt. Now, he had topensate for the repair costs. He might as well jump off a building. Andy¡¯s expression changed as he changed the topic. ¡°So, we want to understand the situation back then!¡± ¡°Why are you driving the car? What¡¯s your rtionship with Ms. Haynes? Why would she let you drive such an expensive car?¡± When Gavin heard this, his wandering eyes instantly froze. Come to think of it, this was a more serious problem than crashing a car. Everyone in Greyport knew that Roxanne was Bruce¡¯s fianc¨¦e. If she cheated on Bruce with him, the consequences would be even more terrifying than Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. death. Behind the mirror. Roxanne looked at Gavin nervously. She was so scared that she did not even dare to breathe.. Bruce could also see the nervousness and uneasiness in her eyes. There was definitely no innocence between her and this man. ¡°Mr. Tate, please answer my question!¡± Andy urged again. Gavin took a deep breath¡­ Roxanne and I are just ssmates!¡± He was not stupid enough to reveal his affair with Roxanne. After Gavin finished speaking, Roxanne clearly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°ssmates? If you¡¯re in a rtionship with Ms. Haynes, we can drop thepensation!¡± ¡°We¡¯re really just ssmates. Other than that, we have nothing to do with each other!¡± Gavin said insincerely. Even though he denied it repeatedly, his expression had already betrayed him. ¡°In that case, the responsibility is all on Ms. Haynes, right?¡± ¡°T¨CThis has nothing to do with her. I saw that the car was luxurious, so I wanted to give it a try!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this. I¡¯m sorry! ¡­¡± Gavin¡¯s mouth was dry, and he didn¡¯t dare to say anything to take responsibility. After all, he really could not afford to pay hundreds of thousands for repairs. Andy was about to continue asking when Bruce¡¯s voice came from the hidden earpiece. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let him go!¡± Bruce was such a shrewd person. How could he not see that their rtionship was abnormal? There was no need to ask further. Andy received Bruce¡¯s instructions. He paused again and nodded at the mirror. ¡°Mr. Tate, we¡¯ve understood the situation. You can go back now!¡± Gavin was speechless. He never thought that he would be let off just like that. Then, Andy ordered the driver to send Gavin back. Seeing that Gavin did not say anything, Roxanne¡¯s heart that was in her throat finally rxed. ¡°Bruce, do you believe me now? I have nothing to do with him!¡± Bruce smiled faintly. ¡°I was just asking casually. Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡± Bruce knew that the evidence now was not enough to prove Roxanne¡¯s innocence. He feigned ignorance and intentionally let Gavin off the hook. Once he caught them in the act, he would have undeniable proof. When that happened, if he broke off the engagement, he would not have to worry about her seeking death. Even if shemitted suicide, it would have nothing to do with him. Seeing that Bruce¡¯s expression softened a little, Roxanne quickly moved to his side. Her soft body leaned into his embrace, and her voice was coy and coquettish. ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to go home tonight. I want to be with you.¡± As she spoke, her small hand took the initiative to wander around his waist. Bruce choked. He raised his eyebrows slightly and scrutinized her with an ambiguous gaze as if he enjoyed her initiative. Seeing his reaction, Roxanne was even more encouraged. Her small hand unbuttoned his belt. ¡°Bruce, we¡¯ve been in love for so long. I want to bring our rtionship to the next level!¡± ¡°What my sister has, I have too. What my sister can do, I can do too! Why must you be so infatuated with her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already given birth to a child. Could she be more charming than me?¡± Roxanne said. Her eyes were like hooks a She did not believe that her charm could notpare to Joanna¡¯s. Back then, Bruce was also very impulsive towards her. as she winked at Bruce. But, at that time, she was bent on maintaining her image as an innocent girl. She deliberately pretended to be reserved and did not let him touch her. She wanted to satisfy his appetite first. She rejected him three times ip a row and decided to give in on the fourth time. Unexpectedly, Bruce did not continue to pursue her after the third attempt and he never took the initiative again, No matter how much she hinted, he looked like he way no longer interested. Bruce did not resist Roxanne¡¯s initiative and looked interested. ¡°Roxy, you know it¡¯s hard for me to be impulsive.¡± ¡°If you want to be with me tonight, you must take the initiative to light my fire!¡± When Roxanne heard this, her eyes suddenly lit up. It was rare that Bruce didn¡¯t refuse her tonight, so she naturally had to perform well. 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne took the initiative to kiss his lips. Then! She took off her coat and stepped onto the sofa. Bruce did not take the initiative, nor did he refuse. He allowed her to do the work. Ten minutester! Roxanne used all her skills and worked hard! Her eyes were dreamy, and her body was delicate and soft! As she thought Bruce would not restrain himself after she worked so hard¡­ Bruce suddenly smiled and looked at her yfully. ¡°You did great!¡± Roxanne¡¯s cheeks burned as she looked at Bruce awkwardly. ¡°But I¡¯m not in the mood today. Let¡¯s do it another day!¡± Bruce said. He buttoned his shirt, pushed her away, and stood up. He was only testing her. Unexpectedly, she was so experienced. Even though she pretended to be inexperienced, she unintentionally revealed her ws. Women without that kind of experience would not understand men so well. §à Chapter 130 Chapter 130 When Roxanne heard this, her face tumed red to the neck. She finally knew Bruce was testing her and did not want to touch her. ¡­Bruce, do you dislike me?¡± Bruce nced at her and praised her teasingly, ¡°Your figure is not bad! Your skills are also great!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m exhausted today and can¡¯t lift my spirits!¡± ¡°Put on your clothes! Don¡¯t catch a cold!¡± Bruce threw Roxanne¡¯s clothes at her. Roxanne decided to go all out. She rushed and hugged him, trying to salvage the situation onest time. ¡°Bruce, let me apany you tonight!¡± ¡°I want to be your woman. I was too conservative in the past. I¡¯ve already thought it through. I want to be your woman!¡± Bruce smiled. He would never touch an extremely hypocritical woman like her. ¡°Hurry up and put on your clothes. I¡¯ll get Andy to send you back!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne bit her lips and looked at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home!¡± ¡°What do you want then?¡± ¡°I want you to apany me!¡± ¡°Stop fooling around. I¡¯m not in the mood today. Let¡¯s do it another day!¡± ¡°You always say that. But in fact, you don¡¯t love me anymore. I know it now!¡± ¡°You can say whatever you want.¡± Bruce picked up the car key and left without looking back. ¡°Andy, send Ms. Haynes back!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ Roxanne was furious. Unfortunately, Bruce had already left. Roxanne put on her clothes and chased after him. However, his car was no longer there. ¡°Ms. Haynes, let me send you back!¡± Andy maintained a professional smile. Roxanne stomped her foot angrily. ¡°No need. I can walk on my own!¡± At the hospital. It was already ten o¡¯clock at night. Joanna was still by Irvin¡¯s side, looking after him. She had also been running around the entire day and was extremely nervous. 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun Chapte?130 Seeing that Irvin had recovered, she could not help but lie on the bed and fall asleep. She took a nap in a daze and felt someone putting a piece of clothing on her shoulder. Joanna was shocked and quickly opened her eyes. She turned around and saw Bruce. At this moment, he was holding a suit and putting it on her. Joanna suddenly sat up straight. ¡°Bruce, why are you back again?¡± Seeing how nervous she was, Bruce chuckled. ¡°You still owe me a bowl of noodles, so why can¡¯t I be back?¡± Joanna frowned in frustration. ¡°This is a hospital. I can¡¯t make noodles for you!¡± ¡°When are you going to make it for me?¡± ¡°When my son recovers, I¡¯ll make it for you when I have time!¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else here. You can go back now!¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. When Bruce heard this, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°No, I want to apany you here!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need yourpany. It¡¯s already sote. Hurry up and go back to sleep!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make the noodles that I promised you!¡± ¡°You want to chase me away so badly? Don¡¯t you want to see me?¡± Bruce spoke and stepped forward, hooking his arm around her slender waist. He pulled Joanna tightly into his arms. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I even touch you now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Let go of me quickly. This is a hospital. Don¡¯t do anything rash here!¡± Bruce smiled evilly and whispered into her ear, ¡°So I can do whatever I want after we leave the hospital?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Hurry up and let go. I¡¯m exhausted! I don¡¯t have the energy to deal with you!¡± When Bruce heard this, a trace of disappointment appeared in his heart. ¡°Joanna, are you tired of being with me?¡± ¡°Can you not behave like this? You¡¯re putting me under a lot of pressure!¡± ¡°Pressure? Be my woman and enjoy my love for you, and you won¡¯t feel any pressure!¡± When Joanna heard this, she grew angry and raised her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t need you! Please stay away from me, and don¡¯t say these things to me again!¡± ¡°I just want to keep a distance from you now. Can you stop disturbing my life¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s loud voice woke Irvin up. Irvin turned slightly and opened his eyes weakly. ¡°Mommy!¡± Seeing that his son had woken up, Joanna could not be bothered to argue with Bruce. She quickly went to Irvin. ¡°Irvin, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yea..¡± Irvin blinked and looked at Joanna tiredly. 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun Joanna stroked her son¡¯s head and said gently, ¡°Baby, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± Irvin shook his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± He had already been injected with glucose and was not feeling hungry. ¡°Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just very sleepy. I want to sleep, and my head hurts!¡± ¡°Be good. You¡¯ve caught a cold. You¡¯ll be fine soon!¡± Irvin nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± After answering, he blinked and looked sleepy again. ¡°Baby, eat something before you sleep, okay? You haven¡¯t eaten much all day. I¡¯m worried about you.¡± ¡°¡­Alright!¡± Joanna sniffled and kissed Irvin¡¯s forehead. ¡°Baby, what do you want to eat? Mommy will buy it for you.¡± ¡°I want to eat¡­ Mommy¡¯s handmade dumplings!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a little troubled! ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital. How do I make dumplings for him?¡± She thought. However, since her son wanted to eat them, she would find a way to make them for him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call Grandma now and ask her to make some!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Then, Joanna covered Irvin with a nket and left the ward. She wanted to call Miranda and ask her to go to the 24¨Chour store to buy chicken breasts and dumpling wrappers. Hearing Joanna¡¯s tone when she spoke to Irvin, Bruce suddenly felt a little jealous. ¡°How can she be so gentle to another man?¡± He thought. Even though Irvin was her son, that wouldn¡¯t do! In her heart, she should prioritize him for everything. ¡°I want to eat dumplings too!¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes turned cold. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you wanted a bowl of noodles?¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°Dumplings sound tastier! I¡¯ve changed my mind. I want some dumplings too!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insanel¡± Joanna cursed in a low voice and called Miranda. ¡°Hello, Miranda.¡± ¡°Yes, Joann?¡± ¡°Go to the 24¨Chour store downstairs and buy chicken breasts and dumpling wrappers now!¡± ¡°Irvin wants to eat dumplings. I¡¯ll make themter!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± ¡°Also, get Kelly toe to the hospital and take care of Irvin for a while!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell her now!¡± 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun Joanna said into the phone, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for now!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± After the call Joanna was about to enter the ward again when Bruce followed behind her. ¡°Bruce, can you stop following me so sneakily?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m still waiting for the dumplings!¡± ¡°I¡¯m speechless. You¡¯re snatching food from a kid?¡± Bruce shrugged. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you make me a bowl of noodles instead? That¡¯ll work too.¡± Joanna grew angry. ¡°I have already told you. Can¡¯t you wait for another day?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re already cookingter, couldn¡¯t you prepare my noodles too?¡± ¡°After eating, I¡¯ll apany you to look after Irvin!¡± A sly smile appeared in Bruce¡¯s eyes. Joanna red. ¡°I don¡¯t need yourpany. Go back now! Don¡¯t bother me here!¡± When Bruce heard this, his expression immediately changed. He stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her waist. ¡°Are you being disobedient again?¡± ¡°You know that I like obedient women! If you continue to be disobedient, I¡¯ll punish you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was speechless. However, she was helpless now. ¡°Do whatever you want!¡± ¡°Give me a kiss then!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood. Can you go away?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. The smile on his face froze as he looked at her sinisterly. Joanna looked at his dark expression, and her heart subconsciously trembled. She hated Bruce. But the consequences of angering him were not easy to bear. Helpless, Joanna tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. Seeing that she had given in, a smile appeared on Bruce¡¯s face again. 20 minutester. Kelly arrived at the hospital. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Stay here and take care of Irvin. I¡¯ll go back and make him dumplings. I¡¯ll send them overter!¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°Irvin can¡¯t be left alone. Look after him!¡± Kelly nodded solemnly. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of him!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna did not say anything else. She took her bag and left in a hurry. Bruce followed closely behind. Joanna arrived at the parking lot and reached for the car key in her pocket, only to realize that her car was still at the studio. Bruce was the one who sent her and Irvin to the hospital. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Joanna frowned and resentfully put the car keys back into her bag. She was about to hail a taxi when a car stopped beside her. ¡°Get in!¡± Bruce rolled down the window and looked at her casually. Joanna was stunned. Even though she didn¡¯t want to get into his car, she knew he would go crazy again if she rejected him. Helpless, Joanna obediently got into the front passenger seat. In the car. Joanna did not say a word, Her expression was cold and indifferent. Bruce nced at her from time to time, his gaze subtly tracing the contours of her face, desperately searching for the right words. However, the silence lingered like an oppressive fog, wrapping around his thoughts and stealing his voice away. The entire journey was silent. 20 minutester. The car arrived at the residential area where Joanna lived. She got out of the car and walked home without looking back. ¡°Hey!¡± Bruce stretched out the car window and shouted. Joanna came to a halt, feplying, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already here. Aren¡¯t you going to invite me up?¡± Joanna finally turned around and looked at Bruce speechlessly. ¡°Mr. Everett, my family is sleeping. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to go up!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Bruce questioned and got out of the car. ¡°At least invite me up for a ss of water!¡± 10:44 Sat, 24 ¡°¡­Alright then!¡± Joanna walked in front while Bruce followed behind. Back home. Miranda opened the door. ¡°Joann is back! Miranda was the oldest, so she called Joanna by her nickname ¡°Miranda, have you bought the stuff?¡± ¡°Yes, I got them!¡± ¡°Oh, great!¡± ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± Davian was still awake. Seeing that Joanna had returned, he ran over with a worried expression. ¡°Mommy, how¡¯s little brother?¡± ¡°Little brother is fine. Davian, don¡¯t worry too much! It¡¯s already sote. Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Joanna put down her bag and gently stroked his little face. Davian looked worried. ¡°Mommy, can I go to the hospital with youter? I want to see little brother!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already veryte. You have to sleep early! You still have to go to kindergarten tomorrow!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Davian paused and realized that Bruce was standing at the door. ¡°Mommy, why is this big baddie at our house?¡± Joanna pursed her lips. ¡°Hmm¡­ Don¡¯t worry about it. Be good and go to sleep, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Joanna had no time to waste. She said coldly to Bruce, ¡°Make yourself at home! I don¡¯t have the time to entertain you!¡± Bruce heard her and walked into the living room resentfully. Then, he sat down on the sofa. Tracy hurriedly poured a ss of water and ced a fruit tter on the coffee table. Soon. Joanna entered the room and went to prepare the dumplings. Miranda also rushed to help. Bruce crossed his long legs and sat elegantly on the sofa. Even though he didn¡¯t speak, he exuded an aura that made him seem cold and unapproachable. On the other end of the sofa, Davian was like a wolfdog, ready to pounce. He imitated Bruce and sat with his legs crossed. However, his legs were too short and could not be as natural as Bruce¡¯s. Davian¡¯s round face puffed up as he stared fiercely at Bruce. Three minutester. 10 44 Sat, 24 Jun Bruce felt a little ufortable being stared at. This was the first time he was stared at by a child until his hair stood up. Bruce subconsciously adjusted his sitting posture and crossed his arms. He frowned slightly and also stared straight at Davian, Unexpectedly, Davian thought he was provoking Bruce. The former crossed his arms and imitated Bruce¡¯s posture. The two stared at each other like a lion facing a baby lion. Bruce was inexplicably amused. ¡°Little guy, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the little one!¡± ¡°I know your name. Your name is Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ You seem to be very hostile toward me.¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he was a little surprised. He was curious to know what this child thought of him. Davian¡¯s expression was still like a fierce chicken. He confronted, ¡°Are you trying to bully Mommy again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you dare to bully Mommy again, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Davian said and shed his little fist. He looked like he was going to fight Bruce. ¡°Hmph.¡± Bruce smiled and didn¡¯t want to bother with this little guy anymore. Bruce¡¯s disdainful expression angered Davian, ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t think you can treat me lightly because I¡¯m young. I grow up very quickly.¡± When Bruce heard this, the smile on his face deepened. He looked at the little guy with interest and felt strange. This little fellow was filled with hostility towards him. However, he felt that he was inexplicably adorable. Even though he was threatened, he did not feel angry at all. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Do you hear me?¡± Bruce snorted and asked, ¡°Um, are you really Jaydon¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Davian arrogantly tilted his head to the side. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t look like your father at all.¡± When Davian heard this, he was a little angry. ¡°Mr. Grimm is not my father! And I¡¯m not his son!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart sank when he heard that. He subconsciously put his leg down. ¡°Then where is your father?¡± ¡°Why must I tell you?¡± Bruce choked! This little guy had the same temper as Joanna and did not take him seriously. However, he called Jaydon Mr. Grimm. Did Joanna¡­ lie to him? These three children were his! She lied to him on purpose, saying that the children were Jaydon¡¯s! Although Jaydon was anxious when the kid got into trouble, he did not show too much grief. 10:44 Sat, 24 Jun However, the paternity test and birth certificate of the children that Joanna showed Grandma were all real. Grandma was smart. It was impossible for her not to be able to tell. Bruce was lost in thought. Joanna exited the kitchen with a bowl of noodles in her hand. ¡°The noodles are ready. Hurry up and cat!¡± Joanna said, cing the noodles on the dining table. That¡¯s fast.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t waste my time!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It was just a bowl of noodles, which would take less than ten minutes. She just wanted to quickly send Bruce away so he would stop making things difficult for her. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Bruce stood up and walked to the dining table. ¡°Mommy, I want to eat too!¡± When Joanna heard Davian, she realized he had not returned to his room. ¡°Davian, why haven¡¯t you gone to bed yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry too. Mommy, I want some noodles too.¡± ¡°Be good. It¡¯ste now. Hurry up and sleep early. It will be hard for your stomach to digest if you eat too much at night!¡± When Davian heard her, he pointed at Bruce unhappily. ¡°Then why can he eat it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an adult¡­¡± Davian pouted and retorted, ¡°Mommy, but I¡¯m hungry and can¡¯t sleep!¡± When Joanna heard this, she took a deep breath helplessly. ¡°Fine¡­ Mommy will cook another bowl for you!¡± The more hectic it was, the more chaotic it became. Irvin was craving dumplings. Bruce wanted a bowl of noodles. Now, Davian was hungry for some noodles too. ¡°No, I want to eat from his bow!!¡± Davian pointed at the noodles on the table. He was deliberately trying to snatch away the big baddie¡¯s noodles. Joanna frowned. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to finish such a big bowl!¡± ¡°I can eat it all!¡± Joanna looked at Davian belplessly before turning to Bruce. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go in and make a bowl for you!¡± ¡°Fine! It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Bruce replied resentfully. Anyway, he couldn¡¯t possibly snatch food from a child. ¡°Then this bowl is for you. Eat it and go to bed early!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Davian climbed onto the dining table and sat upright. He looked at Bruce smugly and began to eat his noodles. Bruce sat at the other end of the dining table. He was not angry. Instead, he felt that this little guy¡¯s actions were simr to when he was young. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me where your father is.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Davian pouted. ¡°My father is the most powerful person in the world. He¡¯s 100 times more powerful than you! And he¡¯s richer than you!¡± ¡°Then where is he?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and smiled with interest. ¡°How can I tell you? What if you steal my father away?¡± ¡°Steal your father?¡± Bruce was speechless. He was not so cheap as to fight to be someone¡¯s son. 10 44 Sai, ¡°In short, my father is amazing! If you dare to bully me again, my father will settle scores with you!¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°Alnght, I¡¯ll be here waiting for your father!¡± ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m your father!¡± Upon hearing this, Davian¡¯s face darkened in anger, ¡°No, I¡¯m your father!¡± Bruce was so angry that he choked. He scolded. ¡°You have a nasty mouth! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re young, I would have pped you to death!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run. I¡¯ll p you to death when I grow up!¡± The two started scolding each other in the dining room. Joanna listened from the kitchen and frowned. They were indeed father and son. Their scolding tone sounded the same too. In the end, Joanna could not stand it anymore. She walked out with a dark expression. ¡°Davian, who taught you to be so rude? Who said you could scold others like this?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± After being reprimanded, Davian lowered his head. Bruce was absolutely livid. His face had transformed into an intense shade of anger. A child scolded him with an air of authority, his words piercing through Bruce¡¯s pride. Most importantly, Bruce lost! ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m impressed. You can even argue with a child!¡± ¡°I¡­ Bruce¡¯s eyes widened. His anger was so overwhelming that it rendered him speechless. ¡°The noodles are ready!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating anymore. I¡¯m full of anger!¡± ¡°Forget it then!¡± Joanna¡¯s patience had worn thin, her desire to coax him dissipating like a wisp of smoke. She quickly ced the cooked dumplings in a container. After exchanging a few more words with Miranda, she took her bag and prepared to leave. Seeing this, Bruce was even more furious. Joanna had no intention of coaxing him at all. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce let it go because fie realized she was angry with him. He knew it was better not to argue with her. Bruce drove angrily and sent Joanna to the hospital again. On the way, When they passed the traffic light, there was a bar by the roadside. A few fashionable young men surrounded a girl in a short skirt at the entrance. Bruce took a nce. Judging from her figure, she looked simr to Roxanne. ¡°Who¡¯s that woman? Is she Roxy?¡± Joanna took a casual look. ¡°Why would shee to such a ce? Hasn¡¯t she always been a good girl?¡± 10 44 Sal Bruce took a closer look. ¡°She looks like Roxy. Why is she at the bar? And with a group of indecent people? Moreover, she seemed drunk and leaning on another girl¡¯s shoulder ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll get out to take a look!¡± Bruce was a little worried Ater all, he had teased Roxanne tonight. If she was in a bad mood, it wa ely for her to go for a drink Although he no longer loved Roxanne, he didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her. Seeing this. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She went to open the car door and said, ¡°Bruce, go and apany your girlfriend. I¡¯ll take a taxi to the hospital!¡± ¡°Joannal¡± Seeing that she was about to get out of the car, Bruce pressed the lock button. ¡°I only said I wanted to get out of the car to take a look. I didn¡¯t say I¡¯m leaving you behind?¡± After saying that, the red light happened to turn green. Bruce stepped on the elerator and drove away SEND GIFT Chapter 133 Chapter 133 They arrived at the hospital. Joanna rushed into the ward. Bruce was still a little worried, so he called Roxanne. Beep, beep, beep! Unfortunately, no one picked up the phone! If it were in the past, Roxanne would never ignore his call. Then, Bruce called Andy. The call was quickly picked up. ¡°Hey, Andy!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, what are your instructions?¡± ¡°Did you take Roxy home?¡± On the other end of the line, Andy stammered. ¡°Ms. Haynes didn¡¯t want me to send her back and insisted on going back alone!¡± Bruce became certain that the drunk girl earlier was Roxanne. She was just a child. If she got so drunk, she would be taken advantage of ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m hanging up!¡± After hanging up, Bruce¡¯s uneasiness grew. He drove straight to the bar to send her home. No matter what, he could, got let anything happen to her. On the other side. The drunk Roxanne called Gavin to pick her up at the bar. When Bruce arrived at the bar, Roxanne had already gone home with Gavin. Bruce searched the bar for a long time but did not find her. Gavin brought Roxanne back to his home. His eyes were filled with heartache, and he could not wait to hug her. ¡°Roxy, why are you so drunk?¡± Roxanne stank of alcohol and said dejectedly, ¡°I wanted to drink, so I drank!¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t drink so much!¡± Roxanne smiled foolishly and hooked her arms around Gavin¡¯s neck. ¡°Gavin, tell me. Am I annoying?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t he love me?¡± Gavin was stunned. He quickly knew who she was referring to. ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re drunk!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk! Gavin, if only Bruce loved me as much as you do!¡± 10 44 Sat, 24 Jun When Gavin heard this, he felt even more sorrowful. Even though the two had been dating for four years, he still could not appear as her boyfriend She knew deep down that her true love was for another man. Being with Gavin was only driven by physical desire and nothing more. ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re drunk and spouting nonsense!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk! Why doesn¡¯t he love me¡­¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Gavin looked at Roxanne angrily. ¡°He doesn¡¯t love you, but I do! Marry me!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she smiled coldly. ¡°Marry you? Haha, can you afford to support me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have a decent house or job! And you have to work so hard to buy me one handbag! Do you think you can marry me?¡± Gavin felt like his heart had been pricked by a needle. ¡°Roxy, you¡¯ve been despising me, right?¡± ¡°Yes, how are you worthy of my respect?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a man who lives off a woman!¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re handsome, I wouldn¡¯t have been with you for so long.¡± Gavin was furious. He picked up Roxanne and threw her onto the bed again. Then, he ripped her clothes¡­. Roxanne couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore. ¡°Be gentle¡­¡± Last time, he could not bear to be so rough with her and always tried his best to please her. But today, she was drunk and told the truth from the bottom of her heart. After all, Gavin was a man, and his self¨Cesteem was ruthlessly crushed. Soon. Roxanne was entirely conquered. Her entire body was as limp as a pile of mud. Gavin was still furious. He went out to the courtyard to smoke. He had just lit a cigarette when someone pped him on the shoulder. ¡°Yo, kid, on a date with your girlfriend again?¡± Gavin turned around and saw Bosh, Kurt, and their threeckeys. ¡°Bosh, Kurt.¡± Gavin was so scared that his body tensed up, and the cigarette in his mouth fell. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would pay us back in three days? Where is the money?¡± Gavin stammered, ¡°Bosh, give me a few more days. I¡¯ll pay the money back to you!¡± Bam! Bam! The hooligan pped him twice, and Gavin¡¯s head buzzed! ¡°This guy is quite generous when picking up girls. But when ites to paying us the money, he¡¯s a fucking coward!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so long since you owed us money, and you¡¯re still not paying back the interest!¡± ¡°Bosh, Kurt¡­ I¡¯m short of money. Please¡­ give me a few more days.¡± ¡°Since you can¡¯t pay us back, let us y with your girlfriend. I¡¯ll take it as interest.¡± Gavin was shocked. ¡°No, don¡¯t do anything rash. She¡¯s not my girlfriend!¡± ¡°Not your girlfriend?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve been watching you. We know she¡¯s drunk!¡± ¡°Either you pay up, or we are having fun with her!¡± ¡°Bosh! Kurt!¡± Soon, the threeckeys beat up Gavin. While he was being beaten up, a dark thought suddenly appeared. ¡°If they were to ruin Roxanne¡­¡± ¡°Her reputation would be tarnished, and the Everett family would not want her anymore.¡± ¡°I would then have a chance to marry her!¡± With this thought in mind, Gavin stopped resisting and let them tie him up. Then, the five of them entered the house together. Roxanne was not sober yet. Moreover, Gavin had given her a rough time earlier. Now, she was lying on the bed and sleeping soundly. ¡°What an amazing body!¡± The men eximed and drooled. ¡°Kurt, you go first¡­¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Roxanne thought it was Gavin She pushed the men away in a daze ¡°No. I¡¯m sleepy ¡°The chick is waking upth Kurt pestured and whispered, ¡°Get me an eye maski Then, he unbuttoned his pants andy on top of her Roxanne was sleeping soundly when she suddenly felt a weight on her body. She muttered impatiently, ¡°Argh, I already said no. Stop touching me. It hurts!¡± When Kurt heard her, he became even more excited. The other four men also grew excited and could not help but touch her. It was unusual to see such a stunning woman in the slums. However, to the local tyrants, this was a comition urrence None of the girls dared to call the police, let alone resist. Therefore, these people were getting more and more arrogant. However, they did not know Roxanne¡¯s identity. They only thought that she was a hostess from the city. After all, she came to the slums to sleep with a poor guy like Gavin. Who would have thought that she was a wealthy youngdy? In a daze, Roxanne felt that something was wrong. It did not feel like Gavin, and there was more than one person around her. Shocked, she sobered up and quickly opened her eyes. She realized that the man who touched her was an unfamiliar man who was fat, strong, and had a despicable expression. He also had a scar on his face and a beer belly as big as a pregnant woman¡¯s. There were also a few men who looked like hooligans around him. ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± ¡°Who are you? What are you doing?¡± Kurt was in high spirits and panted heavily. ¡°Girl, your boyfriend owes us money. Now he¡¯s agreed to let us have fun with you!¡± Roxanne was bewildered. She tried her hardest to push the man in front of her away. ¡°What are you talking about? Let me go!¡± Unfortunately, her limbs were held down by the hooligans. One of them covered her eyes with the eye mask. ¡°Not¡± ¡°Help! Gavin He Roxanne struggled with all her might. Unfortunately, it was toote. How could she escape? ¡°Help! Gavin Anyone-¡± Gavin listened to Roxanne¡¯s screams and closed his eyes in pain He wanted to break free from the rope and rush in to save her. However, even if he rushed in to save her, he could not defeat them alone 10:45 Sat, 24 Jun He did not dare to call for help or call the police. After Kurt and the others were released from prison, they would seek revenge and kill his family. Soon. Kurt was done. He pulled up his pants and prepared to leave. ¡°You guys, go ahead and have fun! But go easy on her!¡± Kurt left the house, and another hooligan eagerly pounced on her¡­ The torturested for two hours. Roxanne was like a helpless doll. At first, she fiercely resisted but eventually sumbed to a helpless numbness. Tears had soaked through her eye mask, and her throat was so sore that she couldn¡¯t utter a sound. Gavin was also in despair. He closed his eyes in pain and silently prayed for everything to end quickly. As long as Roxanne could marry him, he did not mind that she had been insulted. Even though his heart ached, he knew this might be an opportunity. However, it was just too cruel. Perhaps this was the only way for him after Roxanne was ruined. Otherwise, with his background, Roxanne would never marry him. In the blink of an eye, it was already three in the morning. Bruce still had a sinking feeling. He felt like something had happened. Eventually, Bruce called Andy. ¡°Hey, Andy!¡± Andy¡¯s sleepy voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Everett, what are your instructions?¡± ¡°Check the GPS on Roxy¡¯s phone, and see where she is now.¡± ¡°Right away!¡± Andy replied and quickly got up to investigate. Five minutester. Roxanne¡¯s location had been found. Andy sent her phone¡¯s location to Bruce. Bruce looked at the address and was even more puzzled. The address indicated that the ce was a slum. It was the dirtiest and messiest ce in Greyport. ¡°It¡¯s sote now. Why is Roxy there?¡± Bruce thought, and his heart sank. He quickly brought his men to the address on his phone. Half an hourter. Bruce appeared at Gavin¡¯s house with his men. However, Roxanne was already tarnished. 10:45 Sat, 24 Jun ¡°Roxy¡­¡± Roxanne was naked and lying on the bed with a nk expression. At the side, the four hooligans were also shocked when they saw the men d in ck. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here? This is Kurt¡¯s territory¡­¡± A hooligan shouted. Then, Bruce¡¯s bodyguards pounced on the four hooligans, subduing them on the ground one after another. Bruce felt his scalp go numb. He sucked in a breath of cold air, almost unable to believe what he saw. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The thing he was most worried about had still happened. Moreover, it was countless times crueler than he had imagined Soon, the hooligans were dragged out of the house. ¡°Roxy¡­¡± After Bruce reacted, he quickly took off his clothes and covered her. ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Bruce choked and hugged Roxanne tightly with heartache and guilt. Roxanne looked at Bruce with empty eyes like a broken doll. Then, her head tilted, and she fainted. Andy was also stunned by the scene in front of him. He stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do.. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s fianc¨¦e had been¡­¡± . Andy thought. This news would shock the entire Greyport. ¡°Mr. Everett, do you want to call the police?¡± When Bruce heard him, the veins on his temples popped out. He said sinisterly, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Deal with them!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Andy¡¯s face darkened as he turned around to instruct his men. Only then did the hooligans realize they had provoked someone they shouldn¡¯t have. They were frightened. They never expected that the woman they slept with was Bruce¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Bruce would make them die a horrible death. Andy ordered the bodyguards to bring the hooligans away. As for how to solve it, the news would be released the next day. Bruce carried Roxanne and rushed her to the hospital. At this moment. He held himself responsible, experienced a sense of guilt, and had remorse over it. Even if he didn¡¯t love Roxanne anymore, he didn¡¯t want such a tragedy to happen to her. She was so weak and innocent. How could she withstand such a blow? Besides, he could have avoided this tragedy. While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, he had already seen her drunk at the bar¡¯s entrance. Unfortunately, when he heard Joanna say it couldn¡¯t be her, he didn¡¯t care anymore. He was sending Joanna to the hospital, so he didn¡¯t exit the car. If he had gotten out of the car to take a look, such a tragedy would not have happened to Roxanne. 10:45 Sat, 24 Jun 20 minutester. Roxanne was sent to a private hospital. Her body suffered grave injuries, with soft tissue damage all over. She was bleeding heavily and severely dehydrated. Soon. After Ingrid and Shaun Haynes received the news, they rushed over early in the morning. Tap, tap, tap! Ingrid¡¯s high heels almost crushed the floor! Shaun followed closely behind her, panting! ¡°Roxy! Roxy, what happened to you?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t know how to reply. He sat on the chair outside the ward with his head lowered. His face was filled with regret and guilt. Seeing this, Ingrid grew anxious. ¡°What happened to Roxy?¡± Andy frowned slightly. ¡°Ms. Haynes¡­ was bullied by bad guys!¡± BOOM! When Ingrid heard him, it felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. She lost strength in her legs, and her bnce gave way, causing her to squat on the floor, ¡°Bullied by bad guys?¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t ept this. She turned to Bruce and shook his thigh crazily. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Roxy with you? How could she be bullied?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bruce choked regretfully and closed his eyes in heartache. ¡°Heavens! My Roxy! How could the heavens bear to let you suffer such a tragedy!¡± Ingrid pounded her chest and burst into tears. It was all over now. Roxanne was ruined. Her marriage with Bruce was going to bepletely crushed. When Shaun heard the news, he had a heart attack. Andy quickly supported him. ¡°Doctor! Come quickly!¡± Soon, Shaun was sent to the emergency room for urgent treatment. Seeing this, Bruce felt even more guilty. He hated himself to death. If he hadn¡¯t humiliated Roxanne, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been so sad that she ran out to drink. This tragedy wouldn¡¯t have happened if she hadn¡¯t gone out drinking. To make matters worse, he had missed the opportunity to save her due to his carelessness. ¡°Roxy! Hubby!¡± Ingrid pounded her chest and cried, unsure whether to worry about her husband or daughter. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 ¡°Mr. Everett, answer me. Didn¡¯t Roxy look for you yesterday?¡± ¡°I called her and asked. She said that she¡¯s with you, so I¡¯m relieved. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make her go home early!¡± ¡°How did this happen?¡± Ingrid cried until she was out of breath. She had carefully raised her daughter for so many years. She wanted her to marry into a wealthy family in the future. Now, all her hard work had been ruined. Bruce lowered his head in frustration and did not say a word. Andy quicklyforted Ingrid and handed her a few tissues. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, don¡¯t be too sad!¡± Ingrid took the tissues and wiped her snot. She cried her heart out. ¡°How could I not be sad when something like this happened to our ¡°Fate is too cruel. Why is fate so cruel to Roxy? What sins have our familymitted to deserve this? Unlucky things happen one after another!¡± ¡°This is a hospital. Please keep your voice down. There are still patients undergoing surgery!¡± The head nurse came over and said. When Ingrid heard her, she went from wailing to crying in a low voice. 40 minutester.. The door of the ward opened. The doctors and nurses walked out one after another. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient?¡± The doctor spoke seriously. ¡°The patient¡¯s external injuries are quite severe. It may be difficult for her to conceive in the future. Theceration has been sutured, and she has to stay in bed for the next few days.¡± ¡°Also, you need to pay more attention to the patient¡¯s mental health. It¡¯s best to find a psychiatrist to guide her¡­¡± The doctor continued to exin Roxanne¡¯s situation. Bruce could not bear to listen anymore. His heart was throbbing in pain. ¡®How did that happen?¡± How could such a tragedy happen right under his nose? In the ward. Roxanne was still unconscious and had an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. The bruises on her neck could be seen clearly. Bruce could not believe what kind of torture those hooligans had done to herst night. Bruce had been ming himself for the incident. He didn¡¯t know that before this, she had slept with Gavin. He also wasn¡¯t aware that she was the one who took the initiative to look for Gavin, so it led to a disaster. Ingrid caressed her daughter¡¯s face, her heart aching. Tears streamed down her face. 10 45 Sat, 24 Jun S ¡°Roxy, my dear daughter. How are you?¡± Roxanney quietly on the hospital bed without any response Bruce looked at Roxanne in turmoil. At noon. Roxanne finally woke up. However, although she had woken up, she seemed to have lost her soul. She was in a daze, and her eyes were soulless. No matter what Ingrid asked or said, she did not react. ¡°Roxy, say something to Mommy! You are my only daughter. Don¡¯t take things too hard!¡± ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t worry too much!¡± Bruce did not know how tofort her either. ¡°The patient is still weak, and her mental state is not good. It¡¯s best to let the patient rest more!¡± The doctor instructed again. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Bruce and Ingrid left the ward. Ingrid, who was crying, suddenly thought of something. She grabbed Bruce¡¯s tie and said, ¡°You are responsible for my daughter now that this has happened to her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because you didn¡¯t protect her well that she ended up like this!¡± Bruce sighed deeply. Because he med himself too much, he did not deny it and allowed Ingrid to make a scene. At this moment, Roxanne was probably the most vulnerable and neededfort the most. Therefore, he decided to make up for his mistake. He decided to give her a wedding and marry her as soon as possible. Soon. Joanna also learned that Roxanne and Shaun were hospitalized. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She rushed out of Irvin¡¯s ward to visit them. She arrived at the door of the ward on the second floor. She happened to see Bruce sitting there dejectedly. ¡°Bruce!¡± Joanna subconsciously called out to him. Bruce¡¯s expression was ice¨Ccold. There was no response at all. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and looked at Joanna with a hint of anger. ¡°Last night, Roxy was bullied by some bad guys!¡± Joanna was stunned. Bruce suddenly became a little agitated and criticized her. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°Me? Roxanne got bullied by some bad guys, and it became my fault?¡± ¡°Last night, I saw Roxy at the entrance of the bar, I saw her drunk!TM ¡°You were the one who said it couldn¡¯t be her! You were the one who rushed to the hospital to deler food to your son!¡± ¡°This tragedy could have been avoided. I could have saved her! I me myself. I regret it! I shouldn¡¯t have gone to youst night!¡± When Joanna heard this, she choked in anger. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m also heartbroken that something like this happened!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said I don¡¯t need you to send me to the hospital. But you insisted!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. After pondering for a few seconds, he said hatefully, ¡°I hate myself to death. If I hadn¡¯t heard you say she was an obedient girl and she wouldn¡¯t have been at the bar, I wouldn¡¯t have left.¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t thrown a tantrum and given me a hard time, I would have gotten out of the car to see her! This kind of tragedy wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± Joanna was even more speechless after hearing this. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re a weird man!¡± ¡°She¡¯s your sister. Don¡¯t you feel any heartache or regret for what happened to her?¡± ¡°What do I regret? I didn¡¯t cause this!¡± ¡°Joanna, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a heartless woman!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. You can say whatever you want!¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m here to see my father. It has nothing to do with you!¡± As she spoke, Joanna walked towards Shaun¡¯s ward! Ingrid heard their conversation and immediately rushed out of the Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Leaving Shaun¡¯s hospital room, Joanna¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly. Joanna hadn¡¯t wanted this to happen to Roxanne either, but she couldn¡¯t understand why she was being med Forget it. Joanna was disappointed and tired. Joanna would let those people think whatever they wanted! Anyway, she had a clear conscience and would not apologize to anyone. Joanna returned to Irvin¡¯s hospital room, regained herposure, and began to organize their things. Joanna really did not want to see this group of people again. She would feel crushed just being in close proximity to them. Joanna was going to transfer Irvin to another hospital, Irvin was still running a high fever, and his face was red. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Baby, you¡¯re awake? Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Joanna came to the head of the bed and gently touched her son¡¯s forehead. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m much better now!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a little choked up. Joanna helped Irvin change into his clothes. ¡°Be good, Irvin. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re leaving!¡± ¡°Mommy, didn¡¯t the doctor tell me to stay for two more days? I still feel a little unwell. I don¡¯t want to go to school!¡± Irvin pouted, whining. Joanna squeezed out a smile. She knew that her son did not want to go to school. ¡°I know that you¡¯re not feeling well. You don¡¯t have to go to school for another week. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to another hospital.¡± The Everett family owned this hospital, and Joanna did not want to stay any longer. Irvin¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. Since he did not have to go to school, Irvin felt it would be better to go home. At least he could spend more time with Lilia. ¡°Mommy, can I go home and rest?¡± ¡°No, the doctor said that your lungs are wet and you must be treated in the hospital. I will take you to a children¡¯s hospital.¡± ¡°Mommy, I think I¡¯ve recovered. It¡¯s better to go home and recuperate. I can even apany Lilia!¡± ¡°No.¡± Joanna refused decisively When Joanna finished packing up, Kelly had alsopleted the discharge procedures for Irvin. Joanna carried Irvin as Kelly took their things, and they prepared to leave the hospital. Joanna was carrying her son and had just reached the lobby when she bumped into Ingrid. ¡°You damn bitch. You¡¯ve caused Roxy to suffer so much. I¡¯m going to make sure you suffer too!¡± Ingrid screamed angrily and charged at Joanna like a mad woman. Still carrying Irvin, Joanna was not quick enough to avoid her Ingrid bumped into Joanna roughly. Joanna shouted and fell toward the staircase with Irvin still in her arms. The mother and son were about to fall. A pair of strong hands suddenly reached out from behind and supported Joanna and her son. Joanna was so scared that her heart was pounding Joanna couldn¡¯t imagine what would have happened if she had really fallen down the stairs. Joanna turned around and saw that it was Jaydon who had caught her. ¡°Jay, why are you here¡­ With a gloomy look, Jaydon sighed, ¡°I¡¯m here to see you and Irvin.¡± ¡°Let me carry Irvin,¡± Jaydon said, quickly taking Irvin from Joanna¡¯s arms. ¡°Mr. Grimm, you came at the right time! ¡°Your girlfriend is cheating on you and even seducing someone else¡¯s boyfriend. Keep her in check!¡± Ingrid stood with her hands on her hips, a scathing and arrogant look on her face.. Jaydon red at Ingrid. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± ¡°After doing something shameless, are you still afraid of others talking about it? ¡°Joanna Haynes, you slut. Your father said that he will hold a press conference next week. He will expel you from the Haynes family and sever his rtionship with you!¡± ¡°You bitch, don¡¯t say you¡¯re from the Haynes family ever again! The Haynes family doesn¡¯t have a shameless bitch like you! ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself a Haynes anymore. You¡¯re not worthy¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened, and she turned around, retorting, ¡°Myst name is Haynes, after my grandfather! Please tell Mr. Haynes I don¡¯t have a father like him either! ¡°Also, I will make apulsory acquisition of the Haynes Group shares that Mr. Haynes holds! The Haynes Group and I have nothing to do with the Haynes family anymore!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she was even more furious. Ingrid thought Joanna would feel humiliated after being expelled from the Haynes family. Ingrid had expected Joanna to lower her voice to protect her reputation. Unexpectedly, Joanna did not yearn to stay with the Haynes family and even wanted to kick Shaun out of the Haynes Group. ¡°You¡­ you unfilial daughter with wild ambitions! How did your father have a shameless daughter like you¡­.¡± Joanna turned around with a hint of rage in her eyes. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, since Mr. Haynes has severed ties with me, he is no longer my father! It¡¯s not your ce to criticize mel ¡°If you continue to insult me, I will protect my reputation through legal means! ¡°I will also pass the evidence of your son deliberately hurting my son to the police!¡± After saying that, Joanna stood upright and red at Ingrid coldly and furiously. Seeing this, Ingrid¡¯s aura immediately weakened. Ingrid was most afraid that her son would go to jail. Now that Shaun wanted to sever his rtionship with Joanna, she would naturally not show mercy to Derick and might send Derick to jail. ¡°You bitch, you have guts. We¡¯ll see who has thestugh!¡± Ingrid did not dare to stay any longer, quickly turning around and walking toward the wards. After Ingrid left, Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She felt a little dizzy and could not stand steadily. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jaydon quickly reached out and put an arm around Joanna Joanna leaned weakly in his arms. Joanna was about to have a rpse again. She had already taken her medicine in the morning now that she was agitated, she couldn¡¯t control her depression. ¡°Jay, please take me home. I don¡¯t want to stay here¡­¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Jaydon carried Irvin on one arm, hugged Joanna with his other arm, and hurried toward the hospital entrance. Joanna could no longer control her emotions. She bit her tongue hard and tried her best to stay alert. Joanna¡¯s illness was getting worse. She now had to take her medication every day, and her dosage was increasing too. On the second floor, Bruce watched this scene gloomily. Bruce watched as Joanna was snuggled tightly in Jaydon¡¯s arms, looking like she was deeply attached to him. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Bruce felt a surge of jealousy to his bones. In the end, Joanna still ignored what he had said. Or perhaps, Bruce was overthinking things. Maybe Joanna had stopped loving him a long time ago. Maybe, Bruce was the only one thinking that Joanna still loved him. ¡°Joanna Haynes¡­¡± Bruce said her name in a low voice and closed his eyes tightly. Jaydon and Joanna had just stepped out of the hospital when Joanna rushed to the flower bed by the side and vomited. In the past, when she felt sick, Joanna would always lock herself in the bathroom. Jaydon hurriedly handed Irvin to Kelly and ran over to take a look. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna Haynes lost control of his emotions, letting out a heart¨Cwrenching sob and throwing herself into Jaydon¡¯s arms. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. Everything will pass.¡± Jaydon hugged Joanna tightly and patted her hair tofort her. Joanna sobbed, letting out heart¨Cwrenching cries. This was the first time Joanna had been so hysterical in front of Jaydon. She hadpletely lost control of her emotions. Jaydon¡¯s heart ached even more, and his eyes had also turned red. ¡°Cry if you want to. You¡¯ll feel better if you cry.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Irvin was also scared out of his wits and looked on helplessly. ¡°Kelly, take Irvin home. Don¡¯t scare him. I¡¯ll stay here with Joann.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Grimm!¡± Irvin also started crying. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t be sad.¡± Jaydon quicklyforted Irvin. ¡°Irvin, be good. Go back with Miss Kelly first. I¡¯ll stay with Mommy, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Irvin nodded obediently. Kelly then carried Irvin and took a taxi back. Jaydon continued hugging Joanna. Some passersby also stopped to watch themotion. ¡°It¡¯s alright. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m miserable. I can¡¯t take it anymore! Why¡­ why was I born into such a family?¡± Joanna sobbed. Jaydon frowned. ¡°I know. I know everything! I¡¯ve told you many times that you don¡¯t have to put up with it if you can¡¯t. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± When Joanna heard this, she hugged Jaydon¡¯s waist tightly and buried herself in his arms, crying even harder. At this moment, Joanna just needed someone tofort her and a shoulder to lean on. Joanna knew that Jaydon had never been hers and that she should not have selfishly asked him to be exclusive. But now, Joanna couldn¡¯t care less. She just wanted to have someone she could rely on. In Shaun¡¯s ward, Ingrid was still cursing, ¡°Honey, your daughter said that she wants to make a own! ¡°Look, it¡¯s our family¡¯s misfortune to have such a daughter!¡± Shaun was so angry that his chest ached, and he breathed heavily, saying, ¡°Enough. We¡¯ll hold a press conference next week. I¡¯llpletely cut ties with her this time! ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t want to acknowledge me as her father, I don¡¯t want to acknowledge her as my daughter anymore!¡± Ingrid gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You should have severed your rtionship with her long ago¡­¡± Before ingrid could finish her sentence, a shrill cry came from the ward next door. It sounded like Roxanne. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s Roxy. Oh my god, let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± Ingrid panicked and rushed out of the ward to Roxanne¡¯s ward. 10:45 Sat, 24 Jun Shaun also hurriedly pulled out the V drip in his arm and ran over barefooted. They pushed open the door and saw Roxanne howling like she was possessed, shouting agitale ¡°Rory, what¡¯s happening?¡± Seeing that someone was there, Roxanne ran to the staircase window like she was crazy and looked like she wanted to jump out. Ingrid and Shaun were scared out of their wits. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t jump. If you jump, what will I do? Ingrid cried. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Roxanne screamed hysterically, subconsciously looking down at the height of the building. This was the third floor. If Roxanne jumped, even if she didn¡¯t die, she would probably be crippled. Roxanne thought she should stall for time and wait for the people downstairs to finish setting up the intable pads before jumping Roxanne had been taken advantage of by a few hooligans. Although she felt hurt and tormented, she had long been used to messing around with Gavin. The only difference between being touched by one or five men was the numbers. Although Roxanne felt tormented, it was not to the point where she wanted to die. Roxanne was merely taking a gamble. Roxanne was betting on how guilty Bruce was feeling Roxanne was betting on whether Bruce would sympathize with her and forgive her because of guilt! As long as Bruce felt guilty, there was still hope for her to marry into the Everett family. Bruce heard themotion and rushed over. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be rash!¡± ¡°Don¡¯te over! Don¡¯te over!¡± ¡°Roxy, listen to me ande back down! Don¡¯t be rash!¡± Bruce looked nervous and tried to approach her. ¡°Don¡¯te over! If you do, I¡¯ll jump!¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t go over. Roxy, don¡¯t be rash. Come down, and we can talk about it.¡± Roxanne covered her head with her hands and shook her head frantically as her tears sshed everywhere. ¡°I don¡¯t have the face to live anymore. I don¡¯t want to live anymore! Bruce, I¡¯m no longer worthy of you. I hope you and Joanna will be happy together!¡± As Roxanne spoke, she turned as if to climb onto the windowsill. ¡°No! Roxy, don¡¯t¡­¡± Ingrid and Shaun screamed in fear. Bruce rushed forward and grabbed the corner of Roxanne¡¯s shirt. Then, Bruce dragged her off the windowsill and hugged Roxanne tightly. ¡°Let go of me and let me die¡­¡± ¡°Roxy, I won¡¯t allow you to jump!¡± Bruce felt guilty and med himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t protect you well. Please give me a chance to make it up to you. I won¡¯t turn my back on you! ¡°I still love you. Our wedding will be held as scheduled!¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 When Roxanne heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief! It seemed like she had won the bet. As expected, Bruce did feel guilty about it. In other words, there was still hope for her to marry into the Everett family. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t pity me. I know you¡¯re pitying me! I¡¯m not clean anymore. I don¡¯t deserve you anymore!¡± ¡°Please, just let me die! I really don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± Roxanne said as she tried to bang her head against the wall. Bruce hugged her tightly andforted her. ¡°What are you talking about? Everyone is heartbroken that something like this happened! ¡°You have to be stronger and braver. It¡¯s easy to die, but it takes more courage to live!¡± ¡°For me, for your parents, you have to stay alive!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she cried even harder and looked like she was devastated. ¡°Bruce, I despise myself even if you don¡¯t despise me. I can¡¯t live with my impure self anymore. Just let me die¡­¡± ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t say such things again! No matter what you be, I¡­ will always love you!¡± Bruce said these words clearly tofort Roxanne! However, the image of Joanna involuntarily appeared in his mind! However, something like this happened to Roxanne. As a man, he could not shirk his responsibility. In any case, he had to make up to her, more to make up for his own guilt! Roxanne looked at Bruce with teary eyes. ¡°Bruce, do you really not despise me? Do you really not despise me for being dirty?¡± ¡°My first time has been ruined. Boohoo¡­¡± As Roxanne spoke, she choked and could hardly breathe. A It seemed that she was really heartbroken to the extreme! Her first time was long gone! Gavin had already fed her until she became a ¡°sophisticateddy¡± who could not live without men. However, her acting skills were really amazing. Anyone who saw it would believe it! Although this incident was a heavy lesson for Roxanne, it was also good. She no longer needed to pretend to be an innocent girl in the future! Bruce¡¯s heart was filled with guilt and pain. He gently stroked her head. ¡°¡­How can that be? In this day and age, no one cares about these things!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one of those old¨Cfashioned men. I¡¯m not gonna think less of you for this. Promise me you won¡¯t do anything stupid again!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief! As long as Roxafine could still marry into the Everett family, everything would not be too bad! ¡°Rory, don¡¯t do anything stupid. If you do something stupid, our family won¡¯t be able to survive! ¡°Bruce, you must fulfill your promise and not let my Roxy down again! ¡°Otherwise, if my daughter dies, I won¡¯t live anymore! After I die, I¡¯ll definitely turn into a malicious ghost and take revenge on you every night!¡± Shaun frowned and said angrily, ¡°Oh, what are you talking about!¡± ¡°Come on! Everyone is watching the show. Let¡¯s not embarrass ourselves anymore!¡± 1046 Chapter 138. When Bruce heard this, he carried Roxanne horizontally and carefully carried her back to the ward! After returning to the ward! Ingrid still looked worried. ¡°Roxy¡¯s reputation is on the line, and word must not get out!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and said gloomily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve already got someone to teach those bad guys who bullied Roxy a lesson!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rm the police about this matter! I¡¯ll also think of a way to suppress the media and not let this matter spread!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good! That¡¯s good! After Roxy recovers, you and Roxy should get married as soon as possible!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t wait to urge them to get married again! Alright!¡± Bruce frowned and agreed! However, his heart was filled with mixed feelings and an indescribable heaviness! Roxanne secretly nced at Bruce¡¯s expression. Seeing his reluctant expression, she immediately cried again. ¡°Boohoo¡­ Bruce, don¡¯t marry me just because you pity me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to pity me like this. I¡¯d rather die than put you in such a difficult position.¡± Bruce took another deep breath and said guiltily, ¡°Silly girl, how could that be? It¡¯s my fault for not being able to protect you well!¡± ¡°It¡¯s also my fault for not getting there in time to save you! That¡¯s why this tragedy happened! I hope this matter can be over soon. You should also get out of the trauma as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Oh¡­!¡± Roxanne could only cry non¨Cstop! ¡°Bruce, you will have tofort Roxy during this period of time! You must take more time to keep Roxy company!¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that she might do something stupid!¡± Bruce adjusted his expression and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I will!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she felt relieved. ¡°Then you two can have a private conversation. Her father and I will go out first!¡± As she spoke, Ingrid quickly gave Shaun a look. Shaun sighed helplessly. ¡°Take care, you guys. Don¡¯t do anything stupid again!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Give Bruce and Roxy some privacy!¡± After Ingrid finished speaking, she supported Shaun and hurried out of the ward! After leaving the ward. Shaun still had a mncholic look on his face. ¡°With such a thing happening to Roxy, why don¡¯t we cancel the marriage¡­¡± SEND GIFT Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡°What did you say?¡± Ingrid¡¯s voice suddenly rose a lot. Shaun frowned and said earnestly, ¡°I said now that something like this has happened to Roxy, it¡¯s better to cancel the marriage with the Everett family¡± Ingrid looked shocked and surprised. ¡°Excuse me? Are you out of your mind? Roxy is already so unlucky, and you¡¯re still asking her to break off the engagement? ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re thinking? Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± Shaun heaved a long sigh and said with heartache, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for Roxy¡¯s own good! Roxy¡­ Even if she finally managed to marry into the Everett family, she won¡¯t be happy! ¡°Instead of suffering for the rest of her life, it¡¯s better to stop her losses now. Better a finger off than always aching!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she waspletely angry. She stretched out her hand and poked Shaun¡¯s head. ¡°What do you mean by that? You want Roxy to give the opportunity to that damn bitch Joanna, right? ¡°You¡¯re still saying that you¡¯re not biased toward her. You¡¯re biased toward that damn bitch!¡± Shaun also stomped his feet anxiously. ¡°Of course not! My heart aches for Roxy, so I don¡¯t want her to marry into the Everett family again! Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If Mr. Everett really loves Roxy, he would have married her long ago! He wouldn¡¯t have dyed it until now! ¡°Now that such a thing has happened to Roxy, even if she seeded in marrying into the Everett family, she will bepromising and will not be able to be happy! ¡°I¡¯d rather she find a man who truly loves her, even if hees from a slightly lower¨Css family!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face darkened as she cried out, ¡°Forget it! Roxy must marry into the Everett family in this lifetime! Even if she dies, she must be a ghost of the Everett family! ¡°She¡¯s already unlucky enough now that something like this has happened to her! If she¡¯s abandoned by the Everett family again, how can she live?¡± ¡°Oh, you women are just short¨Csighted! Do whatever you want. I don¡¯t want to talk nonsense with you¡­¡± Shaun could tell that Bruce did not love Roxanne anymore. Now that something like this had happened to Roxanne, it was even more impossible for Bruce to truly love Roxanne! Even if they got married forcibly, their marriage would notst long. Ingrid was still cursing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk so much nonsense with you. Don¡¯t go against me on this matter! ¡°Also, hold a press conference next week to announce that you will sever your father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Joanna. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t been hooking up with Bruce, Roxy wouldn¡¯t have been heartbroken and wouldn¡¯t have gone out to drink! ¡°In the end, this matter is all because of that slut Joanna!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± On the other side. Kelly brought Irvin home. ¡°Irvin, you¡¯re back!¡± Lilia asked with concern. ¡°Lilia, I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Davian?¡± ¡°Mommy asked Miranda to send Davian to Venturas!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Irvin forced a smile. When he saw his mommy crying so sadly just now, he knew that she must be upset! However, he was still young and did not know how to protect his mommy. He could only be more obedient and try not to make his mommy worried. ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy? Why didn¡¯t shee back with you?¡± ¡°Oh, Mommy is with Mr. Grimm!¡± Hearing that, Lilia stopped asking! She knew that her mommy was very busy and hardworking. Her mother had to earn money to support her and her brothers and to treat her illness. Hence, the three children were very sensible. Each of them exuded an early maturity that did not match their ages. An hourter. Under Jaydon¡¯sfort, Joanna¡¯s emotions gradually calmed down! ¡°I¡¯ll send you back!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t say anything else and drove Joanna home! ¡°Irvin, Lilia, Mommy is back!¡± Joanna entered the house and pretended to be rxed and casual. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Looking at their mommy¡¯s red and swollen eyes, the two kids were terrifyingly quiet! ¡°Mommy is fine. You two be good!¡± Irvin stammered, ¡°Mommy, I want to stay at home to recuperate. I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital anymore!¡± Joanna looked at Irvin and found that he was in good spirits. And now that the doctor had prescribed medicine, he should be fine. ¡°Alright then! You need to rest well at home!¡± ¡°Okay, I know!¡± ¡°Joann, Irvin, I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s all my fault! I feel extremely guilty for causing so much damage to Irvin!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s hot your fault!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, when I recover, I¡¯ll continue to make guest appearances for you!¡± ¡°Alright, I will definitely wait for you!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Irvin, lie on the bed and rest well! Don¡¯t run around, okay?¡± ¡°Got it, Mommy!¡± Kelly brought Irvin back to his room to rest! Only Jaydon and Joanna were left in the living room! ¡°Joann¡­¡± Jaydon hesitated! ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. Call me if you need anything. I¡¯m always there!¡± ¡°Well, thank you, Jay!¡± Jaydon wrapped his arms around her shoulders and looked at her gently. ¡°You¡¯re always so polite to me, impossible for me to take another step forward!¡± Joanna lowered her eyes and said in a daze, ¡°No, I¡­ don¡¯t know how to tell you!¡± ¡°Just say what you want to say. I¡¯m listening!¡± ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about it!¡± Joanna swallowed her words again! She wanted to tell Jaydon not to get too close to her! She knew Bruce¡¯s personality. He was very sinister and ruthless. She was afraid that he would hurt Jaydon! However, Jaydon was so good to her! She really could not say these words, even if it was out of kindness! making our rtionship so distant. It¡¯s ¡°Jay, I¡­ I was afraid that something bad would happen to you!¡± Joanna said as she looked at Jaydon with red and swollen eyes. She was really afraid that she would bring him trouble and disaster! Jaydon stared at Joanna quietly and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Jay, how about¡­¡± Jaydon knew what she wanted to say and gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I know!¡± After saying that, Jaydon was still a little disappointed! He probably couldn¡¯tpete with Bruce! It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t outstanding, but his opponent was too strong! In the next few days, Joanna began to devote herself to her busy work again! She did not want to stop. Only by making herself turn like a machine would she not have the energy to think about those annoying things! And once it stopped, those annoying and unhappy things would engulf her, leaving her nowhere to escape! Monday. Under Ingrid¡¯s coercion and urging, Shaun really held a press conference! ¡°From today onward, I officially announce that I have severed my father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Joanna Haynes!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes will be chased out of the Haynes family. From now on, she is no longer the Haynes family¡¯s girl¡­¡± This news instantly shocked all the reporters present! ¡°Mr. Haynes, may I ask why you chase your daughter out of the house?¡± Shaun said coldly, ¡°From now on, Joanna Haynes has nothing to do with me! As for the exact reason, it¡¯s not convenient to reveal! ¡°This is the end of the press conference. I will never bring up Ms. Haynes in front of the public again!¡± Shaun directly addressed Joanna as Ms. Haynes, which made it even more obvious that he was determined to sever his father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Joanna! It also aroused everyone¡¯s curiosity! In an instant, Joanna had been pushed to the center of attention again! There were all kinds of guesses and criticisms! In less than an hour, the shocking news blew up all the major online tforms! ¡°Miss Haynes has been expelled from the family. The father and the daughter have broken up!¡± ¡°Chairwoman of the Haynes Group¡¯speting drama!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes has been expelled from the Haynes family. She is a sinner for all eternity!¡± ¡°After being kicked out of the Everett family, she was also kicked out by the Haynes family!¡± All sorts of negative headlines exploded like bombs, turning Joanna into dust!! Some of the good reviews she had worked so hard to get back were turned to ashes after Shaun broke off his father daughter rtionship with her! Shaun was like a heavy punch that hit Joanna¡¯s heart heavily! She had thought that her father was just saying it out of anger! However, she never expected that her father would really hold a press conference to cut ties with her! Moreover, he pushed her back to the center of attention! In the office, Joanna looked at the overwhelming curses on the Inte and the coldness on Shaun¡¯s face when he addressed her as ¡°Ms. Haynes¡± at the press conference. What filled Joanna¡¯s heart was not pain, but numbness and coldness! Sure enough! The wound from the closest people hurt the most. That was because they knew where to stab to make it hurt the most! Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Inside thepany. ¡°Oh my god, look, Mr. Haynes has cut ties with Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard that it was because Miss Haynes always hooked up with Mr. Everett, which angered Mr. Haynes!¡± ¡°What a mess this rich family is in! Since Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett are divorced, why do they have to get involved with each other?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! They¡¯re a family. Why must they make it such a disgrace!¡± ¡°If you ask me, none of them are good people. They¡¯re all responsible for it!¡± ¡°However, the fact that Mr. Haynes is so determined to sever his father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Miss Haynes showed that Miss Haynes has indeed broken Mr. Haynes¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Haynes has already announced that she would kick Mr. Haynes out of the board of directors. How ruthless this is!¡± ¡°No wonder they broke off their father¨Cdaughter rtionship!¡± The employees of thepany were also shocked by this news, During lunch, they gathered in groups of three to five and whispered to each other! These days, Bruce felt terrible about what happened to Roxanne, so he had always been at the hospital with Roxanne! And the ambiguous rtionship between Joanna and Jaydon made him even angrier! He decided to take advantage of this wind to ruthlessly dampen the spirits of Joanna and Jaydon! Oh, women! They shouldn¡¯t be allowed to have a career. Once they had a career, their wings would really grow! In the past, when Joanna was not the chairwoman of the Haynes Group, she was so humble and Now that she had be the chairwoman of the Haynes Group, she was more capable and dared to stand up to him. She no longer took him seriously and even ignored him! Only by destroying her career and cutting off her wings would her pride and confidence bepletely destroyed! He was sure that she woulde to beg him dejectedly at that time! In the office of the Haynes Group! Joanna was in a daze when there was a knock on the door! ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°Come in! ¡°Miss Haynes!¡± Cora walked in with a stack of documents! ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The factory in Mossbourne is settled. We can sign the contract tomorrow!¡± ¡°Here are the printed contracts and documents!¡± Joanna put on her sses, took the documents, and started to read them. ¡°Oh, I got it! Do the preparations tonight. We¡¯ll go to Porash tomorrow!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± Cora hesitated. Joanna raised her head and looked at Cora steadily. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Have you seen the negative news online?¡± Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. She said coldly, ¡°Ignore them. Do what you have to do!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Cora adjusted her expression and said worriedly, ¡°However, the negative impact of this incident on the Haynes Group is great now! Do you think it¡¯s better to postpone the matter of building a factory in Mossbourne?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group seem to be wavering now! They¡¯re not rushing the supply anymore. I¡¯m worried that something bad will happen!¡± Joanna continued to read the contract and asked casually, ¡°Something bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if they cancel the order after the factory in Mossbourne is built, the Haynes Group will lose more than it gains.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s build the factory in Mossbourne first. This is to open up the market of Mossbourne in the future! Even without the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group, the factory in Mossbourne will be built sooner orter!¡± ¡°After the factory is built, we still have to develop other businesses!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The next day! Joanna brought Cora and two marketing managers to Mossbourne to sign the contract! The factory had been taken over! The total investment in various equipment plus the construction of the nt and rent, etc., was over 14 million dors! Because Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger did not support building a factory in Mossbourne, the factory investor in Mossbourne was Joanna alone. This factory was originally a foundry. Therefore, it only needed simple maintenance and imported production machines from abroad to maintain operations! Just like that, more than half a month passed! Joanna was still busy every day. Fortunately, Bruce did note to pester her again. Although her days were busy and burdensome, she could still handle it! On this day, Joanna had just arrived at thepany and had yet to enter the office! Cora came over with a shocked expression. ¡°Miss Haynes, something bad has happened!¡± Seeing Cora¡¯s pale face, Joanna¡¯s heart sank. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°As expected, the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group canceled 80% of the order!¡± ¡°What?¡± Upon hearing this news, Joanna¡¯s eyes widened as if she had been struck by lightning! After all, she had built a factory in Mossbourne and had already invested a lot of money. It was also because she had the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group¡¯s orders that she was more confident. But now that the twopanies had canceled 80% of their orders, the factory in Greyport alone could do it. There was no need to build a factory in Mossbourne at all. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°They said that there were too many negative impacts from the Haynes Group. They were afraid that we won¡¯t be able to rush out the supply. Therefore, they canceled 80% of the orders and continued to cooperate with the Everett Group!¡± Upin hearing this news, Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she weakly fell onto the chair! Needless to say, it was Bruce who was behind this! If he did not put pressure on the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group, they would not be willing to bear the penalty to cancel the Haynes Group¡¯s orders! It had to be said that this move of his was really ruthless and sinister! Taking advantage of the fact that she had invested arge amount of money into the factory in Mossbourne, they canceled the orders! This double blow directly made it difficult for Joanna to move forward! If the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group had canceled their orders earlier, she might not have opened a factory in Mossbourne and invested so much money! ¡°Oh¡­¡± Joannaughed speechlessly! She knew that Bruce would not let her have an easy time! This was only the beginning. She did not know what was waiting for her behind! She wondered how he would deal with Jaydon! Seeing Joanna¡¯s cold smile, Cora looked even more worried. ¡°Miss Haynes, how can you still smile?¡± Joannaughed coldly. Her heart was like dead ashes as she said, ¡°What else can I do? Can crying help?¡± ¡°Should we think of a way? We can¡¯t just sit back and wait for death!¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her chair in a daze. ¡°What else can we do?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ go and beg Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Come on¡­¡± Joanna sneered in disdain again! At this moment, Bruce was probablyughing secretly! He had only used some tricks, and she was in such a difficult position. It was as if he had hit her in her weakest spot! His goal was to wait for her to beg him. Things didn¡¯t work out on Joanna¡¯s side! Jaydon was also having a hard time! His new movie was stuck. The movie could not pass the audition, so it could not be released! With an investment of over 20 million dors, if the movie could not be released, the money would be wasted! After thinking about it, Joanna still took out her phone and called Bruce! IVIUIT, 2U JUIT He could deal with her, but not Jaydon! There was a buzz. Bruce¡¯s phone started vibrating. Bruce took the phone and saw that the call was from Joanna! ¡°Okay, this damn woman finally can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± For the past month, he had been resisting the urge to call her or look for her! Unexpectedly, she had never called him once! She only remembered to call him when she needed to beg him! Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°What is it? Say it!¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly, pretending to be dark. Joanna paused for a moment and mustered her courage. ¡°Do you have time?¡± ¡°Why? Are you asking me out?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, are you free? Can we meet?¡± When Bruce heard this, his Adam¡¯s apple moved. This month, he had missed her so much that he had gone crazy. However, in order to take care of Roxanne, and jealousy of Jaydon at the same time, he endured it and didn¡¯t go to see her! This damn woman didn¡¯t even send him a message! She wanted to talk to him now, but he was not going to agree to meet her that easily. He knew that she was begging him for thepany! ¡°I¡¯m very busy. My schedule is fully booked until next month!¡± ¡°Just a meal. It won¡¯t take long!¡± Joanna tried her best to sound calm, but her heart was already filled with anger. ¡°Well, forget about eating! If there¡¯s anything else, I might consider it!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯m looking for you to talk to you about thepany¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m even less interested in talking about work!¡± ¡°However, if you say that you miss me, I might consider meeting you!¡± 3 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The moment Joanna Haynes heard that, her rage hit the roof! ¡°Bruce Everett, what is your problem?¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯re the one who called to ask me out, not the other way round!¡± ¡°With this attitude, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s even a need for us to meet!¡± With that, Bruce hung up on Joanna. He was confident. He was very confident that Joanna would call him again. ¡°Hello, hello¡­¡± Joanna said a few times in exasperation. However, all she could hear was a beep signaling that the line was busy. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone vibrated again. After Bruce had hung up, Joanna was so angry that her face turned purple. She immediately dialed his number again. Seeing that Joanna had called him again, Bruce pursed his lips and smiled. He knew that she would call again. Beep, beep, beep! His phone kept vibrating but he purposely All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. hose not to pick up her call. He wanted to keep her in suspense Soon after¡­ A familiar tone came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavable¡­¡± Joanna brushed away the stray hair on her forehead before sending a text to Bruce. ¡°Answer the phone right now, I have something to ask you!¡± Bruce looked at the text from Joanna and a hint of mockery appeared on his handsome face. He could tell that she was anxious! As long as she was anxious, she would start panicking. When that happens, it would be too easy for him to deal with her. Beep, beep, beep! Joanna¡¯s third call came quickly! After his phone vibrated for a while, Bruce slowly picked up the call just as the call was about to end. ¡°Hello! Speak!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and tried hous best to suppress her anger as she asked, ¡°Bruce Everett, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean? What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Where are you now? I need to see you!¡± Joanna¡¯s tone sounded cold. Bruce chuckled and replied mockingly with ¡°Dolb to see you just because you need to see me?¡± ¡°Who do you think you are that I have to listen to you?¡± ¡°Alright fine, we can talk over the phone!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group? Don¡¯t you think that what you did is despicable?¡± Bruce snorted before saying, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not interested in talking about work!¡± ¡°If you want to talk about work, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that pain shot through her heart. Her hand that was holding the phone was trembling! ¡°Bruce Everett, can you not be like ¡°Then what do you want me to do? Hmm¡± Bruce¡¯s nasal voice was very heavy and he sounded amorous. ¡°I need to meet you!¡± ¡°Give me a reason why I should meet you!¡± ¡°I just need to meet you, there is no other reason!¡± Bruce smiled yfully as he answered, ¡°Perhaps I can consider meeting you if you change the word ¡®need¡¯ to ¡®want¡±!¡± Joanna exhaled and suppressed her anger. ¡°¡­ I want to see you!¡± ¡°How much do you want it? Hmm?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone carried a hint of teasing. His teasing was extremely infuriating. Joanna could no longer suppress her anger as she scolded, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Yes, what a clever girl! You even know that I¡¯m crazy!¡± Joanna¡¯s patience haspletely worn out. ¡°Are you going to meet me or not? If not, then forget it!¡± ¡°Is this the attitude of a person wanting to meet another?¡± ¡°Who knows, I might agree to meet you if you asked me in a nicer and gentler tone.¡± Joanna closed her eyes and calmed down for a few seconds. She tried to make her voice as gentle as possible. ¡°Mr. Everett, I want to see you. Is that okay?¡± On the other end of the phone, Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a smile. However, his tone was abnormally cold and devoid of any emotion. ¡°Come to my office at three in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Can we go somewhere else?¡± Joanna asked as she didn¡¯t really want to go to his office. She wanted to meet him in a public ce. If they met alone, being the vile bas ta rd that he is, he would definitely ¡°force¡± her again. ¡°No, if you want to meet me, you¡¯ll have toe to my office!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you from 3 pm to 3.30 pm. I only have half an hour for you. If you don¡¯te, you won¡¯t even get half an hour!¡± When Joanna heard that, she gritted her teeth in anger! This da mn bas ta rd was really evil! ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be there at three in the afternoon)¡± Bruce¡¯s smile deepened as he replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± After that, he hung up. Bruce felt inexplicably excited, and he could feel his blood burning with anticipation. They had not seen each other for a month. His body missed her more than his heart! It was finally three o¡¯clock in the afternoon! Joanna arrived at the Everett Group on time. The front desk manager quickly greeted her, ¡°Hello! Do you have an appointment?¡± Joanna tried her best to suppress her emotions as she replied, ¡°I have an appointment with Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Alright, this way please!¡± The front desk manager led Joanna to the elevator with a professional smile. After that, he swiped the elevator card to bring her straight to the floor where Bruce¡¯s office is. ¡°Ms. Haynes, pleasee in!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Joanna replied before walking into the elevator. Half a minuteter! The elevator arrived at the floor where Bruce was. The front desk manager brought Joanna to the secretary¡¯s desk on that floor. Andy was already waiting. When he saw Joanna, he immediately smiled and greeted her, ¡°Hello, Ms. Haynes!¡± ¡°Please follow me!¡± With that, Andy personally led Joanna to Bruce¡¯s office. Three minutester. The two of them arrived at the door of Bruce¡¯s office. Andy led Joanna in and they took a turn past the fitness area before arriving at the administrative office. ¡°Mr. Everett is in the office. You can go in yourself, Ms. Haynes!¡± ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± Andy smiled before taking his leave. Joanna took a nce! This office didn¡¯t look like an office at all. It was ridiculously big and there was even a mini golf course. Although she had been involved with Bruce for many years, this was the first time she had been inside his office! Joanna opened the door with a creak and walked in! The office was huge! It felt like she couldn¡¯t see the end of it from where she was. Joanna walked quite a few steps inside. Suddenly, Bruce¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°Coming!¡± He had been watching her through the surveince camera from the moment she entered thepany to his officet ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna replied. She looked inside and saw Bruce behind the long desk. He had his legs on the desk and waszily leaning against the swivel chair as he sized her up with a faint smile! Joanna was dressed professionally today. She was in a white blouse, suit, and trousers, She wore ck framed sses with her hair casually sc att ered, She did not put on any make-up, not even lip gloss. However, she was naturally beautiful. Even if she deliberately dressed up professionally, it could not hide her beauty. ¡°Have a seat!¡± Bruce looked straight at her with a smirk, He did not like her old-fashioned dressing, Every time they met alone, she would wear a ck and white business suit. She was cold and involuntarily distanced herself from him. On the other hand, when she went to meet Jaydon Grimm, she would always dress up meticulously and look more feminine. This made Bruce even more displeased. Joanna did not sit down but said bluntly, ¡°Bruce Everett, what exactly do you want?¡± Bruce shifted his legs off the table and raised his eyebrow slightly as he replied, ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Joanna¡¯s face was tense with a hint of anger. ¡°Skywinds and Neorace canceled their orders with the Haynes Group. You¡¯re behind this, aren¡¯t you?¡± When Bruce heard this, he paused for a few seconds before standing up from his chair. ¡°Heh, you said it yourself. It¡¯s a fairpetition!¡± ¡°Besides, Skywinds and Neorance were originally working with the Everett Group!¡± ¡°You were the one who maliciously lowered the price and poached them. You were the one who spoiled the market!¡±, ¡°Unfortunately for you, they¡¯re back now.¡± Bruce suppressed the smugness in his heart and deliberately pretended to be nonchnt, He got up and went to the wine cab to pour two sses of red wine. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t you do something earlier? Why did you wait for me to build the factory in Mossbourne before making them cancel the order?¡± Bruce held up the two sses of red wine and walked towards Joanna. ¡°Heh, so what do you n to do? Have you discussed it with me?¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, do you know how despicable you are?¡± Bruce handed one of the sses of red wine to Joanna and said teasingly, ¡°Yes, I do. Have a ss of red wine. Don¡¯t be so angry!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a month and you¡¯re so angry! Looks like you need someone to help you get rid of the fire!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Joanna took two steps back and did not take the wine he offered. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t touch you!¡± ¡°You want to see me so badly, right? What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Are you only here to question me?¡± Bruce¡¯s mocking smile deepened. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Joanna Haynes took a deep breath. It was as though her eyes were shooting mes as she pleaded, ¡°Can you not suppress the Haynes Group covertly?¡± ¡°What are you saying? We¡¯re all businessmen here so there¡¯s no such thing as suppression!¡± ¡°Besides, you said it yourself. It¡¯s the client¡¯s freedom to choose who they want to work with!¡± ¡°Therefore, you should be questioning the Skywinds and Neorace Groups instead, not me!¡± When Joanna heard this, she choked in anger. ¡°Alright! Fine! You win! I¡¯m done!¡± After swirling the wine ss a few times, Bruce Everett gently took a sip of the red wine. He smiled wickedly at Joanna! He has been doing business since he was fifteen years old. After so many years, he had long been honed into a cun ning businessman! It was simply foolish of her to think that she could go against him. She really overestimated herself! He could suffocate her with just a pinch of his fingers! ¡°This red wine is not bad. Have a taste!¡± Bruce said as he passed the red wine in his hand to Joanna again. Joanna was not in the mood for any wine. She took two deep breaths and voiced out angrily, ¡°Bruce Everett, you can do whatever you want to me! But please don¡¯t involve any others!¡± Bruce looked up and knew that she was referring to Jaydon Grimm. ¡°Who else did I involve?¡± As he spoke, Bruce ced the wine ss on the table before he subconsciously loosened his tie. Joanna sneered as she remarked, ¡°Someone reported Jay¡¯s filmpany for tax evasion. You sent someone to instigate it, right?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrow and retorted coldly, ¡°Hmph, do you think that I¡¯m that bored?¡± Was there a need to ask? Other than him, there was no one else! ¡°Also, you were the one who sabotaged the film that Jay was working on so that it couldn¡¯t be screened, right?¡± Joanna knew Bruce¡¯s personality too well! He could not stand anyone who offended him or went against him. Anyone who does that would not be able to survive in Greyport. He would use various vicious methods to take down and take revenge on his opponents or enemies. ¡°Hehe, what evidence do you have?¡± When Joanna heard this, she retorted in contempt, ¡°Evidence? What evidence do I still need?¡± A normal person wouldn¡¯t dare to touch someone like Jaydon Grimm! Other than Bruce Everett, there was no way it could be anyone else. ¡°Of course. Evidence is important in everything! You can¡¯t fabricate something out of thin air, can you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a good citizen who follows thew. I¡¯ve never done anything illicit!¡± As he spoke, his pupils constricted as he subconsciously approached her. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the red wine or something else, but his tower abdomen was burning and his heart was beating faster as well. Joanna had yet to realize the change in his demeanor. She chuckled coldly as she responded, ¡°Bruce Everett, this is between the two of us so do not involve anyone else! I¡¯d advise you to stop while you¡¯re ahead and not go overboard!¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart ached slightly. He gritted his teeth and scorned, ¡°Did youe here today to tell me this?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna raised her head haughtily. ¡°You can do anything you want to me, but don¡¯t take your anger out on Jay. He doesn¡¯t know anything at all. What you¡¯re doing is too despicable!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened as he asserted viciously, ¡°Joanna Haynes, I¡¯ve told you before! I told you to keep a distance from him. Did you listen to me?¡± ¡°This is the price of your disobedience!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a dog or a cat, and you¡¯re definitely not my owner! Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°Fine, there¡¯s no point talking anymore!¡± As Bruce spoke, he suddenly stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her slender waist, wrapping her tightly in his arms. ¡°Ah, what are you doing?¡± Joanna cried out in fear. When she realized what was happening, it was already toote as she was already trapped in his arms. Bruce frowned slightly and his breathing became heavy. ¡°What am I doing? Why don¡¯t you tell me that?¡± With that, Bruce held onto her slender waist and suddenly carried her up. ¡°Ah¨C¡± ¡°Let go of me, don¡¯t do anything rash¡­¡± What a pity it was for her! It was as though she had entered a lion¡¯s den. It would not be so easy for her to get out safely! Soon after, Bruce pressed her onto the sofa! His fierce kisses swept over her from all directions. He had just drunk red wine so his mouth had the faint taste of red wine! Joanna was still suffocating, and her face had turned red! The buttons on her blouse were being unbuttoned one by one. ¡°No, let go of me. Don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with surging anger and his entire body emitted an extremely dangerous aura! Joanna could not help but tremble like a frightened rabbit as she struggled in fear and despair! ¡°Bruce Everett, no, I beg you, don¡¯t do this¡­¡± However, when Bruce feels angry, he always loses his sense of logic. He would really end up torturing her to death. No matter how much she begged for mercy, he would not pity her at all. ¡°Joanna Haynes, I¡¯ve said it before. If you don¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± ¡°You better obey me now, and I might consider letting you off!¡± Joanna stared at Bruce in horror, ¡°Bruce, we can always talk things out slowly!¡± Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a teasing smile as he taunted, ¡°Hmph, didn¡¯t youe here today to apany me?¡± ¡°Why are you pretending to resist me now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash. I came to talk to you about thepany¡­¡± ¡°Heh, don¡¯t bother exining! I haven¡¯t touched you for so long. Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± As Bruce said that, he had already unbuckled his belt! He wasn¡¯t thinking about anything right now. He just wanted to conquer this woman who had repeatedly challenged his limits! He liked to see her break down and beg for mercy. ¡°Let go, you lun atic!¡± Joanna shouted in panic as she used all her strength to hit Bruce. Unfortunately, he was too muscr. Her resistance only exacerbated his suppression! ¡°Ah, help me!¡± Her breathing was instantly cut off again. It was as if she was pressed under a mountain and it felt as though all the bones in her body were about to break! She knew that this would happen if she met him alone! In this emergency, Joanna had no choice and did not dare to resist anymore! She knew that the more she resisted, the more violent Bruce would be! He would ¡®torture¡¯ her like a madman. It was as she had expected!¡¯ Seeing that she did not resist anymore and had given in, Bruce stopped being so rough with her! After a while, he let go of her hand and started to unbutton his shirt. It was an opening for her. She immediately took out a stun baton from her pocket! She then aimed it at Bruce and electrocuted him! Buzz, buzz! Bruce was caught off guard and he instantly felt jolts of electricity go through his body! Joanna pushed him away with all her might and climbed down from the sofa immediately! ¡°Bruce Everett, I won¡¯t let you touch me again! And I will never give in to you!¡± After Joanna finished speaking furiously, she did not bother to tidy her messy hair and fled out of the office in anxiety! Bruce¡¯s entire body went limp from being electrocuted. He fell onto the carpet and could not recover for a long time! Looking at Joanna¡¯s back as she fled, Bruce¡¯s eyes were scarlet red. He gritted his teeth and dered, ¡°Joanna Haynes, I¡¯ll make you pay!¡± He had never expected to be struck again! This was the second time he had been electrocuted. It was all his fault for being too confident, thinking that Joanna had already surrendered to him. However, he had not expected her to dare to resist him like this! Joanna escaped from Bruce¡¯s office looking like a mess. In the corridor, she hurriedly brushed her hair with her fingers and tidied her clothes. At the secretary¡¯s desk Andy and Mark teased softly, ¡°I bet that Miss Haynes came to find Mr. Everett to throw herself at him again!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She kept saying that she wants to cut ties with Mr. Everett, but she still can¡¯t let go of Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°No wonder Mr. Haynes wanted to sever his rtionship with her! In the end, Mr. Haynes is still biased towards Miss Roxanne!¡± Andyughed mockingly and ridiculed, ¡°Look, Miss Haynes has been in there for so long. She must be doing it with Mr. Everett again!¡± Mark smiled knowingly as he agreed, ¡°That goes without saying!¡± The two of them were discussing when they saw Joannaing out of the office in a messy state! ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± The two of them were so frightened that their expressions darkened. They then quickly went up to her. Joanna ignored the two of them and walked straight to the elevator! The moment the elevator arrived, she entered without looking back! ¡°So fast today? It doesn¡¯t seem like Mr. Everett¡¯s style!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett always takes a long time. It hasn¡¯t even been twenty minutes so why is it over?¡± ¡°Could something have happened? Let¡¯s go in and take a look!¡± When Andy heard this, he quickly entered Bruce¡¯s office. When he arrived at the office, he realized that Bruce was lying on the ground. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Everett, what happened to you?¡± Andy was terrified and quickly went forward to check. Bruce¡¯s entire body went numb from the electricity. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 ¡°Mr. Everett, are you alright?¡± Andy hurriedly helped Bruce to the sofa. The veins on Bruce¡¯s temples stood out as his eyes revealed a hint of rage. Joanna¡¯s taser had very high voltage. Ordinary people would fall into a semi-conscious state after being electrocuted. Luckily, Bruce was fine. At least, he was still conscious. ¡°Mr. Everett, drink some water!¡± Andy quickly poured a ss of water and brought it to Bruce¡¯s lips worriedly. Bruce took a few sips of water before his heart rate gradually slowed down. Hey on the sofa for more than ten minutes before the numbness in his body eased. ¡°Joanna Haynes, you b itch! Just you wait! I swear I will make you beg me on your knees.¡± Bruce gritted his teeth so hard that his eyes turned red. Andy came out of the office with lingering fear. Mark hurriedly walked up and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Andy muttered softly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. After I went in just now, Mr. Everett fell to the ground. It looks like he was attacked by Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± Mark widened his eyes in shock. Now the Haynes Group was in such a difficult situation. Mark couldn¡¯t believe that Joanna actually dared to attack Bruce instead of trying to cozy up to him. ¡°Then¡­ was Mr. Everett very angry?¡± Andy¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett was really infuriated just now. I was scared to death.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is really bold. She actually messed with Mr. Everett. She¡¯s already in such a difficult situation. I can¡¯t believe that she¡¯s still so arrogant.¡± ¡°I thought she came to deal with Mr. Everett with a honey trap.¡± ¡°Stop talking. If Mr. Everett hears this, he¡¯ll get angry again.¡± Joanna had run out of the Everett Group. Even though she had already walked out of the building, her heart was still pounding. She had almost been raped by Bruce again. Thinking about the scene just now, she could not help but feel a lingering fear. She knew Brute well and was aware that he would definitely not let the matter rest. She walked aimlessly on the street, her mind a mess. Beep, beep. Just then, Joanna¡¯s phone rang, which startled her. She took out her phone and looked at it. Fortunately, it was not from Bruce, but Jaydon. Joanna calmed herself down and answered the call. ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s soft and husky voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Joann, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡­ am not doing anything. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a few days. Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to yourpany to pick you up in a while.¡± Joanna paused. She subconsciously nced at the surrounding high-rise buildings and felt dizzy for a moment. ¡°No need. Where are you now? I¡¯ll go to you.¡± ¡°Are you not at the office now?¡± asked Jaydon. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m outside now.¡± ¡°Then where are you? I¡¯ll pick you up right now.¡± Joanna sighed, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ on the street.¡± plight to t on¡¯t we go s the restaurant?¡± suggested Jaydon. ¡°Alright. Shall we go to the restaurant we went tost time?¡± asked Joanna. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go there right now. How long will it take you to get there?¡± ¡°Twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Okay, see youter!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna did not say anything else and hung up the phone weakly. Her mind was a mess now, and she didn¡¯t want to go back to thepany. It was good to meet Jaydon and have a meal together. After hanging up, Jaydon quickly took his car key and got up to leave. The little minx Carmel Basil had been listening next to Jaydon. Realizing that Jaydon was going out with Joanna again, Carmel looked unhappy. ¡°Mr. Grimm, are you going to meet Ms. Haynes again?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Jaydon put on his suit jacket and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The fact that ourpany¡¯s movie can¡¯t be released must have something to do with her. She¡¯s now Greyport¡¯s most notorious prodigal daughter. Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t you think you should stay away from her?¡± ¡°Are you trying to interfere with my life?¡± Jaydon was a little unhappy. He was intimate with these female celebrities. But he was aware that this kind of feeling was different from love. He liked the feeling these female celebrities brought him, but this was definitely not love. However, women often did not differentiate so clearly. Most of the time, when a woman had sex with a man, she had fallen for him. It was alsomon to think of this feeling as love. Unknowingly, Carmel believed that Jaydon slept with her because he loved her. She thought it was real love. Therefore, when Jaydon was nice to another woman, she was jealous. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that. I just want t you to spend more time with me,¡± said Carmel ¡°Be good!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­.¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t say much. He just put on his suit jacket and hurried to meet Joanna. By the time Jaydon arrived at the restaurant, Joanna was already there. She had ordered a cup of coffee and was enjoying it. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± said Jaydon. ¡°Joan mile nine. I just arrived.¡± Joanna smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s ¡°Have ¡°I¡¯m G od some food?¡± asked Jaydon. you not hungry. I just ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have a cup ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡± want to drink something. I don¡¯t really want to eat for the time being.¡± too.¡± Jaydon casually flipped through the menu and ordered two desserts. ¡°Okay,¡± the waiter responded and quickly went to ce the order. Jaydon took off his jacket and sat down opposite Joanna. ¡°Joann, why do you look so pale?¡± Although Joanna was wearingrge ck-framed sses, he could still find that her face was very pale. Her eyes were empty, and she looked a little distracted. Joanna pushed up her ck-framed sses. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t have a good sleep yesterday.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he subconsciously held her hand. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°s!¡± Joanna forced a smile at Jaydon and sighed deeply. Jaydon could guess about it even if she did not tell him. ¡°What happened? Can you tell me?¡± he asked. Joanna smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just about work.¡± ¡°Did Bruce make things difficult for you again?¡± Joanna was silent for a few seconds before sighing and replying, ¡°s! I¡¯m already used to it.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°My mind is in a mess now. I¡¯m going to Porash tomorrow!¡± ¡°How many days will you be gone?¡± asked Jaydon. ¡°Maybe a week. The factory over there has already been taken over. I have to go there and take care of it.¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°I happen to be free these few days. How about I go with you? ¡°Then I can see if there¡¯s any good business in Mossbourne,¡± ¡°Alright. ¡°If Mossbourne¡¯s market can be opened up, I n to shift the focus of my business to Mossbourne,¡± Joanna said ndly. She couldn¡¯t wait to develop in Mossbourne for no other reason than to get rid of Bruce. ¡°Okay. ¡°Hurry up and eat! The desserts are here.¡± Joanna and Jaydon smiled at each other and took a sip of coffee. At the next table, there were a few young girls who were dressed fashionably. They enjoyed afternoon tea together and were taking turns posing for the photos. ¡°Look! They are Miss Haynes and Mr. Grimm, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Wow! It¡¯s really Mr. Grimm! He¡¯s so handsome.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is Mr. Grimm blind? Why would he fall for a woman like her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that Joanna¡¯s father cut ties with her. He even expelled her from the Haynes family¡¯s family tree and wanted to fight with her for the Haynes Group¡¯s shares.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to have the nerve toe out for afternoon tea.¡± ¡°How shameless she is! She seduces Mr. Grimm while still h o o king up with her ex-husband. She¡¯s really something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± A few young girls couldn¡¯t help but whisper and point at Joanna and Jaydon. Jaydon and Joanna realized that someone was pointing fingers at them. ¡°Are you full?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡± ¡°All right.¡± Joanna and Jaydon got up and left. Unexpectedly, as soon as they walked out of the restaurant, they ran into a few media reporters. Clearly, the reporters received the news and rushed over to surround Joanna and Jaydon. ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mr. Grimm, may I interview you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not avable now.¡± Jaydon quickly stood in front of Joanna to prevent her from being shot. He knew that Joanna was most afraid of meeting these delinquent reporters. ¡°Ms. Haynes, what do you think about your father severing ties with you? Can you tell us about it?¡± Joanna¡¯s face was extremely sullen. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 In the past month, Joanna had been most afraid of running into reporters. Although she hid every day, she still came across reporters from time to time. It made her look like a thief when she went out now. ¡°Sorry, noment!¡± she said. A media reporter quickly extended a microphone to Jaydon. ¡°Mr. Grimm, may I ask when your movie will be released? Besides, someone reported your mediapany for tax evasion. Is that true?¡± Jaydon¡¯s face darkened. He looked straight at the cameras and said, ¡°Ourpany has never evaded taxes. The tax bureau is wee to investigate at any time.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So when are you and Ms. Haynes getting married?¡± the reporter asked again. ¡°What do you think about the rtionship between Ms. Haynes and Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Have you always been protecting Ms. Haynes?¡± The questions asked by the reporters were getting more and more harsh. ¡°Get out of the way! Don¡¯t ask me such boring questions!¡± Jaydon was greatly infuriated. He protected Joanna and squeezed out of the crowd. ¡°Mr. Grimm, Ms. Haynes, please give us some responses!¡± The two of them hurried into the parking lot, got into the car, and fled. In the car, Joanna could not help but tease, ¡°Hah, now we are just like street rats.¡± She was already used to being ndered by brain-dead people. ¡°Just ignore these delinquent reporters. ¡°Leave the public rtions matters to me!¡± responded Jaydon. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Where do you want to go now?¡± ¡°Well, I feel suffocated in Greyport. ¡°I want to go to the beach now,¡± replied Joanna. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go to the sea then,¡± said Jaydon. ¡°Okay.¡± Jaydon did not say anything else. He turned the car around and drove toward the dock. His yacht was parked at the dock. Usually, when he had nothing to do, he would drive his yacht out to the sea for a ride. Soon, he piloted the yacht out to sea. Joanna stood on the deck and breathed in the sea breeze. Her depression finally dissipated a lot. Jaydon gently hugged her from behind, and they just looked like the male and female leads of the Titanic. ¡°Joann, since everyone thinks that we¡¯re together, why don¡¯t you just be my girlfriend?¡± Jaydon said half seriously and half jokingly ¡°Jay, stop fooling around!¡± Joanna turned around and broke free from his embrace. Jaydon gazed at her with affection. ¡°Joann, do you really not have any feelings for me?¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but feel nervous. ¡°Jay, can you stop being like this? ¡°Otherwise, I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Seeing Joanna¡¯s uneasy expression, Jaydon quickly took a step back and distanced himself from her. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be so nervous!¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡­¡± Seeing the change in Joanna¡¯s expression, Jaydon stopped what he was going to do. ¡°I¡¯m just joking with you. Look how nervous you are!¡± He suddenly changed the topic. The biggest difference between Jaydon and Bruce was that Jaydon respected Joanna very much and cared about her feelings. As long as she resisted, Jaydon would never force her. Bruce, on the other hand, was totally different from Jaydon. The more Joanna resisted, the more Bruce wanted to conquer her. ¡°Jay, I know you¡¯re very good to me, but I¡­.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with panic. She wanted to say something but hesitated. She really didn¡¯t know what to say. She had three children as her burden. If she rejected a man like Jaydon, it would really seem like she was being ungrateful. However, she was well aware that she and Jaydon could never be together. Jaydon was a y boy. Even if he married her, it was impossible for him to be faithful to her. Besides, Joanna was an extremely insecure person. After divorcing Bruce, shepletely lost her sense of security in marriage and her confidence in men. She did not want to be hurt by love a second time. She would rather shut love out of her mind. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t do such a thing again unless you take the initiative to ept me. I won¡¯t force you anymore.¡± When Joanna heard this, she did not say anything else, but just turned around and stared nkly at the blue seawater. That night, photos of Jayden and Joanna having a meal on a date were posted online. In the photo, Jaydon was desperately protecting Joanna. He blocked most of the shots for Joanna and even scolded the reporters. It seemed as if he were an extremely good boyfriend. ¡°After Joanna failed to seduce her ex-husband, she threw herself in her old lover¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°The contemporary scheming woman teaches you how to h o ok up with men.¡± ¡°Joanna¡¯s two-timing. She became aughing stock after her affair was exposed.¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm is willing to be a keyboard warrior for her and doesn¡¯t mind Joanna¡¯s past.¡± There were all kinds of negative news about Joanna and Jaydon on the Inte. Joanna didn¡¯t even dare to turn on her phone. The moment she turned it on, she found that all the tforms were reporting her news. The inte exposure this time was even more serious than six years ago. She hadpletely been known as a contemporary scheming b itch. The next day, Joanna and Jaydon went to Porash in the morning. Cora and two marketing managers went with them. Joanna was in a difficult position now. Mossbourne¡¯s factory had already been set up and the funds had already been invested. It was impossible to give up now. Besides, Joanna also nned to focus on Mossbourne¡¯s market and try to distance herself from Bruce. At 9 a.m., thepany¡¯s employees arrived at the Haynes Group one after another. Bruce also came aggressively. ¡°Hi, Mr. Everett!¡± Everyone was shocked when they saw Bruce. Mr. Everett had note to the Haynes Group for a month. They wondered why he came today. Bruce entered the conference room. All the senior executives had arrived, except for Joanna. ¡°Where is Joanna?¡± Luna quickly got up and reported, ¡°Miss Haynes didn¡¯te to thepany today.¡± Bruce frowned when he heard this. ¡°Why is she absent from work again?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes has gone to Mossbourne.¡± ¡°When will she be back?¡± Bruce questioned. ¡°Maybe in a week.¡± ¡°In a week?¡± After Bruce heard this, he frowned even more. ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes said that she would stay at Mossbourne this week. I¡¯ll be in charge of conveying the work arrangements.¡± When Bruce heard this, he did not say anything else. He turned around and left without looking back. ¡°Mr. Everett hasn¡¯te to thepany for so long. Why is he here today?¡± ¡°He must be here to look for Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Judging from Mr. Everett¡¯s expression, he must be here to stir up trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Fortunately, Miss Haynes isn¡¯t here,¡± ¡°What are Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett quarreling about?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Now, the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group have canceled their orders. It¡¯s normal for Miss Haynes to get anxious and fall out with Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Do you think Mr. Everett is behind this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He also has shares in the Haynes Group. What could he get if he yed tricks behind it?¡± ¡°He only has so few shares of the Haynes Groop. It¡¯s definitely not as good as gobbling it up.¡± ¡°Stop making wild guesses and do your job!¡± The employees were discussing among themselves again. Bruce, of course, read yesterday¡¯s news, too. Knowing that Joanna had gone to meet Jaydon again after leaving the Everett Cooperation, Bruce was so furious that his blood boiled with anger. Therefore, he came over early in the morning to denounce Joanna. However, Joanna went to Mossbourne again. Needless to say, she must be trying to avoid meeting Bruce because she knew that he would not let the matter rest. ¡°Andy, find out where Joanna is right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Three minutester, Andy found Joanna¡¯s location. ¡°Miss Haynes is at her factory in Mossbourne now. This is her current location.¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Porash right now!¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes, right now! Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Andy did not dare to say anything else. Bruce¡¯s face was extremely sullen. He sounded like he was in a bad mood today. Beep, beep. Just then, Bruce¡¯s phone rang. Bruce took out his phone and looked at it. The call was from Roxanne. After Roxanne was discharged from the hospital, she moved to the Sherane Bay Vi. And because Bruce felt guilty, he would go back and apany her every day. However, he did not go back because he was too angryst night. ¡°Hey, Bruce!¡± ¡°Roxy, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just miss you.¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice was soft and weak, revealing a hint of mncholy. ¡°Are youing back tonight?¡± she asked. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m busy now.¡± Bruce frowned. He did not know how to answer her. He nned to go to Porash to look for Joanna, and he might not be back tonight. Roxanne could hear the hesitation in his voice, and she said in a choked voice, ¡°Bruce, you didn¡¯te backst night. Are you noting back today, either?¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Roxanne was aware that Bruce made a trip to the Haynes Group today. Bruce paused for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯ll see how it goes tonight.¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll feel scared if you don¡¯te back!¡± said Roxanne. ¡°There are so many ser vants at home. What is there to be afraid of? If you¡¯re afraid, call your mother over to apany you,¡± Bruce remarked. ¡°Bruce, I want you to apany me!¡± Roxanne spoke in a soft and pleading tone. Bruce furrowed his brows deeply. ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll go home tonight!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she was overjoyed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cook for you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± said Bruce. ¡°I want to do it. I¡¯ll go out to buy groceriester and cook. After that, I¡¯ll wait for you to be back,¡± said Roxanne. ¡°Just let the ser vants do these things. You don¡¯t have to make yourself so tired!¡± said Bruce. The more virtuous Roxanne behaved, the more uneasy Bruce felt! ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne wanted to say something else. However, Bruce interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯m in a meeting right now. I¡¯m very busy. I¡¯ll talk to youter. ¡°We can talk more after I get home tonight!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes flickered and then she ended the call. Less than five minutes after Roxanne ended the call, Ingrid called. Ever since Roxanne moved into the Everett mansion, Ingrid had been calling her three times a day. Seeing that it was Ingrid¡¯s call, Roxanne quickly picked up. ¡°Hello, Mom!¡± she said. ¡°Hello, Roxy!¡± Ingrid said. ¡°Mom, is something the matter?¡± asked Roxanne. Ingrid¡¯s concerned voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Roxy, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing at all!¡± replied Roxanne. ¡°Then why don¡¯t go over and apany you?¡± asked Ingrid. ¡°All right,¡± said Roxanne. Bruce was slightly obsessed with cleanliness and did not like othersing to his private residence. Roxanne had been living here for more than ten days, but Ingrid had note once. An hourter, Ingrid came over eagerly. Ingrid¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the luxurious mansion, and she could help but exim in admiration. 30 ¡°Oh my, Bruce lives alone in such a big ce? ¡°This house is too big. It¡¯s much better than ours! ¡°After you and Bruce get married, Mom will move in with you!¡± As Ingrid spoke, she looked around excitedly and started touching everything she saw. E Upon seeing that, Roxanne could not help but frown. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t touch these things. Bruce doesn¡¯t like others touching his personal belongings. Don¡¯t touch them.¡± Bruce liked to collect porcin and jade artifacts. The entire wall of cabs was filled with all kinds of porcin! Any one of them was extremely valuable and worth a lot of money! Ingrid pursed her lips and looked at the porcin longingly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You¡¯re going to marry him soon! I¡¯m just taking a look! It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to take them home!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roxanne red at her in annoyance. ¡°Okay, okay, okay! I won¡¯t touch them, okay?¡± said Ingrid. As she spoke, Ingrid sat down on the leather sofa again. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Roxanne, on the other hand, looked unhappy and sat down beside Ingrid. Looking at her daughter¡¯s troubled expression, Ingrid asked concernedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look unhappy.¡± Roxanne frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°How have you been? Is Bruce treating you well?¡± asked Ingrid. Roxanne replied softly, ¡°Good¡­ But also not good.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? He¡¯s either good to you or not,¡± said Ingrid. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to put it. If I say he isn¡¯t good to me, that¡¯s not really true. After all, he buys all sorts of presents for me and shows concern for me too. ¡°If I say he¡¯s good to me, well¡­¡± Roxanne was a little hesitant to speak. ¡°But what?¡± asked Ingrid. Roxanne¡¯s cheeks burned crimson. She found it hard to say what she wanted to say next. Until now, Bruce did not touch her at all! She had moved to the Everett mansion, but all this time, Bruce and she had been sleeping in separate rooms. This made Roxanne feel uneasy! After she was bullied by those men, although Bruce showed concern and pampered her, Roxanne could tell from his gaze that he minded what had happened. Seeing this, Ingrid could roughly guess what was going on. She patted her daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. You¡¯ve already moved into the Everett mansion now. ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s impossible for you to move out again! ¡°For the rest of your life, you have to do whatever you can to stay here! Even if they ask you to leave, you mustn¡¯t do so!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s pupils constricted slightly, and shey her head on Ingrid¡¯s arms like a wounded kitten. Ingrid caressed her daughter¡¯s head, feeling sorry for Roxanne. ¡°Goodness, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, but you slimmed down by a lot! ¡°That matter is already in the past. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Let the past be in the past forever! ¡°As long as Bruce doesn¡¯t mention it, don¡¯t take the initiative to mention it! This matter will be over soon!¡± Ingrid advised. ¡°But even if I don¡¯t mention it, I can¡¯t pretend that nothing happened. I know that Bruce actually minds it!¡± said Roxanne. As Roxanne spoke, she could not help but start sobbing. Ingrid frowned and then sighed. Looking at her daughter crying, Ingrid could only sayfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You have to get over it! ¡°You can only rely on yourself toy the ghost of it to rest. No one can help you! ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you have to endure everything. Only by enduring the grievances that others can¡¯t tolerate can you be above everyone else.¡± Meanwhile, at Porash. Joanna and Jaydon came to visit the factory early in the morning. Jaydon looked at the factory in front of him with interest. ¡°So this is the new factory?¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°Yes, the equipment has been imported. After the renovation is done in a few days, it will start operating!¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Joanna sighed softly. ¡°I was too careless while you were too impulsive!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as the factory is built, it will be able to function normally soon! We need time to slowly build up our client base. Everything is going to be okay,¡± said Jaydon. Joanna made a sound of acknowledgment before she said, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Everything is difficult at the beginning. As long as we can ovee this difficult period, everything else will be okay,¡± said Jaydon. When Joanna heard this, she pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I hope so!¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Let¡¯s go have lunch!¡± suggested Jaydon. ¡°Sure!¡± said Joanna. Jaydon asked, ¡°You¡¯ve walked for so long today. Are you tired?¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Not at all. ¡°There¡¯s nothing nice to eat here. We might have to drive downtown!¡± Upon hearing that, Jaydon said, ¡°All right. Get in the car!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna said. She was just about to get into the car when a car approached them. The door to the car slowly opened. Bruce got out of the car with a dark expression. He stood with his back to the light. Under the sunlight, he had a dark expression. ¡°Joanna!¡± Bruce yelled. Joanna looked up at Bruce, and her heart sank. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± Bruce frowned and casually lit a cigarette. He snorted and then said, ¡°Why? Are you surprised to see me?¡± Joanna was indeed surprised. She was even more surprised by the fact that Bruce knew where she was. No matter where she went, he always managed to find her with unerring uracy. She wondered if he had installed a GPS tracker on her phone. ¡°Bruce, what do you want?¡± Jaydon also got out of the car with a gloomy expression. Bruce narrowed his eyes and sized Jaydon up disdainfully! Following that, he nced at Joanna. ¡°Looks like you really didn¡¯t take my words to heart!¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t be so overbearing!¡± Bruce said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance! Leave Jaydon, otherwise, I¡¯ll ensure you two will have an even more tragic ending!¡± When Joanna heard this, she exchanged nces with Jaydon before saying, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really too domineering! ¡°No matter what, Jay and I will never break off our friendship! Also, you have no right to make demands of me!¡± Bruce spat out a mouthful of smoke and tried his best to suppress his anger. ¡°Fine. You have guts. I¡¯ve already given you a chance. You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t know how to cherish it! ¡°Very soon, you¡¯ll know the consequences of refusing to listen to me!¡± Bruce threatened. When Joanna heard this, she frowned even more. ¡°The smallest worm will turn being trodden on. We have no enmity against each other, so why are you targeting me like this? ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t owe you anything, so don¡¯t always act all high and mighty!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth in fury. He had a ruthless expression when he said, ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret this! You¡¯ll be crying and begging me to help you!¡± Joanna raised her head high and said coldly, ¡°At most, I¡¯ll start all over again. Even if I go bankrupt, I won¡¯t beg you!¡± ¡°Fine! You have guts. Just you wait, Joanna!¡± Bruce snarled. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Joanna replied. Bruce sneered, turned around, and got into the car again! Then, the car sped off. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon said worriedly. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Joanna said. Bruce sat in the car, and his face was twisted with anger. Andy said carefully, ¡°Mr. Everett, where are we going now?¡± ¡°Return to Greyport. Inform Shaun that I want to buy the shares in his hands, as well as the shares in the hands of Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul!¡± Bruce ordered. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 ¡°Oh! Mr. Everett¡­¡± Andy was cut off by Bruce. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? I want Joanna to be bankrupt within a year, do you hear me?¡± asked Bruce. Andy answered meekly, ¡°Oh, okay! Yes, I heard you!¡± ¡°Call the Stark Group immediately and ask them to withdraw their cooperation with the Haynes Group. I want to cut off the Haynes Group¡¯s source of supply, Bruce added angrily. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll make the call now!¡± Andy replied. Very soon, Andy made the call to the Stark Group. This time, Bruce was determined. He was going topletely destroy Joanna¡¯s career! After returning to Greyport, Bruce called for a meeting with his higher-level executives. He busied himself until past nine at night. After Roxanne called him three times, Bruce finally went home. At the Sherane Bay Vi. When Bruce entered, Roxanne was already waiting at the door. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re back,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Bruce replied in a mu ffled voice. Roxanne had an ingratiating expression on her face as she said gently, ¡°Bruce, are you tired? I¡¯ve already run you a bath. ¡°Go and take a bath!¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll just shower before sleeping.¡± The smile on Roxanne¡¯s face vanished. ¡°Then¡­ why don¡¯t you eat first? I¡¯ve already cooked! The dishes have been heated up both times.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Bruce replied calmly. Following that, Bruce went upstairs to change his clothes. He washed his hands before returning to the dining room to eat. Meanwhile, inside the restaurant. Roxanne had painstakingly made five dishes and a soup. She was even considerate enough to cover the dishes with te covers to prevent them from getting cold. ¡°There¡¯s steamed fish and prawns today¡­¡± said Roxanne. Bruce made a sound of acknowledgment and did not say anything else. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating. When she saw Bruce eating in big mouthfuls, a smile appeared on Roxanne¡¯s face. ¡°Does it taste okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Yup. It tastes okay!¡± Bruce replied calmly and ate a few more mouthfuls of rice. ¡°Bruce, are you unhappy?¡± Roxanne asked. ¡°No!¡± Bruce answered. ¡°But you look unhappy,¡± said Roxanne. Bruce frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. I¡¯m just too tired!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a massageter¡­¡± Roxanne said. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m very tired today and want to sleep early¡­ I¡¯m already full. Enjoy your meal,¡± Bruce said. With that, Bruce put down his chopsticks and stood up to go upstairs. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve only eaten so little. Eat more!¡± Roxanne urged. ¡°I¡¯m so tired today that I don¡¯t have much of an appetite! Don¡¯t cook anymore in the future. Just let the ser vants cook!¡± Bruce said. With that, he went straight upstairs. Roxanne stood rooted to the ground with an awkward and disappointed look on her face. Bruce was too perfunctory! Roxanne found his cold attitude unbearable! Bruce returned to his room. He did not even bother to take a shower and immediatelyy in bed. Bruce was seething with anger. He was fuming, so naturally, he was in no mood to coax Roxanne. Hence, he appeared even more cold and perfunctory than usual. Downstairs, Roxanne could not help but s o b. In the blink of an eye, one hour passed. Bruce got some sleep. After he woke up, he could not fall back asleep. Thus, Bruce decided to go downstairs and take a breather in the courtyard. As soon as he went downstairs, he saw that Roxanne was still in the living room and not yet asleep. Bruce looked at his watch. It was almost midnight! ¡°It¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± he asked. When Roxanne heard Bruce¡¯s voice, she quickly turned around and wiped the corners of her eyes with a tissue! Bruce strolled to her side and realized that the trash can was already filled with used tissues. Roxanne¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. It seemed like she had been crying for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned cold. He quickly sat down on the sofa and put one arm around her shoulders. ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing!¡± Roxanne sobbed and wiped away her tears again. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong. Is there something upsetting you?¡± Bruce asked with concern. Roxanne was currently emotionally unstable, so Bruce was afraid that she would try tomit suicide again. Therefore, most of the time, Bruce spoke to Roxanne in a gentle and concerned tone. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re unhappy about, you can tell me!¡± Bruce said. 11:05 Fri, 30 Jun ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± Although Roxanne said that there was nothing, she had a intive expression on her face. Bruce paused for a moment before he said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to apany you shopping tomorrow. You can buy whatever you want!¡± Roxanne raised her head and looked at Bruce with teary eyes. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s not what I want!¡± Upon hearing that, Bruce was at a loss for words. He did not know how tofort Roxanne. Roxanne added, ¡°I¡¯ve known you since I was 15 years old. ¡°It¡¯s been eight years since we started dating, but I¡¯m your girlfriend in name only. In actual fact, you¡¯ve never treated me as your girlfriend!¡± When Bruce heard this, he forced a smile. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Roxanne could not help but start sobbing again. Tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Do you despise me that much?¡± ¡°No! What are you talking about? Why would I despise you?¡± Bruce asked. Roxanne said, ¡°If you don¡¯t despise me, then why haven¡¯t you touched me at all? ¡°I know that you despise me!¡± The more Roxanne spoke, the sadder she became. ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t dare to ask for anything.¡± She started to s o b again. Bruce frowned and pulled her into his arms. ¡°I really don¡¯t despise you!¡± Roxanne was still in tears. She choked and said, ¡°Bruce, I know that you¡¯re still together with me because you feel guilty. ¡°But if you don¡¯t love me anymore, you don¡¯t have to do this!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and forced himself to exin, ¡°Roxy, I¡¯ve always respected you. That¡¯s why I wanted to wait for us to get married before I touch you.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to wait until after we get married. What era is it now? If you really love me, how can you not be willing to touch me?¡± Roxanne asked. Bruce froze and then looked at Roxanne seriously. Roxanne looked at him with red eyes and a heartbroken expression. After a while, Bruce pursed his lips. ¡°All right,¡± he said. After saying that, Bruce did not say anything else. He bent down and carried Roxanne in his arms. He decided not to drag it out any longer. Bruce carried Roxanne back to her room. Then, he gently ced her on the bed and began to kiss her cheeks gently. Roxanne also stopped crying and wrapped her arms around his neck. Unfortunately, no matter how much he kissed her, his body had no reaction at all. Actually, it could not be said that he had no reaction. After all, he felt a little disgusted. Ten minutester, Bruce still did not start the main course yet. Instead, he was getting more and more uninterested! He was clearly a man who was easily turned on. However, for some reason, Bruce¡¯s body had no reaction at all when facing Roxanne. Moreover, his mind kept reying the scene whereby Roxanne was being bullied by those men. When Bruce thought about that, hepletely lost all interest. Roxanne was also a little anxious. In fact, she began to wonder if Bruce could do it. Otherwise, why could he not get into the mood? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Was he unable to do it? Or was he not turned on by her? They continued like that for a while longer. Another ten minutes passed. Bruce hadpletely given up. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes were filled with doubt and disappointment. Seeing the disappointment in Roxanne¡¯s eyes, Bruce did not continue. He got out of bed and said, ¡°Roxy, perhaps I¡¯m too tired today. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not interested at all. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for another day to do this. Wait till I¡¯ve had my rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bruce! We can take it slow!¡± Roxanne hurriedly sat up from the bed, wanting him to try again. When Bruce heard this, he was stone-faced and then left the room in frustration. When he faced Joanna, he was clearly not like this! He could even be described as a maniac. But why did he not have any reaction at all when facing Roxanne? Roxanne watched as Bruce left. Her eyes widened. Bruce had performed terribly earlier. She could not help butpare him to Gavin! ¡°No wonder he didn¡¯t touch me for all these years¡­ It turns out that he¡¯s sexually impotent,¡± thought Roxanne. At that thought, Roxanne shuddered. If Bruce was really sexually impotent then what was the point of her marrying him? Roxanne waspletely dumbfounded now. She was unsure if Bruce was sexually impotent or if she was not attractive enough for him. Late at night. Roxanney on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Bruce had piqued her interest! In addition, in the past month or so, Roxanne was hospitalized for the first half of the month and stayed in the Everett mansion for the second half of the month. Over the past month, it could be said that she practicedplete abstinence. In the past, Roxanne had to go on a date with Gavin every week. The longest she had gone without meeting Gavin was no more than half a month. But now, it had been more than a month since shest had sex. Although Roxanne hated Gavin¡¯s cowardice and poverty, she could not help but miss the joy he brought her in the dead of night! The more she thought about it, the more Roxanne felt like ants were crawling under her skin. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep! Chapter 147 Chapter 147 However, Roxanne did not dare to take the initiative to contact Gavin anymore. It was not easy for her to settle this matter, so she was unwilling to get herself stuck in an unpleasant situation again. ¡°So what if we don¡¯t have a healthy married sex life? As long as we have money, everything will be fine!¡± she thought. Roxanne tossed and turned until thetter half of the night. She was so tired that finally, she drifted off to sleep. She missed Gavin so much that she even drearned of him. The next day. When Roxanne woke up, it was already past 11 in the afternoon. Bruce had already gone to work. Roxanne pondered for a while and could not resist giving Ingrid a call. Since her mother was more experienced, Roxanne thought that she might have a solution for this. Roxanne punched Ingrid¡¯s phone number on her phone and dialed it. The call went through quickly. ¡°Hello, Roxy. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ingrid asked. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roxanne hesitated to say what she wanted to say. Ingrid heard the hesitation in Roxanne¡¯s voice, and her heart sank. ¡°What happened this time?¡± ¡°Mom, I want to ask you something,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Ingrid said. Roxanne took a deep breath. She could not help but ask, ¡°Well¡­ What should I do if a man is unable to perform in bed?¡± On the other end of the line, Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Can¡¯t perform in bed? Who are you referring to?¡± Roxanne said in an annoyed tone, ¡°Who else can it be¡­¡± Ingrid was startled and asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you talking about Bruce? Oh my goodness, how is this possible?¡± Roxanne sighed. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s true!¡± Ingrid said, ¡°It can¡¯t be. I thought you two have done the deed before, so how is it possible that he¡¯s unable to perform?¡± Roxanne said angrily, ¡°No! I was lying to you before! ¡°We tried to dontst night, but unfortunately¡­ we kept failing.¡± When Ingrid heard this, she found it even more unbelievable. ¡°No way! Bruce seems like a man with vigorous energy. How is it possible that he has that kind of illness?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Why would I lie to you?¡± Roxanne said. Ingrid paused for a few seconds. From Roxanne¡¯s tone, it did not sound like she was joking. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be anxious. You can make some medicinal cuisine for him. Buy more seahorses, deer antlers, the bark of rubber trees, and wolfberries. Make some soup for him to nourish his body. It will definitely work,¡± Ingrid advised. 11:05 Fri, 30 ¡°Will these really work?¡± Roxanne asked. Ingrid countered, ¡°Why not? ¡°I have a recipe here. I¡¯ll send it to youter. You can follow the steps and make it for Bruce. If it still doesn¡¯t work, you can only treat his illness with the use of medication!¡± Roxanne sighed in frustration. ¡°But such things are hard to say!¡± Ingrid paused for a moment and hurriedly reminded her daughter, ¡°Don¡¯t say such things in front of Bruce. It will hurt his pride! Just make it ording to the medicinal cuisine recipe!¡± ¡°Mom, what if he really can¡¯t do it in the future?¡± Roxanne asked worriedly. ¡°Silly girl, it doesn¡¯t matter if he can or can¡¯t. Even if he really can¡¯t, what does it matter? He¡¯s so rich. He¡¯ll think of a way to solve it!¡± Ingrid said. ¡°But¡­¡± Roxanne was about to continue speaking, but Ingrid did not give her a chance to do so. She interrupted, ¡°No buts. I will give you a prescriptionter. Just follow it! ¡°I¡¯m ying poker now, so I¡¯ll talk to you another time!¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Ingrid hung up after saying that. Roxanne was feeling distraught and could only hang up too. Over at Ingrid¡¯s end. Ingrid was currently being harassed by her two cousins. Seeing that she had finished the call, a tall and burly middle-aged man, Wace, teased, ¡°It¡¯s just 4 million dors. Your daughter is about to marry into the Everett family. This small amount of money is nothing to you!¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes and said, ¡°You make it sound so easy. Even if my daughter marries into the Everett family, the money is still the Everett family¡¯s money, not mine! ¡°Both of you are too greedy! Where am I going to find so much money for you guys?¡± Another slightly plump cousin, Oscar, also smiled and patted Ingrid¡¯s butt. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop pretending. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know how much money you have! ¡°It¡¯s only 4 million dors, and you¡¯ll get to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and glory. Not a bad deal at all, right?¡± Wace chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. We have apanied you for more than a decade! Don¡¯t tell me you want to kick us out of your life! ¡°If not, why don¡¯t you let us continue working at the Haynes Group? Either that or you have to Ingrid gritted her teeth and said angrily, ¡°4 million dors is not a small sum. You have to give me time to raise it!¡± ¡°We already gave you a few months to raise the money. I don¡¯t believe that till now, you haven¡¯t managed to raise the money,¡± Wace said. Ingrid¡¯s face darkened. She was angry and anxious. ¡°Oh please! You¡¯re talking about 4 million dors, not 400 dors! ¡°Who will keep that much money at home? Besides, if I transfer 4 million dors from my ount at once and my husband finds out, what should I do?¡± Wace pinched her butt and chuckled. ¡°You will have a way. We believe you! ¡°Hurry up and transfer the money! For old times¡¯ sake, we¡¯ve already given you time! You can¡¯t keep trying to trick us.¡± 11:05 Fri, 30 Jun After saying that, Wace took out his phone and showed Ingrid the photo album. ¡°I¡¯ve always kept these videos and photos of you! Don¡¯t resent us if I identally send these to your husband one day.¡± Ingrid took a deep breath and said angrily, ¡°Fine! I can give you money! ¡°But you have to promise me one thing!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± the two men asked. Ingrid¡¯s face darkened. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Help me get rid of someone!¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Wace shook his head. He refused tomit murder. Ingrid said, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding! ¡°4 million dors is enough for me to hire a lot of assassins. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 4 million dors now as long as you agree to help me kill someone. As long as you don¡¯t spend extravagantly for the rest of your lives, this amount of money is enough tost you for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Who do you want us to kill?¡± the two men asked in unison. ¡°This person is also your enemy!¡± Ingrid answered. ¡°Our enemy?¡± they asked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ingrid said. The men looked Foto t at each other. ¡°Who exactly is it?¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°Iv want you guys to get rid of Joanna. ¡°As long as that b itch dies, I¡¯ll definitely give you the money!¡± ¡± ¡°Get rid of Joanna?¡± Both men were stunned and subconsciously gulped. Ingrid snorted. ¡°Think about it. We¡¯re talking about 2 million dors for each of you! This amount of money is enough for you to emigrate to some countries in Southeast Alendor. You¡¯ll be able to live a carefree life! ¡°After getting rid of Joanna, by then the footage boy in two will leave Greyport and live in another ce. Wouldn¡¯t you be happier like that?¡± Wace snorted. ¡°What you¡¯re doing is akin to hiring a contract killer.¡± Ingrid said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want to call it. Anyway, this is my condition. I don¡¯t care what method you use so long as you kill Joanna. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that the transfer of money into your ounts will go smoothly. ¡°As long as Joanna dies, even if you want toe back to the Haynes Group to work, you can do so any time! Moreover, you will get money. How worthwhile! ¡°Think about it carefully! Call me when you¡¯ve made a decision.¡± As she spoke, Ingrid picked up her bag and prepared to leave. Wace blocked her way again and started groping her. ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°If I don¡¯t leave, what will happen?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t intend to y with us?¡± Wace asked. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood today. Perhaps another day,¡± Ingrid said. In the past, she enjoyed fooling around with her two cousins. But now, she wanted to throw up at the sight of Wace and Oscar. Her cousins were such heartless men, and they even wanted to extort money from her. These men had slept with her and took her money. Now, they even wanted to threaten her. She had never seen such trashy men! After that, Ingrid left. Wace and Oscar started discussing with one another. ¡°What should we do? Should we do it or not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually a good deal. We will get 2 million dors each by killing someone. That¡¯s if we actually go through with it.¡± ¡°Then we have to n well. We can¡¯t possibly lose our lives just for that 2 million dors!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s best if we can think of a way to create an ident and let Joanna silently vanish from this world.¡± ¡°But what if Ingrid doesn¡¯t give us money after we get rid of Joanna?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She has so much evidence in our hands. She wouldn¡¯t dare to not pay us!¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Meanwhile, in Porash. Joanna and Jaydon were in the process of arranging the factory¡¯s offices. Suddenly, there was a ringing sound. Joanna¡¯s phone rang. She saw that it was a call from Luna and quickly answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± Joanna said. Luna¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯ve got bad news!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ski pped a beat. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Just now, the Stark Group¡¯s vice president called and said that he wanted to cut off the Haynes Group¡¯s supply!¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± Joanna asked. Luna said anxiously, ¡°He just called.¡± Joanna was so angry that she was rendered speechless. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Needless to say, Bruce must be behind this too. ¡°If he wants me to die, there are too many despicable methods that he can use,¡± thought Joanna. ¡°How much stock do we have now?¡± she asked Luna. ¡°We only have enough for this quarter. We don¡¯t have any supply for the next quarter, so we have to find a new supplier!¡± Luna answered. ¡°Okay, I understand!¡± said Joanna. After saying that, she ended the call. Jaydon asked concernedly, ¡°Joann, what happened?¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°The Stark Group cut off the Haynes Group¡¯s supply!¡± ¡°So what do you intend to do?¡± asked Jaydon. ¡°Now, we can only try to find a new source of goods as soon as possible!¡± Joanna said, Joanna paused for a few seconds and sighed. ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll call the president of CI Technologies again to see if there¡¯s still a chance of us cooperating.¡± Jaydon frowned when he heard that. ¡°Actually, CI Technologies isn¡¯t a good business partner. David isn¡¯t a good person.¡± Jaydon had heard that David had gotten a beating from Bruce before, so Jaydon could roughly guess what was the reason for Joanna¡¯s sudden predicament. Joanna said, ¡°I¡¯ll just give it a try first! If it really doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll handle the research and development by myself! ¡°However, if I do this, the cost is too high. If I don¡¯t seed, I might really go bankrupt!¡± Jaydon smiled and patted her shoulder gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you go bankrupt, you still have me! ¡°Although I can¡¯t help you much, at the very least, I can help you to raise funds.¡± Although Jaydon could not provide her with connections in business, the Grimm family was still one of the top tycoons in Venturas. He could take out his liquid funds at any time. The next day. This was Joanna¡¯s fourth day in Porash. In the four days that she was not in Greyport, the Haynes Group¡¯s internal structure changed drastically. Early in the morning, Joanna¡¯s phone started vibrating. Joanna answered the call. ¡°Hello, Luna!¡± Luna¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, hurry up and return to Greyport!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul are throwing a tantrum. They want to fire the few research and development personnel you brought over from Melta!¡± Luna reported. Joanna was shocked to hear that. ¡°What¡¯s the reason for that?¡± Fri, 30 Ju When Joanna joined the Haynes Group, she brought a group of staff with her. A few of them were research and development engineers who she had spent a lot of effort to poach over. Luna reported, ¡°Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul said that their sries are too high for thepany to support! ¡°They said that these personnel has been here for four to five months and hasn¡¯t created any profit for thepany!¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna said, ¡°All right, I understand! ¡°I¡¯ll go back to Greyport this afternoon. Inform the board and management that there¡¯ll be a meeting tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes,¡± said Luna. Joanna had just hung up when the director of the finance department called again. He reported, ¡°Miss Haynes, the funds for the Porash¡¯s factory has been cut off. ¡°We still need to pay over 2 million dors for the new equipment. The supplier is about to ship the equipment. We have to transfer the money to our ount quickly¡­¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Joanna said. After Joanna hung up the phone, she had a headache. She felt like she was besieged on all sides. The next day, Joanna rushed back to Greyport. At eight in the morning. Joanna rushed to thepany. At 20 minutes past eight, Roger, Paul, and the rest entered the conference room. Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I heard that you want to fire some research and development engineers, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! People who are just here to make up the numbers must be fired,¡± they demanded. Joanna was so angry that her heart clenched in pain. She looked at the two of them with a dark expression. ¡°I brought them back from Melta, so we can¡¯t fire them¡­¡± Paul said, ¡°Ha, that¡¯s easy for you to say! Thepany pays them but they don¡¯t do anything at all! ¡°They¡¯re justzing about Roger also said bluntly, ¡°You¡¯re behaving so foolishly. If this continues, what will happen to the Paul chimed in, ¡°He¡¯s right. Such a high sry is enough to hire three to four people with the same ability! ¡°These people can¡¯t stay in thepany any Joanna took a deep breath and tried to convince the two of them. ¡°They can¡¯t leave. The benefits that research and development personnel can bring can¡¯t be seen in the immediate future. It can only be my unit to a paypaleen in the future¡­¡± Paul sneered and said disdainfully, ¡°What development ¡°Or are these people your cronies? Did you I can there be? What benefits can they create for thepany? Weliberately use t Joanna said, ¡°They¡¯re all top-notch research years, half a year, or even ten years¡­¡± I development techs from Melta. It takes time to develop a project! It might take one year, two ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re saying that we have to hire a person and train him for eight to ten years before he can create benefits for thepany?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Joanna said. ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± they asked. Roger and Paul deliberately opposed Joanna because Bruce had instructed them to do so. In short, they only needed to do one thing. Their goal was to get Joanna removed from the board of directors. Seeing that she could not convince the two of them, Joanna could not be bothered to argue with them anymore. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not argue anymore! ¡°Since you don¡¯t want them to stay in the Haynes Group, I¡¯ll let them work in the factory in Porash! ¡°Will that do?¡± Roger shrugged. ¡°Oh, in that case, we have no objections. After all, your factory in Porash has nothing to do with us! You can pay them however much you want.¡± ¡°All right then, today¡¯s meeting is over!¡± Joanna announced. ¡°Wait a minute! The Stark Group has cut off the Haynes Group¡¯s supply. How are we going to resolve this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We won¡¯t have any goods to sell next quarter. Where can we find arge supplier at such a critical juncture?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way!¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°What can you think of?¡± the two men questioned. Joanna choked in anger. ¡°Then let¡¯s all think of a solution together. Both of you are also thepany¡¯s directors! Now that something has happened, you can¡¯t expect me to take sole responsibility for it.¡± ¡°Ha, but you¡¯re the executive director of thepany, and the leader of thepany. On top of that, you¡¯re thergest shareholder of thepany. If something happens to thepany, naturally, you have to take responsibility!¡± Joanna was so angry that she was speechless. She did not know how to refute them. These people wanted to enjoy the luxury and benefits that thepany brought them, but they were not willing to stick with thepany through thick and thin! Some time back, when the Haynes Group was doing well, everyone was willing to do anything for her and all of them tried to curry favor with her. And now, as soon as thepany encountered an obstacle, they did nothing except for ming her. Joanna did not want to work with such people anymore! Unfortunately, she did not have that much liquidity on hand now, so she could not buy the shares in their hands. Under Bruce¡¯s instructions, they made things even more difficult for her! Halfway through the meeting. Cora knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is here!¡± As she spoke, Bruce appeared at the door of the conference room. As usual, Bruce was dressed in a proper suit. He looked energetic and carried an air of nobility. ¡°Mr. Everett is here!¡± Roger and Paul were still acting arrogant just now, but now that they saw Bruce, they immediately became subservient to him. All of them nodded and bowed as they stood up to wee him. FII, J Bruce strode into the conference room. His sharp gaze swept past everyone andnded on Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re really a busy person! It¡¯s really difficult to meet you,¡± said Bruce. As he spoke, Bruce walked over to Joanna¡¯s side. He ced his hand on her chair, leaned over, and stared at her with a suggestive look. ¡°Mr. Everett, this is a board meeting. Please behave more seriously!¡± said Joanna. ¡°How am I not serious?¡± Bruce¡¯s handsome face had a sinister and dark look. Joanna¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Please sit down!¡± Bruce looked up and said to everyone, ¡°All of you, leave first!¡± ¡°Oh! Okay, sure!¡± everyone said. ¡°Everyone, wait a moment. The meeting is not over yet. No one can leave!¡± Joanna quickly stopped them. ¡°I said the meeting is over. Everybody out!¡± Bruce hollered. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Roger, Paul, and the high-level executives did not dare to listen to Joanna¡¯s orders at all. They hurriedly stood up and left. ¡°Are you satisfied now, Bruce?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Not really. I¡¯ll only be satisfied when you¡¯repletely defeated and tram pled by everyone!¡± Bruce remarked. ¡°Bruce, what grudge do you have against me? Why are you targeting me like this?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°There¡¯s no enmity between us!¡± Bruce answered. When Joanna heard this, she was so mad that her eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°Then why are you being like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I like it. Money can¡¯t buy my happiness, but this can!¡± Bruce replied. ¡°You¡­¡± Joanna gritted her teeth in anger. At this moment, if she could transform into a ferocious beast, she would sink her teeth into his neck and snap it in two. This vile bas ta rd was really infuriating! Chapter 149 Chapter 149 ¡°I already warned you. This is the result of your disobedience. It¡¯s only the beginning. There¡¯s more to Joanna felt a sudden throb in her heart as it pounded faster. ¡°Bruce, when will you let me go?¡± ¡°Well, it depends on how you behave. You have to fight for it yourself. If your behavior is good, I may let you go.¡± Joanna stared at Bruce coldly. ¡°What kind of behavior do you want from me?¡± Bruce smirked and taunted her, ¡°You know very well what I want. Do I have to spell it out?¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze turned cold. She was rendered speechless, consumed by an overwhelming rage. After staring at each other coldly for a few seconds, Joanna suddenly said, ¡°Well, you just want to sleep with me. Go ahead then.¡± As Joanna spoke, she took off her jacket. She gave a look of submission, her eyes filled with hatred and resentment. Bruce felt an overwhelming sense of exasperation when he looked into her eyes. He thought, ¡°Does she think I¡¯m some sort of animal who will take advantage of her helpless plight?¡± All he wanted was for her to leave Jaydon. Bruce did not just want her body. He wanted her heart too. ¡°Joanna, why are you degrading yourself? ¡°Are you going to sell your body just to get what you want? ¡°Will you remove your clothes and sleep with a man just because he can give you what you want?¡± Hearing his sarcastic words, Joanna¡¯s temper sparked, and her face turned ashen. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re such a strange man. What exactly do you want?¡± Bruce pinched her chin and said gruffly, ¡°What do I want? Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Please stay away from me. Can we talk properly? Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Joanna took a step back in disgust. Her reaction made Bruce seethe with anger. Did she resent his presence so much? Bruce forcibly grabbed her shirt and brought her close to him. His gaze was reminiscent of a wolf fixated on its target. It was intense and unwavering. All he wanted was for her to love him. It was that simple. Why could she not understand that? Joanna could not break free from his grasp as Bruce tugged her shirt. She started to panic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s on your mind.¡± Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Do you really not understand what I want? Or are you just pretending?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Just tell me.¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds and said, ¡°I want you to love me.¡± Joanna almost choked when she heard that, her eyes filled with a profound sense of disbelief. A few secondster, she looked at him with contempt again. ¡°You want me to love you? ¡°Ha! Mr. Everett, stop joking.¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, aren¡¯t you going to marry another woman soon? You want me to love you? How do you expect me to love you?¡± ¡°My marriage shouldn¡¯t stop you from loving me.¡± Joanna sneered, ¡°Are you asking me to be your mistress?¡± ¡°Not my mistress but my lover.¡± ¡°Lover?¡± Joanna gave a snort of disgust. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She used to love him so deeply. Back then, all she got in return was humiliation and torture. She no longer dared to love him. She vowed never to love him again. She could never forget the pain he had inflicted on her. How could she love him again? ¡°Joanna, I know you still love me. ¡°I can¡¯t ept the fact that you are now with someone else. If you want me to love you again, stay away from all men. ¡°I don¡¯t want any man near you, except me.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Joannaughed contemptuously. Bruce was so infuriated by her contemptuous expression that he domineeringly grasped her chin. ¡°Joanna, did you hear what I said to you? ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience again. You know that I will always get what I want.¡± Joanna retorted coldly, ¡°Mr. Everett, please stop your nonsense. ¡°We¡¯re all adults. Stop ying such childish games.¡± ¡°Childish games? Do you think love is childish?¡± Anger rose in Bruce like a tide. A hint of mockery appeared in Joanna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ha! Do you think there¡¯s love between us?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°All right. You can say whatever you want. I don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore.¡± Joanna no longer wanted to argue with Bruce. He was always so domineering. Although she could not afford to offend him, she could still hide from him. Seeing her offhand attitude, Bruce simmered with anger. ¡°Joanna, what do you mean?¡± ¡°What do you mean by asking what do I mean?¡± ¡°I mean, can you stop your nonsense?¡± Joanna lost her patiencepletely. ¡°Break up with Jaydon and be my woman. This is your only way out.¡± ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret it if you refuse to do what I say.¡±- ¡°Do you have to do this to me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± Bruce was caught offguard by Joanna¡¯s question. Why was he doing this to her? He did not know either. He only knew that he could not bear to see her with another man. He wanted her everything, including her heart. Joanna pped Bruce¡¯s hand away and looked at him with a smirk. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you in love with me?¡± Bruce was so choked that he could not utter a single word. He must be in love with her. However, given his arrogance and pride, he would never admit that he loved her. Moreover, he was the one who had forsaken her back then. Even though he wanted very much to go back to her, he would never admit it. Instead, he wanted her to beg him to take her back. He would then pretend to ept her into his life reluctantly. Of course, deep down he would be happy if she went back to him. He was just pretending to be indifferent. On one hand, he wanted others to guess his thoughts, yet he was unwilling to reveal his true feelings to them. ¡°Love you? Hmph, what a joke! ¡°How can I fall in love with a single mother? I just think that you¡¯re still quite good-looking and want to y with you.¡± That was not what Bruce meant, but he blurted them out without thinking. They sounded so heartless and cold. Joanna gave a snort, thinking that Bruce was telling the truth. She knew it. This was truly how he felt about her. ¡°Then why did you do it?¡± ¡°Do I need to report to you what I want to do?¡± Joanna kept her emotions in check and said coldly, ¡°All right, don¡¯t say any further. ¡°Just get out of hofe.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Are you bent on rejecting me?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, other than disgust, I don¡¯t feel anything for you. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to entangle ourselves any further. Please refrain from engaging in such immature behavior in the future.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m immature?¡± Bruce let out augh. Indeed, he was not mature enough in his rtionship with Joanna. However, true love was always immature. If one was very calm andposed, he probably would not be able to love with his heart. Joanna did not want to continue talking to him. She shrugged and pretended not to care. ¡°Fine, just take it that I said something wrong. ¡°No one can stop you from doing whatever you want. You can do as you wish. Anyway, we¡¯ve always been enemies.¡± With that, Joanna turned around and walked toward the door of the conference room. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Joanna turned around and looked at Bruce with disdain. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you still want to make things difficult for me? ¡°Bruce, there are surveince cameras in this room. If you dare to use force on me, I can report you to the police and sue you. ¡°Since you¡¯ve forced me into a dead end, I can only fight you to the end.¡± When Bruce heard this, his face darkened. He retorted, ¡°Hmph, do you think I can¡¯t live without you? Do you think you¡¯re my only woman?¡± Joanna smiled, her brows slightly furrowed. She felt an inexplicable pain in her heart, but it was only fleeting. She knew that he had never loved her, so she no longer longed for him to love her. ¡°I know that you have countless mistresses. There¡¯s no need to hold on to me.¡± With that, Joanna walked away without looking back. ¡°Joanna, you will definitely regret this.¡± With her back facing him, Joanna sneered, ¡°The only thing I ever regretted is loving you. ¡°Thinking back, it¡¯s the worst time of my life. It¡¯s my greatest regret. ¡°A man like you doesn¡¯t deserve any love.¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Bruce seethed with anger when he heard that. He chased after her and forcefully pulled her back. ¡°Joanna!¡± ¡°What now? Do you want to hit me? Go ahead, hit me! ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve hit me!¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes were filled with anger. In the past, he had indeed hit her. It had been a misunderstanding. He was a gentleman and never liked to hit women. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ll be the death of me.¡± ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you anymore. You can do whatever you wish.¡± After saying that, Joanna did not want to face him anymore. She turned around and left. Bruce was a little dejected. Just then, Andy called him again. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett¡¯s condition is getting worse again. You have toe back immediately.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Grandma?¡± ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s heart failure.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go back now.¡± After hanging up the phone, Bruce returned to the Everett mansion without further dy. Soon, he arrived at the Everett mansion. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandma?¡± ¡°The doctor just gave her another injection. Her condition has stabilized.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take a look.¡± Bruce then walked into Margaret¡¯s room. Margaret was lying on the bed with an oxygen mask on her face. She looked weak and frail. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m back.¡± When Margaret heard Bruce¡¯s voice, she waved her hand lightly, gesturing them to remove her oxygen mask, Bruce quickly instructed the nurse to take off Margaret¡¯s mask. ¡°Grandma, are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Bruce.¡± Margaret eyes were in a daze. Bruce held her withered and thin hand. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Roxy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s at the Sherane Bay Vi. Do you want to see her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s too far away, I don¡¯t want you to rush back and forth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll live a long life.¡± ¡°Bruce, hurry up and get married while I¡¯m still alive. ¡°Grandma wants to see you start a family before I leave this world.¡± Bruce frowned when he heard that. He no longer had any feelings for Roxanne. He did not want to marry her at all. However, Margaret was already so ill. He could not dy the wedding any longer. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve already decided. I will marry Roxy next month.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news. Anyway, you¡¯ve been together for so long. You should get married as soon as possible.¡± Margaret was not aware of what had happened to Roxanne. If she knew, she would probably rather die than let Bruce marry her. That night, Bruce left for the Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce returned home, exhausted. Roxanne had specially cooked many dishes for him, such as seafood stew, grilled salmon,mb chop, roasted vegetables, and fresh oysters. They were all nourishing dishes. When Bruce got back at eight o¡¯clock in the evening, he saw Roxanne in a maid¡¯s outfit,plete with a head scarf and apron. The attire made her look attractive and seductive. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re home.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bruce looked at her attire and frowned. He did not enjoy cosy at all. Roxanne smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Dinner is ready. Bruce, quick. Come and have dinner.¡± Bruce frowned slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave the cooking to the ser vants?¡± ¡°I like to cook for you. The ser vants don¡¯t cook as well as I do.¡± Bruce said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to tire yourself out.¡± ¡°I have nothing to do at home. If I don¡¯t cook, I¡¯ll be bored to death.¡± ¡°All right then. Do whatever you like.¡± Shortly after, Bruce washed his hands and sat at the dining table. Roxanne passed him a bowl of seafood stew, smiling. Bruce took a sip of the stew. He could taste the herbs in it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a seafood stew.¡± Roxanne had added a lot of rich ingredients that were beneficial to the body. 3.61% 11:06 Fri, 30 Jun J Bruce frowned even harder. He looked at the food on the table. There were fresh oysters, grilled salmon,mb chop, and roasted vegetables. These were all very rich food. During this period, he was already in quite a bad mood. If he ate so much rich food, he would feel even worse. ¡°Bruce, eat more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Take more of the seafood stew. I spent six hours cooking it.¡± ¡°All right.¡± In the past month, Bruce did not visit Joanna. Neither did he look for other women. Now that he had eaten such rich food, one could imagine how heat was trapped in his body. After dinner, Bruce took a shower and got ready to sleep. As soon as hey in bed, Roxanne pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Bruce.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Why did youe in?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep alone.¡± Bruce did not respond. He did not turn her away either. Since the two of them were about to get married, there was no need to maintain any distance. Seeing that he did not resist, Roxanne snuggled in his bed like a tame rabbit. She lifted the nket andy in his arms. ¡°Bruce, can we try again tonight?¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Roxanne looked nervous. Bruce did not say anything else. He turned around and pressed her down with his body. He kissed her lips domineeringly. Roxanne shed all her pretenses and was very cooperative. He was indeed feeling very irritable that night. He needed a woman. ¡°Bruce.¡± Roxanne was delirious. However, at the critical moment, Bruce stopped what he was doing. He becamepletely disinterested. Embarrassed, Roxanne looked at Bruce with disappointment in her eyes. ¡°Bruce.¡± The desire in Bruce died suddenly. It was as if someone had poured ice on his head,pletely extinguishing the fire within him. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m really tired today.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He then quickly got off the bed. What was wrong with him? Could it be that he was no longer interested in sex? That was impossible. He was just not interested in Roxanne. Roxanney on the bed feeling awkward. She never thought that this would happen again. ¡°Looks like he has no sexual desires.¡± Roxanne felt a cold chill run down her spine at that thought. Unintentionally, she found herself The more she made theparison, the more nervous she felt. Meanwhile, Bruce had changed his clothes. He took his car keys and drove out of the vi. It was already eleven o¡¯clock at night. Joanna was already preparing to go to sleep. Beep! Beep! Her phone rang. Joanna picked it up and took a look. It was Bruce. She frowned. She did not want to answer his call. Beep! Beep! The phone was vibrating non-stop. Joanna finally answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± Bruce¡¯s grim voice was heard from the other end of the phone. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I want to see you.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s already past eleven o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°I¡¯m drunk. Come and pick me up.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, you should get your secretary or your driver to pick you up at this hour.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on the over pass. It¡¯s the ce where I threw your phone away. Hurry up,e and get me.¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s veryte. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Joanna, are youing?¡± 3 11:06 Fri, 30 Jun ¡°Bruce, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you twenty minutes. If you don¡¯te, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences.¡± Beep! After saying that, Bruce hung up the phone. ¡°Hey!¡± Joanna was so angry that she cursed, ¡°What a lun atic. What¡¯s wrong with him again?¡± However, she did not dare not to meet Bruce. He sounded very unhappy. She did not know what he would do if he did not see her. ¡°Miss Haynes, are you going out sote at night?¡± ¡°Yes, I have something urgent to attend to.¡± ¡°Oh, be careful then. It¡¯s alreadyte at night.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Joanna hurriedly left the house. Twenty minutester, Joanna arrived at the over pass. In the distance, she saw a Maybach parked nearby. Bruce was sitting in the car, smoking away. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s already sote. Why did you ask me out?¡± ¡°Get in the car.¡± ¡°Where the hell are you going?¡± ¡°I said, get into the car.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and got into the car. Bang! Bruce locked the car door. He stepped on the elerator and sped off. ¡°Hey, where are you taking me?¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 ¡°You can¡¯t park on the over pass for a long time. My car will be towedter! Where are you going? I can drive behind you, can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Shut up. If your car is towed, I¡¯ll buy you a new one!¡± Joanna choked when she heard that. She sniffed subconsciously. Fortunately, she did not smell the smell of alcohol. ¡®You haven¡¯t been drinking, have you?¡¯ Bruce didn¡¯t say anything and just kept elerating! The car quickly drove towards the winding road up the mountain. They were almost at Emerald Mountain. At night, many couples would drive up the mountain to enjoy the night view. ¡°Bruce, where the hell are you going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there!¡± The winding road up the mountain circled around Emerald Mountain! The further up they went, the narrower the road became. Although Bruce was very good at driving, Joanna did not dare to say anything to avoid distracting him. Half an hourter. When the car reached the top of the mountain, Bruce finally stopped the car. The car was parked by a cliff. Through the car window, Joanna could see the night view of the entire Greyport. The lights at the foot of the mountain were bright and the neon lights were flickering. It looked surreal and breathtakingly beautiful. Bruce parked the car and lit a cigarette casually. Joanna was not in the mood to admire the mountain scenery. She just looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°What are you doing here sote at night?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything. He just smoked silently. The car was soon shrouded in smoke. Joanna coughed twice and opened the car door subconsciously. Just as she was about to get out of the car, Bruce exhaled and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m getting married next month!¡± Joanna was lost for words, There was an indescribable feeling in her heart. It was not pain, but it was a little suffocating. ¡°Congrattions!¡± Bruce turned toward her slightly and frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you want to say to me?¡± He wanted to hear her asking him to not get married. ¡°I already said it, congrattions!¡± ¡°Joanna, won¡¯t you¡­ try to persuade me to stay?¡± sneer when she heard that. Four years ago, when they divorced, he was this determined. It was normal for him to marry Roxanne now! After all, he had abandoned Joanna because he wanted to marry Roxanne? ¡°Mr. Everett, did you call me out sote at night to tell me that you¡¯re getting married? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°it¡¯s just for this matter, you don¡¯t have to ask me out at all! You can just tell me over the phone! ¡°But I¡¯m sorry, I might not be able to attend your wedding 1 wish you happiness.¡± With that, Joanna pershed the car door open and wanted to get out! Bruce grabbed her wrist suddenly and pulled her back ¡°Ah! What are you doing? It hurts¡­ Joanna¡¯s wrist wat in pain ¡°Joanna, you can only belong to me for the rest of your life¡± With that, Bruce grabbed her wrist and pulled the oven, The seats were lowered and adjusted to the lowest levell Bruce pushed her onto the seat hand. joanna panicked and pushed against him desperately. ¡°You¡¯re cracy. Don¡¯t touch mat Brace was already irritable. After eating the warm and sourishing medicinal cuisines today, his entire body was even hotter than usual! Joanna¡¯s clothes were torn apart! ¡°Oh!¡± Joanna screamed, but her voice was soon muf fed by the pair of lips that was pressing against hers, Half an hourter Joanna was already semi-unconscious. Her entire body was trembling non-stop, Bruce stopped and it another cigarette. It seemed that there was nothing wrong with him at all However, for some reason, when he faced Roxanne, he was not interested at all! ¡°Bruce, you ba sta rd¡­ Tears of humiliation flowed from Joanna¡¯s eyes. This wille ba sta rd had always been so harsh to her. Ever forgive him! ¡°Even I¡¯m a ba sta rd, you forced me to be one.¡± stopped taking and just cried silently * Jenna solling sadly, fruca¡¯s heart softened. He kissed the tears away at the corner of Joanna¡¯s eyes lightly, and his tone finally became 16:31 Sat, gentle. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m actually¡­ in love with you!¡± ¡°As long as you listen to me, I¡¯ll dote on you very much. Why must you go against me like this? ¡°I can give you whatever Jaydon can give you! I can even give you whatever he can¡¯t! ¡°Why did you choose him over me?¡± Joanna finally could not help but cry out loud. She leaned on his shoulder and bit him crazily. ¡°Bruce, you bas ta rd. I will never forgive you for the rest of my life!¡± Bruce was in so much pain that his skin was broken. The blood on Joanna¡¯s lips made her look flustered. ¡°So be it! As long as you belong to me now¡­¡± The entire night! He kept making love to her in the car! The cramped space of the car was filled with scenes that could make one¡¯s pulse race! In the morning! Because they were at the top of the mountain, the sunlight came especially early! The first rays of the morning sun were dazzling and colorful. It was so beautiful that it was suffocating. Joanna was too tired and was still sleeping soundly. Bruce hugged her gently. The sunlight shone on her face through the car window. She looked iparably beautiful. His gaze became exceptionally gentle. If Bruce had known earlier that the girl who saved him ten years ago was Joanna, none of this would have happened! Fate was really ying tricks on him. Bruce only learned the truth after losing what he treasured the most! Ring, ring! Bruce¡¯s phone rang wildly again! Joanna was also awakened! Bruce looked at the phone. It was Roxanne calling! There were already dozens of missed calls and countless unread Messenger messages on his phone. Roxanne had called him all night yesterday, but he did not pick up! Now that he was awake, he was also worried that Roxanne would do something st*pid. After some thought, Bruce frowned and answered the call. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Bruce, where are you? Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone all night?¡± Bruce¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What is it?¡± Roxanne said quietly, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that you suddenly leftst night. I was worried about you!¡± 16:31 Sat, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± 51% ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first! We¡¯ll talk when I get back tonight.¡± Without waiting for Roxanne to say anything else, Bruce hung up. Joanna also heard their conversation. She opened his eyes slightly and nced coldly at Bruce! ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re disgusting?¡± Bruce frowned and did not answer when he heard that! Joanna propped herself up and put on her torn clothes again! Although they were torn, she could still cover her body with them. ¡°Joanna, do you really think of me that way?¡± Joanna tidied up her clothes, looking cold and proud. ¡°You¡¯re about to marry Roxanne, and you¡¯re still pestering other women! ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a scu mbag?¡± Bruce frowned again, not wanting to refute her words. ¡°Whatever you say. As long as you¡¯re happy, you can say whatever you want!¡± Joanna ran her fingers through her messy hair and moved slightly. Her entire body was sore and iparably painful. Her head felt dizzy as if it was about to explode! ¡°Take me home!¡± ¡°Joanna, name your price!¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds before saying what was on his mind out loud. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Joanna asked. Bruce looked into her eyes. ¡°How much do you want to be my lover?¡± When Joanna heard his words, her heart ski pped a beat. It took her a while to recover. ¡°Hmph, what kind of a person do you think I am?¡± Bruce¡¯s cold face was filled with arrogance. ¡°Joanna, no matter what kind of a person you are, you need money now, don¡¯t you? ¡°Instead of relying on another man, why don¡¯t you rely on me? ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m your ex-husband. I¡¯ll treat you better!¡± p! Joanna couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She reached out and pped Bruce in the face! ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t think that everyone is so dirty! I do need money, but I¡¯m not so low as to be someone¡¯s lover. ¡°You don¡¯t have to love me, but please don¡¯t insult my character!¡± Bruce touched his cheek and said seriously, ¡°You always misunderstand me like this! ¡°I¡¯m asking you this because I love you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to love me. It¡¯s enough for you to love Roxanne!¡± 16:31 Sat, 1 Jul A With that, Joanna pushed the door open and got out of the car in a sorry state. She didn¡¯t want to be with Bruce for a moment longer. As soon as she got out of the car, her legs gave way and she fell weakly to the ground. He was too rough on herst night. th Now, her entire body was in pain and she could barely stand. Bruce got out of the car quickly and picked her up from the ground. ¡°Joanna, when did you be so stubborn? ¡°Do I have to use forceful methods to force you to submit?¡± Joanna smiled coldly, looking thoroughly exhausted. ¡°Bruce, let me go!¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 ¡°Joanna¡­¡± Bruce felt suffocated and did not know what else to say. ¡°Take me home, now! ¡°If you don¡¯t take me back, you can go back alone!¡± When Bruce heard this, he opened the car door resentfully and forced Joanna back into the passenger seat! Then, he also got into the car! Bruce started the car and drove down the mountain. Along the way, the two of them did not say a word. The atmosphere was oppressive and strange. Half an hourter! Bruce drove Joanna to the entrance of the neighborhood. Joanna unbuckled her seatbelt and was ready to get out of the car. Bruce coughed and said solemnly, ¡°Think about it carefully. Call me when you¡¯ve decided!¡± Joanna did not even turn her head to look at him as she said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to think about it. I won¡¯t agree to it!¡± With that, Joanna walked straight into the neighborhood. She wanted to go back and take a shower to wash away the traces Bruce had left on her. At the same time, Joanna had to take the emergency contraceptive pill as soon as possible. She did not want him to get her pregnant again. Ten minutester! Joanna took out her keys and opened the door. After returning home! Tracy was shocked to see her in a sorry and weak state. ¡°Nothing!¡± Joanna replied coldly and walked straight to ¡°Miss Haynes, what happened to you?¡± the bathroom. Then, she filled the bathtub with cold water and soaked herself in it. The bone¨Cchilling water made the nerves in her body explode. Joanna liked the pain of shivering in cold water. As long as her body was painful and cold enough, her heart would not hurt. This was the most effective way to treat heartache. Twenty minutester. Joanna gradually calmed down. She stepped out of the bathtub. Her entire body was cold and not warm at all. After changing, it was already half past seven in the morning! It was almost time to go to work. A text message notification popped up on Joanna¡¯s phone. The car had already been towed away by the Transport Bureau! Joanna still had to redeem the carter! Joanna called Cora directly. ¡°Hey, Cora!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what is it?¡± ¡°My car was towed away. Go to the Transport Bureau and pay the fine to redeem my car!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± Tracy made her a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Joanna sat at the dining table and ate her breakfast quietly. Her expression remained cold and indifferent, looking somewhat absent¨Cminded and exhausted. Tracy knew that something unpleasant must have happened to herst night. However, she did not dare to ask. She just did her job quietly. After breakfast, Joanna prepared to go to work. ¡°Lilia, Mommy is going to work,¡± Joanna said goodbye to her daughter as usual. Lilia was also feeling a little unwell these few days. She looked listless. ¡°Bye, Mommy.¡± ¡°Okay, be good at home!¡± Joanna kissed her daughter. She did not notice the changes in her daughter. At nine o¡¯clock in the morning! Joanna arrived at thepany. As usual, there was a pre¨Cwork meeting! ¡°Miss Haynes, there is not enough fund in the ount of the factory in Mossbourne! ¡°The manufacturer wants us to pay the rest of the money first before they¡¯re willing to ship the rest of the products!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°How much more do we need?¡± ¡°About 4 million dors more.¡± ¡°Got it. Tell the factory that I¡¯ll transfer the money next week!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± After hanging up, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but hold her forehead in her hands! Not to mention 4 million dors, she couldn¡¯t even fork out 200 thousand dors! Although there were 150 million dors on the card Bruce had given her, Joanna did not want to use his money! Therefore, she had never touched his money. Thepany no longer had any money on the books. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were even more firmly against investing in the factory! She had already invested so much money in it. If she lost money, all the money she had invested would be wasted! More importantly, the Skywinds Group and the Neorace Group had canceled their orders. She had to find new business partners! Just as Joanna was thinking about it, Luna walked in. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Grimm is here!¡± ¡°Show him in!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After a while. Jaydon walked into her office. As usual, he brought coffee and cake for the employees of thepany. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re here?¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna gently. Seeing that her face was haggard and pale and that there were dark circles under her eyes, he could not help but frown. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± Joanna wanted to say something but hesitated. She looked like she had a lot on her mind. She knew that as long as she asked, Jaydon would definitely help her! However, she did not want to ask him for help! Jaydon had already helped her too much. She really did not want to cause him any more trouble! Especially now, Bruce was going crazy from time to time! Her investment in Mossbourne might all go down the drain! If Jaydon were to invest money in it, he would probably suffer losses as well! ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡± Jaydon could not help but ask again. Joanna smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°I see that you¡¯re not in good spirits. If you can¡¯t take it, take a break!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°We still have to go to Venturas in the afternoon to pick up Davian and Irvin!¡± Joanna was caught off guard and patted her head subconsciously. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s already Friday today. I¡¯ve actually forgotten about it.¡± Jaydon smiled and teased, ¡°Look at your memory. If I didn¡¯t remind you, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to take care of your children!¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± Joanna could no longerugh. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Jaydon paused for a few seconds and frowned slightly. ¡°Is there ack of cash flow?¡± Although Joanna had never asked to borrow money from him. But now, so many things had happened to the Haynes Group! He knew that Joanna definitely did not have enough money! In particr, she had invested all her cash into Mossbourne! Now that the orders had been revoked, if the business were to fail, the over 14 million dors she had invested previously would probably all go down the drain! ¡°A little!¡± Joanna sighed and admitted it. Jaydon smiled. ¡°How much do you need?¡± Joanna looked at him silently and did not say anything. ¡°Two million dors?¡± Jaydon asked her with a smile. Joanna remained silent. ¡°Four million dors?¡± When Joanna heard this, she sighed deeply! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I can still fork out a couple of millions of dors!¡± Joanna shook her head and refused. ¡°Forget it! I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to make a profit out of the business. I wouldn¡¯t be able to pay you back then!¡± Jaydon thought for a moment. ¡°How about this¡­ ¡°Coincidentally, I also want to go to Mossbourne to do business. Why don¡¯t I invest in your factory and you can give me half of the shares? ¡°We¡¯ll work on it together!¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Jaydon in shock and was rendered speechless! ¡°Jay, the market is not looking good right now. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°There are always risks in doing business! Besides, losing millions of dors is not a problem for me!¡± ¡°Jay, this is not a small sum of money. You have to think carefully! ¡°We haven¡¯t entered the Mossbourne market yet. It¡¯s very likely that all these investments will go down the drain!¡± When Jaydon heard this, not only was he not scared away, he even tried tofort Joanna. ¡°Although the market for opening a factory does not look good, it¡¯s still a business that should work out eventually! If we work on it hard enough, it will definitely seed! ¡°In any case, my filmpany has to invest millions of dors in a movie. Sometimes, if there is a loss, I can lose everything! ¡°I¡¯ll just treat it as another failed movie!¡± Joanna smiled bitterly. ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. Do I look like someone who can¡¯t afford to lose money?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re serious about it, I¡¯ll wee you with open arms!¡± Jaydon said seriously, ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious! ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Next Monday, we¡¯ll go to the factory in Mossbourne to re¨Cinspect it! ¡°Also, print out the contract! ¡°You¡¯re the major shareholder. You have 51% of the shares. Give me 49% of the shares!¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes widened instantly! Jaydon would always help her when she needed it the most. With Jaydon¡¯s investment, her factory could open sessfully! At the same time, turnover of capital would not be a problem at all! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jay, you have to consider it seriously!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about it. From now on, we¡¯re business partners!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re treating me like an outsider by thanking me. I¡¯m just saving myself another way out!¡± Joanna smiled and stopped rejecting Jaydon¡¯s good intentions. ¡°Alright then! Next Monday, I¡¯ll get Cora to draft the contract!¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled then! ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Then ¡°Okay!¡± go ahead with your work. I¡¯ll pick you up at noon!¡± At noon! Jaydon was already waiting downstairs. Bruce happened to drive over as well. Just as he was about to get out of the car, he saw Joanna and Jaydon walking out of the Haynes Group building happily! Instantly, it was as if someone had poured cold water on his head! She actually dared to still be involved with Jaydon? ¡°Joanna, it seems like you really don¡¯t take my words to heart! ¡°Will you only give in if I use a forceful approach?¡± Chapter 153 Chapter 153 ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Jaydon looked at her gently. Joanna smiled. ¡°Anything. You can decide.¡± ¡°Shall we have Flech cuisine?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them chatted andughed as they walked past Bruce¡¯s car. In the car, the look on Bruce¡¯s face was so ugly. Bruce¡¯s strong possessiveness toward Joanna made it impossible for him to ept that she was flirting with another man. ¡°Joanna, I will definitely make you beg in front of me¡­¡± Bruce did not get out of the car. He stepped on the elerator and drove past Joanna and Jaydon. ¡°Be careful!¡± Jaydon and Joanna dodged. The inertia of the car almost flipped them over. Jaydon supported Joanna and cursed at the back of the car, ¡°The driver¡¯s crazy. Does he know how to drive?¡± Joanna nced at the license te number and her heart sank. It was Bruce¡¯s car. Fortunately, he had only given them a warning and did not really drive straight at them. ¡°Joann, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± During lunch, Joanna was in a daze, looking distracted. She was still at a loss. Bruce was a very vengeful person. She did not know how he would take revenge on her. Seeing that she was in a daze, Jaydon could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you in a daze?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a little uneasy!¡± ¡°Uneasy about what?¡± Joanna sighed deeply, not knowing what to say! ¡°Are you worried about Bruce?¡± Jaydon¡¯s face darkened. Joanna sighed again. ¡°He¡¯s very vengeful. I¡¯m worried that he¡­¡± ¡°Worried about what? ¡°Worried about him taking revenge on us?¡± Joanna nodded weakly. If he was just to take revenge on her, she would not be so uneasy! She was now worried that Bruce would take revenge on Jaydon too! ¡°What are you thinking then? ¡°Do you still want to be with him?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°How is that possible? ¡°I just want to cut ties with him and have nothing to do with him anymore!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he pondered for a few seconds. ¡°You might not be able to escape his control in Greyport! ¡°We¡¯ll go to Mossbourne. Let¡¯s move. I don¡¯t believe he can reach that far!¡± ¡°I hope so!¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°What have you got nned this afternoon?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave for Venturas earlier to pick Davian and Irvin up!¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s leave at five o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Roxanne felt aggrieved for a day, but she still couldn¡¯t help but call Ingrid. Ring, ring! Ingrid¡¯s phone rang. Seeing that it was Roxanne, Ingrid signaled her two cousins to keep quiet immediately. ¡°Hello, Roxy!¡± ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ying poker!¡± Roxanne pursed her lips and said impatiently, ¡°Why are you ying poker again?¡± ¡°What is it? Tell me!¡± ¡°What else could it be? I¡¯ve tried it the way you told me to!¡± When Ingrid heard this, a hint of surprise appeared on her face. ¡°It still didn¡¯t work?¡± Roxanne sighed. ¡°Mom, do you think he is really impotent?¡± Ingrid could hear Roxanne¡¯s worry and quicklyforted her. ¡°Even if he is really impotent, we can only ept it now! ¡°If the medicinal cuisine still doesn¡¯t work, we can only get the pills for it!¡± ¡°Will this work?¡± ¡°In terms of nourishing his body, we have to take it slow. We can¡¯t rush it!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°He looks so healthy. How did he get such a disease? It¡¯s unbelievable. Is there something wrong with his mind?¡± ¡°His mind?¡± Roxanne rolled her eyes. ¡°If he¡¯s men tally ill, it¡¯s useless no matter how many medicinal cuisines he takes!¡± Roxanne hesitated for a few seconds before asking timidly, ¡°Mom, do you think he despises me?¡± Ingrid was afraid that her daughter would split hairs again, so sheforted her quickly. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t think too much about it. You can¡¯t be anxious when dealing with men. You have to take it slow! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Don¡¯t be in a hurry!¡± Roxanne sounded anxious. ¡°But he didn¡¯te homest night. I wonder if he went to look for Joanna again?¡± Ingrid paused for a moment and continued tofort her daughter. ¡°Now that the wedding ising soon, it¡¯s best to turn a blind eye to this kind of thing! No matter what, we have to wait until after the wedding!¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Roxanne did not want to say anything more to Ingrid and hung up the phone in frustration. After Ingrid hung up, a gloomy expression appeared on her face. ¡°Have you decided?¡± Oscar and Wace frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve thought about it. We¡¯ll agree to your terms. We¡¯ll finish Joanna off.¡± When Ingrid heard this, her lips curled into a vicious smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the advance payment of 400 thousand dors! ¡°As soon as that sl ut Joanna dies, I¡¯ll transfer the rest of the money to your overseas ounts immediately!¡± ¡°Alright! It¡¯s settled then.¡± Ingrid added worriedly, ¡°Use your brains and be professional. Don¡¯t give yourselves away!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll leave now!¡± Ingrid picked up her bag and was ready to leave. Wace stopped her with a smile. ¡°Are you still not in the mood today? It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had fun!¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already in your forties or fifties. How can you still want to do that every day? ¡°You should get what is important done soon!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Without further ado, Ingrid opened the door and left. After leaving the room, Ingrid turned around and spat at the door. She hated these two men so much now. It was only natural that she did not want to have fun with them anymore. If Ingrid wanted to have fun, she would go to the beauty salon to enjoy her time with the handsome young beautician. ¡°What should we do, Wace?¡± Oscar looked at Wace and asked. Wace frowned and thought hard for a moment. ¡°I heard that sl ut Joanna invested in a factory in Mossbourne and would go to Mossbourne from time to time! ¡°Since we can¡¯t do anything in Greyport, let¡¯s go to Mossbourne and hire a few ruffians to kidnap her!¡± ¡°A few ruffians?¡± ¡°Are you st*pid? Can we do this ourselves? ¡°If we fail, we will spend the rest of our lives in jail!!¡± ¡°What do you think we should do then?¡± ¡°Ingrid gave us 2 million dors each, and we will take 100 thousand dors out each. That would be 200 thousand dors. That¡¯s enough to hire a professional assassin in Mossbourne.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯ll do whatever you say!¡± ¡°Prepare your passport and everything. As soon as the money is transferred, we¡¯ll leave for Pedrana!¡± ¡°4 million dors is enough for us to live a wealthy life in Pedrana! We don¡¯t have to be with Ingrid anymore!¡± Wace pulled Oscar into his arms. Oscar also changed his attitude and looked at Wace lovingly. The two ¡°cousins¡± were actually lovers. They were with Ingrid just to make money. At night! At the Haynes¡¯s house. Ingrid returned home exhausted. ¡°Where did you go again? You¡¯re back sote.¡± Shaun looked unhappy. Since stepping down from his position as the chairperson of the Haynes Group, Shaun spent most of his time at home. Although the Haynes family had many side businesses, they were all fixed assets. Shaun only needed to collect rent, receive dividends, and so on. There was no need for him to worry too much about it. Sometimes, he wanted Ingrid to travel with him. Unfortunately, Ingrid had to go out almost every day! Ingrid was either out to y poker, to shop, or to the salon! Ingrid put down her bag and said tiredly, ¡°What else could I be doing? I just went to the salon!¡± Shaun nced at her expression. Ingrid¡¯s face looked rosy, looking well nourished and content. However, Shaun still muttered in dissatisfaction, ¡°You go to the salon every few days. It makes no difference whether you go there or not!¡± ¡°How can there be no difference? I am already in my forties. I have to take good care of myself, haven¡¯t I? ¡°Once my skin is dehydrated, it will be difficult to remove my wrinkles.¡± ¡°Roxy is about to get married. It¡¯s time to organize for it! Don¡¯t go out every day for no reason!¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I know!¡± Ingrid replied casually and hurried upstairs. In the past, Shaun was busy with thepany and did not have the energy to care about Ingrid at all. But now that Shaun was free, there were many things that he could not help but be suspicious about. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 The next day! Bruce came back to the Everett mansion with Roxanne. At the Everett mansion! ¡°Grandma, I brought Roxy home to see you!¡± Margaret was lying quietly on the bed. Because of her health, she was bedridden most of the time. Hearing her grandson¡¯s voice, Margaret opened her eyes and said shakily, ¡°Bruce is here¡­¡± Roxanne went to the bedside quickly and took Margaret¡¯s hand. She greeted her sweetly, ¡°Grandma!¡± Margaret held Roxanne¡¯s and Bruce¡¯s hands and put them together. ¡°You have to get married soon. Grandma wants to see you get married! Have a child soon. Bruce is not young anymore/It¡¯s time for you to have a child.¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll definitely get to meet your great¨Cgrandson! ¡°I¡¯ve discussed it with Roxy. We¡¯ll get married next month.¡± Margaret took a deep breath and struggled to sit up. ¡°When is the wedding?¡± Bruce and Roxanne helped Margaret to sit up quickly and ced a soft pillow behind her back. ¡°The wedding is set for the eighth of next month!¡± When Margaret heard this, a smile appeared on her aged face. ¡°Oh, I should be able to make it then! ¡°As long as I can see the two of you getting married, I¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± Bruce held his grandmother¡¯s hand tightly and said gently, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t think too much! You¡¯ll definitely live to a ripe old age! ¡°I¡¯ll also work hard for you to meet your great¨Cgrandson as soon as possible!¡± Margaret smiled. ¡°After you get married, you have to live a good life! The two of you need to be tolerant of each other and amodate each other!¡± ¡°Yes, we will¡­¡± Margaret reminded them more intermittently. Then, her eyelids sank and she was a little sleepy! Seeing this, Bruce helped his grandmother lie down again quickly and said gently, ¡°Grandma, rest well. Roxy and I won¡¯t disturb you anymore!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Margaret replied tiredly before closing her eyes and falling asleep again. ¡°Roxy, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°You must take good care of Grandma 24 hours a day. Nothing must go wrong!¡± 16:33 Sat ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Bruce was still worried and gave a few more instructions to the butler and nurses. After that, he left with Roxanne. On the way back. The driver drove on. Bruce and Roxanne sat in the backseat. 8.50% A Along the way, Roxanne held Bruce¡¯s hand tightly in hers. Bruce¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent. He did not refuse or express any intimacy. He was only marrying Roxanne to fulfill his grandmother¡¯s wish. At the same time, he could also give Roxanne what she wanted. Other than that, he had no other feelings for her. ¡°The eighth of next month, we¡¯re finally getting married. This day has finallye!¡± Roxanne could not hide the joy on her face. She stole a nce at Bruce and saw his cold expression. The happiness in her heart dissipated a little instantly. ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Roxanne asked carefully. Bruce retracted his hand subconsciously and lit a cigarette. ¡°I am!¡± ¡°Then why do you look so glum?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about Grandma¡¯s condition!¡± ¡°Medical care is so advanced now. Grandma will definitely recover!¡± ¡°I hope so! ¡°I¡¯ll take you home now. I¡¯m going to the office then!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s Saturday today. Do you still have to go to work?¡± ¡°Oh, I have an appointment with a client. I¡¯m going to discuss businesster!¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Roxanne replied reluctantly. She knew that Bruce had a lot of social engagements. Some of them were real, while others were just excuses. He just didn¡¯t want to be alone with her. ¡°Bruce, why don¡¯t you ask the driver to stop in front and let me off at the intersection ahead!¡± Bruce was taken off guard and was a little worried as he looked at Roxanne. ¡°I¡¯m going to the front to buy something! I¡¯ll take a taxi hometer.¡± ¡°Alright then! ¡°Stop at the intersection ahead.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± Kody stopped the car at the intersection of themercial street. This was the busiestmercial street in Greyport. It was also where one could buy all kinds of luxury goods. ¡°Goodbye, Bruce!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± After Bruce left! Roxanne took out her phone and invited a few of her best friends to go shopping. In the past, because the marriage was not reliable, she did not dare to show off in front of her friends. Now that the marriage was finally finalized, it only made sense for her to want to show off in front of her friends. After a while! Four or five well¨Cdressed socialites came over. 3 ¡°Wow, Roxy, are you really getting married?¡± A long¨Chaired socialite looked envious, and her tone was a little sour. Bruce was such a handsome, rich, and young man. How could he be blind enough to fall for Roxanne? ¡°Yes, on the eighth of next month, you have toe over and be my bridesmaid!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my honor!¡± ¡°Roxy has finally seen the light. After six years of dating Mr. Everett, they¡¯re finally getting married!¡± A short¨Chaired socialite praised casually. However, she had the same thoughts as the socialite just now. She was so jealous and thought that she was better than Roxanne in all aspects. How could Mr. Everett be blind enough to fall for Roxanne? ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Roxy, after you get married, remember to introduce Mr. Everett¡¯s friends to us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure!¡± Listening to thepliments of her friends, Roxanne¡¯s vanity was greatly satisfied. Outside the restaurant, someone had been secretly peeping inside! Roxanne turned around to take a look unintentionally. The man shrunk his neck and hid behind the wall quickly! Although she had only taken a nce at him, Roxanne still recognized the man as Gavin. After that, Roxanne was no longer in the mood to enjoy afternoon tea with her friends! ¡°I have something urgent to attend to. I¡¯ll leave first. Let¡¯s meet another day!¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for us to get together. Why are you leaving so early?¡± ¡°I have to tend to many of the details of the wedding in person. I have to go home early!¡± ¡°Alright then! We won¡¯t hold the bride up!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already bought everything on the list. Let¡¯s meet another day!¡± After saying that, Roxanne did not dare to stay any longer and left in a hurry. When she left the restaurant! Roxanne walked straight into a deserted alley. As expected, Gavin followed. They walked to the deepest part of the alley. It was a trash station. There was no one there. Roxanne stopped in her tracks with a dark expression. ¡°Come out!¡± Gavin stopped hiding and limped out from behind the pir. ¡°Roxy¡­¡± A crisp p rang in the alley. Roxanne pped Gavin in exasperation. ¡°How can you stille and see me?¡± ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Gavin knelt on the ground and kept pping himself! That day, Bruce ordered his men to throw the four hooligans into the sea! Gavin was also beaten up. One of his legs was broken. He had been recuperating for more than two months before he could barely walk. However, as the incident had happened because of him, Gavin did not dare to call Roxanne again! However, he had been paying attention to Roxanne¡¯s every move! ¡°Get up, don¡¯t let anyone see you!¡± ¡°Roxy, please forgive me!¡± Gavin knelt in front of Roxanne and cried. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you again. This is the end between us. I¡¯m already getting married. Don¡¯t harass me again!¡± ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m sorry for hurting you. I¡¯ll never forgive myself for the rest of my life!¡± Roxanne gritted her teeth and cursed, ¡°You coward, get lost. I don¡¯t want to see you again!¡± Gavin took two steps forward and hugged Roxanne¡¯s thigh tightly. ¡°Roxy, I don¡¯t dare to ask for your forgiveness! ¡°I don¡¯t dare to disturb your happiness anymore. One day, when you need me, you cane to me anytime!¡± ¡°Get lost. As long as you never appear in front of me again, I¡¯ll forgive you!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get lost. I¡¯ll get lost now¡­¡± As Gavin spoke, he scrambled away! Roxanne watched as Gavin left in a sorry state! She could not help but gulp! Although she really hated Gavin for being weak and cowardly! However, when she thought of the joy and excitement he had once brought her, Roxanne¡¯s heart could not help but itch! Some people were like this. They forgot the pain after a wound had healed! Although she had been raped by five hooligans, now that the matter was over, she had almost forgotten aboott However, the wedding wasing soon! In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, she still didn¡¯t dare to be involved with Gavin anymore! Even if Bruce oras trofy impose marry him! A Chapter 155 Chapter 155 ¡°Do you think Roxanne and Mr. Everett will really get married this time?¡± ¡°I think so! I heard that all the invitations have been sent!¡± heard that Roxanne seems to have been raped by a few ruffians!¡± When another socialite heard this, her eyes widened. ¡°No way? Where did you hear that?¡± ¡°It seems to be true! The disappearance of four people in the slums not long ago seems to be rted to Roxanne.¡± ¡°How is that possible? Where did you hear about that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. You¡¯re right. If she¡¯s really raped by the hooligans, how can Mr. Everett not despise her and still dare to marry her?¡± ¡°Impossible, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to not believe? She only looks like a virtuous and puredy on the outside, but she¡¯s very open on the inside. When she was in college, she had always been involved with that senior two years older than she was!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, she still gets to maintain her image as the pure and innocent girl. Now, she¡¯s actually going to marry into the Everett family!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to admit that being pretentious indeed gives her an advantage!¡± After Roxanne left, her friends were envious and jealous. They couldn¡¯t help but gossip about her. In the blink of an eye! It was already the end of the month! The agreement between Joanna and Jaydon was also reached! Jaydon invested 6 million dors and became a shareholder in Joanna¡¯spany in Mossbourne! With Jaydon¡¯s help, the funds quickly turned over! The factory in Mossbourne was also sessfully opened! At the same time, Jaydon was also an expert in nning! The various advertisements of the factory were also being put up! In just a week, thepany had already received more than ten orders! The increase in orders was a good start! Joanna was also bing more and more confident in running the factory in Mossbourne! ¡°Alright, the contract is signed! ¡°We are partners from now on!¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna gently. Joanna finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s right! I hope the business will grow steadily!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a must. Business at the factory is already getting better now. ¡°It will get better and better in the future!¡± ¡°Thank you, Jay!¡± Joanna thanked Jaydon solemnly. ¡°You¡¯re doing it again. I told you, there¡¯s no need to be so polite between the two of us.¡± ¡°Anyway, I still want to thank you.¡± ¡°If you want to thank me, treat me to a meal then!¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Tell me, what do you want to eat?¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna with a smile and said jokingly, ¡°Can I have anything?¡± ¡°Yes, as long as I can afford it!¡± ¡°Can I have you?¡± Jaydon said with a doting smile. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re doing it again¡­¡± Jaydon chuckled. ¡°I was just joking with you. Look at how scared you are!¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Soon! The news that Joanna¡¯s factory in Mossbourne had survived the crisis spread throughout the Haynes Group. When Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger received the news, they could not help but curse. ¡°It can¡¯t be, right? The business Miss Haynes has started in Mossbourne is actually going well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s getting better and better!¡± ¡°I heard that Mr. Grimm invested 6 million dors into it, which turned the situation around!¡± ¡°I knew it. How can she afford to do business alone? At the end of the day, it¡¯s all because of a man!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to admit she is good at getting men to invest in her. You can¡¯t be jealous about it!¡± Mr. Roger said emotionally, ¡°If I had known that this woman was so capable, I should have invested with her!¡± Mr. Paul snorted disdainfully. ¡°Forget it! Don¡¯t just look at the benefits in front of you! ¡°I hope her business can go smoothly. She haspletely offended Mr. Everett by working with Mr. Grimm! ¡°Do you think she can have a good time after offending Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± On November 30th. @50% a Ever since that night, Bruce¡¯s self-esteem had been hurt, and he never came to bother Joanna again! There was only one week left until the wedding! The marriage of the richest man in Greyport naturally shocked the entire city! Bruce was overworking! The reporters took advantage of every opportunity and waited for Bruce all day long, hoping to interview him for first-hand information about the wedding. On this day! Bruce had just stepped out of the Everett Group when he was blocked by reporters. ¡°Mr. Everett, may I ask if your wedding with Miss Roxanne is on the eighth of next month?¡± Bruce frowned and replied coldly, ¡°Yes! ¡°At that time, everyone is wee to attend the wedding!¡± ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Everett! Congrattions, Miss Roxanne! ¡°Mr. Everett, can you reveal details of the wedding?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that for the time being!¡± Bruce waved at the reporters politely and elegantly. The bodyguards stopped the reporters quickly. ¡°Mr. Everett won¡¯t answer any more questions. Thank you!¡± However, although the reporters did not get any useful news, they were already very satisfied. At the very least, Mr. Everett had confirmed the date of the wedding in person. [After Working Hard for Six Years, Miss Roxanne is Finally Getting Married to Mr. Everett Soon!] [Miss Joanna¡¯s Schemes are All in Vain] [The End of the Fight for Bruce Between the Two Miss Haynes. Joanna is Completely Defeated] The Greyport media was publicizing this entertainment news again! Of course, they were still doing their best to tra mple Joanna underfoot. After all, Roxanne was about to be the wife of the young master of the Everett family. The Greyport media naturally had to kiss up to her. As for the entertainment news. Joanna was toozy to exin anything, let alone pay attention to it. On Friday. Joanna went to Venturas to take Davian and Irvin home. ¡°Lilia, we¡¯re back!¡± The two little boys put down their school bags and ran into Lilia¡¯s room happily! ¡°Davian and Irvin, you guys are back!¡± Lilia tried to smile, but she was listless! ¡°This is a gift for you.¡± Every time Davian and Irvin came home, they would bring gifts for their younger sister. Sometimes it was a toy their teacher had given them, sometimes it was a handiwork they had made themselves. In short, they tried their best to make their sister happy ¡°Thank you, Davian and Irvin!¡± Lilia took the toy from Irvin but still looked listless. ¡°Lilia, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Joanna finally realized something was wrong with her daughter! She reached out to feel her daughter¡¯s forehead and found that it was very hot. Lilia was having a fever again. ¡°Lilia, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little sleepy!¡± Tracy also said, ¡°Lilia hasn¡¯t been in good spirits for the past two days! Even if I give her antipyretic, it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart tightened. ¡°I will bring you to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow!¡± During this period of time, Joanna had been so busy with thepany. She was already in a terrible fix and did not have much energy to take care of her daughter. Lilia had always been in poor health. If Joanna was not careful, Lilia would catch a cold and have a fever. However, Joanna did not think too much about it. She only thought that her daughter was having a fever. Lilia shook her head. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital!¡± Lilia was most afraid of going to the hospital. And was even more afraid of the needles and the cold scalpel. Joanna touched Lilia¡¯s face gently. ¡°Be good. We¡¯re just going for a checkup. ¡°If you¡¯re not sick, we¡¯lle home right away.¡± ¡°Okay then!¡± On the next day! Joanna woke up early in the morning and took Lilia to the hospital! At the children¡¯s hospital. After waiting in line for a long time, it was finally Joanna¡¯s turn. ¡°My daughter has been having a fever recently!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do a blood test and a checkup!¡± The doctor asked a few questions about the symptoms carefully and issued a stack of test slips. ¡°Okay!¡± An hourter. The test results were out. ¡°Family members, please take the girl out first!¡± ¡°Tracy, take Lilia out first.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Doctor, is my daughter seriously ill?¡± The doctor adjusted his sses and said seriously, ¡°The test results are out. Your daughter has acute leukemia!¡± Boom! This news struck Joanna hard like a bolt of lightning! Joanna was stunned for a full minute before she came back to her senses. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s Impossible. How is this possible? This is impossible!¡± Joanna refused to believe the results. She started crying immediately! ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be agitated. You have to quickly arrange for the patient to be hospitalized. This illness can¡¯t be dyed. The longer it drags on, the more dangerous it will be.¡± Joanna broke down directly and cried bitterly. Oh my g od! Why was fate so cruel? Why did Lilia have to suffer so much? If Joanna had a choice, she was willing to bear all of this for her daughter. ¡°Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t be so agitated! We have to think of a way to treat the patient quickly and to transnt the bone marrow! ¡°This illness is notpletely untreatable. As long as the bone marrow is a match, there is a high chance of recovery!¡± ¡°Doctor, you must think of a way to save my daughter!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and settle the hospitalization procedures first¡­¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now!¡± Joanna replied and went out to settle the hospitalization procedures. She was in a daze. ¡°Mommy, when are we going home?¡± Joanna held back her tears and forced herself to smile. ¡°Be a good girl, Lilia. We¡¯re going to stay in the All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. hospital for a few days this timer ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to be hospitalized!¡± ¡°Listen to Mommy okay? Mommy will keep youpany in the hospital every day this time,¡± Joanna said as she turned her face to the side. Her body could not help but tremble. ¡°Miss Haynes, Lilia¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Just bring Lilia to the inpatient ward¡± ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Seeing how upset Joanna was, Tracy guessed that Lilia¡¯s condition must be very serious. She did not dare to ask anymore and quickly brought Lilia to the inpatient ward. ¡°Doctor, how are you going to treat Lilia¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to do a bone marrow match quickly. Fortunately, Lilia¡¯s condition is discovered early, and she still has a chance of recovering!¡± Joanna braced herself up and said, ¡°Please perform the operation as soon as possible!¡± ¡°The patient urgently needs a bone marrow transnt. The bone marrow matching in the Bone Marrow Donor Program is very slow. It¡¯s probably very difficult to wait¡­¡± Joanna got excited and eximed, ¡°Just use mine!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just use anyone¡¯s bone marrow to do a transnt. It depends on whether the bone marrow matches the patient. ¡°If your bone marrow is a match, that will be great. If it¡¯s not a match, we have to find a new bone marrow donor!¡± Jaydon received the news and rushed to the hospital. ¡°Joann, how¡¯s Lilia?¡± ¡°The doctor says it¡¯s acute leukemia!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he felt a tug in his heart, and he was speechless for a long time! ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to theboratory now. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± It only took a while. The test to see if Joanna was a potential bone marrow match for Lilia was out. Her bone marrow did not match Lilia¡¯s. Looking at the test results, Joanna was so sad that she could not shed a tear. ¡°Doctor, I have Davian and Irvin. They¡¯re all my biological children. There¡¯ll definitely be a match from one of them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re too young. I don¡¯t rmend using their bone marrows! ¡°Besides, other than leukemia, she also has thssemia! Actually, there¡¯s very little we can do to help her¡­¡± ¡°No, I must save my daughter! No matter what, I must save my daughter!¡± ¡°Doctor, how much time does Lilia have?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t operate, she¡¯ll live for one month!¡± When Joanna heard this, she immediately gasped. ¡°One month? What¡¯s the percentage of sess of the operation?¡± ¡°50%!¡± ¡°No matter what, we have to give it a a try!¡± After a while, the test results for Davian and Irvin were also out. Their bone marrows were also not Although they were triplets, they were not identical triplets. Therefore, the three of them had different blood types! Now, almost everyone who was direct kin to Lilia did not havepatible bone marrows with her. The only other possiblepatible bone marrow donor would be Lilia¡¯s biological father. ¡°Doctor, is there any other way?¡± The doctor frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s best to find the child¡¯s biological father to see if his bone marrow is a match. If it is, we can use his bone marrow for the transnt.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart instantly sank. ¡°Doctor, can we wait for the Bone Marrow Donor Program?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t wait in this situation!¡± Hearing this, Joanna¡¯s tears fell like raindrops. She didn¡¯t want to involve Bruce nor did she want Bruce to know that he was the father of the three children. However, there seemed to be no other choice. Looking at her dying daughter on the hospital bed, she knew that this was her only way. Whether Bruce agreed to donate his bone marrow or not, she still had to give it a try. This was the seventh day of the month. Tomorrow was the day of the wedding. The couple¡¯s family and friends had also received invitations and were prepared toe to the wedding banquet. Bruce was apanying Roxanne to try on evening gowns for the wedding. The sound of a phone ringing was heard. Bruce¡¯s cell phone rang. He took out his phone and looked at it. The call was from Joanna. 16:34 Sat, Bruce frowned and walked to the side to answer the call. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was very hoa rse. Bruce suppressed the churning emotions in his heart and said coldly, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Joanna wanted to say something but stopped. She just kept sobbing. Bruce scoffed, ¡°Why are you crying? Are you reluctant to see me getting married?¡± On the other end of the line, Joanna didn¡¯t answer. She just kept sobbing. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need to see you!¡± ¡°Hey, Ms. Haynes, I¡¯m getting married tomorrow. What¡¯s the point of calling me now?¡± Joanna was silent for a while before replying in a trembling voice, ¡°My daughter is sick!¡± Bruce was stunned! He stopped himself from making sarcastic remarks. ¡°What illness?¡± ¡°Acute leukemia.¡± ¡°May I know how is that my problem?¡± Joanna¡¯s hand was trembling as she held the phone. She choked as she continued crying. ¡°Now, my daughter needs a bone marrow transnt. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t undergo surgery, she might not be able tost for a month.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done a bone marrow test with my other two children. All of our bone marrows don¡¯t match!¡± ¡°Then why did you call me?¡± On the other end of the phone, Joanna just couldn¡¯t stop crying. A moment passed. Bruce felt a chill run down his spine, and it seemed that his heart was stabbed, and he could not breathe. He came back to his senses in an instant. 50% ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ at the children¡¯s hospital now!¡± ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Bruce hung up the phone and did not say goodbye to Roxanne. He just took his car keys and left. Roxanne was putting on another gown. When she saw Bruce¡¯s uneasy expression on his face and was about to leave, she quickly ran after him. ¡°Bruce, where are you going? We still have to try on the formal attire¡­¡± Before Roxanne could finish speaking, Bruce had already left in a hurry! Twenty minutester, at the children¡¯s hospital. Bruce Everett had arrived at the hospital. Joanna sat on the floor against the door of the ward. She seemed to have lost her senses. Bruce had not seen her for half a month. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight, and she looked very haggard! ¡°Joanna¡­¡± Seeing that Bruce was here, Joanna¡¯s tears started to roll down her cheeks again. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Please! Help my daughter!¡± Bruce grabbed her arms and shook them forcefully. ¡°Tell me everything clearly!¡± Joanna was sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Our bone marrows do not match Lilia¡¯s!¡± ¡°You are my only chance!¡± When Bruce heard this, his pupils constricted. ¡°These three children are mine, right?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything. She just lowered her head and sobbed. In an instant, Bruce had a realization. He becamepletely enraged. He shook Joanna¡¯s arms fiercely, wishing he could shake her into pieces. ¡°Joanna, how long did you intend to keep such a serious matter from me? ¡°If Lilia isn¡¯t sick, you will hide this fact from me forever right?¡± Joanna did not say anything as she continued crying. Indeed, if Lilia didn¡¯t have leukemia, Joanna would never reveal the fact that Bruce was the father of her three children, ¡°Bruce, please save Lilia!¡± ¡°You¡¯re our only hope now. If your bone marrow is a match, I beg you to save my daughter¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, he got angrier. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m Lilia¡¯s father. How dare you hide it from me like this? ¡°Joanna Haynes, what have you done!¡± Lilia was his child. How could he not save her? Almost immediately, Bruce agreed to the bone marrow test! The result of the test was released quickly. Bruce¡¯s bone marrow was a perfect match for Lilia. Lilia could have a bone marrow transnt using Bruce¡¯s bone marrow. ¡°Ring! Ring! Ring!¡± Roxanne kept calling Bruce on his cell phone. Bruce finally answered the call. ¡°Bruce, our wedding is going to be held tomorrow. Where are you now?¡± ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t marry you for the time being!¡± That was a big blow to Roxanne. Roxanne was extremely stunned. After a long while, she stammered, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There is no reason!¡± ¡°Bruce, are you unwilling to marry me?¡± Bruce answered indifferently, ¡°Roxy, I have very bad news to tell you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Joanna¡¯s daughter has leukemia! She needs a bone marrow transnt!¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the father.¡± That was another blow to Roxanne. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Now that the child is critically ill, I want to donate my bone marrow to her! We should not get married for the time being.¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± The line was cut off. Bruce hung up immediately, ¡°What did Bruce say?¡± ¡°He says to cancel the wedding!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ingrid was dumbfounded. ¡°He said he¡¯s canceling the wedding!¡± ¡°How is this possible? What happened? ¡°The guests have already received the invitation cards. They¡¯re alling to the wedding tomorrow. Why does he want to cancel the wedding suddenly?¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Ingrid¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Did Bruce tell you the reason?¡± Roxanne felt as if she had fallen into the abyss. She knelt on the couch like a robot and the evening gown in her hand slid to the ground. ¡°Joanna Haynes! Joanna Haynes again¡­¡± ¡°Her? What did she do?¡± A Roxanne suddenly became agitated and said, ¡°Her daughter has leukemia!¡± ¡°Her daughter has leukemia. What does that have to do with you and Bruce getting married?¡± ¡°Joanna told Bruce that he is the girl¡¯s father!¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, and tears flowed down her cheeks. ¡°What?¡± Ingrid was dumbfounded. ¡°So Bruce is indeed the father of Joanna¡¯s three children!¡± ¡°I knew it. I knew she wouldn¡¯t let go of Bruce so easily. ¡°I have also thought she will get back at me. I just didn¡¯t think she¡¯d do it this way.¡± Roxanne howled hysterically. Ingrid was extremely angry when she heard that. She gritted her teeth and cursed, ¡°Joanna Haynes is really a b itch! I know she wouldn¡¯t let go so easily! As expected, she has hatched an evil n!¡± As Ingrid spoke, she turned to look at Shaun. ¡°That¡¯s your good daughter. She¡¯s always making things difficult for us! ¡°She has ruined Roxy¡¯s marriage again. Why can¡¯t she just die?¡± When Shaun heard this, he was at a loss. However, he had never had a deep father-daughter rtionship with Joanna. Hence he didn¡¯t really have any feelings for Joanna¡¯s child too. ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious. Let¡¯s figure out the situation first, and we can discuss itter. Let¡¯s go to the hospital and find out what¡¯s going on!¡± Ingrid was so angry that she felt a pain in her heart. She scolded angrily, ¡°How can it be so coincidental! Her daughter suddenly falls sick at this critical moment when Roxy and Bruce are getting married! ¡°If she really wishes Roxy and Bruce well, she shouldn¡¯t have created this problem for Bruce. ¡°I think she did that on purpose¡­¡± Roxanne buried her hands in her hair as she was feeling very upset. Then she ran out in a daze. ¡°Roxy! Where are you going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I just need to calm down.¡± ¡°Roxy,e back quickly. Don¡¯t do anything silly! Hurry up and take a look! Shaun, if anything happens to Roxy, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± As Ingrid was saying that, she ran after Roxanne! Shaun could not help but sigh. ¡°What bad luck we have! Why does our family have such a troublemaker?¡± At the Everett mansion. Margaret soon learned that the wedding had been canceled. ¡°What? The wedding between Bruce and Rozanne has been canceled?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Mrs. Margaret, Mr. Everett is the father of Joanna¡¯s three children.¡± ¡°Joanna¡¯s youngest daughter has acute leukemia and urgently needs a bone marrow transnt ¡°Mr. Everett has already agreed to donate the bone marrow to save the child¡± Upon hearing this, Margaret¡¯s cloudy eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°In that case, those three children are all the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood? ¡°Yes, Mrs. Margaret!¡± When Margaret heard that, she was stunned for a few seconds before she regained her senses, ¡°Bring me to the hospital!¡± ¡°Mrs. Margaret, you are still very frail. You¡¯ll have no strength to move around.¡± ¡°No, I want to see the three children!¡± Margaret struggled to get up. The nurses had no choice but to help her up. Soon, Margaret was carried to the wheelchair. The butler personally pushed her out. ¡°I was right to think that these three children are the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood, Joanna is really too much. She actually doesn¡¯t want the children to know that they are part of the Everett family!¡± The butler quicklyforted her. ¡°Mrs. Margaret, it is great that you know about this now! The most important thing is to bring the children back to the Everett family.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I have always thought I wouldn¡¯t have any great-grandchildren in this lifetime. This is really unexpected happiness!¡± Margaret was no longer as depressed as before. Her me ntal state seemed to have improved immediately. ¡°Although Joanna is a stubborn girl, she¡¯s really fertile. She actually gave birth to triplets for the Everett family. At the hospital! Lilia had already been pushed into the intensive care unit, and all the pre-surgery preparations had been done! Bruce looked at Lilia through the ss window and felt sadness that words could not describe. This was his child! His daughter! He never thought that he would have three children! Joanna had actually given birth to three children for him! He was both happy and worried. He had mixed feelings that he could not exin. He didn¡¯t even dare to imagine how Joanna and their three children managed to survive the past four years. When Bruce agreed to donate his bone marrow to Lilia, Joanna finally felt relieved. At this moment, she was by his side. For the first time, Joanna felt that Bruce was not that cold-blooded. At the very least, he still loved his children. ¡°Lilia, you must be strong. Mommy loves you!¡± Bruce tightened his grip on Joanna¡¯s shoulder andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she is going to be fine!¡± Joanna looked up at Bruce with tears in her eyes. ¡°Bruce, thank you for agreeing to save Lilia!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? This is my child too. I will definitely save her! ¡°You, on the other hand, are really too much! ¡°How could you allow the three children to grow up without a father? How dare you hide it from me like this? ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Lilia, how long would you have kept it from me? Joanna, you¡¯re really vicious! You are worse than I am.¡± As Bruce spoke, he suddenly pressed her against the wall. He had bloodshot eyes. For the first time, he realized that Joanna was far more heartless than him. Joanna just lowered her head and sobbed. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret is here!¡± When Bruce heard this, he calmed himself down and hurriedly came out to greet Mrs. Margaret. Along the corridor, Margaret was in a wheelchair with four nurses and her butler behind her. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce quickly walked to Margaret¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Grandma, why are you here?¡± Margaret sounded anxious. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my great-grandchildren!¡± Joanna also walked up to her slowly and greeted her in a low voice, ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Margaret looked up and stared at Joanna with a hint of anger. ¡°Joann, look what has happened! Why did you have to keep the truth from us? ¡°You even produced fake evidence to fool an old woman like me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± Joanna hesitated, not knowing what to say! If she told the truth, everyone would think that she wanted to use the three children to keep Bruce by her side. They would even think that she gave birth to three children to make use of Bruce, and Roxanne would not stand a chance. In fact, Joanna really didn¡¯t want Bruce to know that he was the father of the three children, nor did she want the children to have anything to do with the Everett family! ¡°Let¡¯s not say so much now. Saving Lilia is the most important thing!¡± ¡°When¡¯s the surgery?¡± ¡°In a week¡¯s time!¡± ¡°Can I see Lilia?¡± ¡°Lilia is in the intensive care unit. It¡¯s not convenient to see her for the time being.¡± Margaret paused for a moment. ¡°Transfer her to the Everett family¡¯s hospital immediately. Get the specialists to follow up with Lilia¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble!¡± Margaret interrupted Joanna. ¡°Also, where are my two great-grandsons? Hurry up! I want to see them now!¡± Joanna was stunned when she heard that! Joanna knew that once Margaret found out that these three children were Bruce¡¯s children, Margaret All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. would definitely take them away from her! Therefore, she did not want the children to have anything to do with the Everett family! ¡°They are my children. No one can take them away from me!¡± ¡°No one¡¯s taking your children away. They are the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood too. You can¡¯t be so selfish and don¡¯t allow us to see the children.¡± ¡°If Grandma wants to see the children, that¡¯s fine with me. However, you can¡¯t take them away from me!¡± Margaret scoffed, ¡°No matter what, our Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood can¡¯t be roughing it out there.¡± ¡°Butler, get someone to bring the children over!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Grandma, you can see the children anytime you want, but you can¡¯t take them away!¡± ¡°Joann, please think of the big picture, and don¡¯t stop the children from returning to the Everett family!¡± Margaret had already made up her mind to bring the children back to the Everett family. Margaret was already seriously ill, but when she suddenly found out that she had three great- grandchildren, she seemed to be more energetic. Her condition also improved. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Bruce frowned and said, ¡°Joanna, just let Grandma and the children get to know one another! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she just wants to be close to her great-grandchildren. She¡¯ll not take them away. Please fulfill her wish!¡± Upon hearing Bruce¡¯s words, Joanna could not bear to refuse anymore! Half an hourter. Davian and Irvin were brought to the hospital. Margaret looked at the two cute children and was so happy that she could not stop smiling. She was so happy that she almost forgot that there was a great-granddaughter lying in the intensive care unit. Margaret waved at Davian and Irvin. ¡°Come to me! I¡¯m your great-grandma!¡± The butler smiled kindly at the side. ¡°These young gentlemen look so much like Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Yes, they look exactly like Bruce when he was young! I¡¯ve already said that they are the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood/ ¡°That¡¯s right! They really resemble Mr. Everett when he was young!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Davian and Irvin looked adorable as they subconsciously stood around Joanna. ¡°Mommy, is Lilia sick again?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes seemed to be smiling as he looked at Davian and Irvin. ¡°Little guy, I told you I¡¯m your father. Do you believe me now?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Davian looked at Joanna timidly with a timid look. He was unwilling to acknowledge Bruce. ¡°Davian, Irvin, call me Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Good children!¡± Margaret could not stopughing! ¡°Great-grandma came out in a hurry and didn¡¯t prepare any gifts for you! Go back with meter. I want to give you big presents. ¡°Call me Daddy!¡± Bruce followed suit! Tears welled up in his eyes. The two children looked at Bruce in surprise, then at Joanna! Davian whispered into Joanna¡¯s ear, ¡°Mommy, why does this bad man want us to call him daddy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mommy. Why does he randomly ask children to call him daddy?¡± ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t like this bad man. We don¡¯t want to call him daddy.¡± Hearing this, Joanna frowned. ¡°He¡­ is your daddy!¡± ¡°Really? No way!¡± ¡°Mommy, are you joking with us? How can this bad man be our daddy?¡± 1 Davian looked even more serious. ¡°Mommy, did he bully you again?¡± When Bruce saw the two little guys whispering around Joanna, his handsome face darkened, and he opened his arms. ¡°Call me Daddy!¡± ¡°Oh no! You¡¯re not our daddy! I don¡¯t want to call you daddy!¡± ¡°Davian, I didn¡¯t expect Bruce Everett wants to be our daddy!¡± ¡°You two little guys, I¡¯m really your daddy. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask your mommy.¡± As he spoke, Bruce red at Joanna angrily. ¡°Joanna Haynes, it¡¯s all your fault that the children don¡¯t want to acknowledge me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really your daddy!¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± The two little boys still did not believe it and were even more reluctant to be close to Bruce, ¡°Be good. Your daddy has already promised to donate his bone marrow to your sister. He¡¯s really your daddy.¡± Joanna patted her two sons¡¯ heads, ¡°Go and call Daddy.¡± When the two little boys heard this, they hesitated for a long time before they called reluctantly, ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Good boys!¡± Bruce held the two little boys in his arms. His nose became a bit runny, and his eyes were reddish. No wonder he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he first saw these two little boys. It turned out that they were really his sons. Davian¡¯s face tensed up, and he pushed Bruce away. Seeing this, Margaret waved happily at the two children. ¡°Come to Great-grandma quickly.¡± ¡°Be good, go and greet Great-grandma!¡± ¡°Hello, Great-grandma!¡± The two little boys were very polite to Margaret. When Margaret heard this, she could not help but cry tears of joy. ¡°You two are all good boys!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home with Great-grandma! Great-grandma wants to give you big presents.¡± When Joanna heard this, she quickly stopped Margaret. ¡°Grandma, this isn¡¯t convenient, right?¡± ¡°Why is that inconvenient? ¡°You still have to take care of Lilia in the hospital. The Everett family will take care of these two boys.¡± ¡°Grandma, Tracy will take care of the children. They still have to go to kindergarten in Venturas tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. The Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood naturally have to attend the best kindergarten in Greyport. We will also get a professional nursery teacher. I don¡¯t trust the helper you have engaged.¡± Although Margaret was smiling as she spoke, there was a hint of dominance and tyranny in her tone. Joanna felt extremely ufortable. She was even more worried that Margaret would take her children from her. ¡°Grandma! Davian and Irvin are still not familiar with you. They¡¯ll not befortable in an unfamiliar ce.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? They¡¯ll get used to it in a couple of days. Besides, they are shy with strangers because you did not educate them properly. We should teach them the correct way to When Joanna heard this, her face turned pale. Her guess was right. Margaret was thinking of how to take her children away from her. Bruce patted Joanna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°When Lilia recovers, you can bring the boys back! Grandma likes children and wants to be close to them!¡± ¡°Grandma is already old. Just fulfill her wish!¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment before agreeing reluctantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Leave the children to me. They will be well-taken care of!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, can you stay at Great-grandma¡¯s house for two days?¡± ¡°Mommy, we don¡¯t want to go. We want to stay here with Lilia.¡± ¡°Be good and listen to me.¡± ¡°Go to Great-grandma¡¯s house for two days. When Lilia recovers, Mommy will pick you up.¡± After much persuasion, Davian and Irvin finally agreed to leave with Margaret. Joanna was still worried and asked Tracy to go with them. Margaret left with the children. Bruce went out to send them home. After they had left the hospital, Ingrid came to the hospital aggressively. ¡°Joanna Haynes, you dam n b itch! Come out now!¡± Joanna walked out of the ward. When she saw that it was Ingrid, she felt tensed and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Do you know what is happening tomorrow?¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°If you know, why did you do it?¡± Ingrid put her hands on her hips and pointed at Joanna¡¯s nose as she scolded Joanna. ¡°Because my child is sick and needs Bruce¡¯s help!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When my child recovers, he can go back and get married any time! I¡¯ll not ruin his marriage with Roxanne!¡± ¡°Da mn it! That¡¯s easy for you to say! It¡¯s so coincidental that your child fell sick on the eve of their wedding! Do you dare say that you didn¡¯t deliberately ruin their wedding? Also, why did you decide to keep your children when you divorced Bruce? You are out to ruin Roxanne¡¯s marriage to Bruce!¡± Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. She looked at Ingrid coldly. ¡°I found out that I was pregnant after the divorce! ¡°Since I was pregnant, I decided to keep my child! Besides, the child is mine. It has nothing to do with you!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she flew into a rage. ¡°I think you must have done it purpose. You are out to stop Bruce from marrying Roxanne! ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. You¡¯re the most shameless person in Greyport!¡± Shaun reached the hospital and rushed over. When he saw Joanna, he was also furious. ¡°Joann, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but why do you have to make things difficult for Roxy? You know Roxy is getting married tomorrow. Why are you doing this?¡± When Joanna heard this, she choked in anger. Her child had acute leukemia and was now lying in the intensive care unit, on the verge of death. Her father did not offer anyforting words but used her of ruining Roxanne¡¯s marriage. What a ridiculous father! Since he insisted on thinking that way, she might as well admit it. ¡°Mr. Haynes, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re no longer my father. Please don¡¯t talk to me using a parent¡¯s tone.¡± When Shaun heard this, his eyes widened. ¡°Joann, you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who said that we are no longer father and daughter right?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You have guts. You don¡¯t want to acknowledge me as your father anymore!¡± Ingrid added fuel to the fire and said sarcastically, ¡°Did you hear that? This is the good daughter you gave birth to!¡± ¡°This is the hospital. Please leave! Don¡¯t make a scene here!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, if anything happens to Roxy, I¡¯ll not let you off!¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Ingrid was furious. She pointed at Joanna and scolded, ¡°You shameless bitch! You have no guts to admit what you have done. You keep saying that you¡¯ll keep a distance from Mr. Everett, but you¡¯re still having an affair with him behind Roxy¡¯s back.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was infuriated. ¡°Ingrid Haynes, watch your mouth! ¡°You are in no position to say anything about whatever happens between me and Bruce! ¡°Even if I am still having an affair with him, it¡¯s between us. I knew Bruce first. It was Roxanne who came between us. I wasn¡¯t the home wrecker! ¡°If you speak rudely without thinking again, I¡¯ll sue you in court. Don¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done yourself!¡± Ingrid took a deep breath, and her face turned pale. She did not dare to argue with Joanna anymore. Instead, she turned to Shaun and made a scene. ¡°Hubby, did you listen to what your good daughter has said? ¡°She¡¯s deliberately going against our family. Our family is really unlucky. Why do we have such a jinx in our family? ¡°If anything happens to Roxy, I don¡¯t want to live anymore too.¡± Ingrid started howling. After Ingrid finished scolding Joanne, it was as if she had suffered all sorts of grievances. She started wailing and pulling Shaun¡¯s sleeves. As Shaunforted Ingrid, he also scolded Joanna, ¡°You are so unfilial! You are such an unfilial daughter! ¡°What have I done to have a daughter like you? You are just going to drive me to my grave! Today I¡¯ll beat you to death, you shameless thing!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t argue here. This is the hospital.¡± The nurses and security guards all came over to stop themotion. Joanna held her breath, and she put on an indifferent expression. ¡°I can¡¯t exin anymore to you! You can do whatever you want.¡± With that, Joanna turned around and prepared to walk into the ward. ¡°Stop right there! I¡¯m going to beat you to death, you unfilial thing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Bruce came back after sending Margaret home. Seeing themotion in front of him, he frowned deeply. ¡°What are you arguing about?¡± When Ingrid saw Bruce, she became furious again. ¡°Bruce, you came at the right time! ¡°What do you mean by canceling the wedding? Have you thought about how my Roxy feels? ¡°Have you thought about the Haynes family¡¯s feelings? The wedding is going to be held tomorrow. We¡¯ve already informed our rtives and friends. Do you think you can cancel it just like that? What do you think everyone will think of Roxy? What do you take Roxy for?¡± Bruce frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry about this matter.¡± ¡°Gosh! Do you think an apology is enough? Do you know how much hurt you¡¯ve caused Roxy? Roxy is missing now. If she does anything silly, I¡¯ll definitely not let the Everett family off even if it means risking my life.¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but my daughter is seriously ill now. I need to save my daughter first. ¡°We can hold the wedding anytime. There¡¯s no hurry.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your daughter? You should be marrying Roxy tomorrow. Where did your daughtere from? Do you think you are doing right by Roxy?¡± Ingrid was extremely unforgiving. When she saw Bruce¡¯s guilty expression, she became even more arrogant. Upon hearing Ingrid¡¯s words, Bruce¡¯s expression instantly changed. ¡°I have never let anyone down. The rtionship between me and Roxanne was a misunderstanding from the beginning! I¡¯ve already kept my word to marry her! If you have any objections, let¡¯s cancel the wedding!¡± If not for Roxanne Haynes¡¯s constant threat of suicide, he would have broken up with her long ago. After Roxanne had been assaulted, Bruce med himself even more. That was why he was willing to marry her. From the looks of it, there was no need for him to be so kind anymore. When Ingrid heard this, she was instantly dumbfounded, and her attitude changed. ¡°No, how can you be so irresponsible? You have been with Roxy for six years, and now you¡¯re dumping her just like that. Aren¡¯t you being too heartless?¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, although I¡¯ve been dating Roxanne for six years, we have never been intimate! In terms of money, I¡¯ve given her a lot ofpensation!! feel that I¡¯ve not let her down! Since you¡¯re so dissatisfied with me, that is fine. My rtionship with her ends today!¡± Ingrid panicked when she heard this. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s not what I meant. I don¡¯t mean to me you! ¡°What I was trying to say is that Roxy has an innocent personality, and she is easily bullied! ¡°Whatever your decision is, you need to discuss it with her. You¡¯re supposed to have the wedding tomorrow, and now you¡¯re suddenly ignoring her! How is she going to face others in the future? ¡°If you want to postpone the wedding, you can postpone it as long as you want¡­¡± Bruce did not want to say anything else. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to talk about this now. I have to save my daughter first! ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the rtionship between me and Roaxanne in the future!¡± ¡°Bruce, Roxy can wait for you¡­¡± ¡°Send them out!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Ingrid wanted to say something else.. A few bodyguards stepped forward and stopped her. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Haynes, please leave now. Don¡¯t disturb Mr. Everett anymore!¡± ¡°Bruce, we¡¯ll go back first. I¡¯ll try my best tofort Roxy. She¡¯ll definitely be willing to wait for you!¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt even more frustrated. He really hoped that Roxanne would give up on this rtionship voluntarily after this incident. He was really disgusted by her threats of suicide. As they were leaving, Ingridined to Shaun, ¡°It¡¯s all because of your good daughter! ¡°I notice when you see her, you only talked fiercely. If I were you, I would have pped her hard many times!¡± ¡°Alright, alright/Let¡¯s not talk so much. Hurry up and find Roxy! Keep an eye on her and don¡¯t let her do anything stupid¡­¡± After Ingrid and Shaun left. Joanna was a little out of her wits. She didn¡¯t expect a scene like this. Unfortunately, the unexpected happened, and it gave her a big blow. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Bruce gently brushed her messy hair back. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. What are you apologizing for?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you this at this time¡­¡± Bruce guessed what she was going to say and immediately cut her off. ¡°Joanna, please don¡¯t add this burden on yourself. ¡°Even without Lilia, I really don¡¯t want to marry Roxanne.¡± Hearing this, Joanna subconsciously looked up at him. Bruce¡¯s hawk¨Clike eyes were filled with gentleness. ¡°I told you before that there was a misunderstanding between us! ¡°I made a mistake, and I ended up losing you! If you are willing, let¡¯s start over, shall we?¡± Joanna was stunned! It was impossible for her to reconcile with Bruce. And she had no intention of breaking him up with Roxanne! In her rtionship with Bruce, she felt fear and anger. She¡¯d never want to experience that kind of pain again. ¡°Bruce, I really have no intention of breaking you up with Roxanne! I also don¡¯t want to be criticized by others!¡± Bruce was a little angry, and his voice became less gentle. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that there¡¯s a misunderstanding between us. Can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°Joanna, I want to get to know you again and woo you again. Is that okay?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was stunned! She subconsciously shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°You and Roxanne are about to get married. You can¡¯t let Roxanne down just because you want to save Lilia! ¡°I don¡¯t want people to misunderstand that I fought with Roxanne to get you back!¡± Joanna said and took a few steps back in a panic. She was really afraid of the cyberbullying six years ago. Everyone was calling her a scheming bitch who seduced and married her brother¨Cinw. If she got back with Bruce, the cyberbullying would start again. Everyone in Greyport would probably criticize her more viciously. ¡°Joanna, why don¡¯t you understand? ¡°From the beginning, it was Roxanne who reced you!¡± Bruce wanted to exin clearly, but it had been more than ten years. It would not convince Joanna at a time like this. Instead, she would think that he was a fickle¨Cminded man. Joanna would never understand why he would have feelings for her after she saved him from the swimming pool ten years ago. ¡°Bruce, stop talking! You¡¯ve already hurt me deeply. Don¡¯t hurt Roxanne!¡± ¡°Joanna, are you going to keep pushing me away? Have you ever loved me?¡± . How could Joanna not love him? She had loved him for ten years, but now, she really did not love him anymore! Chapter 160 Chapter 160 ¡°Bruce, my mind is in a mess now. I do not want to talk about this matter now!¡± Joanna frowned. Her thin and haggard appearance now made people feel heartbroken. Bruce hugged her gently and said, ¡°Alright! We will talk about it slowly after our daughter has recovered.¡± Ingrid and Shaun had been searching for quite some time before they found Roxanne. ¡°Roxy! It is a critical moment now. You can¡¯t throw a tantrum!¡± ¡°Joanna, that bitch! Now that she has three children, she has gained the upper hand!¡± ¡°At this juncture, she is waiting for you to take the initiative to break up with Bruce!¡± Roxanne curled up on the couch, feeling dispirited and listless. Initially, it should be her wedding tomorrow. However, the wedding was canceled. She would probably be theughingstock of the Greyport again. When she came to think about it, she could not wait to tear Joanna apart. Shaun could not help but sigh beside them. After giving it a thought, he pulled a long face and said, ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work, I think¡­ we should just forget about the marriage!¡± Upon hearing it, Ingrid said furiously, ¡°You make it sounds so easy, don¡¯t you? Do you know that everyone in Greyport is waiting for Roxy to make a fool out of herself?¡± ¡°No matter what, Roxy has to marry into the Everett family and be Mrs. Everett!¡± Ingrid continued. As Ingrid spoke, she sat beside Roxanne again and shook her arms. She said, ¡°Roxy, listen to me and pull yourself together hurriedly. At a time like this, the more you should show your magnanimity.¡± She then continued, ¡°So what if she has the children? What are you afraid of? As long as you marry Mr. Everett, you will be Mrs. Everett, hiswful wife!¡± ¡°By then, even if Joanna has three children, your status could not be shaken!¡± Ingrid continued to say. Roxanne blinked her eyes with tears flowing down her cheeks. She then said, ¡°Mom, I feel so embarrassed now¡­¡± ¡°Silly girl, it would be more embarrassing if you choose to break up with Mr. Everett now! Wealthy families are way different from any normal families. You have topete with each other with patience and endurance! ¡°The more you could tolerate and endure, the chances of winning would be higher! ¡°The more you can¡¯t withstand, the lesser things you could achieve!¡± When Shaun heard about it, he interrupted and said, ¡°Stop forcing Roxy anymore. From what I see, Mr. Everett has no intention to marry Roxy at all! Even if we for them into marriage, they would not be happy too.¡± Ingrid burst into mes upon hearing what Shaun said, ¡°Shut up! Of course, you want Roxy to break up with Mr. Everett!¡± Ingrid then continued to say, ¡°So that you could let that bitch, Joanna, patch up with Mr. Everett and marry him instead. You are so biased!¡± ¡°Since when did I being biased? It is a marriage that we are talking about now. Do you know that marriage determines a woman¡¯s happiness for the rest of her life?¡± ¡°I am only afraid that Roxy would not be happy after marrying into the family¡­¡± Shaun continued. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. No matter what, Roxy should get married first! In short, we could not let that bitch, Joanna, get away with it so, casily!¡± After hearing what Ingrid said, a trace of courage ignited in Roxanne¡¯s heart again. ¡°You are right, Mother!¡± said Roxanne confidently. ¡°No matter what, we could not let Joanna get away with it easily!¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it! What you should do now is to make a call to Mr. Everett to show your magnanimity and tolerance. ¡°As long as you cling onto him and refuse to break up with him, he would not be able to patch up with Joanna easily. If you break up with him out of anger now, it will be exactly what that slut, Joanna, wants you to do now!¡± Upon hearing what Ingrid said, Roxanne stood up from the couch immediately and ran upstairs. ¡°Roxy, why are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°I am making a call to Bruce.¡± Roxanne went upstairs and calmed herself down. Then, she made a call to Bruce.. Ring! Ring! Ring! Bruce¡¯s phone kept vibrating non¨Cstop. Upon seeing that the call was from Roxanne, Bruce switched his phone to silent mode instantly. Roxanne had called Bruce¡¯s phone more than a dozen times consecutively. However, he refused to pick up the call. Hence, she sent him messages instead. ¡°Bruce, I am sorry for being too wilful!¡± ¡°Rest assured that I am willing to wait for you. No matter what, I will wait for you forever!¡± ¡°Bruce, your children are my children too. I will treat them as my own children as well! You don¡¯t have to worry about me now. The most important thing now is to save the child¡­¡± Roxanne sent more than a hundred messages to Bruce at one time! After reading all the messages, Bruce felt more headache now! Some women were indeed troublesome and annoying. Why did she still pester him after she had broken up with him? In the ward! Joanna and Bruce changed into surgical gowns before visiting Lilia in the ward. Lilia seemed to be at one¡¯sst gasp. She wasying on the bed with a few oxygen tubes inserted into her tiny body. Joanna¡¯s eyes weked up as she endured her tears and said, ¡°Lilia, are you okay? Do you feel any pain?¡± Lilia opened her eyes slightly and looked at Joanna as she said in a weak voice, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Mommy and Daddy will always be with you. You will get well soon!¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Lilia was a very obedient girl. She was very close to Bruce too. Before Bruce spoke, she had already called him obediently. Upon hearing Lilia call him ¡°Daddy¡°, Bruce¡¯s heart melted almost instantly. Bruce¡¯s eyes welled up as he held onto Lilia¡¯s hands. He felt so heartbroken to see her in such a state. He did not expect that her daughter would suffer from such a critical illness! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, darling. Daddy loves you as much as Mommy. I will try my best to treat your illness!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s work hard together to get better, okay?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Soon after¡­ Lilia was scheduled to undergo the surgery oning Monday! Based on the report, everything was a match between Bruce and Lilia. So, Bruce was suitable to be the donor. After the surgery was scheduled, Joanna¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°Oh my goodness! Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne¡¯s wedding is canceled again!¡± ¡°I knew it! I knew that Miss Joanna would not let it go so easily!¡± ¡°Look! At such a critical juncture, Miss Joanna chose to fight back! She managed to turn the tables and gained the upper hand with her three children!¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t the three children belong to Mr. Grimm? Why are they Mr. Everett¡¯s children now?¡± ¡°In fact, they are Mr. Everett¡¯s children in the first ce. Mr. Grimm has never acknowledged that he is the father of the children!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh! Their rtionship is such a mess!¡± ¡°The news where the two sisters are fighting for a husband has gone viral!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This kind of dramatic and exaggerated scenes of the wealthy family seems to be repetitive!¡± ¡°Haha! No matter what, let¡¯s see how Roxanne can be so cocky in the future! Doesn¡¯t she always im that she is Mrs. Everett? Well, it is so embarrassing now as if she has given herself a tight p on her face!¡± After Bruce and Roxanne¡¯s wedding was canceled, it caused an uproar again! All sorts of spections and criticisms could be seen online! On the other hand. At the Everett mansion! Margaret was so happy after she brought Davian and Irvin back to the Everett mansion. With such joy, her illness seemed to have been cured instantly. She did not even need to sit in the wheelchair now. However Davian and Irvin were still not used to the new environment, ¡°Great¨Cgrandma, we want to go home!¡± ¡°Silly boys, this is your home in the future!¡± ¡°This is not our home!¡± Margaret sighed upon hearing it, ¡°Korbin, it is time to find someone to get their names changed!¡± ¡°How could they be called Irvin Haynes and Davian Haynes?¡± she continued. Then, she instructed the butler, ¡°Get a Geomancer to change their names!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± When the two little fellows heard about it, they were so unhappy. They said, ¡°We don¡¯t want to change our names. This is our name, we are not changing it.¡± ¡°Silly boys, now that you are the members of the Everett family, how can your surname be Haynes?¡± Korbin then reminded Margaret with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Margaret, it is time for your physiotherapy.¡± ¡°Alright! I am going for my physiotherapy now. Bring the two to their room first!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After that, the servants brought the two little fellows to their bedroom. Irvin was left speechless when he saw the house that resembled a castle, ¡°Davian, are we going to stay here in the future?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I miss Mommy and Lilia so much!¡± ¡°Yup! I miss them too!¡± ¡°When can we see them again?¡± ¡°There is a phone here. We can call Mommy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The two little fellows were so excited when they saw the phone. They called Joanna hurriedly. Joanna picked up the phone soon. ¡°Hello, Mommy!¡± ¡°How are you, Davian and Irvin?¡± ¡°Mommy, when are youing over to fetch us back?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mommy wille over to pick you up after Lilia¡¯s surgery. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Mommy, Great¨Cgrandma said that she is going to change our names! But, we do not want to change our name!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing it, ¡°Change names? Change what names?¡± ¡°Great¨Cgrandma said that we cannot have Haynes as our surname anymore. We should change our surname to Everett!¡± Boom! Joanna owned upon hearing such news! She did want the three children to return to the Everett family! If she knew it earlier, she would have let Davian and Irvin go overseas to hide for the time being. ¡°I think Great¨Cgrandma is joking with you! Let me call her and ask her about it.¡± Joanna hung up the call as soon as she finished her words. Then, she made a call to the butler of the Everett family. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 The butler answered the call almost immediately, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Mr. Korbin, I am Joanna Haynes. I am looking for Mrs. Margaret!¡± ¡°Please hold on.¡± Margaret was undergoing physiotherapy at that moment. Korbin handed the phone to her and said, ¡°Mrs. Margaret, it is from Miss Joanna Haynes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Margaret before answering the call. ¡°Hello, Joann!¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before going straight to the point, ¡°Grandma, I would like to¡­ I would like to bring the kids back!¡± ¡°They are fine here. You don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡± ¡°Grandma, I heard that you are going to change their names. Is that true?¡± asked Joanna tentatively. ¡°Yup, it is true. They are members of the Everett family after all. How could they follow your surname, Haynes?¡± ¡°Grandma, I am going to bring the kids back first. As for the matter regarding changing names, we will talk about it another day¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish her words, Margaret rejected her suggestion directly, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! They are the children of the Everett family. How can we let them wander around outside?¡± ¡°They are my children, Grandma!¡± ¡°Joanna, thank you so much for bearing these three children for the Everett family. ¡°However, we have very few people in the Everett family. Now, with the addition of these three children. It represents the future of the Everett family! ¡°I know you are capable. But, youck experience in educating children. The Everett family is the best environment to raise them and let them grow up healthily if you let them stay!¡± Joanna became more anxious upon hearing what Margaret said, ¡°Grandma, you can¡¯t do this! No matter what, these three children belong to me! ¡°I will educate and raise them myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about this. If you want to see the children, I will let them see you anytime you want! ¡°However, you can¡¯t let them stay with the Everett family forever. You can¡¯t change their names too!¡± On the other end of the call, Margaret said with despise, ¡°Joann, I acknowledge that you are the mother of the children. So, you coulde over to the Everett mansion to visit your children anytime you want!¡± She continued. ¡°However, the children could not stay by your side. They will be the sessor of the Everett family in the future. Hence, they have to stay at the Everett mansion. Only then they could be raised in the best environment.¡± ¡°Grandma, how could you make such a decision¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish her words, Margaret interrupted her directly and said, ¡°I am doing physiotherapy now. Talk to youter!¡± ¡°Regarding the children¡¯s matter, if you don¡¯t agree to it, you may talk to mywyer!¡± Margaret had already made herself clear over the phone. No matter what, she had to keep the children with the Everett family! ¡°Hello! Hello!¡± Joanna shouted twice anxiously. In fact, Margaret hung up the call directly as soon as she finished her words! Joanna was stunned! She did not expect Margaret to do such a thing! Margaret had always been swift and decisive in doing things she wanted. After she had made up her mind, no one could change her mind ever again! All she could do now was to look for Bruce and discussed it with him. Joanna rushed to the ward and looked at Bruce with her eyes welled up. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce was stunned upon seeing such a scene. He stood up hurriedly and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Grandma wants to keep the children with the Everett family. She even wants to change their names!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes upon hearing it. They were his children, they had to get their surnames changed sooner orter. However, Bruce knew Joanna¡¯s character well. She was a stubborn woman. Hence, no one could force her into doing something she did not like. So, he had to find a way to convince her slowly. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Bruce said in a gentle tone. He tried his best to look calm too. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she said angrily, ¡°They are my children. How could she decide on changing the children¡¯s names without my approval?¡± She then continued. ¡°With consideration that she is old, I am already kind enough to let the children apany her. ¡°But, it does not mean that I am sending the children to the Everett family for good! Who is she to change my children¡¯s names at will?¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Bruce saw Joanna was so agitated at that time, he opened his arms and intended to hug her, ¡°Joanna, please don¡¯t be so agitated. Let me ask Grandma about this matter first!¡± Joanna took a step back to dodge away from Bruce¡¯s hug. She was so angry that her eyes were bloodshot. Nobody knew how she survived the past four years. What made the Everett family have the right to snatch the children away from her? ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t take away the children from me! They are my life. I will fight till the end if anyone wants to take my children away from me!¡± Bruce approached Joanna again and hugged her forcefully but gently. Then, heforted her and said, ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t be so angry first, okay?¡± ¡°Perhaps, Grandma likes the children so much that she decided to do so! No matter what, I believe that Grandma will not hurt the children!¡± said Bruce. Joanna could not control her emotion anymore, ¡°But, her act had already hurt me so much now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Joanna. Let me go back and talk to her!¡± ¡°Rest assured. I will not let Grandma do this to the children!¡± said Bruce affirmatively. ¡°No matter what, I will not let the children separate from you!¡± Bruceforted Joanna. However, he already had something else in his mind. Joanna looked at Bruce in doubt upon hearing it. ¡°Are you sure? Do not lie to me, okay? I hate it when people lie to me.¡± Bruce twitched his mouth into a faint smile as he coaxed Joanna. ¡°Why would I lie to you, Silly?¡± ¡°You are the children¡¯s mother. You are the closest and most important person to the children. How could I bear to separate you from the children?¡± said Bruce. As a matter of fact, what Bruce really meant was that Joanna could stay with the Everett family too instead of taking the children away from the Everett family. Upon hearing what Bruce said, Joanna managed to calm herself down gradually. Joanna dared not turn against Bruce at that moment. She still needed him to donate his bone marrow to save Lilia!¡± She could only think of a way to get her children back after Lilia¡¯s surgery. ¡°Be nice and don¡¯t think too much about it. Lilia¡¯s illness is the most important to deal with right now,¡± said Bruce as he cuddled Joanna in his arms gently. He tried tofort her and calm her down. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Bruce¡¯s phone vibrated again. He took out his phone and nced at it. It was from his grandma. ¡°Joann, I need to answer a call.¡± ¡°Alright¡± Bruce kissed her forehead. Then, he turned around and walked out of the ward. ¡°Hello, Grandma.¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Grandma?¡± ¡°Could you make a trip back home tonight? I have something to tell you.¡± Bruce frowned slightly upon hearing it, ¡°Alright then. In fact, I have something to tell you too!¡± ¡°Alright. Come back early tonight then.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± At six o¡¯clock in the evening. Bruce returned to the Everett mansion on time! ¡°Grandma, I am back!¡± ¡°Bruce, you are back!¡± Margaret was sitting in a wheelchair at that moment. her face seemed to look more radiant today. She looked very energetic too. Bruce looked around the living room but the two children were nowhere in sight. Hence, he asked in doubt, ¡°Grandma, where are the children?¡± ¡°They are upstairs! I ask Korbin to take care of them!¡± Bruce halted for a second before he smiled and said, ¡°Grandma, I heard that you intend to change the children¡¯s names. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. They are the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood. Of course, they have to follow our surname, Everett, instead of Haynes!¡± Upon hearing it, Bruce sat beside Margaret as he held onto her hands and said, ¡°Grandma, I know that the children belong to the Everett family. ¡°However, Joanna is the one who raises them in the past four years. ¡°Could you discuss it with Joanna first before making any decision on it? ¡°You made the decision all of a sudden. I doubt that she could ept it!¡± Upon hearing it, Margaret said in a deep and angry tone, ¡°She has to ept it regardless of whether she agrees to it or not.¡± ¡°It is already her blessing for giving birth to the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood! It has already been four years. Yet, she refuses to acknowledge the Everett family as the children¡¯s family. Furthermore, she still hides the truth from us for so many years. Her act almost makes me feel regretful for the rest of my life. ¡°I am very angry with her because of this. So, it is impossible for me to let her continue raising the children.¡± Margaret was so agitated that she kept coughing after she finished her words. Bruce stroked Margaret¡¯s back gently to calm her down. He then continued, ¡°Grandma, no matter what, you should show her some respect. Let me talk about this matter with her slowly!¡± ¡°Bruce, you don¡¯t have to interfere with this matter. I will settle it. ¡°If she has any dissatisfaction, she may approach me directly and negotiate it with me.¡± Bruce frowned when he heard about it. Margaret was very domineering ever since she was young. It was inevitable that she would be more stubborn as she grew older. If it were other matters, perhaps, Bruce could still talk her over. However, this matter concerned the Everett family¡¯s heir. He was afraid that she would not give in easily. The Everett family had been having a sole line of descent for five generations. Bruce¡¯s father passed away at a very young age too. Hence, she could only depend on her grandson to bear more children for the Everett family. Now that Margaret finally had two great¨Cgrandsons. They were as precious as gold to her. Therefore, how could it be possible for anyone to snatch the children away from her? Bruce sighed deeply. He did not dare to persuade Margaret further. Margaret was not in good health now. It was absolutely impossible for him to go against her will. 0 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Suddenly, Margaret seemed to have thought of something. Her expression froze as she said, ¡°By the way¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, are you going to donate your bone marrow to her daughter?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bruce nodded subconsciously. ¡°I already know about the child¡¯s health condition.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Bruce asked in confusion. Margaret breathed a sigh of relief as she said earnestly, ¡°I do not rmend you donate your bone marrow to her!¡± Bruce was stunned and speechless. He looked at Margaret with disbelief. Margaret took a deep breath slowly and said, ¡°Donating bone marrow is harmful to the human body. I am worried that it will cause damage to your body!¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t. Donating bone marrow is not harmful to the human body¡­¡± Margaret stared at Bruce and said in doubt, ¡°Who said so?¡± ¡°Those who said that it is not harmful to the human body are lying. They are afraid that no one is willing to donate the bone marrow if they knew about 1. it. ¡°Furthermore, I already know about the child¡¯s health condition! Not only that she is suffering from leukemia, but also thssemia and heart disease! ¡°There may be various seque in the future too. Even if her leukemia is cured, she would still be disabled for life!¡± Margaret sighed deeply as she spoke. ¡°She might not be fully recovered even after you donate your bone marrow to her! ¡°I have already sought advice from the specialist. After the specialist analyze her case, they suggest that it would be better for her to give up on her treatment!¡± Bruce drew his lips together as he frowned and said, ¡°Grandma, how could say so? She is my biological daughter, my flesh and blood! How could I not save her and see her die before me?¡± ¡°Bruce, she is the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood too. How could I bear to see her suffer? I want her to be healthy again too. ¡°However, from a rational point of view, her treatment is insignificant. She would only suffer more if she lives! ¡°The specialist has said that even if her leukemia is cured, she might need to perform heart transnt surgery in the future. ¡°Based on her condition, she might not even be able to live till she is seven. Therefore, even if you donate your bone marrow to her, she might only live for another two to three years at the most! ¡°So, do you think it is meaningful for you to do so now?¡± Margaret¡¯s face turned serious after she finished her words. She would rather give up a sickly person! Even though Margaret was not a person who favored boys over girls, she was worried that this sickly person would drag her grandson down! Lilia was suffering from so many kinds of illnesses. Today, she might need someone to donate bone marrow. However, she might need someone to donate a heart for her in the future! Joanna¡¯s blood type was not a match with Lilia¡¯s blood type so as the rest of them. Only Bruce¡¯s blood type was a match with Lilia¡¯s blood type. Margaret was afraid that it would be a neverending story for her grandson in the future. Although Margaret did not bear to see her great granddaughter suffer, she could not bear to see her grandson suffer even more! Bruce¡¯s face darkened as he stood up and said, ¡°Grandma, I am going to save my daughter no matter what! ¡°I have not fulfilled my duty as a father ever since she was born. Therefore, I can¡¯t give up on her today. Even if the surgery is not sessful, I will still give my best shot.¡± ¡°Bruce, if she could jump around and be healthy again, I will definitely not going to stop you from donating your bone marrow. ¡°But, look at her situation now. It is indeed pointless for you to do so. Furthermore, it will be harmful to your body too! ¡°Now that you need to donate your bone marrow. In the future, you might also need to donate your white blood cell or even other organs! ¡°I will be worried¡­¡± Margaret was trying her best to stop her grandson. ¡°Stop it, Grandma! I am not going to give up on Lilia no matter what!¡± Bruce turned around and walked away as soon as he finished his words. Upon seeing such a scene, Margaret choked herself in anger. ¡°Stop right there! Are you trying to drive me to the grave now?¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Margaret was so agitated that her face turned pale instantly. She almost fell off her wheelchair at that moment. Bruce was terrified. He came over hurriedly to help her up. ¡°Grandma, are you okay?¡± asked Bruce. ¡°Get the doctor now! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Mrs. Margaret!¡± Korbin and the nurses were shocked upon seeing such a scene.. One of the nurses took out the oxygen mask hurriedly and prepared to give it to Margaret. Margaret held onto Bruce¡¯s hand tightly as she panted heavily and said, ¡°Bruce, promise me that you will not do anything stupid! ¡°I know that you are soft¨Chearted. But, it is not the time to be soft¨Chearted now! There will be too much trouble in the future! The Everett family is depending on you too¡­¡± ¡± Bruce was so flustered at that moment. He said, ¡°I know, I know. Grandma, please don¡¯t say anything anymore!¡± ¡°Korbin, keep an eye on Bruce. Do not let him donate the bone marrow no matter what!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± As soon as Margaret finished her words, her head tilted to a side, and fainted! ¡°Grandma! Grandma!¡± ¡°Where is the doctor? Call the doctor!¡± Five minutester. The family doctor rushed over hurriedly. After the doctor did a thorough checkup for Margaret, his expression turned serious. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret is suffering from heart failure now. I am afraid that she has to be transferred to the hospital overseas for further treatment! We don¡¯t have such medical instruments in our country for the time being!¡± Upon hearing what the doctor said, Bruce said anxiously, ¡°Then we will send Grandma to the hospital overseas for further treatment now!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Soon¡­ The Everett family deployed their private ne to send Margaret to Melta. Margaret was seriously ill now. Of course, Bruce had to tag along with her to take care of her. Everything happened so suddenly that Bruce did not have time to inform Joanna about it. The next day. Bruce did not go to the hospital! Joanna waited at the hospital for one whole day. However, Bruce was nowhere in sight. On the third day. There was still no news of Bruce. Two more days and it would be the surgery. Bruce should be staying in the hospital for observation by now. But until now, he was still nowhere in sight. It had already been two days since hest visited Lilia. On the fourth day. Joanna could not take it anymore. She made a call to Bruce immediately. Doo! ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavable. Please try againter!¡± ¡°Bruce, why are you not answering the call?¡± Joanna did not know what was going on. So, she made a call to Korbin, the butler of the Everett family, hurriedly. However, regardless of Bruce or Korbin, both their phones could not get through at all! She had no other option now. Joanna could only make a call to Andy. ¡°Hello, Andy!¡± ¡°Anything that I can help, Miss Haynes?¡± ¡°Where is Bruce?¡± ¡°Oh! Mr. Everett had gone to Melta!¡± ¡°Bruce? Went to Melta? Why is he there?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Somehow, she had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Well, Mr. Everett did not say anything about it. He just told us that he had something urgent to attend to. Hence, he had to make a trip to Melta immediately!¡± ¡°When is heing back?¡± ¡°I am not sure either.¡± Joanna was stunned upon hearing the news. Did he bring the kids to Melta on purpose? ¡°Bruce! Did you¡­¡± When Joanna came to think about it, she felt a chill down her spine. Hence, she did not dare to think further about it. Could it be that Bruce had brought the children to Melta and totally given up on saving Lilia? In the ward. Joanna seemed to be a little out of her wits. Lilia had not seen Bruce for days. So, she asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, why didn¡¯t Daddy visit me for the past few days?¡± ¡°Lilia, Daddy is¡­¡± Joanna hesitated. She did not know how to tell Lilia about it. ¡°Is Daddy busy working?¡± ¡°Yup. Daddy wille over to see you after he finishes his work.¡± ¡°Well, when will Daddy finish his work then?¡± ¡°Maybe a few dayster!¡± Joanna was still out of her wits when Jaydon came to visit them. ¡°Joann!¡± ¡°Jay, why are you here?¡± ¡°I am here to see Lilia. How is Lilia now?¡± asked Jaydon with concern. Joanna frowned as she said, ¡°Lilia will undergo the surgery oning Monday!¡± ¡°Have you gotten everything ready for the surgery?¡± ¡°Everything is ready!¡± Jaydon then asked with concern, ¡°Did Bruce agree to donate his bone marrow to Lilia?¡± Joanna was speechless. She had already lost contact with Bruce for three days.. She did not know if he had changed his mind. Or did he n to make her stay by agreeing to donate the bone marrow so that he could take Davian and Irvin away from her? Based on Bruce¡¯s personality, it was absolutely possible for him to do such a thing! Especially Margaret! She was a smart and ruthless woman. Lilia was suffering from such a critical illness, Joanna bet that Margaret would definitely not going tot her grandson take the risk! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Joanna sighed as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡± ¡°Where is he? Don¡¯t tell me that he did not agree to do so. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He agreed to it before. But, I am not able to contact him now!¡± Jaydon was so angry upon hearing it that he said, ¡°I knew it. I knew that this jerk is unreliable!¡± ¡°This is not the thing that I am worried about now!¡± ¡°What else are you worrying about now?¡± ¡°He took Davian and Irvin away. I¡­¡± said Joanna as she med herself for being such a fool. She really should not be so soft¨Chearted in the first ce. She should not agree to let Margaret take Davian and Irvin away. But then again! Once the children¡¯s identity had been exposed, based on Margaret¡¯s personality, she would definitely think of ways to snatch the children away from her by all means! It was over! Everything would be over now! She would not only lose her daughter but also Davian and Irvin! Chapter 163 Chapter 163 ¡°Joann, what do you n to do if he does not appear eventually?¡± Jaydon asked worriedly. Joanna shook her head in a daze as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mind is in a mess now!¡± Jaydon frowned as he said in pity, ¡°It is such a pity that my blood type does not match Lilia¡¯s blood type.¡± ¡°If my bone marrow is a match with Lilia¡¯s bone marrow, I will donate it to save Lilia for sure!¡± ¡°Stop, Jay! Don¡¯t say it anymore! ¡­¡± Joanna was choking back a sob as she said. She was so lost at that particr moment! ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a little longer time then! Miracle might happen!¡± ¡°I really hope so!¡± Joanna continued to call Bruce. If he really did not want to donate the bone marrow, he should at least tell her in person and not went missing just like that.. If Bruce called her in person to tell her about it, she could at least give up all her hope. But now, the feeling of being swayed by considerations of gain and loss, and hovering between hope and despair were driving her crazy! Doo! Doo! Doo! Joanna kept making calls to Bruce, one after another. However, it was such a pity that none of them got through! Jaydon said furiously upon seeing such a situation, ¡°We are left with so little time that we don¡¯t have enough time to find another match now!¡± ¡°Bruce is such a jerk! I did not expect him to be so heartless. How can he not save his own flesh and blood?¡± Joanna had given up all her hope. Her phone had run out of battery too. ¡°Jay, please stop talking. My mind is in a mess now. I need some space now!¡± Through the ss window¡­ Joanna saw Lilia lying on the bed weakly. Her hair had been shaved. She looked exactly like a soulless doll now. Joanna¡¯s tears had already dried up. She was so helpless at that moment. She could not do anything at all. Other than Bruce, she could not think of any other alternatives to save her daughter! Joanna walked to the window and prayed sincerely upon the starry night sky. ¡°If possible, I am willing to trade my life for my daughter¡¯s life. I beg upon you, Almighty God! Please let my daughter live!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Joann. Miracles will happen for sure!¡± In just a link of an eye¡­. It was already Sunday night! Lilia would need to undergo the surgery tomorrow! However, Bruce was still nowhere in sight! The doctor had been urging Joanna on this matter. However, she was still unable to contact Bruce. In the clinic. The doctor said seriously, ¡°If you are still unable to contact the donor, I am afraid that we would have to cancel the surgery tomorrow!¡± Joanna sat opposite the doctor in a daze. Her face was as pale as a sheet. She looked so haggard at that moment. She said, ¡°Doctor, is there any other way? ¡°Please, doctor! Could you think of another way to save my daughter? Please! Please save my daughter! I beg upon you!¡± Joanna became more agitated as she spoke. She grabbed the doctor¡¯s hand tightly with her eyes filled with despair. The doctor pulled his hand out forcefully. Then, he said helplessly, ¡°I am sorry that there is no other way of saving your daughter! Other than bone marrow transntation, nothing else would work for your daughter¡¯s condition! ¡°So, you¡¯d better contact the patient¡¯s father as soon as possible. We could not proceed with the surgery in his absence¡­¡± Joanna felt so desperate when she walked out of the clinic. ¡°You are so heartless, Bruce. Are you going to leave your daughter in the lurch?¡± After Joanna finished mumbling, she burst intoughter all of a sudden! Why would she expect anything from Bruce? She was really too naive. Bruce had always been so ruthless. He was so domineering and decisive that he would leave no room for mercy. Wasn¡¯t that his style as usual? He would only be losing a sickly daughter! He did not suffer any loss at all! There were so many women out there who were willing to bear a child for him if he was willing to do so! Joanna was indeed too naive. She thought that Bruce would be kind enough to save Lilia taking the ount that she was his flesh and blood! Well, she had overestimated him indeed! In the ward. Joanna looked at Lilia in a daze. Her face was filled with indescribable sorrow. Lilia bit the corner of her lips as she looked at Joanna and said weakly, ¡°Mommy, does Daddy don¡¯t want me anymore?¡± Joanna put on a wry smile and tried tofort her daughter. ¡°Lilia, Mommy will always be your side¡­¡± Lilia blinked her eyes and said heartbrokenly, ¡°Mommy, your eyes are swollen and welled up! Did you cry for a very long time?¡± ¡°Of course not! I am not crying.¡± However, before Joanna could finish her words, her tears flowed down her cheek uncontrobly. Lilia reached out her tiny hand and tried her best to wipe the tears off Joanna¡¯s face. ¡°Mommy, is my illness incurable?¡± ¡°Of course not, my darling You will be fine and your illness will be cured soon!¡± ¡°Where Daddy?have not seen him for days. Could it be that he is unwilling to save me now?¡± Joanna was so heartbroken upon hearing what Lilia said! She did not know how to exin to the child at all. She did not want the child to suffer from the pain of being abandoned again right before her death! ¡°No! Of course not. Daddy is very busy. He is dealing with some urgent matters now. That¡¯s why he could not make it back in time. He will be back as soon as he finishes his work!¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Lilia with her eyes lit up. Then, she smiled sweetly at Joanna. In fact, Lilia was not a fool. How would she not know the reason why her Daddy went missing? It must be that her Daddy did not want her anymore. That was why he went off quietly all of a sudden. Just that, she did not dare to cry. She was afraid that her Mommy would be more upset if she saw her crying. Joanna put on a wry smile as she said, ¡°Of course! Daddy and Mommy love you very much!¡± ¡°I love Mommy, Daddy, Davian, and Irvin too!¡± Joanna covered her eyes and wiped her tears away with her sleeves. Then, she smiled radiantly at her daughter and said, ¡°Darling, is there anything that you want to do?¡± Lilia tilted her head and gave it a thought. A few secondster, she said, ¡°I want to eat chocte!¡± ¡°Alright. Mommy will buy chocte for you, a lot of choctes, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy, didn¡¯t you say that I cannot eat chocte now because I am sick? ¡°I will eat it after I have recovered from my illness!¡± ¡°Mommy lied to you in the past because you will have cavities if you eat too much chocte. But you This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. are undergoing surgery soon, so you can have as many as you like before the surgery.¡± Joanna smiled as she said with her eyes welled up. But, she could only swallow her tears.. Bruce had gone missing! He must be getting cold feet and unwilling to take the risk of donating the bone marrow now! If he refused to donate his bone marrow, Lilia was tantamount to a death sentence. Now, all Joanna could do was try her best to fulfill her daughter¡¯s wishes. She wanted to fulfill all of Lilia¡¯s wishes before her death! ¡°What else do you want, Lilia?¡± ¡°I want to take a family portrait with Daddy, Mommy, Davian, and Irvin!¡± said Lilia innocently. ¡°Why are you having such a thought?¡± ¡°I saw other people taking family portraits as a family in the television program. So, I want to take it too!¡± ¡°Mommy, where are Davian and Irvin? Why aren¡¯t they visiting me?¡± Joanna was so heartbroken upon hearing what she said. Jaydon could not take it anymore. He smiled as he looked at Lilia and said, ¡°Lilia, why don¡¯t I take the family portrait with you?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm!¡± Lifia smiled sweetly at Jaydon. Although she liked Mr. Grimm too! But, she loved her Daddy more! Even though her Daddy was fierce and she only got to meet him three to four times¡­ She still loved her Daddy. With Daddy¡¯s presence, she felt that her family wasplete again! Although she had never seen Bruce when she was a child, she wanted him to be her Daddy so much at first sight. Now that her wish hade true. Bruce was indeed her Daddy. But¡­. Joanna turned her head away. She could not endure it anymore and burst into tears instantly! She was so heartbroken at that moment that she was almost out of breath. Bruce Everett! Eventually, he still let her daughter down! ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Joann!¡± Jaydon could onlyfort her at that moment. He could not think of anything else to say anymore. ¡°Jay¡­¡± Joanna burst into tears as she said. She could not help but leaned her head on his shoulder as she cried. *Please don¡¯t cry, Mommy! I feel like crying too when I see you cry!¡± ¡°Mommy is not crying!¡± ¡°I love you, Lilia. Mommy will love you forever!¡± Joanna carried Lilia off the bed and hugged her tightly in her arms! Lilia was born with such a critical illness. Therefore, it brought a lot of pressure to Joanna indeed! But! Because of this, she became stronger and more independent! Because of her fragility, she was even more inspired to be stronger! Heaven was so cruel to Lilia! She was so young, yet she had to suffer so much pain! ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes welled up. He felt exceptionally upset too! Outside the ward. Bruce rushed back from Melta hurriedly! Margaret had been stopping him froming to the hospital. She even threatened Bruce with death! However, his daughter was in great danger now! As a father, how could he not save her daughter? How could he leave her in the lurch? As soon as Margaret was out of danger. He took a 13¨Chours flight back overnight. He knew that Joanna must be extremely anxious for the past five days when he was totally uncontactable! Just that, when they were in Melta, Margaret¡¯s condition was so critical that the doctor had been trying his best to save her. Therefore, Bruce did not have time to call Joanna at all. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Bruce rushed back hurriedly. He did not even bother to return home. He rushed to the hospital directly as soon as he touched down However, the moment he entered the ward, he happened to see Joanna in Jaydon¡¯s arms. Jaydon hugged her tightly in his arms as if he was the only man she could rely on! It seemed that the three of them looked more like a family! As for him, he was only a bone marrow donor, an absolute stranger to them! Bruce felt so heartbroken upon seeing such a scene! Bruce stood outside the ward. He did not go into the ward. ¡°Joanna, in the end, you still choose Jaydon instead of me. Aren¡¯t you? ¡°You came to me just to ask me to donate bone marrow to save our daughter! ¡°After Lilia recovers from her illness, will you throw yourself into Jaydon¡¯s arms again?¡± Bruce flew into a fit of rage instantly. In the end, he turned around and walked away! The next day. Bruce still did not show up! Joanna has been in the abyss of despair. Her heart was so wretched now. She had packed everything early in the morning and proceeded with the discharge procedures. She was preparing to take her daughter out of the hospital. Since her daughter was left with not much time, she wanted to spend more time with her daughter through thest moment of her life! ¡°Lilia, Mommy is taking you out of the hospital today!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you like the dolphins in Ocean Park? Mommy is going to bring you thereter. After that, we are going to eat burgers, ice cream, and fried chicken. Is that okay for you?¡± Children seemed to like all this food. Weren¡¯t they? In the past, her daughter was sick! Therefore, she did not dare to let her daughter eat all this junk food. But now, her daughter was dying soon. She did not want to deprive thest joy of her daughter! ¡°Mommy¡± kilia wanted to say something. However, she swallowed her words again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Could you go out for a while?¡± Joanna was stunned and speechless. She looked at Lilia in confusion. Lilia gave it a thought for a few seconds before she braced herself and said, ¡°I would like to have a private conversation with Mr. Grimm.¡± ¡°Alright! I will be waiting for you outsidel¡± said Joanna as her eyes welled up. She took a nce at Jaydon before she left the ward. ¡°Lilia, what do you want to say to me? I am all ears!¡± said Jaydon as he bent forward to get closer to Lilia. His eyes welled up as well as he spoke. After Joanna went out of the ward¡­. Lilia pouted her mouth and burst into tears instantly! ¡°Mr. Grimm, I know my illness is incurable! ¡°I know that I am dying soon, but I don¡¯t dare to cry. I am afraid that Mommy will be sad! ¡°Mommy will definitely be very sad after losing me! ¡°So, I hope that you couldfort Mommy and let Mommy give birth to another healthy daughter!¡± ¡°Lilia¡­¡± Jaydon could not endure it anymore. He felt so heartbroken that he burst into tears immediately too! She was only four years old. Yet, she already knew so many things and was so obedient! He could not believe that all these words were said by a four years old child! ¡°I know Daddy doesn¡¯t want me anymore. That¡¯s why he went missing. ¡°Mommy must have hated him so much right now! But Mr. Grimm, if you happen to see my Daddy, please tell him that I love him. ¡°I love him very, very much! Even if he did not save me, I would still love him!¡± Jaydon¡¯s heart welled up with mixed feelings upon hearing what Lilia said. In the end, Jaydon nodded his head vigorously and said in a serious manner, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lilia. I will definitely tell him about it!¡± Lilia smiled upon hearing it. She said, ¡°I am leaving my Mommy under your care now. I hope that you will treat her well!¡± Jaydon then carried Lilia in his arms. At that moment, how he hoped that he was the father of the child! If he was the father of the child, he would donate his bone marrow to her without hesitation! He would save her at no cost for sure! ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s discharge from the hospital now. Is that okay for you?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Lilia replied obediently. Then, she reached out her tiny hand to wipe her tears away. She was so afraid that her Mommy would be upset after seeing her cry! Outside the ward. Upon hearing what her daughter said, Joanna burst into tears as she leaned against the wall helplessly. What did she do wrong in her previous life? Why did her daughter need to suffer from such pain? What sins had shemitted in her previous life to let him meet with a jerk like Bruce? After Lilia was out of the ward, she said in a sweet voice, ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna wiped away her tears hurriedly and smiled forcefully at her daughter. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Ocean Park first. Then, we shall go eat fried chicken, ice cream¡­¡± Joanna choked with a sob as she put a smile on her face. Her voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible. ¡°Alright!¡± Three of them were about to go off. Suddenly¡­ A cold voice sounded from behind. ¡°Where are you taking the child to?¡± Joanna was stunned when she heard the voice! She turned around to take a look at it. Bruce was standing right behind them! He was standing in the middle of the corridor, against the light. He seemed to have blocked out all the lights in the corridor like a wall. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He looked so gloomy at the moment. As he had blocked out all the light, his face looked gloomier and cold as if he was an ice statue. His tall figure seemed to be cast by the sunlight which made people feel dizzy by looking at him. Joanna¡¯s heart was pumping fast. It took her quite some time to regain her consciousness. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Lilia shouted happily too. ¡°Daddy!¡± Bruce took a few steps forward and looked at Joanna with his eyes darkened. ¡°Lilia is undergoing surgery today. Why didn¡¯t you help her get ready? On the contrary, you are bringing her to eat so much junk food instead! ¡°What kind of mother are you?¡± Joanna staggered and almost lost her bnce. She looked at Bruce with disbelief! Jaydon was stunned on the spot upon seeing such a scene. They did not expect Bruce to appear right before them at such a critical moment! All of them thought that Bruce, the scumbag, had long fled. ¡°Daddy, you are finally here!¡± said Lilia in a sweet voice. Then, she spread her arms at Bruce. Bruce stared coldly at Jaydon as he carried Lilia over from Jaydon¡¯s arms domineeringly. ¡°She is my daughter. Not any Tom, Dick, and Harry could carry her!¡± Jaydon was so stunned and speechless. He did not know how to refute all of a sudden! ¡°Daddy, knew that you wille back for me!¡± Lilia kissed Bruce¡¯s cheek as she said. ¡°Bruce, you¡­¡± Joanna was so stunned at that moment. Suddenly, she could see the light in the darkness! She really did not expect Bruce, that jerk, to appear out of the blue! ¡°What are you looking at? Hurry up and get the doctor! Get the doctor to be prepared for the surgery!¡± said Bruce as he stared at Joanna coldly. ¡°Alright! Alright! I will call the doctor now!¡± Joanna rushed to Bruce as soon as she finished her words. She lost control of her emotions and punched Bruce in his chest hard. She punched him as she cried and said, ¡°You are such a jerk! Why did you go missing all of a sudden? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me anything?¡± Bruce stood still and replied coldly, ¡°Why do I need to inform you? Do I need to report to you on everything that I am doing?¡± Bruce was so furious. Hence, he yelled at her angrily. He was only away for five days. Yet, she made out with another man instead! Indeed, he intended to disappear just like that forever the night before! However, when he took a puff of his cigarette, his mind was shing with images of her daughter calling her Daddy with a sweet smile! He hated Joanna. But, he could not bring himself to hate his daughter. She was his flesh and blood. How could he not save her and let her die? Therefore, even though he was angry with Joanna, he still reached the hospital on time in the morning! Joanna cried. But, she could not helpughing at the same time.. Bruce that jerk always liked to do such a thing! However, as long as he agreed to donate bone marrow to her daughter. She would not hate him no matter what! ¡°Doctor! Doctor! We are not going to discharge anymore! ¡°We can proceed with the surgery now! The child¡¯s father is here¡­¡± Upon hearing the news, the doctor rushed over hurriedly and said, ¡°That¡¯s great! Quick! Arrange for the surgery now!¡± After a while, everything had been arranged properly. Bruce and Lilia had changed into surgical gowns. Both of them were lying on the operating bed now. Before going into the operating theater, Joanna was still worried about them inexplicably. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Lilia. The surgery will be over soon! You will definitely be better after the surgery!¡± ¡°I am not afraid at all because Mommy and Daddy are with me now. I am not afraid of anything!¡± In fact, Lilia had undergone a lot of surgeries in the past. So, she had already gotten used to it! Joanna kissed her daughter¡¯s cheek upon hearing it. Then, she turned around and looked at Bruce worriedly. ¡°Bruce, you will be fine¡­¡± Joanna wanted to say something but she hesitated eventually. Her heart welled up with mixed feelings! She did not know what to say at all. Bruce stared at Joanna fiercely as he said, ¡°I will settle the score with you after the surgery! ¡°I was only away for five days and you have already turned the world upside down! How could you!¡± Joanna was stunned upon hearing it. Soon, she came to her senses! Was he jealous about something again? ¡°All the best, Bruce!¡± ¡°Tell Jaydon to scram! I do not want to see such an eyesore after I am out of the operating theater¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 ¡°Alright! Hurry up and get into the operating theater!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened instantly as he said, ¡°Are you listening? Tell him to scram immediately and don¡¯t stay here anymore. I do not want to see him!¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Got it!¡± said Joanna with her face darkened. Bruce went into the operating theater. When Joanna came out and stood in the hospital corridor, Jaydon approached her and asked with concern, ¡°How is it?¡± Joanna paused for a second and said awkwardly, ¡°Jay, why don¡¯t you go back first?¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°You know Bruce is petty and has a bad temper. He will go insane again if you stay here.¡± Jaydon went silent for a few seconds. Then, he smiled at Joanna and said, ¡°Well then. I shall take my leave first. Call me if anything happens!¡± ¡°Alright! Got it!¡± ¡°I shall leave the factory under your care for the time being.¡± Jaydon looked at her gently as heforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the factory. I will make the necessary arrangements ordingly! ¡°As for now, Lilia¡¯s illness is the most important thing that you have to deal with now. As for the rest, you can leave it to me and don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Joanna nodded. She trusted Jaydon. She could put thepany under his care without worrying about anything at all. ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Jaydon, I will be back to work as soon as Lilia recovers from her illness.¡± ¡°No hurry. Nothing is more important than Lilia¡¯s safety.¡± Joanna did not say anything further upon hearing it. She just looked at Jaydon deeply. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make a move first then!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Jaydon patted Joanna¡¯s shoulder as he turned around and walked out of the hospital! Indeed, there was no point for him to stay in such a situation. It would only add more trouble to Joanna if he stayed. At the same time, he would provoke Bruce too. After Jaydon left the hospital, Miranda and Kelly came to the hospital. They care to the hospital to apany Joanna. Outside the operating theater. Joanna kept pacing back and forth. She was praying hard for the surgery to be a sess. Miranda and Kelly were so worried too. They kept encouraging Joanna. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Lilia will be fine!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Lilia is such a sweet and obedient girl. Heaven will definitely bless such a good girl.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so!¡± Six hourster. The red light above the entrance of the operating theater went out. The door was finally opened. The doctor and the nurses came out of the operating theater. Joanna approached them immediately when she saw theming out of the operating theater. ¡°How is it, doctor? Is the surgery a sess?¡± The doctor nodded confidently as he said, ¡°The surgery is a sess. Now, we will only have to monitor if there is any rejection! ¡°If there is no rejection, we could schedule the second surgery soon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you so much, doctor!¡± Joanna could finally breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°You are wee. It is our job.¡± After a while, Bruce was the first to be pushed out of the operating theater! Normally, the patient should undergo a few times of bone marrow transnt surgery ording to the rejection. This was the early stage. The rest would depend on recovery! Joanna approached Bruce hurriedly and said with concern, ¡°How are you feeling, Bruce?¡± Bruce was conscious at that moment. He lifted his head to look at Joanna. His face was a little pale. His sharp and spirited eyes seemed to look a little ck.. He looked very weak now. Joanna held his hand tightly. Her eyes were filled with gratitude. ¡°Where is Lilia?¡± ¡°She is still inside!¡± ¡°Thank you, Bruce!¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me? ¡°I am the father of the child. I did everything for her good. It is the responsibility of a father. It has nothing to do with you!¡± said Bruce arrogantly. He was still angry with Joanna. Hence, the words he said were kind of sarcastic. Joanna¡¯s eyshes flickered upon hearing what he said. Upon seeing such a big sacrifice Bruce had made, Joanna decided not to argue with him further. Three dayster. Basically Bruce had fully recovered. Lilia¡¯s recovery was good as well. There was no sign of rejection being observed too! For the past three days, Joanna had been taking care of Lilia in the hospital. On the fourth day. After a few days of observation, Lilia showed no sign of rejection. The doctor was so d that everything went smoothly. He said, ¡°We can undergo a second surgery after the patient has fully recovered!¡± Joanna skipped a beat upon hearing what the doctor said.. ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± ¡°You are wee.¡± Joanna looked at the attending doctor gratefully. Finally, she could put her mind at ease. With the bone marrow donated by Bruce, Lilia¡¯s surgery was a sess! Lilia would regain her health again after the second surgery. In the ward. Bruce was lying on the bed like a boss while Joanna was feeding him food like a subordinate. Soup, beverages, fruits, and supplements were all avable at hismand. It was as if Joanna was serving a King or a Hero right now! Bruce was enjoying the moment with clear consciousness. He did not let anyone interfere at all. In fact, he was not as weak as he looked. He could actually get off the bed and walk on his own already. However, he just liked the feeling when Joanna took good care of him in a cautious manner. ¡°Do you still want some more?¡± ¡°Nope. I am done.¡± ¡°Do you want some fruits?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Joanna put down the utensil to peel an apple for Bruce. After that, she cut the apple into small pieces and fed Bruce with a toothpick one after another. After feeding Bruce a few pieces of apples, Joanna sighed all of a sudden. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Where are Davian and Irvin? I am worried about them. Can I bring them home now?¡± Bruce adjusted his lying posture and rolled his eyes as he said, ¡°They are fine at the Everett mansion. We¡¯d better wait till Lilia recovers¡­¡± ¡°But, it has been so long since Ist saw them. I can¡¯t put my mind at ease at all!¡± ¡°They are at the Everett mansion. You don¡¯t have to worry a thing about it!¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before she frowned and said, ¡°I want to bring the kids home!¡± ¡°Not at the moment. Grandma is still undergoing treatment at Melta! ¡°If Grandma finds out that the kids have been taken away when she is back home, she will be angry for sure!¡± ¡°But, you can¡¯t keep me from seeing the kids forever. They are my children!¡± said Joanna as her eyes turned cold. She stared at Bruce with dissatisfaction. If hot for the sake that Bruce had donated bone marrow for her daughter, she would have brought the children back a long time ago. ww Bruce¡¯s face darkened instantly as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until Lilia has fully recovered and Grandma¡¯s condition stabilized. ¡°I will persuade Grandma about this. Don¡¯t worry. She will not take your children away from you!¡± ¡°You must keep your word, okay?¡± ¡°Of course! When have I, Bruce Everett, ever gone back on my words?¡± Upon hearing what he said, Joanna could only wait patiently. Davian and Irvin were at the Everett mansion, so she did not have to worry about their safety.. The Everett family had so many servants in the mansion. She bet that they would be able to take good care of the kids. At the Everett mansion. In the blink of an eye, Davian and Irvin had stayed in the Everett mansion for almost half a month.. Even though they were being well taken care of, they still could not see Joanna and Lilia. So, it was inevitable that they were still unhappy. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Irvin sat among a pile of toys, feeling a little bored. He said, ¡°Davian, it has already been so many days. Why isn¡¯t Mommy picking us up yet?¡± Davian felt a little depressed too. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t see Great¨Cgrandma too.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back and take a look?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± As they spoke, they walked out of the bedroom toward the main door hand in hand. However, before the two little fellows reached the main door, a few personal servants stopped them immediately. ¡°Where are you going, Davian and Irvin?¡± ¡°We want to go home!¡± ¡°But, this is your home!¡± One of the servants intended to coax them back to their bedroom. ¡°This is not our home. We want to go home to look for Mommy!¡± ¡°You may stay here at ease. This is really your home now!¡± The servants could not help butin in their minds. These two kids were born into the Everett family. Did they even know how lucky they were? They actually wanted to leave. Did they know that not any Tom, Dick, and Harry could enjoy such a life? ¡°No, no, not want to look for Mommy!¡± ¡°Mrs. Margaret has instructed that both of you have to stay here¡­¡± No matter how the two little fellows make a fuss about it, the servants still did not dare to open the door. The two of them were so frustrated. However, there was nothing that they could do. They could only return to their bedroom helplessly. ¡°Irvin, this house is like a maze, with three electromechanical doors. There is no way for us to get out at all.¡± ¡°Davian, why don¡¯t we think of a way to get out of here?¡± ¡°Alright. I have the same thought too!¡± Irvin gave it a thought and pouted his mouth as he said, ¡°But, there are so many bodyguards here. There are a lot of doors too. What should we do if we lose our way and can¡¯t get out? Davian snorted and said, ¡°Watch me! Have you forgotten what I am good at?¡± Irvin smiled upon hearing it. ¡°Haha¡­ I am depending on you now, Davian.¡± After that¡­ The two little fellows sneaked into theputer room. Davian unleashed his knowledge and skills as a hacker. He started to tap on the keyboard and fiddle with theputer with a serious face. Irvin then kept a watch out for Davian. Twenty minutes passed. SEND GIFT Chapter 166 Chapter 166 The Everett mansion¡¯swork was being cut off all of a sudden. A few minutester, the power circuit was cut off as well. All electronic devices were out. The servants were confused. ¡°Sigh! Why is there a power outage all of a sudden? Everything is fine a moment ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The power of the surveince cameras and electromechanical doors is being cut as well!¡± ¡°Oh, crap! This aquarium is thermostatic. I am afraid that the fishes will die during the power outage.¡± ¡°Hurry up and close the door of the backyard! The power is out now! Don¡¯t let the animals escape!¡± Bruce liked to raise animals ever since young. Therefore, there were a lot of pets in the Everett mansion. However, Bruce¡¯s pets were not ordinary pets. All of them were ferocious beasts. There were crocodiles, Tibetan mastiffs, wolves, leopards, and so on. An independent zoo was built in the backyard. It would be a disaster if the animals escaped during the power outage and hurt someone. The servants were shocked. This had never happened before in the Everett mansion. In the past, even if there was a power outage, the backup power would be activated immediately.. But now, the whole mansion¡¯s powers were out. ¡°Go and check on the power circuit and see what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Go over there to check it out! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± It was absolute chaos in the mansion now. All of the servants ran over to check it out! Naturally, the two little fellows were being neglected now. Irvin chuckled, ¡°Davian, it¡¯s time. Let¡¯s go! Hurry!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little fellows packed their things into their backpacks, grabbed their backpacks, and sneaked out of the bedroom in stealth. The Everett mansion was huge. Most of the areas were covered with greenery. Now that surveince cameras were down, the two little fellows managed to sneak out of the first electromechanical door smoothly. The security guard¡¯s at the door were busy checking on the power circuit that they did not notice the two kidse out of the fence. ¡°Be careful, Davian.¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t make any noise! Don¡¯t let them catch us.¡± The two little fellows crouched down as they slipped along the underside of the wall of greenery and walked towards the second electromechanical door. There were approximately 500 yards between the first and second electromechanical doors. In the middle, it was an exquisite inner garden with all kinds of precious flowers. Now that the surveince cameras were down, it would difficult to find an adult hiding inside, let alone two little kids. ¡°Davian, there are three exits here. Which way are we going?¡± ¡°There are fewer people here. I guess this must be the back door!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take the back door!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little fellows got out of the second electromechanical door as they walked down a remote path! That was the back door indeed. The back door was connected to a private mountain. It was also a wild bird ind that was not open to the public. It took the two little fellows quite sometime before reaching the back door. Since the electromechanical door was down, the two little fellows flipped over the wall just like that. ¡°Haha! Do you think you could keep us captive? Dream on!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hurry! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go home and look for Mommy!¡± ¡°It has been so long since west saw Mommy and Lilia. I miss them so much!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± The two little fellows followed the mountain path up the mountain.. At first, the road was very wide. O But as they walked, the road became narrower and more difficult to walk. ¡°Wow! Davian, are we going in the wrong direction?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we see any public transport after walking for so long?¡± Davian looked around, feeling puzzled. He said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I find it weird too. We seem to go further and further away. Aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°This house is too big. Why can¡¯t I see any neighbors around?¡°. ¡°Forget it then. Let¡¯s go further to take a look. There might be a bus stop ahead. If there is no bus, we would hail a cab then!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Then, the two little fellows continued to walk forward, hand in hand. At the Everett mansion. Soon, the circuit engineers identified the problem and managed to restore the power in time. However, it was dyed for more than half an hour. ¡°Oh no! This is bad! The two young masters are missing!¡± When the servant named Dahlia was delivering the cakes to the two little fellows, she found that they were gone. ¡°Are they in the backyard?¡± ¡°No! I have searched all the gardens, and a few rooms in the vicinity. But there was no sight of them!¡± ¡°Find them now! Hurry!¡± ¡°Quick! Inform the security department and ask them to send their men out to find the kids!¡± Suddenly, the Everett mansion was in chaos again. More than a dozen servants were searching everywhere for the two kids. One hourter. The two little fellows were still nowhere in sight. ¡°Oh my god! What should we do now?¡± ¡°How did these two kids disappear in such a short time?¡± ¡°Could it be that they have already sneaked out of the house?¡± ¡°Both of them were so young. How could it be possible for them to get out of the Everett mansion?¡± ¡°Oh no! It¡¯s over! We will be doomed for sure for losing the two young masters! We are doomed!¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°What else could we do now? Inform Mr. Everett immediately!¡± ¡°Ring!¡± Bruce¡¯s phone rang all of a sudden. Bruce took out his phone and nced at it. It was actually a call from the general secretary of the Everett family. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Bad news, Mr. Everett! Bad news indeed!¡± Upon hearing it, Bruce sat upright immediately and asked in a deep tone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°The two young masters are missing!¡± Boom! Upon hearing such news, Bruce gasped astonishingly. He almost growled over the phone. But, as Joanna was right beside her, he had to suppress his anxiety and asked in a vexed manner, ¡°Gone missing? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Someone hacked into the Everett mansion¡¯s electrical circuit control system just now. All the electronic devices were down! ¡°After that, two young masters are missing¡­¡± Bruce drew a cold breath as he got down from the bed and walked to the washroom hurriedly, ¡°Hurry up and send our men to look for them!¡± ¡°We have searched everywhere but they were still nowhere in sight!¡± When Bruce heard about it, he was more anxious now. He shouted over the phone and said, ¡°I am giving you one hour to find the kids!¡± ¡°If anything happens to the kids, all of you shall meet your door!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The general secretary hung up the call. He was so frightened that his entire body was trembling in fear. He gathered more people and started the search. for the kids hurriedly. Bruce¡¯s face turned ghastly aftering out of the washroom. His eyes were filled with anxiety. Joanna sensed something amiss upon seeing his expression. Her heart skipped a beat as she asked, ¡°What happened, Bruce?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± said Bruce with a wry smile. He did not dare to tell Joanna that the kids were missing for fear that she would be worried! Upon seeing Bruce speak evasively, Joanna had a bad feeling about it. She asked again, ¡°What exactly had happened?¡± ¡°Nothing! Really nothing!¡± Joanna was speechless. She felt so uneasy when she looked at Bruce. ¡°Joanna, I have something urgent to attend to right now. So, I need to discharge immediately.¡± ¡°You have not recovered yet. How can you be discharged right now?¡± Bruce twitched his mouth into a forceful smile and said, ¡°I have something very important to attend to!¡± ¡°What exactly had happened?¡± ¡°Erm! Some work matters actually. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Stay in the hospital to take care of Lilia, okay?¡± As soon as Bruce finished his words, he changed into his clothes and left the ward hurriedly. In just a blink of an eye! An afternoon passed! The two kids were still nowhere in sight! ¡°A bunch of rubbish! All of you are a bunch of rubbish! You can¡¯t even find two kids after so long!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, why don¡¯t we call the police? The search and rescue team could assist in finding them!¡± Soon¡­ A search and rescue team of more than a hundred people was deployed to search around the mountain. It was such a big incident that the media was rmed. ¡°We have just received a piece of breaking news!¡± ¡°Two children are found missing near Mount Lance! If you have any leads, please call us at¡­¡± Joanna identally came across the news showing on the television. Her heart skipped a beat instantly! ¡°Aren¡¯t they Davian and Irvin?¡± ¡°Why are they missing?¡± When Joanna heard about the news, she almost break down. She made a call to Bruce immediately to ask him about it. ¡°Hello, Bruce. What exactly had happened?¡± Bruce knew that he could not hide it from Joanna anymore. ¡°The kids¡­ are missing!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened instantly upon hearing it. She almost fainted after knowing that her children had gone missing. ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have mobilized everyone to go out and search for them! ¡°The search and rescue team is deployed to search for them as well. We will find Davian and Irvin for sure even if there is a need to flip Mount Lance over!¡± ¡°Bruce Everett! If you can¡¯t find the kids, I will¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened instantly. She was so anxious that she could not speak at all. On the other hand, Davian and Irvin had lost their way into the mountain! The sky was getting darker. ¡°Davian, I am so cold!¡± ¡°I think we have lost our way!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will carry you!¡± The two little fellows had not eaten anything for the whole day! ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and have a look!¡± ¡°We will get out of here for sure!¡± ¡°Are we going to die here, Davian?¡± ¡°No, we won¡¯t!¡± ¡°Are there any monsters in the world?¡± ¡°Those are not true. There are no monsters in the world!¡± ¡°But, there are ghosts. Am I right? I am scared, Davian!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back now?¡± O Chapter 167 Chapter 167 ¡°Alright!¡± The two little fellows walked back along the path they had just taken. However, the sky was too dark and the mountain was full of greenery that they could not find the way down the mountain! It was a restricted area where tourists were not allowed to enter. The mountain covered arge area too. Furthermore, it was a wild bird sanctuary The two little fellows could not find their way out at all. Suddenly, a big bird pped its wing and flew with a loud cackling sound. It was so ear¨Cpiercing and terrifying! It sounded so much like the Witch of the ck Mountain appearing out of the blue in the dark. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Davian, a ghost!¡± Irvin was so scared that he burst into tears instantly. He screamed as he hid his head in Davian¡¯s arm. Davian was freaked out too. But as Davian was the elder brother, he had to be braver. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Irvin. I will protect you.¡± Irvin was so scared that he did not dare to open his eyes. He cried as he said, ¡°Davian, when can we go home?¡± Davian looked around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious! It is already dark now. We are unable to find the way back! ¡°I think we should find somewhere safe first. When the sun rises tomorrow, I am pretty sure that we could find out way home.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little fellows held each other¡¯s hands tightly. They dared not run around cluelessly. Hence, they could only grope around in the darkness. ¡°Look! There is a hole here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little fellows found a ce that looked like a cave. Both of them crouched down and crawled into the hole. In fact, it was an abandoned underground drainage channel. However, it had already dried up. It was rtively safer for both of them to curl up inside the underground drainage channel. After entering the underground drainage channel¡­. It was so dark inside that they could not see anything at all. ¡°I am so hungry, Davian!¡± said trvin. His stomach is growling non¨Cstop right now. Both of them had not eaten anything for the entire afternoon. They were starving now. ¡°Bear with it first!¡± we had known earlier, we should have packed some food in our backpack when we came out just now.¡± 10-32 ¡°How I wish I could eat cakes, choctes, and the dumplings made by Mommy now Oh yeah! Finger licking drumsticks too!¡± Irvin drooled as he spoke. Davian sighed and said, ¡°Stop talking! The more you talk, the hungrier you will get! Let¡¯s get some rest first. We will not feel hungry after we fall asleep!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, Davian!¡± ¡°You have to sleep even if you can¡¯t. Otherwise, you will not have enough energy to walk tomorrow. We will be able to go home at dawn!¡± The two little fellows had been walking for the whole day. They were so tired, hungry, and sleepy right now! The weather was cold now. So, both of them cuddled together to keep each other warm. In fact, it was rtively warm inside the underground drainage channel. At the foot of the mountain. Bruce and Joanna were losing their mind. ¡°Send more helicopters out to find the kids, even if there is a need to flip the mountain over!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Hundreds of people from the Everett family and the search and rescue team were deployed to search the entire mountain. Joanna was so anxious at that moment, ¡°I want to join the search and rescue team too!¡± Bruce stopped her immediately and said, ¡°Joanna, you should stay behind and wait for them to return. What if theye home? There should be someone in the house to wait for their return, am I right?¡± ¡°No! I am going to look for my kids! ¡°Bruce, if anything happens to the kids, I am not going to forgive you for the rest of my life.¡± Bruce frowned. His mind was in a mess too. It was absolutely beyond his expectation that the kids would be missing in the Everett mansion! It was totally impossible for the kids to be kidnapped from the Everett mansion too! There were so many bodyguards and servants in the Everett family. Furthermore, there were three electromechanical doors. It was impossible for the kidnapper to enter the mansion. ¡°Calm down, Joanna! ¡°Let¡¯s find out how the kids could have gone missing first! ¡°Even if they were kidnapped, it is impossible for anyone to enter the mansion and kidnap the kids without being noticed!¡± Joanna¡¯s mind was in a mess now. All she wanted to do now was to find the kids as soon as possible. Her brain seemed to have short¨Ccircuited. She could not think logically at all. ¡°The key is that all the surveince cameras are down. Otherwise, we would be able to see which direction they were heading to!¡± Upon hearing it, Joanna came to think of something all of a sudden. ¡°Could it be that Davian and Irvin sneaked out of the house on their own?¡± Davian liked to fiddle withputers. So, it was not impossible for him to hack into the Everett mansion power circuit control system. Bruce frowned as he gave it a thought. Possible! In fact, this little fellow hacked into the Everett Group¡¯swork twice. So, most probably, he was the one who did it this time. 10 32 Tue, 4 Jul ¡°No matter what, we have to find them quickly! ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± ¡°Master Davian, Master Irvin¡­¡± The helicopter flew in the sky! Team members and hounds were searching around Mount Lance too! It was such a pity! The two little fellows hid inside the abandoned underground drainage channel that had a very good soundproof design. Hence, they could not hear people calling their names outside at all! Irvin was in a daze when he heard someone calling their names intermittently. ¡°Davian, I think I heard Mommy calling our names!¡± Davian was so exhausted that he turned around and continued to sleep. ¡°Hurry up and sleep. You must be dreaming! ¡°It is already sote now. How would she be here at this hour?¡± Irvin felt that it made sense upon hearing what Davian said, He must have missed his Mommy too much that he even dreamed of her in his dream, ¡°You are right!¡± The two little fellows then fell asleep again. In just a blink of an eye¡­. Six to seven hours had passed. The search and rescue team had been searching the whole night. ¡°Mr. Everett, I doubt that the kids are still in the mountain!¡± ¡°With such a hugemotion and so many people are looking for them. If the children are still in the mountain, we¡¯ll definitely be able to find them! ¡°Since they are nowhere in sight on the mountain, then we should search at the foot of the mountain instead!¡± Early in the morning. The search and rescue team and the members of the Everett family gave up on searching the mountain! They had been searching for a day and a night. Since they could not find them on the mountain, it Content held by N?velDrama.Org. seemed that the kids were not on the mountain. Joanna and Bruce did not sleep for the entire night. Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and she looked exceptionally haggard at that moment. ¡°Where are you, my children? Where did you go?¡± Bruce was so worried that he had stubble on his face. He hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Joanna. We will definitely find the kids¡­¡± Joanna hit her head as she med herself. ¡°I hate myself so much!¡± ¡°Why did I agree to let you take Davian and Irvin away in the first ce?¡± ¡°Give me back my children, Bruce! Give me back my children!¡± Bruce looked so guilty at that moment. ¡°As long as the kids are still in Greyport! ¡°No matter what price to pay, I will definitely bring the children back safely!¡± Soon¡­ The television program broadcast the news on the rewards offered in search of the kids repetitively. Anyone who could provide any leads would be rewarded with 2 million dors in cash. Once the media broadcasted the news, it was equivalent to acknowledging Davian and Irvin as members of the Everett family indirectly. ¡°Oh my goodness! The three children given birth by Miss Joanna Haynes actually belong to the Everett family?¡± ¡°Do you think both the children were kidnapped?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I heard that they went missing in the Everett mansion!¡± ¡°It is so bizarre! Who would have done it? Who has the guts to kidnap the children from the Everett mansion? ¡°I don¡¯t know either. After all, it was so bizarre!¡± ¡°Do you think it is possible for the two children to be kidnapped by aliens?¡± ¡°There are such cases abroad anyway. The alien abducted the children while they were sleeping and was being brought to the spaceship for research.¡± ¡°You have watched too many sci¨Cfi movies!¡± ¡°If anyone could find the children, he or she will be rich!¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± In one day, almost everyone in Greyport was discussing this matter. At noon. The two little fellows woke up in a daze. They did not know everyone in Greyport was looking for them yet. ¡°Davian, the sun has risen!¡± ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s continue our journey then!¡± The two little fellows crawled out from the underground drainage channel. Upon looking at the sky, the sun was already high up in the sky. Davian looked in the vicinity and pointed to a path as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue to walk along this path!¡± Irvin was starving ever since the night before. He felt so weak right now after he woke up. ¡°Davian, I am so hungry and thirsty!¡± Davian felt the same too. Both of them were a little dehydrated. ¡°Let¡¯s look ahead. There is a stream at the foot of the mountain. We could get some water there!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little fellows walked along the path and rolled down the path carefully. There was a meandering stream at the foot of the mountain. The water in the stream looked clear. The stream was not deep too. Irvin pouted his mouth as he looked at the water in the stream ¡°Davian, do you think this water is drinkable? It is not filtered. It is very dirty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are almost dying of thirst now. We will be dehydrated if we don¡¯t drink it.¡± Davian took off his clothes as he spoke. He intended to filter the impurities in the water with his clothes. However, Irvin could not wait any longer. Hey by the stream and started drinking. Unfortunately, he lowered his head too much. In addition, he was so hungry that he felt so dizzy at that moment. With a ssh, Irvin fell into the stream directly. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Davian!¡± Davian was terrified to see such a situation, ¡°Irvin!¡± The water was flowing rapidly. Even though it was not deep, the current was flowing fast. Irvin drift along the stream as he sank and emerged in water intermittently. ¡°Save me, Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Davian¡¯s face turned pale from fright. He hurriedly looked around for something that could save Irvin! Fortunately, there were many dead branches and leaves here! Davian picked up a long dry branch and stretched it into the stream! ¡°Irvin, quickly grab this branch. I¡¯ll pull you up!¡± Irvin bobbed a few times in the water and swam desperately to the branch. He reached out and grabbed the branch. Meanwhile, Davian was desperately trying to pull him ashore. After much effort, he finally dragged his brother out! The two little guys were frightened and their clothes were wet. ¡°Brother, my clothes are wet.¡± Davian took off his clothes first. ¡°Take off your clothes and dry them. Otherwise, we¡¯ll catch a cold!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two children took off their clothes.. Greyport was a southern city. Although there was no winter, it was close to December and the weather was still very cold. The two little guys shivered from the cold and kept twisting the water on their clothes with their little hands. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to the mountain path!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± It was very dangerous by the stream. Although the two children could swim, there were still underground rivers and swamps below in such a rapid stream. If they fell into it, they would definitely not survive! The two little guys climbed up the mountain path one step at a time. ¡°Brother, look, there are so many oranges!¡± There were a few orange trees beside the mountain path! There were tons of oranges on the trees. Davian frowned and nced at it. ¡°This kind of wild fruit can¡¯t be eaten, right?¡± Irvin was already starving. He reached out and plucked a few. ¡°I can¡¯t care less. Let¡¯s eat some first!¡± As he spoke, drvin peeled an orange and put it into his mouth. He chewed on it a few times and then he spat it out again. ¡°Pfft, why is this orange so sour?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t eat randomly. it¡¯ll be troublesome if you get a stomachache!¡± Irvin threw away the orange in his hand. His little round face was filled with gloom. ¡°Sigh, if I had known that we would get lost, I wouldn¡¯t havee out 10 32 Tue, 4 Jul in the first ce!¡± ¡°Look at us now. We can¡¯t go back even if we want to!¡± ¡°Davian, if they find out that we¡¯re missing, will theye looking for us?¡± Davian¡¯s face turned a little serious. ¡°Definitely!¡± Irvin rubbed his arms which were covered in goosebumps and muttered, ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much. Did youe back to look for us?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and look over there!¡± ¡°Davian, I¡¯m so tired!¡± ¡°Irvin, hold on a little longer. When we cross this mountain, we should be able to reach the downtown area. ¡°As long as we reach the downtown area, we¡¯ll definitely be able to get a taxi home.¡± The two little guys had no idea that this was a wild bird sanctuary. There would be no one here at all! They were walking in the opposite direction. The further they went, the deeper they would go into the mountains! Meanwhile, at the Haynes¡¯s house. Roxanne was watching the news in bed. As she watched, she saw the news of Davian and Irvin being missing. ¡°Aren¡¯t those two Joanna¡¯s children?¡± After Roxanne saw the news, she hurriedly ran downstairs with her phone. ¡°Mom, look at the news!¡± Ingrid was pushing her face with the beauty apparatus. She then asked impatiently, ¡°What news?¡± ¡°Joanna¡¯s two children are missing!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ingrid quickly pressed pause on the beauty apparatus in her hand and took the phone to take a look. Sure enough, the big news of Joanna looking for her children was ying on the phone. Ingrid sneered and said happily, ¡°Well, this is retribution!¡± ¡°Mom, howe the children has disappeared all of a sudden?¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This is karma! That¡¯s what that bitch gets for taking Bruce from you! ¡°Serves her right! ¡°It¡¯s best if these two children can never return. Let¡¯s see what else she can use against you!¡± ¡°Mom, you didn¡¯t do it, did you?¡± When Ingrid heard this, her eyes widened. ¡°I would need the ability to do it even if I wanted to!¡± ¡°Oh, as long as it¡¯s not you!¡± Roxanne didn¡¯t say anything else. She then ran upstairs with her phone. With such a big incident happening in the Everett family, she naturally could not ignore it. No matter what, she had to make a call to ask about the situation. 10:33 Tue, 4 Jul T Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang Bruce nced at the phone and picked it up. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hey, Bruce!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Roxanne paused for a moment and stammered, ¡°I just saw the news. I heard that the children are missing?¡± ¡°Do you have any leads?¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was gloomy. Thest time Irvin went missing was because of Derick. If it was rted to the Haynes family this time, he would definitely not be Mr. Nice Guy anymore. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m just concerned about the children. How can I have any leads?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up! It¡¯s best if the children¡¯s disappearance has nothing to do with the Haynes family!¡± ¡°How can it have anything to do with us¡­¡± Bruce didn¡¯t want to say anything more to Roxanne and just hung up. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Bruce had already hung up impatiently! Joanna calmed down and analyzed everything carefully again. They had seen all the ces with surveince cameras at the foot of the mountain. The children had never appeared. From this, it could be deduced that the children must have gone up the mountain. ¡°The children must still be on the mountain!¡± As she spoke, Joanna prepared to go up the mountain to look again. Bruce hurriedly pulled her back and advised, ¡°Joanna, we¡¯ve already searched the mountain many times. It¡¯s impossible for them to be on the mountain!¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re most likely on the mountain! ¡°I¡¯ve checked all the surveince cameras near the foot of the mountain. They didn¡¯t go down the mountain! ¡°Organize people to search the mountain!¡± When Bruce heard this, he also felt that it made sense. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go this time too!¡± Soon, Bruce organized a second search and rescue team. Meanwhile, on the mountain. The two little guys walked. In front of him, an animal that looked like a wild dog and a wild wolf jumped out from the mountain path. 10:33 Tue, 4 Jul At this moment, the wild dog bared its fangs and ted fiercely at the two little fellows. Irvin trembled in fear. ¡°Davian, what is this?¡± Davian was so frightened that he did not dare to move. ¡°Don¡¯t move. It looks like a wild dog or a wolf!¡± ¡°Davian, why are there wolves on this mountain?¡± Davian tried his best to calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t run around. No matter if it¡¯s a wolf or a dog, don¡¯t run!¡± Irvin gulped and asked nervously, ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read in a book that when you encounter wolves in the wild, you must not panic! ¡°We have to raise our hands above our heads! We have to make ourselves look as strong as possible!¡°, ¡°Ah!¡± The two little guys tried their best to pretend to be calm and raised their hands high to make themselves look as tall as possible! The wild dog was huge! It was not afraid of the threat of the two little fellows at all. ¡°Let¡¯s slowly retreat to the highest point!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As soon as the two of them moved, the wild dog suddenly rushed over and pounced on Irvin. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯te over!¡± The wild dog seemed to be extremely hungry and pounced fiercely at the little guy! The two little guys turned around and ran away in fear. But how could their short legs outrun the wild dog? The wild dog was about to kill Irvin. ¡°Bang, bang!¡± Two gunshots seemed to have sounded. The wild dog was frightened and scurried into the mountain path.. The two little guys also fell and rolled down the mountain path! An old man appeared on the mountain path. ¡°Children, don¡¯t be afraid!¡± The two children were dizzy from the fall. Their knees and elbows were scraped. When they heard the voice, they looked up and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the ranger of this mountain!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Whose children are you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re lost!¡± ¡°Come with me!¡± The ranger bent down and carried the two children away! He was the guardian of the forest on this mountain and was also a crippled old man with only one good eye! 20 minutester. The old man brought the two children back to his residence. Seeing that the two children were starving, he made two bowls of soup for them. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± The two little guys were starving. They picked up the soup and wolfed them down! ¡°Where did youe from?¡± a little girl nced at the two of them and asked curiously. The little girl was about the same age as them. ¡°We came from outside the mountain!¡± ¡°Outside the mountain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Thank you, little girl!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± After the three children ate their fill, they began to chat and y with each other! The ranger didn¡¯t pay attention to the information online and lived an isted life! Naturally, he did not know the identities of these two little fellows. He thought that they were children from ordinary families! Meanwhile, something was happening on Joanna¡¯s side. Joanna and Bruce went up the mountain to search again. ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± ¡°There¡¯s blood!¡± ¡°Thud!¡± Joanna pounced over. ¡°This is Davian¡¯s clothes!¡± ¡°Davian must be on the mountain!¡± ¡°There¡¯s blood here as well¡­¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Although there were norge ferocious beasts on the mountain, the number of wild dogs and stray cats was enough to pose a threat to the lives of two four year¨Cold children. It was not certain that the child had died, but it was certain that the child had an ident on the mountain. ¡°Davian, Irvin¡­¡± Joanna burst into tears. Bruce also sucked in a breath of cold air. His heart was like dead ashes. ¡°Hurry up and search. No matter what, I want to see them alive or dead!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The bodyguards began to scatter and surround the mountain for a new round of search and rescue. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It might not be what you think!¡± Bruceforted Joanna. ¡°Bruce, I really hate you!¡± Joanna med herself and was so worried that she broke down. ¡°The children will be found!¡± Joanna wiped her tears, mustered her courage, and continued her search! Now was not the time toin. She had to quickly find the children¡¯s whereabouts! The search went from the morning to the evening. Just as everyone was about to give up¡­. Finally, there was a faint light in a corner of the mountain. ¡°Is someone living there?¡± ¡°I think so. Let¡¯s head down and take a look.¡± Joanna and Bruce felt a glimmer of hope in their hearts. They hurriedly ran along the mountain path toward the light. At the foot of the mountain, a simple hut made of iron and tree branches appeared. There was a light in the room. Although it was very dim, it was still quite eye¨Ccatching at night. This was also the northernmost part of the mountain. Two days ago, the search and rescue team had alsoe to search. However, at that time, the forest rangers had yet to save the two little fellows, so they could not find them. Therefore, they did note to search again today. Joanna had a feeling that the children were in this room. Due to the fact that she was running too fast, she tripped over a rock under her feet. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Joanna, be careful!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Joanna ignored the pain and struggled to stand up. The two of them had just descended the mountain path and had yet to enter the house to ask. The tworge ck dogs pounced over ferociously. ¡°Woof, wool, woof!¡± 10 33 Tue, 4 ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna was most afraid of dogs and almost got pounced on by them. ¡°Go, go!¡± Bruce barked at the dog and shielded Joanna behind him. ¡°Wool, woof, woof!¡± The dog barked even louder, baring its teeth at the two of them, ¡°Is anyone here? Is anyone in the house?¡± ¡°Creak!¡± The old iron door was pushed open from the inside. ¡°Who is it?¡± An old man in his sixties walked out of the house with his clothes draped over his shoulders. He was a forest ranger from Mount Lance. His name was Zack, and he had never gotten married in his life. He was also disabled. Themunity administrator took pity on him and gave him a job as a ranger. He had been doing this for half his life. A few years ago, he had picked up a girl from a garbage dump and brought her back to raise her as his granddaughter, ¡°Sir, we¡¯re here to look for someone!¡± Zack dismissed the tworge ck dogs and sized up Joanna and Bruce.. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Sir, have you seen two children?¡± ¡°Two little boys, about four years old!¡± Joanna eagerly gestured at the child¡¯s height! ¡°Who are you to the children?¡± ¡°We¡­ are their parents.¡± Zack pursed his lips and said with a hint of me, ¡°How can you be so irresponsible? ¡°It¡¯s so dangerous to let the children run around on the mountain!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve seen the children, sir?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the house! ¡°I happened to bump into these two children when I was patrolling the mountain today. Come in and see if they¡¯re your children.¡± Joanna and Bruce looked at each other. Their eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The two thanked him and followed Zack into the house. Inside the dpidated house, the three children were sleeping soundly on the dpidated bed. Davian and Irvin had many cuts on their bodies from tree branches, and their little faces were dirty. ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± Joanna was so excited that she rushed to the bed and cried. Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness the children are safe!¡± E 10:33 Tue, 4 Jul ¡°Davian, Irvin, wake up. We¡¯re going home!¡± Joanna cried as she reached out to stroke the two children. The two children were burning hot, as if they were having a high fever. Davian opened his eyes in a daze and saw that the person standing in front of him was actually his mother. He thought it was a dream and called out tentatively, ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Davian!¡± Joanna sniffed and hugged her son tightly. ¡°Mommy, sob¡­¡± After Davian knew that it was not a dream, he burst into tears. Irvin was also woken up. When he saw his mommying over, he also cried loudly. ¡°Mommy, we missed you so much! Boohoo!¡± Joanna hugged the two children tightly in her arms. ¡°Mommy misses you too!¡± ¡°Why are you here? Do you know that I was worried sick?¡± ¡°Mommy, we want to go home to you, but those people won¡¯t let us go out! ¡°We had no choice but to sneak out! After that, we got lost on the mountain. Boohoo! ¡°Mommy, you said you would pick us up! Why didn¡¯t you pick us up for so many days? ¡°Irvin and I thought Mommy didn¡¯t want us anymore!¡± The two little guys cried very sadly. They had not seen their mommy for so many days. Now that they finally saw her, they could not help but cry. ¡°How could Mommy not want you? It¡¯s all my fault. I will never let you two be separated again!¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± The three of them hugged each other and cried! Bruce stood at the side and watched. His heart ached! He subconsciously hugged Joanna and the two children. He made up his mind that no matter what, he would give the children aplete home. ¡°Alright, alright, stop crying!¡± ¡°Be careful in the future. Don¡¯t let the children run out again. It¡¯s so dangerous!¡± Zack reminded her. Joanna bowed deeply to Zack and thanked him repeatedly. ¡°Thank you for saving my children!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. You have to be more careful as a parent.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Joanna and Bruce each carried a child and prepared to leave. The little gir also woke up and looked at Davian and Irvin with sleepy eyes. ¡°Davian, Irvin, are you leaving?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re going home!¡± ¡°Will you stille over to y in the future?¡± ¡°We will. We¡¯lle and y with you when we have time.¡± ¡°Bye, Helen!¡± 10:33 Tue, 4 Jul T ¡°Bye, Davian and Irvin,¡± After bidding farewell, Joanna and Bruce left with the children. An hourter. 94% When the bodyguards arrived, Joanna and Bruce also returned to the mountain path. In the car, Joanna¡¯s expression was a little cold. ¡°Bruce, I want to take the children home!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Joanna, let¡¯s take the children back to the old residence first¡­¡± Joanna refused decisively. ¡°No need to say any more. No matter what, I won¡¯t let the children stay in the Everett family!¡± ¡°Joanna, I already said that this was an ident! ¡°If you¡¯re worried, move in with the children!¡± Bruce tried to convince her. He subconsciously tightened his grip on Joanna¡¯s hand. ¡°For the sake of the children, we should give them aplete family!¡± Joanna pulled her hand back stiffly. ¡°Bruce, we¡¯re already divorced! Please don¡¯t say such things again!¡± When Bruce heard this, he choked in anger. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m the children¡¯s father. I have the right to take back the children¡¯s custody!¡± ¡°Bruce, the children have always lived with me. I¡¯m the guardian of the children! ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t let anyone take my children away!¡± Bruce exhaled. ¡°Joanna, even if you want to take the children away, at least wait for Grandma toe Content held by N?velDrama.Org. back! ¡°Grandma will be very disappointed if she doesn¡¯t see the children after she returns from Melta!¡± Joanna looked straight into Bruce¡¯s eyes coldly. ¡°If my children stay in the Everett family, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never see my children again!¡± Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep breath! ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this damn woman understand what I¡¯m trying to say?¡± he thought. He was already considering remarrying. However, he, who had always cared about his reputation, wanted her to lower her status a little. Why couldn¡¯t she understand what he was thinking? ¡°Joanna, why are you so stubborn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stubborn. I just want to protect my children!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and said hatefully, ¡°I really can¡¯tmunicate with you!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. No matter what, I won¡¯t let you take my children away again!¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 After this incident, Joanna was already filled with lingering fear. She med herself and her heart ached! If she hadn¡¯t easily agreed to Margaret taking her children away, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. She would learn from her mistakes. No matter how hard it was, she would never be separated from the children again. Especially since Margaret actually wanted to change the children¡¯s names, This was even more uneptable to her. ¡°Take us home!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°No, the children have to stay in the Everett family for the time being!¡°, ¡°Kody, return to the Everett mansion and send the children back to the Everett family. Inform the people irr charge of taking care of the children that if they don¡¯t take good care of them, their annual bonus will be deducted! ¡°If something simr happens again, all of them will be fired!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Kody responded and started the car, driving towards the Everett mansion. When Joanna heard this, she was even angrier. ¡°Bruce, how could you do this? ¡°Stop the car! We¡¯re getting out!¡± ¡°Joanna, stop messing around!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re the one making a scene, okay? They are my children. You have no right to detain my children.¡± When Bruce heard this, his handsome face darkened and he smiled coldly. ¡°Your children? Well, can you give birth to them without me?¡± Joanna was so angry that she choked. She did not want to argue with him. ¡°Stop the car now. We want to get out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± ¡°Bruce, what do you want?¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve already said that when Grandmaes back from Melta, I¡¯ll persuade Grandma! If you take the child away now, Grandma will be sad if she finds out.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that he panted heavily. He and Margaret were so tyrannical and overbearing. They never cared about the feelings of others. If it weren¡¯t for Lilia¡¯s illness, she really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Bruce anymore! When Davian heard that they were going back to the Everett family, he immediately hid in Joanna¡¯s arms. ¡°Mommy, we want to go home. We don¡¯t want to go to the Everett family!¡± Irvin also looked aggrieved. ¡°That¡¯s right. That house is really too big. It¡¯s so scary!¡± ¡°We want to go back to our home!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°This is your home. You¡¯re my son. You should be proud.¡± Davian¡¯s little face turned into a tiger as he roared at Bruce, ¡°You¡¯re not our daddy, we don¡¯t want to go back with you!¡± ¡°Our daddy isn¡¯t as bad as you. He won¡¯t bully Mommy!¡± 10 33 When Bruce heard this, he was even angrier. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you onest time. I¡¯m your daddy, your father! ¡°If you dare to say such nonsense again, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± His voice was shrill and his expression was a little cold. ¡°Mommy!¡± The two children were frightened and snuggled tightly in Joanna¡¯s arms. Joanna red at him angrily. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t scare the children!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and retorted, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t make me angry either!¡± ¡°You know how I am. Why do you have to make me angry?¡± When Joanna heard this, she gulped and was so angry that her face turned pale. Right now, she really couldn¡¯t win against him! Facing Bruce¡¯s domineering and tyrannical attitude, other thanpromising, she was really helpless. The car drove all the way to the Everett mansion! After passing three gates, they stopped at the garage. Bruce was the first to get out of the car. He said coldly, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s not stay here!¡± Joanna was unwilling to get out of the car. ¡°Bruce, do you have to do this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two choices. Either the children stay, or you and the children stay!¡± ¡°What difference does it make?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference? You can choose to stay or leave,¡± Bruce said coldly. He knew that as long as the children stayed, Joanna would not be able to leave. ¡°Lilia is still in the hospital. There¡¯s has to be someone there to take care of her!¡± ¡°So, leave the two children behind and go to the hospital to take care of Lilia!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that her heart ached. Her eyes were filled with anger as she red fiercely at Bruce! Bruce smiled yfully and returned her gaze calmly. He had control over anything that he wanted to do. After a while. Joanna¡¯s eyes turned and he discussed with the two little guys gently, ¡°Davian, Irvin, you guys stay here for a few days first¡­¡± Davian interrupted Joanna and looked at her with tears in his eyes. ¡°Mommy, we don¡¯t want to stay here. We want to be with you!¡± Irvin also cried and hugged Joanna¡¯s neck. ¡°Mommy, we want to go home. We want to go to kindergarten!¡± Joanna wiped the tears off the two little guys¡® faces. ¡°Listen to me. Your sister is still in the hospital. Mommy has to take care of her! ¡°When she gets better, Mommy wille and pick you up!¡± 10:33 Tue, 4 Jul When Joanna said this, she did not feel confident at all! Looking at the current situation, the Everett family was probably determined to obtain the custody of the children! However, she could not take them away now. Especially when Lilia hadn¡¯t fully recovered from her illness yet. He still needed to undergo two bone marrow transnts. She could not fall out with Bruce at this crucial moment. ¡°No, Mommy, please take us away!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to the hospital to see Lilia!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen her for so many days. We¡¯re also very worried about her!¡± ¡°Achoo, achoo!¡± Irvin said and couldn¡¯t help but sneeze twice. The two little guys had a fever and their bodies were burning hot. Joanna touched his son¡¯s forehead and her tone softened. ¡°Bruce, Davian, and Irvin are sick. They have to go to the hospital! ¡°Also, let them keep Liliapany! Lilia¡¯s illness is quite serious. She misses her brothers too!¡± When Bruce heard this, he pondered for three seconds and replied without thinking, ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce changed the topic. ¡°However, they have to stay here tonight!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the hospital tomorrow morning!¡± Joanna could not help but frown again. He looked at Bruce helplessly. ¡°Bruce, Davian and Irvin have caught a fever!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get the family doctor toe and take a look at themter!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was powerless to refute. ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle and pick them up tomorrow morning!¡± As he spoke, Joanna prepared to get out of the car. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go! Can you stay here with us?¡± The two children hugged Joanna¡¯s arms tightly. ¡°Lilia needs Mommy more in the hospital!¡± Bruce¡¯s tone softened. ¡°There will be someone to take care of Lilia! You¡¯ve been out all day. You can rest here for the day!¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯lle over tomorrow morning to pick up Davian and Irvin!¡± She did not dare to stay! The result of staying behind would only allow Bruce to take the opportunity to bully her. Seeing that she was determined to leave, Bruce couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Joanna, aren¡¯t you going to stay and apany your son?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll sleep next door!¡± ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go!¡± Irvin cried and begged Joanna, ¡°Mommy, just stay with us for a day! ¡°We know that Lilia needs Mommy more. We only want Mommy for a day, okay?¡± 10:33 Tue, 4 July TE. Hearing this, Joanna looked at the two little guys helplessly. Bruce added. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lift to the hospital tomorrow morning!¡± Joanna listened and turned to look at Bruce, trying to see the conspiracy in his eyes! 1 Bruce smiled yfully at her. He knew what she was worried about. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I want to touch you, even if I¡¯m not in the Everett family, you won¡¯t be able to escape from me!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even angrier. If not for the huge disparity in strength, she really wanted to p Bruce so hard that he would forget who he was. ¡°Alright then. Mommy will stay behind to apany you tonight!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Get out of the car!¡± Joanna had no choice but to get out of the car. Davian and Irvin also got out of the car! With their mommy¡¯spany, they dispelled the fear in their hearts. When the servants saw that the children had been found, they cried in joy.. ¡°Wee home, Mr. Everett. Wee home, Davian and Irvin. Wee home, Mrs. Everett!¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale. She was not used to such a scene, even though the servants also called her Mrs. Everett in the past. However, she had already divorced Bruce. It was not appropriate to call her Mrs. Everett anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll take Davian and Irvin to take a shower first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, let the servants go¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s better for me to go personally!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna in disbelief. ¡°They¡¯re boys. They¡¯re already four years old. It¡¯s not appropriate All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. for you to bathe them!¡± Joanna choked and did not know how to refute him. 10:33 Tue, Chapter 171 Chapter 171 hapter 171 ¡°They¡¯re just kids¡­¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows. His tone was sour and sharp. ¡°They¡¯re already four years old. How can you see them as kids still? The son and mother should be parted once the son gets old enough. Don¡¯t you know suchmon sense?¡± Joanna was so angry that she almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She rolled her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re only four years old. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°They¡¯re already four years old. They¡¯re already old enough! Kids nowadays mature very early!¡± Bruce just didn¡¯t want the children to be too dependent on Joanna. These two little fellows were actually not close to him at all. As their father, he was very unhappy. He felt that all Joanna cared about were the children and didn¡¯t care about him at all. ¡°Alright, alright. I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with you!¡± Bruce snorted and turned to look at the servant. ¡°Lilian, take the children to take a shower!¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Lilian. She quickly brought the two maids forward and said fawningly, ¡°Davian, Irvin, let¡¯s go take a shower!¡± Lilian was a top nutritionist and a professional nurse. She was also the team leader in charge of the Everett family¡¯s maids. Lilian was basically in charge of taking care of the two little children¡¯s food and daily needs for the past two weeks. ¡°Mommy, we want to bathe with you!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned fierce. ¡°Hurry up and go. You¡¯re all big children. How can you shower with your mother?¡± Joanna squatted down and looked at the two little guys gently. ¡°Go with Lilian.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The two little guys nced at Bruce¡¯s sullen face and did not dare to say anymore. They could only follow Lilian. Joanna suddenly stood up and red at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°Bruce, can you not be so fierce to the children?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Am I very fierce?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Bruce furrowed his brows again. He was very gentle to his daughter and was very careful everywhere. He looked like a loving father! He really did not have much patience for the two brats. No wonder the little fellows were unwilling to get close to him! ¡°We¡¯re all boys. There¡¯s no need to speak gently.¡± ¡°Even if they¡¯re boys, they¡¯re still children! ¡°They¡¯ll be scared if you yell at them like that.¡± Bruce was 6.2 feet tall and had muscles all over his body. He exuded a murderous aura and dignity. When he wasn¡¯t smiling, he was indeed very scary. The air pressure around him was already cold to begin with, and when he frowned, he looked even more terrifying than the Grim Reaper. 10:33 Tue, 4 Jul However, he didn¡¯t think so. He was just a little jealous. Joanna was exhausted and didn¡¯t want to argue with Bruce anymore. Instead, she sat on the sofa quietly and rested her head on her hand. Bruce rubbed his nose resentfully and sat opposite her. 10 minutester. Joanna still didn¡¯t say a word. The atmosphere was awkward. If it were anyone else facing Bruce like this, the atmosphere would definitely not be so cold. He was also used to others racking their brains to liven up the atmosphere and try their best to please him. Only Joanna would ignore him like this.. Another five minutes passed. Bruce finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Why are you just sitting there? Aren¡¯t you going to take a shower?¡± Joanna did not even raise her head as she replied coldly, ¡°No need.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been running for two days and you¡¯re sweating so much. If you don¡¯t take a shower, who are you trying to stink to death?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and looked at Bruce coldly. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Why are you looking at me? You still have to go to the hospital tomorrow to take care of Lilia. Aren¡¯t you afraid of spreading germs to Lilia?¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes drooped, and there was finally a trace of life in her eyes. She was really exhausted these two days. She should really have a shower. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna stood up. She had never stayed in Room the Everett mansion and did not know which room was suitable for her to take a shower in. ¡°Where¡¯s the guest room?¡± Bruce pouted his lips. ¡°Follow me!¡± Five minutester. Bruce brought her to the room he used to live in. Although he rarely stayed here now, the servants still cleaned and tidied his room every day. Therefore, the roof was very clean and spacious. ¡°Is this a guest room?¡± ¡°Why do you care? Hurry up and take a shower!¡± Joanna pursed her lips and entered the room reluctantly. ¡°You can leave now!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and smiled bitterly before walking out. 10:33 Tue, 4 July Joanna immediately locked the door. After confirming that it couldn¡¯t be opened from the outside, she entered the bathroom in peace The washroom was very spacious! There was a Jacuzzi and various toiletries. Joanna turned on the thermostat switch, filled the bathtub with water, and added bubble powder. Then, she took off her clothes andy in the bathtub. The warm water was veryfortable. Joannay in the bubble bath and her fatigue was greatly reduced. After soaking for a few minutes, Joannay on the edge of the bathtub and fell asleep. ¡°Click!¡± The bathroom door was pushed open. Bruce just walked in like that. N Joanna was shocked. She quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. She looked at Bruce in horror. ¡°Why did youe in?¡± She remembered that the door was locked just now! Seeing her nervous reaction, Bruce snorted. ¡°I came in to give you clothes!¡± As he spoke, Bruce threw a silk sleeping robe on the clothes rack in the bathtub! Joanna took a deep breath. She was angry and anxious. ¡°Can¡¯t you ask a female to bring the clothes? ¡°I just locked the door. How did you get in?¡± When Bruce heard this, he smiled disapprovingly, ¡°I¡¯m your ex¨Chusband after all. Is there anything about you that I haven¡¯t seen before?¡± Joanna choked in anger and red at him fiercely. ¡°Bruce, get out right now!¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s there to hide? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it before!¡± Joanna was so angry that her cheeks burned. She was going crazy. Bruce immediately took off his shirt and began to unbuckle his belt! ¡°What are you doing?¡± Joanna was extremely frightened and quickly wrapped the towel tighter. ¡°This is my room. I¡¯m here to have a shower of course.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that her eyes turned red and her entire body trembled. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Bruce, you said that you wouldn¡¯t touch me. If you do this, I¡¯ll leave with the children now!¡± Seeing her reaction was so intense! Bruce stopped taking off his clothes. ¡°Alright, alright, alright, I¡¯ll leave, I¡¯ll leave!¡± As he spoke, Bruce left the washroom resentfully. Click! He closed the door again! Joanna was so scared that his heart was pounding. This bastard definitely had the key to the room! 10 33 Tue, 4 Fortunately, he did not force himself on her! However, Joanna did not dare to take a bath anymore. She was even more afraid that Bruce would barge in again! Joanna quickly got out of the bathtub, rinsed off the foam on her body with the water from the shower, and hastily changed into her clothes! Only after a while did her nervous and frightened emotions calm down a little. Meanwhile, in the living room. The servants had already prepared a sumptuous supper. Although Bruce did not have the habit of eating supper, the children and Joanna did not eat much the entire day. He still instructed the servants to prepare a sumptuous supper. Bruce and the children were already waiting at the dining table. ¡°Mommy, why are you so slow!¡± ¡°Urgh¡­ Mommy was a little tired just now!¡± Joanna subconsciously nced at Bruce. There was a yful smile on his lips, pretending to be nonchnt. It was as if the matter of him barging into the washroom was not worth mentioning. ¡°Have some supper!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite!¡± Joanna sat down at the dining table, feeling a little uneasy. Bruce put a mouthful of porridge into his mouth. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything all day. If you don¡¯t eat something, how can your body take it?¡± There were caviar sandwiches on the dining table, fried noodles with silver teeth, Yaozhu porridge, and so on.. The two little fellows ate happily. Although they had been frightened for the past two days, it did not affect their appetite at all! Meanwhile, Joanna had no appetite at all. He sat there in a daze and watched the children eat. Especially after being frightened by Bruce just now, she could not eat! Now, she really wanted to leave with the children. How would she dare to stay the night? Who knew if he would barge into her room again in the middle of the night? Davian handed a tuna sandwich to Joanna. ¡°Mommy, this is delicious! Have some!¡± ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t want to eat. You can eat!¡± ¡°Have a bite!¡± Davian insisted on bringing the sandwich to her lips. Joanna did not want Davian to be disappointed, so she took a bite weakly. Seeing this, Irvin personally poured a ss of milk for Joanna. ¡°Mommy, have a ss of milk!¡± Joanna smiled and silently took the cup. She put it to her lips and took a few sips. She really couldn¡¯t eat anything. She would just drink a ss of milk to replenish her nutrition! Chapter 172 Chapter 172 It was already one o¡¯clock in the morning when they finished supper. After the children finished eating, they were so sleepy that they could not open their eyes and kept rubbing them. ¡°So sleepy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already one o¡¯clock. Go to bed. We still have to go to the hospital tomorrow.¡± Joanna stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with the children!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all grown up now. How can they sleep with their mother?¡± ¡°Bruce, can¡¯t you stop being so domineering? They¡¯re only four years old and need their mother¡¯s ¡°Ah, alright, alright! Do as you please!¡± Bruce did not want to argue with Joanna anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our room!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little guys led the way, but Joanna followed behind them to the children¡¯s room! After entering the room, although this was a children¡¯s room, it was very spa cious and the bed was big enough! In order to prevent Bruce froming in again, Joanna locked the door from the inside. Then, she used a chair to block the door and hung a ss on it. If he came in, he would definitely make a sound and she would know immediately. Davian and Irvin had already changed into their pajamas! The bed was huge. The bed was 2m x 2m and had no problem sleeping three people. Davian jumped onto the bed and hugged Joanna¡¯s arm. ¡°I want to sleep next to Mommy!¡± Irvin hugged Joanna¡¯s other arm. ¡°I want to sleep next to Mommy too!¡± ¡°Go to sleep! You have to wake up early tomorrow! If you sleep toote, you won¡¯t be able to get up tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little guys responded obediently by closed their eyes! Joanna slept in the middle. Davian and Irvin slept on her left and right! The two little guys were already sleepy. After lying down for less than ten minutes, they fell asleep! It was probably because she was too tired, Joanna actually fell asleep not long after lying down as well. Half an hourter! Click! The small door of the room opened gently. Bruce opened the small door on the balcony and walked in! There was a tablemp in the room, the light was very weak. 10 34 Chapte? 172 However, he could still see everything in the room. Joanna slept in the middle, and the children slept on both sides. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph, you guys are quite intimate!¡± Bruce could not help but m¨¹tter. Although it was his child, he still felt a little jealous! How could his woman sleep with other ¡°men¡±? He would still not allow it even if the ¡°men¡± were his sons Bruce walked over and bent down to take a look! The three of them were in a deep slumber. It seemed that even if Bruce carried the two little guys away, they would not have any reactions at all. Bruce gently picked up Davian and carried him to another bed! Then, he carried Irvin away. After the two little fellows were dealt with.. Bruce crept up to the bed andy down beside Joanna. Seeing that she did not react, he stretched out his arm and gently wrapped it around Joanna¡¯s waist. Joanna had not slept for two days! Now that she was asleep, he was really in a deep slumber. There was no reaction at all. She did not notice that Bruce had climbed onto the bed. Smelling the fragrance on her body and looking at her sleeping soundly, Bruce¡¯s heart faintly moved, and an uncontroble impulse fermented in his heart. However, he did not have the heart to ruin this tranquility, nor did he want to wake her up. It felt very good to hug her to sleep. At six in the morning Joanna was in a daze. She turned over and wanted to hug Davian. But suddenly, she was hugging a huge object. The touch felt a little ufortable. It was impossible for Davian to be so big. Joanna was shocked and suddenly opened her eyes. What entered heright was Bruce¡¯s handsome face! At that moment, he was also sleeping soundly like a statue! ¡°Why did youe in again?¡± Joanna sat up straight in horror! She remembered locking the door before she went to bed. She had even used a stool to block the door and hung a ss on the handle. She really couldn¡¯t figure out how he got in. Joanna moved slightly, and Bruce was also awakened! 10:34 Tue. ¡°Is it morning?¡± 4 Joanna tried his best to control her panicked expression. ¡°Bruce, how did you get in?¡± ¡°Through the wall!¡± Bruce rubbed his eyes and smiled yfully. He strengthened his arm strength! Joanna hurriedly looked at the side of the bed. The children were already gone! There was only her and Bruce on the bed! ¡°What about Davian and Irvin?¡± Bruce held her in his arms forcefully and repliedzily. ¡°They¡¯re on the other bed!¡± Joanna was so angry that she choked. She hurriedly wanted to lift the nket and get out of bed! However, before she could get out of bed, Bruce¡¯s arm exerted strength and trapped her tightly in his arms!.. ¡°It¡¯s not even dawn yet. Where are you going?¡± Joanna pushed Bruce angrily. ¡°Lun atic, let go of me!¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet, don¡¯t disturb the children!¡± Joanna instantly lost his sleepiness. He lowered his voice and criticized, ¡°Bruce, you said you wouldn¡¯t touch me. You can¡¯t go back on your word like this. Bruce snorted. ¡°Did I touch you?¡° ¡°Aren¡¯t you touching me if you hug me like this?¡± When Bruce heard this, he smiled teasingly. ¡°If this is considered touching you, then I don¡¯t have to try to hold myself anymore!¡± As Bruce spoke, he flipped over¡­. Joanna was trembling in fear. Her eyes widened in horror. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing?¡± Bruce smiled evilly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it. Since it¡¯s considered touching you, I might as well really touch you!¡± Joanna choked and tried to push him away. ¡°Get up quickly. The children are still there!¡± ¡°So, keep your voice down. Don¡¯t disturb the children. It¡¯s not good if the children sees it!¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Bruce¡¯s breathing quickened. He hadn¡¯t touched her in a long time. ¡°Get up, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t do this!¡± Bruce lowered his head and kissed her lips. ¡°Are you really going to reject me?¡± Joanna turned her head to the side and avoided his kiss. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Get up¡­¡± ¡°If you scold me again, I won¡¯t be so polite anymore!¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t do this!¡± Joanna said in a weak voice as tears flowed uncontrobly! She was really afraid of the state that Bruce was in at the moment. 10:34 This vile ba s ta rd never had any restraint when it came to such matters! Especially since the children were sleeping in front of him! If he identally made a sound, it would wake the children up! She really did not know how to face the children, and she did not want to leave such a bad impression on them! Seeing that she was so frightened, Bruce smiled suggestively. ¡°Why are you afraid of me? We were husband and wife in the past.¡± ¡°Bruce, can you get up first?¡± ¡°Are you afraid of waking the children up?¡± Bruce¡¯s hands were already restlessly untying the strap of her pajamas! If he wanted her, there was nothing she could do. Joanna sucked in a breath of cold air, as if he was prey that had been pressed under the ws of a ferocious beast. She knew that the more she rejected him, the more arrogant Bruce would be! The more she refused to give it to him, the more he wanted to use brute force! ¡°I¡¯m not interested or in the mood right now!¡± ¡°Can you bear with it for two days? After Lilia gets better, we¡¯ll¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s face was burning as he stammered! Fighting him head-on was like throwing an egg against a rock! She could only use softness to counter hardness. Perhaps there was still a way out. When Bruce heard that, he let go of her and kissed her forehead. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°If you asked nicely from the start, I wouldn¡¯t have treated you like this!¡± ¡°Hug me!¡± Joanna forced a forced fake smile. ¡°It¡¯s dawn. It¡¯s time to get up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only six o¡¯clock. Sleep for another two hours!¡± Joanna did not dare to struggle anymore and obediently let him hug her! At that moment, he was like a wild beast that could attack at any time! Her resistance would only cause her to go even crazier! ¡°Hug me!¡± Bruce ordered. Joanna did not dare to refuse. She could only reach out and gently wrap her arms around his waist! ¡°Tighter!¡± Joanna had no choice but to tighten her grip!! ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± In the next hour, the two of them were not in the mood to sleep! Joanna was so nervous that her heart was pounding! Bruce felt even worse. His lower abdomen felt like it was about to explode. TU:34 Tue, 4 JUI 4 3 In this hour, he almost couldn¡¯t control himself! However, since he had promised not to touch her, he would not go back on his word, nor did he want her to hate him! ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°The children are awake.¡± Like a savior, Joanna quickly broke free from Bruce¡¯s embrace! ¡°Davian, Irvin, you¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Hurry up and get up. We¡¯re going to the hospital to see your sister!¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It¡¯s only seven o¡¯clock¡± Joanna insisted on getting out of bed ¡°It¡¯s not early anymore. It¡¯s already seven o¡¯clock: Pack up. It Il be past eight o¡¯clock when we reach the hospital When Bruce heard this, he could not say anything else. Davian yawned and mumbled in confusion, ¡°Huh? Why are we sleeping on this bed?¡± Irvin stretched and got up. ¡°That¡¯s right. We clearly slept with Mommy yesterday!¡± ¡°Why are we on this bed now? Mommy, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Urgh¡­ Get up and change your clothes!¡± Joanna could not exin anything. She quickly carried the two little guys up to change and wash up Irvin nced at Bruce and asked quietly, ¡°Mommy, why is he here? Last night, you guys¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s face burned as she pinched Irvin¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nosy at such a young age!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Joanna brought the two little guys to the washroom to freshen up. Bruce also returned to his room to change. 20 minutester. After the family washed up, they had breakfast. Bruce drove the three of them to the hospital. In the hospital ward. The two little guys got out of the car and ran happily towards the ward. ¡°Lilia, we¡¯re here to see you!¡± Liliay on the hospital bed. Her grape¨Clike big eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, Davian, Irvin, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Yes, Lilia. Look, we brought you flowers!¡± Davian and Irvin handed a bouquet of sunflowers to Lilia. ¡°Thank you, Davian and Irvin!¡± Lilia took the flowers and smiled happily! ¡°Feeling better today?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Davian looked worried as he blinked at his sister. ¡°Lilia, are you feeling unwell? Does your body still hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, where have you been these past few days?¡± Irvin was a cunning person. ¡°We went to Daddy¡¯s house. Wow, Lilia, do you know? Daddy¡¯s house is like a castle. Chapte? 173 ¡°It¡¯s really big, and there are a lot of toys¡± When Lilia heard this, she looked envious ¡°Is Daddy¡¯s house fun?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fun and not fun at the same time!¡± Irvin¡¯s face was filled with worry. ¡°Although Daddy¡¯s house has many toys, there are no children, no mommy, and no Lilia!¡± Lilia¡¯s big blinking eyes looked at Bruce innocently. ¡°Daddy, when I recover, can I go to your house to y too?¡± When Bruce heard this, he was speechless ¡°Silly, Daddy¡¯s home is your home. Daddy wees you home anytime!¡± Joanna was even more speechless when she heard that The children were still young and did not understand some things. Lilia turned to look at Joanna and said in a childish voice, ¡°Mommy, when I recover, let¡¯s go to Daddy¡¯s house to y, okay?¡± Joanna pursed her lips, not knowing how to answer this question. ¡°Be good. We¡¯ll talk about it after you¡¯ve recovered.¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy, Lilia loves you.¡± Lilia reached out her small hand and held Bruce¡¯s hand with one hand and Joanna¡¯s hand with the other. Then, she put their hands together and revealed her white teeth. She smiled sweetly. ¡°I feel so happy to have Daddy, Mommy, Davian and Irvin!¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy, can you not split up again?¡± Lilia blinked and looked at the two of them pitifully. Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. She felt as if her heart had been pricked by a needle. She subconsciously wanted to pull her hand out. When Bruce heard his daughter¡¯s words, his heart melted like cotton candy. Then, he grabbed Joanna¡¯s hand and held his daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°Lilia is right. Daddy and Mommy will never be separated again!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lilia¡¯s big eyes widened as she looked at Bruce happily. Bruce kissed his daughter¡¯s little face and whispered into her ear, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, as long as Mommy is willing!¡± After saying that, he raised his eyebrows at his daughter and nced at Joanna, indicating for his daughter to be the peacemaker. Lilia understood and nodded at Bruce. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daddy¡± ¡°Mommy, just promise me, okay? Don¡¯t be separated from Daddy again, okay?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and exined patiently to her daughter, ¡°Baby, even if Daddy and Mommy are not together, we will still love you!¡± It was impossible for her and Bruce to get back together. It hurt too much to love him. She would never forget the pain he had once caused her. It had taken her a long time to climb out of the mire of love. She didn¡¯t want to love him anymore. When Lilia heard this, she looked disappointed. She pulled Joanna¡¯s sleeve and said cutely, ¡°Mommy, Daddy is so good. He¡¯s handsome and gentle. Why did you leave Daddy? ¡°A good man like Daddy is the best daddy in the world. It¡¯s not easy to such a good man!¡± 10 34 Tue, 4 July When Bruce heard this, his usually cold face was filled with smiles. Its had heard too many ttering words and was already immune to tham However, after hearing his daughter¡¯s words, his heart was about to fly away. ¡°Look, your daughter is still the most sensible. She has better taste than you!¡± When Joanna heard this, her face darkened. It was said that daughters would be closer to their fathers. It seemed that this was indeed the case. Her daughter had only been with Bruce for a few days, but she had already ¡°betrayed¡± her so easily. When Davian heard his sister¡¯s words, his face darkened and he immediately retorted, ¡°Lilia, Mommy is the best woman in the worldi¡± ¡°This big baddie is fierce and annoying. He¡¯s not worthy of Mommy! I don¡¯t want this big baddie to be our daddy. He¡¯s not worthy!¡± ¡°Puff¡± When Bruce heard this, he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. The smile on his face immediately drooped as he frowned and looked at Davian. ¡°This brat!¡± He really wanted to give this brat a knock on the head. Irvin hurriedly added, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Grimm is the best man in the world. I¡¯d rather he be our daddy.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was so angry that his blood pressure soared. He wanted to pinch these two brats to death. Both father and son were enemies from their previous lives. It seemed that these two brats had reallye to seek revenge in their lives. Seeing Bruce¡¯s dark expression, Joanna quickly stopped what was going on. ¡°You¡¯re so young. You¡¯re not allowed to discuss adult matters! ¡°Mommy will be angry if anyone spouts nonsense again!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing this, Davian and Irvin obediently lowered their heads. Coincidentally, the doctor and nurse walked in. The doctor went forward to take a look and said with a smile, ¡°The patient is recovering well. We can arrange for the next surgery!¡± ¡°Thank you, Doctor!¡± ¡°Will she recover soon?¡± ¡°If nothing goes wrong, Lilia will recover.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great. Lilia¡¯s illness is finally going to recover.¡± The two little guys jumped up excitedly and jumped around Lilia¡¯s bed. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce nced at the two brats. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve already seen your sister. It¡¯s time to go back!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°They¡¯ve only been here for a while. Let them y with Lilia for a while longer!¡± Bruce replied with a sullen expression, ¡°Lilia is so weak now. You can¡¯t overwork her! 10:34 Tue, 4 July T. ¡°They¡¯re jumping around here. It¡¯ll affect Lilia¡¯s rest!¡± ¡°They¡¯re just happy for their sister. They¡¯re usually very obedient and care about their sister!¡± ¡°No, send them back right now!¡± He did not want to see these two brats at all! Listening to the words of these two brats, he really wanted to beat them up! ¡°Daddy, can¡¯t you going to let Davian and Irvin stay with me?¡± Lilia looked at Bruce eagerly. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s heart softened and he nodded in agreement! ¡°Thank you, Daddy. Daddy is so nice!¡± Lilia smiled sweetly at Bruce! Bruce¡¯s heart was about to melt! Joanna was also stunned. She had said so many things to Bruce, but he did not listen! He actually obeyed his daughter¡¯s words obediently! It was really magical. No wonder people said that the daughter was Daddy¡¯s lover in her previous life! ¡°Lilia, when you recover, we can go to kindergarten together!¡± ¡°There are many children in the kindergarten. You can y many games every day!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°I also want to get better as soon as possible and go to kindergarten with you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine.¡± The three little fellows began to chatter and y again. ¡°Bruce, they haven¡¯t been to school for a long time! ¡°This won¡¯t do. Why don¡¯t we let them go back to kindergarten?¡± ¡°If they want to go to kindergarten, they can go to one in Greyport. Why do you want to go as far as Venturas?¡± 94% 34 Tue, 4 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with going to a kindergarten in Venturas¡­ Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. He then said impatiently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the kindergarten. I¡¯ll arrange it!¡± ¡°But Venturas¡­¡± 3 ¡°You can just drop out of school there. You¡¯re only in kindergarten now. You can just go to one in Greyport!¡± Greyport was much bigger than Venturas! There were also several noble kindergartens! When Joanna heard this, she could not help but frown! It seemed that Bruce really nned to interfere in the children¡¯s matters. However, the situation was so serious now. She could only endure it! ¡°Alright, send the children back now!¡± ¡°Lilia, Mommy! We don¡¯t want to go back¡­¡± Davian and Irvin hid behind Joanna. They really did not want to be separated from their mommy anymore. ¡°Bruce, why don¡¯t we let them stay here!¡± ¡°This is a hospital. It¡¯s not convenient for them to stay here! ¡°Hurry up and go back.¡± Helpless, Joanna could only squat down and coax the two little guys. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. Mommy will definitely pick you up another day.¡± ¡°When is that?¡± ¡°Mommy will definitely pick you up on the day Lilia¡¯s discharged.¡± ¡°You also know that Mommy has to take care of your sister now and can¡¯t take care of the two of you. Be good and listen to Mommy, okay?¡± The two little guys pouted and said aggrievedly, ¡°Alright then! ¡°Then we¡¯lle and see you another day!¡± Lilia also looked at her brother reluctantly. ¡°Okay, goodbye, Davian and Irvin!¡± ¡°Kody, send the children back!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡°/ ¡°Davian, Irvin, let¡¯s head back!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mommy Goodbye, Lilia!¡± ¡°Goodbye, baby!¡± Joanna squatted down and kissed Davian and Irvin on the cheeks! The two little guys walked away, looking back countless number of times. ¡°The patient is recovering very well. We can carry out the second surgery tomorrow!¡± 10 34 Tue, 4 Jul ¡°Sorry to trouble you, doctor!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. This is what our job.¡± The next day. After everything was ready, the second surgery began. When Bruce was about to be pushed into the operating theater, Joanna looked at him gratefully. ¡°Bruce, thank you!¡± ¡°Lilia is my daughter. Even if you don¡¯t beg me, I will still save her!¡± The second surgery was over very quickly. B After the doctor left the ward, his face was filled with joy. ¡°The surgery was very sessful. The probability of the patient recovering is very high!¡± ¡°Thank God, that¡¯s great!¡± Joanna could not help but cry tears of joy! As long as her daughter could recover, as long as her daughter¡¯s life could be preserved, she was really willing to give up everything Bruce was pushed back to the ward. Andy rushed in to report, ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret will be back today!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Help me up and pick Grandma up.¡± Before Bruce could get up, the door of the ward had already opened. Margaret was sitting in a wheelchair. The butler pushed the wheelchair in, ¡°Grandma, why are you here?¡± After Margaret returned from Melta, she didn¡¯t even bother to go home and directly came to the hospital to visit her grandson. Seeing that her grandson had still donated his bone marrow, Margaret could not help but sigh. ¡°Bruce, why are you so disobedient?¡± ¡°Grandma, this is my daughter. No matter what, I can¡¯t sit back and do nothing!¡± ¡°Sigh, alright, alright. Since the surgery was sessful, it¡¯s a good thing. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the matter of getting you to find a Geomancer to change the children¡¯s name?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression froze. He frowned and persuaded, ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s wait until Lilia recovers!¡± ¡°These two things have nothing to do with each other. The renaming won¡¯t affect her recovery!¡± The butler replied with a serious expression, ¡°Mrs. Margaret, the children¡¯s names has been drafted!¡± ¡°Charlie Everett and Luke Everett!¡± ¡°The Geomancer said that these two names are most suitable for the children.¡± ¡°Hmmm, very good!¡± Margaret nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s talk about thister! Joanna doesn¡¯t agree now. If Grandma insists on doing this, she will be sad!¡± Margaret¡¯s face darkened. ¡°This is our Everett family¡¯s children. Of course, he has to take our Everett family¡¯s surname! ¡°If she can¡¯t go through with it, she¡¯ll have to get awyer!¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± Margaret coughed weakly. Seeing this, Bruce could not say anything else! Margaret¡¯s body was so weak. Bruce really could not bear to go against his grandmother¡¯s wishes! Soon, news of the children changing their names reached Joanna¡¯s ears. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Bruce, you said that you would persuade Grandma to change her mind!¡± Bruce sighed. ¡°Joanna, I hope you can look at the big picture! ¡°Grandma¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. She wants the children to acknowledge their ancestors and return to the family! Just fulfill her wish!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was very angry. ¡°Bruce, how can you go back on your word? ¡°I was kind enough to let the children apany her. How can you snatch my children away like this!¡± Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Joanna, no one wants to snatch your children away. You¡¯re still the children¡¯s mother! ¡°They¡¯re my children! ¡°My children naturally have to take my surname! There¡¯s nothing wrong with changing their names now!¡± Joanna refused sternly, ¡°No, absolutely not!¡± ¡°They¡¯re my children. None of you can take my children away!¡± Bruce was so angry that he choked. He gritted his teeth and roared, ¡°Joanna, why are you so stubborn? ¡°Do you know how many women want to give birth to my child? ¡°it¡¯s their fortune for the children to acknowledge their ancestors!¡± Joanna was also furious. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what others think! ¡°But I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never cared about your Everett family!¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked at Joanna angrily. ¡°Joanna, I don¡¯t want to argue with you. You have to agree to this matter even if you don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°No, I want to take my children away! ¡°I¡¯m the children¡¯s guardian. You have no right to do this!¡± As she spoke, Joanna stood up and was about to look for Margaret. ¡°Joanna, stop right there! ¡°Grandma¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. She can¡¯t be agitated! ¡°Let me talk to Grandma!¡± Bruce knew Joanna¡¯s temper. He had no choice but to continue persuading Margaret. 10 34 Tue, 4 JulTA. Chapte? 174 Margaret was furious when she heard that Joanna disagreed. ¡°If the really doesn¡¯t want to, then let¡¯s do it this way ¡°The two grandsons will return to the Everett family, and the daughter will live with her!¡± Bruce looked worried ¡°Grandma, she won¡¯t agree! Unless Tremarry hert When Margaret heard this, she frowned and looked at her grandson, ¡°Then what exactly do you think?¡± ¡°Bruce was in a mess. ¡°Are you going to marry Roxanne now or remarry Joanna?¡± He was willing to remarry Joanna However, from the looks of it, Joanna did not want to remarry him! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, he and Roxanne were in such a mess. If he was to abandon Roxanne, she would probably He didn¡¯t want anyone to die because of this. The only thing he could do now was to settle Roxanne down. The Haynes family. ¡°Mom, what do we do now?¡± ¡°Humph, Joanna can use the child to keep Mr. Everett. Why can¡¯t you work harder?¡± Ingrid looked annoyed. Roxanne said angrily, ¡°Bruce doesn¡¯t want to touch me at all. What can I do?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? If medicinal cuisine doesn¡¯t work, we can just get him some of that medicine!¡± Roxanne frowned. ¡°Will this work?¡± ¡°Why not? No matter what, we have to give it a try. We can¡¯t let that slut Joanna take advantage of us.¡± ¡°Call him now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang again! ¡°Hello¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you in the hospital now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I made soup for you. I¡¯ll bring it to you now!¡± ¡°No need!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve undergone two surgeries. You must be very weak! 10:34 Tue, 4 Jul ¡°I specially made this soup for you. I used a lot of expensive medicine. You must drink some!¡± Bruce said impatiently, ¡°There¡¯s really no need!¡± ¡°Are you afraid of Joanna finding out? ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can let her drink some too!¡± ¡°Hello¡­¡± Roxanne had already hung up. About half an hourter, Roxanne came to the hospital with the thermos box! Bruce and Joanna were arguing. Roxanne then knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me! ¡°Bruce, Joanna! ¡°Am I disturbing you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Joanna replied coldly and left the ward! E 10:34 4 Jul T Chapter 175 Chapter 175 ¡°Why are you here?¡± Bruce frowned. At that moment, he did not really want to see Roxanne! Roxanne ced the thermos box on the bed and looked at Bruce tenderly. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve undergone two surgeries, but I haven¡¯t been by your side to apany you! ¡°Now that the surgery is over, as your fianc¨¦e, I definitely have toe and take care of you!¡± When Bruce heard this, his frown deepened. ¡°I already told you that there¡¯s no need!¡± Roxanne opened the thermos box and took another bowl. He filled a bowl with the soup and eagerly handed it to Bruce. ¡°Bruce, you just had surgery. You must nourish yourself. ¡°Have some soup!¡± ¡°No need!¡°How could Bruce still be in the mood to drink soup? ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve been cooking this soup for more than 10 hours! You must drink some.¡± Bruce replied impatiently, ¡°Leave it there for now! I¡¯ll drink itter!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Roxanne pouted and ced the soup on the bed. Bruce leaned against the hospital bed with a cold expression. Roxanne looked at him carefully. ¡°Bruce, why are you keeping such a distance from me?¡± ¡°Roxy¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked up at her and hesitated. Before he could finish, Roxanne interrupted him and smiled gently at him. ¡°Bruce, I know what you want to say!¡± Bruce raised his eyes. Roxanne snuggled up to him like a little bird and said obediently, ¡°It¡¯s really okay. I see your children as my own! ¡°Besides, they¡¯re your children from before we were together. Why would I be angry? ¡°Let¡¯s postpone the wedding! Nothing is more important than the child¡¯s illness! ¡°It won¡¯t be toote for us to hold a wedding after the child recovers!¡± Hearing her words, Bruce furrowed his brows tightly. The path of breaking up waspletely blocked by Roxanne. It seemed that he would have to spend the rest of his life with her. He no longer had any feelings for Roxanne! However, he did not dare to mention breaking up so easily. He knew that as long as he mentioned Content held by N?velDrama.Org. breaking up, Roxanne would definitelymit suicide again! Moreover, she was not just saying that. If not for the timely rescue of the previous suicide, Roxanne would have really died on the operating table! Especially after Roxanne was bullied by bad guys, he did not dare to break up so easily again. 10:34 Tue, 4 Jul TA A whiteter. Bruce swallowed his words and said insincerely. ¡°Roxy, it¡¯s really hard for you to think that way!¡± ¡°How can that be? We¡¯ve been together for so long. Of course we have to face the storm together. ¡°No difficulties can easily tear us apart,¡± Roxanne said as she held Bruce¡¯s hand tightly. Bruce took a deep breath and did not want to say anything else. ¡°Bruce, the soup won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold! ¡°I¡¯ve put a lot of precious ingredients in it. Bruce, you must drink some.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me?!¡± Roxanne gently picked up the bowl again and carefully stirred it with a spoon. She scooped a spoonful and brought it to Bruce¡¯s lips. ¡°Let me do it myself!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a patient now. Let me feed you!¡± Bruce had no choice but to drink it. ¡°Does it taste good?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°Then drink more, Bruce.¡± Bruce braced himself and finished the bowl of soup. ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t drink anymore!¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go wash the dishes!¡± Roxanne smiled gently at Bruce and left the ward with the bowl. She headed towards the washroom. Roxanne had just walked into the washroom when she saw Joanna walking out. The two of them looked at each other awkwardly. Joanna stayed for three seconds, avoided Roxanne, and prepared to return to the ward. Roxanne sneered and said sarcastically to Joanna, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t think that you can snatch Bruce away from me just because you gave birth to three children for him! ¡°Let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about it! ¡°Do you know what kind of woman is the most pitiful and stupid in the world?¡± When Joanna heard this, she turned around and looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°That¡¯ll be a woman who wants to keep a man¡¯s heart by giving birth to his children! ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re really shameless. You¡¯ve already divorced Bruce, yet you still want to give birth to Bruce¡¯s child! 10 34 Tue, 4 Jul ¡°Do you think this will change Bruce¡¯s mind?¡± Roxanne said sarcastically. The more she spoke, the more agitated and angry she became. She almost married into the Everett family twice, but she was ruined by Joanna. If killing was not against thew, she would personally chop Joanna into minced meat. Joanna looked at Roxanne coldly. She crossed her arms and said disdainfully, ¡°Roxanne, even if I have three children, I¡¯ve never wanted to be with Bruce! ¡°Just because you treat him as treasure doesn¡¯t mean that others treat him as treasure as well!¡± ¡°Humph, you don¡¯t mean what you say!¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you believe it or not!¡± Roxanne was so angry that she choked. Her eyes suddenly widened. ¡°If you didn¡¯t miss Bruce, why would you pester Bruce like this? ¡°The best ex should disappear without a trace.¡± Joanna could not help but sneer. ¡°What do I want to do? There¡¯s no need to exin to you!¡± As she spoke, Joanna was toozy to say anything more to Roxanne. She turned around and prepared to leave. ¡°Joanna, you bitch! Stop right there.¡± Seeing that Joanna was about to leave, Roxanne was even more furious. Her eyes were bloodshot as she pounced forward crazily. Joanna dodged and caught Roxanne¡¯s hands. She pushed Roxanne back violently, causing her to stagger. ¡°You¡¯re cheaper than me! ¡°You should know full well what you¡¯ve done. Don¡¯t pretend to be a victim here! ¡°Who is the victim? You know very well!¡± ¡°Joanna, you bitch, I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s lungs were about to explode. After she stabilized herself, she pounced on Joanna again. Joanna stopped being polite. The moment Roxanne pounced on her, she quickly and urately grabbed her hair. Then, she threw Roxanne to the ground. Thud! Roxanne staggered and fell heavily to the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± Roxanne screamed. Her ankle was in pain. She fell to the ground and couldn¡¯t get up for a long time. Bruce was worried about the two of them and happened toe over to take a look. As expected, the two of them really started fighting again. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing that Bruce was here, the anger on Roxanne¡¯s face immediately turned into weakness. She cried aggrievedly, ¡°Bruce, Joanna hit me¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, how could you attack Roxy?¡± ¡°Get up!¡± Bruce helped Roxanne up from the ground. 10:34 Tue, 4 Jul T. Joanna sneered. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin anything. ¡°Bruce, think whatever you want)¡± ¡°Roxanne, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re very boring? You¡¯re the one who started it, Isn¡¯t it right for me to fight back?¡± ¡°Bruce, look at Joanna. I know she hates me. I don¡¯t dare to go against her¡­¡± Before Roxanne could finish, Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Roxy, you can go back first!¡± ¡°No, Bruce, I want to stay here with you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need yourpany!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Bruce frowned and ordered Andy, ¡°Andy, send Ms. Haynes back!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett! ¡°Ms. Haynes, this way please!¡± Roxanne didn¡¯t get the upper hand. Now that she was chased away by Bruce, she was even more furious. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first. Call me if anything happens!¡± With that, Roxanne red at Joanna coldly. After Roxanne left, Bruce could not help but sigh. He went forward to coax Joanna. ¡°Joanna, why has your temper be so bad now? ¡°I remember you used to be a very gentle woman!¡± ¡°Well, I was too gentle in the past, so everyone wanted to pick on me! ¡°I don¡¯t want to be gentle anymore. It¡¯s good to be a shrew!¡± Bruce frowned and persuaded, ¡°Don¡¯t lower yourself to Roxanne¡¯s level. After all, she¡¯s a girl who¡¯s easily hurt!¡± ¡°I told you, she started it. I was just fighting back!¡± ¡°I know! But you¡¯re too ruthless!¡± ¡°Are you teaching me a lesson? Or are you trying to avenge her?¡± ¡°No, I just want the three of us to coexist peacefully¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, she retorted coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Joanna, can you not be so stubborn?¡± ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m stubborn, it¡¯s you!¡± ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to bicker with you!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkenedpletely. He realized that he had indeed underestimated Joanna¡¯s personality in the past! She was actually a very opinionated person with an extremely unyielding personality! 10:34 Tue, 4 Jul Chapter 176 Chapter 176 The Haynes¡¯s house! Roxanne returned home in a huff As soon as she entered the house, she took off her high heels and threw her bag on the sofa!. ¡°Daddy, mommy, I¡¯m back!¡± Ingrid was stunned and quickly responded, ¡°Why are you back so early?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I told you to stay in the hospital and spend more time with Bruce! ¡°Aren¡¯t you creating a chance for them to be alone now that you¡¯re not in the hospital?¡± Roxanne gritted her teeth. She was so angry that her eyes were burning in rage. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. That slut Joanna is openly seducing Bruce now!¡± ¡°I want to stay, but Bruce won¡¯t let me stay at all!¡± ¡°What happened? Tell me.¡± Roxanne said angrily, ¡°What else can it be? Bruce only cares about that slut Joanna now. He doesn¡¯t care about me anymore!¡± Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but cry. Seeing this, Shaun quickly persuaded, ¡°In my opinion, since he is not interested in you, there won¡¯t be a good oue if you continue to force him!¡± Ingrid interrupted him fiercely. ¡°Heh! That¡¯s easy for you to say!¡± ¡°Separate Roxy and Mr. Everett. We are just giving that bitch Joanna a chance!¡± When Shaun heard this, he was even more furious. ¡°Your words are always so unpleasant to hear!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Go away and stop making useless remarks here!¡± After saying that, he quicklyforted his daughter. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be anxious. You have to calm down!¡± ¡°At this critical moment, we have topromise!¡± ¡°Mom, I really can¡¯t help but feel wronged!¡± Ingrid pulled a long face and shouted angrily, ¡°Even if you can¡¯t bear it, you have to bear with it! You¡¯ll mess up the big n if you can¡¯t bear it! ¡°Now that you¡¯re angry and jealous, Bruce can use this as an excuse to break up! ¡°You¡¯ve waited for so many years. You¡¯ve sacrificed your youth, but it¡¯s all for naught! ¡°You think you¡¯re okay with that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ept this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling to ept losing him, think of a way to turn the table! ¡°If you can¡¯t even endure this minor setback now, how are you going to deal with those beautiful sluts in the future? ¡°Think about who Mr. Everett is. Think about how many women have racked their brains to get close to him. 10:35 Tue, 4 ¡°I! you can¡¯t deal with Joanna now, how will you deal with thosedina Roxanne gradually calmed down after hearing that! Indeed, as expected for a man like Bruce! Even if he weren¡¯t a yboy, there would still be a lot of women racking t in are interested in him in the future?¡± nt to throw themselves at him! If the could not endure this how could she deal with those women who wanted to get rid of her and take over the ce of Mrs Everett? ¡°Mom, you¡¯re right I have to pull myself together. I can¡¯t admit defeat!¡± Ingrid patted her daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s it. You must pull yourself together! ¡°Think about it. It¡¯s just a small setback. If you can¡¯t even take this, how can you achieve great things in the future?¡± Shaun couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°How the hell are you educating your daughter?¡± Ingrid red at him. ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s all your fault for being biased!¡± ¡°Now that Roxy¡¯s fianc¨¦ is about to be snatched away, you can still sit back and do nothing. How dare you even say that you¡¯re not biased ¡°if I were you, I¡¯d knock on that bitch¡¯s door and beat her to death!¡± ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t be bothered what you all do anymore!¡± Shaun said with a frown and turned to leave. Then, Ingrid whispered into Roxanne¡¯s earl Roxanne was shocked. ¡°Mom, will this work?¡± ¡°Listen to me. It¡¯ll work!¡± ¡°As long as I can go all out, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do!¡± After educating her daughter, Ingrid called her two cousins. Beep Beep! Beep! ¡°Hey!¡± Wace picked up the phone quickly. ¡°Ingrid, do you miss us?¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s been so long. How far has your n gone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care I¡¯ll give you some time to settle that damn bitch as soon as possible!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°After all, this is not a small matter. We have to n it well!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll take action as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Yes, use your brains more. Think about it 4 million dors is enough for you to live the rest of your life carefree!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± 10:35 Tue, 4 July Meanwhile, some others were discussing Bruce in the Everett mansion! ¡°When will Bruce be discharged?¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett, Mr. Everett will be back tonight!¡± ¡°When hees back, we can discuss the matter of letting the children get into the Everett family!¡± As they were talking, Bruce returned. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m back!¡± Margaret smiled happily at her grandson. ¡°Bruce! You have finallye back! Grandma was just about to discuss the children with you!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s about the family tree!¡± The butler exined on behalf of Mrs. Everett. ¡°What family tree?¡± ¡°Silly, of course, it¡¯s our Everett family¡¯s family tree!¡± ¡°Now that our Everett family can be considered to have expanded, we have two more boys. Naturally, we have to get them recorded in our Everett family¡¯s family tree!¡± ¡°Not only that, but we also have to hold a banquet to officially acknowledge the descendants of the Everett family!¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked worried. ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s no need to do that.¡± ¡°Why not? You¡¯re already 28 years old and two years before you turn thirty. Now that you finally have two children, this is a joyous asion!¡± ¡°Of course, we have to celebrate and announce the good news!¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Bruce wanted to say something but hesitated. He was organizing his words in his mind, trying to convince his grandmother! ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to discuss this with Joanna!¡± ¡°She¡¯s the child¡¯s mother, after all. It¡¯s better to inform her about what decision should make. It¡¯s not too When Margaret heard that, she subconsciously looked at her grandson. ¡°Bruce, when did you be so indecisive?¡± ¡°This is our Everett family¡¯s children. Although she gave birth to them, you¡¯re the child¡¯s father!¡± ¡°No matter what, these children are partly of our Everett family!¡± ¡°Do you want the children to acknowledge their ancestors and return to the Everett family? Why would she be unwilling for them to return to the Everett family? Isn¡¯t our family better than hers?¡± Margaret really could not understand why Joanna was unwilling to let the children return to the Everett family. The Everett family was the wealthiest in Greyport! Bruce was a top¨Cnotch wealthy man. Many women wanted to give birth to his child. Joanna was so lucky to be able to give birth to three children for the Everett family. This was a blessing that she had cultivated for several lifetimes! ¡°Joanna¡­ Her thoughts are different from others!¡± Bruce exined with a frown. 10:35 Tue, 4 July TE Chapte? 176 E ¡°No matter what, this is the Everett family¡¯s child. This is an undeniable fact. No matter what, we have to let the children get recorded in the family tree!¡± ¡°The procedures for changing the names have been prepared. You can change the children¡¯s names now!¡± ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s no need to talk about this. Let¡¯s take it slow!¡± Margaret¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No, get the children back to the Everett family. Only then will I be able to answer to your grandfather and your father! ¡°Then, grandma also can rest in peace!¡± As she spoke, the maid came to reply. ¡°Mrs. Everett, Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes is here!¡± ¡°She came at the right time. I need to talk to her about something. Invite her in!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ten minutester!. The butler brought Joanna into the living room! Joanna¡¯s face was gloomy, but she still greeted politely, ¡°Grandma!¡± Margaret adjusted his sses. ¡°Joann, you came at the right time, Grandma has something to tell you.¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m here today to take the children home!¡± ¡°Take the kids home? ¡°Heh! Joann, this is the Everett family! ¡°The children are the descendants of the Everett family!¡± ¡°No matter what, I was the one who gave birth to the children. I¡¯ve been caring for them for the past four years, and I am the children¡¯s only guardian?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking my children with me today. If all of you try to stop me¡­ I will call the police and seek their help!¡± ¡°Heh! If you want to do it the hard way, I can only fulfill your request! ¡°You gave birth to three children for the Everett family. I¡¯m very grateful to you! ¡°No matter what, you have to let the children acknowledge their father, right? ¡°Or is it because you have something else in mind? You can bring them up! ¡°We¡¯ll try our best to satisfy you. We can also offer some financialpensation. Of course, if you and Bruce still have a chance to reconcile, I hope you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I just want my children!¡± Joanna refused Margaret¡¯s offer! Margaret¡¯s anger red up! With her status, she rarely spoke to the younger generations so humbly. 10:35 Tue, 4 Jul Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Margaret pondered for a moment before suppressing her anger and continuing to persuade Joanna with patience. ¡°Joann, you can¡¯t take care of three children alone as a single parent. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let the children stay in the Everett family and receive the best education and resources since they were young? This is the best arrangement for them!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and looked at Margaret calmly. ¡°Grandma, I will educate my children well. Grandma, you don¡¯t have to worry about their education!¡± Margaret changed her tone from persuading to insisting. ¡°What must we do to make you agree to let the children acknowledge their father and be a part of the Everett family?¡± ¡°If you want to see the children, I can bring the children to see you anytime! ¡°But I don¡¯t agree with changing the children¡¯sst name to Everett!¡± When Margaret heard this, her cloudy eyes turned cold. Joanna looked at Margaret with the same gaze! These were her children. In order to give birth to these three children, she almost died in the operation theater. In the past four years, she sacrificed all her energy and effort to raise her children. She had endured the most difficult days. What right did the Everett family have to snatch her children away now? No matter what, she would not let anyone snatch her children away! Bruce¡¯s expression was gloomy and cold. He could not help but scold, ¡°Do you have to be so stubborn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being stubborn. It¡¯s a principle!¡± Then, Joanna looked at Margaret again. ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get married again in the future. ¡°I probably won¡¯t have any more children. I only have these three children. So, it¡¯s impossible to give up the custody of the children! ¡°Mr. Everett is a man, and he is at the best age of his life. He still has a lot of chances to have his own children.. ¡°Grandma also said just now that as long as he asks, there will be a lot of women willing to give birth to his children! ¡°He¡¯s about to marry Roxanne. After they get married, they¡¯ll have their children soon! Grandma, you don¡¯t have to worry about being unable to have a great¨Cgrandchild.¡± Although Joanna¡¯s words were reasonable, it was impossible for Margaret to listen. It was not easy for her to have two adorable great¨Cgrandsons. They were as precious as gems to her. How could she give up? ¡°That¡¯s different. As long as it¡¯s a descendant of the Everett family, our Everett family will definitely take responsibility to the end!¡± Margaret was even more stubborn. Joanna was also tired of convincing her, so she could only give in a little. ¡°You can acknowledge the children as a part of the Everett family, but you can¡¯t change theirst names. ¡°I¡¯m the guardian of the children. They want to live with me! I¡¯m concerned and don¡¯t want my children to stay in the Everett family forever!¡± Margaret lifted her head and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The children will stay by my side. I will take care of them personally! Chapte? 177 ¡°I can promise you with my character that I will raise these two children well!¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry. I really can¡¯t agree to this request!¡± Bruce and Roxanne were about to get married! After they got married, they would definitely want their own children! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It would always be better to follow the mother as she would usually be more concerned about her children. Although the Everett family was a big family, Roxanne might not abuse her children. But based on Roxanne and Ingrid¡¯s personalities, they would probably use all kinds of underhanded methods to deal with their children. Therefore, she could not leave the children behind! After all, it was easy to avoid expected trouble and not hidden traps! ¡°Do you have to take the kids away today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Margaret put on a displeased expression. Joanna also changed her tone and stopped calling Margaret grandma. ¡°Margaret, I¡¯m now the children¡¯s guardian. If you insist on detaining the children, I can only go through the judicial process!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never begged anyone. I¡¯m begging you now. Don¡¯t take the children away!¡± ¡°Margaret, if it¡¯s anything else, I can keep it!¡± ¡°But they are my children. I really can¡¯tpromise!¡± When Margaret heard this, her heart skipped a beat! Joanna was indeed like what Bruce had said. She was different from other women! If someone else could give birth to children for the Everett family, not to mention three, even if they gave birth to one, they would not have to worry about anything for the rest of their lives! However, she was really unmoved by force or persuasion. ¡°Name your price! How much will it cost for you to give up custody of the children?¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt extremely ufortable. ¡°My children are not items to be sold!¡± ¡°Joann, you¡¯re still young. There are some things you have to¡­¡± ¡°Grandma, you don¡¯t have to convince me anymore. I just told you that my children are the most important person to me! ¡°If I don¡¯t have my children with me, my life will be meaningless! I just want to be with my children. I won¡¯t give them to anyone!¡± Margaret was so angry that his lips trembled. He red at Joanna angrily. She had a weak heart. Now that she was agitated, she clutched her chest and panted heavily! Seeing this, Bruce was even more furious. ¡°Joanna, let¡¯s not talk about it for the time being! You can go back first!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here today to take my children away!¡± The adults were talking and did not notice the kids. Davian and Irvin saw their mommy when they were upstairs. The two little ones came down from the second floor excitedly. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s mommy here!¡± After listening, Joanna looked up and saw the two little boys. She quickly walked toward the children. ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± ¡°Mommy, we missed you so much! Are you here to take us home?¡± The two little guys excitedly pounced into Joanna¡¯s arms and hugged her thigh. ¡°Yes, Mommy came to pick you up today.¡± Margaret watched from the side and was even angrier. ¡°Butler, take the little boys back to their room!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You guys take the little boys back to their room.¡± When the bodyguards heard the order, they immediately went forward and pulled the children away. ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± ¡°Young sir, please be obedient!¡± Joanna rushed forward and tried to snatch the children back from the bodyguards. ¡°Let go of my children!¡± Unfortunately, the bodyguards were all strong and well¨Cbuilt. They carried the two little ones and walked straight upstairs. She couldn¡¯t take her kids back at all. ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett, are you determined to keep my children?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°As long as I am still alive, no one can take away the descendants of the Everett family!¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett, you have to be reasonable!¡± Margaret smiled contemptuously. ¡°If reason makes sense, of course, I have to be reasonable! But if I really can¡¯t reason with you, there¡¯s no need to be reasonable!¡± When Joanna heard this, her entire body froze, and she was actually powerless to refute it! ¡°Butler, send the guest out!¡± ¡°If you insist on doing this, I can only call the police!¡± Margaret snorted and said bluntly, ¡°Do whatever you want! ¡°You¡¯ll soon receive awyer¡¯s letter. I¡¯ll hire the bestwyer in Greyport to fight awsuit with you! ¡°At that time, not only will the children not belong to you, but you won¡¯t be able to get any After Margaret finished speaking, she adjusted her gold¨Crimmed sses and looked at Joanna gloomily! The butler had already approached Joanna to chase her away. ¡°Ms. Haynes, this way please!¡± 10:35 Tue, 4 Jul & TE. ¡°You can¡¯t do this. I want to take the children away!¡± Joanna was so angry that her entire body trembled. Even her eyes were red. ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce tilted his head. ¡°Send Ms. Haynes out!¡± ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t go back on your word! You can¡¯t be like this!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, this way please!¡± Joanna pushed the butler¡¯s hand away fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I can walk by myself!¡± ¡°In that case, we can only meet in court!¡± With that, Joanna left angrily! When Margaret saw this, she was so angry that she was out of breath. The family doctor quickly took out an oxygen mask and gave her oxygen. Margaret took a few breaths of oxygen before her emotions calmed down a little! ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry!¡± Bruce looked nervous as heforted her. ¡°Bruce! Joanna is really stubborn. I made a mistake by thinking she was easy to deal with. ¡°No matter what, we can¡¯t let anyone take away our Everett family¡¯s descendants! ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors, there¡¯s no need to be nice to her!¡± Margaret became angrier as he spoke. In Greyport, no one had ever disrespected her like this! Seeing that his grandma was so angry, Bruce could only bite the bullet and agree, ¡°Got it, Grandma!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to chase me off. I¡¯ll leave this ce!¡± Joanna turned around, hoping to see the children again. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please leave first! Don¡¯t cause a ruckus in the Everett family!¡± ¡°Hmph, the Everett family is bullying me because they are powerful. I don¡¯t believe that money can really decide everything in aw¨Cabiding society!¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Joanna walked out of the Everett mansion. Anger had burst through her that her face had flushed red! She knew that it was useless to call the police now! The Everett family and the Greyport Governer had a close rtionship. Even if the police came, they would side with the Everett family! There was no way she could take the children away! After Joanna returned to the car, she cried out loud! ¡± Meanwhile, after the two little ones were forcefully brought back to their rooms, they kept crying and making a fuss. ¡°Mommy! We want Mommy! We want to go home with Mommy!¡± ¡°Young sir, this is your home!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t our home, you bad guys!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully my Mommy. If any of you dare to bully my Mommy, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­ Mommy! I want my Mommy¡­¡± The two little boys were crying and making a fuss. The servants could not coax them no matter how hard they tried! A few minutes had passed. After the servants reported to Margaret, Margaret sat in a wheelchair and personally came to coax the two little guys. ¡°Hey, kiddos, why are you crying?¡± Davian got up from the ground. ¡°We want to find Mommy. We want to go home with Mommy!¡± Being grandma and grandson might not be close enough! Fine! There were two generations between them. Facing the two little ones, Margaret had no temper at all. She kept coaxing the children. ¡°Boys,e over to me. ¡°From now on, this will be your home. You are the descendants of the Everett family! ¡°I¡¯ve given you a new name. Davian will be called Charlie Everett, and Irvin will be called Luke Everett.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Charlie Everett. I¡¯m Irvin Haynes!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to change our names. We want to go home with Mommy!¡± When Margaret heard this, her smile froze. ¡°Your Mommy won¡¯t take you back for the time being!¡± When Irvin heard this, he immediately burst into tears. ¡°Boohoo¡­ I don¡¯t want to stay here. I want to go home with Mommy!¡± ¡°You are a bad olddy. You can¡¯t separate us from Mommy! You old witch. I don¡¯t like you at all¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, his face darkened. He said sternly to the two little guys, ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t be so rude to your great¨Cgrandma!¡± Ever since he was young, he had never dared to be so rude to his grandmother. How dare these two brats be so arrogant! 10:35 Tue, 4 Ju ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t scare them! The children are still young. They will be fine after a while!¡± ¡°Go invite Mr. Jameson over and ask him to prepare for thewsuit!¡± When Bruce heard this, he subconsciously frowned. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Margaret knew what he was going to say and said coldly, ¡°No matter how much we have to sacrifice, we have to fight for the custody of the children!¡± Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, grandma!¡± It was soon the following day. Joanna was at the hospital. She was absent¨Cmindedly guarding Lilia¡¯s bed. Lilia was recovering well and asked in a childish voice, ¡°Mommy, why didn¡¯t Daddye to see me today?¡± Joanna nced at her and forced a smile. ¡°Lilia, Daddy is very busy with work. Now that he has donated the bone marrow for you, he has to go back to work! ¡°After you recover, you can get discharged, and we can return home!¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes and asked innocently, ¡°Mommy, after I¡¯m discharged from the hospital, can we go to Daddy¡¯s house to y?¡± ¡°Lilia, Daddy¡¯s house is Daddy¡¯s house! That¡¯s not our house. We can¡¯t just go and y!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hearing this, Lilia lowered her head in disappointment! ¡°If I give you a choice, do you want to be with Daddy or Mommy?¡± When Lilia heard this, she looked at Joanna in a dilemma. ¡°Mommy, can¡¯t you be with Daddy? ¡°I really want Daddy and Mommy to be together! This way, I¡¯ll have Daddy and Mommy again. Mommy, can the two of you remarry?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached upon hearing Lilia ask this. ¡°Lilia, you¡¯re still young. There are still some things you don¡¯t understand! ¡°When you grow up, you¡¯ll know why Mommy made such a choice!¡± After saying that, Joanna¡¯s eyes turned red.. ¡°Okay, Mommy, don¡¯t cry. No matter what you choose, the person I love the most is still you!¡± ¡°Good girl!¡± Joanna smiled and held her daughter in her arms. Another three days passed. After the doctor examined lia¡¯s condition, he smiled and said, ¡°The kid is recovering very well. She can be discharged next week!¡± When Joanna heard this, she finally felt relieved. ¡°Thank you, doctor!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± The doctor left after examining Lilia¡¯s condition. ¡°Take good care of Lilia in the hospital. Call me if anything happens!¡± Joanna carefully instructed Tracy and Miranda on what to do. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna had not been to thepany for nearly a month! 10:35 Tue, 4 Jul T During this period of time, because of her daughter¡¯s illness, she was anxious and could not split up her energy at all! Now that her daughter was finally cured, it was time for her to return to work as soon as possible. It was another working day The clock ticked at 8.00 a.m. Joanna went to the Haynes Group on time! She headed to the conference room when she arrived. ¡°Miss Haynes, good morning!¡± ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, here¡¯s the contract for this month and a statement of all the projects.¡± ¡°This is the financial report and the project target report!¡± ¡°Alright! Put them all here. ¡°Inform everyone that the board meeting will be held tomorrow!¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna had not been to thepany for almost a month! Her work had already piled up a lot! Although thepany was still operating normally, there were still many things that she had to deal with personally! ¡°Have you heard? Miss Haynes¡¯s three children are really Mr. Everett¡¯s!¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Everett even donated his bone marrow to his daughter!¡± ¡°Wow, in that case, Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett still have a chance to reconcile!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure. No matter what, Miss Haynes has three golden chips.¡± ¡°Then we will definitely not lose out if we work for Miss Haynes! After all, she has Mr. Everett supporting her!¡± ¡°Sigh! Do you think Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett will remarry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s very likely!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Hurry up and get back to work!¡± Beep! Beep. Beep! ¡°Hello, Bruce, where are you?¡± Roxanne was calling Bruce! ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been home for a long time. When are youing back?¡± Bruce was stunned! He had forgotten that Roxanne was still living in Sherane Bay Vi during this period of time. TU 35 Tue, ¡°I¡¯ll go back tonight!¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll cook tonight, then!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce wanted to refuse. But he knew that even if he refused, Roxanne would still insist on cooking! It was eight o¡¯clock in the evening Bruce returned to Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Does your body still hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°I¡¯m done cooking. Wash your hands and eat!¡± Roxanne acted as if nothing had happened and was even gentler! ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Have this dish. This is to replenish your blood!¡± ¡°Have some of this chicken broth. It¡¯s to replenish your blood too.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce picked up his cutlery and ate a few mouthfuls of dishes! ¡°I¡¯ll get you a bowl of soup!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce replied coldly. Roxanne had drugged the soup. However, this time, it was a sleeping pill. Bruce finished the soup and soon began to feel woozy. ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little sleepy!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you back to your room then!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Roxanne helped Bruce back to the room! Soon, they were in Bruce¡¯s room! Bruce yawned a few times, removed his clothes, andy on the bed! Not long after hey down, he fell asleep in a dazel Roxanne looked at Bruce, sleeping soundly! She sneered and took out the tools she had prepared. Wasn¡¯t Bruce unable to do it with her? 10:35 Tue, 4 Jul Then, she would artificially inseminate herself! Since Joanna could win his heart by giving birth to his kids, she could naturally get him to stay by her side with children too! So what if he didn¡¯t touch her? Modern medicine was so advanced that IVF and artificial insemination were very mature! It would be quick! Roxanne brought a sterilized special container. After a while, she finally got Bruce¡¯s semen out of his body! ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you like children? If Joanna can give birth to children for you, I can give birth to children for you too! ¡°With so many sperms, I can conceive many children for you.¡± Soon, it was daybreak! Bruce woke up in a daze! When he woke up, he found himself naked on the bed! As for Roxanne, she was also naked. At this moment, she was sleeping beside him! ¡°Bruce, are you awake?¡± Bruce¡¯s head was buzzing when he saw her! He didn¡¯t do anythingst night! ¡°Last night!¡± 1 Roxanne smiled shyly. ¡°What happenedst night?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost married. This is normal, right?¡± Bruce looked at Roxanne in shock! Did he do it himself? He knew very well deep down himself! He definitely didn¡¯t sleep with Roxannest night! Her words made it seem like he had really slept with herst night! However, hechose to forget it. He was toozy to exin! Anyway, they had been dating for six years. Even if he said that he had never touched Roxanne, no one would believe him! Chapter 179 Chapter 179 ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne buried her head in his chest shyly with a satisfied expression. Bruce frowned and subconsciously pushed Roxanne away. He lifted the nket and got out of bed! He walked straight to the bathroom. His head felt a little dizzy. He had to take a cold shower to wake himself up. After entering the bathroom, he was still very dizzy! Bruce turned on the shower and took a cold shower. When he took a shower, he felt his body was sticky, as if he had done somethingst night. However, he really couldn¡¯t remember what had happenedst night. His physique was very good. This was the first time he had experienced something likest night. It seemed that there was something wrong with the foodst night. Roxanne must have drugged the food. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have slept so soundly! So, Bruce took a quick shower! Then, Bruce walked out wrapped in a towel. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Roxanne smiled shyly at him and went into the bathroom. That expression of hers was clearly reminding him that they really did itst night. Bruce changed his clothes and felt that something was wrong. Then, he called his trusted bodyguard, Darcy, over. ¡°Mr. Everett, please give your orders!¡± Darcy was the bodyguard who had been by Bruce¡¯s side for the longest time. He was also the best and most loyal bodyguard. ¡°Take yesterday¡¯s dinner to theb!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Go quietly. Don¡¯t let anyone know.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett,¡± Darcy replied and immediately went to carry out the order. Bruce lit a cigarette, squinted his eyes, and took a deep puff. His eyes revealed a vicious glint. He hated being/schemed against the most! If Roxanne really drugged the food, then this woman was really scheming! He definitely could not keep such a woman by his side. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m done showering!¡± When Roxanne came out of the bathroom, his hair was wet. She was wrapped in a towel and sat on Bruce¡¯sp, hugging his neck. Once a woman and a man broke through that step, they would be much more casual with each other. 10:35 Tue, 4 Jul T. She used her actions to hint to Bruce that they did itst night. Bruce was a little disgusted and pushed Roxanne away from hisp. ¡°Lilia will be discharged today. I am going to visit Lilial¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°No need!¡± After saying that, Bruce had already taken his coat and left the room. Roxanne smiled smugly as she watched Bruce leave, From now on, she wanted to tie her fate to his. She would not let him get rid of her easily. Meanwhile, Joanna was in the hospital. Joanna had alreadypleted the discharge procedures, and Tracy had also packed up everything! ¡°Sweetheart, you can be discharged today!¡± Joanna smiled gently at Lilia. After changing. Lilia looked at the door in disappointment. ¡°Mommy, isn¡¯t Daddying to pick me up? ¡°Daddy told me that he would pick me up personally when I was discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°Mommy told you that Daddy is very busy. If Daddy is busy with work, we might not see Daddy much in the future!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lilia nodded obediently. Her eyes filled with unconceble disappointment. ¡°What about my brothers? Aren¡¯t theying to pick me up?¡± Joanna was at a loss for words, not knowing how to exin. Davian and Irvin were now detained in the Everett mansion. Even she could not see them, let alone Lilia! However, she did not want to tell her daughter about these things between adults. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna carried Lilia into the pram and pushed her out of the ward. They had just taken a few steps! Bruce, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, was rushing over. Lilia had sharp eyes and saw Bruce first. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s Daddy. Look, Daddy is here!¡± As Lilia spoke, she raised her little hand excitedly and pointed at Bruce. Joanna looked up and saw that Bruce had already arrived. He was still wearing a ck suit today. His hair was casuallybed on the top of his head. It was messy and stylish, exuding a casual handsomeness. ¡°Lilia!¡± ¡°Daddy, I thought you wouldn¡¯t pick me up.¡± ¡°How could that be? Daddy promised to pick you up. How could I forget?¡± Bruce carried his daughter out of the pram and kissed her little face! Joanna looked at Bruce in a daze. ATears began to shimmer in her eyes as her rage shot through her! ¡°Bruce, put my daughter down!¡± As Joanna spoke, she had already stepped forward and was about to snatch Lilia from his arms. She was afraid that Bruce would snatch Lilia away too! Bruce was tall. He hugged Lilia and turned around, easily dodging Joanna¡¯s snatch. ¡°Do you hear me? Give me my baby.¡± When Bruce heard this, he red at Joanna angrily. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be angry!¡± Bruce said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s best not to be so fierce in front of our daughter!¡± ¡°Lilia, Daddy will y with you today, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to go to Daddy¡¯s house to y!¡± ¡°Okay, Daddy will bring you there now!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more terrified. She immediately stood in front of Bruce and said coldly, ¡°No, Lilia, hurry up and go home with Mommy. ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered. You can¡¯t go anywhere!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Lilia muttered softly. ¡°Don¡¯t you hear me? You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere!¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. This was the first time she had spoken to her daughter in such a harsh tone! Lilia was so scared that her face turned pale. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Bruce was even more furious when he saw Joanna shouting at her daughter like this. ¡°Joanna, what do you mean by doing this?¡± ¡°Bruce, what do you mean by doing this? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re despicable?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the father of the children. Shouldn¡¯t I be bringing them home?¡± Joanna cursed, ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t take my child away. What you¡¯re doing now is no different from a bandit!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and tried to convince Joanna, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before I won¡¯t snatch your child away. If you want to see the child, you can visit the Everett family anytime!¡± ¡°Of course, if you agree, you can stay with the Everett family!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re being unreasonable. You know that this is impossible!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Bruce asked angrily. When Joanna heard this, her anger grew! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He and Roxanne were getting married. Would it not be ridiculous for her to stay in the Everett family¡¯s house? She knew what Bruce was thinking! He wanted her to be his mistress! Even if they forced her, she would never agree to his dirty request, let alone serve the same husband as Roxanne! ¡°Give me my daughter!¡± Joanna was so angry that she wanted to carry her daughter back. ¡°Joanna, can you not be like this? Can you leave a good impression of me in front of my daughter?¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± Lilia was also trembling in fear.. Bruce quicklyforted Lilia. ¡°Good baby, don¡¯t be afraid. Daddy will send you home, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Although Lilia was young, she knew her daddy and mommy quarreled. Moreover, they quarreled fiercely! ¡°Daddy, Mommy, can you two not quarrel?¡± ¡°Daddy and Mommy didn¡¯t quarrel!¡± Joanna took a deep breath, afraid of scaring her daughter. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll send you home!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to send me back. I¡¯ll send Lilia back!¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not help but grit his teeth. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll say it onest time. I¡¯m sending you back now! If you continue to do this, I can only take Lilia away!¡± When Joanna heard this, she red at Bruce! The two of them looked at each other like they were each other¡¯s enemies! Bruce was so angry that he could not help but think, ¡°This damn woman¡¯s temper was getting more and more stubborn!¡± Simrly, Joanna hated Bruce¡¯s tyranny and overbearingness! The two of them were in a deadlock! Roxanne walked towards the two of them in her high heels with a smug smile on her face. Bruce! The two of them looked at Roxanne. She was dressed very beautifully today, and her entire body was radiant. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I know you came to pick Lilia up today, so I came to see Lilia!¡± ¡°Lilia, this is aunt¡¯s gift to you.¡± As Roxanne spoke, she handed the exquisite gift box to Lilia. Lilia¡¯s face darkened, and she turned her head to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Roxanne stered a smile to make herself look friendly. ¡°This is a limited edition doll. There are only 100 of them in the world. It¡¯s very difficult to buy!¡± ¡°This is a gift from me to you as your aunt. I¡¯m giving it to you, so just take it. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony!¡± Lilia pouted and rested her head on Bruce¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know! I don¡¯t want it. Go away! I don¡¯t like you!¡± How did this bad woman bully her mommy? She knew! Especially when she fought with her mommy for her daddy! Seeing that Lilia insisted on rejecting it, Roxanne smiled awkwardly and handed the gift box to Tracy. ¡°Keep it on behalf of Lilia, then!¡± Tracy subconsciously looked at Joanna. Joanna looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°No need. Take your things away!¡± ¡°Bruce, look at my sister. She is treating me like an outsider!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Go back first! There is nothing to do with you here!¡± ¡°Oh, alright then!¡± ¡°Oh right, Bruce, you forgot to bring this along!¡± Roxanne said. She quickly took out an emerald pendant from her bag. Bruce¡¯s mother left behind that pendant. He never took it off his side unless when he was bathing. From this, it could be seen that they slept togetherst night! ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bruce took it casually and put it around his neck! He had taken it off and ced it on the sink when he took a shower this morning. Originally, this was nothing. Now that Roxanne had specially sent it over, everything became ambiguous! ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll excuse myself first!¡± ¡°Go home early tonight. I¡¯ll prepare dinner and wait for you at home!¡± Roxanne said as she deliberately held Bruce¡¯s arm intimately. Then, she tiptoed and pouted as she asked him for a kiss. Seeing this, Joanna felt even more disgusted! She was obsessed with cleanliness! When it came to rtionships, it was either everything or everything! She couldn¡¯t ept sharing a man with another woman! When she thought of the passionate night Bruce and Roxanne hadst night, she felt so disgusted that she couldn¡¯t ept knowing it! Chapter 180 Chapter 180 She would rather never participate in this love game! ¡°Lilia,e. Mommy will carry you!¡± Seeing this, Bruce took a step forward! How could he be in the mood to kiss Roxanne? He couldn¡¯t wait to see her fall! However, Roxanne¡¯s motive was to make Joanna mad. His response was no longer important! Regardless of whether he kissed her, as long as she could piss Joanna off, she had achieved her goal!, While Bruce was in a daze, Joanna had already taken Lilia from his arms. ¡°Joanna!¡± With a cold expression, Joanna walked forward without looking back. Bruce subconsciously took a few steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ll send you¡­¡± Joanna carried Lilia and quickly walked ahead! ¡°You really don¡¯t have to send us back. Let go!¡± Bruce choked. He didn¡¯t know what to say, nor did he know what to do! In this love entanglement, he was wrong. He was the one who had caused Joanna so much damage! Now, he wanted to snatch the child away from her even more! It was only right that she hated him! A few secondster, Bruce weakly let go of Joanna¡¯s arm! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Joanna left without looking back. Soon, Joanna had left! Bruce finally couldn¡¯t help but get angry at Roxanne! ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Roxanne pretended to look aggrieved and looked at Bruce pitifully. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be angry!¡± Bruce said with annoyance, ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m your girlfriend!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see you and my sister getting so close. You¡¯re already divorced. You can¡¯t pester her like this anymore!¡± ¡°Why do you care what I want to do?¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and walked towards the door. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to work. You can go back!¡± After saying that, Bruce left without looking back! 10:36 Tue, 4 July He couldn¡¯t stand Roxanne anymore! Unfortunately, she was like a ster that could not be shaken off once it was stuck! If he wanted to tear off this ster, he would also lose ayer of his skint She was used to crying, throwing a tantrum, and threatening him! As long as he mentioned breaking up, she would definitely threaten him with suicide again! Bruce headed to the Everett Group. For the entire day, Bruce was feeling very depressed and frustrated! Beep! Beep! Beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. Darcy¡¯s call came in! Seeing that it was Darcy, Bruce quickly picked the call up! ¡°Hello. ¡°Did you get the test results?¡± Darcy reported over the phone, ¡°Ms. Haynes has disposed of Mr. Everett, the leftovers fromst night! I can only find some residue from the sewers and take it for testing!¡± ¡°Did you get the test results?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been tested!¡± ¡°Although there is only a small portion of the specimen, there is indeed drugs in it!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart sank when he heard that. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°There are sleeping pills¡® content in there, and some¡­¡± Darcy paused automatically when he reported on this part. That drug was indescribable! ¡°Sleeping pills?¡± ¡°What else did she put?¡± ¡°There is also a drug for that particr function!¡± Bruce immediately understood! Roxanne had indeed drugged the food. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so sleepy. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t be sleeping so soundly. It was six in the evening. Bruce had returned to the Sherane Bay Vi. It was rare for him to be back so early. Roxanne was pleasantly surprised to see Bruce! ¡°Bruce, why are you back so early today? ¡°The food isn¡¯t ready yet!¡± 10:36 Tue, 4 July Bruce went straight to the point. ¡°Roxanne, you don¡¯t have to cook anymore. Come over. I have something to ask!¡± Roxanne saw his expression seem angry, and she was rmed. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Bruce threw a test report document in front of Roxanne! Roxanne picked it up and was shocked. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± She never thought that Bruce would take yesterday¡¯s food for testing! ¡°I¡¯m asking you. What is in here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here!¡± ¡°What exactly did you put in the dish?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned cold and gloomy. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Roxanne looked away in a panic! She did not expect Bruce to discover it so quickly. ¡°What exactly did you put there?¡± ¡°¡­ was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t sleep well, so I put some sleeping pills in it!¡± ¡°Just a little bit. It won¡¯t be harmful to the body!¡± When Bruce heard this, he sneered. ¡°Sleeping pills. I think it¡¯s more than that!¡± ¡°Alright! I admit that there¡¯s a drug in it!¡± Roxanne simply admitted it. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve never been willing to touch me. I have no choice. I can only do this!¡± Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re really too scary!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Pack your things and move out of Sherane Bay Vi!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne was stunned. She did not expect him to chase her away. ¡°Get lost! Move out of here immediately!¡± ¡°Bruce, please forgive me this time!¡± Roxanne cried and tugged at Bruce¡¯s arm in a panic! ¡°Darcy, pack up Ms. Haynes and send her back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Bruce, no! I don¡¯t want to leave!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t dare to do it again. Please forgive me this time!¡± ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth in anger! He hated being schemed against the most! Especially when he was schemed against by a woman! Why did he hate Joanna so much six years ago? It was because he thought that Joanna had schemed against him. Now, he realized how stupid he had been! 10 36 Tue, Fortunately, he reacted in time! He could still make up for it! ¡°Mr Everett, I have packed her things!¡± ¡°Send her back!¡± ¡°Bruce ¡°Ms Haynes, this way, please!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! Bruce, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Roxanne tried to put up a final resistance Unfortunately, Darcy took her arm and dragged her out of Sherane Bay Vi! Soon, Roxanne was back at the Haynes¡¯s house! It was eight in the evening! Roxanne was sent home with her things. ¡°Hey, Roxy, why are you back? Why did you bring your luggage back?¡± Ingrid looked nervous. ¡°Stop asking!¡± ¡°Hurry up and tell Mom what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Bruce chased me out!¡± Roxanne could not help but cover her face and cry! ¡°Ah! How did this happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of the method you told me to use!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did he find out?¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± Roxanneined to Ingrid as she cried, ¡°Look at what bad idea you¡¯vee up with.¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°Did you get his ¡®thing¡®?¡± ¡°I did!¡± ¡°Silly daughter, why would you be afraid of not having a good life in the future since you have gotten what you needed?¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me. Go to the hospital for artificial insemination tomorrow! ¡°As long as you¡¯re pregnant, he won¡¯t be able to deny it even if he wants tol ¡°Even if he wants to go back on his word, Margaret won¡¯t agree!¡± ¡°If that bitch Joanna can win his heart with children, so can you!¡± ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t this too risky?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the risk? As long as you can give birth to a child for the Everett family. Even if you only get a portion of their family assets, it¡¯s enough for you to live happily for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give birth to his child, the Everett family¡¯s assets will be taken by that damn bitch Joanna!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. No matter what, we can¡¯t let that slut Joanna get what is supposed to be mine!¡± Chapter 181 Chapter 181 The following day Ingrid apanied Roxanne to the maternity and children care center! Bruce¡¯s semen had already been frozen! Roxanne also began to do various tests and got her hormone injections! As long as the ovtion was sessful, artificial insemination could be carried out! ¡°Mom, are we really going to do this?¡± Roxanne still couldn¡¯t make up her mind. Ingrid sneered. ¡°Silly girl, we have alreadye this far. Is there any room for regret?¡± ¡°Now, you can¡¯t retreat even a little, no matter what! Even if you die, you have to die as a part of the Everett family!¡± On Joanna¡¯s side, she had also begun to look forwyers to prepare for thewsuit! She had just found awyer. But before she could sue the Everett family, she had already received a summon letter from the court. Thewyer hired by the Everett family also looked for her for a final negotiation. Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang ¡°Hello!¡± Joanna answered the call. ¡°Hello, Ms. Haynes. I¡¯m Jameson, the Everett family¡¯swyer! ¡°Margaret Everett entrusted me to conduct a finalmunication and negotiation with you regarding the children¡¯s custody!¡± When Joanna heard this, she took a deep breath. ¡°Speak!¡± Mr. Jameson paused for a moment and said in a deep voice, ¡°What Margaret means is to give you 40 million dors to give up the children¡¯s custody!¡± ¡°Of course! Your daughter can stay by your side. The Everett family only wants custody of the two boys. That¡¯s fairer!¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Joanna could not help but sneer. ¡°Please tell Margaret that no matter what, I will not give up custody of the children!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, you have to think carefully about the consequences of going against the Everett family. The oue is very disadvantageous to you. It¡¯s very likely that you won¡¯t get anything. I advise you to consider epting the Everett family¡¯s marypensation!¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°The Everett family has a big business power indeed. But do they think they can bully me because of this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree to the negotiation. Report to Margaret that everything will be carried out ording to the legal process!¡± ¡°In that case, we can only follow the normal procedure!¡± Soon! Joanna also hired awyer and sent awyer¡¯s letter to the Everett family. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Brycen!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ms. Haynes¡¯swyer! 10:36 Tue, 4 E 93% ¡°You¡¯ve already detained Ms. Haynes¡¯s children. This is already illegal imprisonment! If you want to file awsuit, we¡¯ll be willing to meet you at the court at any time! ¡°We will do our best to protect our rights and interests. The Everett family will have to pay the price for this and bear the children¡¯s support fees for many years¡­¡± The two topwyers began to negotiate, but neither gave in! Both parties had no choice but to go through the judicial process! Both sides sued each other in court. The Everett family had a top international legal team. Joanna had also hired Greyport¡¯s top legal team to fight thiswsuit. After Bruce found out, he felt exceptionally helpless! He didn¡¯t want his rtionship with Joanna to be so strained! Their rtionship had just improved a little. Now, because of the children¡¯s custody issue, they were fighting again. Unfortunately, Margaret was a very stubborn person. Joanna was also a stubborn person! Margaret would definitely not agree to give up custody of the children! Joanna would disagree since Margaret had forcefully taken custody of the children like this! Bruce was really in a headache. He had no choice but to go to court because of the custody issue! The day of the court was next month! Coincidentally, it was New Year¡¯s next month. Now that things had turned out like this, both parties were annoyed. Meanwhile, Joanna was in the Haynes Group. Although there was awsuit to be fought, work still had to continue. In the office, Joanna was dealing with business matters! Bang! Bang! Cora knocked on the door and came in. As soon as Cora entered, she said nervously, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is here¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Bruce had already barged in with a cold expression! ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Cora and the other two employees did not dare to disobey and could only leave the office with worried expressions. When Joanna saw this, her heart tightened, and she subconsciously stood up from her office chair. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing in my office?¡± Bruce¡¯s anger was obvious. He strode toward Joanna and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Joanna, do you have to do this?¡± ¡°Bruce, the Everett family wanted to do it the hard way! ¡°You once promised me that you wouldn¡¯t fight with me for custody of the children! But now that you¡¯ve gone back on your word, I can only do this!¡± E 93% Bruce took a deep breath and tried his best to be patient ¡°Grandma is old. Can¡¯t you understand her feelings?¡± Joanna red at Bruce angrily ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m also a mother. Why can¡¯t you understand my feelings?¡± When Bruce heard this, he instantly lost control of his temper. ¡°I¡¯m the children¡¯s father! The children don¡¯t belong to you alone. ¡°I told you, if you want to see the children, I can bring the children to see you anytime!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too much for you to detain my children like this!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were red with anger, ¡°Joanna, can we talk calmly?¡± Bruce suppressed his anger and looked at Joanna with frustration. He wanted to get back together with her! However, he, who had always been arrogant, did not know how to say the words to get her to remarry him! However, this damn woman was not tactful and did not understand his thoughts. She only misunderstood that he wanted to snatch the children away! Joanna frowned and stared at Bruce coldly. ¡°Sure, send my children back first!¡± When Bruce heard this, he could no longer suppress his temper. He stepped forward, grabbed her arms, and shook them a few times. ¡°Your children! Your children? I¡¯ll tell you onest time! ¡°The children don¡¯t belong to you alone. Without me, you won¡¯t be able to give birth to even a child!¡± Joanna¡¯s bones were about to fall apart from the shaking. She struggled with all her might to break free. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t you dare challenge my bottom line again!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes suddenly shed with a hint of ruthlessness. ¡°Let go of me. Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Joanna panicked and only wanted to break free from his control! Looking at her resistance, Bruce¡¯s desire burned as if a ferocious beast had possessed him. ¡°Joanna, you really make me angry!¡± As he spoke, he wrapped his arms around her and trapped her firmly in his arms. He lowered his head This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. and kissed her lips! ¡°Mm¡­ You bastard¡­¡± Joanna panicked even more as he carried her up. Bruce pressed her hard against the desk¡­. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t touch me again. Ah! Let go of me!¡± ¡°Joanna, have I been too tolerant of you recently, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Today, I will punish you severely!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna was like a fish that had been pped ashore. She struggled and resisted in fear. Unfortunately, in front of Bruce, any resistance was futile. Desperation overtook her rationale! Joanna reached for the pen holder on the desk, took it, and smashed it on Bruce¡¯s head. ¡°Bang!¡± Bruce suffered a heavy blow, and his uncontroble emotions calmed down a little While he was in a daze, Joanna struggled to break free from his control Tue, 4 ¡°Bruce, if you touch me again, I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡± Joanna¡¯s face was filled with anger and panic. Her hair and clothes were also in a mess. Bruce rubbed his head and gritted his teeth. ¡°Joanna, I think you really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± As he spoke, Bruce rushed over again. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna was like a frightened bird circling the desk. Then, she ran towards the office door as if she was escaping from something that was endangering her life. Crack! The office door was yanked open. Joanna could not care less about the employees¡® gazes. She ran out in a panic! She had to escape this ce immediately! Otherwise, she would definitely be humiliated by him! She vowed never to let him touch her body again. Bruce saw her run away and chased after her! The two of them ignored everyone¡¯s gazes and chased after each other. Joanna ran to the elevator and rushed downstairs. Bruce was a step toote. He watched her escape. Then, he could not wait for the next elevator to arrive and took the stairs to chase after Joanna. ¡°Oh my god, what are Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Tsk, tsk, tsk. They are putting on a good show every other day in thepany!¡± ¡°It must be Mr. Everett doing that to Miss Haynes again!¡± ¡°Stop talking and get to work!¡± Meanwhile, both of them were already downstairs. Bruce had actually reached the first floor at the same time as Joanna. God knew how he had run down. ¡°Joanna, stop right there.¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯te over!¡± The elevator was closer to the door. Joanna ran out of the elevator and ran out of thepany. They were now on the street. People wereing and going, and there was a lot of traffic. Joanna only wanted to avoid Bruce and leave quickly. In a panic, she wanted to cross the road and go to the downtown area opposite. She would definitely be able to get rid of him when they reached the downtown area. §¦- 10:36 Tue, 4 Jul T Joanna had just rushed into the middle of the road! Coincidentally, a car bumped into her at high speed. Moreover, this car was driving in the opposite direction. The driver was probably drunk. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna screamed, but it was toote to dodge. ¡°Joanna, be careful!¡± Bruce had also arrived beside her. He grabbed her arm, making her turn back suddenly. The car whizzed past! Although it did not hit Joanna, the front of the car still brushed past her. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna fell from the inertia and rolled a few times before stopping. The car did not stop and drove away. ¡°How the hell is he driving?¡± Bruce was so scared that his face turned pale. He rushed to Joanna¡¯s side. The cars behind them were also forced to stop. They stuck their heads out to see what was going on. Joanna was thrown to the ground. Her arms and knees were injured. Shey on the ground and could not get up for a long time. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Bruce carried her up and checked her injuries. Joanna groaned in pain and struggled to stand up. Unfortunately, before she could stand up, she fell weakly again. Generally speaking, very few people drove like this. It was obvious that the driver had wanted to hit her on purpose! Fortunately, Bruce pulled her back in time. Otherwise, she would have knocked off just now. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Bruce was terrified. He asked anxiously, ¡°Are you alright? Let me take a look¡­..¡± Joanna¡¯s arms and knees were injured badly and they were even bleeding. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡± ¡°No need! I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°There¡¯s so much blood. We have to hurry to the hospital to bandage it!¡± Joanna tried her best to stand up. ¡°I already said I¡¯m fine!¡± She would rather go to the hospital herself than let him send her. Bruce could not be bothered to say anything else. He bent down and picked her up horizontally! Joanna could not struggle and could only let it be. Her suspicion grew! The driver had clearly bumped into her on purpose! Who could it be? Was he hired by Ingrid? That was very likely. Other than Ingrid, no one else would want her dead! Bruce couldn¡¯t care less. He left the bodyguard to track down the driver. Then, he personally drove Joanna to the hospital. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Joanna was quickly sent to the emergency room! Bruce was waiting anxiously outside! He waited for half an hour. The doctor came out of the emergency room. ¡°Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°How is it? Is she alright?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡¯s wound has been bandaged. It¡¯s just some superficial wounds, and no bones are injured. She¡¯ll be fine after recuperating for a while!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was finally relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Then, Bruce rushed into the ward to see Joanna¡­. Meanwhile, Joanna was in the ward. The doctor had bandaged her wound. She was now lying on the hospital bed and getting her drips injected. Although it was only a superficial wound, she still had to get anti¨Cinmmatory drips for a few days to prevent infection. ¡°Joanna, can you calm down a little? Look at how dangerous it was just now!¡± Bruce sat at the head of the bed and could not help but scold. Joanna leaned against the hospital bed and did not say a word! She was still thinking about the ident just now! ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Do you hear me?¡± Joanna nced at Bruce coldly. ¡°What did you say?¡± Seeing how distracted she was, Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you anymore!¡± When Joanna heard this, she did not continue asking The atmosphere fell into awkward silence again! Meanwhile, the driver, who had hit and run, was now somewhere else. He had already driven out of the suburbs and immediately changed to another fake license te! The car he was driving just now had someone else¡¯s license te on it. Even if surveince cameras captured it, it would not be easy to find out. ¡°Damn it. It was such a good opportunity, and I actually failed!¡± The killer was a taxi driver in his fifties! He had been following Joanna for two days. He was so close to killing Joanna! Wace and Oscar did not dare to do it themselves. They spent 200 thousand dors to hire an assassin to kill Joanna! This assassin had waited below the office for two days, waiting for Joanna to appear and cause a car ident. Anyway, he already had cancer and didn¡¯t have long to live. He wanted to earn these 200 thousand dors for his children! Joanna was still in the hospital. She had just finished injecting the drips. The two of them sulked for more than an hour. ¡°Go back!¡± ¡°How can I go back when you¡¯re so badly injured?¡± ¡°Joann, can¡¯t you be as gentle as before?¡± Bruce gulped. A trace of gentleness could not help but appear in his eyes. He reached out and gently touched her hair! When Joanna heard this, her entire body trembled as she looked at Bruce in horror! ¡°Bruce, stop pretending to be merciful and nice!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m your ex¨Chusband and the father of your children!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and turned her head away. She did not want to talk to him anymore! Knock Knock! There was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± Tracy and Kelly opened the ward door and pushed the pram in. 10 37 Tue, ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯ve brought clothes for you to change into!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression instantly rxed when he saw his daughter. ¡°Lilia, my baby!¡± He had not seen his little darling for more than half a month. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy, what happened to you?¡± ¡°Mommy¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°Give daddy a hug!¡± Bruce said as he picked up his daughter. ¡°Daddy, why haven¡¯t youe to see me for so many days?¡± ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Bruce subconsciously nced at Joanna! It was all this damn woman¡¯s fault for not agreeing to let him visit his daughter. Otherwise, why would he not visit his baby for so long? Compared to his sons, he naturally doted on this darling little daughter of his more! Lilia blinked her big eyes and said cutely, ¡°Daddy, I know you¡¯re very busy with work. I won¡¯t be angry with you!¡± ¡°Give me a kiss!¡± Smack! Lilia kissed him hard on the face and smiled brightly! Bruce looked at his daughter¡¯s smile, and his heart almost melted! He silently reached out and rubbed his daughter¡¯s leg! Such a cute child did not know how to walk! That really made him heartbroken! His daughter was actually a cripple! He made up his mind to invite all the authoritative doctors in the world. No matter what, he had to treat his daughter¡¯s leg! Bruce was intimate with his daughter when the smell of perfume suddenly gushed toward them. Roxanne walked past the ward. When she saw Bruce, she deliberately walked in with a surprised expression. ¡°Bruce, why are you in the hospital?¡± Bruce looked up and saw Roxanne! At this moment, she was still holding a pile of test results in her hand. ¡°Roxanne, what are you doing in the hospital?¡± ¡°I came to the hospital to get a checkup!¡± ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°Bruce, I have good news for you!¡± Roxanne smiled brightly. Bruce was stunned. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant!¡± Boom! 10:37 Tue, 4 July When Bruce heard this, he froze! Roxanne was pregnant? How could she be pregnant? ¡°You¡¯re pregnant? How is that possible?¡± Bruce stood up subconsciously and looked at Roxanne in disbelief. ¡°I was just about to call and tell you. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I have just tested, and the doctor said I have conceived the baby for about two weeks!¡± ¡°Whose child is that?¡± Roxanne pretended to look aggrieved and said carefully, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really muddle¨Cheaded. It is our child!¡± ¡°Our child?¡± Bruce was so shocked that his scalp went numb! He hadn¡¯t even slept with her. How could she be pregnant? ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s really your child!¡± ¡°Stop fooling around. We¡¯ve never had sex before. How can we have a child?¡± ¡°Bruce, have you really forgotten what happened that night?¡± ¡°Roxanne, don¡¯t talk nonsense here!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything that night.¡± When Roxanne heard this, tears instantly welled up in her eyes. ¡°Bruce, do you not want to admit it? ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can do a paternity test after the child is born. This child is really yours!¡± When Bruce heard this, his throat was dry, and he was dumbfounded! He had no memory of that night! However, when he went to shower the next day, he found that his body was sticky like he had really Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. slept with Roxanne! Chapter 183 Chapter 183 However, he really could not remember the process! It was impossible for him to really do it with him in a drowsy mode! ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t you happy? I thought you would be happy!¡± Roxanne said aggrievedly as she tugged at Bruce¡¯s sleeve with a pitiful expression. ¡°Roxanne, my mind is in a mess. Let me calm down!¡± As Bruce spoke, he ced Lilia back into the pram. His brain was still trying to recall what had happened that night. ¡°Bruce, we¡¯ve been in love for so long. Now that we have the gem of our love, this is a gift from the heavens!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was even more annoyed. ¡°Roxy, go back first! Let me calm down!¡± ¡°If the child is really mine, I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna looked at the two of them coldly and said, ¡°If you want to discuss something, please go out and discuss it!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she put away the grievance on her face and looked at Joanna with tears shimmering in her eyes. ¡°Sister, please give up on Bruce!¡± ¡°My child is really Bruce¡¯s!¡± ¡°Sister, don¡¯t interfere in our rtionship anymore. The doctor said that I¡¯m also pregnant with twins. I don¡¯t want to be a single mother! Sister, I¡¯m begging you this time!¡± Roxanne sobbed and rubbed her lower abdomen asionally, making herself look as pitiful and helpless as possible. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. When Joanna heard this, she felt molten anger surging through her likeva, burning her heart until it was unbearable. ¡°Roxanne, I think you have mistaken! You should persuade Bruce to stop bugging me!¡± Roxanne sneered deep down and could not help but curse in her heart, ¡°Damn bitch, if it weren¡¯t for you, Bruce wouldn¡¯t have changed his mind! ¡°You¡¯re still pretending to be obedient after taking advantage of me. How disgusting. Bitch, bitch, bitch!¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart was filled with hatred, but she still had a weak and pitiful expression on her face. ¡°Sister, as long as you quit, Bruce won¡¯t disown the children I bore, nor will he abandon me! ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve already snatched Bruce once. Don¡¯t snatch Bruce again this time! Without Bruce, I won¡¯t be able to live. Boohoo¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt irritated and snapped. ¡°Stop talking¡­ This is definitely impossible¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, do you not want to acknowledge our children because you have my sister¡¯s children? ¡°I am really bearing your child. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can draw amniotic fluid for a paternity test after the fetus is four months old!¡± She was artificially inseminated, so the children were naturally Bruce. No matter how he investigated, those were his children. Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously frowned! It seemed like he had really slept with Roxanne that night. Unexpectedly, she got pregnant. This was bad. He really couldn¡¯t get rid of her even if he wanted to! Bruce took the test report from Roxanne and looked at it. It showed that she was two weeks pregnant. Roxanne was really pregnant! ¡°Roxanne, I need to calm down. Why don¡¯t you go back first? It happened too suddenly. I need to sort it out!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne tugged at Bruce¡¯s sleeve innocently. Bruce shoved his sleeve angrily. His expression was terrifyingly cold. ¡°I told you to go back first. Don¡¯t you understand my words?¡± Looking at Bruce¡¯s extremely cold expression, Roxanne did not dare to continue pestering him! ¡°Alright then! I know this matter is too sudden. Bruce, think about it carefully. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After saying that, Roxanne red at Joanna as she left angrily and helplessly. ¡°Joanna, there¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± Bruce tried to exin to Joanna. However, in this situation, any exnation seemed useless! Joanna coldly turned her head away! The news of Roxanne being pregnant was not a rare thing for her. Bruce had been with Roxanne for so long, so it was normal for Roxanne to be pregnant! ¡°Bruce, hurry up and deal with your matter with Roxannel¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes and spoke out carefully, ¡°Daddy, are you going to marry that auntie just now? ¡°Will you still visit Lilia after you marry that auntie?¡± ¡°Sweetheart, whether Daddy gets married or not, I will visit you!¡± ¡°Tracy, please take Lilia out first!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Tracy replied and quickly carried Lilia away. Only the two of them were left in the room. Bruce put down his arrogance and looked at Joanna intently. ¡°Joann, listen to me. The rtionship between me and Roxanne is not what you think!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin to me. This is between the two of you. There¡¯s no need to tell me, and I¡¯m not interested in listening!¡± ¡°No, you must listen!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing between us!¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Why would she believe him? He had never been an abstinent man. It could even be said that he was an energetic man! He and Roxanne had been in love for six years. Even a fool wouldn¡¯t believe it if he told others that the two of them had never slept. ¡°That night was an ident. She drugged me¡­¡± Bruce really wanted to exin. ¡°Bruce, stop talking! This is your business. I¡¯m not interested in listening! ¡°I¡¯m tired now and want to sleep for a while. You can go out first!¡± When Bruce heard this, he shut his mouth in frustration. The room fell silent again! Joanna closed her eyes. She did not want to hear anything more from him! No matter whether he had that kind of rtionship with Roxanne or not, it had nothing to do with her! Joanna had stopped loving him long ago and had already taken him off her life. She was not interested in his affairs with other women! ¡°Alright! Rest well!¡± After saying that, Bruce turned around and left the ward! He had to figure out what was going on. Ring! Ring! Bruce immediately took out his phone and called Roxanne. The call went through quickly. ¡°Hello, Bruce!¡± ¡°Where are you now? I have something to tell you!¡± ¡°What is it? I¡¯m already on my way home!¡± Bruce took a deep breath. After pondering for a moment, he said coldly, ¡°You can¡¯t have the baby. Go and abort it!¡± It was silent on the other end of the call. After a long while, Roxanne¡¯s heart¨Cwrenching cry could be heard. ¡°Bruce, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°I said, go have an abortion!¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s our baby. No matter what, I won¡¯t have an abortion! ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t be so cruel. This is our child. Are you actually going to kill our child now? ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry yet. We all took drugs that night. I¡¯m afraid these children are unhealthy. We can¡¯t keep them!¡± Bruce was afraid that Roxanne would do something out of line, so he could only find an excuse. When Roxanne heard this, she cried until she was out of breath. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really too ruthless!¡± ¡°If I have to abort these children, I¡¯d rather die with them!¡± With that, Roxaline hung up! After hanging up the phone, Roxanne stopped crying. She sneered and stroked her abdomen smugly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for me to get pregnant, and you want me to abort the child? Hmph, unless you give me at least 2 billion aspensation!¡± News spread quickly! Magaret soon knew Roxanne was pregnant. ¡°Call Bruce and ask him toe back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The butler quickly called Bruce and urged him to return to the Everett mansion. Margaret was waiting for him there. At seven o¡¯clock in the evening, Bruce returned in frustration! They were at the dining table. ¡°Grandma, why did you call me back in such a hurry?¡± Margaret looked at her grandson worriedly. ¡°Bruce, I heard that Roxy is pregnant!¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He did not know how to exin. ¡°Grandma, her pregnancy was an ident!¡± ¡°Whether it was an ident or not, is this child yours?¡± Bruce put down the cutlery. ¡°This child came out of nowhere. She insisted that it was mine. I guess so!¡± ¡°Well. That¡¯s all we need to know. ¡°This is a joyous asion. No matter what, we have to let her give birth to the child!¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Bruce paused. He was extremely annoyed. He really didn¡¯t want Roxanne to give birth to his child! He would rather not have any children than let her give birth to his! Margaret sighed and said earnestly, ¡°Listen to Grandma. Bring Roxy to Everett Mansion and take good care of her! ¡°Since she is already pregnant, you should quickly register your marriage with her!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. He said in frustration, ¡°Grandma, the situation is a littleplicated now! ¡°Grandma knows what you¡¯re worried about. ¡°Are you still thinking about that girl Joanna?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything, which was admitting it. Seeing this, Margaret sighed again. ¡°After these few conversations, Grandma realized Joanna¡¯s temper is hard and stubborn! ¡°But you¡¯re an impatient person too. I¡¯m afraid your personalities don¡¯t get along! Since you¡¯ve divorced her, it might not be bad! ¡°Roxy is gentle and innocent. Her personalityplements yours! She is good in every way except for having a shrewish and unscrupulous mother!¡± ¡°But I got over it. She is her, and her mother¡¯s her mother! As long as the two of you get on, nothing will be a problem!¡± ¡°You and Roxy Have dragged on your rtionship for so long. Now, you have to take responsibility!¡± Margaret rambled on. The more Brace listened, the more impatient he became. However, he could not argue with his grandmother, so he could only lower his head in frustration! Grandma still knew too little about the two of them! Roxanne was much more dishonest than Joanna. Her simple persona had also deceived him in the past. If she really gave birth to his child now, he would be stuck with her for the rest of his life! At the thought of this, he was annoyed. Looking at his grandson¡¯s absent¨Cminded expression, Margaret was extremely angry. ¡°I am talking to you. Are you listening?¡± ¡°Bring Roxy over. Grandma wants to have a good talk with her!¡± Bruce pursed his lips and sighed. He probed, ¡°Grandma, since Roxy is pregnant¡­ why don¡¯t we let Joanna¡¯s children return to their mother?¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 When Margaret heard that, she immediately widened her eyes. ¡°That won¡¯t do. They are also the children of the Everett family! ¡°I will never favor one over the other. Since they are all children of the Everett family, I will treat everyone well and dote on them equally! ¡°The trial is starting next month. This time, we must get the children¡¯s custody!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce knew that he could not persuade his grandmother, so he could not be bothered to convince her anymore! After all, his grandmother was old and sick. He did not want to anger her. ¡°Where are the children? I¡¯ll go and see them!¡± ¡°They¡¯re upstairs.¡± When Bruce heard this, he did not say anything else and walked straight to the second floor! Crack! Bruce pushed open the door to the two little guys¡® room! The two little fellows stayed in the room dejectedly and unhappily! To prevent the two little fellows from sneaking out of the Everett family again, the Everett family¡¯s various securities were very strict now. The windows of the room were all installed with protectives! Surveince cameras were installed in the room, and there were people watching them 24 hours a day. Every move of the two little guys was monitored, and there was no chance of them sneaking out. ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± Bruce walked in. When he looked, he realized that the two little guys had lost much weight! Although the children were taken care of by arge group of servants, they still visibly lost a lot of weight. Davian looked at Bruce. His entire body was filled with a murderous aura, and his eyes were red. ¡°Big bad wolf, we want to go home. We want to see Mommy!¡± ¡°Your mommy¡­¡± Bruce paused for a moment, not knowing how tofort the two children! ¡°Bad guy, when are you going to let us go?¡± Davian asked angrily. His little face puffed up like an angry pufferfish. Irvin¡¯s personality was more extroverted, and he was a smart little boy. He quickly pouted and looked at Bruce pitifully. ¡°Daddy, can you send us home? ¡°We miss Mommy and sister very much. We don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. Please send us back, okay?¡± Irvin said pitifully and blinked at Bruce obediently. ¡°Just bear with it for a few more days. You¡¯ll be able to see your mommy soon¡­¡± It was pointless. Meanwhile, Joanna was still in the hospital. Joanna had just changed her dressing, and her entire body was still in great pain! Creek! The door of the ward was pushed open! Joanna looked up and saw Jaydon Jaydon walked in with arge bouquet of lilies. Then, he ced the flowers on the bedside table and looked at Joanna with a serious expression. ¡°Joann, what happened?¡± ¡°Jay, why are you here?¡± ¡°I heard something happened to you, so I rushed from Mossbourne to visit you! ¡°How did this happen?¡± Joanna smiled andforted Jaydon. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just identally got hit by a car!¡± Jaydon looked at her body and saw her arms and knees wrapped in thick gauze. It was obvious that it was very serious! ¡°You¡¯re injured so badly, yet you still say you¡¯re fine!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± ¡°How is the factory at Mossbourne, Jay?¡± Jaydon sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the factory. Everything is working normally!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt much more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s good. You must have been exhausted recently, right? It¡¯s been hard on you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to sue the Everett family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned gloomy as she sighed! ¡°When is the trial?¡± ¡°The 15th of next month!¡± ¡°Have you found awyer?¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already employed one!¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna gloomily. ¡°If the children are given to the Everett family, what will you do?¡± ¡°If the children are really sentenced to the Everett family, I¡¯ll keep appealing! No matter what, I won¡¯t give up the custody of the children!¡± Hearing this, Jaydon¡¯s handsome face turned gloomy. ¡°Bruce is really a bastard!¡± ¡°Stop talking about him. I don¡¯t want to talk about him!¡± *Joann¡­¡± Jaydon held Joanna¡¯s hand with passion! ¡°No matter what happens, take care of yourself! ¡°Look at you. You¡¯ve lost so much weight again!¡± Joanna smiled at Jaydon. ¡°You too! Take care of yourself!¡± ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll go buy you something to eat!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°You¡¯re injured now. You have to eat more nutritious food! What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡± Joanna thought for a moment. ¡°I want to eat Honeymoon Dessert¡¯s spaghetti. Please ask them to add more pepper sauce.¡± She did not have much of an appetite now. Her mouth was bitter, and she really wanted to cat something to warm her stomach! ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go buy it now!¡± Jaydon said and went out to buy porridge! Jaydon had just left the ward. In less than five minutes, Bruce came again! ¡°Joanna!¡± Joanna looked up, and her face turned gloomy. ¡°Bruce, why are you here again?¡± Bruce sneered and sat down at the head of the bed. ¡°Why? Do you hate seeing me so much?¡± ¡°You should be apanying your fianc¨¦e at this time!¡± When Bruce heard this, his expression turned cold. ¡°Joanna, can we at least talk to each other nicely?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes impatiently. ¡°Bruce, stop talking nonsense! It¡¯s useless!¡± ¡°Why are you always like this? You¡¯re never willing to listen to what others have to say!¡± Joanna straightened her expression and looked at Bruce coldly. She knew what he wanted to say even if he didn¡¯t say it! However, she did not want to hear anything now! She didn¡¯t want to talk to Bruce at all! ¡°Bruce, you will have many children in the future. There will also be many women willing to bear your children! ¡°Can you give me back my babies?¡± ¡°Do you only care about your children?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°My children are more important to me than anything else!¡± Bruce felt a lump in his throat and fell silent again! This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The atmosphere in the ward froze again! The two of them were silent and angry at each other. Twenty minutes had passed! Creek! The door of the ward was pushed open! Jaydon walked in hurriedly. ¡°Joann, I bought you the food¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Jaydon¡¯s gaze met a pair of cold eyes! Bruce¡¯s face darkened when he saw Jaydon. ¡°Jaydon, why are you here?¡± ¡°Heh. No wonder you¡¯re in such a hurry to ask me to leave! ¡°So you¡¯re going to meet your lover?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t stay here anymore! Hurry up and leave!¡± ¡°Looks like you really can¡¯t leave Jaydon!¡± ¡°Bruce, shut the fuck up!¡± ¡°Jay, don¡¯t argue with him for nothing!¡± Bruce red at Joanna. ¡°Joanna, you ignored everything I told you!¡± ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s my freedom to date whoever I want. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Alright, alright! I can¡¯t do anything about it!¡± Bruce mmed the door and left! ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°Ignore him. He is insane!¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Jaydon sighed slightly! Now, under the suppression of Bruce, Starlight Media was really taking one step at a time! If the movie hispany invested in could not be released, his investment would be wasted! Two of the celebrities that hispany supported had also been poached, Bruce caused all of this! Joanna had naturally heard of these things. Unfortunately, she was also in a difficult situation now. She could not even protect herself and could not help him at all! ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Jaydon smiled when he heard this. He wasn¡¯t too mncholic. In any case, he came out to do business to gain experience. Even if he lost all his money, it did not matter. At most, he would return to the family business. However, he hated his father very much. He hated his father for being heartless to her mother, causing her to take things too hard andmit suicide! Therefore, even though he was his father¡¯s most beloved son, he still did not want to be too close to his father. ¡°What do you mean by implicating me? It¡¯s just a small matter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Get up and eat the food I bought you!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon with disappointment and guilt. Jaydon ced the porridge on the small dining table on the bed and handed her the fork and spoon. At the same time, heforted her. ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll go north and shift the focus of our business to Mossbourne! ¡°The market for Mossbourne is better now. When we are in Mossbourne, even if Bruce wants to y dirty tricks, it probably won¡¯t be of much use!¡± Joanna felt it made sense after pondering. Now that Mossbourne was developing rapidly, all kinds of industries were blooming everywhere! Although Greyport was a special economic zone, it was already declining! Many things could no longer be maintained. It was wise to shift their focus to Mossbourne as soon as possible! ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you during this period of time!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Hurry up and eat your porridge. It¡¯s getting cold!¡± Jaydon bought porridge and a few snacks, urging Joanna to eat more. He was always considerate and cared for the people around him. Joanna did not say anything else. She took a spoon and ate a few mouthfuls silently! When thewsuit against Bruce was over, she would shift all her focus to Mossbourne. Meanwhile, things were not going well with Bruce either! After Bruce left the hospital, he was still gritting his teeth in anger! No wonder Joanna was so confident. She had Jaydon backing her, so she naturally did not need him anymore. He had often made things difficult for Joanna, and Jaydon had gotten someone to settle it for her! Although Jaydon was not as rich as him, he was still the son of Venturas¡¯s richest man. To put it bluntly, Jaydon had money in his hands. Even if his filmpany fell, the assets in his hands were enough for him to make aeback! Bruce could not endure his anger and called Mark directly. Ring! Ring! Mark saw that it was Bruce calling and quickly picked up. ¡°Mr. Everett, what can I do for you?¡± Bruce took a deep breath and said gloomily, ¡°I want Jaydon¡¯s filmpany to disappear from Greyport! I want hispany to close down at all costspletely!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think of a way¡­¡± After hanging up, Bruce was still furious! Ring! Ring! Ring! The phone rang again! Bruce took a look. The call was from the butler of Everett Mansion. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett just ordered me to ask you to return tonight.¡± ¡°What does grandma want this time?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ She did not say anything. She just wanted you toe back tonight.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it!¡± Bruce hung up the phone in frustration. He had been in a bad mood for the past few days and did not want to return to Everett Mansion! However, since his grandmother had already ordered, he did not dare to disobey. It was seven in the evening. Bruce returned to the Everett mansion. ¡°Wee back, Mr. Everett!¡± The servants nodded in greeting. Bruce¡¯s face darkened as he asked impatiently, ¡°Where¡¯s grandma?¡± ¡°Oh, Mrs. Everett is talking to Ms. Haynes!¡± When Bruce heard this, his brows furrowed. ¡°Ms. Haynes?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Hayngs is currently talking to Mrs. Everett in the living room!¡± Bruce frowned and walked straight to the living room. They were indeed there. Margaret sat in her wheelchair with a smile on her face. Roxanne sat obediently at the side, listening to Margaret seriously like a primary school student listening to her teacher speaking in ss! ¡°You have to be careful with this first child, especially during the first three months. You have to be extremely careful! ¡°Move in here tomorrow. Grandma will arrange for someone to take care of you!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she smiled sweetly. ¡°Alright, thank you, Grandma!¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing this, Bruce became even more frustrated and walked over. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Roxanne immediately stood up to wee him. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re back!¡± Bruce nced at Roxanne coldly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Seeing Bruce¡¯s unhappy expression, Roxanne said carefully, ¡°Grandma called me over!¡± After saying that, Roxanne looked at Margaret timidly! Margaret pursed her lips and shouted at her grandson, ¡°I was the one who called Roxy and asked her toe! ¡°Roxy is pregnant now. You have to be especially careful! I I¡¯ll get her to move here and arrange for someone to take care of her personally!¡± ¡°Grandma! Why didn¡¯t you discuss it with me?¡± Bruce felt a headache. Margaret snorted. ¡°Will you agree if I discuss it with you? ¡°I¡¯m not criticizing you, but you¡¯re getting more and more outrageous! Roxy is already pregnant. How can you chase her out of your house? ¡°Listen to grandma. You should register your marriage with her as soon as possible. You¡¯ve been dating her for so long. This marriage can¡¯t dy any longer!¡± Bruce remained silent. Roxanne smiled obediently and quickly replied on behalf of Bruce, ¡°Yes, Grandma!¡± Bruce did not say anything. His eyebrows knitted more! There were some things he didn¡¯t know how to tell his grandmother. In particr, Grandma¡¯s health was so poor now that she could not take any stimtion. He didn¡¯t want to make his grandmother angry either! ¡°Bruce, you should move into the Everett mansion and stay with Grandma!¡± Bruce blurted out, ¡°There¡¯s no need! for that¡± When Margaret heard this, he was extremely displeased. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to spend more time with Grandma?¡± ¡°No, it is too busy at work¡­¡± Roxanne interrupted him. ¡°Bruce, Grandma is old and needs morepany! ¡°No matter how busy you are with work, it¡¯s not as important as Grandma¡¯s health! Let¡¯s listen to Grandma and move over to apany her!¡± When Margaret heard this, she casually praised, ¡°Listen, Roxy is still the sensible one! ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much. Hurry up, and let¡¯s have dinner!¡± Bruce frowned and said resentfully, ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite today. You guys eat first. I¡¯ll go back to my room to rest for a while.¡± Alter saying that, Bruce turned around and walked straight to the second floor. ¡°Brucel¡± Margaret shouted angrily. ¡°Grandma, Bruce might be too tired from work. Let me eat with you!¡± Margaret sighed helplessly. ¡°Hmm, alright! Let¡¯s ignore him and have dinner!¡± After Roxanne apanied Margaret for dinner, she took the initiative toe to Bruce¡¯s room. Bruce was in the room. That man did not even take off his shoes. He justy on the bed and sulked. Roxanne walked carefully to the huge bed. ¡°Bruce! Are you angry with me?¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°No!¡± ¡°I can see that you are! ¡°Bruce, can you not be angry with me? What do I have to do to make you stop being angry with me?¡± Roxanne said as she subconsciously put her hand on Bruce¡¯s arm. ¡°I said I was not angry. Can you stop being annoying?¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Bruce waved his hand impatiently! He sat up straight, lit a cigarette, and took a deep puff! He was really annoyed! Seeing this, Roxanne sniffed and could not help but sob softly. In the past, Bruce would always give in to coax her whenever she cried. But now, seeing her cry, Bruce was even more frustrated. Without another word, he stood up and walked toward the door. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± Roxanne could not be bothered to cry and quickly chased after him. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back. You can¡¯t stay here!¡± When Roxanne heard this, her heart instantly felt like it had fallen into an ice cave. She never expected Bruce to hate her to this extent. ¡°No, Grandma asked me to move here! If I leave like this, Grandma will be sad!¡± Bruce suddenly stopped and turned around coldly. ¡°Roxanne, there¡¯s no love between us anymore. Do you understand?¡± Roxanne looked at Bruce pitifully and tried to hold his hand. ¡°Bruce, give me another chance. Can you please give me another chance?¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 ¡°I will definitely make you fall in love with me again. I will do very well. If sister can do it, I can do it all!¡± ¡°Roxanne, why don¡¯t you understand? It was a misunderstanding from the beginning. I never loved you!¡± ¡°You were the one who reced Joanna. You made me misunderstand Joanna for so many years!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she felt like a knife had stabbed her heart! She did not want to believe that Bruce had never loved her. ¡°Bruce, no matter what. I¡¯m pregnant now, so you have to be responsible for that!¡± When Bruce heard this, he took a deep breath. After pondering for a few seconds, he said coldly and decisively, ¡°Get an abortion!¡± When Roxanne heard this, her tears instantly rolled down her cheeks. She shook Bruce¡¯s arm and cried, ¡°No, I won¡¯t! ¡°Bruce, I beg you, let me give birth to the baby! It¡¯s our child! Do you really have the heart to kill it?¡± ¡°You know what happened that night!¡± After Bruce, he thought about it carefully. It was impossible for him to sleep with Roxanne that night! Even if he was sleepwalking, it was impossible for him not to remember any of it. ¡°Bruce, are you still suspecting me?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t believe it¡¯s your child?¡± Seeing Roxanne¡¯s emotional breakdown, Bruce was extremely frustrated. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She used to threaten him with suicide! If he continued forcing her, she mightmit suicide in the Everett mansion. ¡°Forget it. Do whatever you want! ¡°I¡¯ll tell you onest time. You chose the path yourself. Don¡¯t regret it in the future!¡± After saying that, Bruce left Roxanne and went straight downstairs. He had always been a cold man! When he loved a woman, he could dote on her and give her everything! When he stopped loving the person, he could make her experience what it meant. to be heartless. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± Seeing that Bruce had left, Roxanne hurriedly chased after him. Bruce had just headed downstairs! At the top of the stairs, she met Margaret¡¯s eyes. Margaret was worried that his grandson would quarrel with Roxanne, so she deliberately guarded downstairs. ¡°What are you arguing about?¡± ¡°N¨CNothing!¡± Bruce replied. His gloomy face rxed a little. ¡°You¡¯re holding your coat. Are you going out now?¡± ¡°Oh, I suddenly remembered that I have some work to deal with at the office!¡± Bruce brushed her off. Margaret would not believe his nonsense. ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Why can¡¯t you deal with work tomorrow?¡± ¡°Grandma, Bruce might be too tired from work. Let me eat with you!¡± Margaret sighed helplessly. ¡°Hmm, alright! Let¡¯s ignore him and have dinner!¡± After Roxanne apanied Margaret for dinner, she took the initiative toe to Bruce¡¯s room. Bruce was in the room. That man did not even take off his shoes. He justy on the bed and sulked. Roxanne walked carefully to the huge bed. ¡°Bruce! Are you angry with me?¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°No!¡± ¡°I can see that you are! ¡°Bruce, can you not be angry with me? What do I have to do to make you stop being angry with me?¡± Roxanne said as she subconsciously put her hand on Bruce¡¯s arm. ¡°I said I was not angry. Can you stop being annoying?¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Bruce waved his hand impatiently! He sat up straight, lit a cigarette, and took a deep puff! He was really annoyed! Seeing this, Roxanne sniffed and could not help but sob softly. In the past, Bruce would always give in to coax her whenever she cried. But now, seeing her cry, Bruce was even more frustrated. Without another word, he stood up and walked toward the door. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± Roxanne could not be bothered to cry and quickly chased after him. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back. You can¡¯t stay here!¡± When Roxanne heard this, her heart instantly felt like it had fallen into an ice cave. She never expected Bruce to hate her to this extent. ¡°No, Grandma asked me to move here! If I leave like this, Grandma will be sad!¡± Bruce suddenly stopped and turned around coldly. ¡°Roxanne, there¡¯s no love between us anymore. Do you understand?¡± Roxanne looked at Bruce pitifully and tried to hold his hand. ¡°Bruce, give me another chance. Can you please give me another chance?¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Lilian smiled and said patiently. ¡°If you identally hurt Mrs. Everett or Ms. Haynes, it will be terrible!¡± Davian put his hands on his hips and fired another shot at the ceiling. ¡°If you don¡¯t let us go home, we¡¯ll y like this!¡± Davian and Irvin ran around the hall happily, screaming from time to time! The living room was in a mess! They were not naughty children in the past. But now, they could only use a silly method to make others hate them and send them back to their mother¡¯s side. Margaret couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she looked at the two noisy little guys. She did not forget to remind them with concern, ¡°Be careful and run slower. Don¡¯t fall!¡± Roxanne tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart and smiled innocently. ¡°Grandma, they¡¯re already at the age of kindergarten. Let¡¯s send them to school!¡± ¡°I know! But now is not the time!¡± No matter what, she had to get custody of the children first. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just send them overseas to study? ¡°Children have to be educated. Look at how naughty they are. It might be bad if they grow up mischievous!¡± Roxanne identally revealed her scheme. She refused to ept these two little bastards, especially since they were Joanna¡¯s children. The sight of them made her want to strangle them. When Davian heard Roxanne¡¯s words, he immediately aimed the toy gun at her again. Bang! A small steel ball hit Roxanne¡¯s lower abdomen! Although this was a toy gun, it was extremely stic. It was still very painful when it hit someone. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Roxanne screamed and hurriedly reached out to protect his lower abdomen. It was not easy for her to get pregnant through artificial insemination. If anything happened, all her previous efforts would be in vain. ¡°Hmph. You bad woman! I¡¯m going to shoot you!¡± ¡°Sigh. These two children really have to be educated!¡± ¡°Hurry up and send them back to their room!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The servants did pot dare to hesitate anymore. They hurriedly went forward and carried the two little ones away. Seeing the two children being so noisy, Margaret also had a headache. However, she still couldn¡¯t bear to send the children overseas! Those were the great¨Cgrandsons she had been looking forward to for many years. No matter how naughty they were, she was still happy! ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be angry with the children. Just avoid them in the future!¡± Roxanne smiled awkwardly and squeezed out a grin. ¡°No way. I can¡¯t wait to like them. Why would I be angry with them? ¡°The children are still young. If we spend more time with them in the future, we will definitely get along well!¡± Margaret pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll treat them like my own! Even if I have my children in the future, I won¡¯t be biased!¡± Margaret smiled in satisfaction when she heard that! As long as Roxanne was kind to her two great grandsons, she naturally had nothing to worry about! ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast together!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As Roxanne spoke, she hurriedly walked behind Margaret¡¯s wheelchair and smiled at the servant. ¡°Let me push Grandma!¡± Margaret immediately stopped her. ¡°No need. You¡¯re pregnant now. It¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Roxanne insisted on pushing the wheelchair and Margaret to the dining room. At the same time, Roxanne nced coldly in the direction where the two little ones left as she thought, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll chase you two bastards out!¡± Meanwhile, Bruce had returned to the Everett Group! When Bruce was in thepany, he was a little distracted the entire morning! His mind was filled with thoughts of Joanna. The colder she was to him, the more he couldn¡¯t help but miss her. The thought of her intimacy with Jaydon made him want to go crazy. ¡°Mark, how is it going?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry! We already made arrangements yesterday. Jaydon¡¯s reputation will spread far and wide in less than three days! ¡°Even if his filmpany doesn¡¯t close down, it won¡¯t go far.¡± When Bruce heard this, the anger in his heart finally felt a little better. ¡°Yes, we have to face him head¨C on. Don¡¯t give him a chance to catch his breath, and we have to stop him from clearing his name.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°You can leave!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After Mark left, Bruce leaned against the leather seat with a vicious look on his face. ¡°Jaydon, I¡¯m going to stomp you to death.¡± Meanwhile, Joanna was in the ward. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Joanna spent the night in the hospital, yet several wounds on her body were still seriously injured. But she still insisted on being discharged. ¡°Joann, your injuries are so serious. You should stay for a few more days!¡± Jaydon said worriedly. Joanna changed her dressing and changed into her clothes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m much better now. These are all external injuries. It¡¯s the same to recuperate at home!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with you!¡± Joanna smiled and did not reply! She was in a hurry to return to thepany to deal with work! During the days when Lilia was sick, thepany had already umted many problems! If she did not deal with it quickly, it would be more and more troublesome! Especially since she was about to go to court to face the Everett family¡¯s sue, she had to be prepared in advance and be focused. She could not let herself copse! ¡°Joann, you¡¯re always so strong that it makes my heart ache!¡± ¡°So what if I¡¯m not strong?¡± ¡°I told you, you still have me!¡± ¡°Heh. Thank you, Jay! I¡¯m really lucky to have met you in my life.¡± When Jaydon heard this, a hint of ambiguity appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Joann, you really made me misunderstand!¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing it again!¡± ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll stop talking!¡± Jaydon quickly stopped. Then, he helped Joanna out of the hospital! ¡°Are you going home or back to the office now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go straight to the office!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± It took them half an hour to get there. Jaydon drove Joanna to the Haynes Group. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Grimm!¡± The employees quickly greeted. ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± Joanna and Jaydon entered the office one after another. The female staff at the front desk could not help but gather around to watch the show. ¡°Oh my god, how did Miss Haynes get injured like this?¡± ¡°She was fine yesterday. Why are you so badly injured today?¡± Another receptionist added, ¡°That¡¯s right. She is seriously injured, yet she still wants to work. She is really working too hard!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Haynes reconcile with Mr. Everett a few days ago? I thought they were going to remarry! Why was she with Mr. Grimm in the blink of an eye?¡± A tall customer service staff said enviously, ¡°Miss Haynes¡¯s charm is great. She hooked Mr. Everett and Mr. Grimm at the same time and was managing them well?¡± A few of them were gossiping when Cora walked over with a serious expression. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing!¡± The few of them quickly shut their mouths. After Cora left, they couldn¡¯t help but start chatting again. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. If Miss Haynes hears about this, you¡¯ll be punished!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just envious!¡± 12:03 Wed, 5 Jul o A ¡°It¡¯s better to do more work than anything else!¡± Joanna was back in her office. As soon as Joanna sat by her desk, she couldn¡¯t wait to turn on herputer and start working on a pile of document contracts. Ring! Ring! Ring! Jaydon had just sat down when his phone rang! He took out his phone and saw it was from thepany¡¯s vice president, Owen Robins! Jaydon frowned and answered the call. ¡°Owen, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, bad news. Come back to thepany quickly!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Owen¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Thepany¡¯s fire department has been investigated. Also, the people from the tax bureau havee to investigate!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he frowned and had a bad feeling! The sales fee of Starlight Media had always met the requirement. They had never dared to cut corners. Also, the tax had always been handed in ording to the country¡¯s standards! However, if one wanted to use someone, they could always find loopholes! As long as one wanted to investigate, they could find fault. What¡¯s more, Bruce was secretly tampering with it. It was impossible to guard against it. In the past three days, there had been peopleing to thepany for various inspections! There was no need to guess. He knew that it was Bruce who was behind this! ¡°Take care of it yourself!¡± Jaydon said and wanted to hang up. He did not want to interact with the people from these departments. It was better to let the vice president deal with it. ¡°Mr. Grimm, there¡¯s one more thing!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Owen said anxiously, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the news? Someone posted private photos of you and Carmel Basil online.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already spreading. I¡¯m sending the public rtion to suppress it now!¡± Jaydon couldn¡¯t help but gasp when he heard this. Last night, Jaydon had been taking care of Joanna and had not had the time to watch the news! He didn¡¯t know that he had already be a trending topic on the news. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 ¡°Hurry up and watch the news! The paparazzi took a video of you and Carmel!¡± Boom! When Jaydon heard this, he waspletely stunned! Carmel was a top¨Cnotch artist supported by hispany. She had always been a young and naive idol! Any bit of bad news would be a disaster for her! That was worse for female celebrities. Once scandals about sleeping with someone spread, it would almost be a blow to their career. On the other hand, it took a lot of effort and money for thepany to make a top celebrity popr! Jaydon¡¯s expression changed. He quickly stood up. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll return to thepany immediately!¡± Seeing how flustered Jaydon was, Joanna also became nervous. ¡°Jay, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jaydon still smiled at her. ¡°Erm¡­ There¡¯s a small matter in thepany. I have to go back and settle it!¡± ¡°Is it serious? Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No need. You won¡¯t be able to help me with mypany¡¯s matters!¡± Joanna winked. ¡°Oh. Go ahead and settle it then!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m leaving now. Call me if you need me!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Jaydon left the Haynes Group and hurriedly drove to hispany! Soon, he arrived at the office building! Jaydon parked the car and turned on his phone! At a nce, the inte was filled with photos of him and Carmel together! Their private photos were posted online! The paparazzi were no longer able to take these photos. Moreover, they had posted them online! From this, it could be seen that someone wanted him doomed! Jaydon dared not go through thepany¡¯s main entrance and went up the freight elevator from the side door. Soon, he reached his office secretly. Carmel and a few other managers were all there. They were all sitting with gloomy faces. ¡°Boss, what should we do now?¡± Carmel cried in grief. Starlight Media was surrounded by thousands of reporters! There were even a few who sneaked into thepany. Carmel, as a top female celebrity, the matter of her sleeping with her boss to get famous instantly caused an uproar in the entertainment industry! The naive idol image that she had painstakingly built had copsed entirely! Her acting career was probablying to an end! ¡°Hurry up and get the public rtion team to suppress the news. Also, immediately negotiate with these websites!¡± Owen sighed and said with a frown, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent the public rtion team to suppress it, but they can¡¯t suppress it at all! The ferment on the Inte. is getting more and more serious!¡± Jaydon¡¯s face was gloomy, and his mind was in a mess! At this moment, he was not thinking about thepany but how Joanna would react when she saw these photos. ¡°Oh no! Some other things were exposed online!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he quickly turned on his phone! Sure enough, someone was spreading some rumors online! It was filled with private photos of Jaydon and Carmel and the two other female artists in thepany. This time, it instantly exploded on the Inte! More than ten trending topics about Jaydon were online in less than an hour! ¡°What should we do?¡± Carmel and two other female artists were crying non¨Cstop! Now that so much shocking news had been exposed, their images as naive idols werepletely ruined! However, fortunately, it was only the photos with Jaydon! ¡°Go abroad and get away with this for the time being!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jaydon rushed to the airport under the protection of his bodyguards. Meanwhile, reporters flooded the entrance of thepany. Arge group of entertainment reporters surrounded him. ¡°Mr. Grimm, may I ask what¡¯s going on between you and the female artists in thepany?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm refuses to answer the questions. Make way.¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, when did you start sleeping with Carmel?¡± ¡°Please say something! Are you lovers? Mr. Grimm, aren¡¯t you in a rtionship with Miss Haynes?¡± The reporters¡® siege made Jaydon run away in a pathetic state. Bruce admired Jaydon¡¯s sorry state in the media and smiled smugly! The image of the top celebrities in Jaydon¡¯spany had all been ruined! To him, that was an immeasurable loss! At the same time, Joanna was busy with her work in the Haynes Group. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna¡¯s phone kept vibrating, indicating that someone had sent a message! She took her phone! They were all private photos of Jaydon and female celebrities sent by strangers! Among the photos were indecent photos of Jaydon and Carmel and photos of the female celebrities under hispany! 12:03 Wed, 5 Jul Joanna took a look and subconsciously flipped her hair! Actually, Joanna knew that Jaydon had been dating other women! She had never asked about this before! Now that she saw these photos, she was naturally not too shocked. Joanna was in a daze when Cora knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Miss Haynes, bad news!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of reporters downstairs!¡± When Joanna heard that, she quickly ran to the window and looked down! As expected, outside the building was filled with entertainment reporters! At this moment, Jaydon and Carmel were already on a ne flying overseas! Joanna was his rumored girlfriend. The media reporters naturally had to interview her! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm is in trouble!¡± ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°Look at the news!¡± When Joanna heard this, she quickly opened the browser on her phone! As soon as she opened the browser, all she saw were notifications of the news about Jaydon and the female celebrities! Fire risks, tax evasion risks, intimate photos, and so on. There were all kinds of scandals about Jaydon! Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Justst night, all these scandals were exposed online!¡± ¡°Now, Starlight Media has been closed down!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more shocked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let me call and ask Jay what¡¯s going on!¡± Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna couldn¡¯t care less and hurriedly called Jaydon.. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is not in service. Please try againter!¡± ¡°Jay¡¯s phone is off!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm might have gone overseas! ¡°During this time, Mr. Grimm might not return to Greyport!¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but gasp after hearing this! 12:03 Wed, 5 Jul A She had experienced online abuse before and knew this feeling very well. Only Bruce could prank Jaydon like this and make things happen so quickly! ¡°It must be Bruce!¡± Joanna muttered angrily. Then, she called Bruce. Ring! Ring! Ring! Bruce¡¯s phone rang crazily! He picked up the phone and saw that it was Joanna calling! He didn¡¯t need to ask to know it was definitely because of Jaydon! Otherwise, this damn woman wouldn¡¯t have thought of calling him. The phone rang three times in a row, but Bruce did not pick up! All he did was wait to see how impatient she was. The phone rang for the fifth time. Bruce finally picked upzily! ¡°Hey, why are you looking for me so urgently?¡± Joanna was so angry that her body trembled. She shouted at Bruce through the phone, ¡°Bruce, did you do this?¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°You were the one who did what happened to Jay, right? Why did you mess with him?¡± ¡°Oh my, a righteous person is not afraid of a crooked shadow! If he didn¡¯t do it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall into others¡® trap even if others wanted to set him up!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was pissed off. ¡°Bruce, how could you do this?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I? ¡°Besides, what makes you think I did it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else but you!¡± Bruce chuckled and replied shamelessly, ¡°Alright! I did it. What do you want? Are you going to stand up for him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really despicable. Why did you do this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I¡¯m just doing it to entertain myself. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Bruce was the best at having a sharp tongue and retorting others! Joanna was so angry that she was about to have a heart attack. She would rather he mess with her than implicate Jaydon like this.. ¡°If it¡¯s because of me, I advise you not to do this! ¡°He didn¡¯t offend you. If there¡¯s anything,e to me!¡± Bruce¡¯s tone sank as he said viciously, ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve told you many times and warned you many times. I told you to keep a distance from him. Did you listen to me?¡± ¡°Bruce, can you not be like this? Why do you have to involve others in our matters?¡± ww ¡°I like it. Are you annoyed?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. What do you want?¡± ¡°All I want is to annoy you. Don¡¯t you know very well about what I want?¡± Joanna was trembling in anger. ¡°I beg you, don¡¯t do this again! I¡¯m really afraid of you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote to be afraid now! This is only the beginning. The exciting part is yet toe!¡± m! After saying that, Bruce hung up the call! Chapter 189 Chapter 189 ¡°Hello, hello¡­¡± Joanna called a few times. A busy tone came from the other end of the line. Bruce had already hung up! ¡°Bruce, you damn bastard, What an annoying bastard!¡± Joanna gritted her teeth in anger! But there was nothing she could do! She was nothing and could not win against someone as powerful as Bruce. It was really helpless and powerless topete with Bruce. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Joanna ran her fingers through her hair, filled with frustration and anger! She knew that it was all because of her that Bruce took revenge on Jaydon so crazily! However, she did not expect Bruce to be so crazy and ruthless. Joanna was at a loss. The phone vibrated crazily again. Joanna picked up the phone and looked at it. It was Michael Lawrence, the general manager of the factory in Mossbourne! Joanna calmed herself down and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Michael!¡± Michael¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone! ¡°Miss Haynes, something bad has happened at the factory!¡± When Joanna heard this, his heart skipped a beat. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Someone got into an ident in the factory. An employee was dozing off on the production line and was identally swept into the machine. He has already been rushed to the hospital!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that they did not manage to rescue him¡­¡± Boom! That news was like being struck by lightning! Joanna felt as if she had fallen into an abyss. She could not react for a long time! The factory in Mossbourne had only been open for less than three months, and now someone had actually died! That was really adding insult to injury! ¡°Have you informed the victim¡¯s family?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already¨Cinformed them. The deceased is a university student who just graduated!¡± ¡°Right now, his family is causing a scene in the factory. The factory has already stopped production!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna sighed deeply! ¡°Communicate well with the family members and calm them down first. I¡¯ll head there immediately!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± 12:04 Wed, 5 Jul Joanna didn¡¯t say anything else and hung up. With such a big incident happening in the factory, as the factory¡¯s chairman, she naturally should show her facel E Now that Jaydon had gone abroad, she had to resolve it personally. If this kind of thing were not resolved properly, it would have a huge negative impact on the factory! Cora looked at Joanna with a serious expression. ¡°Miss Haynes, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Pack your luggage immediately and go to Porash with me. Also, inform Mr. Brycen toe with us!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna could not care less. She quickly packed up and prepared to go to the factory in Mossbourne! Twenty minutester¡­ Joanna, Cora, and the others left thepany. As soon as they headed downstairs, arge group of reporters instantly surrounded her. ¡°Ms. Haynes, what do you think about Mr. Grimm¡¯s affair?¡± ¡°As Mr. Grimm is your fianc¨¦e, how do you feel now? Will you break up with Mr. Grimm?¡± Joanna¡¯s face was cold as she replied to the camera, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m just friends with Mr. Grimm!¡± When the entertainment reporters heard this, they asked even more ruthlessly, ¡°Did this cause the two of you to break up?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm and Mr. Everett, which one do you love more? If Mr. Grimm cheats now, will you get back together with Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, say a few more words!¡± The reporters were like flies that had smelled food. They surrounded Joanna frantically, trying to get her to speak! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Although Joanna was not from the entertainment industry, her poprity had already surpassed that of a famous female celebrity. Every few days, her name would upy the top trending list. Her poprity had decreased recently, but she was suddenly pushed to the center of attention again! She was terrified of this feeling. ¡°Miss Haynes refuses to be interviewed! Please make way!¡± Cora stood in front of Joanna and tried her best to protect her. Seven to eight security personnel had formed a human wall to stop the reporters from approaching! Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t stop the crazy reporters at all! The reporters pushed and pushed, and the microphones and cameras smashed Joanna¡¯s head! ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna subconsciously covered her forehead. ¡°All of you, step back!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, are you alright?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s fingers felt sticky. Blood had already flowed out from between her fingers. 12:04 Wed, 5 Jul When the reporters saw this, they did not dare to surround her so crazily anymore. However, they still did not give up and asked, ¡°Ms. Haynes, just say a few words!¡± ¡°Has Mr. Grimm contacted you? I heard that you two are business partners. Will you stop cooperating with him because of this¡­¡± Facing the noisy reporters, Joanna felt exhausted. Her vision turned ck, and her brain short¨C circuited for a moment. ¡°Miss Haynes! Miss Haynes, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Joanna opened her eyelids and felt that there were countless double images before her! Then, she closed her eyes and lost consciousness. Her entire body fell forward.. ¡°Miss Haynes, Miss Haynes¡­¡± Cora shouted anxiously and quickly went to help Joanna up. Unfortunately, Joanna hadpletely lost consciousness and copsed to the ground. Click! Click! When the reporters saw this, they surrounded Joanna and took photos. ¡°All of you, move aside. Hurry up and move aside!¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking Miss Haynes to the hospital!¡± The reporters didn¡¯t seem to hear her as they rushed to take photos. Cora and the security guards could not handle this chaotic situation at all! ¡°All of you, make way. Miss Haynes had already fainted. Do you still have any humanity?¡± Cora was so anxious that she was about to cry! Just as she was feeling anxious, a few luxury cars suddenly drove over. More than 20 burly bodyguards in suits got out of the car one after another. Then, the bodyguards split into two rows and charged forward. They drove the reporters away and forcefully pushed the crowd aside. Bruce wore sunsses and had a gloomy expression on his face. He strode among the bodyguards and walked straight to Joanna! ¡°Oh, my god. It¡¯s Mr. Everett!¡± Click! Click! The camera shes were even more intense! Bruce walked to Joanna¡¯s side. Without a word, he bent down and picked her up horizontally! Under the shocked gazes of the reporters, he carried Joanna into a car! ¡°Mr. Everett, can I interview you for a few seconds¡­¡± The group of bodyguards stopped the reporters with cold expressions. In the end, the reporters could only watch as the car drove away. Joanna and Bruce were in the car. Bruce hugged Joanna and looked at her wounded body. Mixed feelings rose in him. He felt sorry for her and angry. After he hung up the call, he went straight to the Haynes Group. Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived downstairs, he saw the reporters besieging Joanna. If he had not rushed over, Joanna would probably still be surrounded. ¡°Joanna, what else could I do about you? You make me feel helpless.¡± Joanna closed her eyes and did not react at all. She was already injured, to begin with. Now that she had suffered consecutive blows, she could not take it anymore and fainted! It was only a few minutes of drive. Bruce sent Joanna to the hospital! The doctors quickly pushed Joanna into the emergency room! ¡°What happened to Miss Haynes? She is so seriously injured. How can she leave the hospital?¡± A doctor said unhappily as he quickly disinfected her. She had just gotten into a car ident yesterday. Although her vital organs were not injured, the doctor still asked her to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation! Who knew that she would disappear the next day? Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Joanna was being treated in the emergency room! Bruce stood outside with a cold expression on his face. The reporters had finally found something to write. In less than an hour, all the tformspeted to publish the news! They also used Joanna¡¯s unconscious photo as a cover gimmick. [Mr. Grimm cheated on his fianc¨¦e, making her faint in grief.] Joanna¡¯s path to a wealthy family is bumpy. In the end, she is not epted by a wealthy family.] [The Haynes Group¡¯s president died for love. She was so angry that she copsed and fainted on the spot.] [Mr. Everett is concerned about his ex¨Cwife. He doesn¡¯t care about his girlfriend and saves the damsel in distress.] All kinds of titles were written randomly on the Inte! Of course, Bruce was the wealthiest man in Greyport, after all! The reporters did not dare to report nasty rumors about him, so they used his poprity to spread rumors. But! Bruce was still so angry that he could not speak when he saw the news! ¡°Andy, get someone to suppress all this nonsense!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Unfortunately, although Bruce had sent people to suppress the news about Joanna, the news was spreading too quickly on the Inte. There were too many bloggers andizens. They could not be suppressed at all! He could only wait for the poprity to slowly fade. Meanwhile, Joannay in the ward again. At around eight in the evening, Joanna finally woke up from hera! Bruce had been sitting in front of the bed and guarding Joanna. Joanna was lying on the hospital bed with a pale face. There was another white veil wrapped around her forehead. Joanna opened her eyes in a daze! She looked up and saw Bruce. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± Joanna shook her head and felt extremely dizzy! She struggled to sit up, but the pain in her body made her fall back to her original position. There was still an IV needle in her arm, which was extremely painful to move! She looked around and realized that she was in the hospital again! ¡°Oh no, why am I in the hospital? 12:04 Wed, 5 Jul ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± Joanna remembered the factory in Mossbourne. She had told Michael that she was going to the factory in the afternoon. However, now that she had not appeared, the deceased¡¯s family would probably think she was trying to avoid responsibility and not dare to show her face! In business, integrity has always been the most important! If she did not appear now, the employees would probably not trust her. ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± Joanna asked anxiously. Bruce did not reply. He just looked at her coldly! Joanna couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask him anymore because he didn¡¯t speak. She lifted the nket and wanted to find his phone! ¡°Lie down, now!¡± Bruce said coldly. His tone wasmanding and domineering! Joanna frowned and said anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s my phone? I have something very important to do!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna gloomily and said coldly. ¡°The most important thing for you now is to recuperate. Everything else is a small matter!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was at a loss for words. ¡°Bruce, can you leave me alone? ¡°Move aside. I really have something very important to do!¡± Seeing that she was determined to find her phone, Bruce took it out of his pocket and waved it before her! Then, he put it back into his pocket. ¡°Your phone is here. I¡¯ll keep it for you for the time being! I¡¯ll give it to you when you get discharged!¡± ¡°Lunatic! What right do you have to keep my phone? Give it to me quickly¡­¡± Phones were an importantmunication device. No one could live without mobile phones! If one could not receive any information from the outside world, they would probably go crazy from anxiety. Michael called Joanna many times. Seeing that she did not pick up, he sent her many text messages. Bruce already knew what had happened to the factory in Mossbourne! Moreover, some other things happened when Joanna was unconscious! Jaydon had also called her many times! He had already flown abroad to lie low. When Joanna called her, he was still on the ne! After he got off the ne, he immediately called Joanna, wanting to exin to her why he left! Unfortunately, Joanna was already unconscious and had not received the call from him! ¡°I will return your phone to you only when you recover.¡± ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to get your phone? Do you want to see if Jaydon called you?¡± Bruce could not help but retort jealously. Joanna was so angry that her chest hurt. She did not want to exin too much to him. ¡°Hurry up and give me the phone. Hurry up!¡± She was anxious to see the message! She wanted to see how Mossbourne was doing! Especially since there were too many things to do in thepany now. Countless important calls came in every day! 12:04 Wed, 5 Jul o If she identally missed a phone call, it would cause a considerable loss! Bruce frowned coldly. ¡°I told you to lie down and recuperate! When you recover, I¡¯ll give you the phone!¡± The doctor had already said that Joanna¡¯s health was already terrible! She suffered from severe malnutrition and anemiat She should have worked overtime, which harmed her health more! if this continued, she would die of overwork in less than two years! Especially since the doctor said that she had a severe case of depression! Bruce decided that no matter what, he had to monitor her recuperate. ¡°I know my health. Hurry up and give me the phone!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Without hesitation, she pulled out the needle in her hand! Then, she went to snatch the phone from Bruce¡¯s pocket. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s anger shot through him! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t you care about yourself? Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Can you give me the phone?¡± The needle on the back of Joanna¡¯s hand was removed. As she did not press on the blood vessels, blood instantly dripped down! Joanna did not seem to notice and was still anxious to take back the phone. ¡°Hurry up and¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Bruce said and immediately pressed down on the back of her hand. He roared with heartache and anger, ¡°Do you know that you¡¯re bleeding? ¡°Do you know that you¡¯ll die very soon if you strain your body like this?¡± Joanna was furious. ¡°Whether I die or not has nothing to do with you!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened in a fury. ¡°What will happen to the children if you die? Do you want the children to lose their mother early, or do you want me to find a stepmother for the children?¡± When Joanna heard this, she stopped resisting! Indeed! If she died, what would happen to the children? The children could not live without their mother! Seeing that Joanna had calmed down, Bruce quickly pressed on the pager. ¡°Doctor, get over here!¡± It took only less than a minute! The doctor and nurse rushed to the ward. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°She removed the needle. Hurry up and put on a new needle for her!¡± ¡°Oh, okay! The doctor examined her and said with a serious expression, ¡°Ms. Haynes, your blood pressure is very low now. You might faint at any moment! You must lie on the bed and recuperate. The medicine and nutrient solution have to be continuously injected into you by drips! ¡°Otherwise, your condition will be even worse!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna in anger. ¡°Did you hear that? The doctor wants you to recuperate!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and snapped. ¡°Can you leave me alone? I know my health¡­¡± With such a huge incident at the factory, she was in a hurry to rush to the factory to resolve it. How could she calm down? This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Also, Lilia was still at home! No matter what, she could not calm down and think about it! ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll tell you onest time. Lie on the bed obediently!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned cold for a moment. She red at Bruce! At this moment, Bruce¡¯s eyes were like a wolf¡¯s, secretly emitting a terrifying ferocity. Seeing that Joanna had calmed down, the doctor hurriedly gave her another drip! ¡°Ms. Haynes, you have to recuperate well. You can¡¯t pull it out again! If you don¡¯t recuperate well, it will damage the nerves in your brain, and you might po into aa!¡± After the doctor finished speaking, Bruce added. ¡°Did you hear that?!¡± Joanna did not say anything. He just turned his head to the innermost part and closed his eyes to rest! She was indeed too tired. The mental and physical pressure was too great! She really felt like she could not hold on anymore. Now that Jaydon was not by her side, she felt even more helpless! ¡°I¡¯ll go out first. If you need anything, press the pager at any time!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After the doctor and nurse advised a few more things, they did not dare to stay any longer in the ward. They left. Bruce¡¯s expression also softened. With the doctor around just now, he had to maintain a cold attitude and could not lower his posture! Now that the doctor had left, he was no longer as domineering as before! ¡°Joanna, what you have to do now is to recuperate!¡± ¡°Bruce, stop being hypocritical!¡± ¡°Are you satisfied to see me like this? Are you happy now?¡± When Bruce heard this, he was at a loss for words. He replied angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not very satisfied, nor am I pleased!¡± He had always had a sharp tongue! Sometimes, even if he didn¡¯t think so in his heart, the words that came out of his mouth would always choke him to death. Joanna gritted her teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot. Tears of grievance instantly welled up in her eyes! 12 04 Wed, 5 Jule Chapte) 190 How did the offend him? Why did he want to torture and hurt her like this? Facing Bruce, there was nothing but anger and helplessness in her! Half an hour passed. The two of them remained silent and ignored each other! The ward was so quiet that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end Another 20 minutes passed! Joanna could not help but sit up again! She had already dripped four bottles of glucose and medicine in a row. Her dder was already overwhelmed Seeing that Joanna was moving around again, Bruce leaned over and reached out to push her back to her original position. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Where are you going again?¡± ¡°Why do you care where I go?¡± ¡°Lie down property. You¡¯re so weak now. What are you going to do?¡± i need to go to the washroom!¡± Joanna red at Bruce in anger and speechlessness When Bruce heard this, he pursed his lips and let go resentfully. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Come, let me help you over!¡± ¡°No need. I can walk. I don¡¯t need you to help me!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t be bothered. He picked her up horizontally and walked straight to the washroom. ¡°Hey, let go of me, I can walk by myself!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She tried her best to escape from his embrace! Unfortunately, his arms were like steel pincers that wrapped around her tightly. She was powerless to resist. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Bruce carried Joanna to the washroom! ¡°Go!¡± Joanna frowned speechlessly. ¡°You can go out now!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Heh! Do we have to be so unfamiliar with each other? Which part of your body haven¡¯t I seen before? ¡°Hurry up and go to the toilet! I¡¯ll wait here!¡± ¡°Get out, you lunatic!¡± Joanna pushed Bruce out of the washroom. This damned bastard made her speechless. Bruce left the washroom and waited outside! Joanna was angry and annoyed. Her face blushed like a red apple. She was really not used to people paying attention to her when she was in the toilet! Ten minutester¡­ Knock! Knock! Knock! Bruce knocked on the door! ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t youing out yet? Are you done?¡± It was not that he wanted to peep at her going to the toilet, nor did he have such a hobby! However, when they were at Mossbourne, Joanna fainted in the bathtub and almost died! He still had lingering fears and was afraid that something would happen to her, so he had been guarding outside the door. Creak! The bathroom door opened. Joanna walked out angrily but slowly. Then, she ignored him and headed straight to the bed. Looking at her cold and heartless attitude, Bruce red up in anger! This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. This damn woman really didn¡¯t know what was good for her! ¡°Hey, stop!¡± ¡°What do you want now?¡± Bruce walked to her side resentfully and stretched out his arm to pin her against the wall! ¡°I don¡¯t like your attitude!¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Bruce in shock while feeling helpless and angry! ¡°What do you want then?¡± Bruce did not speak. His sharp eyes were fixed on her! His gaze conveyed his anger and dissatisfaction! A few seconds had passed with them looking into each other¡¯s eyes. Joanna looked down, not daring to look into his eyes anymore! His gaze was too terrifying. Looking into his eyes was like looking into the eyes of a ferocious beast! ¡°Can you move aside?¡± Joanna tried to push him away! But before she could push him away, Bruce suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips fiercely! With that, he deepened his kiss without her consent. ¡°Mm¡­ Let go of me¡­¡± Joanna panicked and leaned her back against the wall. Bruce wrapped her shoulders tightly with his arms and kissed her overbearingly! He really loved and hated her! Unfortunately, this damn woman had a strong and stubborn personality! ¡°Ah¡­ Let go of me!¡± Joanna panicked and scared. She struggled with all her might a few times, and her brain felt dizzy again! Then, she felt her legs and spine turn to jelly. She could not stand steadily and copsed to the ground! Her arms also drooped weakly. Sensing something was wrong with her, Bruce quickly let go. Joanna closed her eyes as if her consciousness was about to break down. ¡°Joanna! Joanna, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡± Bruce quickly shook her a few times! After a long while, Joanna regained her vision as if the ck fog before her eyes had dissipated. Bruce did not dare to force her anymore. He only hugged her in his arms, feeling sorry and fear! ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t touch you again! I was too impulsive just now!¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but cry when she heard that! ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone softened, and gently wiped her tears! ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away and staggered toward the bed! He was used to do this. First, he would bully her. Then, he would coax her! She really couldn¡¯t stand him treating her like this. Joannay on the pillow and could not help but cry. Bruce stood there in a daze. He didn¡¯t know whether to coax her or not! A few seconds went by¡­. The anger in Bruce¡¯s heart umted more and more. She was probably crying because of Jaydon! At the thought of this, he could not suppress his anger! ¡°Why are you crying like this? Are you still feeling sorry for your lover? Heh! Joanna, Joanna, why are you so stupid? ¡°Is a scumbag like Jaydon worth crying like this? I¡¯m just afraid that you are blinded and unable to see what kind of disgusting man Jaydon is! ¡°You should thank me for letting you see that he is aplete scumbag!¡± Joanna was crying sadly. When she heard Bruce¡¯s words, she was angrier! Could it be that just because he wanted her to see Jaydon¡¯s personality that he set a trap for Jayden? ¡°Bruce, do you know what you¡¯re doing is despicable?¡± ¡°Heh! Say whatever you want to say! Anyway, I¡¯ve never been a good person to you!¡± Bruce replied resentfully. He could not understand! Jaydon was such a scumbag and a yboy. Why was Joanna so loyal to him? 1 He felt that he was way better than Jaydon in everything! This woman was blind! She chose Jaydon over him! Bruce had no idea there was no rtionship between Joanna and Jaydon! They had not even dated or slept! She had never been Jaydon¡¯s girlfriend or fiancee! ¡°Say something! You have nothing to say, right?¡± Joanna was pissed off. She looked away and really did not want to say another word to him! She cried for some time. After crying. Joanna could not help but feel sleepy. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep! A stabilizing drug was added to the IV drip. Moreover, her braincked oxygen after crying, making her pass out. That was a really, really deep sleep! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna¡¯s phone started vibrating again! Bruce thought that it was Jaydon calling again. He gritted his teeth and took out the phone, preparing to scold him. However, he realized that the caller was Tracy! Bruce frowned and pondered for a few seconds before picking up the call. A cute voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, Mommy. Why aren¡¯t you home yet?¡± Lilia called Joanna! Bruce¡¯s heart melted when he heard his daughter¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello, is this my sweetheart Lilia? ¡°Daddy! It¡¯s you! Where¡¯s Mommy? Hehehe!¡± Lilia¡¯s voice became cheerful. Bruce paused. ¡°Be good. Mommy doesn¡¯t have time to answer the phone now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mommy?¡± Lilia¡¯s voice sounded sad and worried. ¡°Mommy is ill and is in the hospital. She might not be home tonight!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lilia panicked even more when she heard that. ¡°However, Daddy is taking care of Mommy. Baby Lilia, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s toote today. Tomorrow, Daddy will send someone to pick you up, okay?¡± hapter 191 ¡°Okay¡­ ¡°Be good and rest early. You¡¯ll be able to see Mommy tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Be good and listen to Daddy. Do you miss Daddy?¡± Lilia said coquettishly. ¡°Of course, I miss Daddy!¡± When Bruce heard this, the corners of his lips could not help but curl into a smile. ¡°Send me a flying kiss then!¡± There was a loud smack from the other end of the line. ¡°Lilia, you¡¯re such a good girl. Go to bed early!¡± ¡°Good night. Daddy!¡± Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Everett mansion was not quite joyful. Bruce had been staying in the hospital. Even though countless calls came in, he did not answer them! Roxanne waited until ten o¡¯clock, but Bruce still didn¡¯te back! Moreover, she had long seen on the news that Bruce had carried Joanna away from the siege of the reporters! Now, all kinds of news about Joanna and Bruce getting back together had already spread online! Margaret was also concerned and could not fall asleep. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s gettingte. You should rest early¡­¡± Margaret sighed. ¡°Sigh! Bruce is really getting more and more unreasonable! The more I said I wouldn¡¯t let him pester Joanna, the more he refused to listen!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send someone to look for him now!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she quickly stopped Margaret. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t do this! If you do this, Bruce will definitely think that I forced you to bring him back!¡± ¡°Besides, this has nothing to do with Bruce. It¡¯s all my sister¡¯s fault¡­¡± As she spoke, Roxanne sobbed and couldn¡¯t help but cry. Seeing that she was crying, Margaret quicklyforted her. ¡°Good child, don¡¯t cry. It would be bad for a pregnant woman like you to be emotional. Grandma will stand up for you!¡± ¡°No matter what, since you¡¯re pregnant with the Everett family¡¯s child, you¡¯re my granddaughter¨Cinw! With Grandma around, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you and your child! You just have to care for the child and not think about anything else!¡± ¡°Men are sometimes bastards. The more we control him, the more we can¡¯t! He¡¯ll know his wife is the best when he has enjoyed the pleasure and pain!¡± Roxanne forced a smile and said, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t make things too difficult for Bruce. An outstanding man like Bruce will naturally attract women! ¡°Even if Bruce doesn¡¯t like them, they¡¯ll try to get Bruce! Don¡¯t worry, Grandma! I won¡¯t take it to heart! I¡¯ll definitely take good care of the baby!¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 As Roxanne spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that I would be a love rival with my sister!¡± ¡°If I could, I want to give Bruce to my sister! But God made me pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child! I really don¡¯t know what to do. Grandma, what should I do?¡± Margaret quicklyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. This is all Bruce¡¯s fault!¡± ¡°I had warned him long ago not to be indecisive between you two! Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely teach him a lesson.¡± Roxanne was still crying with an aggrieved expression. ¡°Six years ago, Sister snatched Bruce away from me! I didn¡¯t expect that six yearster, my sister still can¡¯t forget Bruce!¡± ¡°She is my sister. I really don¡¯t know how to deal with her about this.¡± Margaret turned around and looked at the butler. ¡°Butler, call Bruce and tell him toe back immediately!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The butler quickly dialed Bruce¡¯s number. Beep¡­ Beep¡­ Beep¡­. He called Bruce many times! When Bruce saw it was the butler calling, he knew that his grandmother must have called him to ask him to return home, so he simply turned off his phone! ¡°How is it? Has he not answered yet?¡± ¡°Not yet!¡± Margaret sighed. ¡°Sigh! This brat is getting more and more outrageous!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be back tonight. Roxy, go to bed early. Don¡¯t stay upte!¡± ¡°Yes. Grandma, you should sleep early too!¡± Roxanne returned to the room! As soon as she returned to her room, she gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°Joanna, you damn bitch. How did you manage to keep Bruce by your side?¡± ¡°Bitch! Bitch!¡± Ring! Ring! Ring! Ingrid¡¯s call game in. Roxanne answered the call in rage. ¡°Hello, Mom!¡± ¡°Roxy, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What else can I do?¡± Ingrid said with annoyance, ¡°Have you seen today¡¯s news?¡± Roxanne said angrily, ¡°How could I not notice such big news?¡± ¡°I was worried that something would happen to you, so I specially called you! Don¡¯t take it to heart. The most important thing now is to give birth to the child! ¡°As long as I give birth to the child, you¡¯ll have nothing to worry about for the rest of your life!¡± Roxanne took a deep breath. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to stay here. I want to go home for a few days!¡± *Silly daughter! You must stay here even if you don¡¯t want to stay there now! ¡°The longer you stay there, the better your rtionship with Margaret will be! ¡°If you leave the Everett mansion now, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be so easy to return! ¡°Be good and listen to mom. Don¡¯t think about anything! The birth of the child is the most important thing!¡± ¡°But that slut from Joanna!¡± Ingrid snorted. ¡°That slut Joanna won¡¯t be smug for long. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Leave it to me!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Goodbye. Go to bed early!¡± ¡°Okay, goodnight!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± They hung up the call after a short conversation. Roxanney on the wide bed and stared at the ceiling in a daze! That ce was like a magnificent pce! Unfortunately, no matter how magnificent it was, there was no warmth! Without thepanionship and love of a lover, even if she lived in such a good house, she still couldn¡¯t feel happy! As Roxanney down, she could not help but think of Gavin again! It had been half a year since she separated from Gavin! Perhaps because of guilt, Gavin did not contact her. It was as if he hadpletely disappeared from her world! She had forgotten the lesson she had learned! At the thought of Gavin, Roxanne could not help but bite her lower lip. Her entire body felt inexplicably hot! She had to admit that her body missed Gavin even more than she did, especially since Bruce would never touch her! As a mature woman used to enjoying herself, she had not been nourished for a long time. The frustration in her heart had long grown crazily! Meanwhile, the atmosphere was also tense in the Haynes¡¯s house. Ingrid could not help butin to Shaun, ¡°Look at what your good daughter has done!¡± ¡°Sigh. Why is there such a troublesome thing every other day? Are all the men in the world dead? Why does she have to insist on pestering her sister¡¯s man!¡± ¡°Stop her from doing it!¡± Ingrid got angrier as she spoke. Shaun frowned. ¡°What can I do? She is so powerful now. Even if I want to control her, I can¡¯t. Let her do whatever she wants!¡± ¡°Hmph, Roxy is pregnant now. Can you bear to see her like this? ¡°After Roxy gives birth to the child, if Bruce still refuses to marry her, do you want her to be a single mother?¡± Shaun said helplessly. Then what can I do? I can¡¯t run over and kill Joann, right?¡± ¡°Joann is really a headache. She doesn¡¯t listen to what I¡¯m saying now! Mr. Everett is the same. He has already divorced. Joann, but he is still pestering her!¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re really a useless coward. If I had known you were such a coward, I wouldn¡¯t have married you!¡± ¡°In the end, it is you being biased!¡± Shaun could not help but retort, ¡°How am I biased? I¡¯ve cut ties with her until now. Am I still biased?¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it. Stop talking and go to sleep!¡± Shaun turned around with a frown. Both of them were her daughters. However, Roxanne had grown up by her side, so he naturally doted on Roxanne more! Especially since Joanna had already been hurt, he did not want Roxanne to be hurt again! No matter what, he had to talk to Joanna! Regardless of whether it was useful, he had to do his best! He had to stop Joanna from pestering Bruce! It was the second day Joanna stayed in the ward. Bruce bought a lot of breakfast early in the morning! ¡°Have some breakfast!¡± Joanna was shocked to see all kinds of breakfast on the table. ¡°Why did you buy so much breakfast?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to eat. I can only get someone to buy more!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wasting food, do you know that?¡± ¡°I just want you to eat properly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat so much either!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was irritated. He seemed to have done something he should not have out of good intentions! Not only did this damn woman not appreciate his kindness, but she even scolded him! ¡°Fine, fine. Do you want to eat it or not? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll throw everything!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be more wasteful to throw them away?¡± ¡°Sigh! I really don¡¯t know what to do with you. With my previous temper, um¡­¡± Bruce sounded fierce. ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± I¡¯ll¡­ Bruce suppressed his anger. As he grew older, he gradually matured! If it were in the past, with his fiery temper, he would probably fly into a rage! Now, he could suppress his temper, which was alreadymendable!! The two of them were still mad at each other! The door of the ward was pushed open. Tracy came with Lilia! ¡°Daddy!¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°Lilia, why are you here?¡± ¡°Daddy sent a driver to pick us up!¡± ¡°Mommy, are you ill? Why is your head injured?¡± ¡°Mommy is fine.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Lilia looked worried. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Mommy doesn¡¯t feel pain anymore after seeing Lilia!¡± ¡°Be good, Lilia. Daddy will carry you!¡± ¡°Daddy, Lilia misses you!¡± ¡°Daddy misses Baby Lilia too. Daddy wants a kiss from Lilia!¡± Lilia raised her little face and kissed him twice on the cheek. Bruce looked at his daughter¡¯s little face, and his heart felt warm! ¡°What have you been doing at home these days?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just watching cartoons!¡± ¡°Other than cartoons?¡± ¡°Other than watching cartoons, I only miss Daddy and my brothers.¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt sorry for Lilian. All three were his children, but now that they were separated by force, he still felt terrible! On one hand, his grandmother was pressuring him, and on the other hand, his children were separated. ¡°Daddy, when will my brothers be back? I miss them so much!¡± ¡°Your brothers will be back home soon!¡± Lilia widened her big round eyes and asked innocently, ¡°Really? How soon will it be? Can I see my brothers today?¡± ¡°Yes, I might not be able to let you meet them today. Can you wait a few days? Daddy will definitely bring you to see your brothers in a few days. I will let your brothers y with you, okay?¡± Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Okay, thank you, Daddy. It¡¯s a deal. Don¡¯t lie to Lilia!¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? Daddy means what Daddy says!¡± ¡± Grandma was seriously ill now. She would stop him if he wanted to take Davian and Irvin out of the house. If he let them meet first, he could only bring Lilia back to the Everett mansion! This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. However, that was also appropriate. Joanna would definitely not agree! Chapter 193 Chapter 193 The news had been spreading for a night. The rumors produced by Joanna and Jaydon dominated all the headlines! Especially Joanna, she had even been poorly described byizens. They called her a vixen, whore, scheming bitch, and so on. Simrbels were stuck all over her. Jaydon¡¯s side was even worse! Yesterday, he had called Joanna for the entire night, but the call had not gone through! He did not know what had happened to Joanna! Unfortunately, he did not dare to return to Greyport at the moment! Now, the entertainment reporters of Greyport were looking around for him! All the things he had done and not were now on him! At this critical juncture, he had no choice but to escape! Meanwhile, Joanna was still in the hospital. Joanna ate her breakfast and watched as Lilia and Bruce continued to y! ¡°Lilia, it¡¯s gettingte. Go home with Tracy!¡± When Lilia heard this, she looked unhappy. ¡°Mommy, can I stay a little longer?¡± ¡°Mommy has something to do now and doesn¡¯t have time to apany you! Be good and listen to me. Hurry up and go home with Tracy!¡± When Bruce heard this, his gentle face instantly darkened! He could not suppress the anger in his heart. ¡°Joanna, do you think you¡¯ve recovered? ¡°Lilia doesn¡¯t need yourpany! It¡¯s fine as long as I¡¯m with her!¡± Joanna gulped and looked at Bruce helplessly. ¡°Bruce, I really have something to do now! ¡°Give me the phone, please!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you when you get discharged from the hospital!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was gloomy. Joanna was thinking about the factory in Mossbourne. She wished she could fly over immediately to check on the situation. How could she rest in peace? ¡°I can be discharged now!¡± ¡°I told you, you can be discharged when you¡¯re better!¡± ¡°Bruce, can you not be so domineering¡­ The two of them instantly drew their swords and red at each other fiercely. Seeing this, Lilia was so frightened that she cried. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, can you not quarrel? Lilia doesn¡¯t want to see you quarrel!¡± When Bruce heard this, his gloom disappeared, and his expression quickly eased. ¡°Good girl, Daddy and Mommy didn¡¯t quarrel!* As he spoke, he lovingly held his daughter in his arms again and gently tickled her! You¡¯d better be gentle and be a loving mother in front of your daughter!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was more pissed off! She was the one who gave birth to the children. In these four years, she was also the one who raised the children alone! Now, he was pretending to be a loving father! ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk nonsense with you. Tracy, take Lilia back now!¡± Tracy chuckled awkwardly and said, ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, hand the kid to me!¡± Bruce stood still and looked at Joanna coldly. ¡°Joanna, I want to take Lilia back to the Everett mansion for a few days¡­¡± Before he could finish, Joanna instantly snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to take Lilia away. I¡¯ll risk even my life to get them back!¡± Davian and Irvin had already been taken away and detained by him. She was already regretting it to death! She would rather die than let him take Lilia away. Looking at Joanna¡¯s agitated expression. Bruce sighed. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Don¡¯t be so agitated!¡± ¡°I promised Lilia I would take her back to see those two brats.¡± ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t quarrel with Mommy! I¡¯ll go home now. When Mommy agrees in the future, I¡¯ll go with Daddy!¡± Hearing his daughter¡¯s words, Bruce was touched. She was such a well¨Cbehaved and adorable child, yet she was disabled! He vowed to heal his daughter¡¯s leg at all costs. ¡°Goodbye, Daddy. Goodbye, Mommy!¡± Tracy did not dare to dy and quickly carried Lilia out of the ward. ¡°Give me the phone. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll leave the hospital now!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was silent for a few seconds. He looked at Joanna helplessly. ¡°Joanna, when did you be so stubborn? When did you be so persistent?¡± ¡°Now!¡± Bruce finally could not bear to argue with her because she was about to throw her temper! He took out his phone and handed it to Joanna! Bruce had turned her phone off! Joanna took the phone and quickly pressed the power button. She scrolled the screen and checked the message! At the same time, others were also implicated in the rumors. Ingrid had arranged to go to the beauty parlor with someone! Unexpectedly, as soon as she walked out of the house. There were actually many entertainment reporters camping outside the house! Seeing that Ingrid had walked out of the Haynes¡¯s house, the entertainment reporters surrounded her like bees around at beehive! ¡°Mrs. Haynes, what do you think about Joanna Haynes and Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Did Mr. Everett break up with Miss Haynes?¡± Ingrid faced the camera and adjusted her facial expression. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t have any opinions! I hope everyone won¡¯t make wild guesses. Please don¡¯t misunderstand the rumors. Thank you!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, say a few more words! Who is Mr. Everett dating?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Everyone can see who is the one causing this scene.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the first time Joanna has done such a thing. Six years ago, she spent a lot of effort scheming against her family. It¡¯s not surprising that she is doing this now!¡± Ingrid¡¯s words were like a bombshell! [Joanna still hasn¡¯t changed. She hooked up with her brother¨Cinw again.] [Joanna was chased out of the house, driving the family crazy.] [She is a two¨Ctiming and specializes in the top wealthy families.] Because of the incident with Jaydon, Joanna was once again implicated! The overwhelming abuse on the Inte had paralyzed the Inte for a while. Meanwhile, Bruce and Joanna were still at the hospital. Joanna stayed in the ward for a day. She had a headache from being in the closed space for long hours. Unfortunately, Bruce watched her closely and refused to let her leave the hospital. It was finally evening! Joanna could not help but walk out of the ward. She wanted to go to the corridor outside to get some fresh air. She stood in the corridor. Coincidentally, she saw a ten¨Cyear¨Cold boy standing there. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. When she saw the little boy, she could not help but think of Davian and Irvin! She smiled at the little boy. Unexpectedly, the little boy stared straight at her for a long time! Then, he spat at her! ¡°You¡¯re the Greyport¡¯s vixen!¡± The little boy¡¯s mother quickly walked over and pulled the little boy back to the ward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my child being rude!¡± ¡°Mommy, that woman just now is a vixen. She¡¯s the worst woman in the world¡­¡± Joanna was stunned when she heard that! She had never expected things to develop to such an extent! Even a child misunderstood and looked down on her! Bruce also hurried over. Joanna!¡± ¡°Bad woman, vixen!¡± Joanna muttered inaudibly. Tears instantly rolled down her cheeks. Seeing this, Bruce was immediately rmed. ¡°I¡¯m going to settle scores with that child¡¯s parents!¡± Joanna reacted and suddenly pulled Bruce back! ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± What would a child know? The adults were still in the dark and did not know the truth, let alone a child. Click! Click! Click! There were other patients in the corridor who secretly took out their phones to take photos of them! After Joanna found out, she was rmed and dashed back to the ward in a pathetic state! Needless to say, her triangr rtionship with Bruce and Jaydon was enough to make everyone gossip for a long time! She was back in the ward. Joanna was a little out of her wits. She sat on the bed in a daze. Ring! Ring! Ring! At this moment, the phone rang again! Joanna picked up the phone and took a look. The call was from Shaun! After hesitating for a few seconds, she picked up. ¡°Hey, Dad!¡± Shaun¡¯s displeased voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Joann, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ am in the hospital now!¡± When Shaun heard this, he did not ask why she was hospitalized. Instead, he said resentfully, ¡°Roxy is pregnant. Do you know?¡± Joanna did not understand. ¡°1¡­know!¡± Shaun took a deep breath and started ming her. ¡°Since you know Roxy is pregnant, why are you still pestering Mr. Everett? ¡°Can you tell Dad? What exactly do you want? You keep saying that you have nothing to do with Mr. Everett, but at the same time, you¡¯re secretly seducing him behind us! That¡¯s your brother¨Cinw. Why do you keep eyeing him?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was disappointed! She really didn¡¯t want to exin anymore! Dad, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. Bruce and I are not what you think!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. Look at what¡¯s going on online! Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? Our Haynes family has beenpletely. humiliated by you! ¡°I¡¯m really disappointed in you. Since you snatched Mr. Everett away six years ago, you should live a good life! However, you divorced Mr. Everett again. After the divorce, you refused to keep your distance from him! ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but a woman¡¯s reputation is still very important!¡± The more Shaun spoke, the more rude. he became! SEND GIFT Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Joanna really didn¡¯t want to listen anymore. ¡°Dad, if you¡¯re using me, you can think whatever you want! I don¡¯t want to exin to you!¡± Shaun paused for a moment, and his tone softened. ¡°Joann, listen to Daddy¡¯s advice and keep a distance from Mr. Everett! ¡°Roxy is already pregnant. Don¡¯t tell me you want her to be a single mother like you! ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know how others talk about you behind your back and how they were talking about our Haynes family.¡± Joanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath! Her heart felt like it had been minced into pieces. It was so painful that the pain had already numbed her! Ingrid¡¯s scolding came from the other end of the call. ¡°Why are you talking to her so much? Joanna, you damn bitch, you should have died! ¡°If you live, you¡¯ll only harm others. You bitch. You are a bitch like your dead mother! Other than seducing men, what else can you do¡­¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t take it anymore and snatched the phone away. ¡°Hello, this is Bruce! ¡°I was the one who kept bugging Joanna. She never took the initiative to look for me! Don¡¯t nder her like this in the future!¡± When Ingrid heard Bruce¡¯s voice, she immediately stopped cursing! However, she mocked. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s you, Bruce! ¡°Heh! Roxy is pregnant now. Instead of spending time with her, you¡¯ve been apanying Joanna! ¡°You¡¯re a good fianc¨¦, aren¡¯t you?¡± Upon hearing Ingrid¡¯s sarcastic remarks, Bruce did not let it be. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so sarcastic! My rtionship with Roxanne should have ended a long time ago! ¡°If she hadn¡¯t been trying tomit suicide, we would have nothing to do with each other!¡± When Ingrid heard this, her tone immediately softened. ¡°Mr. Everett, aren¡¯t you being unreasonable by saying this now? ¡°Roxy has been dating you for six years, and now she¡¯s pregnant with your child. No matter what, you have to be responsible for the mother and son!¡± Beep! Before Ingrid could finish, Bruce hung up angrily! He had born¨¦ long enough until this day! Roxanne and her mother were really intolerable! Bruce hung up the call. Joanna gulped as she looked at Bruce tiredly and numbly. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Please stay away from me! I really can¡¯t stand it. I really can¡¯t stand being scolded by everyone!¡± Joanna could not help but be hysterical! After shouting thest sentence, her brain ran out of oxygen, and her body went limp. With a bang, the back of her head hit the head of the bed heavily! ¡°Joanna¡­¡± Bruce pounced over and checked the back of her head in fear! It was because of him! Joanna was seriously injured by depression and had been criticized for six years! She really couldn¡¯t hold on any longer! She would rather Bruce never appeared in her life! # 1 This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Bruce rubbed the back of Joanna¡¯s head and hugged her tightly. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t be like this. I love you!¡°. ¡°I love you! I love you! Let¡¯s start over, okay?¡± Joanna paused for a moment and sneered at Bruce in disdain! Start over? Everything was toote! She didn¡¯t want to have any emotional entanglements with him anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. I just want us to keep our distance now!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was a little sad. ¡°Can you be stronger? Ignore what others say!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m already very strong. What else do you want me to do?¡± She was right! It had been four years since theyst met. She had never looked for him, much less epted his help! She was already so strong that she was a little stupid. Bruce didn¡¯t know what else to say! Joanna stuck her fingers into her hair. Her mind was in a mess! She really did not want to bear such infamy! Now, she had be a street rat. She originally wanted to live a peaceful life, take good care of her child, and manage her grandfather¡¯s business well! Unfortunately, things did not turn out as she had wished for. Perhaps, she had to find the evidence from back then! To prove that she had never seduced Bruce! Six years ago, she was framed! That thought struck her! Joanna suddenly thought of someone. When Bruce and Roxanne got engaged, Davian yed the video from six years ago at their engagement banquet! The video showed that six years ago, she was indeed sent to Bruce¡¯s room by someone while unconscious. Now, she could only find that person and let her publicly admit it. That would prove her innocence! Joanna had already given up. However, when she thought of this, her eyes suddenly turned cold! Beep! Beep. Beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang again. ¡°Hey, butler!¡± The butler said, ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret wants you to hurry home!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°She only asked you to return home!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing important, I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± Without waiting for the butler to reply. Bruce hung up again. ¡°Mrs. Margaret, the phone was hung up!¡± Margaret¡¯s anger red. ¡°This brat actually dares to hang up!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to get him myself?¡± Roxanne was shocked. ¡°Mrs. Margaret, don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Butler, prepare the car!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Half an hour passed. Bruce was stillforting Joanna. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t think too much!¡± Joannay on the bed exhausted! Andy hurried in. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret and Ms. Roxanne are here!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce was shocked! Creek! The door to the north ward had already been pushed open! The butler pushed Margaret in! Behind him was Roxanne! ¡°Grandma, why are you here?¡± Margaret snorted coldly. ¡°I came to see which vixen has bewitched you so that you don¡¯t even know how to go home!¡± ¡°Grandma¡­7 Roxanne quickly exined, ¡°Bruce, your grandma was worried about you, so she came to see you!¡± Margaret nced at Joanna, who was lying on the hospital bed. ¡°Hel! Maybe you won¡¯t be so filial even when I¡¯m sick!¡± When Joanna heard this, she instantly sat up. ¡°Margaret, you came at the right time. I was looking for you! ¡°What about Davian and Irvin?¡± Margaret sneered. ¡°They are the descendant of the Everett family!¡± Joanna was instantly enraged. ¡°I¡¯m the children¡¯s guardian!¡± ¡°Soon you won¡¯t be!¡± ¡°Stop arguing, Grandma. I¡¯ll send you back first!¡± ¡°Bruce, make yourself clear in front of Roxy and Joanna! ¡°Make yourself clear at once so there won¡¯t be any trouble in the future!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s talk when we get home!¡± ¡°No, you should make it clear to Joanna in front of me today! ¡°Joann, you used to be married to Bruce, but you¡¯re divorced now! ¡°Now, Roxy is Bruce¡¯s real girlfriend, and you¡¯re Roxy¡¯s biological sister! It¡¯s not good for anyone if you get too close to Bruce! ¡°Let¡¯s part on good terms. Since you¡¯re divorced, don¡¯t pester him anymore!¡± When Joanna heard this, she scoffed in anger! ¡°Heh, Mrs. Margaret, I think you¡¯re the one who hasn¡¯t figured it out! ¡°I never wanted to pester Mr. Everett!¡± Margaret naturally did not believe Joanna¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s no need to say what you don¡¯t mean. It¡¯s useless to exin. Exining is equivalent to hiding the truth!¡± ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t want to hear me exin! Then I don¡¯t want to exin anymore! Please return the children to me. I will promise to cut ties with Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The descendants of the Everett family can¡¯t wander outside!¡± ¡°The trial is in a week! I¡¯ll see you in court then!¡± Joanna gritted her teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot from anger! Margaret didn¡¯t hate Joanna that much! However, the news that was spreading online was too ridiculous! Moreover, she hoped that her grandson could get married obediently! Therefore, she could only choose one between Roxanne and Joanna and firm her stance! Once she had a firm standpoint, she could not sway left and right like her grandson! ¡°Bruce, make it clear to her now!¡± ¡°Grandma, since you say so, I¡¯ll exin! ¡°From the beginning, the person I love is Joanna! The rtionship between me and Roxanne is purely a misunderstanding! ¡°Of course! If Grandma insists that I marry her, I will respect Grandma¡¯s wishes, but I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s no love between us! It was a shock to Margaret and Roxanne. Margaret looked at her grandson in disbelief! Roxanne was even more stunned! She didn¡¯t expect that it would not work even with Margaret backing her up! ¡°Well, do you know what you are talking about? ¡°Did my sister cast some spell on you?¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 As Roxanne spoke, her tears drenched her cheeks. Her thin lips quivered, making her look like an injured innocent rabbit! Her hand was carefully ced on her abdomen as if she had suffered a huge blow and was about to copse! Margaret was afraid that Roxanne¡¯s baby would be affected, so he immediately scolded Bruce! ¡°Bruce, are you out of your mind? Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Roxy is pregnant now. How can you say such things to provoke her?¡± When Bruce heard this, his thick brows furrowed into a knot. He decided to exin everything. ¡°Grandma, you wanted me to make things clear. Then I¡¯ll exin it to you now! I¡¯ve never loved Roxanne! ¡°Ten years ago, I drowned while swimming! I misunderstood that she was the one who saved me! That¡¯s why I love her so much! ¡°Now I know that this is a misunderstanding! The person who saved me was Joanna. If it weren¡¯t for Roxanne pretending to, be Joanna, I wouldn¡¯t have started dating her!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she burst into tears again. She cried until she was heartbroken. ¡°Bruce, how can you say such things? Is our rtionship because of that? ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t love me at all. I don¡¯t believe it. Did my sister force you to say that? ¡°Bruce, I really can¡¯t live without you. My children and I really can t live witho you!¡± Roxanne cried as she spoke. She grabbed Bruce¡¯s sleeve tightly, trying to get him to pity her! Bruce was annoyed. ¡°Enough! Let go!¡± After saying that, he shook her off. ¡°Bruce¡­ Boohoo!¡± Roxanne cried out in grief! Seeing this, Margaret was even angrier. She quicklyforted Roxanne, ¡°Roxy, stop crying! Be careful of the baby!¡± ¡°Bruce, hurry up and coax Roxy! Grandma will never forgive you if anything happens to Roxy and the children!¡± ¡°Grandma, can you stop interrogating me¡­¡± Seeing her grandson¡¯s resolute attitude, Margaret was agitated and immediately started panting. ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°You brat. Now you won¡¯t even listen to me! Are you trying to make me die out of a heart attack?¡± After Margaret finished speaking, she could not breathe loudly, and her face turned purple! ¡°Mrs. Everett!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± Brice was so shocked that his scalp went numb. He quickly went forward to check. The apanying nurse quickly took out a cardiac stimnt and injected Margaret¡¯s arm. ¡®Get the doctor!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce squatted beside the wheelchair and kept rubbing Margaret¡¯s back. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be so agitated! I was wrong. I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Margaret finished injecting the cardiac stimnt and took a few minutes to calm down. The doctor also rushed over to take a look! Margaret waved her hand, indicating that she was fine! ¡°Bruce, I know that you¡¯re focused on Joanna now! However, you can¡¯t be an irresponsible man! ¡°Now that you¡¯ve gotten Roxy pregnant, how can you leave her like that? Grandma knows some men like to fool around. outside and not treat love seriously! ¡°But the Everett family can¡¯t let such a thing happen, let alone be irresponsible!¡± Margaret was a very traditional person. She could not tolerate any bad reputation. Therefore, she had been very strict with her grandson¡¯s moral education since she was young! Although Bruce was a top¨Cnotch tycoon with enough capital to keep all kinds of women! However, he still had a bottom line in his bones and was retrained regarding rtionships! Seeing that his grandmother was so angry that her illness acted up again. Bruce didn¡¯t dare to provoke her anymore. He could only suppress all the dissatisfaction in him. ¡°Grandma is right. Don¡¯t be angry! I¡¯ll listen to whatever you say.¡± When Margaret heard this, she raised her spirits, and her expression improved slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two choices now. Either you cut ties with Joannapletely, or you cut ties with mepletely!¡± Bruce did not like the choices Margaret turned to look at Joanna and said unhappily, ¡°Joanna, let me warn you too! Although you were once my granddaughter¨Cinw, you and Bruce are divorced, after all! ¡°You two sisters have already brought a lot of negative impact to our Everett family! I don¡¯t care what kind of emotional entanglement you have with Bruce! ¡°But now that things havee to this extent, I hope you can behave yourself and keep a good distance from Bruce! ¡°You can just ask for whateverpensation you want! Don¡¯t act ambiguously with Bruce behind my back!¡± Joanna was instantly enraged after hearing this! However, given Margaret¡¯s age, she did not say anything too harsh. ¡°Mrs. Everett, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve never thought of being entangled with Mr. Everett!¡± That¡¯s good. You have to keep your word! ¡°As for the children¡¯s custody, let the court decide when the trial starts next week!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and did not refute anything! ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯m going to rest!¡± ¡°Butler, let¡¯s go back!¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Everett!¡± The butler hurriedly pushed the wheelchair around and retreated towards the door. Margaret rolled her eyes and looked at Bruce sternly. ¡°Bruce, hurry up and hold Roxy¡¯s hand!¡± ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Bruce wanted to say something but hesitated. He was worried about Joanna! He had to keep an eye on Joanna! With her reckless personality, she would get discharged immediately and go to work. ¡°Hurry up and go back with grandina. I don¡¯t need you to take care of me here?¡± Seeing that Grandma was about to get angry again, Bruce immediately changed his attitude. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll go back with Grandma now!¡± With that, Bruce called Andy over! ¡°Andy, stay here and take care of Joanna! You must wait for her to fully recover before letting her leave the hospital!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s go home!¡± Bruce did not dare to dy any longer and quickly apanied Margaret back! They were soon back at the Everett mansion. ¡°Mrs. Everett, it¡¯s time for your physical therapy recovery!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°You two be good. Don¡¯t quarrel!¡± Margaret looked at her grandson worriedly. Bruce deliberately hugged Roxanne¡¯s shoulder intimately and said in a rxed tone, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry! ¡°I¡¯m bringing Roxy back to Sherane Bay Vi now to get something. Then, I¡¯lle back to apany Grandma!¡± ¡°What are you going to take back?¡± Margaret looked at his grandson warily. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go back and pack some personal belongings. Then, I¡¯ll move in with Roxy and stay with you!¡± Hearing his grandson¡¯s words, Margaret heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright then! Go ande back quickly! Don¡¯t quarrel anymore.¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry!¡± After Bruce settled his grandmother down, he turned to look at Roxanne affectionately. ¡°Roxy, let¡¯s go!¡± When he turned around, Roxanne caught the gloominess in Bruce¡¯s eyes! Her heart sank as a bad premonition welled up in her heart. ¡°Bruce, why don¡¯t¡­ you go alone? I¡¯m a little tired today!¡± ¡°No. I want you toe with me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tire ¡°O¨COkay!¡± you our!¡± Roxanne got into the car with Bruce, feeling uneasy. They got into the car. The driver drove attentively in front. Bruce and Roxanne sat in the backseat of Rolls¨CRoyce. The spacious seatpletely separated the two of them. Ever since Bruce got into the car, Bruce¡¯s face was gloomy. Roxanne sat uneasily. The atmosphere was oppressive and awkward. The car drove out of the Everett mansion! Halfway through, Roxanne finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She squeezed out a sheepish grin and tried to find something to talk about. ¡°Bruce, this isn¡¯t the way to Sherane Bay Vi, right?¡± ¡°Where¡­ are we going?¡± Bruce looked straight ahead and could not be bothered to turn around to look at Roxanne. ¡°To the hospital!¡± His tone was terrifyingly cold. ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t we juste out of the hospital? Didn¡¯t you promise Grandma you wouldn¡¯t look for my sister again?¡± Bruce sneered and finally turned around to look at Roxanne sinisterly! ¡°I¡¯m not going to see Joanna!¡± ¡°What are we going there for then?¡± Roxanne could not guess Bruce¡¯s thoughts and became even more nervous. ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯d better tell me now! Why are you taking me to the hospital?¡± ¡°Why? Heh!¡± Bruce sneered and took a medical record from the car¡¯s glovepartment. Then, he smacked it hard on Roxanne¡¯s face. ¡°Take a good look at this!¡± Roxanne was so frightened that her entire body trembled. She quickly picked up the medical record and took a look! That was a medical record of the artificial insemination! Although she had already given the doctor money, it was a pity that Bruce still found out. He wasn¡¯t a fool. Roxanne was pregnant for no reason, so he was naturally puzzled! Therefore, it only took a little effort to print out the medical record of Roxanne. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± When Roxanne saw the medical record, she was so frightened that her face instantly turned pale. She also rubbed her hands. uneasily! Bruce looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m a fool, or your IQ can outwit mine?¡± Roxanne was so frightened that his entire body turned cold. He looked at Bruce in horror. ¡°Bruce, I, I had no choice!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t live without you. I¡¯ll die without you!¡± ¡°I am taking you to get an abortion now!¡± That was a shock to Roxanne. Roxanne felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She tugged at Bruce¡¯s sleeve tightly and begged in pain, ¡°No, 1 definitely can¡¯t abort the children! ¡°No matter what, I already have children now. I won¡¯t abort it even if I die! Bruce, if you insist on me aborting the children, you might as well kill me! ¡°Besides, Grandma likes children! If Grandma knew that Bruce forced me to abort the baby. Grandma would be sad¡­¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about Grandma. I¡¯ll tell Grandma that you identally fell and dropped the baby! ¡°Abort the children if you still want to stay by my side!¡± When Roxanne heard this, the tears on her face stopped flowing as she looked at Bruce in horror. When he was ruthless, he really did not leave any room for negotiation. ¡°No! No! Don¡¯t! ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill my children. Driver, stop the car. I want to get out! ¡°Im not going to the hospital. I want to get out of the car!¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 The car door was locked and could not be opened at all! Roxanne pounded on the car door in despair! ¡°Bruce, I beg you. Please don¡¯t be so heartless!¡± Bruce was unmoved, and his attitude did not soften at all. Five minutester! The car drove into a private hospital. ¡°Mr. Everett, we have arrived at the hospital!¡± ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to go! ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t be so heartless¡­¡± ¡°Kody, bring her in!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± The car door opened, and two bodyguards walked to the door and dragged Roxanne out of the car. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Help, help! Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Please don¡¯t be so cruel to me!¡± Roxanne cried bitterly and struggled with all her might¡­ Unfortunately, under the control of the two bodyguards, she was like two eagles catching a chick. She was powerless to resist. Bruce watched coldly. He casually lit a cigarette and took a deep puff! ¡°Roxanne, I definitely won¡¯t allow anyone to scheme against me like this! This child can¡¯t be born no matter what!¡± ¡°Send her to the operating room!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Two bodyguards dragged Roxanne into the hospital! The doctors and nurses were already prepared and waiting to start at any time! ¡°Help! Help! Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Please don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°You might as well take my life. You can¡¯t be so heartless to me. You can¡¯t be so ruthless!¡± Bruce sneered and was indifferent to her shrill cries! He hated being schemed against by women the most! Roxanne actually dared to scheme against him like this! Regardless of whether she was pregnant with his child, he would not take responsibility! They were quick and swift. Soon, Roxanne was tied up and carried out of the operating theater. The nurse was also preparing to draw her blood for testing. No, no¡­ Roxanne broke down in despair and cried. Something happened that stopped this. Margaret¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? Are you going to anger grandina to death before you are satisfied?¡± The butler pushed Margaret and rushed over in time to stop him! Bruce had just brought Roxanne out, and Margaret was already suspicious! Unexpectedly, she had guessed correctly! This rascal actually brought Roxanne for an abortion! This time, he almost pissed Margaret off. ¡°You bastard, you, you¡­¡± Seeing how angry Margaret was, Bruce panicked as well. ¡°Grandma, listen to my exnation!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your exnation. If you dare to abort my great¨Cgrandson, grandma will not live anymore!¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned helplessly. ¡°Grandma, you already have great¨Cgrandchildren. You really can¡¯t ept this!¡± Margaret did not listen to Bruce¡¯s exnation at all. She pointed at his nose and scolded, ¡°Roxy is pregnant with your child. How can you treat her like this?¡± ¡°Even a vicious tiger doesn¡¯t eat its cubs. You¡¯re too heartless. You¡¯re even worse than an animal!¡± ¡°Grandma, let me exin!¡± ¡°Roxanne wasn¡¯t conceived naturally at all. She secretly got pregnant with my child through an improper method! I didn¡¯t sleep with her at all from the beginning to the end!¡± Margaret was originally in a fit of anger. Hearing this, she was also shocked! When Roxanne heard Margaret¡¯s voice, she rushed out crazily! She suddenly knelt before Margaret and cried, ¡°Grandma, please save me! Please save your great¨C grandchild!¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m artificially inseminated, I can guarantee that the child in my stomach is definitely Bruce¡¯s!¡± ¡°Grandma, please save the child! I¡¯m really pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child! I did this because I loved Bruce too much and was afraid of losing Bruce. I had no choice!¡± Roxanne knelt at Margaret¡¯s feet and cried her heart out! Seeing this, Margaret was stunned for a long time! Artificial insemination? She felt a chill down her spine. Roxanne was not simple! She actually thought of such a method! However, since she was pregnant, it was still a life! Margaret thought about it and gave in. ¡°Even if it¡¯s artificial insemination, it¡¯s still our Everett family¡¯s child! No matter what, we have to keep this child!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± Bruce felt a headacheing on. ¡°Go home with Grandma. With Grandma around, no one can touch you and your baby!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Grandma. Thank you, Grandma!¡± Roxanne was still in shock. She quickly got up and followed behind. Margaret in fear! ¡°Butler, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Everett!¡± Bruce had no choice but to watch helplessly as Roxanne was taken away by his grandmother! ¡°F*ck!¡± Bruce cursed in frustration. In Greyport, he was a man of his word. No one could stop what he wanted to do! Unfortunately, in front of his grandmother, he did not dare to act rashly. At the same time, things were going out of control in the hospital. Joanna was rebellious! As soon as Bruce left, she felt like she had finally escaped. She immediately prepared to get discharged! Andy kept persuading from the side, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett said that you can only be discharged after you recover!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recovered. I want to be discharged now!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t let you leave the hospital!¡± ¡°Andy, I¡¯m not a criminal. He has no right to imprison me like this! What I want to do is up to me!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes!¡± The bodyguards at the door also stepped forward to stop him! ¡°Move aside. If you stop me again, I¡¯ll have to call the police and sue you for restricting my freedom!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, we really can¡¯t exin this to Mr. Everett if you leave!¡± ¡°Make way. I¡¯ll talk to Bruce!¡± Andy and the others could not stop Joanna at all! Joanna still lefy the hospital! She was in a hurry to rush to the factory in Mossbourne! Beep! Beep. Beep! This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. As soon as Joanna left the hospital, she immediately called Michael. ¡°Hey, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Michael, what¡¯s the situation at the factory?¡± Michael¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the call. ¡°Miss Haynes, why haven¡¯t you answered your phone for two days?¡± ¡°Something happened to me these two days. Now, I can go over!¡± The family members of the deceased have gone berserk. They bring a group of people to cause trouble at the factory entrance daily! This matter has rmed the local media!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you tofort the victim¡¯s family first?¡± ¡°The family of the deceased is very stubborn. They can¡¯t be appeased at all!¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go over now!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Chapter 197 Chapter 197 The Haynes Group disregarded human life. They are heartless!¡± ¡°Unscrupulous enterprises, rubbish of the society. They are exploiting migrant workers¡­¡± A middle¨Caged man in mourning clothes was cursing with a loudspeaker! With every curse, more than ten people followed suit! Seeing this, Joanna felt stressed out, and her head was in pain! It was obvious that they were professional actors! In other words, they were the mafia specialized in collecting debts for people and extorting compensation for casualties! They would look forpanies to extort an exorbitant sum by looking for simr casualties. Then, they split it equally with the victim¡¯s family. ¡°Miss Haynes, they can¡¯t continue to make a ruckus like this. Why don¡¯t we call the police!¡± Cora said with a frown. ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the families of the victim first!¡± The car drove towards the gate! The security guard immediately opened the door. ¡°The person in charge is here. Stop her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cause a ruckus!¡± The security guards held stun batons and blocked everyone outside the door. Michael was already waiting in the garage. As soon as Joanna got out of the car, Michael rushed forward anxiously. ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Call the victim¡¯s family into the office!¡± Michael¡¯s expression was solemn as he said helplessly. ¡°The deceased¡¯s family has a tough attitude and refuses tomunicate.¡± ¡°They wanted one million dors aspensation now. In addition, they¡¯ve wanted 200 thousand dors for mental damage done to their family!¡± Cora was shocked. ¡°Huh? That much? Isn¡¯t that obviously ckmailing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But now that someone has died, the victim¡¯s family won¡¯t let go of this matter! If this continues, the situation¡¯s impact will be even worse!¡± Although the factory had bought insurance, the deceased¡¯s family still wanted an additional 1.2 million dors from the Haynes Group! ¡°Call the victim¡¯s family over and tell them that we want to discuss thepensation!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go now!¡± ¡°Mr. Brycen, how do you think this matter should be resolved?¡± Mr. Brycen pushed his sses. ¡°Let¡¯s negotiate it privately first. If the adjustment doesn¡¯t seed, we still have to go through the judicial process!¡± Joanna frowned and thought for a moment! The judicial process would be too slow. If the victim¡¯s family continued to cause trouble, the impact on the factory would be far more than 1.2 million dors. It was better topensate some money and settle the matter as soon as possible! The members of the mafia had the mentality of entrepreneurs. Therefore, they treated this ident as a way to get rich. Half an hour had passed. Michael walked in with the person who imed to be the deceased¡¯s second uncle. ¡°Miss Haynes, the victim¡¯s family member is here!¡± Joanna observed this person! The person was about 5.5 feet and had a protruding mouth and monkey¨Clike puffed cheeks. He wore a ck and tattered jacket, and his hair was messy. The left leg of his pants was rolled up, revealing the straw pants underneath. He was dressed like a typical construction worker. However, there was a shrewdness and sharpness in his eyes! Joanna pondered and greeted politely, ¡°Hello! I¡¯m the person in charge of the Haynes Group! ¡°Please take a seat!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the second uncle of the deceased. If you have anything to say, just tell me! ¡°Boohoo, my poor nephew. He just graduated from university, and he¡¯s gone just like that!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry first. It¡¯s indeed our factory¡¯s responsibility for such a thing to happen! ¡°If you have any requests, feel free to ask. We¡¯ll try our best to satisfy them!¡± The man sniffed. Although he pretended to be sad, his eyes were bright and shining, revealing his greed for money. ¡°We¡¯ve already made a request previously. We want one million dors aspensation, plus 200 thousand dors for damage caused to our emotions! The boy¡¯s parents worked hard to raise the child. Now that their child is gone, the old couple is already sick. It¡¯s not much to ask for this money!¡± ¡°For apany as big as yours, 1.2 million was only like a drop of water in the ocean!¡± Joanna listened without any expression on her beautiful face! Thepany had bought idental personal insurance for every employee. In this ident, the insurancepany wouldpensate 76 thousand dors! However, thepany would stillpensate him with an additional pension out of humanitarianism! Joanna opened her handbag and took out a check. ¡°This is a check for 400 thousand dors! It¡¯s to express condolences to the family of the deceased!¡± Although she sympathized with the victim, she would not let the victim¡¯s family ask for an exorbitant price. The 400 thousand dors was out of sympathy. If the deceased¡¯s family disagreed, she did not want to settle it privately! Anyway, she already had a bad name. So, she didn¡¯t care about the situation getting worse. Seeing this, the man red at her. ¡°Are you kidding me? We want 1.2 million dors! Are you taking us as a beggar by giving us 400 thousand dors?¡± Joanna¡¯s smile froze. She said calmly, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m also very heartbroken that something like this happened to thepany! Thepany has also bought insurance for every employee. Logically speaking, thepany doesn¡¯t have topensate! ¡°However, out of the spirit of humanity, I¡¯m willing to represent thepany and pay an additional 400 thousand dors!¡± ¡°I think you are very familiar with the market price, right?¡± Joanna said with a hint of mockery in her eyes. Although the second uncle of the victim was dressed like a migrant worker, she could tell at a nce that he was a professional ckmailer. As expected, when this man heard what Joanna said, the corners of his mouth twitched! ¡°A little more. This price is too ridiculous!¡± ¡°I am not adding a single cent!¡± Joanna¡¯s tone was cold and blunt. There was no room for negotiation. ¡°If you agree to settle this privately, ept the money and let the matter rest! Otherwise, we can only go through the judicial process!¡± ¡°No. 400 thousand dors is too little! If it¡¯s less than one million. I won¡¯t agree to settle it privately!¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and stood up when she heard this. ¡°Since you don¡¯t agree, we can only go through the judicial process!¡± ¡°I think that even if the Human Court gives a verdict, it will definitely not exceed 200 thousand dors!¡± ¡°I have something to settle now. You can leave!¡± Seeing this, the man¡¯s aggressive attitude softened a little. ¡°If you don¡¯tpensate us, we¡¯ll make a ruckus here every day. You guys would never resume work normally!¡± ¡°Up to you! It¡¯s the off¨Cseason now, and many factories are taking long vacations! It¡¯s already challenging for our factory to continue working!¡± ¡°What you¡¯re doing won¡¯t affect the factory at all! It will only affect a group of people who are working to support their families.¡± The man rolled his eyes and said impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much nonsense!¡± ¡°In any case, we won¡¯t leave until the matter is resolved today!¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s tough for our factory to operate now. If it goes bankrupt, not to mention 400 thousand dors, we won¡¯t even have 200 dors!¡± ¡°Of course! You can sue me personally! This is mywyer. You can talk to him if you need anything! ¡°After the judicial process, I will definitely not go back on my word no matter how much the court asks me topensate! However, it will be at least half a year before you get the money!¡± ¡°It would not affect me. I can wait!¡± When the man heard this, his expression turned gloomy even more! This woman in front of them was really not easy to fool! If they really went to court, they would definitely not be able to gain an even greater advantage. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Actually, their expectedpensation price was only 600 thousand dors. After all, this kind of thing had to be negotiated! Seeing Joanna¡¯s unyielding attitude, the man could not hold on any longer. ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll go back and talk to the boy¡¯s parents!¡± Joanna pursed slightly and said thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯m going abroad in the afternoon. I might not be back for many days! ¡°You¡¯d better answer by two in the afternoon!¡± ¡°Alright! We will try our best!¡± With that, the man hurried out of the office. They watched silently for the man to leave. Cora and Mr. Brycen could not help but say, ¡°Miss Haynes, isn¡¯tpensating 400 thousand dors too much?¡± ¡°They¡¯re clearly ckmailing us. We can¡¯t spoil them like this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if we really go through the judicial process, we won¡¯t need topensate so much!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°It is to pay respect to the deceased! After all, he is dead. It¡¯s only right to compensate a little more out of humanitarianism.¡± The negotiation was quick. It took less than an hour. Soon, the man returned. ¡°Erm¡­I¡¯ve already discussed it with the boy¡¯s parents. 400 thousand dors it is! ¡°But we want cash!¡± ¡®Deal! ¡°I¡¯ll get the finance department to go to the bank to withdraw the money. You guys can sign a receipt and a guarantee letter!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± The man¡¯s eyes were bright and filled with joy. After getting the 400 thousand dors, he and the victim¡¯s family could each get 200 thousand dors! Such a good way to get rich was faster than robbing. Of course, he was happy. ¡°Hurry up and ask those people outside to leave!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± It only took minutes. All the troublemakers gathered at the entrance of the factory had left! The paints and rubbish were also taken away. Michael patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re amazing. You settled the matter with 400 thousand dors! ¡°Before you came, they insisted on 1.2 million dors!¡± Joanna was not in the mood to say too much. ¡°Since the matter has been resolved, hurry up and clean up. Prepare to resume work!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the warehouse!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± They headed to the warehouse. Joanna, Cora, and the others arrived at the warehouse. The huge warehouse was filled with umted home appliances. Among them, there were the most backlogs of rice cookers and smart cleaning robots. ¡°How many orders are there this month?¡± ¡°I only signed a dozen or so contracts!¡± # These are the stocks. Some time ago, the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group returned the order! Although a portion of the goods were sold, there¡¯s still a huge amount of stock!¡± When Joanna heard this, she sighed. ¡°I understand!¡± The employee casualties had been sessfully resolved. However, Joanna was still a little depressed! Looking at the inventory upying severalrge warehouses, she really could not be happy. It was already the end of the year. The total cost of these goods alone was more than 16 million dors! This did not include the cost of electricity, water, rent,bor, and so on! If one could not deal with it, they would not even be able to pay their employees. In the past, when she was a marketing manager, she could get orders everywhere! But now, she was the president of the entirepany! She still had too many things to settle and did not have the energy to run around. In particr, she was about to go against Bruce for custody of the child. Joanna was inspecting the warehouse. Buzz! Buzz! Buz! The phone in her pocket vibrated. She took out her phone and looked at it¡­ The call was from Jaydon. In the past two days, Jaydon had called her a lot! Unfortunately, her phone had always been in Bruce¡¯s hands! Today, she was busying out of the factory and had not had the time to call him back. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± ¡°Joann, why aren¡¯t you answering your phone¡­¡± Jaydon¡¯s deep voice came from the other end of the phone. Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Jay, where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m abroad now!¡± ¡°Oli!¡± Jaydon paused for two seconds. ¡°Joann, are you alright now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Joanna smiled awkwardly. ¡°Why are you apologizing to me?¡± Jaydon sighed and wanted to say something but hesitated. He had never expected things to turn out this way! What was even more unexpected was that because of him, Joanna was innocently implicated. The Greyport media thought that they were lovers. Now that something like this happened to him, the entertainment reporters would use her as a publicity attraction! Joanna could hear the frustration in Jaydon¡¯s tone and did not know how tofort him! She only said with concern, ¡°Calm down for a while. Don¡¯t go back to Greyport for now! ¡°You cane back and deal with it slowly after the storm is over!¡± ¡°Can you handle it alone? I¡¯m worried about you!¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Michael said that something happened at the factory?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s been sessfully resolved!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he felt even more upset. Such a big thing had happened to the factory, but he had thrown the mess to Joanna. ¡°Joann, are you¡­ angry?¡± ¡°Why would I? You¡¯re good friends! You¡¯ve helped me so much. I can¡¯t thank you enough. Why would I be angry with you?¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice was gentler. ¡°Are you really not angry?¡± ¡°Jay, you¡¯re thinking too much! I won¡¯t be angry.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he felt a little disappointed! Yes! Why would she be angry? She had never loved him! Therefore, even if his private photos with another woman were leaked, she would still be indifferent! ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± ¡°Jay, don¡¯t feel too much pressure when you¡¯re overseas! Just treat it as a vacation. At most, you can start all over again!¡± Joanna knew how it felt to be abused online. She was also afraid that Jaydon would not be able to withstand the pressure and be depressed. Jaydon smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I won¡¯t break down that easily!¡± ¡°Take care of yourself while I¡¯m away!¡± ¡°Yes, I know! You, too, take care of yourself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all. I¡¯m hanging up now!¡± ¡°Okay. Call me if anything happens!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± After Joanna hung up, she was still a little depressed! She did not want to face the entertainment reporters in Greyport these few days. They would write anything to attract attention. It was too scary! ¡°Cora!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Get a private investigator. Help me find someone!¡± ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Joanna turned on her phone and sent a photo to Cora. ¡°Go find Mrs. Maxwell! I¡¯ll send you some information about herter!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Cora was Joanna¡¯s right¨Chand man. She was quick and decisive! After receiving the news, she immediately went to look for a private detective. Joanna sat in the office with a gloomy expression! She has to find this person called Mrs. Maxwell as soon as possible. Mrs. Maxwell was a nurse by Grandfather¡¯s side back then!¡± Six years ago, she was also the one who brought Joanna to Bruce¡¯s room! Only by finding her could Joanna figure out what had happened back then and who had instructed her to do this. Knock! Knock! Knock! There was a knock on the office door. ¡°Come in!¡± Michael pushed open the door and walked in. He held a fewrge stacks of bills and said with a frown, ¡°Miss Haynes, we can¡¯t keep squeezing these goods into the warehouse!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a streamer to sell the goods? We¡¯ll clean up these goods!¡± ¡°Get a streamer to sell goods?¡± Joanna was startled. ¡°That¡¯s right. It is popr in Mossbourne! Some famous streamers can even sell goods as much as 200 million dors daily!¡± Joanna was shocked when she heard that. She did not know much about the live broadcast industry and had never paid attention to this information. Seeing Joanna¡¯s interest, Michael quickly continued, ¡°We have so much inventory. If we can find a good streamer, we might be able to sell them all in less than a day!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it almost the end of the year? It¡¯s the best time to shop!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna was still in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Mossbourne¡¯s emerce industry is very popr now. It¡¯s much more popr than physical stores!¡± ¡°However, these famous streamers are also more difficult to work with!¡± Joanna listened and asked with interest, ¡°Which streamers in Mossbourne are more famous?¡± ¡°Oh, Mossbourne has many emerce tforms now. There are famous streamers on all tforms!¡± ¡°However, for household appliances like ours, finding a streamer with higher credibility is best!¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a streamer called Brother Trumpet now. He¡¯s very good at selling goods! There¡¯s also LeroLife, which was also good!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Every live broadcast they did has at least a few hundred million transactions!¡± As he spoke, Michael turned on his phone. Coincidentally, today was Brother Trumpet¡¯s live broadcast! Michael showed Joanna the live broadcast video. Joanna took the phone and looked at it for a while. She was overjoyed. ¡°We can give it a try!¡± ¡°Contact them immediately!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± + Arge Greyportpany like the Haynes Group did not have to worry about sales! Such arge brand was usually unwilling to find a streamer to sell goods! However, it might be a good way to keep up with the development of society! It was a fresh morning. Joanna called Michael early in the morning. ¡°Michael, what did the live streamer you found respond?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes., Michael hesitated! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t the negotiation go well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid Brother Trumpet and LeroLife can¡¯t take the job. We haven¡¯t reached an agreement!¡± ¡°What is the reason?¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and say it. Don¡¯t be so hesitant!¡± The person in charge of Brother Trumpet¡¯d mediapany said that the Haynes Group doesn¡¯t have a good reputation, and they don¡¯t dare to cooperate!¡± The person in charge at LeroLife¡¯s side said that their schedules are full!¡± When Joanna heard that, she fell silent! She was practically a slit on the Inte now. Everyone could not wait to cut ties with her! Although Greyport Media¡¯s focus differed from Mossbourne¡¯s, many people still paid attention to Joanna¡¯s rumors. These big streamers had finally gained the trust of arge number of fans. Naturally, they did not dare to take the risk of ticking the drop of their fans! ¡°I got it!¡± After Joanna hung up, she calmly thought about it! She decided to look for Brother Trumpet herself. Especially now that Jaydon was not around, she had to clear the backlog of goods as soon as possible! ¡°Miss Haynes, do you really n to go to Greene Town personally?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I heard that Brother Trumpet has a bad temper. Since he has rejected it, let¡¯s find another streamer to work with!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s give it a try!¡± Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Joanna took a simple bath! Then, she took Cora, Michael, and his other assistant. Nichs, directly to Greene Town! Greene City was about kilometers away from Porash. It would only take two hours by car! Meanwhile, Bruce knew only about Rosalie¡¯s matter the following day. His phone was turned off. Andy only reported to him the next morning about Joanna leaving the hospital. ¡°What are you talking about? Joanna has left the hospital?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett! Miss Haynes left the hospital yesterday¡­¡± Before Andy could finish, Bruce flew into a rage. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch over her?¡± Seeing that Bruce was angry, Andy was so frightened that his face turned pale. He shrank his neck and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, you know how stubborn Miss Haynes is! ¡°If she wants to leave, I can¡¯t stop her at all. I don¡¯t dare to stop her!¡± ¡°Useless!¡± Bruce cursed angrily. The doctor had specially instructed that Joanna¡¯s health was very bad and that she had to be hospitalized for at least a week! Now that she left the hospital, danger could happen at any time. The more Bruce thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He quickly took out his phone and called her. Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna¡¯s phone beeped. Joanna was leaning against the back seat with her eyes closed. The phone in her bag vibrated! Joanna took out her phone and saw that it was Bruce calling. She immediately hung up! She didn¡¯t want to answer his call! This damn bastard. Nothing good would happen if he were by her side! ¡°Damned woman! She is not answering my call again!¡± Joanna did not answer his call. Bruce was so angry that he could only grit his teeth. He just wanted to care about her! Not only did she not appreciate his kindness, but she was also guarding against him like a he was a thief! ¡°Prepare the car. Go to the Haynes Group immediately!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, you don¡¯t have to go! Miss Haynes isn¡¯t in Greyport!¡± ¡°Where did she go?¡± ¡°I called Luna this morning. She said Miss Haynes went to Mossbourne.¡± ¡°Check the location of her phone and see where she is now. Send it to me immediately.¡± 1/5 ¡°Yes!¡± Andy did not dare to hesitate. He hurriedly turned on the tracker and tracked the location of Joanna¡¯s phone. Ten minutester¡­ Andy sent Joanna¡¯s phone status to Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes¡¯s phone is currently in Greene Town.¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°Why is she going to Greene Town?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I call Luna?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Andy quickly called Luna to ask why Joanna was going to Greene Town! However, Joanna did not tell anyone why she went to Greene Town. Naturally, Luna did not know. ¡°Mr. Everett, I just asked Luna! She said that she doesn¡¯t know either. Miss Haynes didn¡¯t tell anyone about going to Greene Town!¡± ¡°Then why would she go to Greene Town:¡± Bruce frowned even more. Forget it. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask. It was better to go straight to her. ¡°Give me the keys!¡± When Andy heard this, he immediately guessed that Bruce was going to look for Joanna. He quickly reminded him, ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Lurk will return from Europea in the afternoon!¡± ¡°We missed our appointmentst time. Mr. Everett, aren¡¯t you meeting him this time?¡± When Bruce heard this, he realized he had an appointment to discuss a coboration! He had canceled the meeting with Mr. Lurkst week. It would be a little unreasonable if he did not go this time. After thinking about it, he decided to deal with thepany¡¯s matters first! It was ten in the evening. Joanna, Cora, and the others had arrived at Greene Town! They were at Trumpet Media¡¯s office. Standing at the entrance of the tall building, Michael introduced, ¡°Miss Haynes, this is Brother Trumpet¡¯s live broadcastpany!¡± Joanna looked up! The signboard at the entrance was very imposing and looked quite decent. It did not look like an inte celebritypany, but a serious business building. ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna and Cora walked in front while Micheal and Nichs followed behind. 12:41 Sat, 8 Jul They met the front desk when they entered. When the customer service staff saw someoneing over, they asked politely, ¡°Hello, do you have an Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. appointment?¡± ¡°No. We want to talk about a coboration.¡± ¡°Oh, if you want to discuss a coboration, you can look for Mr. Zacky! ¡°However, Mr. Zacky is in a meeting now. He might only be free in the afternoon!¡± Cora asked politely, ¡°Can we look for Brother Trumpet?¡± I¡¯m sorry. You have to make an appointment in advance to meet the president!¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet Mr. Zacky in the afternoon!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make an appointment for you first!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Cora and Michael couldn¡¯t help but purse their lips. Miss Haynes was really¡­ too hardworking! She was so humble as to look for an inte celebrity to discuss a coboration.. Actually, there was no need for her to work like this. As long as she lowered her head slightly to Mr. Everett, he could settle everything for her, not to mention dealing with the factory¡¯s inventory. Even if she didn¡¯t do anything, she could lie on the bed and count money. Unfortunately, she would rather suffer than ept Mr. Everett¡¯s help. It was finally the afternoon. They had waited for hours. Joanna and Cora waited until two in the afternoon. ¡°Hello, has Mr. Zacky finished his meeting?¡± The customer service staff said casually, ¡°Mr. Zacky has something on and went out!¡± Joanna was speechless. Michael was more furious. ¡°Didn¡¯t you make an appointment for us? Why is yourpany so unreliable?¡± When the customer service staff heard this, their attitude became even more arrogant. ¡°Mr. Zacky has something on and has to go out. There¡¯s nothing we can do! ¡°If you want to see Mr. Zacky, you can only make an appointment tomorrow!¡± ¡°Tomorrow? We¡¯vee a long way!¡± Joanna stopped Michael and looked at the customer service with a smile. ¡°Hello, can you give him a call for us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We have to follow the procedure! If you don¡¯t want to wait, go back!¡± As the customer service staff spoke, she sat down and pretended to check herputer. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t we go back first?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna failed to meet the manager. The few of them walked out of Trumpet Media¡¯s office gloomily. Michael and Nichs were furious! Although the live streamer industry had a certain amount of influence, such a hugepany like the Haynes Group was willing to take the initiative to cooperate with them. To be honest, they should be grateful. Joanna had left the office. After she left, the customer service staff at the front desk couldn¡¯t help but discuss, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think that woman just now looks a little like Miss Haynes?¡± That Miss Haynes?¡± ¡°Who else can Miss Haynes we talk about be?¡± The Greyport¡¯s former top socialite and the ex-wife of Greyport¡¯s richest man?¡± ¡°It looks like it!¡± The other customer service staff was speechless. ¡°No way? Impossible!¡± ¡°She¡¯s the director of the Haynes Group. Why is she here to discuss a coboration with Brother Trumpet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s a top-notch wealthy family. They are from a bigpany. Why would theye to discuss a coboration with a streamer?¡± ¡°It might be true!¡± ¡°Who cares if it is or not? It has nothing to do with us! We¡¯re just gossiping!¡± Joanna and the others returned to the car. The few of them had waited for half a day and did not even have time to eat. Now, they were tired and hungry! What was even more infuriating was that they did not even see a manager, let alone Brother Trumpet. ¡°Miss Haynes, what should we do now? Are we going back?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to eat first! We¡¯ll think of a solution after lunch!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The few of them found a restaurant nearby! During lunch, Michael couldn¡¯t help butfort her again. ¡°Miss Haynes, forget it if we can¡¯t find them!¡± Nichs chimed in. ¡°He is just an inte celebrity, yet he is showing how powerful he is!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He is only an inte celebrity! If we can¡¯t work with him, we¡¯ll find another streamer.¡± Joanna stirred the coffee in her cup and frowned. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s impossible to see Brother Trumpet through Mr. Zacky! ¡°It¡¯s best to find another way to meet and discuss it with him in person!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Usually, it would be easier to find the boss.¡± I contacted the manager of theirpany previously. When he heard it was the Haynes Group, he hung up without saying much! It¡¯s as if our Haynes Group is very unpresentable!¡± Indeed! Even though the Haynes Group was already on the decline, it was still a Greyportpany. Previously, they had mainly cooperated with foreign countries. After Joanna took over the Haynes Group, she wanted to open up the Mossbourne market. Therefore, she built a factory in Porash and invested most of her energy into Mossbourne. Cora and Michael were still cursing, but Joanna was not discouraged at all. ¡°Think about it. Where can we meet Brother Trumpet?¡± Nichs often watched live broadcasts and was a fan of Brother Trumpet! He knew some of Brother Trumpet¡¯s habits. ¡°Miss Haynes. I heard that this Brother Trumpet likes to work out! He goes to a gym every day to work out. We can wait for him in the parking lot of the gym!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We can give it a try!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 200 Chapter 200 When Nichs heard that, he scratched his head again. ¡°Miss Haynes, that¡¯s what I heard! But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Also, there are so many gyms in Greene Town. I don¡¯t know which gym he will go to! Also, I don¡¯t know his daily habits,¡± Joanna pondered for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s try our luck!¡± Cora frowned. ¡°But there are so many gyms. We don¡¯t know which gym he will be in!¡± Joanna thought for a moment. ¡°Turn on the navigation and search the nearby gyms!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± As Michael spoke, he quickly turned on the navigation on his phone. Then, he searched for the gym nearby! Seconds passed¡­ The search results were out! There were seven to eight gyms nearby! ¡°Miss Haynes, we¡¯ve found them!¡± ¡°Show them to me!¡± ¡°Here you go!¡± Joanna took the phone and looked at it. Of these seven or eight gyms, the closest was one kilometer away. The other two were four to five kilometers away. There was another one more than 20 kilometers away! Joanna observed. The most high¨Cend gym was 20 kilometers away! This gym was an international chain store! Many socialites and rich second¨Cgeneration heirs liked to go there! Based on Brother Trumpet¡¯s current spending level, he would definitely choose the most expensive one. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ go to this gym!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, this gym is more than 20 kilometers away from here! Would Brother Trumpet go so far away from thepany to work out?¡± Joanna smiled slightly. ¡°This gym is the most high¨Cend. The membership fee is tens of thousands of dors a year!¡± ¡°Brother Trumpet used to be an ordinary person, but now he¡¯s a famous inte celebrity. What he wants to do the most is toe into contact with upper¨Css society. Heely choose to go here!¡± ¡°That makes sense!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s try our luck!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Hurry up and pay the bill!¡± They acted quickly. After they paid the bill, they directly navigated to the gym! Half an hourter, they arrived. Michael drove to the underground parking lot of the gym! That gym was very private. Outsiders were not allowed to enter! However, Joanna had the VIP membership card of this gym, which was universally used throughout the nation! Therefore, they entered the parking lot smoothly. The parking lot was filled with luxury cars! ¡°Do you think we will see him here?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m just trying my luck. It doesn¡¯t matter if we did not see hitn!¡± Joanna said. He was still not very However, they were really lucky today. Joanna had guessed correctly! They waited for less than half an hour! The elevator door to the underground parking lot opened. A few people walked out of the elevator. The leader was a handsome young man in his thirties. He was wearing a cap and casual clothes! confident! As he walked, he lowered his head and looked at his phone. The young man walked in front, followed by three to four assistants! The group of people quickly walked towards a luxury car! Nichs had sharp eyes. Even though Brother Trumpet was dressed very low¨Ckey, he recognized him immediately! ¡°Miss Haynes, that¡­ that person seems to be Brother Trumpet!¡± Nichs said excitedly and hurriedly pointed with his finger. Joanna heard this and did not have time to think much. ¡°Get out of the car quickly!¡± As Joanna spoke, she had already pushed open the car door and ran over! Cora and Michael got out of the car and quickly followed behind! The assistants beside Brothe Trumpet! ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Trumpet thought they had encountered a fan and hurriedly stood in front of Brother Joanna had already approached him. She steadied her heartbeat and revealed a professional smile. ¡°Hello!¡± Brother Trumpet was also stunned for a moment. He looked at Joanna in surprise. He was now a big inte celebrity and would encounter many fans when he went out. Fans would often follow him. Therefore, he had to bring a few bodyguards when he went out! Joanna caught her breath and looked at Brother Trumpet. Brother Trumpet was about 5.7 feet tall and had delicate facial features. Although he wore a cap, his face still revealed a hint. of shrewdness! ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Excuse me, are you Brother Trumpet?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Brother Trumpet couldn¡¯t figure out the purpose of Joanna and the others, so he answered in a muffled manner. At first, he thought that he had met a fan. Now that he looked closer at the woman before him, he saw her wearing a business suit andrge ck¨Cframed sses! It was obvious that she was a professional woman! Although Joanna wore no makeup, her skin was surprisingly fair. Even though she worerge ck¨C framed sses, her exquisite facial features could still be seen. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°Hello, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Joanna Haynes. I¡¯m waiting for you here. I want to discuss the cooperation of selling goods with you!¡± Joanna directly exined the purpose of his visit to prevent others from misunderstanding. ¡°Joanna Haynes?¡± Brother Trumpet looked surprised as he looked at Joanna again. Although he did not know Joanna, the Greyport media was so popr that he had more or less seen some rumors. After all, Joanna was Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cwife! Just this identity alone was destined to bring chaos to her for the rest of her life! ¡°Oh, hello!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Excuse me!¡± Joanna politely extended her hand and took the initiative to shake his hand. Instinctively, Brother Trumpet reached out and shook her hand like a gentleman. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. I came here today to discuss cooperation with you, Brother Trumpet!¡± When Brother Trumpet heard this, he was stunned again! Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cwife was actually looking for him to discuss a coboration! He was really a little surprised. The assistant behind Brother Trumpet stepped forward and said, ¡°Well, if you want to talk about cooperation and delivery, please go to ourpany to look for the marketing department!¡± Joanna smiled feluctantly. ¡°We¡¯ve already looked for you, but we have to make an appointment!¡± ¡°We specially rushed over from Greyport. We might not have that much time to wait!¡± ¡°Therefore, I want to meet Brother Trumpet and talk to him in person!¡± When Brother Trumpet heard this, his eyes lit up. No matter what, the Haynes Group was a listedpany. Logically speaking, there were many channels! ¡°Erm, I¡¯m not free today. I have to rush back to do a live broadcast!¡± Brother Trumpet replied directly. Chapter When Joanna heard this, a hint of disappointment appeared on her face. ¡°Then¡­ can you leave a contact number?¡± The assistant beside him said directly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! We¡¯re in a hurry!¡± Brother Trumpet stopped his assistant in time. ¡°Give her my business card!¡± ¡°Okay, Brother Trumpet!¡± The assistant quickly took out a business card from his bag and handed it to Joannia. ¡°This is Brother Trumpet¡¯s business card!¡± Joanna quickly took out her business card and handed it to Brother Trumpet. ¡°This is my business card! I hope we can work together.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Brother Trumpet waved his hand politely before getting into the car Chapter 201 Chapter 201 ¡°Get in the car. Let¡¯s get back to Greyport as soon as possible!¡± Joanna looked at her watch. It was already past four in the afternoon! If there were no traffic, it would probably be past six o¡¯clock when they returned to Porash. She had not returned home for two days. She had to go home tonight. ¡°Wait. I need to go to the bathroom!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± With that. Joanna and Cora walked to the bathroom. Cora was faster. After going to the toilet, she was the first toe out. Joanna had been thinking about something, so she was slower! She was done with the toilet and was ready to go out! Unexpectedly, something happened as soon as she opened the toilet door! A man wearing a cap and a mask stood outside the toilet! Before Joanna could react, the man in the cap held a dagger and stabbed it into her chest. Joanna was shocked. She quickly raised the bag in her hand to block! Ssh! The foot¨Clong dagger pierced through the crocodile skin leather bag. It was obvious how much strength he had used. If this de pierced her heart, she would definitely die from it. ¡°Ah! ¡°Help!¡± Seeing that he did not stab Joanna, the man suddenly pulled out his dagger and stabbed her again! This time, Joanna had time to react. She suddenly reached out and grabbed the man¡¯s wrist! The de was sawing before their eyes! ¡°Help! Someone help!¡± Joanna shouted in fear! After all, she was a woman and did not have enough strength! The man in the cap broke free from Joanna¡¯s hand and stabbed her a few more times. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Although Joanna had learned female self¨Cdefense, the cramped space was insufficient for her to use them. Especially since the other party was holding a murder weapon. Joanna¡¯s arm was cut while they entangled. Blood instantly seeped through her shirt. Joanna raised the bag and threw it at the man frantically! ¡°Ah!¡± The man panicked when he failed to hit a vital spot after stabbing a few times! Cora heard the screams from outside and rushed in to take a look! ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Cora was also shocked when she entered. She quickly picked up the mop beside her and hit the man¡¯s head hard. She shouted, ¡°Michael. Nichs,e here quickly!¡± The man in the cap was struck on the head. His vision turned ck, and he almost fainted! Seeing the situation, Joanna turned around, grabbed the trash can in the toilet, and mmed it on the killer¡¯s head. ¡°Somebody! Anyone! Help!¡± The killer had a trash can on his head and couldn¡¯t see where he was going. The dagger in his hand also fell to the ground! When Michael and Nichs heard the exmation, they ignored that it happened in the female toilet and ran in aggressively. ¡°What people?¡± This is an killer. He wants to kill me. Call the police!¡± Joanna¡¯s arm was cut, and blood kept flowing. Without another word, Michael and Nichs stepped forward and kicked the killer to the ground! Nichs pounced on him and kneed the back of his hand, pinning him down. ¡°Miss Haynes, how are you?¡± Cora dropped the mop in his hand and rushed forward to check on Joanna¡¯s arm. ¡°Hurry up and call the police. Call the security guards here!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The killer prostrated on the ground, no longer able to struggle! ¡°Who are you? Why do you want to kill me?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, take him to the police station first!¡± As Nichs spoke, he twisted the killer¡¯s arm and dragged him out of the bathroom! The three of them waited anxiously for the security guards to arrive. The killer leaned weakly against the railing! He looked powerless to resist. Seeing this, Nichs let down his guard! Unexpectedly, Nichs had just let down his guard! The killer suddenly broke free from his grip, flipped over, and jumped down from the railing on the second floor. Ssh! The killer fell hard on the ground. Then, he got up and limped out of the door. 12:42 Sat, ¡°Go after him!¡± What a pity! By the time Nichs ran down the stairs to give chase, the killer had already disappeared. ¡°Where is he? Where is he?¡± Michael rushed over with a few security guards. ¡°I identally let him escape,¡± Nichs said dejectedly. Joanna was even more terrified! Fortunately, she had reacted quickly just now. If she had reacted a little slower, the knife would not have cut her arm, but it would have stabbed into her heart! She never thought that she would encounter a killer here! ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He got away!¡± Minutester¡­ The police rushed over, and Joanna gave her statements! Joanna thought back carefully. This person was probably the same person as the man who bumped into her in a car a few days ago! A few days ago, Bruce chased her when a car hit her on the street. Obviously, these two incidents were not a coincidence! ¡°Ms. Haynes, do you know anyone holding a grudge against you?¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned and thought hard! Her enemies were probably only Ingrid and Bruce!. But Bruce would definitely not hire someone to kill her! Among the remaining people, only Ingrid was the greatest suspect. However, these were only suspicions. After all, there was no concrete evidence! ¡°Alright! The statement has been recorded. If there¡¯s any news, the police will inform you anytime!¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± The few of them left the police station! Cora said worriedly, ¡°Miss Haynes, let¡¯s go to the hospital to bandage your arm!¡± Joanna shook her head. ¡°No need. I¡¯m worried that an ident will happen. Let¡¯s go back to Greyport first!¡± After all, she was unfamiliar with Greene Town. If she encountered another killer, she would not be so lucky! ¡°Okay!¡± Cora went to the pharmacy and bought bandages and tape. She also bought iodine to disinfect Joanna¡¯s wound. 12:42 Sat, 8 Ju After bandaging the wound, they quickly drove to Greyport. They arrived at Greyport after a long drive. It was already past eight in the evening. ¡°Miss Haynes, we¡¯re at your house!¡± Nichs got out of the car and opened the door. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna got out of the car in frustration. Cora looked serious. ¡°Miss Haynes, call me if anything happens!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I send you upstairs?¡± ¡°No need!¡± The ce where Joanna lived was considered a rtively high¨Cend district in Greyport! Killers probably couldn¡¯t enter. ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°Yes, you too!¡± Joanna dragged her exhausted body and walked home! She had just reached the elevator door and was about to enter. Suddenly, a huge ck shadowpletely enveloped her! ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna screamed reflexively, thinking that it was another killer! ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Bruce quickly exined when he saw how frightened she was. Joanna turned around and realized that it was Bruce! Her heart was still pounding in panic. ¡°Bruce, you almost scared me to death!¡± Bruce did not know she had just met a killer and almost lost her life! He thought she did not want to see him because she was so agitated. So, his expression changed. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and replied coldly, ¡°It has nothing to do with you!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was so angry that he was about to explode. ¡°Joanna, you could really piss me off!¡± He was already so tolerant and amodating to her, but she was getting more and more arrogant! He had lived for almost 30 years, but this was the first time he had been so humble to others.. Joanna was still in shock. The appearance of Bruce made her even more terrified and anxious. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m exhausted now. I don¡¯t want to quarrel with you!¡± ¡°I beg you to let me go. Let me go back to rest!¡± When Bruce heard this, he stomped his feet in anger. He suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. However, he identally caught her wound. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna screamed in pain and broke out in a cold sweat. Bruce was also shocked when he heard that. He quickly lowered his head to check. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyebrows twitched in pain. She subconsciously pressed on the wound. Bruce looked down! Suddenly, he was so shocked that he froze! Her arm was wrapped in thick gauze. Even with such thick gauze, there was still blood on the outside! Her clothes were covered in blood, and she was in a pathetic state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you injured again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°You¡¯re bleeding so much, and you still say you¡¯re fine? Don¡¯t you know how to take care of yourself?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Go with me to the hospital!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Joanna struggled with all her might. If she went to the hospital, the paranoid Bruce would restrict her freedom again. ¡°You have to go even if you don¡¯t want to! If you don¡¯t take your body seriously, you¡¯ll die soon!¡± ¡°Bruce, can you not force me? You¡¯re so annoying!¡± When Bruce heard this, his pupils constricted, and his hands subconsciously loosened their grip. Did she really hate him that much? Joanna broke free and turned around to escape. SEND GIFT Chapter 202 Chapter 202 ¡°Joanna, stop right there! Exin yourself?¡± I told you, it¡¯s none of your business¡± Joanna said and ran a few more steps forward! She didn¡¯t want to see him for even a second. She could only escape back to her room like an ostrich and recuperate alone! Bruce chased after her and pressed her against the wall! Joanna, what would make you listen to me?¡± Bruce stared into her eyes. Her eyes were watery, and there was a hint of confusion and exhaustion in them. Her delicate little face was pale and sickly. His heart couldn¡¯t help but clench when he saw it. A few secondster¡­ Bruce could no longer control himself. He lowered his head and kissed her lips deeply. This time, his kiss was not very intense. He only gently held her in his arms. ¡°Bruce¡­ Hmm¡­ Joanna resisted fiercely. Bruce kissed her even more deeply! This damn woman was unmoved by force or persuasion, stubborn and sharp. He had never realized that she had such a strong personality. Only by conquering her body could he temporarily conquer her! ¡°Ugh! Bruce, let go of me¡­ Don¡¯t touch me¡­ Joanna desperately wanted to hit him! Unfortunately, she was covered in injuries. Even if it was just a light punch, she did not have the strength. Bruce kissed for a while. Joanna¡¯s entire body went limp, and she was powerless to struggle! Bruce stopped and gently lifted her chin. He still couldn¡¯t bear to force himself on her! ¡°Do you have to make me so angry? Do you have to worry me so much for you to be happy?¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was hoarse and deep! It was like a poison that had been soaked in honey! Joanna didn¡¯t want to talk. She looked at Bruce in exhaustion! Between her and Bruce, true love was entangled and tiring! She really wanted to be free! ¡°Joanna, let me ask you one question. Do you still love me?¡± *1¡­ don¡¯t love you!¡± Joanna looked at him nkly! Her eyes were filled with deep resistance. How could she dare to love him again? Joanna would rather not have love. She would rather be single for the rest of her life than love him again. It was a little painful! Tasting once was enough. Bruce sneered at her answer. ¡°You¡¯re lying¡± How could she not love him? He didn¡¯t believe it! She used to love him so much. He did not believe that she would forget him so easily! ¡°Believe it or not, I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore!¡± ¡°Look me in the eye and answer me seriously!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was pounding. She barely raised her head to look at him! What a pity! She had always been at a disadvantage when she looked at him! ¡°I don¡¯t love you. I¡¯ve never loved you!¡± Joanna said angrily. She did not dare to look him in the eye! ¡°You can¡¯t even look me in the eye. How dare you say that you don¡¯t love me?¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°Hmph, alright. So what if I say that I love you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my her again!¡± brother¨Cinw now, and my sister is pregnant with your child! What do you want me to do? Take you away from Then you¡¯ll continue to torture me. You will continue to love Roxanne, and make three people suffer? You¡¯ll continue to make everyone in Greyport scold me.¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart ached. ¡°Joanna, can you not be so harsh?¡± ¡°Hmph, Bruce, you don¡¯t have to say all this! ¡°It¡¯s your nature to love two people at one time! ¡°When you were with me, you kept thinking about Roxanne! When you were with Roxanne, you came to pester me crazily! ¡°Is it really okay for you to be like this? Do you think you¡¯re the emperor? Do you think you can choose any of the three pces and six courtyards?¡± Bruce took a deep breath Joanna, it¡¯s not like this! There was a misunderstanding between us from the beginning. Why can¡¯t you believe me?¡± Bruce shook her shoulder and tried to make her believe him! Unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten! Six years ago, she exined that she did not take the initiative to climb into his bed! He did not believe a word of it either! But now, after the two of them had exchanged ces! Only then did he feel how ufortable and disappointed this feeling was! ¡°Can you give me a chance to exin?¡± Joanna shrugged and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s over between us! Let¡¯s draw a full stop between us!¡± ¡°Impossible! Never! You belong to me. You can only belong to me for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°You were the one who wanted a divorce, and you were the one who abandoned me! ¡°What do you want to do now? You want to prove yourself wrong as long as you prove that you regret it!¡± ¡°Say whatever you want to say! ¡°I love you. I don¡¯t want to lose you!¡± Bruce said passionately, wanting to pull her into his arms. Joanna sneered and struggled with all her might to maintain a distance of two feet from him! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me again. If you love me, please respect me!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t touch you! In order to prove that I love you, I¡¯ll definitely not touch you!¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Joanna, I know you love me. Let¡¯s start over!¡± ¡°Those which weren¡¯t happy in the past, forget them!¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you think what you¡¯re doing is cruel to Roxanne? ¡°You¡¯ve already hurt me deeply. Don¡¯t hurt Roxanne again! She has your child now. You should be responsible for her and take responsibility!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no love between us!¡± Bruce was a little exasperated! ¡°Is this called abandonment?¡± ¡°Ha, men! They¡¯re all the same! Even if they don¡¯t love a woman, they can still do that kind of thing with her with a clear conscience!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Bruce gritted his teeth in anger! He really did not want to be too rough with her! However, she could always provoke his most sensitive part andpletely anger him! Bruce did not say anything else. He bent down and picked her up. ¡°What are you doing? You said you wouldn¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Bruce waspletely enraged. He picked her up horizontally and stuffed her into the front passenger seat! Seeing this, Joanna panicked! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bruce looked rmned. ¡°Don¡¯t move around. If you move around here, I can¡¯t guarantee what I¡¯ll do.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t dare to move anymore! This damned bastard! It was better not to fight him head¨Con! Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Bruce started the car and drove away! ¡°Where are you taking me? Where are you going?¡± Joanna was still a little afraid! He had brought her up the mountain before. On the mountain, she was ruthlessly tortured by him the entire night! She was afraid of him! She swore that she would never let him touch her again, let alone have that kind of rtionship with him! ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to bring me¡­¡± Bruce rolled his eyes. ¡°Hmph, is that what you think of me? In your heart, I¡¯m a bastard who only knows violence?¡± Joanna stopped refuting. Bruce could pamper a woman when he was nice! He was a perfect person when he was in a good mood! However, the more gentle such a person was, the more terrifying he was! First, he would dote on one and let one be intoxicated by happiness and fairy tales! Then, he would throw you to the ground! He would make you fall to pieces and suffer. This kind of bipr reversal was the key. Therefore, she would rather never have loved him!.. Twenty minutester¡­ Reagan No. 8 Residence¡­. Bruce brought Joanna back to Reagan No. S Residence! That was the house they used to live in when they were married! ¡°Mr. Everell, you¡¯re back?¡± The servants hurriedly went forward to greet him. Joanna was even angrier. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°Nothing? I just want to be alone with you! ¡°Get out of the car!¡± Joanna got out of the car obediently and followed Bruce back to his room! That ce was exactly the same as when she left! Clean, elegant, and fresh!. Unfortunately, she had never been happy when she was here in the past! Even so, she still foolishly waited for him toe home every day! She always hoped that she could touch him one day! Bruce took out the first aid kit. ¡°Take off your coat!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Bandage the wound!¡± ¡°No need!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and obediently took off her coat! Bruce brought the first aid kit over. He took out iodine and disinfectant and carefully cleaned her wound! Then, he applied medicine to her! He looked very focused, as if he was doing something very serious. Joanna looked at his side profile. As she looked at him, her eyes actually welled up in tears! In the past, she yearned for him to be by her side, even for a day! Now, he was by her side! But other than being sad, she was still sad! SEND GIFT Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Bruce carefully treated her wound and carefully bandaged it. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the water. Remember to change your dressing every day!¡± Joanna did not reply. Her thoughts were brought back to four years ago. Everything here was still the same. Even the half¨Cused skincare products on the dressing table were still in their original positions. Everything seemed like it had happened yesterday. Seeing that Joanna was silent, Bruce added in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Do you hear me?¡± Joanna held her breath. ¡°I hear you!¡± ¡°Alright! Rest early!¡± Bruce reached out and touched the top of her head. This action was like petting his beloved pet. He doted on her but was also as high and mighty as a master. Joanna was a little disgusted. She pped his hand away with a cold expression. ¡°You asked me to come over just to bandage my wound?¡± Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a cold sneer. ¡°What else can I do?¡± ¡°Of course! If you want to do something else, I can apany you!¡± After saying that, Bruce stepped forward and reached. out to hook her chin! ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Joanna tilted her head to the side and stood up! ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now that the wound has been bandaged, I should go back!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave today!¡± ¡°Bruce, what exactly do you want?¡± Bruce was also a little impatient. ¡°Don¡¯t keep asking me what I want to do! I¡¯ve told you before. I just want to be alone with you for a while!¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Bruce coldly. She really could not understand what this damn man was thinking. ¡°Anyway, this ce has always been empty. It¡¯s not a good living environment for you and Lilia to live in such a small house! ¡°Bring Lilia back to stay here! It¡¯s safer.¡± Although Reagan No. 8 Residence was not as luxurious as the Everett mansion or Sherane Bay Vi, it was still one of the top ten mansions of Greyport. They had too many memories of their previous wedding room. In the past, Bruce did not want to remember these things. After all, those memories were not very good and had always been a forbidden ce in his heart. But now, he suddenly felt that those memories were beautiful. Because, at that time, shepletely belonged to him. Joanna looked at Bruce in disbelief. ¡°Did I hear wrongly?¡± ¡°I hope you and Lilia live in a morefortable environment. I can¡¯t let my daughter live in a house like that. ¡°Heh¡­¡± Joanna sneered and ignored him. There were too many painful memories for Joanna. Now, he was asking her to move back here for no reason. What was he thinking? ¡°What are you sneering at?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sneering! Mr. Everett, I¡¯m very grateful for your kindness!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m very sorry. I have my way of life. I don¡¯t want anyone to arrange it for me!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with determination. It was not easy for her to climb out of the swamp, so how could she jump in so easily? No matter how affectionate he pretended to be, he was still a hunter who wanted to capture his prey. ¡°Joanna, I really can¡¯t read your mind. Why do you insist on asking for trouble¡­ As Bruce spoke, a trace of gloominess suddenly appeared under his eyes. ¡°If you can¡¯t guess, don¡¯t guess. I only hope that we can get along as friends! ¡°I¡¯ll fight for custody of the children at court next week! No matter what, I won¡¯t give up custody of the children.¡± ¡°Therefore, you don¡¯t have to y these tricks anymore!¡± When Bruce heard this, his anger soared! He had done so much. In her eyes, he was just ying tricks to snatch the children¡¯s custody. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t talk so much nonsense with you! Think whatever you want!¡± ¡°I want to go home now! Can I? ¡°I really can¡¯t rest well here! I haven¡¯t been home for two days. I have to go home tonight!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re focused on your work. Do you think you can be a good mother?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even angrier. ¡°Bruce, you have no right to judge if I can be a good mother!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the children¡¯s father, so I naturally have the right to judge you. If you can¡¯t give the children enough companionship and motherly love, I won¡¯t let the children stay by your side!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re so funny! From the moment the children were born, I worked hard to raise them until now! ¡°What right do you have to take my child?¡± The children are not yours alone! I can¡¯t be as willful as you! I will provide the children with the best education and living environment! You can¡¯tpare to me in these!¡± Joanna was angry and anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean that you¡¯re richer than me?¡± ¡°Yes. Money can do many things that others can¡¯t!¡± Bruce looked straight at Joanna. He did not want to fight with her for custody of the children in the past! However, from the looks of it now, she could only be tied to his side if he won the custody of the children. Joanna stared at him for a few seconds and suppressed her anger. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk nonsense with you. Let¡¯s meet in court!¡± With that, Joanna picked up her bag and wanted to leave. SEND GIFT Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Seeing this, Bruce was instantly furious. ¡°Joanna, I think you really need to be taught a lesson¡­¡± Bruce blocked her way as he spoke and forced her back to the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be angry with you. Why do you always have to challenge my bottom line?¡± Joanna subconsciously took a step back. Bruce covered her in his shadow. ¡°What do you want to do? Get up!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was gloomy. He pushed her shoulders and pushed her onto the bed! This damn woman. She would really be disobedient if he didn¡¯t teach her a lesson! ¡°What are you doing?¡± Joanna lost her bnce and sank into the soft mattress. There was a hint of fear in her eyes. Bruce stepped onto the bed with a dark expression and casually undid his tie. Joanna panicked and subconsciously moved to the side. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t touch me! You said that you wouldn¡¯t force me in the future!¡± Yeah! I did! But only if you don¡¯t piss me off!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already furious now. You should know what the consequences are!¡± Bruce said and heavily pressed his body on hers. ¡°Ah¡­ Don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Joanna struggled in fear. Unfortunately, her entire body was in pain, and he restrained her. She was powerless to resist¡­. Bruce had already tolerated her for too long. He did not want to tolerate it anymore. He didn¡¯t give her much chance to resist and directly¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna gasped and broke out in a cold sweat. As always! He liked to see her submit! Therefore, he showed no mercy. An hourter¡­. Joanna had lost consciousness! She didn¡¯t know if it was from exhaustion or pain. No matter how he forced himself on her, she was like a soulless doll, motionless. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Soon, it was eight o¡¯clock in the morning! Bruce woke up before she did. Joanna was still unconscious. Bruce habitually lit a cigarette and nced at Joanna. Her neck was covered in purple marks, and her hair was scattered on the pillow, revealing her delicate and fair jawline. Bruce blew out a mouthful of smoke in satisfaction and reached out to brush the loose hair on her face. Thinking back tost night, he still felt like he hadn¡¯t had enough. That feeling was really addictive! If not for the fact that she was still sound asleep, he really wanted to¡­. Bruce looked at his watch. It was almost half past eight! He had an important meeting at thepany today, so he could not be absent. He could only leave the warm andfortable bed! Ten minutes had passed. Bruce changed his clothes and saw that Joanna was still sleeping soundly! That was really strange. It seemed like she was really tiredst night. Bruce came to the head of the bed and kissed her forehead! He was prepared to say goodbye to her, who was sleeping soundly. When his hand touched her forehead, he realized that her forehead felt hot. Bruce was shocked. He quickly checked her body temperature again before realizing that she had a high fever. ¡°Why do you have a fever? Joann! Joann!¡± Joanna opened her eyes in a daze and closed them weakly. In the past few days, she had suffered consecutive disasters and was overworked. Her immunity had rapidly decreased, and she had a high fever! There was no need to go to the hospital for these minor illnesses. It would be better just to get the family doctor toe over. Beep! Beep! Beep! Bruce immediately called the private doctor! ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Immediatelye to Reagan No. 8 Residence with medicine for high fever!¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± After the private doctor hung up the phone, he rushed over to Reagan No. 8 Residence. After Bruce hung up, he called Andy. Andy saw that it was Bruce calling and quickly answered the call. ¡°Hey, Andy!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, what could I do for you?¡± ¡°Cancel today¡¯s meeting and schedule!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Andy hesitated for two seconds but still forced himself to answer. After hanging up, Andy felt helpless! Today¡¯s meeting was very important. Bruce had a meeting with high¨Clevel executivepanies from various countries in the morning. In the afternoon, he had to meet with the number one tycoon abroad. That was great. All his schedules had been canceled! Andy really couldn¡¯t figure out what could be more important than this. Another twenty minutes passed. The family doctor carried the first aid kit and hurriedly drove to Reagan No. 8 Residence! ¡°Mr. Everett, do you have a fever?¡± The family doctor asked respectfully. Bruce was wearing silk pajamas and sitting on the sofa smoking. He replied without looking up, ¡°No, the patient is in the room!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The family doctor entered the room and saw a woman lying on the bed. However, the woman on the bed was obviously not Roxanne. The family doctor did not dare to ask further and hurriedly went forward to check on her condition. Ms. Haynes! When he saw that it was Joanna, the family doctor felt a headache! From the looks of it, the media was not making things up. Mr. Everett and his ex¨Cwife were really inseparable! The family doctor did not dare to hesitate. He quickly took out a thermometer and measured Joanna¡¯s temperature! Bruce followed him in and stood at the side to watch. Five minutes had passed. The doctor looked at the thermometer. ¡°39.5 degrees!¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s fever is very high! It¡¯s best to give her two shots to reduce the fever! It will take at least a week if she relies on her immunity to reduce the fever.¡± Some rich people were very resistant to antibiotics, so the doctor gave a simple introduction. ¡°Do it!¡± Bruce replied coldly. Joanna had many injuries on her body. Her immune system would probably be unable to cure her. SEND GIFT Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Soon, the family doctor asked the nurse to give Joanna a fever¨Csubsiding injection! He also passed a fever¨Csubsiding patch on her. ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯ve injured the patient. The patient¡¯s immunity is too weak. It¡¯s best for her to rest in bed for a few days!¡± ¡°Tomorrow and the day after. She has to take two more shots.¡± ¡°Alright, got it!¡± The family doctor left after giving a few more instructions. The injection was taken early in the morning. It was soon past ten o¡¯clock! Joanna woke up in a daze. Because of the fever injection, her mouth was extremely dry. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°Joann, you¡¯re awake!¡± Bruce said as he personally brought a ss of water to the bed! Joanna¡¯s mouth was dry. She took the cup and took a few sips! ¡°Drink slowly. Don¡¯t choke!¡± Bruce thoughtfully patted her back to case her cough. Joanna finally felt a little better after drinking the water. She looked around and was shocked. ¡°What time is it?¡± There you go again. Can¡¯t you rest in peace for a few days?¡± Joanna struggled to sit up straight. There was work waiting for her at thepany! How could she rest? ¡°Hurry up and lie down¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, you bastard! Cough! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Joanna angrily blocked Bruce¡¯s hand. Her beautiful face looked mad. ¡°You¡¯re running a high fever. The doctor wants you to rest in bed!¡± Joanna¡¯s emotions rose. ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°If you do this again, I¡¯ll punish you again!¡± ¡°Bruce, do you know that you¡¯remitting a crime? I can sue you¡­¡± Bruce smiled teasingly. ¡°Alright! When you¡¯re better, sue me! It¡¯s best if you send me to jail!¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dare?¡± Joanna was so angry that she lost control of her emotions. Her chest heaved violently. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be so agitated!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the phone. Call the police!¡± Bruce said and threw the phone at Joanna. Joanna was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. She did not dare to call the police! She was already the ¡°influential figure of Greyport. If these things were to be exposed again, her poprity would skyrocket. She didn¡¯t want to be the center of attention anymore. ¡°Stop crying! You heartless woman! ¡°Do you know how much money I¡¯m going to lose to take care of you at home?¡± ¡°Who cares about you taking care of me!¡± Meanwhile, Roxanne was in the Everett mansion! ¡°Change into this gown! It¡¯s more appropriate to apany Bruce to the banquet, tonight!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Roxanne held the gown and was about to try it on. ¡°Mrs. Everett, Ms. Haynes, the banquet tonight has been canceled!¡± Roxanne was stunned. The Everett Group and the Mi Group were about to coborate. For this reason, they even specially held a banquet to entertain the president of the Mi Group. The date had been set a long time ago. Why was it suddenly canceled? Margaret was also confused. ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce?¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett, Mr. Everett didn¡¯t go to thepany today!¡± Margaret was shocked. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t he meeting with the president of Mi Group today?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett has canceled all of today¡¯s schedules, including today¡¯s banquet!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. When Margaret and Roxanne heard this, they were even more shocked. ¡°So where is he now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Margaret¡¯s face darkened. She was very angry. How could one be so willful in the business world? ¡°Hurry up ¡°Yes!¡± and call Bruce. Let¡¯s see where he went.¡± The butler did not dare to hesitate and quickly called Bruce. Meanwhile, Bruce was with Joanna. Bruce saw¨Cthat it was a call from the butler and picked up. ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett asked where you are now.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett asked where you are now.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ at home!¡± Margaret grabbed the phone angrily and scolded, ¡°Do you know what day it is today?¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Then what could be more important than meeting with President Mi?¡± ¡°Do you know? All high¨Clevel executive is waiting for you to have a meeting. Where did you go?¡± Bruce took a deep breath and mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today!¡± ¡°So. I didn¡¯t go to thepany!¡± When Margaret heard this, his anger turned to anxiety. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Bruce answered with a rough voice. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just have a high fever!¡± ¡°Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry. I just have a fever and a cold! I¡¯ll be fine after resting for two days!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. He quickly brushed off Margaret and hurriedly hung up.¡± After hanging up. Margaret called the family doctor over. ¡°Dr. Litman, how¡¯s Bruce?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dr. Litman frowned and hesitated. ¡°Why are you hesitating?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to treat Bruce this morning? How is he now?¡± Dr. Litman squeezed out an awkward smile. ¡°Mr. Everett is pretty good!¡± ¡°Why did he say he was so sick that he didn¡¯t even get to work?¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± Dr. Litman hesitated, not knowing how to respond. Seeing this, Margaret became even more anxious. ¡°Hurry up and say it!¡± ¡°When I went there, I wasn¡¯t treating Mr. Everett!¡± When Margaret heard that, she became even more suspicious. ¡°If you were not treating Bruce, who did you treat?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ Ms. Haynes!¡± Boom! Margaret and Roxanne were stunned when they heard that. ¡°You mean Bruce and Joanna were togetherst night?¡± Dr. Litman hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just went over to treat the patient!¡± Where are they?¡± Sat, 8 Jul 43 Sat, ¡°At Reagan No. 8 Residence!¡± ¡°Grandma¡­ Roxanne¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks! Margaret was even more furious. ¡°Alright! This brat is bing more and more of a bastard!¡± ¡°I thought something urgent had happened to him. I didn¡¯t expect him to have gone to have fun!¡± ¡°He is pissing me off!¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry!¡± ¡°Come, follow me to Reagan No. 8 Residence¡°¡± Roxanne quickly persuaded, ¡®Grandma, being angry is harmful to your health. Don¡¯t be angry anymore!¡± Margaret was so angry that she could not speak. She was not angry because Bruce was there for Joanna! It was because he had actually dyed his official busness. It was such an important meeting, but he had rejected it just like that leaving hundreds of management personnel hanging there! ¡°Butler, prepare the car. Go to Reagan No. 8 Residence! ¡°Yes!¡± Reagan No. 5 Residence! Bruce was still carefully taking care of Joanna. ¡°Are you feeling better? Do you still feel dizzy? ¡°Do you want something to eat? Joanna ignored hum! ¡°Say something Why are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you¡± Bruceughed mockingly. ¡°You still have to be angry with me?¡± Joanna closed her eyes and fell silent! ¡°Joann, stop resisting. Stop escaping from your feelings! You love me. You can¡¯t lie to me Your reaction can¡¯t lie to me either!¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be disgusting¡± Joanna suddenly opened his eyes. Tears of humiliation and disappointment instantly flowed down! ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t say anymore!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett, and Miss Haynes are here!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the yard now!¡± ¡°Why is Grandma here?¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Margaret was in the garden. She sat gloomily in her wheelchair. She was enraged. Bruce hurried out to wee her. However, when he saw that ominous look on Margaret¡¯s face, he became uneasy. ¡°Grandma, why are you here? Margaret took a deep breath and said sternly. ¡°You bastard, are you trying to drive me to my grave?¡± Margaret got agitated, and she started coughing and clutching her chest. The worried Roxanne quickly patted Margaret¡¯s back and tried to calm her down ¡°Grandma, you need to calm down! Be careful of your bealth¡°. Bruce rushed to Margaret¡¯s side as well. ¡®Grandma, take it dowly. Don¡¯t get so agitated¡± Margaret tried to catch her breath. She raised her hand and pointed her trembling fingers at Bruce¡¯s face and reprimanded, ¡°Bastard, do you know how difficult it was for the Everett family to get to where we are today!¡± ¡°Your grandfather and father sloughed their life off to build our family business!¡± ¡°But you. You don¡¯t even cherish what you have today at all! Sooner orter, you will destroy the Everett family¡¯s aplishments Margaret rebuked Bruce harshly ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry¡± Bruce wanted to exin, but no words came out of his mouth. He knew he had gone overboard. That was the first time he walked out on thepany¡¯s management. ¡°You¡¯re so irresponsible. You are a ne¡¯er¨Cdo¨Cwell¡± ¡°Grandma. I¡¯m wrong! I promise it won¡¯t happen again¡± Despite Bruce¡¯s repeated apologies and promises, Margaret remained infuriated. What made her even madder was Bruce¡¯s problematic rtionship with Joanna Not only did he ignore his fiancee to be with Joanna, but he also cast his work aside What would happen if things continued this way? ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap!¡± ¡°Where is that vixen. Joanna Haynes Tell her toe out quickly! I want to teach her a lesson!¡± ¡°Grandma, she¡¯s sick. You¡¯d better not see her. Margaret had hit the roof before Bruce could finish. ¡°Is she so precious to you that I cannot even see her?¡± Bruce grimaced when he heard what Margaret said. ¡°No, Grandma, it¡¯s not like that. Just that it is not necessary for you to see her! ¡°You¡¯re so agitated now. I¡¯m afraid for your health!¡± Joanna and Margaret were both stubborn people, and both of them were in poor health. If they met, they would undoubtedly get into an argument. It was better if the both of them did not meet at all. ¡°Go and get her now!¡± ¡°I want to know why she did not keep her word. She has promised me that she will not pester you anymore!¡± ¡°But in the blink of an eye, you guys have a secret rendezvous! How great is that?¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± ¡°Hurry up, the two of you go!¡± Margaret was so furious that she could not take it anymore. She turned to her two caretakers and instructed them to get Joanna from the house! The two caretakers did not dare to dither and hurried into the house! In her usual pretentious self, Roxanne tried to persuade Margaret, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Grandma. Please forgive Bruce this time!¡± ¡°Bruce has always been a career¨Cminded person. He definitely didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably Joanna.¡± Margaret was already angry with Joanna, but Roxanne deliberately rubbed salt in the wound. ¡°You don¡¯t have to plead for him. I know better than anyone what kind of person this brat is!¡± ¡°Come here, I¡¯m going to beat you to death. You disappointing brat, I will discipline you on your parents¡® behalf!¡± Bruce braced himself and took two steps forward. Margaret raised her walking stick and started hitting him with it! That grandson of hers was getting more and more outrageous! Previously, he was constantly busy with work, and she often had to remind him to stop and rest. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. But now, the billion¨Cdor business seemed to be thest thing on his mind as he frolicked all day. Back in Bruce¡¯s room, Joanna was lying on the bed. She was drowsy and still in a daze. Suddenly, Lilian, the caregiver, barged in. She looked at Joanna with a stern and aloof expression. ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mrs. Everett wants you to go out and see her. Right now!¡± When Joanna heard that, she struggled to sit up! However, her entire body was in pain. She was running a fever and did not feel like moving an inch. She knew that Margaret was not an easy person to deal with. She was probably there to create trouble! ¡°I have nothing to say to Margaret! What does she want with me? Let her talk to Bruce!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Mrs. Everett wants you to go out and see her. You have to go over right now! ¡°You cannot make her wait too long. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to drag you out!¡± Joanna almost exploded with anger when she heard that. The Everett family was indeed unreasonable. Both Margaret and Bruce alike. They were both authoritarian and liked to force their opinions on others. I said I¡¯m not going! Do whatever you want!¡± Joanna replied callously and closed her eyes. 12:43 Sat, 8 Jul Joanna would not move, and Lilian did not dare to drag her by force. After two minutes of standstill in the room, Lilian could only return dejectedly and convey the message. ¡°Lilian, where¡¯s the vixen?¡± Lilian hesitated and replied in a surly tone, ¡°Mrs. Evereu, Ms. Haynes said that she doesn¡¯t want to see you! And she asked you to talk to Mr. Everett if you need anything!¡± Something snapped within Margaret. She was on the verge of blowing her lid off when she heard that. ¡°Good! Good! Very good!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 207 Chapter 207 ¡°Grandma, calm down. If you want to see her, I will get her now!¡± Margaret¡¯s expression changed. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go there and see her personally!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± The butler pushed Margaret¡¯s wheelchair and walked towards the room aggressively! Bruce had no choice but to run back to his room. He had to reach there before Margaret. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He could not persuade his grandmother, so his only chance now was Joanna. Bruce hurried to his room! Joanna, Grandma is here!¡± Joanna looked at Bruce with a sullen expression. ¡°I missed the part where that¡¯s my problem?¡± ¡°Grandma has a heart condition and cannot be agitated. But she might say something nasty when she sees youter.¡± ¡°So?¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes. Bruce frowned and said, ¡°You know what Grandma¡¯s temper is like. No matter what Grandma says to youter, please don¡¯t be impertinent and talk back to her. ¡°Grandma is old. You just need to listen to her!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes impudently. Some people loved to exploit their seniority and advocate their morals on the youngsters. Bruce let out another deep sigh. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± Joanna turned her head away, ignoring him. She had already put up with and given in to Margaret a lot of times. There was probably no one in the world who was conceited enough to be able to distort the facts while sounding upright and righteous. But Margaret was that kind of person! Joanna was still bitter over Margaret forcibly keeping Davian and Irvin with her. What right did the Everett family have to bully her like this? She did not owe the Everett family anything! The butler pushed Margaret into the room while Bruce and Joanna were talking. Margaret took a look around the room the moment she entered. Joanna was still lying on the bed, with her slender and fair arms exposed outside the nket. There were even a few bruises on her neck. It was easy to imagine what a rough night Bruce and Joanna had the previous night. You are pretty impressive!¡± Margaret said sarcastically. When Roxanne saw the disheveled Joanna still ungroomed and lying in bed, she gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°Joanna, Grandma is here. How can you still lie down?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, but she did not reply. Margaret took a deep breath and said furiously. ¡°You are really something. Do I have to pay my respects to you now?¡± Joanna nced up at Margaret with contempt in her eyes. ¡°Margaret, I know you dislike me! Just say what you want to say! Anyway, it is your mouth and your freedom to say anything!¡± Margaret fumed with fury upon hearing what Joanna said! She was a respected figure in Greyport. How could she tolerate others being disdainful of her? ¡°You! You¡¯re really shameless!¡± ¡°Bruce is already engaged to Roxy. Yet you still harass him. Can you be any more shameless?¡± ¡°Especially when Bruce is supposed to be your brother¨Cinw. How can siblings argue over the same man?¡± Margaret pointed her finger at Joanna and berated her. Joanna became incensed when she heard what Margaret said. Contrary to what other people think, Bruce and her were not in that kind of rtionship. It was Bruce who was pestering her! Instead of reprimanding Bruce, everyonembasted her! Bruce felt that Margaret¡¯s words were too harsh. He frowned and said, ¡°Grandma, Joanna is not that kind of girl! ¡°I¡¯m the one who has been contacting her.¡± Margaret rolled her cold eyes and pointed at Bruce¡¯s face angrily. ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak up for her. You are just as shameful as her!¡± ¡°You reap what you sow. If she really is an honorable and virtuous woman, then no one will be able to take advantage of her.¡± ¡°Is she now ying hard to get? What a pretentious woman! She is repulsive!¡± Margaret¡¯s words sent a quiver through Joanna¡¯s body. She clenched her fists tightly. Roxanne pretended to s o b and sniffed. She looked at Joanna pitifully. ¡°Joanna, I know that you were once married to Bruce. I know how difficult it must be to move on!¡± ¡°But I love Bruce very much. Neither I nor my baby can do without him! ¡°I will give you anything else! But I have feelings for Bruce, and I cannot give him to you!¡± In that few words, Roxanne had stigmatized Joanna as immoral and nefarious. The most terrifying thing in the world was stigmatization. Once stigmatized, it would almost be impossible to redeem oneself. There was no way of defending oneself or refuting the ims. The more one tried to justify one¡¯s actions, the more public wrath it would incur. That was why stigmatization was the simplest yet most noxious aggression. 0 Joanna heaved a deep sigh. She then started to chuckle uncontrobly. Margaret and Roxanne were really trying their best to condemn her. Joanna turned and looked at Bruce! He stood at the side, looking grim and a little uptight. If it was someone else criticizing Joanna, he would definitely stand up and protect her without hesitation! But in the face of his grandmother, Bruce was helpless. He could not even speak up for Joanna. After all, his grandmother had a weak heart. If something were to happen to her because she was agitated, it would be toote for regrets. Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Say whatever you want. I don¡¯t want to exin anymore!¡± ¡°Tell me, what did you dost night?¡± Joanna sneered and looked straight at Margaret in the eye. She dered point¨Cnkly, ¡°I did everything that I can do.¡± ¡°And hear this. Not just yesterday. I will do it with Bruce tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, as well!¡± Joanna wanted to mess with their heads! Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Anyhow, they would still insist that Joanna was the one who seduced Bruce. And no matter how much Joanna tried to rify, they would not believe her. Alright then! She might as well admit it! Not only was Joanna not repentant, but she was still so full of herself and even dared to retort her. Margaret was trembling with anger. ¡°You, you, you¡¯re really shameless!¡± ¡°Bruce, go, go and p her face!¡± Bruce scowled even more when he heard Margaret¡¯s unreasonable demand. ¡°Grandma!¡± ¡°Hurry up and do it!¡± Margaret was so furious that her lips would not stop shaking. She held her chest and panted. ¡°Joanna!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna helplessly. He was searching for her permission with his gaze. He wanted to give her a light p to appease his grandmother. But Joanna looked back at him coldly without any signs of giving in. ¡°What did I just say to you? I told you not to talk back to Grandma!¡± A dumbfounded Joanna snorted and rebuked Bruce, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m not the Everett family¡¯s punching bag. Nor am I obligated to listen to your instructions!¡± Margaret urged again, ¡°p her! p and throw this shameless woman out of the Everett family!¡± ¡°We cannot tolerate such a shameless woman in our house!¡± ¡°Who cares about staying in your family? ¡°If your grandson had not forcibly brought me here, I would not even step into your house!¡± ¡°You, get lost!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll gel lost!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at Joanna gloomily. ¡°Joanna, can¡¯t you keep quiet?¡± He then turned and looked at Margaret. ¡°Grandma, calm down first! Don¡¯t get so angry over this!¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll send you back now!¡± Joanna looked at them with hostility. ¡°All of you, leave my room! At least let me change my clothes!¡± When Margaret heard that, she almost exploded. ¡°Someone! Quick! Throw this vixen out!¡± Lilian and Emma quickly came forward and tried to pull Joanna out of bed. ¡°What are you doing? ¡°Margaret, you¡¯re too unreasonable. We¡¯re alldies here. There is no need to use brute force! ¡°Do you think you can bully people just because you are old?¡± When Margaret heard that, blood drained from her face, and she began to see red. She started coughing violently. ¡°Grandma, Grandma!¡± Margaret was exasperated. Her blood was boiling, and she could not catch her breath. All of a sudden, she closed her eyes. and fainted! Bruce was scared out of his wits to see Margaret passing out. He hurried to her side to check on her. ¡°Grandma! Quick, doctor! Take a look at grandma!¡± The doctor and caregivers put an oxygen mask on Margaret. Then, the doctor gave her an intracardiac injection. ¡°Mrs. Everett is in critical condition. We have to send her to the hospital immediately.¡± When Bruce heard that, he sprang to action and hurriedly pushed Margaret¡¯s wheelchair out of the door. ¡°Prepare the car and send Grandma to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The group of people immediately sent Margaret to the hospital! Margaret was pushed into the emergency room as soon as she reached the hospital. While Margaret received treatment in the emergency room, Bruce and Roxanne waited anxiously outside. As she looked at Bruce¡¯s nervous expression, Roxanneforted him gently, ¡°Bruce, Grandma will definitely be fine!¡± Though Roxanne appearedpassionate on the surface, she was gloating on the inside as a sinister thought sprouted in her mind. It was Joanna¡¯s fault. Margaret got too agitated because of her and fainted as a result. What would happen if Margaret did not survive this? If Margaret died because of Joanna, then Bruce would never forgive her. As she thought of that, Roxanne made a wish in her heart. She hoped solemnly that the doctors would not be able to save Margaret. Better yet, let Margaret die on the operating table. Four hourster. The door of the operating theater finally opened. Bruce ran up to the doctor and asked anxiously, ¡°How is Grandma?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett. Mrs. Everett was too agitated. The blood vessels in her brain burst, and she is in a dangerous situation.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Bruce looked at the doctor in vexation. ¡°The surgery is over, and we have done all we can. It is now up to Mrs. Everett when she will wake up!¡± ¡°Grandma, nothing must happen to you!¡± Roxanne pretended to cry. Bruce closed his eyes in frustration. ¡°Grandma, you have to hang in there!¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t me yourself too much. It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s all Joanna¡¯s fault. She is too overbearing!¡± Bruce shut his eyes tight. He did not want to say another word to Roxanne! ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s the probability of Grandma waking up?¡± 2 Ghapter 208 ¡°Mrs. Everett is not out of danger yet. Whether she can wake up depends on how well her brain functions to absorb the fluid.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯d better be mentally prepared!¡± When Bruce heard this, he took a deep breath. ¡°You must do your best to save Grandma!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best!¡± The doctor turned around and left. Bruce strolled along the hospital corridor till he was outside. He lighted a cigarette in exasperation along the way. Margaret was his closest kin and also one whom he respected the most. Unfortunately, one was the woman he loved the most, and the other was his grandmother! He did not want anything to happen to either of them. Margaret had been sent to the hospital. Joanna had also returned home from Reagan No. S Residence. She was physically and mentally exhausted. Never would she want to go through those things again! As Joanna reached her front door, her phone rang. She took her phone out and saw that it was Michael. ¡°Hey!¡± Miss Haynes! ¡°Michael, what¡¯s up?¡± Michael spoke excitedly into the phone. ¡°That Brother Trumpet called!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, they said that we can talk about the cooperation in detail! They would be happy to meet you in Greene Town when you are free to make a trip down!¡± Joanna was overjoyed at the news. ¡°That¡¯s great. We can go over tomorrow!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to Brother Trumpet now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Although Joanna had yet to recover from her illness, she did not want to stay in Greyport anymore! She had to think of a way to get rid of the umted inventory in the factory as soon as possible. After putting down the phone, Joanna opened the door to her apartment. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yes, my precious baby!¡± Lilia looked at Joanna¡¯s face and said in her childish voice, ¡°Mommy, why is your face so red?¡± I¡¯m fine. Mommy just has a fever!¡± ¡°Mummy does not want to infect you, so I won¡¯t kiss you!¡± ¡°Oh, Mommy, did you go to see Daddy?¡± Joanna was stunned. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Looking at her daughter¡¯s expectant gaze, Joanna did not know what to say. Lilia looked up at Joanna and asked innocently, ¡°Didn¡¯t Daddy say that he would let me see my brothers soon?¡± Joanna subconsciously rubbed Lilia¡¯s head, not knowing how to answer her! The court session was in three days! She hoped that the court would make a fair decision and award her custody of the children! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will be able to see your brothers soon!¡± ¡°When is soon?¡± ¡°Very soon! You will be able to see your brothers in a few days!¡± ¡°Okie.¡± The following day. The sick Joanna brought Cora, Michael, and Nichs to Greene City. She must quickly do something about the inventory! Chapter 209 Chapter 209 It was almost the end of the year now. Joanna needed a sum of money for the employees¡® sries. Moreover, she was about topete with the Everett family for custody of the children. A goodwyer would require a lot of money, too. Therefore, she urgently needed money now! They traveled in a car. Along the way, Joanna kept coughing. Cora quickly handed her a bottle of water. ¡°Miss Haynes, can you handle this? You look terrible!¡± Joanna took the water and took two sips weakly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be better after resting.¡± After saying that, Joanna leaned against the back seat and shut her eyes to rest. She took four antipyretic pills just now, and the effects of the medicine were kicking in. She felt weak and sleepy now. Her heart was beating fast, and her right eyelid was twitching non¨Cstop. She had an ominous feeling that something bad was about to happen! Nheless, she had been down on her luck recently that she no longer had the energy to worry about it. They arrived at Greene Town shortly. At eleven o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Joanna and the others finally arrived at Greene Town. Since it was Brother Trumpet who initiated that meet¨Cup, the group was able to meet up with him smoothly and with no obstacles. The meet¨Cup was held at a caf¨¦. Brother Trumpet was wearing casual clothes, and he was still wearing the cap from thest time. ¡°Hello, sorry to keep you waiting!¡± Joanna greeted Brother Trumpet politely when she arrived at the meeting ce, ¡°Hello!¡± Brother Trumpet extended his right hand to shake hers. ¡°Please take a seat!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna sat down on the opposite end of the coffee table. Cora, Michael, and the others waited outside the private room. Only Brother Trumpet, Joanna, and the waiter were in the room. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± ¡°I will have a mocha.¡± Brother Trumpet was a little taken aback by Joanna¡¯s choice. Mocha was a sweetened drink with a strong taste, while Joanna seemed to be a health¨Cconscious person who would prefer ck coffee! ¡°A mocha!¡± ¡°Alright, please wait a moment!¡± The waiter replied and left the private room. Brother Trumpet looked up at Joanna again. She was wearing a white Burberry suit and carrying a ssic tinum bag from Hermes! She had very light makeup on her face, and her hair was styled exquisitely. She looked elegant and gentle, without the arrogance of a socialite. Brother Trumpet nced at Joanna, and his heart skipped a beat like an electric current had passed through his body. He quickly picked up his coffee and took a sip to hide his nervousness. During his live broadcasts, Brother Trumpet was articte and eloquent. However, in private, he was very quiet and did not like to talk. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your business card. Yourst name is Tate, right? I¡¯ll call you Mr. Tate!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, okay!¡± Brother Trumpet smiled shyly. He waspletely different from his confident and poised self on the live stream. ¡°Mr. Tate, I¡¯m here today to discuss the coboration! I also want to understand what you require for the coboration process,¡± Joanna said with a smile. The dimples on her cheeks were even more alluring. Brother Trumpet was stunned for a moment. The woman opposite him was really beautiful. He had been checking and reading about Joanna on the online news for the past few days. He could not believe that Joanna was the controversial person in the news. ¡°Well, did you bring any samples of the goods today?¡± Joanna quickly nodded. ¡°Oh, I did. They are in the car!¡± Brother Trumpet paused for a moment. ¡°What kind of samples did you bring?¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°The smart electric rice cooker and the smart cleaning robot!¡± ¡°How much stock do you have?¡± Brother Trumpet asked casually. Joanna opened her bag and took out a folder. ¡°This is the information of the goods. You can take a look!¡± ¡°We only used to coborate with foreign brands previously! Hence, all our products are of top¨Cnotch quality and functionalities.¡± Brother Trumpet took the information and looked over them. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with your products.¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll give a hand at the products!¡± Brother Trumpet said and looked up at Joanna. ¡°What about themissions? How are they charged?¡± ¡°Themission is one percent!¡± ¡°How long will it take to sell the goods?¡± Brother Trumpet thought for a moment. I¡¯m going to do a live broadcast next Saturday!¡± ¡°Your inventory looks okay. If you sell them on my live stream, I will take at most two live streams to sell all of them!¡± Brother Trumpet said calmly and confidently. Joanna was astounded when she heard that! She probably had hundreds of millions of inventory! She was skeptical that it would take only one day to sell them. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s talk about the contract!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Here are the procedure and the contract. You can read through the documents in detail! If there are no problems, you may sign the contract!¡± Joanna looked through the documents and realized that the procedure was indeed simple! It was less complicated than finding a partner offline! ¡°Is this the contract?¡± ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s no problem, you can sign it now.¡± Joanna looked at Brother Trumpet in disbelief. She never expected that the negotiation for the coboration would be so smooth! She had heard from Michael that it could be arduous to cooperate with popr streamers because so many merchants wanted to work with them. Even big merchants had to line up to cooperate with them. Joanna thought that she might have to wait for days. She did not expect to conclude the negotiation in one day! ¡°We are signing the contract today?¡± Brother Trumpet looked at Joanna¡¯s surprised expression and could not help butugh. ¡°Why? If you¡¯re worried, you can sign it next week!¡± ¡°Oh, no, no! I just didn¡¯t expect it to go so smoothly.¡± As Joanna replied, she signed her name on the contract. In any case, the backlog of the goods was piling up as they speak. It was best to get rid of them as soon as possible. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Brother Trumpet paused and then suggested, ¡°It will be good if you could bring your products and appear together with me on my live stream next Saturday. ¡°Me?¡± Joanna was dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll introduce your products on my live stream, but you know yourpany¡¯s goods best. ¡°You can also interact with your fans in the live stream. This will help with selling the products!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is a good idea!¡± Joanna was in a dilemma. She did not even dare to look at her online scandals. If she appeared in the live stream, the traffic on the live stream would probably hit the roof! Brother Trumpet looked at Joanna calmly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can give it a try. Perhaps there will be unexpected gains!¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds. In the end, she bit the bullet and agreed. ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°We have to be prepared. It¡¯s best to find employees familiar with the emerce delivery procedure!¡± Brother Trumpet could also tell that Joanna was unfamiliar with the emerce industry, so he gently reminded her. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Brother Trumpet smiled again and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s it, then. See you next Saturday!¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s best if you cane to Greene City a day in advance and familiarize yourself with the process!¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Brother Trumpet extended his right hand politely. Joanna shook his hand again. ¡°Goodbye. I hope this will be a sessful coboration!¡± Brother Trumpet did not say anything else and left the private room. They parted and went on their individual ways. 19 When Brother Trumpet¡¯s secretary and assistant realized that he had signed a contract with Joanna, they were all astonished. ¡°Boss, you haven¡¯t even gotten a clear understanding of the Haynes Group, and you¡¯re already signing a contract with them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Those who want to coborate with us have been waiting for half a year. It may not be good if the other merchants find out that we have suddenly lined up the Haynes Group¡¯s goods!¡± ¡°Also, the Hayes Group has a lot of scandals. I¡¯m afraid the sales won¡¯t be good!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try!¡± Brother Trumpet replied and smiled calmly. For the past two days, he had also been checking the news about Joanna on the Inte. Thus, he understood what kind of predicament Joanna was in. Even though everyone in Greyport was ndering Joanna, he found her a little pitiful and gullible. For some reason, he suddenly wanted to help this poor woman! Meanwhile, Joanna and her friends traveled back in their car. Chapter After Joanna concluded the contract, she rushed back to Porash. Cora said excitedly. ¡°Miss Haynes, I didn¡¯t expect things to go so smoothly!¡± Joanna finally revealed a smile. ¡°Me too! I didn¡¯t expect the negotiation to be so smooth!¡± ¡°Regardless, it is a good thing now that we have signed the contract!¡± ¡°I hope Brother Trumpet can work harder and clear all the inventory!¡± Michael added. ¡°Miss Haynes, does this call for a celebration since we have confirmed the coboration without problems?¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Find a nice restaurant. I¡¯ll treat everyone to a good meal!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Porash has a good seafood stall. Let¡¯s have seafood!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Michael and Nichs were delighted, as well. They immediately changed directions and drove to the seafood stall. Back at the hospital! Margaret had been unconscious for a full day and had yet to wake up. Bruce had also been keeping vigil outside her ward, not daring to take a step away. ¡°Bruce, you haven¡¯t slept for a day and a night. You should get some rest!¡± Roxanne gently persuaded Bruce. Bruce frowned deeply. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Go back first!¡± After staying up all night, Bruce had grown a stubble. He also had bloodshot eyes, and he looked Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. fatigued and haggard. Yet the vicious aura emanating from his body did not diminish but intensified. Roxanne looked at Bruce gently and dolefully. She said sobbingly, ¡°How can I go back in peace when grandma is in a critical situation?¡± ¡°Bruce, let me stay here with you!¡± Bruce lowered his head in frustration. He could not be bothered with Roxanne! Although he felt guilty that his grandmother¡¯s illness acted up, he hated Joanna also for her heartlessness! He had been looking at his phone since yesterday! He hoped that Joanna would call him. At the very least, he wished Joanna would call and check on his grandmother. Else! Since the previous day, Joanna had not contacted him. Not even a message! Bruce felt extremely miserable! No matter what, Grandma was still Joanna¡¯s senior! Moreover, Grandmanded up in the hospital because of her. Margaret was Bruce¡¯s biological grandmother, after all. How could Joanna disregard her? A momentter. Roxanne came back with some food. She had gone out to buy food earlier. She put the food in front of Bruce. ¡°Bruce, eat something! If you don¡¯t eat anything, your body will not be able to take it!¡± ¡°I have no appetite!¡± ¡°Just have some!¡± Bruce let out a slight sigh and took the lunch box. He ate a few mouthfuls mindlessly. He had not eaten anything since yesterday and was indeed hungry! He was finally eating. They heard the sound of heels pacing along the corridor. Ingrid and Shaun were rushing over. ¡°We rushed over when we heard that something had happened to Mrs. Everett!¡± ¡°How is Mrs. Everett? Is she awake?¡± Roxanne looked sad and worried. ¡°Mom, Grandma is still in the ICU. She¡¯s not out of danger yet!¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Upon hearing that, Ingrid let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, ¡°Goodness, what a disaster! The poor old man is so fragile, how can he handle all this stress? ¡°Now what? This is a major catastrophe! What on earth should we do? ¡°I¡¯ve been saying it all along, Joanna is a walking curse. Anyone who gets entangled with her is bound to be unlucky, Ingrid continued herints. Bruce was already overwhelmed with turmoil. Ingrid¡¯s words only added fuel to his frustration, pushing him closer to his breaking point. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you all can go back now!¡± Unable to contain himself, Shaun burst out, ¡°How can we just leave it at that? She¡¯s your mother. We are close, aren¡¯t we? Who can possibly remain calm in the face of such a colossal mess? ¡°I hope Mrs. Everett can pull through this ordeal. If she can¡¯t, well, I¡¯ll definitely give that ungrateful daughter a piece of my, mind!¡± Shaun vented his frustration. Shaun and Ingrid learned from Roxanne that Joanna was the one who had brought Margaret down. Consequently, Shaun was singrly focused on ming Joanna for everything. Bruce¡¯s expression became grimmer upon hearing this. His countenance turned cold and devoid of any warmth. Sensing the tension, Roxanne swiftly intervened, ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s refrain from further discussion. Bruce is already upset.¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes and remarked, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m not scolding you, but this is a painful lesson. Never provoke that jinx Joanna again!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes in disgust, questioning her right to lecture him. Who did she think she was? ¡°Mom, enough with the chatter! You and Dad should split. There¡¯s not much you can do here,¡± Roxanne said, signaling with quick nce. Times had changed, no doubt! Bruce had long stopped taking the Haynes family members seriously! Ingrid trying to assert her authority here would only infuriate him. ¡°Alright then! ¡°We¡¯ll take off. You stay with Bruce!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re pregnant now! Take care of yourself, don¡¯t overexert!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand!¡± Ingrid and Shaun continued their banter for a little while longer. Seeing Brucepletely ignoring them, his expression growing more unpleasant by the second, the two of them didn¡¯t dare linger and hastily departed. After they left, Bruce stood up and made his way outside the hospital. Roxanne hurriedly caught up. ¡°Where are you headed, Bruce?¡± ¡°I need to make a call first!¡± Bruce said and walked away without a second nce. After a while, Bruce stepped outside the hospital and pulled out his phone.. Beep beep beep. Unable to hold back any longer, he finally dialed Joanna¡¯s number. Joanna was savoring avish seafood feast with her employees, thoroughly enjoying the spread before her. As the phone rang, she retrieved it from her pocket, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Bruce¡¯s name on the caller 1. ID. Initially, she had no intention of answering, but the knowledge that Margaret was hospitalized due to her own anger ¡°Hey,¡± she greeted with a hint of reluctance. Bruce fell into silence. In a chilly tone, Joanna prodded, ¡°Come on, speak up! If you¡¯re not going to say anything, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and whispered, ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Porash.¡± Bruce snorted. Margaret was seriously ill, and instead of showing concern, she chose to go to work. This sent Bruce into a fit of anger. After a few seconds of silence, Joanna couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Um¡­ How is Mrs. Everett doing?¡± ¡°Because of you, she is still in the intensive care unit, and her condition is critical!¡± Joanna furrowed her brow upon hearing this news. When anger took hold, emotions could erupt. Margaret had insulted her badly, so she naturally couldn¡¯t take it. She had just retorted without thinking twice. But now that she thought about it, she regretted it. Margaret was an elderly woman with health issues. Even if she endured a few insults, she could have simply listened. There was no need to engage in an argument with an elderly person! Now that Margaret was in the hospital, Joanna feli unsettled. didn¡¯t want things to turn out this way either.¡± Bruce sneered, ¡°Well, are you happy now?¡± Taking a deep breath, Joanna replied, ¡°What is there to be happy about? ¡°Bruce, I never intended to disrespect your grandmother! I was in a terrible mood that day, and now I realize it was uncalled for! ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry!¡± Joanna spoke sincerely. Bruce¡¯s anger eased slightly upon hearing this. ¡°How are you? You¡¯re seriously ill, so why are you running around?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me! Take good care of her. I¡¯ll visit her at the hospital tomorrow!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Joanna felt a pang of guilt. Regardless of Margaret¡¯s insults, she was still her son¡¯s great¨Cgrandmother. She should go and personally apologize! Bruce felt somewhat relieved upon hearing Joanna¡¯s apology. At the staircase, when Roxanne heard Bruce calling Joanna, her face contorted with anger. Joanna had nearly driven Margaret to her grave, yet Bruce not only harbored no anger towards her, but he also showed concern! Roxanne took a deep breath, her eyes widened, and her fingers clenched into a tight fist. ¡°Joanna, you damn bitch, you¡¯ve really outdone yourself! You managed to make Bruce forgive you! ¡°Bruce, I will never let you be with Joanna¡­¡± she thought to herself. Bruce was still on the phone. Roxanne pretended everything was normal and quickly returned to the ward¡¯s door, obediently waiting outside. After wrapping up his call, Bruce coincidentally found himself face to face with the doctor, who had come for a check¨Cup. ¡°Hey, Doc, how¡¯s my grandma doing today?¡± Bruce asked with concern. ¡°The umtion of brain fluid in her isn¡¯t too severe. Judging by her progress, she should wake up within a week!¡± the doctor replied. A sense of relief washed over Bruce. ¡°Really? Please make sure to take good care of her, Doc!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do everything in our power!¡± the doctor reassured him. ¡°If we canpletely absorb the fluid in her brain, she¡¯ll undoubtedly wake up! So, try not to fret too much,¡± the doctor added. ¡°That¡¯s a relief to hear, that¡¯s a relief!¡± Bruce finally breathed out a sigh of relief. Roxanne seethed with anger upon hearing the news. She had anticipated Bruce harboring a deep hatred toward Joanna because of this situation! Litle did he know, Margaret had once again survived! Chapter If she fully recovered, it seemed Bruce and Joanna would be entangled once more! That¡¯s unfair! This old woman is incredibly fortunate. Despite being in the ICU, she managed to pull through,¡± Roxanne thought, ncing at Margaret¡¯s bed. Roxanne burned with rage. She longed to rip out Margaret¡¯s venttor and send her straight to hell. Though she despised Margaret with every fiber of her being, Roxanne was a master of deception. She put on a facade of joy. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! If she wakes up, it¡¯ll be better than anything!¡± ¡°God, if you¡¯re listening. I¡¯m willing to sacrifice ten years of my own life for her awakening!¡± Roxanne said, sping her hands together and praying with genuine fervor. Observing this, Bruce couldn¡¯t help but believe in the sincerity of Roxanne¡¯s prayers for Margaret¡¯s recovery. His heart softened a little. SEND GIFT COMMENT Chapter 212 Chapter 212 He really didn¡¯t want Roxanne Haynes to give birth to his child! Even though Grandma was in such a condition, she must not be agitated! Therefore, for the sake of Grandma, he had to suppress his anger. He really didn¡¯t want Roxanne to give birth to his child! But his grandma was in such a condition and she must not be agitated. Therefore, for the sake of his grandma, he had to suppress his anger. Roxanne¡¯s expression softened as she looked at Bruce with gentleness and attentiveness. ¡°Bruce, you should also take more rest. I can take care of Margaret here!¡± Bruce remained silent, implying his consent for her to stay. The following day, after the doctor examined Mrs. Margaret, he joyfully eximed, ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret¡¯s recovery is going well. We can move her to a regr ward now! ¡°At this rate of recovery, she¡¯ll wake up soon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Margaret was transferred out of the ICU, and Bruce finally let out a sigh of relief. He stayed by Margaret¡¯s bedside, asionally exchanging a few words with Margaret, hoping for her swift recovery. It was evident that Bruce was genuinely devoted to his grandmother. Upon hearing the news of Margaret¡¯s progress, Roxanne¡¯s heart sank. Suddenly, an unexinable intention to harm emerged in her heart. If Margaret were to suddenly pass away, Joanna would be held ountable for her demise! With that alone, Bruce would probably never forgive Joanna! However, the thought quickly disappeared. After all, it was murder, and she didn¡¯t have the courage. Bruce carefully massaged Margaret¡¯s limbs to prevent muscle atrophy from prolonged bed rest. Beep beep beep! At that moment, the phone suddenly rang- Bruce took out his phone and saw that it was Joanna calling. ¡°Hello!¡± Bruce immediately answered the call and walked outside the ward while speaking on the phone. Roxanne immediately deduced that it was Joanna calling, or else he wouldn¡¯t have stepped outside to answer the call. With that realization, Roxanne¡¯s expression grew grim, and she instinctively clenched her fist! Beep beep beep! The venttor¡¯s rm went off. Roxanne was startled and looked down, only to realize that she had identally grabbed the venttor¡¯s oxygen tube. Roxanne quickly released it, and the rm ceased immediately. Roxanne¡¯s heart pounded as she regained hisposure, and her mind began to wrestle. This was the perfect opportunity. If she unplugged the venttor, Margaret would die within minutes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bruce was still on the phone with Joanna. Little did he expect Roxanne to harbor murderous intentions. toward his grandmother. Joanna¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone sounded hoarse. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to see Margaret right now. I¡¯ll be there in about half an hour!¡± ¡°Yes, alright!¡± Bruce ended the call and made his way down the corridor, in search of a designated smoking area to satisfy his craving. Roxanne¡¯s heart pounded, and with trembling hands, she instinctively yanked out the venttor plug. Margaret, deep in slumber, suddenly struggled to breathe and woke up in distress, her face contorted in pain. Startled by Margaret¡¯s awakening, Roxanne panicked and identally knocked over a water ss on the table. Margaret gasped for breath, her struggle evident. ¡°Margaret¡­¡± Roxanne was terrified, momentarily frozen, unsure of what to do next. This was Roxanne¡¯s first attempt at deliberate murder, and her nerves were on edge. Margaret weakly raised her hand, groping aimlessly in the air, only for it to fall back down heavily a minuteter. ¡°Margaret, Margaret!¡± Roxanne¡¯s fear escted, causing a tingling sensation on her scalp as she called out in a panicked. frenzy. As a critically ill patient, Margaret¡¯s life slipped away within three minutes, her breathing ceasing. Summoning her courage, Roxanne checked Margaret¡¯s breathing and found none. ¡°Oh, Margaret Margaret¡­¡± Roxanne finally grasped the gravity of the situation and cried out in shock. She had only considered removing the venttor, never imagining that Margaret¡¯s life could be so fragile and extinguished so easily. Overwhelmed by fear, Roxanne sumbed to sheer panic, her mind going nk. Crack! The door to the ward swung open. Kensley, the doctor¡¯s assistant, walked in and instantlyprehended the scene before him, understanding the situation at once. Taken aback by the sudden presence, Roxanne was even more bewildered. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Kensley approached and examined Margaret¡¯s pupils, also taken aback. He quickly turned around, intending to call the doctor. Roxanne suddenly snapped to reality, realizing the gravity of the situation. If the public discovered that she had unplugged the venttor, she would face a grim fate. ¡°Oh no, please!¡± she pleaded desperately. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a fortune, loads of cash!¡± Roxanne threw herself at Kensley¡¯s feet, hitting the ground with a thud, tears streaming down her face as she begged. Taken aback, Kensley widened his eyes. As an exceptional graduate from a prestigious medical university. Kensley joined Greyport Hospital immediately after graduation, establishing himself as one of the most promising young doctors. Saving lives was his duty, so how could he condone such an act? ¡°The patient can still be saved¡­¡± At that moment, Roxanneposed herself. ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll give you 2 million dors! Please, don¡¯t breathe a word of this to anyone!¡± Kensley was stunned. Seeing his hesitation, Roxanne quickly added, ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll give you 20 million, or 40 million dors. Or you can name the price! ¡°You¡¯re a doctor. You must have a way to cover it up! Think about it. How long will it take you to earn 20 million dors? Now you just need to turn a blind eye and pretend that nothing has ever happened¡­¡± Kensley stood still, his eyes reflecting his inner turmoil. Certainly, he wouldn¡¯t be able to earn 20 million dors in his entire lifetime.. ¡°Please, time is running out!¡± Roxanne anxiously nced toward the door. She knew Bruce had stepped out to smoke and would return soon. After a few more seconds of internal struggle, Kensley made up his mind in an instant. Hadn¡¯t he studied so hard just to make money? Now, the opportunity 16 be instantly rich was right in front of him. Why would he turn down the chance? ¡°Get up!¡± Kensley said, quickly reinserting the venttor. Then, he swiftly erased the venttor¡¯s data¡­ Just as he finished everything, the door swung open, and Bruce returned. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Hurry,e to Ward Eight! The patient¡¯s in critical condition!¡± While Kensley called for the doctors, he provided first aid to Margaret. Roxanne quickly regained herposure too. ¡°Bruce, Margaret just suffered a respiratory arrest. The doctor is doing everything they can to save her!¡± Bruce was stunned to hear this. He never expected his grandmother to be in critical condition during his absence. He cursed himself for not staying by her side. Soon after, the doctors arrived in a hurry. Margaret was promptly rushed to the emergency room. ¡°Grandma, you must hold on!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart pounded. After twenty minutes, the doctor emerged from the emergency room, looking dejected. ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± Bruce rushed over, tightly gripping the doctor¡¯s arm. The doctor¡¯s face brimmed with sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! We did everything we could.¡± Bruce felt his mind shatter as if a child were losing his support. ¡°It can¡¯t be, it can¡¯t be. Grandma can¡¯t be dead!¡± ¡°Please ept my condolences.¡± Margaret¡¯s body was wheeled out, her face concealed under a white cloth. ¡°Grandma, Grandma! You can¡¯t leave, you can¡¯t¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s heart turned numb with pain. He never anticipated his grandmother would pass away during his brief absence. ¡°Why did it happen like this? How could it? ¡°You said her condition had improved!¡± ¡°Sorry, Mr. Everett! ¡°Mrs. Margaret was elderly, and a cerebral hemorrhage is already a dangerous condition. A slight mistake could worsen it.¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and broke down, burying his head in anguish. His grandmother was the closest person to him, and now that she was gone, he felt like he had lost his spiritual anchor. Although he was unwilling to ept this fact, he knew that his grandmother¡¯s health had always relied on medication and she could leave him at any moment. Roxanne finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that her crime hadn¡¯t been exposed. She immediately burst into tears and cried out, ¡°Margaret, please, you can¡¯t leave us! ¡°If you¡¯re gone, what should I and Bruce do? I beg you, please wake up!¡± Roxanne stood beside Margaret¡¯s lifeless body, sobbing uncontrobly. Bruce took a sharp breath, his throat choked up, and he could hardly utter a word. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare for her funeral? ¡°Bruce!¡± Roxanne cried hard as she threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Bruce and Roxanne were sobbing. At this very moment, Joanna arrived at the worst possible time! Seeing them in tears, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but feel rmed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± When Bruceid eyes on Joanna, his gaze turned wild like a furious beast. They were crimson and fierce as if he wanted to tear Joanna apart right there and then! ¡°My grandmother is dead! Are you satisfied now?¡± Joanna cursed, her voice trembling. This news struck Joanna like a thunderbolt! The flowers she held slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground! Roxanne, her voice choked with sobs, angrily scolded, ¡°It was you who killed her! It¡¯s because of you that she got so angry she had to be hospitalized! ¡°Now that she is gone, how dare you show up? ¡°You murderer! Didn¡¯t you kill her? Are you happy now?¡± ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be!¡± Joanna gasped in disbelief. Bruce had informed her over the phone that Margaret¡¯s health had been gradually improving. How could she suddenly pass away? ¡°Bruce, is this true?¡± Joanna looked at Bruce in disbelief. Bruce¡¯s expression changed, and he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. ¡°Fuck off! Fuck off! I never want to see you again!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Joanna looked up at him. With a resounding p. Bruce¡¯s hand came crashing down on Joanna¡¯s face! Caught off guard, Joanna stumbled and fell hard to the ground! The force of the p was brutal, leaving Joanna dazed, her face swelling up on one side. ¡°From this moment forward, I never want toy eyes on you again!¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± Joanna Haynes looked up at him, trying to gather herself. Bruce clenched his teeth and growled, ¡°You better get the hell out of here! Before Ipletely lose it!¡± Joanna covered her throbbing cheek and struggled to get up. ¡°My condolences,¡± she said, then left in a dazed state. Everything felt like a nightmare, and her mind waspletely nk. After Joanna left, Bruce closed his eyes and delivered a heavy punch to the wall! Even though he truly loved Joanna, he couldn¡¯t forgive her for what had happened! His grandmother was the dearest person to him, and he would never forgive himself either. ¡°Grandma, rest in peace! I won¡¯t let your death go unanswered! ¡°Joanna Haynes, I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and spoke with a frightening intensity. Seeing Bruce¡¯s heartbroken expression, Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. ¡°Joanna, let¡¯s see if you survive this time! ¡°Even if you survive, you¡¯ll never reconcile with Bruce for the rest of your life!¡± she thought. Roxanne¡¯s initial panic gradually subsided. In any case, this risk had been worth it! Soon, the funeral for Margaret was in full swing. The Everett family, the wealthiest n in Greyport, spared no expense in hosting a grand and dignified event. Rain drizzled from the sky on the day of the funeral. Dressed in solemn ck attire, Bruce maintained a chilling expression throughout. By Bruce¡¯s side stood Roxanne, d in mourning clothes as his wife. The funeral was halfway through. Joanna arrived uninvited. ¡°Ms. Joanna is here! Ms. Joanna is here!¡± Joanna was seeking shelter beneath a ck umbre. Yet, her determination to bid farewell to Margaret remained. unwavering. Bruce¡¯s face turned cold, and in front of everyone, he showed no mercy to Joanna. ¡°Get lost! Get out of here!¡± Joanna bowed her head and pleaded with a heavy heart, ¡°Bruce, please allow me to apany Margaret on her final journey!¡± Bruce suddenly raised his head and delivered a harsh blow to Joanna. Joanna¡¯s lips split, instantly drawing blood. Still consumed by resentment, Bruce raised his foot, intending to strike her repeatedly. However, upon witnessing the blood trickling from Joanna¡¯s lips and the fragility in her weary eyes, he finally restrained himself. ¡°You better get out of here! ¡°Joanna Haynes, I won¡¯t let you escape. I¡¯ll make sure you suffer a wretched fate!¡± Joanna remained silent, standing in the rain, silently shedding tears. ¡°Take her away! Don¡¯t let her stay here a second longer!¡± Yes!¡± ¡®Bruce¡­¡± ¡®Ms. Haynes, please leave the cemetery immediately!¡± Several bodyguards seized her arms and forcefully dragged her out of he cemetery Outside the cemetery gates, the waiting reporters swiftly pounced on Joanna as soon as she was expelled. They swarmed around her like relentless flies, bombarding her with piercing questions. Joanna, is it true that Margaret¡¯s death is your fault?¡± Can you confirm if Margaret was driven to her demise because of you?¡± Can you provide any details? Is Bruce furious? Will you still maintain a friendship with him in the future?¡± ¡®Did you attend the funeral today out of guilt or by your own volition?¡± The reporters¡® questions grew increasingly sharp. Confronted by an onught of relentless questions from reporters, Joanna felt utterly bewildered and She had be the talk of Greyport, with entertainment reporters bombarding her with every tidbit of news. Just as the previous surge of attention seemed to be fading, a fresh wave crashed upon her, engulfing herpletely! ¡°Please, I beg you¡­ just leave me alone!¡± Joanna pleaded, shutting her eyes and eventually sumbing to unconsciousness. ¡°Miss Haynes, Miss Haynes!¡± Coco and the others swiftly rushed Joanna to the hospital without any dy. A week passed. Margaret¡¯s funeral had been over. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Mr. Everett, are we still going to fight for custody of the children?¡± ¡°Of course, I will honor Grandma¡¯s wishes and fight tooth and nail for custody of the children, no matter the cost!¡± Thewyer nodded. ¡°Understood!¡± Bruce Everett¡¯s face turned grim as he icily dered, ¡°Listen carefully, I want full custody of the children. Not a single one will be left in her possession!¡± ¡°Understood!¡°, Before long, the day of the court hearing was arriving. Bruce had enlisted a team of top¨Cnotch internationalwyers. This time, he would show no mercy toward Joanna. Children were Joanna¡¯s greatest love, and they meant everything to her! He intended to snatch all the children away from her, aiming to shatter Joanna emotionally! On the day of the court hearing. Bruce strode into the courtroom, dressed in a ck suit, his expression cold. Joanna followed closely behind, her demeanor solemn. As expected, Joanna lost thewsuit, and it was aplete loss! Bruce was granted full custody of all three children! The moment they stepped out of the courtroom, Joanna felt dizzy and disoriented, unsure of what to do next. The children were her emotional pirs. Without them, she wouldn¡¯t havee this far! She alsocked the courage to face the world without them! But now, Bruce had taken all the children away! Joanna¡¯s heart was like shattering into pieces! Outside the courtroom, Bruce sneered at Joanna, taunting, ¡°Kids, say your goodbyes to your mother!¡± Davian and Irvin looked at Joanna, crying inconsbly. ¡°Mommy, Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± Joanna desperately yearned to chase after them! ¡°Escort my kids to the car!¡± Bruce instructed his guards. ¡°Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Mommy, Mommy!¡± Davian and Irvin¡¯s sobs became even more heart¨Crending. ¡°You can¡¯t do this, you can¡¯t!¡± Joanna lunged at Bruce in sheer desperation! ¡°Give them back to me! Give them back!¡± Joanna shouted desperately. Bruce sneered as he forcefully shoved Joanna to the ground. ¡°Joanna, this is just the beginning. I¡¯m going to take everything away from you!¡± ¡°Bruce Everett! ¡°I won¡¯t let you have the children. I¡¯m going to appeal, no matter what!¡± ¡°Well, I suggest you abandon the appeal. Save some money for your living!¡± Bruce taunted with arrogance, Truly, there was nothing he couldn¡¯t aplish when he set his mind to it! If he seriously confronted Joanna, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Lilia, Lilia. ¡°Bruce, Lilia is sick. You can¡¯t take proper care of her. Leave her to me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! ¡°From this point forward, the kids have no ties to you!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t be so heartless. You can¡¯t do this!¡± Joanna lunged forward in a frenzy! The children meant everything to her! Bruce had seized her vulnerability and aimed to torment her until she reached the depths of despair. What purpose did her struggles serve without her children by her side? ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Sweetie, you¡¯ll live with Daddy from now on. Don¡¯t worry, Daddy will find you a new mommy!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to! ¡°I only want Mommy!¡± ¡°Get in the car!¡± Bruce Everett gracefully entered the car, his long stridesmanding attention, and then the luxurious vehicle departed! In this legal battle, Joanna suffered a resounding defeat! She knew that even if she continued to appeal, she would never win custody of the children! ¡°Miss Haynes, you should go home first. You can take your time to n once you are home.¡± Joanna felt dizzy and disoriented. { Chapter 214 Chapter 214 ¡°I have to keep fighting with the appeal. I won¡¯t give up my children! They¡¯re my flesh and blood, and I won¡¯t let go¡­.¡± Joanna was engulfed in a desperate sadness, despite taking her morning medication, her depression persisted. Mr. Brycen¡¯s face was filled with guilt after losing thewsuit.. Although his legal team was skilled, they were no match for Bruce¡¯s team! ¡°Miss Haynes, I am so sorry! I should have done better,¡± Mr. Brycen apologized. Joanna trembled uncontrobly and grabbed thewyer¡¯s arm. ¡°What are our chances of winning the appeal?¡± Mr. Brycen paused, his sympathetic gaze fixed on Joanna. ¡°I rmend¡­ seeking a private settlement.¡± He genuinely wanted to help Joanna win this legal battle! But he also knew that he was going up against the wealthiest man in Greyport! Furthermore, the otherwyers in his team had been bribed. He couldn¡¯t possibly defeat Bruce¡¯s formidable legal team alone! Continuing with the appeal would only lead to more legal expenses! After she heard Mr. Brycen¡¯s analysis, Joanna¡¯s vision darkened. She struggled to maintain her composure. ¡°Miss Haynes, please be careful! Above all, take care of your well¨Cbeing.¡± Joanna took a moment to regain herposure as her eyes could see things clearly. This defeat was devastating to her. Joanna remained immersed in profound sorrow. Not far away, a swarm of reporters had been waiting for her. When she emerged from the courthouse, they pounced on her like hungry wolves. ¡°Ms. Haynes! We heard that custody was awarded to Mr. Everett! Will you continue with the appeal?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes! If the appeal is denied, will you still fight for custody?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The reporters mored, shoving their microphones toward her. Each one regarded her with their predatory eyes as if she were a sulent prey. ¡°I beg you, please stop focusing on me and let me be!¡± Joanna lost control in front of the cameras, completely breaking down emotionally. She couldn¡¯t bear being exploited as a mere spectacle by these reporters, and she didn¡¯t want to live under others¡® constant scrutiny and verbal attacks. Nichs had arrived in a car. ¡°Miss Haynes, please get in!¡± Mr. Brycen and Cora shielded Joanna from the cameras, and Joanna climbed into the car in a disheveled state, feeling injured. Upon returning home, Joanna surveyed her empty house, her heart feeling hollowed out. She had lost thewsuit, and her children had been taken away! Her emotional anchor had been shattered! Before, even when Davian and Irvin were taken, she still had Lilia by her side. But now, with Lilia also gone, it was unbearable! Soon, news of Joanna losing control in front of the reporters spread like wildfire. [One of Greyport¡¯s top socialites became the city¡¯s most notorious escort.] [Miss Haynes is mentally unstable, unleashing her fury at the media.] As Bruce witnessed Joanna¡¯s emotional breakdown on TV, he found no sce in hiswsuit victory. Unable to bear it any longer, he switched off the television halfway through. After all, Margaret had died because of Joanna, and he would never forgive her. ** Roxanne watched Joanna¡¯s pitiful state on the screen and couldn¡¯t help but revel in it. ¡°Haha, Joanna, you thought you were untouchable. Let¡¯s see if you can survive this time!¡± she taunted. ¡°I¡¯m going to crush youpletely! Don¡¯t even dream of making aeback!¡± Since Margaret¡¯s passing, the Everett mansion felt hollow and devoid of warmth, especially during dinner. Bruce sat at the dining table, lost in thought, swirling a ss of red wine in his hand. Davian and Irvin cried incessantly throughout the day, pleading to return home and see their mother. ¡°You big meanie! Let us go back home!¡± they wailed. Overwhelmed by their crying. Bruce finally snapped, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop!¡± The distress in his voice was palpable. Davian and Irvin, upon witnessing his reaction, dared not cry out loud anymore. Lilia, her hands trembling, gazed at Bruce timidly. ¡°Daddy, I won¡¯t cry. Please, don¡¯t be angry, Daddy!¡± she pleaded. ¡°Daddy, didn¡¯t you promise to be with Mommy?¡± Though young, Lilia had experienced frequent bouts of illness, mokding her into someone eager to please with an uncanny sense of responsibility. Bruce¡¯s heart ached even more upon hearing her words. Unable to resist, he rose from his seat and embraced his daughter tightly. ¡°Be a good girl, Lilia. You and your brothers will live with Daddy from now on,¡± he reassured her. With tear¨Cfilled eyes fixed on Bruce, Lilia summoned the courage to speak up, ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t you love Mommy very much? Why can¡¯t Mommy live with us? ¡°I want both Daddy and Mommy! Daddy, can you bring Mommy here too?¡± she implored. Bruce, feeling as though something had crushed his heart, had his red eyes veiled in tears. How could he not love Joanna? He had been willing to do anything to win her back! But that was his old way of thinking. He had changed. The pain of his grandmother¡¯s death caused by Joanna had left an unforgivable wound in his heart. No matter what, being with Joanna again was out of the question! Otherwise, it would be a total disrespect to his grandma. When Lilia noticed that Bruce wouldn¡¯t change his mind, tears streamed down her face. ¡°Lilian, take the kids back to their room!¡± Bruce instructed a servant. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± the servant answered immediately. ¡°Daddy, no.¡± The kids were forced to leave. Roxanne seethed with anger as she watched. ¡°You little brats, I¡¯ll deal with each of you in the future!¡± she cursed in her heart. As the children were led away, Bruce¡¯s expression grew even grimmer. ¡°Bruce, please calm down. The kids are still young. They¡¯ll understand when they¡¯re older!¡± Roxanne persuaded. Bruce¡¯s face turned cold as he stood up and walked out. ¡°Bruce, where are you going? It¡¯s sote,¡± Roxanne asked caringly. ¡°Just mind your own business!¡± Bruce answered without looking back. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Roxanne sounded hurt. Bruce walked toward the door, abruptly stopping. He spoke in a frigid tone to Roxanne, ¡°Pack your things and move to Sherane Bay Vi for now!¡± Roxanne was taken aback. ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Although Sherane Bay Vi was an upscale residence, itcked the prestige of this mansion! Living here made her feel superior. Bruce replied coldly. ¡°The children will be living here in the future. It¡¯s better if you stay away from them!¡± Roxanne forced a fake smile. ¡°No need! I¡¯ll live with the children to nurture our rtionship! I like them, you know.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to bond with the children!¡± Bruce said coldly and left without looking back. He wouldn¡¯t allow Roxanne to live with his children, no matter what! After Bruce left, Roxanne¡¯s face fell, and she stomped her feet resentfully. Bruce¡¯s attitude toward her was growing colder by the day. She feared she wouldn¡¯t find much happiness in the future. Still, even if she wasn¡¯t happy, being married to Bruce was enough. Without dy, Roxanne ordered someone to help her pack the belongings. Moving to Sherane Bay Vi was not so bad. There would be still plenty of opportunities to deal with those kids in the future! Roxanne had just finished packing when the phone rang. It was Ingrid on the line. ¡°Hey, Roxy!¡± Ingrid sounded excited. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on?¡± Laughing, Ingrid couldn¡¯t help but boast on the other end, ¡°Have you seen the news? Joanna has taken a serious blow this time! Thanks to Margaret, you¡¯ve made an incredibleeback! ¡°Both Margaret and Joanna got what they deserved!¡± ¡°Mom, that¡¯s enough!¡± Roxanne didn¡¯t want to discuss Margaret¡¯s death. She felt guilty. However, Ingrid didn¡¯t know the cause of Margaret¡¯s death. She continued, ¡°Joanna really provoked Margaret. You don¡¯t have to worry about her threatening your position anymore! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure that she won¡¯t be able to make aeback!¡± ¡°Alright! If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up!¡± Roxanne said, dismissing the conversation before ending the call. Even after hanging up. Roxanne couldn¡¯t shake off her unease. Only Kensley knew that she was responsible for Margaret¡¯s death! Although Kensley hadn¡¯t approached her yet, she knew he would sooner orter. She had to marry Bruce as soon as possible, or she wouldn¡¯t have enough money to buy Kensley¡¯s silence. For three consecutive days, Joanna didn¡¯t even bother going to thepany. The news of Bruce and Roxanne¡¯s uing marriage spread like wildfire. Although Roxanne hadn¡¯t formally joined the Everett family, she was now pregnant and already had one foot in the door. In the Haynes Group, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul urgently called for board meetings. Shaun and Derick were also invited to thepany. After all, Shaun was soon to be Bruce¡¯s father¨Cin¨C law, and Joanna had be aplete outcast. SEND GIFT Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Others wanted to oust Joanna as they followed the prevailing trend. ¡°Thepany can¡¯t keep going like this. If it continues, the Haynes Group will go bankrupt!¡± Mr. Roger expressed his concern. Mr. Paul sighed and chimed in, ¡°Exactly. Miss Haynes is solely focused on custody battles for her child. How can she find the mindset to manage thepany? ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since shest set foot in thepany. Before that, it was a sporadic presence, coming and going, with frequent trips to Mossbourne. ¡°And to make matters worse, she¡¯s actually seeking out social media influencers to endorse our products! How can we rely on influencers for our hard¨Cearned international brand, the Haynes Group? ¡°Even though herpany, Mossbourne, has no direct connection to the Haynes Group, she¡¯s still the chairman. People will associate herpany with our brand.¡± After Mr. Roger paused momentarily, he continued, ¡°She¡¯s been in office for over six months now. While thepany¡¯s profits have seen a slight increase, the negative publicity she has generated is overwhelming! ¡°The chairman¡¯s image directly impacts thepany¡¯s development and future prospects! My suggestion is for Miss Haynes to step down voluntarily and minimize the losses in time!¡± Mr. Paul quickly agreed, ¡°Absolutely! The older generation has more experience. Mr. Haynes is more reliable in this position! ¡°Mr. Haynes, you should hold the power!¡± Derick heard this and grinned smugly, ¡°Yes, you are right. Joanna is just a twentysomething girl. What does she know? How could we trust her? ¡°Letting her lead thepany is leading us down a dead¨Cend path. How can our family not understand N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. her capabilities?¡± Shaun felt a sense of relief upon hearing this. It seemed that he would soon reim the position of chairman. ¡°Everyone is absolutely right! Joann is still young and doesn¡¯t grasp the gravity of her actions. She can¡¯t handle such a heavy responsibility. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We will now vote to remove her from the board!¡± Just as they were discussing, the conference room door swung open with a click! Joanna walked in, wearing a ck suit, her expression devoid of any emotion. The conference room fell into an immediate silence upon seeing Joanna¡¯s arrival. After a long while, Shaun gathered his courage and greeted, ¡°Joann, you¡¯re here. ¡°We were just about to summon you! Mr. Everett will join uster¡­¡± Joanna Haynes furrowed her brow, emanating a cold and refined aura. She defied the image of helplessness that others had projected onto her. overheard the entire conversation among you,¡± Joanna stated calmly. Mr. Roger scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Well, since you caught all of that, that works! We¡¯re discussing thepany¡¯s future. That¡¯s it. ¡°And let¡¯s just consider the deluge of negative press you¡¯ve generated in the past six months. It has severely tarnished the reputation of the Haynes Group. ¡°If this continues, Raymond¡¯s life¡¯s work will crumble into ruins.¡± Joanna attentively listened without hastily refuting his statements. Shaun sighed deeply, expressing heartfelt concern. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re still young and can¡¯t shoulder such a heavy burden.¡° This weight is too much, and I can¡¯t bear to witness you being crushed,¡± he added. Joanna couldn¡¯t help but sneer. What a double¨Cdealer! So hypocrite. Her father was a total deceiver while intending to look nice and caring. If he wanted to take back the chairman¡¯s position, he could have just said so. There was no need to beat around the bush. ¡°Shaun is right. Joann, the burden is too heavy. Let your father be the chairman. You should step down,¡± Mr. Roger candidly suggested. Joanna¡¯s eyes regained their frigid re, her expression returning to its emotionless Chapter 216 Chapter 216 ¡°Who the hell dares toy a finger on me? Back the hell off!¡± Derick lunged into a full¨Cblown brawl with the security guards. ¡°Quit screwing around! It¡¯s a goddamn tragedy for our family! Joann, he¡¯s your brother! ¡°How can you be so heartless towards your own brother? You¡¯ve let me down!¡± Shaun seethed with a mix of anger and disappointment. Two security guards grabbed hold of Derick¡¯s arm and forcefully dragged him towards the exit. ¡°Mr. Haynes, I suggest you leave this conference room right now!¡± they said. Derick fumed with frustration. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t you dare think I¡¯m scared of you! Who the hell do you think you are¡­ ¡°Get that bastard out of here!¡± The security guards no longer hesitated and forcefully expelled him from the conference room. At that very moment, Cora rushed in to deliver the news. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett has arrived!¡± Even before the sentence was finished, Bruce strolled in with an icy expression! Seeing this, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul promptly stood up, greeting him with a disarming smile. ¡°Mr. Everett, you are finally here!¡± Shaun took a deep breath. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here. We¡¯re right in the middle of a board meeting! ¡°We¡¯ve all reached a unanimous decision to kick my ungrateful daughter off the board of directors. The ball¡¯s in your court now!¡± ¡°In my court?¡± Bruce swaggered over to a chair and sat down with an air of arrogance! ¡°What everyone desires is exactly what I desire!¡± he added. Shaun, Mr. Roger, and the others felt a surge of confidence upon hearing this. ¡°Joann, you simply aren¡¯t suited to be a director of the Haynes Group! You bettere to your senses and resign!¡± Joanna pressed her lips together. ¡°You won¡¯t find it so damn easy to push me out of the board! ¡°Either you buy out my shares or you get the hell out!¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul exchanged grimaces upon hearing this! The shares in Joanna¡¯s possession were valued at a staggering 200 million dors. No one coulde up with that much. money in an instant. The few of them turned their gaze towards Bruce. After all, he was the only one capable of effortlessly acquiring Joanna¡¯s shares. A cold, sinister smile appeared on Bruce¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Haynes? nning to sell off the Haynes Group¡¯s shares?¡± Joanna red at him with an icy stare. How could she bear to sell her grandfather¡¯s hard¨Cearned legacy? It was just that the board of directors had always marginalized her, and now she had turned the tables on them! But Bruce was different. He truly had the means to easily take over the whole Haynes Group. ¡°Why the sudden silence?¡± Bruce sneered. He knew Joanna would never be willing to part with the Haynes Group¡¯s shares. Joanna paused for a moment, trying to suppress the resentment simmering within her. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯ve already got a whole slew of publicly tradedpanies in your portfolio. Are you seriously nning to take over the Haynes Group? ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to invest in a lucrative venture?¡± Bruce shot back. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget, the Haynes Group is a well¨Cestablishedpany with tremendous acquisition potential!¡± Bruce regarded Joanna with a sly expression, the kind of a shrewd entrepreneur. Joanna seethed with anger as she locked eyes with Bruce. This damn jerk was really hell¨Cbent on seeing her lose it all. ¡°I can scoop up all the shares you hold at the market price!¡± Bruce dered. Those words pierced Joanna¡¯s heart, causing another pang of pain. Bruce continued to stare at her with that same heartless gaze. ¡°Now, the Haynes Group is facing substantial losses and a steep decline in share prices! Even if you unload your shares, it won¡¯t be enough to cover your external debt, right?¡± Bruce leaned back in his chair, a mocking expression ying on his face. If he pulled the strings behind the scenes, Joanna would lose everything in the blink of an eye. Joanna could no longer contain her suppressed anger and burst out, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m telling you to back off!¡± Witnessing Joanna¡¯s exasperated expression, Shaun breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Joann, if you voluntarily step down from the board of directors, you can still uphold your grandfather¡¯s legacy! ¡°Are you really nning to sell your grandfather¡¯s assets for a pittance?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned scarlet, and a thin veil of tears clouded her vision. Her journey had been strewn with obstacles. But she couldn¡¯t simply throw in the towel. She had to amass a significant amount of money, enough to go toe¨Cto¨Ctoe with Bruce. And then, she would regain custody of her children. ¡°Oh, right! I remember now. Ms. Haynes and I even made a bet! ¡°We agreed that within three years, the Haynes Group would make it into the top 500panies worldwide. And it hasn¡¯t even been a year!¡± Upon hearing this, Mr. Roger swiftly changed his tune and began to tter Bruce. ¡°Yes, you are right! No matter what, this contract can¡¯t be easily changed!¡± ¡°Now¡­ let Miss Haynes remain as the chairman!¡± Mr. Paul chimed in. Shaun felt frustrated witnessing how easily their opinions shifted. These two guys, driven by money and personal interests, were truly untrustworthy. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s really going through your mind right now? ¡°If you want to effectively lead the Haynes Group, you have to put all your energy into your work! *But you¡¯ve been absent from work frequently, and now you¡¯re even setting up a factory in Mossbourne. I heard you¡¯re nning to coborate with some social media influencers! How can I feel at ease?¡± Shaun turned to Joanna, seizing upon her work mistakes as an opportunity. He knew all too well that Joanna had been burdened by various troubling matterstely, leaving her with no time to concentrate on her work. So, he took advantage of the situation and started speaking with an air of superiority. Joanna felt a deep sense of guilt upon hearing this. ¡°I must admit that I¡¯ve been somewhat distracted recently! Moving forward, I will adjust my work situation and fully immerse myself in my responsibilities,¡± she apologized. ¡°Managing apany is not just empty talk,¡± Shaun went on. ¡°Exactly! Managing apany requires a tremendous amount of effort! I suggest Mr. Haynes continues working at thepany! ¡°In this way, it will also alleviate some of your burdens! Mr. Haynes has been with thepany for over twenty years and is more experienced in handling everything than you!¡± one of the directors imed. ¡°Yes, I also support Mr. Haynes continuing to work at thepany! After all, he has been the chairman for over twenty years and has more experience in all aspects than you,¡± another chimed in. Joanna felt frustrated upon hearing all of this. If Shaun returned to work at thepany, it would undoubtedly lead to more chaos, and Ingrid¡¯s loyal supporters would also return. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Joanna couldn¡¯t allow Shaun toe back to thepany. Joanna was about to respond, but before she could say anything. she suddenly felt a wave of nausea surge in her stomach. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t hold it in, ready to vomit. Everyone was shocked by this sudden turn of events and looked at her in surprise. Joanna took a deep breath and tried to swallow a few times, attempting to suppress the nauseous feeling in her stomach. But the more she tried, the more she struggled to keep it down. The acidic contents of her stomach rose up to her throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I need to go to the restroom¡­¡± Joanna apologized and quickly rushed to the restroom. As soon as she opened the restroom door, Joanna lost control and began vomiting uncontrobly. The problem was, nothing came out. She just felt sick and ufortable in her stomach. Inside the conference room, a collective gasp reverberated through the air. Everyone changed nces, their faces betraying disbelief. ¡°Could she be expecting?¡± they murmured. ¡°No way! Isn¡¯t she single now?¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul blurted out, their attention instinctively shifting towards Bruce. Shaun felt a chill run down his spine, his frustration reaching its boiling point. ¡°This ungrateful daughter is a disgrace to the family!¡± he cursed. What wrongs have Imitted in my past life to be burdened with a daughter like her?¡± hemented. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Mr. Haynes. It may not be true, someone attempted to console Shaun. ¡°Yeah, it could just be an upset stomach. Nausea doesn¡¯t necessarily indicate pregnancy, another chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s enough! I refuse to acknowledge her as my daughter any longer!¡± Shaun exploded in anger. Jaydon had already departed from Greyport. If Joanna was indeed pregnant, the child was likely Bruce¡¯s. Thinking of this, Shaun seethed with fury. He yearned to barge into the restroom and strangle Joanna to death! Bruce had worked tirelessly to reconcile with Roxanne, and Joanna¡¯s interference could potentially ruin Roxanne¡¯s marriage. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on this any further. Let¡¯s focus on our work,¡± someone suggested, attempting to shift the conversation. ¡°After all, this is her personal matter. It¡¯s none of our business, right?¡± another agreed. Bruce, witnessing themotion, was also taken aback. He straightened his posture, his expression turning somber. Judging by Joanna¡¯s appearance, it seemed evident that she was indeed experiencing morning sickness! It wasn¡¯t beyond the realm of possibility that she was pregnant. After all, they had spent the entire night together justst month. The details of that night were hazy in his memory. And he couldn¡¯t remember how many times he had sex with her back then. If Joanna was genuinely pregnant, the child was undoubtedly his. The realization struck Bruce, causing him to lose hisposure. He instinctively loosened his tie, his thoughts in disarray. Margaret had recently passed away, and it was all because of Joanna! Now, if Joanna was truly pregnant, he had no idea how to confront the situation, especially considering Roxanne Haynes was also expecting a child! Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Joanna clung to the sink in the restroom, heaving uncontrobly, nearly bringing up stomach acid. For the past couple of days, she had been experiencing asional bouts of nausea. She dismissed it as mere indigestion, not paying much attention to it. But today, her vomiting became more intense! ¡°Oh my god, could I¡­ be pregnant?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank, and she hurriedly sshed cold water on her forehead. Lately, she had been feeling sluggish and fatigued. The symptoms seemed to match those of pregnancy! However, since that night of having sex with Bruce, she had been worried about the possibility of getting pregnant. She had taken contraceptive pills, so she couldn¡¯t fathom how this could have happened. ¡°No. I need to go to the hospital and get checked!¡± she resolved. Joanna regained herposure and left the restroom, returning to the conference room. ¡°Miss Haynes, are you alright?¡± someone asked. ¡°Do you need us to take you to the hospital?¡± another inquired. Joanna paused for a moment, her expression serious. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m feeling unwell. Let¡¯s end the meeting for today.¡± ¡°Alright! Since we¡¯re not making any progress today, let¡¯s wrap it up,¡± someone replied. Joanna didn¡¯t say anything more. She grabbed her bag and swiftly left thepany. As she sat in her car, restlessness consumed her. She silently prayed that it wasn¡¯t true. She had to hurry to the hospital to confirm if she was actually pregnant. Half an hourter, Joanna arrived at a private maternity and child hospital. Before long, the nurse provided her with a pregnancy test kit and drew blood for the examination. After a while, the results were ready. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯re pregnant!¡± the nurse informed her. Upon hearing the news, Joanna felt as if lightning had struck her. How could she be pregnant at this time? What should she do? ¡°I remember taking birth control pills. Could there have been a mistake?¡± *Contraceptive pills aren¡¯tpletely foolproof. Based on this test, you are indeed pregnant. Joanna listened, staring nkly at the doctor, struggling to regain herposure. She didn¡¯t want to have Bruce¡¯s child again. ¡°The baby is only three weeks old. Should I prescribe some folic acid for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary!¡± Joanna vehemently shook her head, rejecting the offer, and hastily left the hospital. ¡°What am I going to do? How did this happen out of nowhere?¡± she wondered. Joanna walked out of the hospital in a daze, her heart heavy, heading towards the parking lot. As she walked out of the hospital, a sleek Rolls¨CRoyce pulled up just before she could reach her own car. The car door swung open, and she was forcefully dragged inside! ¡°Ah- ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart pounded with fear, thinking she was being robbed. Inside the car, Bruce sat in the backseat, his expression icy cold, legs casually crossed on the spacious leather seat. Upon seeing Bruce, Joanna felt a slight sense of relief. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s your angle?¡± Bruce kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, holding a wine ss in his hand and took a sip. ¡°What were you doing at the hospital?¡± Infuriated, Joanna gritted her teeth. ¡°Why the hell is any of this your business?¡± Bruce¡¯s malicious gaze shifted andnded on her bag. ¡°Show me your medical report!¡± Instinctively, Joanna shielded her bag and snapped, ¡°Why should I show it to you?¡± Frowning, Bruce reached out to snatch her bag, extracting the test results from within. ¡°Give it to me, and stop snooping around my things!¡± Joanna lunged forward, attempting to retrieve it! Unfortunately, Bruce pinned her against the seat with one hand, while with the other, he examined the test report. The words ¡°Early Pregnancy¡± were clearly visible in the test results! Bruce¡¯s heart sank upon seeing this. Adopting a casual tone, he remarked. ¡°So you¡¯re actually pregnant!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Joanna sat up, seething with anger. ¡°What? nning to secretly have my child again?¡± Bruce sneered, mocking her with his gaze. Joannaposed herself and retorted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. Who said this child is yours?¡± Bruce raised an eyebrow, his handsome face oozing disdain. ¡°If it¡¯s not mine, then whose could it be?¡± Joanna defiantly rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? ¡°Stop the car! I want to get out!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you out once everything is clear!¡± Bruce refuted. ¡°Where are you taking me now?¡± Bruce remained silent, his gaze coldly fixed outside the car window. His mind was in turmoil, unable to make sense of it all. Joanna paused, contemting the situation. Her demeanor softened a touch as she pleaded, ¡°Can I see the children?¡± Bruce smirked coldly and firmly rejected her, ¡°Not a chance! ¡°You won¡¯ty eyes on the kids until everything is settled!¡± Joanna felt anger welling up inside her upon hearing this, and she asked indignantly, ¡°On what basis?¡± Tve been granted custody of the children!¡± ¡°Even if you have custody, I still have the right to see my children! I¡¯m entitled to visit them two days a month!¡± Bruce pursed his lips and retorted, ¡°You¡¯ll only see them if I allow it. If I refuse, you have no right to see them!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes zed with fury as she clenched her teeth and challenged, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Not much, really¡­ Just to witness your downfall!¡± Bruce said with a gloomy tone, a wicked gleam appearing in the corner of his eyes. With a deep¨Cseated hatred burning in his heart, he had no intention of showing kindness! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. If his intense animosity couldn¡¯t be extinguished, he would never forgive her. Joanna¡¯s confidence wavered, well aware of Bruce¡¯ssting resentment. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry about Margaret! ¡°I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me¡­¡± After Joanna finished speaking, frustration overwhelmed him, and she rubbed her temples in annoyance! ¡°Forgive you? You must be dreaming!¡± Joanna took a deep breath, realizing that trying to reason with him would be futile. It would be best not to get entangled. with him for now. ¡°Pull over and let me out she said to the driver. The driver seemed topletely ignore her, showing no intention of stopping the car. Bruce remained silent, and the driver didn¡¯t dare to stop without hismand. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, let me out of this damn car!¡± Bruce showed no reaction, and the driver continued driving. Witnessing this, Joanna clenched her teeth and made a bold move to open the car door! Bruce was taken aback, quickly grabbed her arm, and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± you won¡¯t let me out, I¡¯ll jump out myself!¡± Bruce furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Joanna, you still have an inted sense of self, always provoking my anger like this!¡± ¡°No more empty talk. I want to get out of this car!¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze was sharp and determined. Bruce met her gaze and couldn¡¯t help but feel a flicker ofpromise in his heart. ¡°Kody, stop the car!¡± hemanded. The driver promptly pulled over and brought the car to a halt. Joanna picked up her bag, popped open the car door, and stepped out onto the sidewalk. ¡°Damn!¡± Bruce cursed, mming his seat in frustration! As for Joanna, he really didn¡¯t know how to handle her. He hated her, infuriated by her, and held her ountable! But when he caught a glimpse of the pain in her eyes, his heart couldn¡¯t help but ache. Joanna hailed a taxi and headed home. Before she could even step foot inside, her phone buzzed with an iing call. Joanna swiped to answer, seeing Michael¡¯s name on the screen. ¡°Hey, Michael!¡± Excitement filled Michael¡¯s voice from the other end. ¡°Miss Haynes! I¡¯ve got good news, great news!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve cleared our entire inventory!¡± ¡°Really? That fast?¡± Joanna was surprised! Lately, she had been preupied with thewsuit, so she entrusted the Mossbourne factory matters to Michael. ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother Trumpet is still amazing! He sold out the entire stock in just two live broadcasts! ¡°But now, there¡¯s a new issue, and I have to rush with the deliveries! ¡°I¡¯ll probably be busy for a few more days!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fantastic. Once we clear the inventory, everything will be smooth sailing¡± Joanna smiled. After ending the call, hope rekindled within her. It seemed that the emerce industry still held immense potential! She had to seize the opportunity and delve deeper into the world of onlinemerce. Beep, beep, beep! The phone rang again. Joanna nced at the screen. It was an international call! Without a doubt, she knew it was Jaydon. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± Joann, how are you doing now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! ¡°Jay, I have good news for you. We¡¯ve sold off all the inventory at the factory!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! I realized that the emerce industry is booming right now. We should pay more attention to this field!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back tomorrow!¡± Jaydon told her. ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jaydon replied. His father had managed to delete all the online posts about Jaydon¡¯s scandals. In just a month, there were hardly any scandals about Jaydon floating around the inte! It was all thanks to his influential father! SEND GIFT Chapter 218 Chapter 218 ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to retch. Even though it was a faint sound, Jaydon still heard it on the other end of the phone. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine!¡± Joanna swallowed hard, fighting back the nausea in her stomach. She didn¡¯t want Jaydon to know she was pregnant again, nor did she want him to worry any further! Jaydon pondered for a moment and asked with a touch of concern, ¡°Are you really okay? ¡°Joann, no matter what happens, don¡¯t hide it from me!¡± ¡°Alright, I got it!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head back to Greyport tomorrow. Should be there around eight in the evening!¡± said Jaydon. ¡°Sure, want me to pick you up?¡± Jaydon asked worriedly, ¡°Is that convenient for you?¡± ¡°No worries! It¡¯s totally fine.¡± Joanna feignedposure. ¡°Alright then! See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay, see you!¡± Joanna quietly ended the call. After hanging up, Joanna curled up on the sofa, frustration gnawing at her as she rubbed her stomach! Miranda walked over with a ss of milk. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s the matter? You look so pale!¡± Joanna let out a sigh. I¡¯m alright!¡± Miranda looked at Joanna with empathy. ¡°Have some milk! Look at you, how much weight have you lost? ¡°It breaks my heart!¡± she added, handing the milk to Joanna. Davian and Irvin were sent away. Lilia was also away. Miranda, Kelly, and Tracy fell into a hushed silence. Joanna was already feeling queasy, and even the slightest taste triggered her sickness. The smell of milk made her vomit. uncontrobly. ¡°Ugh¡­ Joanna retched and hurriedly rushed to the bathroom! Witnessing this, Miranda was even more shocked. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s going on?¡± Joanna retched in the bathroom for a while before finally managing to stop herself from vomiting. Having experienced it before, Miranda guessed she was pregnant. ¡°Joann¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re pregnant again?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t respond, but her expression grew even more despondent. ¡°Quick, go back to your room and lie down! You need to be extra careful during the first trimester. I¡¯ll cut up some fresh fruits for you¡­ Joanna listened and grabbed Miranda¡¯s arm. ¡°Miranda, you don¡¯t have to worry about me! ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit tired. I¡¯m going to take a nap!¡± With that, Joanna turned around and made her way to the room. Joannay in bed, her heart tangled like a jumbled knot. Since giving birth to triplets, the thought of having another child had never crossed her mind. At this point in her life, she simply didn¡¯t have the energy to care for and raise another baby. After much contemtion, she came to the realization that she couldn¡¯t keep this child. Throughout her pregnancy, she had taken numerous medications, including a hefty dose of antidepressants every day. It posed a significant risk to the fetus, and even if she went ahead with the birth, most of the babies would be born unhealthy. Moreover, her rtionship with Bruce had be severely strained. If she insisted on having this child, Bruce would surely believe she was manipting him through the baby. Joanna let out a deep sigh, burying her head under the nket. ¡°Baby, it¡¯s not that Mommy doesn¡¯t want you! Mommy simply doesn¡¯t have the ability to care for you right now. The medications I¡¯ve taken would greatly affect your well¨Cbeing! ¡°It¡¯s better to end your life early than to subject you to a life of hardship!¡± Joanna whispered to her belly. Uncontroble tears streamed down her face. She had made up her mind to terminate the pregnancy as soon as possible. Nightfall engulfed the Everett mansion. Brucey restlessly in bed, unable to sleep. He chain¨Csmoked two packs of cigarettes throughout the night. Joanna was pregnant again. He couldn¡¯t discern whether it was intentional or not. It was too soon after his grandmother¡¯s passing to feel any sense of joy. Could he forgive her so easily? ¡°Joanna, you must be doing this on purpose! Adding insult to injury! Do you think I¡¯ll forgive you just because you¡¯re pregnant? ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to give birth¡­¡± Bruce felt an overwhelming sense of agitation. He suspected that Joanna would go to great lengths to give birth to this child, just as she had quietly delivered three children four years ago. After all, he had taken custody of their three children. She would undoubtedly use another child as a means to threaten and control him, making him miserable and frustrated. She was a calcting woman who wouldn¡¯t miss such a golden opportunity. Bruce pondered and imagined Joanna using the child as leverage against him. The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he became. He wished he could find Joanna immediately andpel her to have an abortion. The next day, Joanna rose with the early morning sun. ¡°Morning, Joanna!¡± Tracy greeted, already serving breakfast. Joanna replied with indifference. ¡°Yeah, good morning.¡°¡± Without taking a bite of her breakfast, Joanna snatched her bag and car keys, making her way out the door. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t you want breakfast?¡± Tracy asked. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my appetite. You guys go ahead!¡± Joanna responded, stepping outside. Joanna hopped into her car and immediately dialed Cora¡¯s number. ¡°Hey, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Cora, get ready ande with me to Porash!¡± ¡°Alright, sure!¡± ¡°Wait for me downstairs. I¡¯ll be there in 20 minutes!¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Got it. Miss Haynes!¡± Ending the call, Joanna sped off to thepany. Twenty minutester, Joanna picked up Cora and raced toward Customs. ¡°Do we need any documents?¡± Cora inquired. ¡°No need!¡± ¡°Are we going to Greene Town then?¡± ¡°Not quite!¡± Cora stared at Joanna in shock. ¡°Then why the rush to Porash?¡± Joanna let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re headed to the hospital!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, why are we going to the hospital?¡± Cora grew even more perplexed. Joanna spoke coldly as she drove, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant!¡± ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Cora eximed, casting an incredulous nce at Joanna¡¯s stomach. ¡°Is it¡­ Mr. Everett¡¯s?¡± she cautiously asked. Joanna remained silent, gripping the steering wheel with an indifferent gaze fixed straight ahead. Cora took a deep breath, hesitating to probe further. ¡°Are we going for a checkup? Why not go to Greyport¡¯s hospital? It¡¯s more reputable than that in Porash¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going for a checkup. I¡¯m going to terminate the pregnancy!¡± Joanna said coldly, without a hint of sadness or hesitation. It was as if she were discussing someone else¡¯s affairs. Cora was left speechless. ¡°What? Terminate the pregnancy?¡± ¡°Yes! I need someone to apany me, and after thinking it through, you¡¯re the most suitable!¡± She had initially nned to bring Miranda or Kelly, but they couldn¡¯t drive! After the procedure, she wouldn¡¯t be able to drive either, leaving Cora as the only option for her apany. Cora couldn¡¯t help but gasp and asked, ¡°Miss Haynes, is the child in your belly Mr. Everett¡¯s?¡± Joanna let out a long sigh.. Although she didn¡¯t give a direct answer, her expression revealed the truth! ¡°Miss Haynes, if the child belongs to Mr. Everett, have you discussed it with him before deciding to terminate the pregnancy? ¡°Did he agree to the termination?¡± Joanna sneered. She knew Bruce so well! He likely had sinister thoughts about her. He would probably assume she was up to her scheming ways again! In his eyes, she was nothing but a cunning woman! ¡°I have the right to make my own decisions. I don¡¯t need to consult anyone else! ¡°Besides, I already have Davian, Irvin, and Lilia. I don¡¯t want any more children in this lifetime!, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve been taking too much medication during pregnancy, which is harmful to the fetus. It¡¯s better to proceed. with the termination sooner!¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Cora didn¡¯t dare say anything more. Abortion was prohibited by Greyport¡¯sws! If Joanna wanted one, she could only go to the hospital in Mossbourne! Bruce Everett had pondered all night. The more he thought, the angrier he became. He arrived early at the Haynes Group to find Joanna Haynes! This damn woman wanted to bear his child as a means of threatening him! No way! ¡°Where is Joanna?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes hasn¡¯te to the office today!¡± Bruce frowned, growing even angrier upon hearing this! It seemed his suspicions were correct! She had just gotten pregnant, and she couldn¡¯t wait to solidify the pregnancy! ¡°Why didn¡¯t shee?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Bruce took a deep breath as he dialed Joanna. Beep beep¡­ On the other end of the line, a deep busy tone yed. It was the sound of an international call being answered! It was clear that Joanna must have gone to Mossbourne. SEND GIFT Chapter 219 Chapter 219 This damn woman, why the hell is she still going to Mossbourne while she¡¯s pregnant?¡± Bruce cursed furiously, his face contorted with displeasure. The phone continued to ring, but Joanna adamantly refused to answer. Meanwhile, Joanna was already undergoing a checkup. All the tests met the surgical standards, and she was already lining up for the procedure. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce made three consecutive calls, yet Joanna remained unresponsive. ¡°Why the hell isn¡¯t she picking up her damn phone?¡± Luna carefully observed Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, Cora apanied Miss Haynes to Mossbourne! ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, you can call Cora!¡± Upon hearing this. Bruce furrowed his brow, his handsome face contorted with anger. Unable to reach Joanna, he dialed Cora¡¯s number instead. Beep, beep, beep! Cora was waiting in the lounge when she heard the phone ring. She swiftly took out her phone. Noticing that it was a call from Mr. Everett, Cora wasted no time and promptly answered. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± On the other end of the line, Bruce¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Cora, are you with Joanna?¡± ¡°Well, yes!¡± ¡°What is she doing? Why the hell isn¡¯t she answering her phone?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone oozed aggression. Taken aback. Cora stammered, ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­¡± ¡°Tell me now!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is in the hospital!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯tprehend the situation. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What is she doing in the hospital?¡± ¡°She¡¯s preparing for a procedure!¡± Cora couldn¡¯t conceal anything and had to speak the truth. ¡°What kind of procedure?¡± ¡°An abortion!¡± Bruce listened to the news and couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°What did you say? Say it again!¡± ¡°She is nning to have an abortion!¡± This time, Bruce heard it loud and clear. Upon hearing this news, he was consumed with anger. That woman had the audacity! For such a significant matter, she went ahead and underwent the procedure without even discussing it with him. Regardless of whether she wanted this child or not, he was still the father! She should have consulted with him before making a decision. Even if she truly didn¡¯t want this child, she should have sought his consent. But now, Joanna was going to terminate his child without even considering him. ¡°Has the procedure been done yet?¡± ¡°Not yet, she¡¯s still waiting! But she¡¯ll be up next!¡± Upon hearing this. Bruce furrowed his brow, took a deep breath, and angrily said. ¡°Stop her immediately! ¡°No matter what, you cannot allow her to proceed. I¡¯lle right away!¡± ¡°Okay, understood!¡± ¡°Send me the address!¡± ¡°Sure, got it!¡± Cora nodded obediently and quickly sent the address to Bruce. After hanging up the phone, Bruce was seething with fury. ¡°Joanna Haynes, you damn woman, you¡¯re really pushing me over the edge! How dare you!¡± Bruce wasted no time. After leaving the Haynes Group, he immediately drove to Porash. In the hospital, Joanna had alreadypleted all the examinations. There were several people at the maternity and child health center, and she was third in line. Soon, the previous procedure waspleted. The nurse came out and called, ¡°Next, Joanna Haynes!¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna stood up and prepared to enter the operating room. Cora rushed in from the waiting area and, seeing Joanna about to enter the operating room, promptly stopped her. ¡°Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Joanna asked. Cora caught her breath and looked concerned, stuttering, ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡± ¡°No need to think twice!¡± Joanna checked her watch. It was already half past ten! By having the procedure done carly, she could rest afterward! In the evening, she still had to go pick up Jaydon. She had checked online and found that the earlier the fetus underwent the procedure, the quicker the recovery would be! Moreover, some people even went back to work in the afternoon after having the procedure done on the same day! She no longer had the luxury of being delicate and indecisive. She had to tough it out. Cora anxiously scratched her ears. ¡°No, no. This is a human life. You really need to think it through!¡± Joanna nced at Cora with indifference. ¡°No need to think about it! ¡°Thepany is in chaos right now. I can¡¯t afford to be distracted! I know what I¡¯m doing. There¡¯s no need for further persuasion!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the nurse shouted impatiently again, ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna Haynes?¡± ¡°Right here,ing!¡± Joanna promptly replied. ¡°No, Miss Haynes, please reconsider!¡± Cora blocked her path. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you. Cora?¡± Cora urgently expressed, ¡°I just feel that regardless of anything, a child¡¯s life is at stake. We have to consider it carefully! ¡°And it¡¯s probably best¡­ to discuss it with Mr. Everett. After all, he¡¯s the child¡¯s father!¡± Joanna¡¯s face fell upon hearing this. ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss with him? He probably can¡¯t wait to get rid of this child!¡± With, that, she headed towards the operating theater. ¡°Miss Haynes. I implore you to think again!¡± Cora saw that persuading Joanna was futile, so she tightly grasped her sleeve. Cora had been instructed by Mr. Everett to stop Joanna. How could she dare to disobey! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¨CI¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll regret itter!¡± Impatience crept onto Joanna¡¯s beautiful face as she furrowed her brow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t regret it!¡± ¡°Think it through! You can do it another day!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Joanna¡¯s expression turned frigid. She had never been angry with Cora before, but today, Cora¡¯s actions inexplicably frustrated her. Not daring to persuade Joanna any further, Cora cautiously spoke, ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Everett just called!¡± Joanna was dazed. ¡°Mr. Everett said that no matter what, I have to stop you!¡± Upon hearing Coco¡¯s words, Joanna walked towards the operating room without any dy! ¡°Cora, don¡¯t get involved! This is my own decision. No one can stop me!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± Cora appeared helpless and anxious. She was just an employee! How could she dare to interfere in the directors¡® affairs? Joanna shook off Cora¡¯s grip and resolutely walked toward the operating room. She would not bring this child into the world! Regardless of whether Bruce agreed or not, she had to terminate this pregnancy! Joanna walked into the operating room, clutching the medical file tightly in her hands. The nurse reached out and took the file. ¡°Give me the medical record! ¡°Are you Joanna Haynes?¡± That¡¯s right, Joanna confirmed. Take off your pants and lie down on the operating table,¡± the nurse instructed. ¡°Okay,¡± Joannaplied. With slowness, Joanna removed her pants and obediently positioned herself on the operating table. Meanwhile, the doctor prepared for the procedure while the nurse readied the anesthesia. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The operating room was chilly, intensifying Joanna¡¯s unease as shey on the table. ¡°Doctor, how long will this surgery take?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°It¡¯ll be quick, less than half an hour,¡± the doctor reassured her. ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna acknowledged. As the nurse prepared the anesthesia, the doctor began disinfecting with iodine. But suddenly, just as the surgery was about to begin, chaos erupted, shattering the silence of the operating room. ¡°Make way! Clear the path!¡± An urgent voice shouted. ¡°This is the operating room! You can¡¯te in! Wait outside!¡± the nursemanded. ¡°Move aside!¡± the voice insisted. ¡°Someone, call the police! There¡¯s trouble!¡± someone eximed. A group of imposing bodyguards forcefully pushed their way forward, shoving the nurse aside. In a forceful motion, the doors of the operating room swung open. Several strong and intimidating men stormed in, creating an ominous atmosphere. The doctors and nurses, frightened by the intrusion, quickly retreated to the sides. Bruce entered with a cold expression, radiating anger. Joanna was shocked to see Bruce. In a panic, she covered her body and eximed, ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± ¡°Joanna, what are you up to?¡± Bruce¡¯s face contorted with rage, his eyes piercing like a predator. ¡°Bruce, my actions have nothing to do with you!¡± Joanna retorted, her voice filled with defiance. ¡°Get down!¡± Bruce lunged toward the operating table, forcefully lifting Joanna off it. ¡°What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?¡± Joanna protested. ¡°Do you dare to secretly try to abort my child?¡± Bruce used. ¡°Who gave you the right? Who agreed?¡± Joanna seethed with anger, locking eyes with Bruce, tears welling up. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve already told you that the child has nothing. to do with you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Bruce snapped back. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Let go!¡± Joanna struggled against his grip. ¡°Come back with me! This is my child, and without my consent, you won¡¯t be able to take my child¡¯s life!¡± Bruce dered firmly. SEND GIFT Chapter 220 Chapter 220 ¡°Come back with me¡­¡± Bruce forcibly carried her off the operating table and walked out. Joanna¡¯s face was filled with panic. She struggled with all her might in his arms. ¡°Let go of me, Bruce. Can you not be so domineering?¡± Bruce ignored her resistance, dismissing it entirely! His grip tightened around her like a pair of steel pincers, rendering her powerless to struggle. In the hospital corridor, a few security guards approached, brandishing batons. The nurse pointed at Bruce, her voice trembling with horror. ¡°Someone¡¯s causing trouble. It¡¯s them!¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing? Who the hell are you?¡± The security captain pointed his baton at Bruce, his posture exuding authority. Bruce paid no heed to his outburst and continued walking straight toward him. Bruce possessed an inherent aura of power. It was evident that he was someone not to be provoked! The security captain didn¡¯t dare to impede him. He quickly stepped aside, making way for him. Andy and Kody calmly dealt with the situation. ¡°It¡¯s just a misunderstanding! ¡°We¡¯re just looking for someone!¡± Observing the numerous bodyguards apanying the group and the absence of any casualties, the security captain didn¡¯t dare to intervene. He didn¡¯t dare to obstruct them at all, allowing the group to leave. Bruce carried Joanna and confidently strode out of the hospital, capturing everyone¡¯s attention! ¡°Oh my god, why does that person bear such a striking resemnce to Bruce Everett, the wealthiest man in Greyport?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Why would hee to Mossbourne Hospital?¡± ¡°But he really looks like Bruce Everett!¡± Porash¡¯s proximity to Greyport meant its residents were naturally familiar with Bruce. Even the nurses and patients chased after them, eager to witness themotion. At the hospital entrance, Bruce forcefully pushed Joanna into the passenger seat. Without waiting for the driver and bodyguards to catch up, he took the wheel himself. Vroom! He pressed down on the elerator. The powerful engine roared like a ferocious beast, propelling them forward. ¡°Bruce, are you out of your mind¡± Joanna dreaded being in Bronce¡¯s car Despite wearing a seatbelt, she hastily grasped the car¡¯s overhead exfery handler Bruce, that jerk, had a severe case of road rage! When he was in a bad mood, the chances of getting into a car ident soared ¡°Bruce, this is Mossbourne You have to follow the traffic rides Upon hearing this. Bruce forcefully mmed the steering wheel Joanna, am I supposed to care about courtesy The sports car was speeding too fast. Even a slight 0.5 mm deviation of the steering wheel could cause it to overte out of the With Bruce¡¯s abrupt movement, the car¡¯s left front wheel momentarily lifted off the ground, narrowly avoiding tipping over Bruce suddenly swerved to the right again. The car jerked like a tossed toy car, veering left and right before stabilizing Joanna screamed in fear, her face turning pale in an instant Bruce had a bad temper. Joanna did not dare to anger him anymore and her tone softened. T already said that this child has nothing to do with you¡± Bruce drove his face contorted in an indescribable expression Last night, he scorned the child growing within Joanna, and today he had intended to pressure her to have an abortion? But when he discovered that Joanna had already gone to the hospital for the procedure before him, he suddenly felt remiorset Afterward, anger consumed him entirely. ¡°What do you want?¡± Joanna asked. Bruce remained silent as the car sped up! Joanna no longer dared to use him, she could only suppress her anger tightly! Bruce had an explosive temper, and she couldn¡¯t evene close to matching his outbursts. One hourter. Bruce drove back to Greyport and took joanna directly to Reagan No 8 Residence The car came to a stop on thewn, and Bruce forcibly pulled Joanitia out of the car The bodyguard swiftly approached and parked the car in the garage ¡°Bruce, what on earth are you nning to do?¡± Joanna asked Bruce didn¡¯t uiter a word as he carried her into the house Then, he led her to a room and ced her on the bed ¡°Joanna, you can¡¯t leave here until I¡¯ve made up my he dered Joanna¡¯s eyes filled with immense shock, and she impulsively leaped off the bed, eximing, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you trying to imprison me?¡± ¡°Do as you wish!¡± Bruce said as he turned and walked out of the room. Joanna desperately tried to follow him, but it was already toote. Bang! Bruce forcefully closed the door and locked it with the key. Outside the room, several maids stood obediently, ready to receive instructions. ¡°Keep a close watch on her and make sure she doesn¡¯t leave the room!¡± Bruce ordered. ¡°Yes!¡± the maids respectfully responded. ¡°Also, ensure her safety and prevent any risky behavior! She¡¯s pregnant now, and nothing should harm the baby!¡± he added. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± After giving his instructions, Bruce disregarded Joanna¡¯s shouts from inside the room and left. Outside the vi, over ten bodyguards and more than twenty servants wore solemn expressions. Initially, there were only seven or eight servants, but Bruce wanted Joanna to move in, so more than ten maids were sent here a month ago. Inside the room, Joanna continued to pound frantically on the door. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re insane! You can¡¯t do this to me. It¡¯s an illegal detention, and I¡¯ll sue you!¡± Joanna¡¯s phone had also been taken away, and she was locked inside the vi with no means of This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. contacting the outside world. On thewn, Bruce chain¨Csmoked. He regretted iphow; he was determined to make Joanna carry this child to term. Only he could decide whether to keep his child or not. He grew increasingly impatient with this woman who had secretly wanted to terminate their child! ¡°Bruce, let me out! Let me out!¡± Joanna shouted. Ms. Chain, who stood by the door, advised her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please calm down. It¡¯s not good for the baby if you get so agitated.¡± ¡°Just let me out!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, without Mr. Everett¡¯s instructions, we can¡¯t let you out. Please stay calm!¡± the maid insisted. Joanna found herself trapped, a captive in her own circumstances. It was as if she stood at death¡¯s doorstep, feeling desperate. She pounded on the door, shouting, ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce? Tell him toe here! I need to see him!¡± ¡°Madam, if Mr. Everett wants to see you, he¡¯lle on his own, the servant insisted. The constant use of ¡°Madam¡± only added to Joanna¡¯s irritation, fueling her frustration. She detested being addressed that way. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Madam. I have nothing to do with Bruce. We¡¯re divorced!¡± ¡°Please, calm down, Madam! Mr. Everett has already left. Your shouts won¡¯t change anything¡­¡± No matter how much Joanna yelled and cursed, the servants didn¡¯t dare to release her! Ms. Chain and Nancy had been maids at the vi even before Joanna and Bruce divorced. Now that Joanna had returned, they secretly hoped for a reconciliation between her and Bruce. At 8 pm. Jaydon¡¯s ne hadnded! Beep beep beep! As soon as Jaydon disembarked, he immediately dialed Joanna¡¯s number! They had agreed on the phone that Joanna woulde and pick them up! However, upon leaving the airport, he couldn¡¯t find Joanna anywhere! He tried calling multiple times, but the calls wouldn¡¯t go through! [Joann, where are you now?] [What happened? Why aren¡¯t you answering my calls?] [What¡¯s going on? Call me back!] Jaydon bombarded Joanna with more than a dozen messages, but she remained unresponsive. Jaydon¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Joanna would never ignore his calls like this! There was only one possibility: something must have happened to her! Jaydon couldn¡¯t help but panic and quickly dialed Coco¡¯s number! ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm¡­¡± ¡°Cora, where¡¯s Joanna? Do you know where she went? I¡¯ve been calling, but she hasn¡¯t answered.¡± Cora sighed helplessly. ¡°Mr. Grimm, she was taken away by Mr. Everett! ¡°I don¡¯t know where he took her. Searching won¡¯t do any good!¡± Jaydon felt devastated upon hearing the news! Bruce Everett again! He knew something had gone terribly wrong with Joanna! Unbelievably, Bruce refused to let her go! ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t worry too much. Perhaps she¡¯ll answer tomorrow!¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Jaydon furrowed his brow, let out a sigh, and ended the call. He had already witnessed Bruce¡¯s true nature! If Bruce had taken Joanna, looking for her would be futile for some time. SEND GIFT Chapter 221 Chapter 221 At 8:30 PM, the door swung open! A group of maids entered, carrying trays of different sizes. The trays were filled with a feast fit for a king! Ms. Chain maintained a gentle and respectful expression. ¡°Madam, this is the nutritious meal instructed by Mr. Everett to prepare for you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡± Joanna seethed with anger and had no appetite. ¡°Madam, you haven¡¯t had lunch! Skipping dinner won¡¯t do any good! ¡°You¡¯re just one person, but you have to take care of the nourishment for two!¡± ¡°All of you, get out! Give me some time alone!¡± The six maids took a step back, their eyes fixed on her as if she were a criminal! Joanna was fuming with rage! Bruce had dared to restrict her personal freedom! ¡°Ms. Chain, I beg you, let me go! I can¡¯t stay here¡­¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡± Ms. Chain looked helpless. Besides using gentle persuasion, she had no authority to make decisions. ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t worry! * ¡°Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t want you to leave. It¡¯s for your own well¨Cbeing! Before he left, he instructed us to serve you with utmost dedication! ¡°From this, it¡¯s evident that he truly cares about you! Madam, please listen!¡± Joanna parted her lips, ready to retort. But after a moment¡¯s thought, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything to them! They were just following orders. How could they dare to act on their own? Pleading with them was pointless! ¡°I¡¯m not eating. I have no appetite!¡± Joanna meekly returned to bed. She hadn¡¯t eaten a morsel all day. Perhaps it was due to morning sickness, but she didn¡¯t feel hungry. In the blink of an eye, two days had passed. Joanna had been confined for a full forty¨Ceight hours! Throughout these two days, the maids had kept a constant watch on her, 24 hours a day. If she did anything to harm herself, the maids would intervene immediately! Even as she slept, the maids remained close by, vignt in their watch! This relentless surveince took a toll on Joanna¡¯s mental state! She was already battling depression and had to take antidepressants every day! Now, after two days without medication, her condition worsened. Unfortunately, these maids were like mindless machines. No matter what she said, they refused to listen! After two days. Joanna lost a considerable amount of weight and became even more agitated. Ms. Chain witnessed the scene unfold and couldn¡¯t afford any further dys. She swiftly dialed Bruce¡¯s number to give him. an update. ¡°Mr. Everett, you need toe back right away!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Madam hasn¡¯t eaten or drunk anything in the past two days! No matter how hard we try to persuade her, she refuses to listen! ¡°And her mental state is extremely unstable! Last night, she was banging on the walls in the bathroom¡­¡± Hearing this, Bruce¡¯s anger surged, and his frustration grew. How did he fail to notice Joanna¡¯s stubborn and sharp personality all this time? ¡°Alright, I understand!¡± After ending the call, Bruce wasted no time and hurried over. ¡°How is Joanna doing?¡± ¡°Madam¡¯s mood is very poor, sir. You should consider having a doctor examine her!¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce went straight upstairs. As he entered the room, the door creaked as Bruce quietly made his way in. Joanna had been restless for the past two days, barely getting any sleep. Finally, exhaustion took its toll, and she fell asleep. on the bed. At that moment, she resembled a sick cat, curled up into a small ball, lying on her side. Bruce sat by the bed, observing her. Her back was arched, and she appeared frail. As Bruce continued to watch, he absentmindedly entered a trance. It had been a while since he had taken such a close look at her. It had been a while since he had taken such a close look at her. Bruce couldn¡¯t resist reaching out and gently brushing away the disheveled hair from her cheek. Startled, Joanna slowly opened her beautiful yet weary eyes. Chapter ¡®Bruce¡­ Realizing that Bruce had arrived, she abruptly sat up, as if infused with newfound energy. ¡°Bruce, you jerk! Who gave you the right to confine me like this?¡± Joanna was on the verge of losing her sanity. She struck out at Bruce and berated him, tears uncontrobly streaming down her face. Being confined had shattered her emotional stability. Bruce stood his ground, allowing her to strike and curse at him. After a while, when her emotions subsided slightly, he calmly said, ¡°Have the child. Once you¡¯ve given birth, I¡¯ll let you leave.¡± Gritting her teeth, Joanna red at Bruce. ¡°Are you out of your mind? We¡¯re already divorced. Why should I give birth to this child for you? ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t given birth before!¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna seethed with anger. How could it be the same? When she gave birth to her first child, she lost all hope and felt utterly alone in the world. And now, burdened with various troubles, she had no desire to endure another pregnancy, especially since Roxanne Haynes was also pregnant. If she and Roxanne gave birth to their children consecutively, the entertainment reporters in Greyport would undoubtedly create amotion. Who knew what kind of storm it would unleash? ¡°Do the right thing and have the child.¡± ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s impossible, I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Joanna weakly refused. Ignoring her, Bruce walked directly to the table and said, ¡°Come and eat!¡°. ¡°I ain¡¯t eating, I won¡¯t touch my food! ¡°If you won¡¯t let me leave, I¡¯ll starve to death right here!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Bruce Everett didn¡¯t utter another word. He simply grabbed his phone and sent a message. A momentter, the door swung open once again! ¡°Mommy¡­ Davian and Irvin hurriedly entered from outside the door. The servants also ushered in Lilia! Upon hearing this, Joanna¡¯s heart trembled, and she swiftly turned around! Davian, Irvin, Lilia!¡± Joanna struggled to run toward her children! She hadn¡¯t seen them for nearly a month! ¡°Mommy, we miss you so much!¡± ¡°Mommy misses you too! Mommy misses you too!¡± Joanna tightly embraced her three children and couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears! The pain she felt was akin to having her flesh sliced! ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t you want us anymore?¡± ¡°How could that be? Mommy will always love you, my darlings¡­¡± As Joanna spoke, tears streamed down uncontrobly. Her throat choked, rendering her unable to utter a word! These were her three children. They were the most precious beings to her! Even with her current pregnancy, they meant more to her than anything, even more than Davian and the others. ¡°Mommy, please don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t cry anymore. Davian tenderly reached out his warm hand and wiped away her tears! Lilia couldn¡¯t hold back her tears either. ¡°Mommy, did you have a fight with Daddy again?¡± ¡°Can you guys stop arguing?¡± Bruce listened, and his heart ached even more! ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t fight with Mommy, okay?¡± ¡°Be good, Lilia. Daddy and Mommy didn¡¯t have a fight! ¡°Daddy and Mommy are just¡­ ying games!¡± Bruce lied through his teeth! However, the lie was so terrible that the children couldn¡¯t believe it!. ¡°Mommy, we want to be with you. We don¡¯t want to be with this mean person anymore!¡± Bruce¡¯s face fell. Upon seeing that, Davian burst into tears and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else! ¡°Alright, Mommy is tired. You guys should go back!¡± ¡°Bruce, I beg you, let me be with the children! ¡°Don¡¯t take the children away from me again. You can¡¯t be so heartless!¡± ¡°So, you can just cruelly terminate your pregnancy?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Bruce Everett implore you, don¡¯t do this! What do I have to do for you to let me go?¡± ¡°I told you to behave and have the baby.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force me like this. I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t force me like this!¡± ¡°Take the children away!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Kids, we¡¯re going back!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to go back. We want to be with Mommy! ¡°Mommy, we want to be with you!¡± ¡°Bruce, you were always so heartless! Can¡¯t you let me stay with the children a little longer?¡± ¡°As long as you behave, I¡¯ll let you see the children again! If you don¡¯t listen to me, you¡¯ll get hurt before you see them!¡± ¡°Bring the children up.¡± Bruce instructed the servant. ¡°Yes!¡± A few servants stepped forward and forcefully carried Davian and Irvin away. Lilia was also pushed aside! Joanna was powerless to protect her child. All she could do was watch as her children were taken away! ¡°Bruce Everett, I hate you. Why are you doing this to me? How could you?¡± ¡°Dry your tears ande over to eat! Quick!¡± Brucemanded. ¡°I can¡¯t eat¡­¡± ¡°You have to eat! ¡°If you¡¯re obedient, I¡¯ll get the children toe and see you tomorrow! If you still defy me, I¡¯ll send the children overseas tomorrow!¡± SEND GIFT COMMENT Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Joanna listened, her eyes turning red as she stared at Bruce with resentment and anger. Bruce sensed her anger but remained unaffected. He raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze calm yet provoking. If she wanted to challenge him, he had plenty of ways to put her in her ce. *I¡¯ll count to 3. You should be right over for dinner! ¡°You know, I always keep my word!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes, and tears welled up instantly. She had intended to stand her ground against him, but the moment she saw the children, she crumbled instantly. This damn jerk always knew how to exploit her vulnerabilities. Receiving no response from Joanna, Bruce began counting, ¡°One¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tightened, and she stared sharply at Bruce, filled with intensity. ¡°Two¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s tone grew more serious. ¡°Three¡­¡± Bruce finished counting and stood up, heading towards the door. Seeing this, Joanna didn¡¯t dare to argue further. She suppressed her anger and reluctantly walked toward the dining table. Her hair was disheveled, and her figure had be so thin, she was like a bag of bones. Even the smallest¨Csized clothes hung loosely on her. On the table, there was an assortment of nutritious dishes. Milk, sea cucumbers, codfish, and more, were all carefully prepared by top nutritionists. However, despite her two¨Cday hunger, Joanna had no appetite. Joanna sat down at the table, feeling numb. Bruce sat across from her, his demeanor cold, as if interrogating a suspect, his gaze fixed on her. Though his face remained expressionless, his heart felt like it was being pricked by a needle. Back when he first met Joanna, although she was slim back then, she wasn¡¯t as emaciated as she was now. At that time, she was radiant and healthy, her eyes bright and clear, always apanied by a gentle smile. She was like a sunflower blooming under the sun, leaving an evesting impression. But now, although still beautiful, she emitted a sense of sickness and destion. Especially how thin she had be! Her limbs were so delicate that they seemed like they could snap with the slightest touch. ¡°Drink this milk!¡± Bruce pushed a bowl of milk toward her. Joanna, like a young student, slowly picked up the spoon and took a sip. The milk was smooth and had an excellent texture when consumed. Unfortunately, she was experiencing severe morning sickness now. Combined with her depression, her digestive system no longer weed any disappointments. Joanna managed to take only one bite before feeling nauseous and retching. Having eaten nothing for the past two days, she only vomited stomach acid. Her stomach and esophagus burned. Bruce felt even more distressed witnessing her condition. He quickly came over to pat her back, his brow furrowed, and asked, ¡°How did you end up like this?¡± Joanna remained silent, her eyes empty and bewildered. Ever since her mother¡¯s passing at the tender age of 12, she had ceased to feel any love or warmth in this world. Once taken in by the Haynes family, she strived to blossom, excel, and win her father¡¯s affection, This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. longing for that elusive sense of familial love. Yet, in the end¡­. Their eyes met in silence, burdened by unspoken emotions. Bruce was also overwhelmed with distress, rendered speechless by the weight on his heart. It seemed as if fate itself toyed with them, their rtionship destined to be a tragic tale from the very beginning. Oh, how desperately he yearned to love her, to be loved in return! How he wished to atone for the pain he had caused her in the past! However, her grandmother¡¯s death, a consequence of their association, made forgiveness impossible¨Cfor both him and her. ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore, please, don¡¯t force me.¡± Joanna weakly protested. Angered, Bruce retorted, ¡°You haven¡¯t taken a bite. Are you trying to kill yourself?¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to retch, her stomach¡¯s burning torment causing tears and mucus to cascade down her face as she curled up in agony. Bruce saw that she was in pain and didn¡¯t dare to force her anymore. ¡°Lilian, call the doctor immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Lilian answered obediently. Bruce stirred the milk with a spoon and personally fed it to Joanna¡¯s mouth. ¡°Can you have some more?¡± Joanna vomited even more! She couldn¡¯t even see the milk. The burning sensation in her stomach made her tears and snot flow down her face. Her body arched like a bent shrimp! ¡°Alright, alright, stop eating!¡± Bruce quickly put the spoon back. His heart was clenched! ¡°Lie down, rest,¡± he urged gently, bending down to lift her in his arms. With no strength left to resist, Joanna weakly leaned against his shoulder as Bruce carefullyid her back on the bed, his troubled expression fixed upon her. This vexing woman always managed to bring him sorrow. Was she here to seek revenge? Why else would she pierce his heart so mercilessly? Fifteen minutester, the family doctor rushed over. ¡°Mr. Everett, how are you? Ms. Haynes, are you alright?¡± the doctor greeted them. Bruce furrowed his brow. ¡°She has been experiencing constant sickness and can¡¯t eat anything! Please check if there¡¯s any treatment avable!¡± Bruce watched attentively as the doctor examined Joanna, checking her pulse, listening to her heartbeat, and measuring her blood pressure. ¡°She is suffering from severe malnutrition and intense anemia,¡± the doctor gravely informed him. ¡°And?¡± Bruce raised an eyebrow. The doctor furrowed his brow, his expression serious. ¡°Her health is in such a critical condition that I rmend¡­ terminating the pregnancy!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyebrows shot up in shock. The doctor furrowed his brow and said gravely, ¡°Ms. Haynes¡¯s health is in such a poor state that I suggest¡­ terminating the pregnancy! ¡°If the pregnancy continues, not only will it harm her, but it will also affect the fetus!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any treatment avable?¡± The doctor paused for a few seconds. ¡°If you insist on having this child, Ms. Haynes must urgently replenish her nutrition! ¡°And she must let go of all her work and focus on a healthy pregnancy! Especially during the first three months, it would be best if she stays in the hospital for the sake of the fetus! ¡°Otherwise, as the pregnancy progresses, the risk of miscarriage will increase!¡± Bruce¡¯s thick eyebrows furrowed deeply. His sharp eyes were filled with disappointment! Two days ago, he truly didn¡¯t want this child! But now, the closer he felt to losing it, the more afraid he became! ¡°For now, prescribe folic acid and pregnancy stabilizers. ¡°As for morning sickness, it¡¯s amon pregnancy symptom. It¡¯s best to consume more fresh fruits and avoid medication. It will improve after a while!¡± Bruce took a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°And Ms. Haynes needs to pay attention to resting more. She shouldn¡¯t exert herself anymore. It¡¯s best to stay in bed and take proper rest. Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this! Joanna¡¯s stubbornness made it unlikely for her to put aside everything and focus on a healthy pregnancy, After the doctor left, Bruce contemted for a while and decided to have a calm conversation with Joanna. ¡°Joanna, can we talk calmly?¡± Joanna weakly looked at Bruce! Bruce looked at her with a serious expression. ¡°The doctor just said that you¡¯re severely malnourished! ¡°If you want to save this child, you have to let go of everything and focus on a healthy pregnancy!¡± Joanna remained silent, quietly listening to him. She waspletely weak,cking the energy even to argue with him! Bruce pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything for this year! ¡°Alright, prepare to give birth safely! As for thepany, I¡¯ll leave it to your father for the time being. Don¡¯t worry about it for now!¡± When Joanna heard this, anger surged within her. Bruce was so eager to have her give birth, all because he wanted to regain the chairman position for his father¨Cinw. ¡°Impossible! ¡°I won¡¯t have this child, and I won¡¯t let go of thepany!¡± Since Shaun didn¡¯t acknowledge her as his daughter, she no longer wanted any connection with Shaun. Now that she had lost the child, she couldn¡¯t afford to lose thepany as well. ¡°Look at the state of your body! Do you really want to die? Even if you don¡¯t have a child, you still need to take care of your health!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t help but get angry. He genuinely didn¡¯t want to see her in this condition! He was even more puz?led. Couldn¡¯t she just submit to him, give in to his wishes? She could have anything she wanted, so why did she have to go through all this trouble? ¡°I know my own body. It¡¯s none of your business! ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you, please stop interfering in my personal life!¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re the mother of my child, and I have a responsibility to look after you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even more speechless with anger! Chapter 223 Chapter 223 After a while, Bruce changed the topic once again, his tone bing softer. ¡°Name your conditions! What do I have to do to make you give birth to this child? *I, Bruce, am not the type to shirk responsibility. Since you¡¯re pregnant with my child, I won¡¯t evade the obligations thate with it!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to shoulder the burden!¡± Joanna helplessly responded. He had shattered her life into pieces, but now she didn¡¯t care anymore. Joanna was never one for theatrics. She wouldn¡¯t make a fuss about such matters, let alone cry and beg for responsibility! Bruce¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°No, you can be heartless towards the child, but I can¡¯t!¡± Joanna sneered, anger filling her. ¡°Bruce, you already have enough kids. Why are you so determined to make me have another one? ¡°I¡¯ve already given birth to three children for you. And now Roxanne is pregnant, expecting twins! ¡°You should focus your energy and attention on her!¡± Bruce¡¯s lips twitched, his face growing even grimmer upon hearing this. Though Roxanne was pregnant, he had neverid a hand on her. She got pregnant through dishonest means! It disgusted him to the core! But now Roxanne clung to him like sticky candy, impossible to shake off. He couldn¡¯t get rid of her! ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. She is who she is, and you are who you are! ¡°Don¡¯t mix the two of you up!¡± Joanna stared at Bruce. ¡°Let me think about it!¡± ¡°Alright, let me know when you¡¯ve made up your mind! ¡°But you can¡¯t make a decision that harms the child without consulting me. Take good care of yourself!¡± ¡°I understand! ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Lilian, make sure to serve the freshest fruits every day!¡± ¡°Sure thing, Mr. Everet!¡± For three consecutive days, Bruce came over every day to keep Joannapany! To let her rest, he brought the three children along cach day! They would spend an hour together before sending the children back to the Everett mansion! Even though they could only have an hour together each day, Joanna¡¯s heart found greatfort in it! She had been busy with work and hadn¡¯t been able to spend quality time with her children for a long time. Now, having an hour with them every day made her feel content. Roxanne had been living in Sherane Bay Vi for many days. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. However, Bruce didn¡¯t visit her even once. On this day, Roxanne couldn¡¯t resist the pull of the Everett mansion. The children were under its roof, and she knew Bruce would undoubtedly make an appearance to see them after work. ¡°Ms. Haynes, howdy!¡± one of the servants greeted. ¡°Has Bruce finished work yet?¡± Roxanne inquired. ¡°Yes!¡± the servant replied. ¡°Oh, what about the three kids? I brought ¡®em some toys!¡± Roxanne mentioned. Although deep down, Roxanne harbored a burning desire to throttle Joanna Haynes¡¯s three kids, she had to maintain a facade. The servant responded truthfully, ¡°They were taken away by Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Where did he take them?¡± Roxanne inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± the servant responded. Upon hearing this, Roxanne¡¯s heart sank, and an overwhelming sense of foreboding engulfed her. ¡°Fantine,e over here. I need to ask you something.¡± Roxanne called out to one of the servants. Fantine nced around, ensuring nobody was paying attention, and quietly entered the room with Roxanne. Once inside/Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What has Bruce been up totely?¡± Fantine was the first servant that Roxanne had bribed, and she often discreetly ryed information. ¡°Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t overthink it. Taking care of the pregnancy is more important!¡± Fantine replied. Tell me the truth!¡± Roxanne insisted. Fantine hesitated for a moment and lowered her voice. ¡°Ms. Haynes, I¡¯ve heard some troubling news Roxanne was shocked and quickly asked, ¡°What news?¡± I heard that Ms. Joanna hasn¡¯t been seen at thepany for a few days!¡± ¡°What does her presence at thepany have to do with me?¡± Roxanne questioned. ¡°I heard Mr. Everett took her to Reagan No. 8 Residence!¡± Fantine revealed. ¡°What?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I also heard that she seems to be pregnant. Mr. Everett has hired several servants to attend to her during the Fantine added. pregnancy!¡± The news struck Roxanne like a mighty blow. She had gone to great lengths to separate them, even resorting to the unthinkable act of ending Margaret¡¯s life! And now, they were reunited so soon. ¡± ¡°What did you say? That wicked Joanna is pregnant!¡± Roxanne eximed. ¡°It appears so. I heard it from the servants over there!¡± Fantine confirmed. Roxanne¡¯s face fell with anger. ¡°Joanna Haynes. you damn bitch! You¡¯re unbelievably fortunate! ¡°The heavens smile upon you, bestowing yet another child! ¡°I¡¯ve schemed and toiled relentlessly, only to be left empty¨Chanded!¡± No wonder Bruce had been absent these past few days. He had been with Joanna Haynes! ¡°Joanna Haynes, Bruce Everett, I won¡¯t let you have your way!¡± Consumed by rage, Roxanne stormed out of the Everett mansion, vowing to ensure their path wouldn¡¯t be smooth. As soon as she settled into the car, her phone began to ring. Beep beep beep! Roxanne let out a frustrated sigh as she picked up the call, ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯ve got a lot on your mind and tend to forget things!¡± came the voice on the other end. ¡°You are¡­¡± Roxanne trailed off. ¡°It¡¯s Kensley Leach!¡± replied the caller, Kensley. Upon hearing this, Roxanne held her breath and quickly motioned for the car to stop. She stepped out of the vehicle and headed toward a nearbywn. ¡°Oh, I¨CI know!¡± she eximed, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you know!¡± said Kensley, his voice filled with gloom. ¡°It¡¯s been peaceful for so many days. Miss Roxanne, shouldn¡¯t you keep your promise?¡± Roxanne took a deep breath, attempting to soundposed. ¡°Tell me what you want!¡± ¡°Considering Margaret¡¯s worth, is 200 million dors too much?¡± Kensley asked. *200 million dors?¡± Roxanne waspletely shocked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just rob a bank? Isn¡¯t that excessive?¡± she retorted. ¡°Miss Roxanne, you¡¯re about to be Mrs. Everett! Asking for anything less wouldn¡¯t reflect your noble status,¡± Kensley responded, his tone growing lower. ¡°ording to the Everett family¡¯s wealth, 200 million dors is just a drop in the ocean!¡± Roxanne seethed with anger. ¡°I haven¡¯t married into the family yet!¡± ¡°And even if I do marry into the family, Bruce won¡¯t simply hand me 200 million dors!¡± Then how much can you give?¡± Kensley inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of money at the moment. I can give you a portion first, and the restter. Would that work?¡± Roxanne replied. Kensley paused for a few seconds. ¡°How much can you offer right now?¡± I only have one million dors!¡± Roxanne stated. Kensley sneered in response. ¡°Fine, I was just joking earlier! Give me 20 million dors, and I¡¯ll let this matter gopletely, Kensley said. Roxanne let out a sigh, feeling helpless. ¡°I really can¡¯te up with 20 million right now. ¡°I know that giving you one million dors won¡¯t satisfy you, but I genuinely don¡¯t have that much money at the moment.¡± she exined. ¡°I can transfer one million dors to you first. I promise to give you the rest once I marry into the family!¡± Roxanne reassured. ¡°Then you have to provide me with a written agreement,¡± Kensley demanded. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Trust me, once I marry into the family, I¡¯ll definitely give you the 20 million dors!¡± Roxanne replied. ¡°Alright then! Transfer the one million dors to me first,¡± Kensley agreed. ¡°Sure, tell me your bank ount.¡± After ending the call, Roxanne felt disoriented. Despite being born into a wealthy family, she couldn¡¯te up with 20 million in cash instantly. After pondering for a while, Roxanne decided to call her mother, Ingrid. ¡°Hey, Roxy!¡± Ingrid answered the call. Overwhelmed with emotion, Roxanne couldn¡¯t hold back her tears as she cried, ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ingrid asked, concerned. Roxanne sobbed, ¡°Mom, I, I think I got into trouble¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Ingrid was scared out of her wits. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. What happened?¡± ¡°Mom, where are you now? I¡¯ll go back and find you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home!¡± Roxanne rushed back to the Haynes¡¯s house in no time! Ingrid appeared anxious. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did Mr. Everett cause you trouble again?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that!¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± Roxanne had intended to spill everything to her mother, but at thest moment, she hesitated and held back! It would be better not to burden her mother with this! ¡°Mom, that awful Joanna is pregnant!¡± ¡°What did you say? Say it again?¡± ¡°Joanna, that wretched woman, is pregnant, and she¡¯s carrying Bruce¡¯s child!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ingrid¡¯s face froze, and anger zed in her eyes! ¡°Is this really happening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Bruce has already taken her back to Reagan No. 8 Residence to ensure a safe pregnancy! ¡°I¡¯ve worked so hard, and she effortlessly turns the tables! ¡°Life is incredibly unfair. Life has been far too kind to her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry just yet. Shedding tears won¡¯t help!¡± Ingrid said. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Roxanne was consumed by restlessness, her tears flowing uncontrobly. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say you had a way to deal with Joanna? ¡°Now she¡¯s getting more and more cocky. If she has another kid with Bruce, it¡¯ll be like she¡¯s had four kids with him! ¡°Even if I have twins with Bruce, I can¡¯tpete with her!¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes and clenched her teeth in anger when she heard this.. She had already told her two cousins to take care of Joannia. They should have hired a killer for that. Three months had passed, and not only was Joanna doing well, but she was also pregnant now. This made her furious. These two useless cousins were always after money but always messed things up when it came to important matters. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Just wait, I¡¯ll make that slut pay!¡± Ingrid said. Roxanne sniffled and said with intense hatred, ¡°How can I find peace? ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more anxious, Mom. I¡¯m really scared! I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± Roxanne cried in the arms of Ingrid. However, what scared her the most wasn¡¯t Joanna¡¯s pregnancy. It was about Margaret. There were some things that only brought a lingering fear once they were over. Now, she had nightmares every night, dreaming that Margaret wasing to take her life. She had acted on impulse back then, not thinking clearly. But she never expected that Margaret would die in an instant. Especially now that Kensley was asking her for money, she was even more afraid that the fact would be exposed! And if it came out, ording to Bruce¡¯s personality, the Haynes family would be ruined miserably! Ingrid had no idea what Roxanne was thinking. Seeing her daughter so sad, she only held resentment toward Joanna. ¡°Stop crying, it¡¯s pointless! So what if she¡¯s pregnant? Aren¡¯t you pregnant too? ¡°When you give birth to twins for Bruce, even if it¡¯s not ideal, the children can still inherit part of his wealth in the future. ¡°Crying won¡¯t help now. You should gather your strength and fight that bitch till the end! Back then, her dead mother was no match for me! Why can¡¯t you learn from what I did?¡± Upon hearing this, Roxanne held back her tears. She did want to learn from Ingrid¡¯s past Tactics! But the problem was that Bruce was not Shaun. He didn¡¯t fall for her tricks, and he wasn¡¯t even interested in her. In a romantic rtionship, without sex, to be honest, love would fade away. 12:52 Tue, 11 Jul Go ¡°Mom, I just feel hurt and can¡¯t help but cry¡­¡± Ingrid sighed, feeling even more distressed, and quickly wiped away her daughter¡¯s tears. ¡°Be good, stop crying! ¡°Go home and wait! Don¡¯t worry, with me around, that bitch won¡¯t dare to step over you! N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Even if she does, I will bring her down! That little bitch won¡¯t reach her goal!¡± With Ingrid¡¯sforting words, Roxanne felt much better and more at ease! She knew how skilled her mother was at causing a scene. Though not exactly proper, the results were impressive! She admired her for that. The next day, Ingrid grabbed her bag and hurriedly prepared to leave. Shaun was engrossed in the newspaper. There was a clear sign of the influence of social media these days. However, he had stuck to the habit of reading newspapers throughout the years. Noticing his wife about to leave, he couldn¡¯t help but adjust his sses and ask, ¡°Why are you heading out so early today?¡± Ingrid slipped on her high heels and replied, ¡°I have an appointment for a beauty treatment.¡± ¡°A beauty treatment this early?¡± ¡°Just going early means no waiting. I won¡¯t be back for lunch, so don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Ingrid casually remarked as she grabbed. her car keys and left. She needed to find her two cousins quickly and check on their progress. It had been quite a while, and they hadn¡¯t taken any action yet! An hourter, Ingrid arrived at her cousins¡® ce. She had arranged a meeting with them the day before, so her two cousins were already waiting for her. ¡°What have you two been up to? Do you still want the money?¡± Ingrid angrily pointed her finger at her two cousins. Wace shed a sly smile, ¡°Ingrid, we¡¯ve already set the n in motion! But damn, this woman is so lucky; we missed her twice!¡± Ingrid grew annoyed and scolded, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your methods, just get rid of her as soon as possible! ¡°Otherwise, you won¡¯t get the 2 million dors!¡± ¡°Believe me! We will definitely take care of her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just talk; you always show some damn enthusiasm when ites to money! ¡°But when it gets serious, you always make excuses!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already taken action! Last month, we almost ran her over with a car right in front of her ¡°But out of nowhere, Mr. Everett showed up and saved her! And recently, we almost seeded in the ¡°But that woman reacted quickly, and we couldn¡¯t stab her heart, only cut her hand!¡± Ingrid listened with a mix of belief and doubt. But judging by her cousins¡® expressions, they didn¡¯t seem to be joking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any damn excuses. I¡¯ll give you another month. If you can¡¯t get it done by then, I won¡¯t be able to give you the money!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re looking for the right opportunity! ¡°As soon as we find the right time, we can send her to the afterlife real soon!¡± When Lin Yueru heard this, she pursed her lips and rolled her eyes! Ingrid pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. ¡°I damn well hope so. Stop talking nonsense! ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving now!¡± Wace blocked her path with a grin. ¡°Hey, Ingrid, it¡¯s been a long damn time since the three of us yed together! ¡°We don¡¯t get chances like this often¡­¡± Ingrid pushed Wace away with disgust, ¡°Go away, go away. We¡¯re all adults now, so stop acting so damn indecent! ¡°Focus on what matters. Quit wasting time on irrelevant things all the damn time!¡± After saying that, Ingrid slung her bag over her shoulder and left resentfully. It wasn¡¯t because she had a change of heart and decided to uphold her feminine virtues. Rather, she had lost interest in making out with these cousins a long time ago and was feeling annoyed. Besides, the handsome young men at the beauty salon were all muscr and young! They provided excellent service with sweet words and at a low price. These two cousins were already middle¨Caged. Only a fool would choose them. After Ingrid left, Oscar frowned and said, ¡°Wace, what should we do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find Ramos right away and see if he still wants the money,¡± Wace suggested. Both of them contributed 100 thousand dors each and hired an assassin! The assassin was a taxi driver in his fifties who had been diagnosed with liver cancer a few months ago and had only six months left to live. He was determined to leave some money for his wife and children! He was the perfect fit for the job! Soon, they arrived at Ramos¡® residence! ¡°Ramos, what¡¯s your n? It has been so long. Do you still want to make money?¡± Wace repeated Ingrid¡¯s words to him. Ramos sighed and said dejectedly, ¡°I¡¯ve made two attempts, but I failed by a hair¡¯s breadth both times! ¡°It¡¯s a pity that her luck is so good! ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to track her whereabouts these past few days. This deal is not going well¡­¡± Seeing that Ramos was about to decline, Wace said in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯ll add another 20 thousand dors. Hurry up and finish the job! ¡°This is 120 thousand dors. It will be enough for your wife and children for a long time. You can die in peace¡­¡± Ramos frowned. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll think of another way!¡± For the sake of money, Ramos reluctantly agreed. After all, he didn¡¯t have many days left to live. He still had a son and a daughter at home, and his wife didn¡¯t have a job! Once he died, his entire family would probably starve! Although 200 thousand dors wasn¡¯t arge sum in Greyport, it would be enough for them to get by for a long time! In Reagan No. S Residence, Bruce brought the three children over again! Joanna, who was originally in a dispirited state, instantly became much more energetic when she saw the three treasuresing over. ¡°Mommy¡­ ¡°Baby!¡± Joanna quickly lifted the nket and tried to get out of bed. ¡°The doctor told you to stay in bed and rest. Don¡¯t get out of bed!¡± Bruce said coldly, chasing her back to bed. ¡°Is your appetite better today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°Mommy, we brought you cookies!¡± ¡°Thank you, baby!¡± ¡°Mommy, do you have a baby?¡± Joanna was stunned! ¡± Irvin smiled mischievously, ¡°Mommy, are we going to have another little brother or sister?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, Mommy! I like little sisters. Give me another little sister!¡± ¡°I like it too!7 The three children surrounded Joanna, chatting and asionally touching her belly. They looked at her with anticipation and smiled happily! Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Lilia, her voice filled with innocence, asked, ¡°Mommy, when will she be born?¡± Joanna heard it and instinctively nced at Bruce! She suspected that this damn Bruce had deliberately nted the idea in the children¡¯s minds! Otherwise, how could they know so much at such a young age? Bruce¡¯s handsome and noble face remained devoid of expression! But an overwhelming wave of tenderness surged within him! These kids were his. And soon, Joanna would give birth to another one. The six of them would live together. Suddenly, he realized that this could be the ordinary happiness he had been missing! ¡°Mommy, is there really going to be a little sister in your belly?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Joanna still had her eyes fixed on Bruce. ¡°Why are you looking at me? The child is asking you a question!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze to the kids. ¡°Maybe! She won¡¯t be born for a few more months!¡± ¡°Wow, when the timees, I¡¯ll bake cookies for her.¡± ¡°If you have a little sister, will you stop favoring me?¡± Lilia asked one of her brothers. ¡°No way! I will love you just the same!¡± Irviny on the bed and asked thoughtfully, ¡°Mommy, are you tired? I¡¯ll give you a massage!¡± Davian hurriedly climbed onto the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll give Mommy a massage too!¡± Irvin was holding onto Joanna¡¯s thigh while the other was embracing Joanna¡¯s arm, disying their sincere and devoted affection! It had been a while since they had shown such affection towards their mommy. Finally, they could do it now! Bruce watched from the side and couldn¡¯t help feeling a tinge of jealousy! These kids didn¡¯t seem to have much of a bond with him. No wonder it was said that fathers and sons were enemies from past lives! Fortunately..ilia was closer to him! ¡°Alright, Mommy¡¯s tired. It¡¯s time for you guys to go back!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been an hour! Let us stay with Mommy a little longer!¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned cold, and he spoke sternly, ¡°It¡¯s been over 40 minutes already, which is practically an hour! Hurry up and go home!¡± He couldn¡¯t tolerate the sons being so clingy to Joanna. ¡°Bruce, can¡¯t you let them stay a little longer?¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed! She couldn¡¯t understand why he was so harsh with their two sons. ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well right now. The doctor told you to rest! They making a fuss will disturb your rest!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, they¡¯re well¨Cbehaved!¡± Bruce snorted andmented sourly, ¡°Yeah, the kids are quite obedient! ¡°But you, as an adult, aren¡¯t obedient at all. Can¡¯t find a single child who listens!¡± Joanna felt a pang in her chest. She was an adult and didn¡¯t want to be treated like this! ¡°Bruce, I really don¡¯t like you acting this way!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not like money. I don¡¯t need everyone to like me!¡± From childhood to adulthood, he always stole the spotlight! He was always the one giving orders to others! Over time, this habit became ingrained and couldn¡¯t be changed. Joanna¡¯s head began to throb, and she had no desire to continue arguing with him. Well, he was quite the troublemaker, and no one could out¨Cargue him. Sensing Joanna¡¯s growing anger, Bruce softened his tone a little. ¡°Just cooperate, and you¡¯ll get to see the kids every day!¡± Davian and Irvin pouted. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯ll go back first!¡± During this period, Davian and Irvin had alsoe to understand the importance of Bruce! He was like the king of the pack, and the little cubs would learn their lesson if they misbehaved. ¡°Alright, behave!¡± Joanna kissed each child¡¯s cheek reluctantly as she watched them leave. Once the children were gone, Bruce took a seat by the bedside, casually loosening his tic. Joanna was taken aback. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Time to sleep! I¡¯m exhausted, let¡¯s lie down!¡± Bruce stretched out on the bed with an air of ownership. Joanna felt frustrated. ¡°Bruce, can we have a proper conversation?¡± ¡°Go on!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t even bother to open his eyes. ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t want this child!¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s gaze turned icy. ¡°This is your debt to me!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve angered me so much that you owe me another child. An eye for an eye!¡± Joanna was left speechless. Bruce grabbed her arm, impatiently stating, ¡°If I tell you to give birth, you better do that!¡± ¡°This child is mine, so take good care of it! Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Joanna felt even more frustrated by his threats! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop it!¡± Joannay down in anger. ¡°Take care of your pregnancy and stop overthinking!¡± Joanna paused for a moment, asking indignantly, ¡°If this child is born, will you take the child away from me again?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes but gave no response! He hadn¡¯t made up his mind yet! Regardless, the child had to be born first! Then can you give me the phone? I need to make a call!¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Phones emit radiation, and it¡¯s not good for the child!¡± ¡°You¡¯re incredibly annoying. I can¡¯t contact the outside world. Everyone thinks I¡¯ve disappeared!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve delegated all thepany matters to the vice president! I¡¯ve also informed Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul about your situation!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Bruce interrupted her. ¡°No ¡®buts!¡± ¡°The most important thing for you now is to protect this child! I¡¯ll take on all the losses of your Bruce said it, but deep down, he felt even more contemptuous! Joanna¡¯s factory in Mossbourne had only received a modest investment of a few tens of millions! Even if it made money, it wouldn¡¯t be much. But if she gave birth to this child, he could afford not only a small factory but even a publicly traded In an instant, Joanna had been trapped here for a whole week! There was no way for her to reach the outside world, and no one could find her either! Jaydon had absolutely no clue what was going on! ¡°Madam, it¡¯s mealtime The servants brought in another round of nourishing food. ¡°I want to go outside!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett wants you to stay in bed and rest!¡± Joanna shot an irritated look at the servant. ¡°I¡¯ve been cooped up in this house for an entire week. I¡¯m starting to lose it! ¡°If I lie down again, I¡¯ll go crazy!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The servants didn¡¯t dare to make the decision. ¡°I won¡¯t go far, just a little stroll on thewn!¡± Then I¡¯ll go check with Mr. Everett!¡± After a short while, the servants returned after getting instructions. ¡°Madam, he said you can go out to thewn for a while!¡± Joanna listened, put on her shoes, and walked out of the room! Finally, after a whole week, she stepped foot outside this room! Although there were servants trailing behind, they could finally breathe in the fresh air! Joanna stood on thewn, her mind buzzing with thoughts! Given Bruce¡¯s personality, it was nearly impossible for her to leave! If she wanted to escape from this ce, her chances were even slimmer! For now, all she could do was y along! When Bruce let his guard down, she would find a way to contact the outside world! The next day, Bruce came with the three kids to visit her again! While Bruce stepped out to make a phone call, Joanna said, ¡°Nancy, I¡¯m craving some grapes. Go wash them for me!¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± ¡°Ms. Chain, can you heat up a ss of milk for me? Add some extra sugar!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Joanna devised a n to send all the servants away! ¡°Davian,e here!¡± Davian obediently walked over. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°When youe tomorrow, can you bring Mommy a phone?¡± Davian tilted his head, studying Joanna! ¡°Mommy, why do you need a phone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask too many questions. Mommy really needs one right now! But we can¡¯t let Daddy find out, and we can¡¯t let anyone else know either! ¡°It¡¯s our little secret!¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy, don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Good boy!¡± Just then, Bruce approached. ¡°What secret conversation are you two having?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s about time for today. Mommy needs to rest!¡± Joanna exchanged nces with Davian! Davian had a gloomy expression and shed Joanna an okay sign! ¡°Bye, darlings!¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± ¡°Feeling better now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°What do you need? Just let Ms. Chain and the others know!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving too!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna replied with a cold tone. When Bruce heard that, he felt an overwhelming unease. A whole week had passed, yet her icy attitude toward him hadn¡¯t thawed even a bit! She had truly killed his grandmother, and he was still furious! Well, now she was the one mad at him. SEND GIFT Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Bruce wanted Joanna to take the initiative to ask him to stay! Unfortunately, Joanna¡¯s attitude was very cold. She had no intention of asking Bruce to stay. In terms of feelings, she did not give him any way out either. Bruce frowned and left in a panic. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He had just returned to the car and prepared to return to the Everett mansion. His phone rang then. Bruce took out his phone and saw that the call was from Roxanne. Although Roxanne called him every day, he only picked up once in a while. ¡°Hello!¡± Bruce answered the call coolly. On the other end of the line, Roxanne initially thought Bruce wouldn¡¯t answer her call again. She sounded a little ttered. ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Roxanne¡¯s tone was gentle and soft. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. I¡­ miss you!¡± Bruce listened but did not answer! He did not want to have any emotional exchanges with Roxanne now! Since she insisted on giving birth, she could do it! In any case, it was just spending some money to support her. Bruce would not invest any feelings into it! Now that Grandma was dead, no one would pressure him anymore! ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± ¡°Bruce, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. I want to see you. Can youe back and keep me Bruce felt a little disgusted when he heard that. He said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy recently. I¡¯ll look for you when I¡¯m free!¡± He really didn¡¯t want to see Roxanne again. This woman was too scary and cunning! She had actuallye up with artificial insemination as a method. It truly left him speechless and disgusted. ¡°Bruce, when do you have time? If you don¡¯t have time to visit me, can I go over to see you¡­ Roxanne wanted to say more. Before she could finish, Bruce had already hung up! ¡°Hello! Hello!¡± Roxanne called for Bruce twice in a row, but a busy tone sounded from the other end of the phone! Roxanne¡¯s heart ached and her tears flowed uncontrobly! Now, Bruce was taking her less and less seriously. Ever since Margaret died, his attitude towards her had be even more perfunctory and cold! Thinking of this, Roxanne regretted it even more! When Roxanne had pulled out Margaret¡¯s venttor, her goal had been to frame Joanna and However, Roxanne had never expected that her gains would not make up for her losses! She had gone for wool ande home shorn. She had cut off her own protection! Looking at the empty room, Roxanne felt even more deste and lonely! Even though she was living an extravagant life now and lived in a luxurious house valued at 200 million dors, humans were still animals with emotions. Whether it was physical or psychological, humans had a need for emotions! Roxanne was also fairly young, and her desire for love was at its peak. Bruce had treated her so coldly. She truly felt empty and lonely! Roxanney in bed in a daze, unable to sleep at all! She began to miss Gavin crazily again without realizing it! She missed the happiness that Gavin had once brought her. She missed Gavin¡¯s diligent, bootlicking personality! However, she did not dare to contact Gavin now! She had not contacted Gavin for a few months. She wondered how he was doing now! At eleven o¡¯clock in the morning¡­ Roxanne tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Unable to hold it in any longer, she dialed that familiar number! The call went through very quickly! ¡°Hello!¡± Gavin¡¯s familiar voice sounded from the other end of the phone. Roxanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly hung up the phone! Her heart was pounding, and her cheeks were burning up to her ears. Though she liked the feeling Gavin gave her! At the same time, she also hated Gavin for being weak and ipetent. Other than being able to satisfy her with regard to that matter, this man was wholly useless in other aspects! It was a pity that some people were born with despicableness in their bones. The more forbidden something was, the more they wanted to touch it! Soon! Gavin called back! Beep, beep, beep! The phone rang wildly. Roxanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat! She bit her lower lip nervously. However, she did not dare to answer the call in the end! She was now pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child. If there wereplications at this time, all her efforts would be in vain. Moreover, if news of Gavin got out, she would probably be theughingstock of the entire socialite circle. Seeing that Roxanne wasn¡¯t answering her phone, Gavin started texting again. ¡°Roxy, is that you?¡± ¡°I miss you. I love you. I¡¯m really sorry!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare to hope that you can forgive me. I only hope that you can live well! I¡¯m an ipetent man. Regarding what happened that day, I wish I could kill myself!¡± ¡°Roxy, you must be happy! As long as you can be happy in the future, I would even be willing to give up my life immediately! I know I can¡¯t give you anything!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯m willing to give my life to you! I know that you don¡¯t care about my life! If you need it one day, I¡¯ll give it to you any time¡­¡± Looking at Gavin¡¯s messages, Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but cry. If only Bruce valued her so much! Unfortunately, reality was always so cruel. How could a man like Bruce love a woman as humbly as Gavin? Text messages came one after another. Each message was extremely passionate and sincere. One could see from the text messages that Gavin genuinely felt guilty! SEND GIFT Chapter 227 Chapter 227 For the past few months, Gavin had been enduring the torture of longing! He did not dare to look for Roxanne again because he had caused her so much harm! How could he still have the gall to see her? That night, Bruce got someone to take away the few hooligans who bullied Roxanne. No one knew how those hooligans finally ended up! However, Gavin never saw those hooligans or heard any news about them again! One of Gavin¡¯s legs had also been broken. He had been recuperating at home for four months, and his leg injury had only recovered this month! Now that Roxanne had taken the initiative to call him, he was more than overjoyed! In one night, Gavin sent Roxanne hundreds of messages! Roxanne looked at the messages from Gavin. Although she did not reply, she read every message he sent! This feeling of being loved and valued was very enjoyable, and it also gave her emotionalfort! At the very least,pared to Bruce¡¯s cold violence, women needed gentle care more! Looking at the message from Gavin, Roxanne became more and more restless! It was four in the morning! Roxanne was still awake. Finally, she could not help but reply to his message. ¡°See you at the usual ce at one o¡¯clock tomorrow afternoon!¡± After Gavin received the message, he was even more ecstatic and jumped on the spot! He never thought that Roxanne would actually meet him! The next day¡­. When Roxanne woke up, it was already past ten in the morning. After a simple meal, she could dress up. At eleven thirty¡­ Roxanne was ready to go out. The ce where she had made ns with Gavin was a little far, and she had to prevent people from secretly taking photos and following her. Therefore, she had to go out early. Seeing that she was about to leave, a servant hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Ms. Haynes, are you going out? Where are you going?¡± Even though Bruce did not love Roxanne, he still did not skimp out on providing her with material comfort and food! He also assigned a lot of servants to her. Roxanne flipped her hair and said calmly, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going home! I¡¯m going back to see my parents. Then I¡¯ll arrange for a driver now¡­¡± ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯ll drive myself! You don¡¯t have to follow me. I still have some private matters to deal with.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Because Bruce did not love her, her freedom was not restricted. Although there were many bodyguards in the Sherane Bay Vi, there was no need for them to deliberately follow her to protect her! Roxanne drove out the door and then got into a taxi! She deliberately made a big detour before carefully making her way to the agreed meeting ce. At ten past one¡­ In a restaurant that served Eastern cuisine¡­ This was where the two of them used to date. It was very hidden and safe! It was specially provided for couples who wanted to go on dates but found it inconvenient to go to hotels. However, it was also very expensive. Roxanne walked into the shop! Gavin was already waiting here. Seeing Roxanneing over, Gavin was so excited that his eyes were filled with tears. He suddenly rushed over and hugged Roxanne tightly in his arms! ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m sorry. Just it me, just kill me!¡± ¡°Roxy, I dare not beg for your forgiveness! I¡¯m willing to die to see you again!¡± Gavin did not care. He hugged Roxanne and kissed and rubbed her cheek. Roxanne¡¯s heart instantly softened again. ¡°Gavin¡­¡± ¡°Roxy, I really missed you. I knew you couldn¡¯t bear to forget me!¡± Gavin hugged Roxanne passionately and kept saying sweet nothings to her. Rozanne did not respond to him intensely. But she did not resist Gavin¡¯s hugs and kisses. Especially since she had not been nourished by love for so long! The moment she saw Gavin, her entire body went limp! Soon¡­ Gavin began to show off his ¡°advantage!¡± Roxanne, naturally, did not refuse. She only reminded Gavin softly, Gavin, be gentle. I¡¯m pregnant!¡± Gavin was stunned when he heard that. He stared nkly at Roxanne. She was pregnant! In the end, she would still be someone else¡¯s wife! However, Gavin did not stop. He became even gentler¡­. An hourter¡­ Roxanne¡¯s face was full of satisfaction! She was like soft mud that had been soaked through by heavy rain, snuggled in Gavin¡¯s arms! This feeling! Roxanne really couldn¡¯t stop. Compared to happiness, what was money? For a moment, she even thought that there was nothing bad about being with Gavin like this. Although he had no money, he could bring her extreme happiness and satisfaction. Money could not rece such things. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Roxy, will you forgive me?¡± ¡°How have you been? If I could see you again and be with you, even if it¡¯s just for a day, I¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± Roxanne did not have the strength to speak and only reached out to hug Gavin. ¡°Roxy, is he good to you?¡± ¡°Will you be in danger if youe out like this? If he finds out, will he hurt you?¡± Roxanne did not answer, but her expression obviously became unhappy! When Gavin saw this, he also guessed that Roxanne must be unhappy! Otherwise, why would she take the initiative to contact him? ¡°Roxy, if he treats you badly, you wille to be by my side. I will love you forever and treat you well for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m not worthy. All I can give you is my life! I swear that I won¡¯t love any other woman in my life. You¡¯ll always be the only one in my heart!¡± ¡°As long as you need me, I¡¯ll always be by your side!¡± Gavin really loved Roxanne. These words were definitely not glib to make Roxanne happy! However, Gavin knew that his background was too poor. He was truly not worthy of something as lovely as she was. The only thing he could do was to show her his sincerity! When Roxanne heard Gavin¡¯s sincere confession, she was still very touched! She took the initiative to kiss him andpletely forgave him! Even though it was Gavin¡¯s fault for what happened that day. Still, Roxanne knew that Gavin was also in pain! With Gavin¡¯s capabilities, he could not protect Roxanne at all, let alone deal with those five hooligans! I should go!¡± ¡°Roxy, can we meet again?¡± Tears streamed down Gavin¡¯s face as he lugged Roxanne reluctantly. He knew that after Roxanne left, he might not be able to see her again! She was Bruce¡¯s woman! She must have put in a lot of effort to be able toe out! Roxanne did not answer! To be honest, how could she leave Gavin? For the past few months, she had been tormented to the extreme every night. However, staying with the Everett family was different from staying in her own house. With so many servants and bodyguards watching, she did not have that much freedom to move around! ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it next time!¡± ¡°Roxy, I can¡¯t bear for you to leave!¡± Gavin hugged Roxanne, unwilling to let go. ¡°Hurry up and let go. It¡¯s gettingte. If I don¡¯t go back soon, I¡¯ll arouse suspicion!¡± Roxanne began to put on her clothes and kept reminding Gavin, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll look for you if a suitable opportunityes up!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not looking for you, don¡¯t ever call me, let alone text me!¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 ¡°If someone sees us, we will both be dead!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll wait for your call. I won¡¯t disturb you at all!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Roxy, remember to think about me! Think about me every night!¡± ¡°You too!¡± ¡°I think about you all the time¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. After the two reluctantly bade their farewells, Roxanne hurriedly returned to Sherane Bay Vi! When she returned, she was in a much better mood! She was full of energy and her cheeks were rosy! Reagan No. 8 Residence, 7 p.m. at night! Bruce brought Davian and Irvin over to see Joanna as usual. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re here!¡± Davian and Irvin eximed as they ran into the room happily. ¡°Good boys¡­¡± Joanna was feeling much better the instant sheid eyes on her two sons! ¡°Where¡¯s Lilia?¡± Joanna took a look and realized that only Davian and Irvin were here. She did not see Lilia Haynes anywhere. Irvin immediately answered, ¡°Lilia was feeling a little sick so she didn¡¯te over!¡± When Joanna heard that, she immediately asked anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Lilia? How sick is she?¡± ¡°She has a slight cough. The doctor said that she caught a cold so daddy made her stay at home and only brought the two of us over!¡± When Joanna heard that, she quickly looked at Bruce and asked with concern, ¡°Bruce, is Lilia okay?¡± Bruce frowned as he replied, ¡°She¡¯s fine, she just caught a cold! It¡¯s a little cold today so I decided not to bring her over!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve already asked a doctor to take a look at her!¡± Hearing that, Joanna felt a little more at ease! Afterwards, she casually turned to look at Davian. Davian winked at Joanna Haynes and she understood him right away. Looks like Davian really did bring her a mobile phone! Joanna looked around before her eyes settled on Bruce uneasily. After keeping silent for a few seconds, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m a little hungry. Can you go to Honeymoon Dessert and get me a bowl of century egg and lean meat porridge?¡± Bruce was speechless! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get the driver to buy it for you now!¡± ¡°I, I want you to buy it for me personally! Please?¡± Joanna requested with a hint of coquettishness and pleading in her eyes. Seeing this, Bruce was in great disbelief! This woman finally knew how to butter up to him. Seeing that Bruce did not say anything, Joanna thought that he was unwilling to go. She quickly added, ¡°It would taste better if you are the one who bought it for me!¡± When Bruce heard this, he tried his best to suppress his smile. He pretended to be nonchnt as he asked, ¡°Fine! Is there anything else you want to eat?¡± ¡°Yes, I want a mousse cake as well!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right back!¡± After saying that, Bruce turned around and left. The moment he stepped out of the door, he could not help butugh! ¡°Heh, women are all the same!¡± he said deep down. They liked to make men do all sorts of things so that they could measure their worth in men¡¯s hearts! However, he was not angry at all. In fact, he was even a little happy! He had always been the one giving orders to others but although he was the one who got ordered to run an errand today, he was actually delighted! ¡°Ms. Chain, Nancy, help me make some fruit mix!¡± ¡°Add more strawberries and blueberries and also some fresh coconut juice and milk!¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Haynes!¡± Joanna had to find an excuse to send the maids away! After the maids had left, Joanna could not wait and immediately ask Davian, ¡°Davian, did you bring a mobile phone?¡± ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve brought one over!¡± As Davian said that, he lifted his shirt and took out a smartwatch from his pocket. ¡°Daddy doesn¡¯t know, does he?¡± ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t know. This is the children¡¯s phone that I was given when I was in kindergarten!¡± ¡°Yes, good boy!¡± Joanna took the phone. She felt very excited. ¡°Don¡¯t let daddy know about this, and don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, mommy, don¡¯t worry!¡± Davian nodded. Joanna had just hidden the phone when the maids came over with the fruit mix she had requested! ¡°Ms. Haynes, the fruit mix is ready! As per your instructions, we added strawberries, blueberries, coconut juice, and milk!¡± ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± Seeing this, Irvin could not help but drool. He demanded, ¡°Mommy, I want to eat too!¡± Then you can have it!¡± Irvin, mommy needs her nutrition. How can you snatch her food?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mommy doesn¡¯t have much of an appetite anyway!¡± The two of you can have it!¡± Then we¡¯ll enjoy it!¡± Yup!¡± ¡°If the two of you like it, we¡¯ll make another bowl.¡± ¡°Great!¡± When the two boys heard that, they began to eat the fruit mix happily! Half an hourter! Bruce came back holding a few bags! ¡°I¡¯ve bought the food!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Bruce ced the porridge and cake on the dining table. Joanna was a little embarrassed and she felt a little uneasy! 1 She just wanted a reason to send Bruce away. There was nothing else she could think of so she could only give such a lousy reason. However, she had not expected Bruce to buy the food obediently! ¡°Hurry up and eat! It won¡¯t taste good if it gets cold!¡± ¡°Alright, I will!¡± Joanna replied and started to eat the porridge. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious, thank you!¡± Bruce sneered as he retorted, ¡°Why are you thanking me? I bought the food for the children, not for you!¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna felt like someone had just smacked her! She knew that Bruce would not be so nice to her! This was how he was like, sharp¨Ctongued but he doesn¡¯t speak his mind! He clearly didn¡¯t think so in his heart, but he liked to say the opposite! He clearly wanted to please her, but yet he refused to admit it! Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Joanna Haynes ate a few more mouthfuls until she could not eat anymore! Due to her pregnancy, she did not have much of an appetite. Seeing that she was not eating anymore, Bruce Everett asked with concern, ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat more?¡± ¡°1. I¡¯m already full¡± ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t you going to eat this cake?¡± Irvin Haynes pointed at the cake and asked. Joanna only managed to force herself to eat a small piece of the cake. ¡°You guys can have it Joanna said while rubbing Irvin¡¯s head. Tll bring it back for Lilia to eat then. She loves cakes¡± ¡°Alright, remember to brush your teeth after dinner. Otherwise, you will have to go to the dentist if you get cavities and it would hurt ¡°Got it, mommy! Joanna felt a little guilty. All she wanted was for Bruce to leave quickly. I¡¯m a little tired now I think I¡¯m going to sleep!¡± When Bruce heard this, he did not suspect anything else. Then rest well! I¡¯ll bring the children back first!¡± ¡°Alright! I will ¡°Davian, Irvin, let¡¯s go ¡°Bye, mommy! The two boys waved happily at Joanna. ¡°Goodbye, darlings!¡± Joanna also waved back at her two sons! Seeing that she still had no intention of asking him to stay, Bruce left with the children in displeasure. Her body was so weak now and she was also pregnant so he did not dare to stay. He was afraid that he would not be able to control himself and touch her! After Bruce and the children had left! Joanna heaved a sigh of relief and quickly took out the phone! It was a children¡¯s smartwatch, the kind worn on the wrist. The screen was small and had a GPS function. It could also be used to make calls! Joanna pressed the call function and thought for a moment before calling Jaydon Grimm! Beep, beep, beep! The call went through quickly! Jaydon quickly answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, Jay, it¡¯s me!¡± When he heard Joanna¡¯s voice, Jaydon was a little excited as he asked, ¡°Joann, are you alright? I tried calling you but why can¡¯t I get through to you? Where are you now?¡± Jaydon asked a few questions in a row. He had been worried sick for the past few days! ¡°I¡¯ve been at the Reagan No. 8 Residence! Bruce Everett restricted my freedom, and my phone was confiscated by him!¡± Jaydon frowned when he heard Joanna¡¯s words. Then what should we do now? I¡¯ll call the police right now!¡± Joanna quickly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother calling the police. There¡¯s no use!¡± ¡°Damn that Bruce Everett. What is that bastard going to do to you now?¡± ¡°Jay, don¡¯t ask so much. Have you been to the factory in Mossbourne recently? Have you gone over to take a look?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, I haven¡¯t gone over to take a look yet! I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere these past few days and haven¡¯t had the time to go to Mossbourne!¡± ¡°Then hurry up and check on the factory there tomorrow. I won¡¯t be able to get out of here for a while! Someone has to take care of things at the factory!¡± She had used almost all her savings to build the factory in Mossbourne. As such, she was extremely anxious since it has been quite a few days since anyone checked on the factory. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll make a trip there tomorrow!¡± ¡°Thank you. A while back, I found a streamer to sell the goods and all the inventory has been cleared! Remember to ask if the money has been transferred!¡± ¡°It¡¯s also almost the end of the year so help me organize the employees¡® annual leaves. ¡°Alright, I understand!¡± Joanna continued to exin the other matters regarding the factory. Now that it was the end of the year, there were many things to deal with. Jaydon was now the secondrgest shareholder of the factory! In her absence, he had to take care of things on her behalf. ¡°That¡¯s good. I can rest assured now that you¡¯re handling these!¡± Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the others could take care of thepany in Greyport. If worsees to worst, there was also Bruce Everett so she didn¡¯t have to worry too much. Instead, she was more worried about the factory in Mossbourne. Joanna heaved a sigh of relief after she finished giving Jaydon the instructions. Jaydon was more worried about her safety. He asked, ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± Joanna thought for a moment before answering. I haven¡¯t thought of a good solution yet!¡± ¡°If I leave now, Bruce Everett will definitely go crazy again!¡± ¡°Joann, I¡¯m so worried about you! I¡¯d better call the police!¡± Jaydon did not know how he couldfort Joanna! If it were anyone else holding Joanna hostage, he would definitely be able to think of a way to save her! But now, he was facing Bruce Everett! There was no way he could win. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. He won¡¯t do anything to me!¡± Joannaforted Jaydon instead. Just as she was speaking, there was a knock on the bedroom door. ¡°Jay, someone¡¯sing. I¡¯m hanging up!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna was afraid someone would discover her talking on the phone so she quickly hung up. Right after she hung up the call, there was another knock on the door! ¡°Pleasee in!¡± Ms. Chain pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Ms. Haynes, it¡¯s time to take your medicine!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Ms. Chain prepared the medicine to help with the pregnancy and the vitamins before handing them to Joanna. She also handed Joanna a ss of water! Joanna took the medicine and ced it in her mouth before swallowing it with a mouthful of water! She had been quiet and cooperative for the past few days! Hence, the maids did not monitor her as strictly as they did two days ago! Joanna finished the medicine quickly! Ms. Chain then cleaned up after her before leaving. ¡°Goodnight, Ms. Haynes!¡± ¡°Goodnight!¡± Joannay on the bed again and began to think about her next problem! Bruce Everett told her to let go of everything and stay here until she gave birth! However, it had only been one month into her pregnancy! After giving birth and going through confinement, a year would have passed. By then, many things would have happened! How could she stay here in peace? ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t stay here like this! I have to think of a way to get out of here!¡± Joanna thought for a long time but could not think of a good solution! However, she could not leave this ce rashly either. Given, Bruce Everett¡¯s personality, he would definitely take revenge on her! When that tinees, who knows what crazy things he would do? Thinking of this, Joanna became even more distraught! On the other hand! Bruce rushed back to the Everett mansion with the two boys. In the car! Irvin was still chattering non¨Cstop! He was a chatterbox with a somewhat strange and outgoing personality. His personality was the exact opposite of Davian¡¯s! Davian was extremely against Bruce but on the other hand, Irvin had more admiration for Bruce! ¡°Davian, when did you give the phone to Mommy? I didn¡¯t see you give it at all!¡± Irvin identally blurted. ¡°Shh!¡± Davian¡¯s face fell as he quickly gestured for him to shut up. ¡°Oh!¡± Irvin immediately reacted and hurriedly covered his mouth! When his brother told him this secret, he specifically told him that their father cannot find out. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. However, he was too excited just now and forgot about it. He hoped that his father did not hear him. Bruce¡¯s heart sank as he overheard what Irvin had said! ¡°My dear son, what phone were you talking about?¡± Irvin panicked and quickly shook his head as he stuttered, ¡°No, nothing!¡± Bruce carried Irvin onto hisp and smiled gently at him. ¡°It¡¯s not good for children to lie. You have to tell daddy the truth!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing!¡± Irvin¡¯s gaze wavered for a moment before he quickly shook his head and denied it. It was really a slip of the tongue just now. He didn¡¯t want to betray his brother! Bruce¡¯s face darkened as he ordered, ¡°Hurry up and tell daddy!¡± ¡°If you dare to lie to daddy, daddy won¡¯t like you anymore!¡± It was Bruce¡¯s first time being a father as well. Therefore, he didn¡¯t know how to get along with children and he had no knowledge about educating them. When Irvin heard this, he turned around to look at his brother innocently. Davian said angrily, ¡°No, Irvin, you can¡¯t tell him!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell daddy the truth, daddy will send you overseas to study tomorrow!¡± ¡°In the future, you won¡¯t be able to see mommy anymore!¡± When the two boys heard this, they immediately panicked. They looked at each other nervously. ¡°Are you going to tell daddy what phone you guys were talking about just now?¡± Bruce kept pushing the two boys. After all, the two boys were only four years old. How could they withstand Bruce¡¯s intense interrogation? In the end, Irvin confessed truthfully, ¡°Um, mommy asked Davian to bring her a phone!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that. ¡°Did you bring it then?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t!¡± Davian still wanted to deny it. When Bruce heard this, his face immediately turned as cold as ice! ¡°Driver, turn around and go back to Reagan No. 8 Residence!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± The driver immediately turned the car around and drove back to Reagan No. 8 Residence. ¡°Daddy, please don¡¯t be angry! Please don¡¯t me Davian as well, okay¡­¡± ¡°Daddy is not angry!¡± Bruce replied gloomily. He knew that the children didn¡¯t know anything. He was angry with the adult instead! How dare Joanna make use of the children to bring her a phone. No wonder she had asked him to personally buy her porridge. It turned out that she wanted to send him away! + SEND GIFT Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Bruce Everett was furious. He really could not understand what Joanna Haynes was thinking! Soon after! Bruce decided to head back to confront Joanna! ¡°Send the young masters back to the mansion!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Kody replied before driving away again. Bruce got out of the car. His chest was burning with rage as he strode towards the room Joanna was in! Inside the room! Joanna was already in deep sleep when the door was pushed open with a creak! ¡°Bang!¡± There was a loud thud when the door hit the wall. The lights were also turned on immediately after! Joanna was taken aback and opened her eyes to take a look at once! Bruce walked towards the bed with a dark expression on his face. ¡­Bruce Everett, why, why are you back again?¡± Joanna promptly crawled up in fright. Bruce¡¯s expression darkened as he continued to keep silent. He took a few steps to the head of the bed and started to search all over without saying anything! He looked under the pillow, at the bedside table, and even under the bed! ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Joanna asked nervously. From the looks of it, he probably already knew about the phone! Bruce searched for a long time but could not find it. He asked her directly. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°What, what are you looking for?¡± Joanna pretended to stay calm, but deep down, she was already panicking! Bruce looked at her scarily as he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the phone?¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale when she heard that! ¡°There, there¡¯s no phone! Didn¡¯t you already confiscate my phone?¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and roared in anger, ¡°Hurry up and hand me the phone!¡± Joanna was so frightened that her heart was pounding against her chest and her eyes were wandering all over the ce! Bruce was extremely terrifying when he lost his temper! ¡°Hurry up!¡± Bruce cried out impatiently! ¡°I don¡¯t have a phone¡­¡± Seeing that Joanna was still unwilling to hand the phone over to him, Bruce was even more furious! He started to search the bed again! ¡°What are you doing? Can you stop acting crazy?¡± ¡°Move away!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna eximed as Bruce pushed her to the other side of the bed. Bruce searched so thoroughly that he almost flipped the mattress over. In the end, he finally found the phone in the crack of the bed! The moment he saw the phone, he gritted his teeth in anger. Joanna Haynes, you spent so much effort to get our son to bring you a phone so who exactly are you trying to call?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Joanna pounced on him, wanting to snatch the phone back! Bruce waved his hand and pushed her back to the bed. He quickly opened the call history on the phone! He saw that Joanna had only made one call. He saw that the person she had called was none other than Jaydon Grimm! It seemed that Joanna had spent a lot of effort to get their son to bring her a phone just so that she Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. could contact her old lover! At that realization. Bruce¡¯s jealousy overwhelmed him. At that moment, it was as though he had be a green¨Ceyed monster. ¡°Smack!¡± The phone was thrown to the ground and instantly shattered. Joanna was so scared out of her wits that her entire body trembled. When Bruce was angry, there was no way she could defend herself from him! Joanna Haynes, looks like you just refuse to listen to anything I say!¡± ¡°You just can¡¯t leave Jaydon Grimm, can you?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and subconsciously exined, ¡°No, I only called him because of work¡­¡± In his rage¨Cdriven state, there was no way Bruce could listen to her exnation. He smiled coldly and said. ¡°Fine, fine. Since you can¡¯t bear to part with him so much, I¡¯ll send you to see him, okay?¡± As he spoke, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room. ¡°Bruce Everett, let go of me. You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Bruce was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He directly pushed Joanna to the ground and dragged her by her wrist. He was using so much force that Joanna felt as though her wrist was about to break. She eximed in pain, ¡°Ouch! Let go of me!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t forget about Jaydon Grimm, right? You really want him, right?¡± ¡°You hate me a lot now that I¡¯ve gotten you pregnant, right?¡± ¡°You were so eager to call him because you want him toe and save you, right?¡± Joanna could not take the pain anymore. She was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes as she pleaded, ¡°Bruce Everett, can you not be like this?¡± ¡°Since you love Jaydon Grimm so much, get lost. Go find him instead!¡± Bruce was so angry that his eyes had turned green and his chest heaved violently! He had never been this furious before! He had repeatedly ordered her not to have any contact with Jaydon Grimm. Why couldn¡¯t she listen to him? She kept crossing his limits time and time again! ¡°Bruce Everett, I called Jay just to ask him to help me take care of the factory in Mossbourne!¡± No matter what Joanna said, Bruce could not listen. He insulted. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re such a bitch! You¡¯re really fucking promiscuous!¡± ¡°Am I not enough to satisfy you? Why are you so cheap?¡± As Bruce was degrading her, he pped her hard! ¡°Smack!¡± This ppletely shattered Joanna¡¯s heart! Joanna held the cheek that he had pped and calmed down. She did not bother exining anything else anymore! She was not his girlfriend, nor was she his wife. It was her freedom to date whoever she wanted to! ¡°Fine, yes, I like Jaydon Grimm!¡± Joanna raised her head with dignity and looked straight at Bruce coldly. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be with you at all! You¡¯re the one who kept forcing me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I don¡¯t love you anymore! Our marriage has been dissolved a long time ago. You¡¯re the one who kept refusing to let me go!¡± When Bruce heard that, his heart burned with rage! Ten secondster, Bruce startedughing sinisterly. ¡°Joanna Haynes, you¡¯ll regret this!¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, deal with me if you want to! Don¡¯t take your anger out on Jaydon Grimm!¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a whore. I shouldn¡¯t have been so nice to you!¡± Joanna was really heartbroken at his violent words! Who would dare to stay by the side of a man who is so easily agitated? It was the right decision for her to divorce him! This was God¡¯s salvation for her! ¡°I won¡¯t make it easy for you!¡± After saying that, Bruce mmed the door angrily and left! ¡°Andy, arrange for a private jet to send the young master to Surbano immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, I will definitely make you regret this!¡± After Bruce Everett had left! Joanna Haynes sat on the ground in a daze. The servants hurriedly came in to pack her things! She really didn¡¯t know what she could do now! At Sherane Bay Vi! Bruce came over angrily to look for Roxanne again! Roxanne had just made out with Gavin yesterday. She was no longer as frustrated today so she went to bed early! ¡°You¡¯re back. Mr. Everett!¡± The servants quickly greeted him. Bruce¡¯s face was cold. He did not say anything in reply but walked straight to the room! He should have known that Joanna was not worthy of his love! Since she could find another man, why couldn¡¯t he find another woman? ¡°Bruce, why are you back¡­¡± Roxanne was shocked by his visit. Take off your clothes!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Roxanne was so scared that her heart started pounding heavily Looking at Bruce¡¯s furious expression, she thought that he had found out about her rtionship with Gavin! Bruce threw himself onto the bed. He was feeling extremely frustrated! He just wanted to vent! ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce¡¯s brain twitched, and he suddenly felt that there was no point doing this! He had no feelings for Roxanne at all. Not only that, she was pregnant! ¡°Bruce, what exactly is wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Before Roxanne could react, Bruce got up angrily and left again! A man like him would have many women pining for him if he wanted! It was not like he hadn¡¯t yed around with women before. The next day! Bruce did not bring Davian and Irvin Haynes over to see Joanna anymore! In the blink of an eye, a week had passed! Bruce did note over again, and neither did the two boys! Joanna started to feel depressed again! ¡°Ms. Haynes, hurry up and eat!¡± ¡°Stop asking me to eat! Every day, all I do is either eat my food or my medicine! I¡¯m not a ve, and neither am 1 an animal!! ¡°Give me a phone. I want to call Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mr. Everett has requested for us to take care of your health during your pregnancy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating. If I don¡¯t see the boys, I won¡¯t eat anything!¡± Joanna announced before she swept all the food to the ground. The maids had no choice but to bring her a phone. Beep, beep, beep! The call to Bruce Everett went through quickly. ¡°Bruce Everett, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°What do you mean by what I want?¡± Bruce asked with a sneer. ¡°Where are the boys?¡± ¡°They have already been sent overseas!¡°, ¡°You said that you¡¯d bring them to see me every day!¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll let you see them if I feel like it! If I don¡¯t want, then don¡¯t even think about it!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need for me to keep the child in my stomach anymore!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, if anything happens to this child, I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡± Joanna was furious. ¡°Bruce Everett, can you not be like this?¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, you¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t appreciate how lucky you were. You were the one who angered me first!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already exined it to you. I only called Jay because of work¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention him to me again. If you mention him again, I¡¯ll make sure he dies now!¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Bruce Everett snorted and hung up directly. ¡°m!¡± He threw the phone heavily on the table, and his face was as cold as ice! Seeing this, everyone else also fell silent. This was a high¨Cend nightclub. The dimly lit private room was filled with all kinds of beautiful women! Besides Bruce, there was also another young and handsome man sitting on the leather sofa! At this moment, the man had his legs crossed and waszily hugging two women! Seeing that Bruce was angry, he smiled and urged, ¡°Come on Bruce, it¡¯s rare for you toe out and y. Don¡¯t be angry!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Come, let¡¯s drink!¡± The long¨Clegged woman beside Bruce poured a ss of wine for him enthusiastically. On his other side, another beautiful woman in a low¨Ccut dress hurriedly came over to light his cigarette. Bruce¡¯s face was still gloomy, and the veins on his temples were bulging. The only woman who could make him so angry was Joanna Haynes. ¡°Bruce, there are so many beautifuldies here! Why are you pulling such a long face? You¡¯re scaring thedies off!¡± The man who spoke was called Zachary Garcia. He is Bruce¡¯s good friend and they grew up together. Given Bruce¡¯s status, there are always many people around him but there were only a few he could consider as friends! Zachary was one of the few. The two of them were ssmates and childhood friends who grew up together. Zachary was the oldest son of the boat tycoon of Greyport! The family business was also worth billions of dors. They were also within the top ten wealthiest families in Greyport! Although their assets could not match those of the Everett family, they were still a famous family in Greyport! Therefore, the two of them were from the same world! Zachary took a ss of wine and personally handed it to Bruce while saying, ¡°Come, let¡¯s cheers!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be angry about! She¡¯s just a woman anyway. She¡¯s not worth you being angry over!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry!¡± Zachary snorted and said teasingly, ¡°Look at you. Your face is already twisted with rage. How can you still say that you¡¯re not angry!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re willing to give up the whole forest for a tree.¡± As Zachary spoke, he took a sip of wine, and his eyes were filled with ridicule. If men of their social status were too loyal to one woman, they would he mocked by the people in their circle of friends. In their eyes, love could be bought with money and women were akin to beautiful clothes. This meant that they had to change them diligently. He could enjoy different kinds of love without having to spend a lot of money so who would be so stupid as to give up the whole forest for one tree? Bruce Everett is just a weirdo! He had no reason to invest so much effort in a woman. ¡°My younger sister ising back next week! She¡¯s preparing to hold a banquet. Come over and show your support! I¡¯ll introduce you to her!¡± ¡°Your sister?¡± Bruce asked while raising an eyebrow. Zachary had a younger sister who was six years younger than him. She had been studying in Europe. Bruce had even met her a few times before and she was indeed very beautiful. If he remembered correctly, she even pursued him in the past, but he had rejected her. Zachary poured another ss of wine and casuallymented, ¡°Yes, Jennie. You know her!¡± Bruce also took a sip of the red wine and chuckled, ¡°Hehe!¡± ¡°The banquet will be held next Saturday. You muste then!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Bruce agreed without any hesitation. Zachary called out to a few of the women beside him. ¡°You guys, satisfy Mr. Everett well!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Garcia!¡± This nightclub was owned by Zachary, Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. + The few women he called over have all taken part in beauty pageants. They had top¨Cnotch figures and their looks were impable. Bruce had been spending a lot of time here these few days! In the past, he didn¡¯t really care for this kind of ce. However, he was in such a terrible mood that he couldn¡¯t help bute here to fool around. At the Reagan No. 8 Residence! After Joanna Haynes hung up, she was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. What right did Bruce Everett have to detain her like this? What right did he have to ask her to do this? What was worse was that he had even sent the boys overseas! This was something she could not tolerate! She did not owe him anything so what right did he have to do this? ¡°Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t be angry! It¡¯s not good for your baby!¡± ¡°All of you, get out¡­¡± Joanna shouted at the maids. Ms. Chain and the other maids did not dare to disobey her words and quickly left the room. ¡°Yes, Ms. Haynes!¡± Joanna buried her head under the pillow and started crying again. Her life had beenpletely ruined by Bruce Everett. It was Saturday! In the Garcia Vi! A banquet was being held here today. The princess of the Garcia family, Jennie Garcia, had returned from studying in Europe! Her family had specially held a grand wee party for her! On this day! Numerous luxury cars were parked outside the Garcia Vi. All the socialites and young masters of the wealthy families, as well as the business elites from Greyport were here to attend the banquet! The venue of the banquet looked extremely ssy and divine. Not only that, the beverages and buffet were also the best money could buy. They even specially invited a world¨Cfamous pianist to perform. Jennie was wearing a white custom¨Cmade evening gown. There were tens of thousands of Swarovski crystals dotting her brooch and dress. Coupled with her crystal¨Ccolored high heels, she looked like a shining princess that was noble, beautiful, and elegant! ¡°Wee back, Jennie!¡± ¡°Long time no see¡­¡± The young masters and socialites came over to greet her one by one. ¡°Wee, wee everyone!¡± As Jennie socialized with the others, she secretly looked forward to Bruce¡¯s appearance. Her brother told her that Bruce would being. Upon hearing the news, she was so excited that she did not sleep a wink the entire night. Just as she was thinking about it, a line of luxury cars drove over. A group of bodyguards surrounded a noble and indifferent man as he walked in. ¡°Mr. Everett is here!¡± Jennie looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was indeed Bruce in the crowd! ¡°Long time no see, Bruce!¡± Jennie, you¡¯ve be prettier!¡± Bruceplimented as he handed over a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Thank you!¡± Jennie said as she took the flowers with a smile on her face. She has had a crush on Bruce since he was a teenager. However, Bruce had never been interested in her. He only had his eyes on Roxanne Haynes and did not give the other socialites a chance at all! Therefore, Jennie had no choice but to study in Europe! Now, she was back. Her feelings, which had been scaled deep down her heart, had been unleashed again! ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce and Jennie performed the first dance on the dance floor! Everyone around them was watching as the two of them. danced under the spotlight. It felt like they were a match made in heaven! ¡°Hey, did you guys notice? Mr. Everett and Ms. Garcia are verypatible. They look like a couple!¡± Indeed, although Roxanne Haynes was also the daughter of a wealthy family, her background was still much inferiorpared to the princess of the Garcia family. The Garcia family is one of the top ten wealthiest families in Greyport and they were much more powerful than the Haynes family. After the first dance. The two of them sat down and chatted. ¡°Bruce, I heard that you¡¯re getting married.¡± ¡°Oh, heh¡­¡± Bruce chuckled in embarrassment! Roxanne Haynes used to be the apple of his eye. With his love for her, she was considered one of the best and most popr socialites. However, with the Haynes family¡¯s frequent fights, their reputation in Greyport had long been ruined. In particr, after Raymond Haynes had passed away, Joanna Haynes became a shareholder of the Haynes Group. Shaun Haynes was also not considered elite anymore, and the Haynes family was no longer a rich and powerful family. Seeing Bruce¡¯s unnatural expression, Jennie asked again, ¡°When will the wedding be held?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. At the very least, I have to wait until after the first anniversary of my grandmother¡¯s death!¡± When Jennie heard this, her eyes lit up. ¡°Marriage is a big matter so you have to consider it carefully!¡± Bruce listened but did not answer. He could already feel Jennie¡¯s burning gaze as though she was trying to send him a message. He did not like the feeling at all. After all, he was a person who warms up to others slowly. Zachary walked over with a ss of red wine and asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about? Both of you seem happy.¡± Jennie smiled sweetly and replied, ¡°Zachary, I was just casually chatting with Bruce!¡± Bruce shrugged and stood up before dering, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only just arrived. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like crowds!¡± Every time he attended a banquet, he would end up being the center of attention. Every time that happened, he felt like an animal in a zoo enclosure being watched. ¡°What¡¯s there to dislike about crowds? I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re just too old¨Cfashioned!¡± ¡°Look around you. Among these people, you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s different!¡± When Bruce heard this, he smiled deeply and did not refute it! Greyport was a very open¨Cminded city! Both the men and women were very bold, and they were not as conservative as the people of Mossbourne! The rich had many lovers and cheating was not a problem at all! Their wives were also very open¨Cminded. They turned a blind eye and did not dare to interfere, nor were they willing to interfere! The rich heirs were even more ridiculous. Fooling around with female celebrities and models was nothing to them! SEND GIFT Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Bruce was the one who had only one girlfriend. Although he would have affairs asionally, he never had any true feelings for others! In the eyes of those rich and young, he was an exception! ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Bruce, let me send you off!¡± There is no need!¡± Jennie still insisted on sending Bruce to the door! When Bruce got into the car, Jennie politely came up to him and kissed him goodbye on his check! Bruce left. Zachary looked at his sister and teased, ¡°Jennie, are you still interested in Bruce?¡± ¡°Zachary!¡± Jennie pouted and frowned unhappily. ¡°He has children and no longer single!¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°So what? I don¡¯t mind!¡± Jennie smiled, looking determined to win Bruce over. What was there to be afraid of the children? The Everett family owned billion¨Cdor of assets. They could easily afford to support a few children! Moreover, who did not like an outstanding a man? Jennie had already secretly made up her mind that she would take down Bruce this time! ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± The next day! Many photos from the banquet were leaked! The photos of Jennie and Bruce dancing together were shared with ambiguous captions! The headline was even more dubious! ¡°Mr. Everett was dancing with Ms. Garcia. What a perfect match!¡± ¡°This is the true representation of a power couple and a love match made in heaven!¡± ¡°Will Mr. Everett fall in love with someone else?¡± Soon! Roxanne also saw the trending news! After seeing the news, Roxanne was so angry that her heart was going to explode! She had always been on guard against Joanna and never expected the threat of Jennie, who appeared out of nowhere! Jennie was better than her in all aspects! Back then, if Bruce had not mistakenly thought that Roxanne was his savior, he would not have loved her so deeply. Perhaps Jennie had already been with Bruce. Now that Roxanne¡¯s reputation was tarnished, Jennie probably posed a more severe threat than Joanna! Roxanne quickly called Ingrid in a panic mood. ¡°Hey, Roxy!¡± Roxanne hurriedly said, ¡°Mom! Have you seen the news today?¡± Ingrid paused. ¡°What news? What happened again?¡± ¡°Last night, Bruce attended Jennie¡¯s banquet! He even danced with Jennie and gave her a bouquet of roses!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah! What should I do?¡± Roxanne was furious. That was not the most crucial point. Most importantly, almost all the socialites of Greyport were invited to the banquet, except for Roxanne! ¡°Joanna, the bitch, is still eyeing Bruce covetously. Now, another damn bitch appeared!¡± Ingridforted her. ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t make a fuss over something so insignificant!¡± ¡°With Bruce¡¯s wealth, even if he doesn¡¯t flirt with women, there will still be a lot of women pouncing on him!¡± ¡°There will be many simr incidents in the future. You have to be mentally prepared in advance!¡± Roxanne said in frustration, ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t ept it!¡± ¡°You have to ept it even if you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°You can only choose one thing between money and love! As long as you get his money, so what if he goes out to fool around?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°You have to be prepared for a prolonged battle now. There will be coquettish bitches watching Bruce all the time!¡± Ingrid was very open¨Cminded! Most of the rich tycoons¡® wives in Greyport had the same mindsets. As long as their husbands did not have children or spendrge amounts of money on extramarital affairs, they could care less! Of course! The wives could not do anything about it even if they wanted to! However, they would still cooperate with their husbands and pretend to be loving when attending events! In reality, they could have lost interest in each other and had extramarital affairs. It was the norm for most rich families! ¡°The most important thing for you now is to take care of the baby. Don¡¯t get angry so easily!¡± Ingrid lectured her daughter from time to time. ¡°I know¡­¡± Although Roxanne was angry, there was nothing she could do! ¡°You have to keep open¨Cminded about such things! The more you take it to heart, the easier for others to take advantage of you!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t care, others can do nothing about you!¡± ¡°Got it?¡± Ingrid advised her daughter based on her own experience. ¡°However, the rtionship between Bruce and you is in danger! Learn to be smarter in keeping a man¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°Mom¡­ Roxanne sighed in disappointment! Everyone understood the logic! However, it was not that easy to act ording to it! Especially when it came to rtionships. If one did not love a person anymore, it was what it was. The rtionship could not be salvaged by tricks. Ingrid continued, ¡°Love needs to be managed. This involves universal wisdom!¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s equally impressive to be able to keep man¡¯s heart without love!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young. You still have a long way to go! You¡¯ll understand eventually!¡± Roxanne took a deep breath. ¡°Jennie was clearly showing off. I can¡¯t ept it without putting up a fight!¡± ¡°After you give birth, they can do whatever they want without affecting you!¡± ¡°What about Joanna?¡± When Ingrid heard that, she gritted her teeth in hatred! In her eyes, it was not difficult to handle people like Jennie. They were novelty things for the rich and had limited shelf life. Moreover, everyone would act very cautiously when it came to managing marriages among wealthy families! Instead, it was people like Joanna who was a pain in the butt! No matter what, she had three children with Bruce! They would be tied together for the rest of their lives because of the children! If they wanted topletely cut off Bruce and Joanna¡¯s rtionship, they could only get rid of Joanna! The rtionship could only bepletely severed through death. Otherwise, Joanna would be entangled with Bruce for the rest of her life! ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll think of a way to deal with Joanna!¡± At Reagan No. 8 Residence! ¡°Madam, it¡¯s time to take your medicine!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡± As Joanna spoke, she turned on the television in frustration! ¡°Madam, there¡¯s radiation from the TV!¡± ¡°Can you guys leave me alone? I can¡¯t get out now, nor can I get on the inte. I can¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even watch television now?¡± Joanna could not help but let go of her anger She was not someone who liked to be angry at the servants! But now, she was restricted in all ways Her depression made her even more irritable and uneasy! Ms. Chain had an uneasy expression on her face, but she still brought the medicine.. She was not afraid of Joanna watching television. Instead, they had already seen the news. They were afraid that Joanna would be agitated when she saw the news! Joanna turned on the television. As soon as the television was turned on, entertainment news popped up! On the screen, Bruce and Jennie were dancing passionately! The apanying headline was also very ambiguous! It was as if all the entertainment reporters in Greyport were looking forward to Bruce and Jennie having further development! After all, the more ruthless the fight between the wealthy families, the more popr they would be! ¡°Madam, don¡¯t watch this news. It¡¯s all fake¡­ ¡°Haha!¡± Joannaughed coldly! No wonder the servants did not let her watch television! It turned out that Bruce had found a new lover again! However, Joanna was not jealous at all. It was as expected! How could a bastard like Bruce only be faithful to one woman? He had always been a fickle womanizer! ¡°Turn off the television!¡± At the Everett Group. ¡°Mr. Everett, do you want us to deal with that news?¡± ¡°Just ignore it!¡± Bruce said coldly. The gossip about him had never stopped anyway! asionally, somedies wanted to use him to create hype! How could he have the time to care so much about them? Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. It was Roxanne. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Um, are you at work?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Roxanne hesitated for a few seconds and said hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m going for a prenatal checkup tomorrow. Is it convenient for you to apany me?¡± ¡°Let the servants apany you!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ ¡°I¡­ I want you to apany me. Please apany me!¡± Roxanne could not help but beg. ¡°The child is already more than two months old, but you have never gone for a prenatal checkup with me! Please apany me once!¡± Bruce thought for a moment. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Tomorrow!¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± After hanging up, Roxanne had a smug look on her face! Bruce still cared about her! The next day! Bruce went and took Roxanne to the prenatal checkup as promised! Click! Click! Roxanne had already hired paparazzi to take photos secretly. Soon! Photos of Bruce apanying Roxanne for the prenatal checkup were posted online! The news undoubtedly defended her status as the legit wife! At the same time, it announced to all the women of Greyport that she was Mrs. Everett! Moreover, she was pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child. Other women should behave themselves! SEND GIFT Chapter 233 Chapter 233 The next day! The media broadcasted a piece of explosive news. [Mr. Everell apanied his actual girlfriend for a prenatal checkup. The good news wasing soon.] [Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne¡¯s 6¨Cyear rtionship was stable.] [Miss Roxanne is pregnant with twins. Mr. Everett apanied and cared for them the entire time.] A series of headlines exploded online! However, it was Roxanne who hired someone to take the photos secretly. The photos and captions deliberately showed that she was in a stable and loving rtionship with Bruce. The news of Bruce dancing with Jennie was quickly suppressed. Roxanne sessfully turned the table and dered her rtionship with Bruce to others! At Reagan No. 8 Residence! Bruce had been so popr for the past two days. The television also reported his news. Joanna saw the news undoubtedly! Watching the news of Bruce apanying Roxanne for a prenatal checkup was different from watching the news about Jennie. Joanna felt her heart had been cut with a knife several times! She was not jealous, but the feeling was so unbearable that her heart felt like exploding. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s time for rest!¡± Joanna paused for a moment. She lifted the nket and sat up. ¡°I¡¯m going to the courtyard to take a breather!¡± ¡°Madam, the sun is very bright outside!¡± Joanna said nkly, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I can bask in the sun!¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Ms. Chain did not dare to stop her. She could only help Joanna get off the bed! Joanna walked out of the room in loose pajamas after putting on her slippers. The bedroom was on the second floor. When she stood at the top of the stairs, she felt a little dizzy. She had double visions just from looking at the steps! ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ms. Chain hurriedly went to her side and hold her! I¡¯m fine. I might have hypoglycemia. I¡¯m a little dizzy!¡± ¡°Be careful. Why not we go back to the room? You can lie down!¡± ¡°No, get me a piece of chocte!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Ms. Chain did not dare to go far and quickly instructed Nancy to get the chocte. Joanna stood on the second floor with her hand on the railing. She had been feeling very dizzy these past few days. She was even more dispirited since she had not taken antidepressants.. Before the servant could bring the chocte over, her vision turned ck uncontrobly and she fell from the second floor! ¡°Madam, Madam¡­¡± Ms. Chain was shocked and quickly turned around to catch Joanna. But, it was toote. Joanna rolled down the stairs. ¡°Oh my god! Help!¡± Ms. Chain quickly went down the stairs. The servants on the first floor heard themotion and ran over. Joanna had already fallen to the first floor. She lost consciousness on the spot. Her forehead and cheeks were injured! The servants were all frightened and pounced forward to check on her. ¡°Oh no, Madam is bleeding! Call the driver quickly and send her to the hospital!¡± ¡°Call Mr. Everett! Inform Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The servants were anxious and flustered like cats on a hot tin roof! Joanna was sent to the hospital by the servants in no time! A servant quickly called Bruce! Beep, beep, beep! ww Bruce was in a meeting. When his phone vibrated, he took it out and saw that it was a call from the Bruce frowned. Needless to say, it must be Joanna throwing a tantrum and asking him to go back again! With that thought, Bruce hung up! Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. As the call could not go through, the servant hurriedly called Andy! ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Hello, Andy. Where is Mr. Everet?¡± Andy replied, ¡°Mr. Everett is in a meeting!¡± ¡°Hurry up and get Mr. Everett to answer the call. Ms. Haynes fell from the second floor and has been sent to the hospital!¡± Andy panicked when he heard that! Although Bruce had been in a fight with Joanna, Andy knew that Joanna was very important to Bruce! ¡°Oh, oh, wait a minute!¡± Andy did not dare to dy. He hurriedly entered the conference room with his phone! Bruce was in a meeting. All the high¨Clevel executives were listening to him attentively with serious expressions. ¡°Mr. Everet, there¡¯s a call for you!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened, and he said angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I will not answer external calls during meetings?¡± Andy had a nervous look on his face. He leaned close to Bruce¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Mr. Everett, Nancy called and said that Miss Haynes fell down the stairs¡­¡± When Bruce heard that, his eyes widened. He quickly took the phone and answered, ¡°Hello! Say that again!¡± Nancy¡¯s anxious voice could be heard from the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Everett, Madam fell down the stairs and has been sent to the hospital!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce stood up suddenly! ¡°Which hospital?¡± ¡°Greyport Hospital!¡± When Bruce heard that, his heart skipped a beat. He immediately left the group of high¨Clevel executives and walked out of the conference room. ¡°Why is Mr. Everett in such a hurry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard that someone was admitted to the hospital?¡± ¡°Who is it? Why is Mr. Everett so nervous?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about it for now. Do we still have to continue this meeting? Should we continue waiting here or go back first?¡± ¡°Uh, let¡¯s go back first! Seeing how anxious Mr. Everett is, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be back for a while!¡± The group of high¨Clevel executives stared at each other and started whispering. Bruce rushed to the hospital! ¡°Mr. Everett, Madam is still in the emergency room¡­¡± ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Bruce shouted. ¡°Madam is still in the emergency room. She hasn¡¯te out yet!¡± When Bruce heard that, his heart fluttered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you all taking care of her?¡± ¡°How did she fall from the second floor out of the blue?¡± ¡°Madam said she wanted to go to the courtyard for some fresh air! When she was about to go down the stairs, she said she was dizzy and asked me to get the chocte!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to walk away, so I asked Nancy to get it! When I was telling Nancy, Madam fell!¡± When Bruce heard that, his face turned ashen. His chest heaved rapidly. Joanna was already so weak. She was probably in an even more dangerous state now! At that moment, he was no longer worried about whether the child could survive. Instead, he was worried about whether Joanna could survive! ¡°Joanna, you must be safe and sound!¡± Bruce closed his eyes and prayed in his heart. He had been mad at her and had not seen her for a week. He did not expect such a serious ident to happen! Half an hourter! The door of the operating theater was opened finally! The doctor walked out with a solemn expression. Bruce was very anxious. He rushed toward the doctor and asked anxiously, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s Joanna?¡± The doctor frowned. ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes experienced a miscarriage¨Clike symptom! There are signs of a miscarriage. The baby is in an unstable stage!¡± ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already taken precautions to protect the baby. She can¡¯t get out of bed for a month! She must rest in bed to protect the baby and get three infections of pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine every day!¡± ¡°How about Joanna? Is she in danger?¡± Bruce asked worriedly. ¡°Ms. Haynes¡® external injuries are not severe. She will fully recover after some rest! However, Ms. Haynes¡® body was very weak. Her anemia symptoms did not improve at all!¡± ¡°I know¡­ You must try your best to treat her!¡± Bruce was a little dejected. Joanna refused to cat properly. She was unable to replenish her nutritional needs. Hence, her anemia could not improve. ¡°Mr. Everett, you may go in and see the patient!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± In the ward! Joanna was lying on the bed and wearing an oxygen mask. Her face was so pale as if there was no trace of blood! Bruce walked over and sat silently on the bed. His heart ached even more! ¡°Joanna, you must wake up!¡± ¡°You make my heart ache. It¡¯s so unbearable¡­¡± Bruce held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it was choked! He could not say all the words that he wanted! At that moment, it was probably useless for him to say anything. Bruce stayed close by Joanna¡¯s side for more than three hours. Only then did Joanna regain her consciousness. Her long eyshes shook slightly as she opened her eyes weakly. However, she saw everything in front of her in double images. It took her a while to barely see the outline of a man. §à Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Bruce immediately went up to Joanna when he saw she was awaken. He said in a rare gentle voice, ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re awake¡­ Joanna rolled her eyes. The silhouette in front of her eyes gradually became clearer! Only then she saw clearly that the person was Bruce! ¡°Doctor, pleasee in!¡± The doctor quickly rushed to the ward. After examining Joanna, the doctor said calmly, ¡°Ms. Haynes is doing fine now that she manages to wake up!¡± ¡°You have to be careful this month. Don¡¯t make unnecessary moves!¡± ¡°Take more nutritious meals and just focus on taking care of the baby! Bruce asked nervously, ¡°Do you have any additional advice?¡± There¡¯s nothing else. The patient¡¯s mental state isn¡¯t that good. She has to maintain a good mood and can¡¯t be agitated anymore!¡± ¡°Alright, I understand, doctor!¡± After giving a few more pieces of advice, the doctor turned around and left! Bruce held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly and looked at her worriedly and nervously. ¡°Joanna, what has happened? How did you fall down the stairs out of a sudden?¡± Joanna had no memory of the fall. Besides, she had just woken up and did not want to talk! ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Where else? Of course, it¡¯s the hospital!¡± ¡°Why am I in the hospital?¡± Joanna asked weakly. She remembered that she was on the second floor and was about to go to the backyard. She could not remember what happened after that! When Bruce heard that, his head hurt. He said softly, ¡°You fell from the stairs. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Joanna tried her best to recall, but unfortunately, she could not remember anything! However, her hand hurt from Bruce¡¯s grip. She subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back! She also turned her face slightly to the other side of the bed. She did not want to interact too much with Bruce! She could not help but feel frustrated when she saw him! Bruce paused. When he saw how she resisted him coldly, the gentleness on his face instantly disappeared! The damp woman gave him a headache! Did she fall on purpose? She fell down the stairs because she wanted to abort the baby! Bruce¡¯s expression turned uglier after he finished imagining the scenario! Joanna, what were you trying to do? Look at me!¡± Bruce turned her face over as he questioned her! Joanna looked at Bruce in disgust. ¡°I didn¡¯t try to do anything! It¡¯s what are you trying to do?¡± Bruce sneered and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Did you fall on purpose?¡± When Joanna heard that, her eyes rolled in surprise. She was even more furious! Was she crazy to fall down the stairs on purpose? However, she was very weak now and felt very ufortable! She did not want to argue with him! Seeing that Joanna was silent, Bruce was ascertain that his imagination was true. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re ruthless!¡± You put in a lot of effort to abort the child!¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he looked at Joanna coldly and sinisterly! Joanna¡¯s gaze shifted. She tried to ignore him! ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you. Say whatever you want!¡± As Joanna turned her head away again. Bruce became angrier. ¡°What do you want me to do, Joanna?¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m really tired. I don¡¯t want to argue with you!¡± ¡°Can you just let me go? Just pretend that we never knew each other!¡± Joanna said angrily before turning her gaze to Bruce. ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± Bruce refused decisively. ¡°You¡¯re rich and powerful. There are a lot of women willing to be with you. Why do you have to force me like this?¡± ¡°Joanna, let me tell you. I won¡¯t let you go in this lifetime! Don¡¯t you even think about getting rid of me in this lifetime!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She did not want to argue with him anymore! His domineering and stubborn personality was a sign of mental illness! Bruce broke his silence again after a while. He said in a gentler tone, ¡°Deliver the child! I¡¯ll give you your freedom after that!¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but ponder! If she could get rid of himpletely, then she was willing to give birth to the child! In the blink of an eye, Joanna had been hospitalized for three days. It was already the 23rd of December! It was the eve of Christmas Eve, which was also widely celebrated in the region! It was a family reunion day! There was only Joanna and the servants in the quiet and cold ward! Without her children by her side, she felt everything was lifeless. In Sherane Bay Vi! Roxanne had not seen Bruce for several days in a row. She could not get through to him on the phone either. Roxanne had to call Andy again to ask about Bruce. ¡°Hello, Andy. Is Bruce busy with anything these few days?¡± Andy replied politely, ¡°No, he¡¯s not busy with anything!¡± ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is working and getting off work as usual. There is nothing else! If you have anything, please call Mr. Everett!¡± Andy did not dare to reveal Bruce¡¯s whereabouts. Roxanne hung up angrily! She had not seen Bruce for a few consecutive days! Today, she identally spotted Bruce¡¯s car when she went to the hospital to collect her prenatal report! Only then she realized that Bruce had been in the hospital. Roxanne learned that Joanna was hospitalized through her secret observation! Bruce had been apanying Joanna every day! Roxanne was so angry after knowing that! She looked for Kensley in no time! ¡°Kensley!¡± ¡°What is I¡¯m the matter, Ms. Haynes!¡± Roxanne sneered, ¡°Joanna is here, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face twitched. ¡°I want to ask you for a favor!¡± ¡°Please tell me!¡± ¡°I want you to find a way to kill her child!¡± When Kensley heard that, he smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Mr. Everett is watching her every day!¡± ¡°You must have a way. I believe in you!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, we haven¡¯t even settled your debt from thest time!¡± ¡°Now you ask for my help again. What makes you think I¡¯ll help you?¡± Roxanne smiled calmly. ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re in the same boat now! If Margaret¡¯s incident was exposed, it won¡¯t be good for anyone!¡± ¡°Now, only by cooperating with me that everyone can have a good life! After I sessfully marry into the Everett family, you can get the money for sure!¡± When Kensley heard that, he did not say anything. ¡°Let me think about it!¡± He was already very afraid after Margaret¡¯s incident! And now, he was asked to kill another person. He did not dare to do it again! In the ward! ¡°Joann, have some chicken soup!¡± Thank you!¡± ¡°Men hired by Mr. Everett are guarding the door. I can only stay for a short while!¡± Miranda made chicken soup especially for Joanna! Bruce¡¯s bodyguards were watching from outside the ward. Bruce would alsoe over every day to visit Joanna! Today, Bruce came to apany Joanna again. As soon as he sat down, his phone rang. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce took out his phone and saw the call was from an unknown number. ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Hello, Bruce. I¡¯m Jennie!¡± Jennie¡¯s sweet voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Oh, is this your phone number?¡± That¡¯s right. I asked my brother for your phone number! I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, so I called you!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Okay. What is the matter?¡± ¡°Um, are you free?¡± ¡°What is the matter? Just tell me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my brother¡¯s birthday next Tuesday. I want to ask you toe over!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time next Tuesday!¡± Bruce declined directly. ¡°Bruce, my brother is your best friend. Aren¡¯t youing to celebrate his birthday?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have time!¡± Bruce had never attended any birthday parties so Zachary had not invited him! Jennie wanted to see Bruce, so she could not resist inviting him! ¡°When will you be free?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy now. Bye!¡± Bruce hung up the phone after saying that! What were these women thinking? It was not like he did not know their intentions! Many women fell head over heels for him. However, he did not really like women who were too proactive! ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re a busy man!¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°It¡¯s just an acquaintance inviting me to a birthday party! You know that I never attend these parties!¡± Joanna put on a straight and expressionless face! ¡°It¡¯s almost Christmas. Are you nning to let the children spend Christmas overseas by themselves?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bruce was stunned. ¡°I know you miss the children. I¡¯ll bring them back when you feel better!¡± ¡°How can I recuperate in such a situation? You know very well that the children are my life!¡± ¡°Why are you so cruel? Why did you take the children away from me!¡± Joanna could not help but cry again! Bruce was distraught seeing her crying! ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Don¡¯t be so agitated!¡± ¡°Bruce, I hate you. I really hate you!¡± Bruce hugged her gently and stroked her hair to calm her down. ¡°I know you hate me!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Joanna. I¡¯ve told you before. You can stay with me in peace! ¡°I¡¯ve been good to you. Why do you have to torture yourself? ¡°Why can¡¯t you get over the resentment of the past? I¡¯ve told you. There was a mistake between us. Why don¡¯t you believe in me?¡± Joanna continued crying in his arms! It was an exhausting rtionship for both of them! Roxanne was her biological sister. She really could not share a man with her biological sister! She would rather quit that rtionship! Beep! Beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang again! Roxanne called him again. She had already made more than ten calls in a row! SEND GIFT Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Bruce was annoyed! However, if he did not pick up the phone, he would be continuously harassed by Roxanne¡¯s relentless calls. ¡°I¡¯m going outside to answer the phone!¡± Bruce walked out of the ward with a dark expression as he spoke! When he reached the corridor, Bruce answered the phone in frustration, ¡°Hello!¡± Roxanne¡¯s soft voice could be heard from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, Bruce!¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Bruce frowned impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Roxanne gave out augh. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering your phone?¡± I¡¯m busy. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s about this! I want to get maternity photoshoots¡­¡± Before Roxanne could finish, Bruce raised his voice suddenly and shouted, ¡°If you want to get photoshoots, just get the photoshoots. Just do whatever you want! Can you stop bothering me over such a small matter?¡± ¡°Bruce, I just want to tell you that the photographer is very good. It¡¯s very difficult to book the photographer¡¯s schedule! If two people take the photos together, there will be a discount¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bruce had alreadypletely lost patience with her. ¡°Don¡¯t call me if there¡¯s nothing important in the future!¡± After saying that, Bruce hung up! He did not have the patience to apany her! He had apanied her for the prenatal checkup two days ago because he wanted to understand the necessary courses for a new father! After all, Joanna was also pregnant! When she gave birth the first time, he was not by her side and missed the birth of their children. Now, he wanted to be fully prepared! ¡°Hello, hello¡­¡± Roxanne shouted into the phone. Bruce had already hung up. Roxanne was so angry that she gritted her teeth! ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re a damn bitch! What spell did you cast to capture Bruce¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you seed no matter what! The more he cares about you, the more I want to destroy you!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to have another child to tie yourself up with Bruce? I won¡¯t let you have your way.¡± Roxanne was so angry and spiteful that her heart almost exploded! She called Kensley immediately! Kensley answered the call quite fast, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Kensley frowned. ¡°Ms. Haynes, why are you calling again?¡± ¡°Have you thought about what I told you yesterday?¡± Kensley paused for a few seconds and said awkwardly. ¡°Ms. Haynes, the n is too risky. It¡¯s not easy to do it!¡± ¡°If Mr. Everett finds out, I won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Hmph, you don¡¯t have to make excuses! Didn¡¯t you handle the previous matter smoothly?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, what happenedst time is different from your n this time!¡± He was at most an aplice in Margaret¡¯s incident! However, if he act ording to Roxanne¡¯s n, the consequences of the matter would be much more serious. ¡°What are the differences? Besides, I¡¯m only asking you to think of a way to abort her child! I¡¯m not asking you to kill anyone. Why are you flustering?¡± Roxanne mocked Kensley. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you haven¡¯t settled the debt for the previous matter! Now you¡¯re instructing me to do another task¡­¡± Roxanne smiled coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer another 2 million dors to you. After the mission ispleted, you¡¯ll be rewarded handsomely!¡± When Kensley heard that, his eyes instantly lit up! Roxanne mentioned 2 million dors. How many years did he need to work before he could earn 2 million dors? ¡°Ah¡­ Alright!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Roxanne hung up immediately after saying that! Then, she transferred 2 million dors to Kensley¡¯s overseas ount. ¡°Joanna, I won¡¯t let you have your way. Keep dreaming if you want to give birth to Bruce¡¯s child!¡± Roxanne gritted her teeth. Her face was contorted with anger! Joanna was no longer just a love rival to Roxanne! Roxanne considered Joanna an enemy who needed to be fought to the death. After transferring money to Kensley, Roxanne still could not suppress the anger in her heart! Since Bruce openly cheated on her, why should she suffer alone? Her love interest with Gavin had resurrected recently! She finally tasted the feeling of satisfaction as a woman. ¡°Hey, Gavin!¡± When Gavin answered the call, his voice trembled with excitement. ¡°Roxy, you finally called me!¡± ¡°See you at the usual ce at 2 p.m. tomorrow!¡± ¡°Alright, Roxy Hospital! At the nurse¡¯s station, the head nurse ced a few pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicines on the medicine rack. ¡°These are the pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine that Ms. Haynes will be injected with today!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The nurse swiftly prepared the medicine and was going to see Joanna for the injection. ¡°Penicillin, please!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The nurse turned around and went to get the medicine. Kensley had been observing from the side for a long time. While the nurse was taking the medicine, he took the opportunity to secretly rece one of the pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine with glucose! Joanna was showing signs of miscarriage. She needed to be Injected with fixed dosages of pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine regrly! If she missed even a dose, it would have a big impact on the fetus! When Kensley had just finished swapping the medicine, the nurse turned around and happened to see him sneaking around. ¡°Doctor Leach, what are you doing?¡± Kensleyughed awkwardly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing! I¡¯m just checking the medicine!¡± When the nurse heard that, she did not say anything and went straight to the ward with the medicine! ¡°Ms. Haynes, it¡¯s time for your injection!¡± Joanna did not say anything and just extended her left hand! The nurse carefully disinfected her arm with iodine, then she transferred the pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine into arge syringe and injected it into a bottle of glucose! Then, she inserted the needle into Joanna¡¯s arm and started the drip.. Joanna took a look at the drip and felt that it was a little different from before! She had already been injected with the pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine for a few days and knew the color of the medicine. It had always been light yellow previously! The color of the medicine in the IV drip was a little pale today. ¡°What medicine is this?¡± 4 18 1 . ¡°This is a pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine,¡± the nurse exined with a smile. Then, she checked on Joanna again. Joanna was a little puzzled. The color of the medicine was clearer and paler. However, she did not think too much about it! After all, the doctor would adjust the dosage of the medicine ording to the patient¡¯s condition. Two hourster! Joanna had already finished with the drip. However, she felt more and more ufortable. Her lower abdomen was hurting! Her pale face was covered in ayer of cold sweat. ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ms. Chain immediately realized that something was wrong with Joanna! Joanna clutched her abdomen with a pained expression. ¡°Yes, my stomach hurts¡­¡± When Ms. Chain heard that, she panicked and hurriedly called the doctor over. ¡°Doctor, pleasee here quickly. The patient has a stomachache!¡± When the gynecologists heard this, they rushed to the ward. Joanna was already showing signs of contraction when the attending doctor of the Gynecology Department checked on her. It was a sign of a miscarriage. The doctor¡¯s expression was solenin as he asked the nurse beside him, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you administer the pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine on time?¡± The nurse looked nervous and uneasy. ¡°Yes, I did it on time!¡± ¡°Hurry up and send the patient to the emergency room!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The doctors and nurses did not dare to dy. They hurriedly sent Joanna to the operating theater! In the operating theater! A few specialists tried all means they could think of to save Joanna! After three to four hours of hard work, they finally stabilized Joanna¡¯s baby. They left the operating theater! The attending doctor finally heaved a sigh of relief. He was so nervous that he was sweating profusely. The other doctors were also extremely nervous! ¡°Doctor, Ms. Haynes has gotten better. Why did her condition suddenly worsen today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When I examined her yesterday, the fetus was doing well! Why are there signs of miscarriage today?¡± When the attending doctor and other doctors heard that, their expressions turned solemn! ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a problem with the dosage of pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine! Investigate it properly! Figure out what the reason is!¡± ¡°Did the nurse make a mistake? Our hospital mustn¡¯t make such a beginner¡¯s mistake!¡± A doctor retorted. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The head nurse took the medicine herself! Hazel has worked in the hospital for nearly ten years. It¡¯s impossible for her to make such a beginner¡¯s mistake!¡± ¡°No matter what. Ms. Haynes¡® precious baby has finally stabilized. This is a blessing in disguise!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Everett has instructed us to take good care of Ms. Haynes and her baby! If anything happens, we won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Investigate the root cause properly! We¡¯ll be able to exin if Mr. Everett asks in the future!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Joanna¡¯s baby was safe again. The doctors heaved a sigh of relief. The hospital was run by the Everett family! Everyone in Greyport knew about Bruce¡¯s bad temper! If there was a medical ident, the doctors might not only have their medical licenses revoked, they would probably not be able to survive in Greyport! Kensley was even more nervous. His face was covered in cold sweat. He was the one who secretly changed the pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine, which caused Joanna to have miscarriage symptoms! If the incident was traced back to himter, he would be in big trouble. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 In the medical office ¡°Have you checked the surveince cameras? What exactly went wrong?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve already checked the surveince footage but didn¡¯t find anything wrong.¡± That¡¯s weird. How could the dosage of the tocolytic agent suddenly go wrong?¡± The attending doctor of the Gynecology Department could not help but lose his temper. ¡°Sir, is there a chance that Ms. Haynes is too weak, which has caused the signs of a miscarriage?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so! Things did turn much better a few days ago! But it suddenly happened today without no signs. The only reason is that she didn¡¯t get sufficient dosages! ¡°We don¡¯t allow anything like this to happen here in our hospital! It might be fine if it were other patients, but you all know who this Ms. Haynes is! ¡°It¡¯s not your first day at work. How could you make such a stupid mistake?¡± The head nurse looked deeply wronged. ¡°I did take four dosages of the tocolytic agent. I swear I did! ¡°I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t make a mistake!¡± Another doctor added, ¡°Did someone change the medicine? ¡°Who¡¯s been in the pharmacy?¡± The nurse named Hazel suddenly remembered something. ¡°If memory serves, only Doctor came here!¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± Kensley looked nervous and mumbled. ¡°Did you touch the medicine?¡± The attending doctor put on a straight face. Kensley panicked and stammered, ¡®I¡­ I might have identally put the wrong medicine!¡± The attending doctor was even more furious to hear that. ¡°Damn it! How could you make such a stupid mistake?¡± ¡°I was neglectful and careless. I promise I won¡¯t make the same mistake again! ¡°Please give me a chance to correct my mistake! It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doctors. Even the slightest mistake can cause medical negligence and get people killed! And you do know who it is in that ward! ¡°If anything happens to her, all of us will be doomed!¡± ¡°Sorry. It was my fault! I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± The attending doctor thought it over and decided what happened today could not go public. If word got out, he would probably lose his job! ¡°You¡¯ll get a written warning, and your year¨Cend bonus will be deducted! Confess your sins to God!¡± ¡°Understood, sir!¡± Kensley¡¯s heart was pounding! It was close! She almost gave herself away. Fortunately, the attending doctor did not get to the bottom of it! Soon enough! Bruce made it to the hospital as fast as he could after receiving the news. ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Everett! Ms. Haynes has stabilized!¡± The attending doctor of the Gynecology Departmentforted Bruce, not daring to tell Bruce they had made a mistake about the medicine! Bruce¡¯s face sank. ¡°Cheer up, all of you! If anything happens to Joanna, you know the consequences!¡± ¡°Got it. Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce said nothing else but went to the ward to check on Joanna. In the ward. Joanna was lying weakly in bed, and a servant was waiting on her. ¡°Joanna, how are you feeling? ¡°Are you feeling terrible?¡± Joanna wore a breathing mask and blinked weakly! Bruce was worried. He caressed her head andforted her gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here for you, and everything will be fine!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and closed them again! ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett just had surgery. She must have a good rest now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything else and left the ward. He had to go outside and smoke a cigarette to calm himself down! As soon as he went out, he saw Roxanneing over with a servant. The servant was holding a bunch of flowers. Roxanne put on a smile immediately when she saw Bruce. ¡°Hi, Bruce!¡± There was one good thing about her! No matter how angry Bruce was with her, she could still smile as if nothing had happened. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Bruce frowned and took the cigarette out of his mouth. ¡°I heard Joanna is in hospital, so I¡¯m here to visit her!¡± Bruce said coldly. ¡°We¡¯re good here. You don¡¯t have toe. Just go home!¡± After being told off, Roxanne pouted and said, ¡°Bruce, have you forgotten that Joanna has pissed Grandma off and caused her death? ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t hate Joanna if you don¡¯t¡­¡± Bruce interrupted her abruptly. ¡°Enough! Shut up and go home!¡± Roxanne choked in anger and said indignantly. ¡°Bruce, I know you care about Joanna! ¡°But don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far? You¡¯re caring too much about Joanna now. Grandma would be so disappointed if she knew it!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°I¡¯ve told you to shut up!¡± Roxanne¡¯s softened her tone a little. She shook Bruce¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t be mad at me! ¡°You¡¯ve always been tolerant of Joanna. Why are you so mad at me? Joanna is carrying your child. So am I! ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to treat me the way you treat Joanna, but Bruce, can you please show me more concern and treat me better? ¡°Or you think Joanna is more important than Grandma?¡± Bruce frowned tightly, and his chest was bumping up and down in anger. Joanna had caused the death of his grandma. Undoubtedly, he was furious! But she was pregnant with his child. How could he bear to torture her? ¡°Mind your own business! Stay out of it!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re too soft¨Chearted! That¡¯s why Joanna showed no respect to Grandma, and that¡¯s how Grandma passed away!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you not to mention it again!¡± ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t mention it again! If you forgive Joanna, who am I to me her?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. She kept reminding Bruce of the cause of Margaret¡¯s death, which had broken his heart. Roxanne knew Margaret was the most important person to Bruce. So she had to remind him at all times. And Joanna had pissed Margaret off and caused her death! She did not believe that Bruce would have forgotten it all so fast! Bruce didn¡¯t bother to listen to any more of her words. He turned around and returned to the ward. Joanna had already woken up and heard the argument outside. ¡°Who¡¯s out there?¡± ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s nothing!¡± Joanna looked at Bruce and saw the terrible look on his face. She guessed that Roxanne was here to make a scene again! At the thought of this, Joanna suddenly came up with something. Did Roxanne have something to do with the ident? As they were talking, Cora knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Good day, Mr. Everett. I¡¯m here to visit Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Okay! I get going now!¡± Bruce left in frustration. ¡°Cora!¡± ¡°How are you? ¡°How¡¯s thepany been doing recently?¡± ¡°Mr. Hughes is in charge of the Haynes Group now. Everything is going well!¡± Joanna asked nervously, ¡°What about the factory?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm is in charge of the factory! No worries, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m relieved!¡± ¡°One more thing!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, you remember you told me to find that Mrs. Maxwell? We¡¯ve found her!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s back in her hometown Greene Town and has lived in the countryside ever since!¡± Joanna thought it over. ¡°Bring her to Greyport. Find a ce for her to stay first. I¡¯ll pay for all the expenses.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes! ¡°If nothing else, I¡¯ll leave for my work!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Well, Mr. Grimm told me to pass you a message. He¡¯s worried about you!¡± ¡°Tell him I¡¯m fine and not to worry about me!¡± Saying it, Cora stuffed a note into Joanna¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh, okay! I¡¯ve gotta go now!¡± ¡°Really? Please wash some grapes for me first! ¡°Malia, please go get me some soup!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She had sent the two of them away! Joanna hurriedly opened the note and took a quick look! It was a note from Jaydon.. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m so worried about you¡­¡± Joanna read it and hurriedly threw it away. She was in a critical period at the time. The servant was watching her in the ward, and the bodyguards were watching her Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. door! It was impossible to speak out of the hospital! However, it was not a long¨Cterm policy to wait for it to grow day by day! ¡°Mrs. Everett, here¡¯s your soup!¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett just called and said he might be herete at night! ¡°He won¡¯t be here until after 9 p.m.!¡± ¡°Call him back and tell him not toe over!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± No matter howte it was, Bruce woulde over to keep herpany each night! This was also the most peaceful time since they had been together! At 9:30 p.m. Bruce came Again! He had been in meetings all day and felt his head was about to explode! He loosened his tie as soon as he entered the ward and took off his jacket! ¡°Feeling better today?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve talked about it. You don¡¯t have toe over if you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°How can that be? I wasn¡¯t here for you when you gave birth to the first child!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 237 Chapter 237 ¡°No matter what, I will be here for you this time!¡± Bruce said with determination, but he looked as gentle as amb. Joanna heard it and felt that her heart wrenched for no reason. If he had ever been as gentle to her as this before, she would probably still love him badly. However, things changed. She had walked in the cold st and got caught in the pouring rain. She was once helpless. desperate, and deeply hurt by him. So she had shut herself off and wouldn¡¯t trust him again. It was difficult for her to open her heart to him again. Seeing that Joanna was still in low spirits, Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked at her with a smile. ¡°I have good news for you!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Joanna still looked depressed without the slightest expectation. What good news could Bruce bring her? It should be nothing more than him acquiring a few more listed companies or closing more big deals. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll tell youter when it¡¯s the right time!¡± Bruce swallowed his words when he saw Joanna was not looking forward to the good news! He had made a call the day before and nned to bring the children back to the country! They would arrive the next afternoon! He had nned to tell Joanna the good news as soon as possible. But he gave it a second thought and decided to surprise her. She would be overjoyed to see the children when they arrived! Joanna rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t talk to him again! He was always so full of himself. Only God knows what he was thinking in his mind again! What he thought was good news might not necessarily be good news for her! Bruce stayed for another while and could not help but rub his temples. ¡°Ouch, I have a terrible headache!¡± ¡°You should go home and have a good sleep!¡± ¡°Can you massage my head for me? I¡¯ve had nine meetings in a row today. Oh, I feel my head is about to explode!¡± Bruce leaned against the bed exhaustedly! The Everett Group was a bigpany. It would keep him as busy as a bee by handling his daily work in thepany. And he also had to make time to visit Joanna these few days. He had barely slept at all. Looking at his exhausted face, Joanna felt her heart broken for no reason. She could not help but reach out her hands to rub his temples! As she did so, Brucey on the bed, looking like he was enjoying it. Seeing this, Joanna didn¡¯t have the heart to stop the massage immediately. She had no choice but to continue rubbing his temples. She kept massaging his head for about ten minutes. Surprisingly, Bruce was snoring lightly! Joanna looked down and found that he had fallen asleep at the head of the bed! It was clear that he was exhausted! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen asleep so quickly. Joanna was stunned and stopped doing the massage! Indeed, he had a perfect side face. He had thick eyebrows and a tall nose. His angr jawline gave him the charisma of toughness but not roughness. He was. like a perfect statue, a real piece of art! She had no idea how to face this man! ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna softly called his name! Bruce did not react at all and slept like a log! Joanna did not dare to wake him up again. She grabbed the suit jacket beside him and put it on his shoulders. He slept for more than an hour! Bruce turned over as if he had a nightmare. He suddenly grabbed in the air. ¡°Joanna! Joanna¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s wrist was grabbed tightly, and she woke up with a start. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce shook his head and held Joanna¡¯s wrist tightly. A momentter, he chilled out and said slowly, ¡°Nothing. It was only a dream!¡± ¡°What did you dream about?¡± Joanna asked subconsciously. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°I dreamt that¡­¡± Bruce stopped mid¨Csentence! In his dream, he dreamed that Joanna had left him. He tried his best to catch up, but he failed no matter how hard he tried. Looking at Joanna¡¯s confused face, Bruce smiled bitterly again. ¡°No biggie. I just had a dream hysteria.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± Joanna took a look at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s almost 11 p.m.!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been asleep for an hour and a half?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Bruce stood up and straightened his numb limbs. He refreshed himself and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been too tired recently!¡± Joanna pursed her lips. ¡°Go home and have a good rest! It¡¯s gettingte!¡± ¡°I want to stay here with you for a little longer!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. It¡¯s eleven now! I¡¯m supposed to go to bed, too!¡± Hearing that, Bruce flicked his tongue and could not find a good reason to stay! ¡°Alright then! Off I go. I¡¯lle and see you tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna replied gently. Bruce leaned over and kissed her forehead. ¡°Take good care of the baby. Everything will be fine! Tm right here. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything!¡± Joanna said nothing in reply and just looked into his eyes weakly! Bruce lowered his head and kissed her lips again. ¡°Good night. I gotta go!¡± After that, Bruce put on his suit jacket and casually tied his tie around his neck. Then, he opened the door and walked out! Bruce left. Joanna felt sad for no reason. Somehow, the gentler he was, the worse she felt! He was doing everything he could and trying to win her heart and trust again. However, she had shut herself off. Even if he won her heart and trust again, he would only hurt her one more time. ¡°Bruce, I hope you can stop doing this! No matter what you do, you can¡¯tpensate for what you¡¯ve done to hurt me!¡± She had already been in hospital for more than one week. It would be Christmas Eve two dayster! It seemed she had to celebrate Christmas alone in the hospital this year! Since her mother passed away. Joanna had been all alone for Christmas each year. After she became a mother, she celebrated Christmas with her children! Unexpectedly, she was alone for Christmas again this year! The next day! Roxanne woke up early and couldn¡¯t help but call Kensley. Beep! The call went through immediately. Kensley quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Doctor Leach, how was it going?¡± Kensley sighed and said in frustration and fear, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it again. I almost got into trouble!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I found an opportunity to do it the day before yesterday but got busted. Joanna has safely kept her baby again. I¡¯m already under suspicion, so I can¡¯t risk it anymore!¡± Roxanne heard that and got even more exasperated. ¡°Damn it! You took two million dors from me. You can¡¯t even do your job!¡± Kensley was a little angry to hear that and retorted bluntly, ¡°Ms. Haynes, you promised to give me 20 million dors after 1 helped you with Mrs. Margaret Everett! ¡°But you gave me one million dors only. And this two million dors is still far from enough!¡± Roxanne gritted her teeth and tried her best to suppress her anger. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You muste up with something else to get it done!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t promise you that! If I do it again, I¡¯ll definitely be caught! ¡°Ive aroused suspicionst time. If anything happens again, I¡¯ll surely be the first to be suspected. In that case, I won¡¯t be able to stay in Greyport anymore!¡± Hearing that, Roxanne was pissed off. ¡°What do you mean? You mean you want to quit?¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s what I meant. Joanna isn¡¯t just nobody. Mr. Everett cares too much about her! ¡°I can¡¯t ruin my future and honor for the money! ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Gotta run!¡± Kensley said and hung up the phone. He was a top student who had graduated from a medical university and had a promising future before him. He did not dare to go astray and mess it up! After Kensley hung up the phone, Roxanne flew into a rage and mmed the phone on the bed. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re a jinx! God! It¡¯s unfair! Howe she has everything good? Based on what?¡± The more Roxanne thought of it, the more desperate she got. She picked up the phone and called Ingrid. ¡°Hello, Roxy!¡± ¡°Hi. Mom!¡± Ingrid¡¯s concerned voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°You¡¯re calling me early in the morning? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you!¡± ¡°Christmas ising in two days. I¡¯m busy shopping for Christmas decorations and presents these days! By the way, are you and Bruceing over and celebrating Christmas with us?¡± Roxanne heard it and felt even more terrible. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for the past few days!¡± ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter again?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been with the bitch Joanna these few days. He doesn¡¯t have time for me! ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll stay with that little bitch for this year¡¯s Christmas. In no way will he celebrate Christmas with me!¡± Ingrid heard that, and she sneered. ¡°What a slut! Joanna¡¯s getting more smug! ¡°You are also to be med. You¡¯ve never defeated her since you were young! Can¡¯t you smart up and make your mother proud? ¡°You got her to kick your ass each time. Shame on you!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help but be mean to her daughter. SEND GIFT Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Roxanne was even more furious when she heard those words, and she shouted into the phone, ¡°Fine. I can¡¯t beat her, not even once. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m useless! ¡°You wish she were your daughter, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t deserve to be your daughter. Are you happy now? Ingrid curled her lips and snorted. ¡°Look at you! What nonsense are you talking about? You¡¯re damn good at being mad at your mother! Did I say anything wrong? ¡°Just admit the fact that you can¡¯t beat her. Don¡¯t be such a sore loser!¡± ¡°Fine! Fine! I¡¯m done talking to you! I called you toin, not to expect you to give me a lesson!¡± ¡°You! You¡¯ve always been a short fuse!¡± ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯vee up with something to deal with that damned bitch? ¡°Why haven¡¯t you done it yet? She¡¯s getting more smug!¡± Roxanne roared into the phone in dissatisfaction. But she didn¡¯t know Ingrid had hired a killer to assassinate Joanna! Of course, Ingrid would not tell her anything about it! Ingrid sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t jump the gun. You have to sit tight and wait! ¡°A little impatience will spoil a big n. Joanna won¡¯t have her day as long as I¡¯m here!¡± Roxanne choked in anger. ¡°She has already suspected us! You¡¯re smart, aren¡¯t you? Figure out something to deal with her!¡± On the other end of the line, Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine. I know what to do. Take care of yourself and the baby. Everything else is no big deal! ¡°That¡¯s it. Bye for now!¡± Ingrid said it and hung up the phone abruptly! After she hung up on Roxanne, Ingrid took a few deep breaths. She was so angry that she was blue in the face! She must say her cousins were indeed two idiots. After all this time, they still hadn¡¯t made a move! Ingrid was so furious that she called her cousin directly. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Ingrid!¡± As soon as the call went through, Ingrid thundered, ¡°What¡¯s going on with what I told you to do? ¡°It¡¯s been three months, and there¡¯s no progress till now! Christmas ising soon. When the hell are you going to get it done?¡± Wace frowned and quickly exined, ¡°Ingrid, it is tricky now! ¡°Joanna is staying in the hospital now, and she has got bodyguards and servants around. Other than that, there are many doctors and nurses in the hospital. We can¡¯t enter her room at all!¡± Ingrid¡¯s pupils dted as she roared, ¡°It¡¯s your problem! Do you still want that 4 million dors or not? ¡°If you still want it, figure out something. Stop giving me crap! You get a brain and think with it! ter 23 ¡°That damned bitch won¡¯t wait ande to her death if you don¡¯te up with something!¡± Wace said timidly. ¡°Chill out. We¡¯re on it! ¡°We have to think of a perfect n. We can¡¯t act rashly! Otherwise, we¡¯ll be shot to death!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help but curse again. ¡°Make it quick! I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± ¡°Okay! Okay! Wait for our good news!¡± After Wace finished talking with Ingrid, he immediately called Ramos. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Ramos, can you do it or not?¡± Ramos was silent for a few seconds and said hoarsely, ¡°Wait a little longer. I¡¯ve already found out which ward she¡¯s staying in! ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of a way to sneak into the ward. I definitely won¡¯t screw it this time!¡± Hearing it, Wace was a little anxious. ¡°Are you going to do it right in the ward?¡± ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve already thought of a way out. I guarantee they won¡¯t have anything on you if you pay on time.¡± Wace pondered for a few seconds. ¡°No worries. You¡¯ll receive the payment as soon as Joanna Haynes dies! ¡°I¡¯ll transfer 40 thousand dors to you first.¡± ¡°No! I want you to settle the bnce immediately!¡± ¡°Come on, dude! The bitch is not dead yet!¡± Ramos coughed twice and panted heavily. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll kill her this time. You have my word. But I have to receive the bnce first! ¡°Otherwise, this deal won¡¯t work!¡± ¡°Alright then! ¡°Mark my words. If you miss it this time, I¡¯ll get someone toe after your family!¡± Ramos kept his voice down. ¡°I guarantee I¡¯ll get the job done nicely this time. Ahem! Ahem!¡± As he spoke, Ramos could not help to cough! He was already terminally ill. He would probably die in one or two months! He was afraid that it would be toote if he didn¡¯t make his move soon. He wanted to earn the money and leave it to his wife and children! He had made a n. He would dress up as a doctor and sneak into Joanna¡¯s ward! He did not intend to live after he killed Joanna! In the hospital. ¡°Mrs. Everett, have some milk. Mr. Everett told me to get you the milk! ¡°Mr. Everett said you should have a ss of milk daily and told us to watch you finish it!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna got up and drank up the milk. She had a better appetite, and she could finally eat something. After drinking the milk, Joannay down again. Ms. Chain cleared the dishes and smiled mildly. ¡°Mr. Everett just called and said he would be here at eight tonight!¡± ¡°Okay, I see!¡± ¡°Then you should rest for a while!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna replied and closed her eyes again for rest! She had an unstable centa and did not dare to move around. She would eat, sleep and do everything in bed! Fortunately, the servants were meticulous, and she didn¡¯t feel ufortable. One o¡¯clock in the afternoon! There came a man, around 5.5 feet tall, who was wearing a doctor¡¯s uniform, a mask, and a sterile doctor cap. He was walking towards Joanna¡¯s ward. At the door of the ward, two bodyguards stopped him. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for the ward rounds!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in charge of the sanitation management and go the ward rounds once a month!¡± ¡°Okay! Come on in.¡± The bodyguards looked the man up and down suspiciously! N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He talked shop and looked professional with a piece of detector equipment in his hand, so the bodyguards believed it. The man dressed as a doctor looked gloomy on his face. He opened the door of the ward and went in! Ms. Chain looked the man up and down. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to check the sanitation standards! Please stay out of the room for a while. I have to test the formaldehyde level in the ward with my equipment!¡± Ms. Chain and Nancy couldn¡¯t believe it! ¡°Will there be formaldehyde in this ward? This is a VIP ward!¡± Ramos said in a low voice. The ward was renovatedst month. We¡¯ve cleaned off the formaldehyde! ¡°But we have to do a formaldehyde removal once a month! It¡¯s expiring today, and we have to purify the air in the room!¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± ¡°Yeah. You can wait at the door! It won¡¯t take more than ten minutes!¡± ¡°Fine then!¡± Ms. Chain and Nancy said nothing else and left the ward obediently! Joanna was still lying on the bed and listening quietly! She vaguely felt the man¡¯s figure was familiar but couldn¡¯t remember who he was. The servants left the ward. Ramos pretended to fiddle with the detector and suddenly took a sharp knife out of his pocket. He turned around and tried to stab Joanna! Joanna looked into Ramos¡¯s eyes and suddenly remembered it all. But it was toote when she realized it. Ramos hade at her with a knife. Joanna dodged to the side in fear and cowered in the corner of the bed! Pift! Ramos had stabbed the knife into the nket! ¡°Ah! Help!¡± Joanna screamed and raised her arms, and then the IV drip bottle knocked down onto Ramos together with the pole! Pfft! Ramos stabbed again. Joanna hurriedly picked up the pillow and blocked it! Hiss! The pillow was cut open, and the feathers inside flew everywhere! Joanna raised her leg to kick Ramos in the chest and then rolled from the other side of the bed onto the ground! ¡°Help!¡± ¡°Something¡¯s happening inside?¡± The bodyguards and the servants heard the cry and immediately pushed the door open! Unfortunately, the door was already locked from the inside! ¡°On your feet!¡± The bodyguard stepped back and kicked the ward door open. When the bodyguards rushed into the ward, they were shocked! One of the bodyguards kicked Ramos right in the chest! Ramos took a few steps backward and spat out a mouthful of blood before he fell to the ground. He was already in thete stages of cancer and was too weak. The kick was killing him. He could not stand steadily or climb. up from the ground. The other two bodyguards jumped over and twisted Ramos¡¯s hands in the back, firmly restraining him on the ground. ¡°Who are you?¡± Ramosy on the ground, struggling. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t fight back at all. Joanna took off his mask and took a look at his face. He was the man who tried to kill her in the toilet last time! ¡°Who are you? Why do you want to kill me?¡± Ramos spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes were wide open, and he could not say a word. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 ¡°Ah! Ouch!¡± Joanna¡¯s face went pale, and she had severe pain in her lower abdomen. Then she felt something warm flowing down her thighs! ¡°Mrs. Everett! Mrs. Everett! Are you alright?¡± Ms. Chain screamed and hurriedly went forward to hold her up: Nancy looked at Joanna¡¯s blood¨Csoaked pants and screamed, ¡°Oh god! Mrs. Everett is bleeding!¡± ¡°Send for the doctor and call Mr. Everett! Now!¡± Nancy was so frightened that she hurriedly shouted out for the doctor. ¡°Doctor! Doctor! We need help here!¡± The doctors and nurses heard the shout and rushed over in no time. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Um, my abdomen hurts a lot.¡± Joanna was already in so much pain that she could hardly stand still. When the attending doctor of the Gynecology Department saw the situation, he got so scared that his hair stood on end. ¡°Chop¨Cchop! Take Ms. Haynes to the operating room!¡± Two nurses hurriedly moved Joanna to the mobile bed and wheeled her into the operating room. ¡°Ouch! My abdomen hurts a lot. It¡¯s killing me..¡± Joannay in the operating room in a cold sweat. The attending doctor of the Gynecology Department examined her, and his face sank in a second. Joanna had a miscarriage. There was nothing they could do to save it! ¡°Oh no! The patient has a massive hemorrhage!¡± Joanna was losing consciousness, and blood kepting down. ¡°Go and inform the blood bank that the patient needs a blood transfusion now! Get ready for surgery!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The doctors and nurses were in a mess! Soon enough, Bruce freaked out right after he received the news. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. He immediately drove to the hospital. He ran several red lights on the way. Usually, it took twenty minutes to drive to the hospital, but he had made it ten. Bruce got out of the car and rushed to the operating room! ¡°Mr. Everett Ms. Chain, Nancy, and the others were waiting outside the operating room, looking extremely worried and scared. ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna? How is she?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were bloody red in anger, looking like he was about to explode. Ms. Chain was worried sick. Bruce¡¯s roar had scared the shit out of her, and she felt her heart in her throat. She stammered, ¡°Mrs. Everett is in surgery now. The doctor is trying to get her back!¡± Bruce gasped and thundered, ¡°What happened? What has happened?¡± ¡°Not long ago¡­ a killer pretended to be a doctor and came to do a ward round! Then¡­ he tried to kill Mrs. Everett!* What! Hearing it, Bruce felt a chill down his spine. He looked fiercely at the bodyguards beside him. ¡°What the hell were you doing?¡± The bodyguard was so scared that he dared not look up at him. ¡°Mr. Everell, we¡¯ve caught the killer!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the killer now?¡± The killer has been taken to the security room. We¡¯ve called the police. The police are on their way!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and wanted to fly into a rage. However, Joanna was still in surgery, and he didn¡¯t have the time to settle the score with the killer right now. The operating room door opened when Bruce was bewildered. A nurse walked out with a straight face and ran toward the other end of the corridor. Bruce hurriedly stopped the nurse. ¡°Nurse, how¡¯s the patient?¡± ¡°The patient has a massive hemorrhage and needs an immediate blood transfusion!¡± The nurse told him and left in a hurry! Hearing that, Bruce¡¯s mind went nk! Gosh! Joanna had a massive hemorrhage! Would she die? Bruce staggered and leaned heavily against the wall. ¡°Joanna, you must hold on. Please don¡¯t die!¡± In the operating room. The surgery was still ongoing! Although Joanna had a miscarriage, she still had embryo residues and needed a dtion and curettage! And she also had a massive hemorrhage. The situation was critical! The doctors were all on high alert and dared not make any mistakes. Three hourster. The lights in the operating room finally went out, and the doctor came out! Seeing it, Bruce¡¯s heart was about to pound out of his chest. He rushed to the doctor and asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient?¡± The doctor frowned and said regretfully, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Everett. We lost the baby!¡± ¡°Then, what about Joanna?¡± ¡°Fortunately we¡¯ve saved Ms. Haynes! ¡°But Ms. Haynes¡¯s uterus has been damaged. She mustn¡¯t be pregnant again in theing three years. ¡°Otherwise, it will cause a mass hemorrhage because her endometrium is too thin!¡± ¡°Okay, I see!¡± Bruce gasped and sighed with relief. He could take it though they lost the baby, and he only wanted Joanna to be safe! ¡°Doctor, use the best medicine! Don¡¯t worry about money. You must ensure Joanna is safe and sound!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Everett. We will do our best!¡± Bruce was still worried sick though the doctor had promised over and over. ¡°Can I go see her now?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes has to stay in ICU for observation tonight!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce felt a little relieved after confirming Joanna¡¯s situation with the doctor! He finally had the time to settle scores with the killer! The killer darede after Joanna. Bruce swore that he would make the killer suffer like hell and die in desperation! Bruce looked solemn as he red at his assistant beside him gloomily. ¡°Where¡¯s the killer?¡± The bodyguard lowered his head and said in a shaking voice, ¡°The police have taken the killer away. I believe the truth will be revealed soon!¡± ¡°Go to the police station and look into it. Find out who he is. He has attacked Joanna. How dared he!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce put on a long face and called the superintendent of the police station. The next day. Joanna¡¯s condition stabilized, and she was transferred to a ward! Joanna was lying on the hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask, and had several tubes inserted in her! It broke Bruce¡¯s heart to see Joanna like this! ¡°Joanna, how are you doing?¡± Joanna opened her eyes slightly and looked at Bruce weakly. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were extremely red, and he said in a nasal voice, ¡°Thank God! I¡¯m so d that you made it!¡± ¡°Ahem! What about the baby?¡± ¡°Sorry, Joanna. We lost the baby. ¡°But it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s already a blessing to bring you back to life!¡± When Joanna heard that the baby was gone, she was still a little upset. She subconsciously touched her lower abdomen. At first, she did not want this baby. However, she gradually figured it out after spending days in bed to prevent the miscarriage. After all, it was a life, and she still wanted to keep it! Karma¡¯s a bitch! She couldn¡¯t get rid of the babies when she didn¡¯t want to have them. However, she couldn¡¯t keep the baby when she wished. to have it. Joanna closed her eyes sadly and couldn¡¯t help shedding tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Joanna. I¡¯ve brought Davian, Irvin, and Lilia back to the country! ¡°I¡¯ll get the children toe and visit you when you feel better!¡± Bruce said gently, carefully wiping off the tears for her Joanna felt a little better to hear that. It wouldn¡¯t help to be sad. The only thing she could do was rest well and recover herself as soon as possible! And she had to find out who had tried to kill her again. ¡°Who exactly wants to kill me? This killer has attacked me once before! ¡°But I don¡¯t even know him! Why would he want to kill me?¡± Bruce frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it! ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to investigate it, and the police will get back to us as soon as possible. No one can hurt you for no reason and get away with it!¡± Joanna listened and tried hard t to recall the idents she had. She was sure that the killer was not the one who wanted to kill her! He was most likely a killer hired by her enemy, and the person who wanted to kill her through the killer¡¯s hands must hate her guts! In Greyport, no one except Roxanne and Ingrid would hate her guts and want to kill her! Beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello!¡± Andy¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Everett, bad news!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The killer has killed himself!¡± Bruce was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°What did you say?¡± Andy replied anxiously. ¡°The killer was brought to the police station and secretlymitted suicide in the bathroom before the interrogation!¡± When Bruce heard that, he knitted his eyebrows tightly. ¡°Check his bank ount and pull out his phone records! ¡°And don¡¯t forget to investigate his family background and everything! No matter what, we must find out the truth!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Let me know if you find out anything!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Andy replied and hung up the phone. Bruce put away the phone and sighed in frustration and anger. Joanna stared at Bruce without a blink. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The killer has killed himself!¡± ¡°What? The killer has killed himself?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes in disbelief! SEND GIFT ¡°Yes! ¡°It looks like someone has paid him to kill. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get someone to check his bank ount and dig into his family background. Then we¡¯ll find out who¡¯s behind him!¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Soon afterward, groups of police officers came to the hospital for investigation. The police paid a lot of attention to this murder case! Police officers and detectives came and questioned everyone in the hospital. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Kensley had nothing to do with it. But he felt guilty and panicked when facing up to the police. It was fortunate that he had gotten away with it! The police only looked into things rted to the killer and did not investigate anything about Margaret¡¯s death! The media somehow got the news that Joanna had been assassinated by her enemies! The news spread over the Inte overnight. Theizens acted like the great detective Sherlock Holmes and assumed all, the possibilities! [Ms. Haynes was assassinated by the killer when she was hospitalized.] [The police paid much attention to this murder case.] [Ms. Haynes had a miscarriage. Mr. Everett was so furious that he was pressuring the police.] [The killermitted suicide to avoid punishment. The boss behind is yet to be found.] Arge wave of public opinion went online first. Someizens with wild imaginations suggested they dig into Joanna¡¯s family background. Ingrid could no longer stand it! It couldn¡¯t be clearer that they aimed at her. Ingrid called her cousin Wace immediately! ¡°Hello, Wace!¡± ¡°Hello, Ingrid!¡± Wace¡¯s voice was also a little shaky. He had never expected that things would have gone so far. ¡°Have ¡°Yep!¡± you watched the news these two days?¡± ¡°So what abour the killer? Who was he? ¡°Will the policee to us?¡± Wace gasped and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so! ¡°Whenever I contacted Ramos, I used a disposal phone. And I also used the overseas ount!¡± Before Wace could finish talking, Ingrid flew into a rage again. ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, you¡¯re good for nothing! I told you to figure out something to get rid of Joanna! ¡°But you hired someone else to do the job! Damn it! Couldn¡¯t you get a better killer than that piece of trash? ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done! Instead of killing the bitch Joanna, you got all of us into trouble. You¡¯d better come up with something to settle it. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll all be in jail!¡± ¡°We know. Don¡¯t worry! Ramos¡¯s family has emigrated, and Ramos is dead. The police won¡¯t find out about us so easily!¡± ¡°I hope so!¡± In Sherane Bay Vi. Roxanne was there. She was over the moon when she heard that Joanna had a miscarriage. ¡°Thank God! Finally, that little bitch Joanna has lost the baby! ¡°What goes aroundes around. She has done so many evil things and will be punished by God! ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only one who hates her guts!¡± Roxanneughed out loud and couldn¡¯t be happier. But she stoppedughing abruptly. Other than Ingrid, who else could it be that would hate Joanna more than she did? ¡°Oh my god, did Mom hire the killer and n everything?¡± Thinking of it, Roxanne was shocked! Ingrid had kept telling her she hade up with something to deal with Joanna! Did she mean she had hired someone to kill Joanna? Roxanne could no longer take it and called Ingrid in no time. Ingrid had been in pins and needles for the past two days. She was like an ant on a hot pan! This killer was caught, but Joanna was still alive! The police were paying so much attention to the case, and there was so much public opinion online! No one knew if her stupid cousins would give themselves away and get caught. If they were caught, they would turn her in! Then she would probably have to spend the rest of her life behind bars! Beep! Ingrid was still in a state of anxiety and was scared by the ringtone. She took a look at the phone and saw it was Roxanne. Then she felt a little rxed. ¡°Hello, Roxy!¡± ¡°Hello, Mom!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Ingrid asked impatiently. On the other end of the line, Roxanne¡¯s voice was anxious and flustered. ¡°Well, did you know Joanna had a miscarriage?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ingrid answered ambiguously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask her how she miscarried?¡± ¡°Hell, it¡¯s none of my business, okay?¡± Ingrid pretended to be calm! Roxanne¡¯s heart sank when she heard that! She assumed that Ingrid didn¡¯t do it. But as far as she knew Ingrid, she would be overjoyed and gloating if she knew Joanna had a miscarriage! On the contrary, Ingrid was so calm to hear the news! She must have known it long ago. Roxanne took a deep breath, kept her voice down, and asked in fear, ¡°Mom, did you get someone to do that?¡± Ingrid heard it and got even more exasperated. ¡°Jesus! How could that be? You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! Stop talking nonsense!¡± Roxanne was still worried. ¡°I would be relieved if you hadn¡¯t done it!¡± ¡°That goddamn bitch has offended many people. She must have messed with someone she shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°Are youing over for Christmas? Or are you going to celebrate Christmas in your ce?¡± Roxanne thought for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll see! I¡¯ll go back to see you in the afternoon!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Gotta go! See youter.¡± Roxanne hung up the phone. She was still feeling uneasy. She weighed it down and decided to go home as soon as possible! She couldn¡¯t ask clearly over the phone. So she must go back and ask Ingrid if she did it. Roxanne hurriedly changed her clothes, picked up her handbag, and took the car keys. She was about to leave. Just as she walked out of the room and before she could go downstairs, she saw Bruce! Bruce just happened to be back! When she saw Bruce, Roxanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She said in fear, ¡°Bruce, why¡­ why are you back at this hour?¡± Bruce¡¯s handsome face looked bloody cold and gloomy. ¡°You got a problem with it? You mean I can¡¯t ¡°No, not like that! I¡¯m about to go out!¡± Roxanne tried her best to calm down. Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled faintly. ¡°Where are you going in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­ I¡¯m going to see my mom!¡± Bruce took a step forward and was already on the second floor. He went straight to the point and said, ¡°Roxanne, I¡¯m going to ask you something. Be honest with me!¡± Roxanne stood up straight, but her heart skipped a beat, She looked up at Bruce¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t be more frightened. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Bruce looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve made two transfers from your ount recently. ¡°One transfer is one million dors, and the other is two million dors! Who did you transfer the money to?¡± Gosh! Roxanne¡¯s eyes flickered, and she could not help but get nervous! She never expected that Bruce would check her overseas. ount! ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know! No, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Bruce threw a printed sheet at her. ¡°This is your bank ount in Richmoren. Who exactly did you make these two transfers to?¡± Roxanne¡¯s delicate face turned pale as she stammered, ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s wrong? I might have¡­ bought something! ¡°You know Christmas ising. And I¡¯ll spend more money than¡­¡± Bruce sneered and said coldly, ¡°Three million dors is not a small sum. Who did you transfer the money to? Or what did you buy?¡± ¡°Bruce, this is my own money. I can spend it in my way!¡± Bruce interrupted her, ¡°Answer my questions!¡± ¡°Bruce, I can¡¯t remember it now!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bruce said as he suddenly grabbed her wrist! ¡°I¡¯ll find it out soon even though you don¡¯t tell me now. When the timees, you¡¯ll be sorry!¡± Roxanne¡¯s wrist was almost crushed. She struggled in pain, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Bruce, please let go of me. You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Hearing it, Bruce suddenly let go and threw her more than 3.2 feet away. ¡°Did you hire someone to kill Joanna?¡± ¡°Um. I didn¡¯t! How dared 1?¡± Roxanne felt her heart in her throat, and her eyes were filled with panic! It was true that she did not hire someone to kill Joanna. She had only killed Margaret! ¡°Tell me the truth, or I¡¯ll send you to the police station!¡± Roxanne sniffed and looked at Bruce pitifully with tears in her eyes. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m pregnant with your child now. How can you suspect me like this? ¡°I swear to God I didn¡¯t hire anyone to kill Joanna! My entire family would be cursed if I did it! ¡°Bruce, I didn¡¯t do it! I mean it. You have to believe me!¡± ¡°Then exin it. Who did you transfer the money to?¡± ¡°Bruce, my mother has my bank card. It¡¯s an ount in my name, but I didn¡¯t use the money myself! ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe my mother has bought something! Let me go back and ask her.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better have nothing to do with it! If you had done it, I would destroy the Haynes family!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Bruce sneered. ¡°I will get to the bottom of it! ¡°Whoever dares to hurt Joanna is having an issue with me! Those who have issues with me will have a hard time ahead!¡± When Roxanne heard that, she subconsciously staggered and almost fell to the ground! ¡°Keep an eye on her, all of you! Before the truth is revealed, you¡¯re not allowed to leave Sherane Bay Vi or get in contact with anyone! ¡°Take her phone!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± The bodyguard responded, grabbed Roxanne¡¯s bag, and took her phone out. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please return to your room!¡± Roxanne was freaked out. ¡°Bruce, I have to go home now. I want to go home and see my parents! Christmas ising. You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± ¡°When I find out the truth and know you have nothing to do with it, I will let you go! ¡°Now, behave yourself and stay in your room as told! You¡¯d better wish Joanna would be safe and that this has nothing to do with you!¡± Bruce said as he turned around coldly and walked down the stairs with his long legs. ¡°Bruce! Bruce¡­ Two bodyguards stepped forward and seized Roxanne by the arms! They dragged her back to her room! Then they locked the door with a crack. After Roxanne was locked in the room, she couldn¡¯t be more frightened and panicked! ¡°What should I do? Oh God! What should I do now?¡± Roxanne brushed her hair in frustration. She had no choice but to call for help! The bodyguards had taken away her daily phone. Fortunately, she had a spare phone.. Roxanne hurriedly found the backup phone. This was the phone she used to contact Gavin privately. It looked like a piece of delicate lipstick on the surface, but it was a hidden phone inside. At this time, she could only ask Ingrid for help! Beep! Ingrid¡¯s phone rang again. Seeing that it was an unknown number, she picked it up impatiently. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me!¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice was so low that it was trembling! ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Someone hired a killer to kill Joanna! Did you know it or not?¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes and replied impatiently. ¡°Jesus! Why are you asking me again?¡± Roxanne sniffled and said with a sobbing tone. ¡°Mom. I¡­ I might be in big trouble!¡± It blew Ingrid away when she heard it. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Roxanne was so scared that she couldn¡¯t stop crying. She was also afraid that her phone would be monitored, so she didn¡¯t dare to tell Ingrid over the phone! you Ingrid was anxious to hear Roxanne crying her heart out. ¡°What did do? Come on. Tell me now!¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been locked up in Sherane Bay Vi! Bruce has grounded me!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ingrid looked around uneasily. ¡°I¡¯m locked in my room now! I can¡¯t go anywhere!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Roxanne sniffled again and cried until she was out of breath. Bruce suspected that she had hired someone to kill Joanna. He might also find out the truth of Margaret¡¯s death. As far as she knew Bruce, he would probably kick her family out of Greyport if he learned the truth. ¡°Please stop crying. Roxy. What happened? Tell me!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you over the phone now, Mom. Anyway, remember one thing. Tell people you¡¯ve been keeping the Richmoren. bank card for me! ¡°I¡¯ve made two transfers from the ount some time ago. One transfer was one million dors, and the other was two million dors. If Bruce asked you about that, cover it up with excuses and tell him you used the money!¡± Hearing her words, Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened, and her heart began to race. It looked like something tricky! ¡°Come on, sweetie. What trouble are you in? Please tell me. You¡¯re getting me to worry sick!¡± Roxanne could not help but cry again. ¡°Mom, please stop asking. Anyway, I regret it so much! ¡°I can¡¯t exin it over the phone. I¡¯ll tell you the whole thing when we meet face¨Cto¨Cfaceter!¡± Ingrid was worried andforted Roxanne immediately. ¡°Oh, okay! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so scared now, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°What exactly have you done?¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help but ask again. ¡°In short, it¡¯s something serious. If Bruce finds out, I¡¯ll be in jail for the rest of my life!¡± What the hell!, When Ingrid heard that, her face turned deadly pale. She suspected that Roxanne had also hired someone to kill Joanna. What a silly girl! How could she be so impatient? Even if someone had to do something like that, Ingrid thought it should be her. After all, she had lived for half her life, so it was worth it. ¡°Mom, please figure out something to get me out of here as soon as possible! I want to go home.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t panic! I¡¯m leaving for Sherane Bay Vi with your father to pick you up!¡± B ¡°Okay!¡± After saying that, Roxanne hung up the phone instantly! After she hung up, Ingrid was so flustered that her hair stood on end. She¡¯d got too many cosmetic injections on her face, and her facial nerves were twitching uncoordinatedly! ¡°Joanna, you goddamn bitch! You¡¯ve messed up all our lives!¡°. Shaun happened toe downstairs and heard Ingrid cursing. He frowned. ¡°What happened? Why are you cursing Joann again?¡± Ingrid gritted her teeth, put her hands on her waist, and shouted at Shaun harshly, ¡°Roxy just called me and said that she was. locked up by that bastard Bruce!¡± Shaun was stunned to hear that. ¡°What? Bruce has locked Roxy up? For what?¡± ¡°What else can it be? It¡¯s all because of that slut Joanna!¡± ¡°What is it that Joann has to do with that?¡± ¡°Huh! You mean I¡¯ve wronged her? She¡¯s a scourge from the beginning to the end! Thanks to her, our lives are messed up! ¡°God! It¡¯s unfair! She should have incurable cancer and die with a rotten body!¡± Ingrid wished she could curse Joanna with the meanest words. Shaun heard it and was in a dilemma! Although he also hated Joanna¡¯s guts, he was still her father and didn¡¯t want Joanna to die. ¡°Listen to yourself! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too mean?¡± ¡°Oh? You said I¡¯m being too mean? If it weren¡¯t for her, Mr. Everett and Roxy wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, the Haynes family wouldn¡¯t have been excluded from the circle of rich people and looked down upon!¡± Shaun shook his head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you Bruce doesn¡¯t love Roxy at all. The best choice for Roxy is to break up with him! ¡°But you and Roxy didn¡¯t take my advice. Instead, you two messed around and asked for trouble yourselves.¡± When Ingrid heard that, she hit the ceiling. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Your daughter is bullied. As her father, you are not thinking of standing up for her! ¡°On the contrary, you¡¯re even criticizing her. Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°Fine! You won.¡± ¡°Come with me. We¡¯re going to Sherane Bay Vi to bring Roxy back!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Shaun replied helplessly. They dared not to dy and hurriedly drove to Sherane Bay Vi. Forty minutester, Shaun and Ingrid arrived at Sherane Bay Vi in his car. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Unfortunately, the guards stopped them and refused point¨Cnk to let them in. Ingrid¡¯s patience was running thin. Exasperatedly, she jabbed her finger in one of the guards¡® faces and snapped. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡± ¡°We¡¯re Mr. Everett¡¯s future inws! We¡¯re here to see our daughter. Let us inside immediately!¡± The guard¡¯s expression was grim. Tm sorry. Mr. Everett has instructed that no one can enter Sherane Bay Vi ¡°That¡¯s right! Without Mr. Everett¡¯s orders, no one is allowed to go out,¡± another guard said politely. ¡°Are you guys blind? You don¡¯t even know us? Open the door quickly, or I¡¯ll get Bruce to fire you.¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes, Mrs. Haynes, why don¡¯t you call Mt. Everett? We will only dare to let you in if Mr. Everett gives us his explicit permission! ¡°Without his approval, I¡¯m afraid none of us have the courage to disobey his orders. When Ingrid and Shaun heard this, their faces turned ashen with anger. They had been to Sherane Bay Vi several times before, and the security guards had always weed them with smiles! But now, they were not even allowed to enter! ¡°Hubby, hurry up and call Bruce! Tell Bruce to fire these two security guards!¡± Although Ingrid was now a wealthydy, shecked the graces of a true socialite. In many ways, she still resembled a country bumpkin. Shaun had no choice. He took out his phone and gave Bruce a call. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. He took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Shaun. Bruce gazed at his phone in silence for a few seconds before picking up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shaun sighed helplessly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nearly Christmas soon. I want to bring Roxy home for the holidays. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at Sherane Bay Vi, but the guards refused to let me in! Give your orders and get them to let me into the house. Alternatively, let Roxye out!¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why?¡± Shaun was surprised. He did not expect such a curt reply from Bruce. ¡°She¡¯s involved in a murder case.¡± When Shaun heard this, he was so angry that he nearly choked. ¡°Bruce, what sort of nonsense are you sprouting? Roxy has been with you for six years. How can you nder her like this? ¡°You know best what sort of person she is. How can you use her ofmitting murder?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll investigate thoroughly. If she didn¡¯t do it, I won¡¯t wrong her! ¡°For now, she can only remain in Sherane Bay Vi. Don¡¯t worry, I will get the servants to tend to her every need. She will be veryfortable.¡± When Shaun heard this, he flew into another bout of rage. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯d better let Roxy out now! She¡¯s pregnant, and your conflicts with each other are bound to distress her! ¡°Let here back to my ce for a few days. I¡¯ll take responsibility if anything happens.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Bruce refused without hesitation. Shaun was fuming by now. ¡°Watch yourself, Bruce. I don¡¯t care if Roxy has done something wrong. ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s her parents¡® job to discipline her. Even without us, there¡¯s the justice system and the police! It¡¯s certainly not your ce to do so. ¡°What are you trying to do by restricting Roxy¡¯s personal freedom like this?¡± Bruce frowned when he heard that. He had instructed the bodyguards to confiscate Roxanne Haynes¡¯s phone. How did Shaun and his wife know about Roxanne¡¯s situation? It seemed that Roxanne was hiding another phone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to exin too much to you. I just want to clear things up! ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. I have the right to make here back! ¡°If she doesn¡¯te back, I¡¯ll call the police¡­¡± Beep! Before Shaun could finish his sentence, Bruce hung up! ¡°Hello, hello¡­¡± Shaun yelped a few times, but he was only greeted with static. No one could stop Bruce Everett from doing whatever he wanted! Even the president had to give him some face, let alone the chief superintendent of the police force. ¡°How is it?¡± Ingrid asked urgently. Shaun looked furious. ¡°He hung up!¡± He was so angry that he had to take two deep breaths to calm himself down. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. From the looks of it, this incident was quite serious. There was more to this than a petty argument between a young couple. ¡°Call the police! There¡¯s nothing we can do now!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she stopped him immediately. ¡°You can¡¯t call the police!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shaun looked at his wife in confusion. Ingrid rolled her eyes, feeling as though her head was about to explode. She couldn¡¯t let the police know about this matter. There was no way they could call the police for assistance. Roxanne had told her on the phone that she had gotten into big trouble and had to hide from the police. How could Ingrid dare to take the initiative to call the police? Seeing Ingrid¡¯s abnormal reaction, Shaun was even more baffled. ¡°We have no choice but to call the police! Why are you so afraid?¡± ¡°Oh, if we call the police, we¡¯ll fall outpletely with Mr. Everett! It¡¯s better¡­ to settle this matter privately!¡± ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not worth it to break those two up over such a small matter!¡± ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re still thinking about this at a time like this! Then what do you think we should do?¡± Ingrid was also at a loss. ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡± The two of them were worried and flustered. The guard tactlessly leaned forward and asked, ¡°Mr. Haynes, Mrs. Haynes, what did Mr. Everett say?¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Ingrid rolled her eyes and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t let us in, then! See if we care!¡± ¡°Hubby, let¡¯s go!¡± Shaun had no choice but to start the car again and drive them away from the house. In the car, the two of them argued non¨Cstop. ¡°What do you think we should do now? What did Roxy do? Some mother you are¡­ it¡¯s all your fault for not traching her well!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t teach her well? Why couldn¡¯t you have disciplined her too? Stop pushing the me onto me! ¡°Bruce Everett, that bastard, how dare he detain Roxy! We can¡¯t let this matter lie. I¡¯ll go to his company to look for himter!¡± When Shaun heard this, he was even more worried. ¡°Save your breath! Can¡¯t you see Mr. Everett is taking us less and less seriously? ¡°Even if we go to hispany to cause trouble, it might not be useful!¡± Ingrid tried to keep a lid on her temper and shrieked, ¡°If you think all my solutions are rubbish, why don¡¯t youe up with a few yourself?¡± Shaun fumed. ¡°If it were up to me, we should have called the police!¡± ¡°But you refused point¨Cnk to let me! What else can I do but watch Roxy suffer!¡± Here, Shaun¡¯s heart ached so much that he nearly cried. Roxanne had been the apple of his eye since she was young. He could not bear to see her suffer even the slightest bit. Ingrid was so angry that she took two deep breaths. Her eyes darted around slyly. Suddenly, she thought of an idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ what?¡± Ingrid pursed her lips and shelved her aggressive attitude. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give Joanna a call? ¡°Let her tell Mr. Everett that we intend to fetch Roxy back no matter what!¡± When Shaun heard this, his face fell. ¡°This¡­ will this work?¡± He had made it clear several times that he wanted to sever his father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Joanna! Joanna had been hospitalized for many days, but he hadn¡¯t even asked about her. If he recklessly asked her for a favor now, there was no way she would agree to it. Worse still, she had been the intended target of the hired hitman! ¡°You won¡¯t know unless you try. Go on, give it a go!¡± Ingrid had run out of suggestions too. ¡°That wench is currently the hot favorite of Bruce! A single word from her is worth far more than a paragraph from anyone else. ¡°Ask her to speak on Roxy¡¯s behalf. We have this in the bag!¡± As she finished speaking. Ingrid gritted her teeth in anger. She awfully resented the fact that she had to beg for a favor from Joann. Shaun thought about it. Indeed, there was no better way. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go to the hospital now!¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Shaun and Ingrid arrived at the hospital half an hourter.. ¡°Don¡¯te up with me. Wait downstairs!¡± ¡°As if I wanted to follow you!¡± Shaun sighed and bought a random fruit basket at the entrance of the hospital. He walked into the hospital with the fruit basket and asked the nurse about the floor Joanna was on. He then proceeded straight to that floor and headed directly to the nurse¡¯s counter. ¡°Hello, may I ask which ward Joanna Haynes is in?¡± ¡°Sorry, we can¡¯t reveal the patient¡¯s information.¡± The nurse stared at Shaun with an air of vignce. After the previous incident, the entire hospital was on high alert. Shaun smiled and exined quickly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m Joanna Haynes¡¯s father. I¡¯m here to visit her.¡°, When the nurse heard this, she sized him up again. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Ms. Haynes¡¯s father?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯m Ms. Haynes¡¯s father. My name is Shaun Haynes!¡± ¡°Alright,e with me!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The nurse brought Shaun to the door of Joann¡¯s ward. The bodyguard at the door stopped them. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°This is Ms. Haynes¡¯s father. He¡¯s here to visit her.¡± The bodyguard looked at Shaun. After confirming that there was no mistake, he let him in into the ward. Although Bruce had given the order to not let anyone enter the ward, Shaun was Joann¡¯s father after all. They did not dare to stop him. Shaun stepped into the ward. After two days of recovery, Joanna had finally gotten over the worst of her illness. However, she was still extremely weak. Shey on the bed sleeping, hooked up to a venttor. ¡°Joann, Daddy is here to see you!¡± Ms. Chain and Nancy recognized Shaun. When they saw him, they greeted him, looking shocked. ¡°Mr. Haynes, why are you here?¡± ¡°Oh, I came to see Joann! How¡¯s she doing?¡± ¡°She just fell asleep. Why don¡¯t you wait for a while?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I want to talk to her, that¡¯s all.¡± Shaun didn¡¯t listen to her and went to the head of the bed. ¡°Mr. Haynes, she just fell asleep. You should wait¡­¡± Shaun was preupied with Roxanne¡¯s situation so he had no time to waste. ¡°I have something urgent to talk to her about. It won¡¯t take long!¡± Before Ms. Chain could stop him, Shaun called out to the bed, Joann, Joann!¡± Joanna heard the noise and slowly opened her eyes. The moment she opened her eyes, Shaun¡¯s chubby face came into view, apanied with a ttering smile. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡± ¡°Daddy¡¯s here to see you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was a little puzzled. Her father had never given a rat¡¯s ass about her. Why would he think of visiting her suddenly? However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little touched that he hade. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d to hear of that! Thank god you¡¯re fine¡­¡± 18 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Shaun ced the fruit basket on the bedside table with a grimace that he tried in vain to disguise as a smile. Joanna scanned Shaun¡¯s expression critically. He definitely had something to ask of her. Otherwise, why would he be willing Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. toe and see her? Unwilling to beat around the bush, she asked directly, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The idea of having small talk with him was slightly repulsive. Shaun smiled awkwardly. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I heard you were hospitalized, so I came to see how you were. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re my daughter. Regardless of what happened in the past, there should not be grudges between us. Let bygones be bygones!¡± When Joanna heard this, she did not say anything. She only looked at her father suspiciously. Shaun smiled ufortably and picked up the fruit basket. ¡°Oh, have some fruit! Daddy will peel an apple for you!¡± ¡°No need, you don¡¯t have to go through so much trouble,¡± Joanna interjected. ¡°No, no, no. Eating apples is good for your health. I shall peel an apple for you!¡± As he spoke, Shaun opened the basket and took out an apple. ¡°Where¡¯s the fruit knife?¡± Seeing this, Ms. Chain immediately went forward to stop him. ¡°Mr. Haynes, Madam is very weak. She has to adhere to a strict diet. ¡°The fruits she eats have to be specially imported.¡± As Ms. Chain spoke, she quickly took out a te of washed fruits from the safe. These fruits were obviously very costly. They were many times more expensive than the fruits Shaun had bought. Seeing this, Shaun flushed slightly and put down the apple in embarrassment. ¡°Alright then. If you don¡¯t want to eat this, forget about it.¡± ¡°Joann, how many days have you been in the hospital? Are you hurt?¡± When Joanna heard this, she narrowed her eyes, her suspicions confirmed. Shaun definitely had something to ask of her. ¡°Dad, what do you want from me? Just say it. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing really.¡± Seeing him stutter and stammer aimlessly, Joann¡¯s patience was running out. Sensing her displeasure, Shaun decided to get straight to the point. In an obsequious voice, he said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I want to bring Roxy home!¡± ¡°Look, can you tell Bruce to let Roxye back?¡± Joanna was even more confused when she heard this. Seeing Joanna¡¯s dumbfounded expression, Shaun immediately exined, ¡°Well, here¡¯s the situation. There was some misunderstanding between Bruce and Roxy. In a fit of anger, he imprisoned her in Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°You know what Bruce¡¯s temper is like. He doesn¡¯t consider the consequences when he does things, let alone how others feel, 13:44 Tue, 11 Jul GD ¡°Roxy is pregnant now. Your Aunt Ingrid and I had a discussion, and we feel it¡¯ll be best to bring Roxy home and take care of her there.¡± Joanna frowned and asked in confusion. ¡°Then go to the vi and fetch her back yourselves. What¡¯s the point of telling me all this?¡± Shaun sighed. ¡°Bruce won¡¯t let Roxy go home now! ¡°There was a conflict between him and Roxy! I called Bruce to reason with him, but he refused to listen to me.¡± ¡°Oh, so you want my help now?¡± Joanna retorted bluntly. She knew that her father would note to see her for no reason. Even if she died, he might not choose to waste a single tear on her. As expected, she was right. He really had something to ask of her. Seeing Joann¡¯s impatient expression, Shaun became a little angry. Gravely, he said, ¡°Joann, do you have to talk about this now? You and Roxy are both my daughters, and I regard both of you equally. I love you as much as I love Roxy!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t me you for what happened between you and Bruce¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that sheughed. ¡°Ridiculous! What right do you even have to me me?¡± Shaun paused. This wench stole her sister¡¯s boyfriend! Shouldn¡¯t she be chastised? ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s not talk about this now.¡± Just tell me, are you willing to help?¡± ¡°If it were within my power to help, I would certainly help you, Dad. Unfortunately, you said it yourself ¨C Bruce has a violent and unpredictable temper. ¡°If he wants to do something, who can stop him?¡± Seeing a glimmer of hope, Shaun¡¯s tone softened immediately. ¡°But you¡¯re different. The both of you have a special rtionship. Who else would he listen to but you?¡± ¡°Hmph, did you ever consider that you might have overestimated my position in his heart?¡± Joanna said coldly. She did not want to talk to Shaun anymore. She didn¡¯t recall seeing her father so anxious when she was imprisoned! Now that Roxanne was in trouble, he ran for help faster than anyone else! ¡°Joann, I know you¡¯re still angry with me, but don¡¯t make such a fuss now!¡± Shaun frowned, looking worried. ¡°Roxy is now trapped in Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. If anything happens to her, it¡¯ll be toote for regrets!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes coldly. ¡°Dad, I really can¡¯t help you. Bruce won¡¯t listen to me too. If anything, you should go to the police for help!¡± When Shaun heard this, he punched his legs in exasperation. ¡°Just tell Bruce to let me take Roxy home!¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a simple matter. Do you still have to make excuses?¡± Shaun¡¯s voice suddenly rose. The smile on his face hadpletely disappeared. 13:45 Tue, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but you know what kind of temper Bruce has! ¡°Why would he listen to me?¡± ¡°How can you not know if you don¡¯t try?¡± Shaun retorted shamelessly. ¡°If he refuses to listen to you, kick up a fuss and force his hand! If you make enough of a fuss, he will definitely listen to you.¡± Joanna was even more speechless when she heard this. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Joann. This is such a small matter. Would you like me to prostrate myself and plead before you agree?¡± Joanna felt an indescribable feeling in her heart when she heard this. ¡°Pass me my phone, Ms. Chain. I¡¯m going to give Bruce a call.¡± Ms. Chain hesitated for a moment before handing the phone to Joann. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce was in a meeting when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was a call from the hospital, Bruce immediately picked up. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Joanna said coldly. Bruce paused and his tone softened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna nced at Shaun, not knowing what to say. He looked back at her eagerly, signaling her to get down to business! ¡°Um, I just heard from my father that you detained Roxy at Sherane Bay Vi. Is that true?¡± Bruce frowned slightly. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can you ask Roxy toe home?¡± ¡°Daddy is very anxious and worried now. He wants to bring her back!!¡± Bruce was extremely displeased when he heard that! He couldn¡¯t believe Shaun actually came to Joanna for help. How could be shameless enough to do this? ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t interfere in this matter! I¡¯ll exin everything to you in the future. ¡°I¡¯m in a meeting now. I¡¯ll talk to youter!¡± With that, Bruce hung up! Joanna pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡°Well, I called him. You heard it too. He won¡¯t listen to me at all!¡± Shaun did not give up and said anxiously, ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll listen to you when you speak with that tone? 1 ¡°Just tell him that if he doesn¡¯t let Roxy go back, you will throw a tantrum that will shake the heavens!¡± *Are you kidding me?¡± Joanna was so furious that she found herself at a loss for words. ¡°Hurry up and call him again. No matter what, I must pick up Roxy today! If you don¡¯t call, I won¡¯t leave today!¡± ¡°Suit yourself!¡± Joanna snapped.. Seeing that Joanna was unwilling to help, Shaun could not help but curse again, ¡°How did I give birth to a daughter like you? If I had known that you were such a heartless thing, I would have thrown you into the toilet when you were born!¡± ¡°Roxy is your biological sister. How can you bear to see her suffer? Not only did you snatch her man, with him to harm her. Do you have any humanity left in you?¡± His voice rose with every word until he was practically screaming. ¡°Calm down. Mr. Haynes! This is a hospital. Madam needs to rest!¡± Ms. Chain reminded him. but you also colluded When Shaun heard this, his eyes widened. Forcefully, he snapped, ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Can¡¯t I teach her a lesson?¡± Carefully, Ms. Chain exined again. ¡°Mr. Haynes, Madam just had an operation. It was very tough on her body. If you continue agitating her like this, I¡¯m afraid she might¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she perfectly fine? ¡°It¡¯s just a phone call. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m making things difficult for her!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Stop arguing. I¡¯ll call him again!¡± Joanna had no choice but to call Bruce again! Beep, beep, beep! ¡°Hey, Bruce!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong now? Why are you calling again?¡± Bruce asked. Joanna was in no mood to make small talk with him. Going straight to the point, she said bluntly, ¡°Please let Roxanne go home today!¡± ¡°Joann, she is involved in an important murder case! Before I investigate this thoroughly, she isn¡¯t allowed to go anywhere.¡± Joanna immediately understood what he meant by this. Bruce had the same suspicions as her. Like Joann, he suspected Roxanne had hired a hitman to kill her sister. SEND GIFT Chapter 245 Chapter 245 ¡°I know, but no matter what, she¡¯s still my sister. Let her go home first!¡± ¡°Joann, you can¡¯t always be so soft¨Chearted.¡± Bruce sounded disappointed. ¡°She can run, but she can¡¯t hide. If this matter is rted to her, you can always settle the score with her at ater date.¡± Joanna refused to bebeled a pushover. If Roxanne was truly involved in the case, she would not let her off so easily. Bruce did not say anything for a long while. Finally, he agreed. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll call the driverter and ask him to send Roxanne back home!¡± ¡°Alright! ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± Joanna hung up the phone and nced at Shaun in disgust. ¡°Alright, Bruce said he would get the driver to send her backter. Go home and wait for her!¡± When Shaun heard this, the tension in his temples disappeared instantly. ¡°See, I knew it would definitely work! Well, take care of yourself. I¡¯m going home first.¡± ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± Joanna snapped, covering her head with the nket. She did not want to look at her father anymore. When Shaun saw this, he realized he had gone overboard just now. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Joann. I might have spoken harshly just now, but that was because I was panicking!¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, Ms. Chain. Send my father out!¡± ¡°Alright, Madam. Mr. Haynes, Ms. Chain turned to Shaun and said respectfully. ¡°Please leave first. Madam needs her rest.¡± With that, she shooed him out of the room. Beep, beep, beep! Back at the Everett Group, Bruce gave Kody a call. After much deliberation, he decided to listen to Joanna and release Roxanne to her parents first. In any case, the Haynes family was deeply rooted in Greyport. It would not be easy for them to escape this ce. Besides, he would send bodyguards to patrol the area around their house. As soon as she tried to escape, he would be notified immediately. Kody picked up the phone quickly. ¡°How may I help you, Mr. Everett?¡± Bruce lowered his voice and spoke. ¡°Go to Sherane Bay Vi immediately and send Roxanne back to the Haynes¡¯s house!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Half an hourter, Kody arrived back at Sherane Bay Vi in his car. Then, he picked Roxanne up and drove her back to the Haynes¡¯s house, where her parents were waiting for her impatiently. Ingrid and Shaun were waiting by the door when Roxanne finally arrived back home. The moment they spotted Roxanne, they hurried over immediately. ¡°Roxy!¡± ¡°Mom, Dad!¡± Roxanne burst into tears. She threw herself into Ingrid¡¯s arms and cried until she was out of breath. Ingrid patted Roxanne¡¯s back, her heart aching for her daughter. ¡°Silly girl, you¡¯ve suffered so much! Come on in!¡± Shaun stood by the side,forting her too. ¡°Everything¡¯s alright now! We¡¯re so relieved that you¡¯re finally home. Did that bastard do anything to you?¡± ¡°Not yet!¡± The three of them returned to the house in tears. Ingrid turned to her daughter and said anxiously, ¡°Roxy, tell me quickly¨Cwhat exactly have you done?¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Roxanne whimpered and nced at her father timidly. She had no qualms about spilling her secrets to her mother, but it was best to leave her father out of some things. ¡°Come on, tell me!¡± ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± Roxanne wanted to say something but hesitated before she could speak. Instead, she cried even harder. Ingrid rolled her eyes and immediately realized that her daughter had a secret she wanted to keep from her father. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll speak in the room, just the two of us.¡± Shaun was bewildered. Was this about jealousy between the couple? ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you and Bruce fighting again? I thought everything was good between the both of you, but why would he imprison you against your will?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry your head about it. Roxy just came back, so stop annoying her!¡± As she spoke, Ingrid took her daughter¡¯s head. and steered her into a room upstairs. As the door shut behind them, Roxanne was still trembling in fear. Tears streamed uncontrobly down her face. ¡°Gosh, my poor child. Don¡¯t cry anymore. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t tell your mother. Come on, tell me what¡¯s I¡¯ll try and find a way to solve it for you. Let¡¯s fix it together.¡± going on. Roxanne let out a long cry and whimpered, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t know how to say it!¡± Ingrid was distraught by her daughter¡¯s crying. ¡°Can you stop crying? Just tell me why he¡¯s detaining you.¡± ¡°Mom, Bruce¡­ Bruce suspects that I hired someone to kill Joann!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ingrid¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her eyes darted around uneasily! She was the one who hired the murderer. How could Bruce suspect Roxanne instead? ¡°Why would he suspect you for no reason?¡± ¡°A criminal made an attempt on Joann¡¯s life. Bruce now suspects that I¡¯m the one who gave him orders to do so!¡± Ingrid forced herself to be calm. ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. Why would he suspect you?¡± ¡°He got someone to investigate me and my bank ount!¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Ingrid demanded, confused. ¡°Mom, I transferred two sums of money to someone¨Cone million dors on one asion and two million dors on the other. ¡°Now, Bruce is demanding to know where these two sums of money went. He thinks I used the money to hire a hitman to go after Joann!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she almost fainted. ¡°Then where did you spend these two sums of money? What did do?¡± ¡°Mom, stop asking! ¡°In short, if anyone asks, just tell them that you spent the money!¡± you Ingrid stomped her feet in frustration. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m also in trouble. A lot of people are after my head right now. How can I protect you when I can¡¯t even protect myself?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t exin the situation clearly, how can I resolve this for you?¡± When Roxanne heard this, her scalp tingled uneasily. At her mother¡¯s words, a sudden realization dawned on her. ¡°Mom. Joanna was nearly killed by a hitman. Did you hire him to go after her?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Ingrid tried her best to hide her panic. Roxanne¡¯s heart rose to her throat. ¡°Mom, tell me the truth. Did you do it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask so much first. Tell me, who did you transfer those two sums of money to?¡± ¡°And what have you done? How can I help you if you don¡¯t tell me?¡± When Roxanne heard this, she wailed and burst into tears again. Seeing this, Ingrid¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Oh my god, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re having an affair with that broke loser again?¡± ¡°Did you spend all that money on him?¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Well, what exactly is it? You¡¯re really making your poor mother anxious!¡± Roxanne blew her nose. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve really gotten into big trouble this time. If someone finds out, I¡¯ll probably die!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face was pale. ¡°What kind of trouble did you cause?¡± remember when Joanna and Grandma got into an argument a while back, and Grandma was so angry she had to be ¡°Do you hospitalized? ¡°Then, while Grandma was hospitalized, Joanna visited her multiple times. Meanwhile, she was also flirting with Bruce. ¡°I was hot¨Cheaded. I just-¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Roxanne in horror. ¡°I pulled out Grandma¡¯s venttor plug!¡± Ingrid felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Ingrid slumped onto the bed. ¡°You, why are you so silly?¡± ¡°Mom, I was just hot¨Cheaded at that time. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! I didn¡¯t know that Grandma would be so fragile!¡± ¡°I just unplugged the venttor. In less than two minutes, Grandma passed away!¡± ¡°My dear girl, how could you be so muddle¨Cheaded? How dare you do such a thing?¡± ¡°Mom, I was so angry that I lost my mind! I just remembered that Joanna was responsible for Grandma¡¯s hospitalization because she made her so angry. ¡°If Grandma takes a turn for the worse and dies in the hospital, Bruce would me Joanna and never forgive her for as long as he lives! I¡­ I only wanted to make him hate her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Grandma to die just like that¡­ Roxanne cried even harder. Ingrid was dumbfounded. She never thought that her daughter would cause such enormous trouble. If they were found out, the entire Haynes family would be in for a hard time. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s useless!¡± ¡°Hurry up and tell me everything in detail!¡± Roxanne managed to stop crying and carefully recalled the details of that day. ¡°I pulled out Grandma¡¯s venttor and saw her breathing had stopped. I was terrified! ¡°Just as I was panicking, a doctor happened toe in to check on Grandma. ¡°Then, he caught me red¨Chanded!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When Ingrid heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°And then?¡± *I was afraid he would reveal this, so I quickly knelt and begged him! If he helps me cover it up, I¡¯ll reward him with 20 million dors.¡± When Ingrid heard this, her mind exploded! ¡°You stupid girl! You can¡¯t do anything right, but you¡¯re good at ruining things! Why do you do these horrible things? Don¡¯t you consider the consequences before doing anything?¡± ¡°So did you transfer 3 million dors to that doctor?¡± Roxanne nodded weakly. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Chapter 246 Chapter 246 ¡°Oh God! You silly girl! Why do you have to create so many problems?¡± Ingrid poked Roxanne¡¯s head a few times. She could not help but sigh! ¡°Mom, what do you think I should do now? Bruce suspects me! He suspects that the two sums of money were used to pay the murderer! ¡°If he finds out that I caused Grandma¡¯s death, our family will die a horrible death¡­¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes in anger and helplessness. ¡°Now you know how it feels to be scared. Why weren¡¯t you smarter back. then?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to either. I really regret it now. I¡¯m really scared! If I can turn back time, I definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to do this!¡± Roxanne cried. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t know what to do now. You have to save me. You have to think of something for me! ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to go to jail!¡± Ingrid felt as though her heart was stabbed. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t cry first. You only know how to cry when something happens!¡± Roxanne couldn¡¯t stop crying. Only now did she realize the seriousness of the matter! Ingrid was even more distraught. For a moment, she had no idea what to do! This matter was extremely serious. If they were not careful, both Roxanne and her could go to jail! ¡°Mom, what should we do?¡± Ingrid thought for a while and asked with a frown. ¡°Has the police questioned the doctor?¡± ¡°That doctor still goes to work as usual. So I don¡¯t think so!¡± ¡°Get him to leave!¡± The ringing of a phone was heard. Kensley¡¯s phone rang! For the past few days, the police had been going to the hospital to investigate. He felt guilty and terrified! ¡°Hello!¡± Kensley quickly answered the call. ¡°Hello! Is that Doctor Leach?¡± Recognizing that it was Roxanne¡¯s voice, Kensley frowned. ¡°Ms. Haynes, how dare you call me at this time? ¡°It would be ferrible if someone were to eavesdrop on us!¡± Roxanne calmed herself down and asked anxiously, ¡°I need to call to find out if the police had spoken to you.¡± ¡°Yes, they did. They just asked about the murder¡­¡± Before Kensley could finish, Roxanne said anxiously, ¡°Doctor Leach, you should leave the country quickly and hide elsewhere for a while. ¡°I¡¯m already a suspect. You should hide and maintain a low profile.¡± If Kensley left Greyport, she would be safe for now. When Kensley heard this, he felt frustrated. ¡°Ms. Haynes, if I go overseas now, won¡¯t I be admitting to crime? ¡°There are no problems at the moment, but if I leave now, the police will definitely be suspicious!¡± Then, then what should we do?¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice was extremely nervous. Kensley frowned. This woman was really timid. ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t panic first! Don¡¯t panic! ¡°The police haven¡¯t found out anything yet. Aren¡¯t you exposing yourself by panicking?¡± ¡°But¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. The police can¡¯t do anything unless there is concrete evidence. Without evidence, everything they know can¡¯t stand in court! You really need to calin down!¡± Kensley did not know that Roxanne was involved in a case. He just said these words casually to make her feel better. Roxanne wanted to say something, but Ingrid shook her head and stopped her. ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± After Roxanne ended the call with Kensley, she felt even more uneasy! ¡°Mom, if it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll go overseas and hide for a while!¡± Ingrid pursed her lips. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go overseas now. Anyway, you can run, but you can¡¯t run forever! ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll arrange for you to go away! ¡°Now that the criminal is dead, I hope the police can close the case as soon as possible!¡± At the hospital! It was already Christmas Eve. Joanna had yet to recover, so she could only stay in hospital for Christmas. A loud sound was heard. The whistle of fireworks came from outside the window. Bright fireworks bloomed in the sky. Seeing this, Ms. Chain and Nancy ran to the window quickly. ¡°Who¡¯s setting off fireworks?¡± ¡°Wow! The fireworks are really beautiful!¡± Fireworks were strictly prohibited in Greyport. Only during major holidays like the Christmas or Independence Day could they be released at a designated location. The police had to maintain order at the scene! Therefore, it would cost at least hundreds of thousands of dors to set off fireworks. Moreover, it was not something that anyone withinoney could n. Another sound was heard. Another round of fireworks bloomed in the sky, adding color and sparks to half of Greyport¡¯s sky. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so beautiful!¡± The nurses were so excited that they forgot about taking care of their patients. ¡°Wow, look! There¡¯s a name on it!¡± ¡°Hey! It seems to be Ms. Haynes¡® name!¡± More fireworks bloomed in the sky, and they changed into various shapes! Then, Joanna¡¯s name appeared inrge font! After a few seconds, the shape of the name changed! It was obvious! Someone had deliberately nned all these for Joanna. The ward that she stayed in overlooked half of the Willows Harbor! The lights outside were dazzling, and it could make one¡¯s heart flutter! Joanna naturally saw it too! ¡°Ms. Haynes, draw the curtains quickly. These fireworks are specially set off for you!¡± ¡°Oh my god, who could it be?¡± Nancy said enviously. Ms. Chain replied with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? It must be Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°He is so good to Ms. Haynes. I hope both of you can get back together again!¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not breathe. Could it be Bruce? What was wrong with him? Joanna was in a daze! The door of the ward was pushed open, and Davian and Irvin ran in happily. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re here¡­ The two little boys looked very smart in their suits! Both of them were carryingrge bouquets of flowers in their arms! ¡°Mommy! Happy Christmas!¡± Davian and Irvin fought to give Joanna the flowers. ¡°Davian, Irvin, why are you here?¡± Joanna waspletely stunned! She never thought that the children woulde back before Christmas. ¡°Mommy, this is for you!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± After Joanna had received the flowers, Bruce walked in with Lilia. They were behind Davian and Irvin. The three of them were wearing matching father and son suits. They looked really eye¨Ccatching. Lilia was also holding a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Mommy, Merry Christmas!¡± Joanna Haynes couldn¡¯t hold back the smile on her face. ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± Bruce smiled at Joanna. Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She hugged the children tightly and could not help but cry! It was really a touching moment. Davian looked concerned. ¡°Mommy, are you feeling better?¡± Chapter ¡°Yes! What about you? How have you been?¡± We¡¯re fine. We just miss Mommy a lot!¡± ¡°Mommy misses all of you too!¡± ¡°Mommy, I want a hug!¡± Bruce smiled at Lilia. ¡°Lilia, go and give mommy a kiss. Mommy can¡¯t really move now!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Bruce carried Lilia to the bed! Lilia leaned on Joanna¡¯s face and kissed her hard! ¡°I want to kiss Mommy too!¡± Davian and Irvin also rushed to kiss her! ¡°Lilia, let mommy take a look¡­¡± Joanna hugged her daughter tightly in her arms and looked at her lovingly. Her daughter had leukemia. If she was not careful, she would be sick again. Naturally, Joanna was more worried. Lilia blinked her big eyes and whispered into Joanna¡¯s car, ¡°Mommy, Daddy says that he wants to propose to you!¡± Joanna was stunned! Lilia blinked at her slyly and whispered into Joanna¡¯s ear, ¡°Daddy asked me to ask Mommy if she¡¯s willing to marry Daddy.¡± When Joanna heard this, she subconsciously looked at her daughter and then looked up at Bruce! An expression appeared on Bruce¡¯s face but Joanne could not really understand what it meant. Bruce seemed a little uneasy and embarrassed! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. An arrogant person like him would not be humble so easily! Although Bruce wanted to remarry Joanna, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it out loud. ¡°Lilia and Mommy, what are you whispering about? I want to hear it too! I want to hear it too!¡± Irvin was very curious. He leaned forward and kept asking! ¡°I¡¯m not telling you!¡± ¡°Mommy, are you willing?¡± ¡°Lilia, you¡¯re still young. Don¡¯t be a messenger anymore! And don¡¯t interfere in the matters between adults, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Joanna stroked her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°Be a good girl and don¡¯t say anything else! If you say anything else, Mommy will be angry!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lilia pouted and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She just looked at her daddy pitifully. Bruce coughed and his face twitched. He was a little angry. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Bruce thought. ¡°This silly woman really doesn¡¯t know how to back down! ¡°She really wants me to lose face. Why can¡¯t she just follow my wishes and take the initiative to mention remarrying me? ¡°Forget it! I shall swallow my pride. It doesn¡¯t mean anything. My wife is more important!¡± Bruce flicked his tongue and pretended to touch the tip of his nose! ¡°Joanna, 1¡­ want to tell you something!¡± ¡°Oh, go ahead!¡± Joanna looked at Bruce seriously. Bruce nced at the servants and said, ¡°All of you go out first!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Ms. Chain, Nancy, and the others did not dare to dy and hurriedly left the ward! After they left, Bruce suddenly choked and stuttered. ¡°Joanna¡­ Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. He was usually a decisive and determined person! However, now, he felt inexplicably awkward about proposing to his ex¨Cwife. Joanna looked at him feeling puzzled. She thought, ¡°Was there ever a time when he felt embarrassed?¡± Bruce had always been bold and would never hesitate to say anything on his mind. Now, he was wondering what to say and muttering at some point. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds and said slowly, ¡°Joanna! ¡°For the sake of the children, let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s remarry!¡± With that, Bruce looked at Joanna solemnly and took out a box from his suit pocket! There was a huge diamond ring inside the box! Joanna waspletely stunned! Bruce brought the diamond ring in front of Joanna. ¡°Marry me! I did not propose to you thest time. I¡¯ll make it up to you this time!¡± With that, Bruce knelt on one knee and handed the ring to Joarina! He had already nned everything properly. Regardless of whether it was for the sake of the children or for other reasons, he wanted to remarry Joanna! All these years, other than Roxanne, he had been surrounded by many different kinds of women! Most of these women were greedy and vain. They all wanted to be with him to get money or power. Only Joanna didn¡¯t care about his money. However, some people were strange. The more others did not want it, the more they wanted to give it to them. Joanna looked at Bruce in horror, She was stunned for a long time. She came back to her senses and said, ¡°Bruce, stop fooling around!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around. I¡¯m serious! I¡¯ve already thought about it. For the sake of the children, let¡¯s remarry!¡± After saying that. Bruce took the diamond ring and pulled her hand, wanting to put the ring on her hand! Joanna was stunned for a moment and subconsciously retracted his hand! ¡°No!¡± She could not ept him! She was a little touched, and her hatred for him was not that deep anymore! However, she was really in pain. She had not forgotten how much she suffered. After marrying Bruce previously, she was in so much pain that she did not want to go though it again. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t make a scene! I¡­ You¡­.¡± Joanna stuttered too. She never expected that Bruce really wanted to remarry her. She really couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking. Bruce asked solemnly. ¡°What do you mean me and you? What are you trying to say?¡± Joanna pulled her hand back, and the expression in her eyes became uneasy. ¡°I want to say that Roxanne is now pregnant with your child. If we get married again, what do you want her to do?¡± ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s impossible between me and Roxanne! I told you a long time ago that there was a misunderstanding between us! ¡°Even if she wasn¡¯t the mastermind, there¡¯s no way we can get back together!¡± Joanna was a little upset. ¡°Bruce, can you be more mature? ¡°Marriage is not child¡¯s y. You always make decisions so suddenly. It¡¯s really unbearable!¡± Because of him, she had been criticized by the people in Greyport for six years! If she got back together with him now, she would probably be scolded a bitch who seduced her brother¨Cinw again. Bruce paused for a few seconds and stared at Joanna. ¡°What¡¯s so unbearable about this? Or you can¡¯t forget another man?¡± Lilia chimed in and shook Joanna¡¯s arm coquettishly. ¡°Mommy, just promise Daddy!¡± ¡°Yes, remarry! We want to be with Mommy forever!¡± Irvin added. Only Davian remained silent. No matter what decision his mommy made, he would support her. ¡°Stop arguing! This matter is very serious. Mommy has to consider it slowly!¡± Joanna thought about it carefully and did not dare to reject Bruce directly! She was afraid that he would take the children away again. ¡°Bruce, I¡­ I¡¯m not mentally prepared yet! You proposed too suddenly. I haven¡¯t thought about it at all! 13:46 Tue, ¡°Can you not talk about marriage for now? When everything is settled smoothly, we can talk about remarrying after we have both seriously considered it!¡± When Bruce heard this, he did not say anything for a long time! Perhaps, he really needed to give her some time! After all, he had hurt her so deeply in the past! If she agreed to remarry him so easily, it would seem degrading for her. Bruce thought that Joanna was testing him. ¡°Alright, I respect your decision.¡± ¡°However, I will definitely marry you again!¡± Bruce said as he held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly and kissed it gently. ¡°Mommy. Daddy, we¡¯re a family. We¡¯ll never be separated, okay?¡± Bruceughed. ¡°Of course!¡± Irvin pouted. ¡°Daddy, you must not marry that bad woman, Roxanne Haynes. We don¡¯t like her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Daddy won¡¯t marry her. Daddy won¡¯t marry anyone else except your mommy!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank and did not want to continue the topic. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about these things today!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s Christmas. I should say something happy!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s watch the fireworks!¡± They heard another loud sound. The fireworks outside were still blooming in the sky. The two little boys could not help but run to the window. ¡°Wow, the fireworks are really beautiful!¡± ¡°Mommy, look! Daddy specially prepared these for you. Are you touched?¡± Joanna looked at the dazzling fireworks outside the window and felt a pain in her heart. ¡°Bruce, can you not be so high¨Cprofile? You¡¯re putting me in a difficult position!¡± She was now the queen of topics in Greyport again. She really didn¡¯t want to be the topic of gossip! ¡°What¡¯s there to be troubled about? I¡¯m clearing your name! Let everyone know that I¡¯m the one professing my love to you! It¡¯s not the other way around!¡± Joanna frowned in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to clear my name like this!¡± Joanna, you¡¯re being too cautious!¡± Soon, everyone in Greyport was talking about Bruce¡¯s high¨Cprofile confession of love to his ex¨Cwife. ¡°Oh my god, are Mr. Everett and Joanna Haynes getting back together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Isn¡¯t Miss Roxanne pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child? If he remarries his ex¨Cwife, what will happen to Miss Roxanne?¡± ¡°Hey, why are you worried about such stuff? He has money. He can support both women.¡± ¡°Gosh! Miss Haynes is really scheming! Mr. Everett is still attracted to her¡­¡± Christmas Day. The first wave of news headlines on Christmas Day was dominated by Bruce Everett¡¯s high¨Cprofile disy of love with fireworks! ¡°Mr. Everett threw hundreds of thousands of dors to confess his love to his ex¨Cwife.¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne¡¯s dream of marrying into a wealthy family is gone!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett and his ex¨Cwife got back together. The biggest news in the century.¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne otherwise known as the single parent.¡± Wave after wave of explosive news flooded the Inte. At the Haynes¡¯s house! Everyone in Greyport knew that Bruce had spent hundreds of thousands of dors to set off fireworks and express his love for Joanna. Roxanne naturally saw the news too. Joanna Haynes has indeed reconciled with Bruce at this time!¡± Ingrid also cursed angrily, ¡°Bruce Everett, that bastard. Roxy has loved the wrong person!¡± ¡°Mom, what should I do?¡± Roxanne looked depressed! In the past, she could threaten Bruce with suicide. But now, it seemed that even if she reallymitted suicide, Bruce would still be indifferent. Ingrid was so angry that she choked. Her eyes bulged like a toad¡¯s. ¡°Can you not ask me what to do every time something happens? ¡°How would I know what to do? After helping you to think of so many ways, you still lost your man!¡± Roxanne could not help but cry again. I¡¯m pregnant now. What about this child? ¡°What he¡¯s doing now is clearly sending a big p onto my face.¡± Ingrid rolled her eyes and said fiercely, ¡°No matter what, this child is your leverage. You have to give birth to it!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Shaun happened toe downstairs. ¡°What are you arguing about again?¡± ¡°Look at your scheming daughter. Look at what she¡¯s done!¡± ¡°Sigh!¡± Shaun sighed deeply! SEND GIFT Chapter 248 Chapter 248 COMMENT ¡°If I were you, I would go and give her a good beating. She needs a few tight ps! She is so cheap! There are so many men. in Greyport. Why can¡¯t she go and seduce anyone of them? Instead she had to seduce Bruce! She¡¯s really the number one slut in Greyport!¡± The more Ingrid scolded, her words became harsher. Her face became very red too. Shaun could not help but sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t use such terrible words!. I have already told you that from the beginning. Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t love Roxy at all! ¡°You and Roxanne were so persistent and wanted to cling onto Mr. Everett. Now, everyone in Greyport is watching us make a fool of ourselves! ¡°How do you expect Roxy to face everyone in the future?¡± When Ingrid heard this, she stomped her feet in anger and wished that she could jump sky high. ¡°Roxy is already feeling terrible enough, yet you¡¯re still saying such things! ¡°I don¡¯t know if you really love your daughter!¡± Roxanne felt sad and helpless. She could only cover her face and cry. ¡°Can you stop crying? You only know how to cry all day long. You deserve to be dumped!¡± ¡°Back then, your mother was the most beautiful woman in the entire Greyport. I had a long queue of suitors who would do whatever I said. It was easy! Why aren¡¯t you like me?¡± Shaun could not help but retort, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about your past! ¡°Don¡¯t make Roxy feel more miserable anymore. She has been pampered since she was young. What could she have learned from you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll abort the child tomorrow!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she was even more exasperated. ¡°No! No matter what, this child must be born!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point? He¡¯s clearly breaking up with me by doing confessing his love to Joanna! What¡® the point of giving birth to the child?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? You¡¯re pregnant with the Everett family¡¯s flesh and blood. Your baby will be able to inherit some of their assets when the dayes, and it¡¯ll be enough for you to live happily for the rest of your life!¡± Roxanne still continued crying. ¡°Mom, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Go find him. Anyway, you¡¯re pregnant now! I don¡¯t believe he dares to do anything to you!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Ingrid was really infuriated. She said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital to find that bitch Joanna Haynes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? We just have to go there and create a scene. If she doesn¡¯t feel embarrassed, we¡¯ll go there everyday and give her more trouble.¡± When Shaun heard this, his head hurt so much that it felt like it was about to explode. ¡°Oh my god! Can you stop making. such a fuss? ¡°Isn¡¯t this messy enough?¡± Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened in anger. She pointed at Shaun¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°Are you going or not? Can you bear to see your daughter suffer? Can you bear to see your daughter be a single mother? I don¡¯t even know how you became a father!¡± Shaun could not win any argument with Ingrid. As he still loved Roxanne, he apanied them to the hospital. 5 * At the hospital! At the nurse reception desk. ¡°Sir, who are you looking for?¡± a nurse asked politely. ¡°I¡¯m Shaun Haynes¡­¡± Before Shaun could finish, Ingrid interrupted him and looked at the nurse arrogantly. ¡°We¡¯re looking for that damn bitch. Joanna Haynes!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The nurses looked at Ingrid in shock. ¡°This is Joanna Haynes¡¯s father. Can¡¯t he even visit his daughter?¡± Ingrid¡¯s voice was so sharp and shrill that it hurt the nurses¡® eardrums. ¡°Madam, this is a hospital. Please don¡¯t make a scene here!¡± ¡°Move away. all of you! Let¡¯s see who dares to stop me today!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go into the ward. This is a VIP ward¡­ A few nurses hurriedly went forward to stop her! Ingrid grabbed Roxanne and pushed her in front of the nurse. ¡°My daughter is pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child. If you touch her and cause her to have a miscarriage, do you think you can bear the consequences?¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes. Mrs. Haynes. You really can¡¯t enter!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ingrid did not listen. Together with Shaun, they barged into the ward where Joanna was staying in. The nurses could not stop them at all. They were even more afraid of going close to Roxanne as she was pregnant. The nurses could only watch as they marched into the ward. There were originally a few bodyguards guarding the door of the ward! However, they all knew Roxanne and did not dare to stop her. Bang! Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The door of the ward was pushed open hard! Shaun and Ingrid rushed in angrily. Joanna and the servants were shocked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Without another word, Ingrid started cursing. ¡°Joanna, you damn bitch! How dare you ask us why we¡¯re here? ¡®Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened when she heard that. Shaun could not help but nagged, ¡°Joann, it¡¯s not that I am here to scold you, but why are you creating all these problems?¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt helpless and could not defend herself. Needless to say, they were definitely here to create a scene because of the fireworks disy. However, Joanna really didn¡¯t know about Bruce¡¯s arrangement that was meant to be a surprise. Moreover, she didn¡¯t ask him to do it. The Haynes family didn¡¯t dare to cause trouble for Bruce. Instead, they came to create amotion here. They knew that Joanna was weak and helpless. Roxanne started crying in a second. She looked at Joanna with tears in her eyes. ¡°Joanna, I beg you to take pity on me¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re in pain, but I¡¯m feeling more pain! I¡¯m pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child now. If Bruce dumps me, what will happen to me and the baby?¡± Ingrid continued scolding in a high¨Cpitched voice, ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t talk so much to her. She¡¯s such a heartless bitch. It¡¯s useless. even if you beg her!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. If you have anything to say, please go find Bruce!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she mocked Joanna even more. ¡°Oh gosh! You really know how to shift the me! ¡°You know that we can¡¯t afford to offend Mr. Everett, so you deliberately push the me to Mr. Everett! ¡°We¡¯re not looking for Mr. Everett today. We¡¯re looking for you, you slut! Why are you so cheap? There are so many men in Greyport. Can¡¯t you seduce any of them? Why do you have to cling on to your sister¡¯s boyfriend? You¡¯re just like your mother. You¡¯re both sluts!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that her entire body trembled. ¡°Ingrid Haynes, I¡¯m warning you. Watch your mouth!¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯m going all out today. You need a good scolding, you damn bitch! Shameless, bitchy vixen! A slut who seduces her brother¨Cinw!¡± Ms. Chain and Nancy couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. They hurriedly went forward to chase Ingrid and her family away. ¡°Please leave. If you continue to cause trouble, we¡¯ll call the police!¡± ¡°Report! Go ahead and report quickly! Hurry up and get the police toe over. The police can expose what this damn bitch has done! Shaun¡¯s face darkened as well. He looked at Joanna with hatred. ¡°Joann, I will say something fair!¡± ¡°After all, you¡¯re the older sister. It¡¯s only right for you to give in to your younger sister! Besides, Bruce is Roxy¡¯s boyfriend! ¡°You seduced your brother¨Cinw six years ago. Roxy was so angry that she was admitted to a mental hospital! Now that they¡¯ve finally reconciled, why must you get involved in their rtionship? ¡°If Roxy wasn¡¯t pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything! But now that Roxy is pregnant, do you want her to be a single mother like you?¡± Joanna was so angry that her heart ached. She looked at Shaun coldly. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to talk to you! ¡°Please get out of here now!¡± No matter how Ingrid scolded her, she wasn¡¯t sad at all! However, her father¡¯s every word was like a sharp knife that stabbed her heart deeply! He had never cared about how she had spent the past six years. In his heart, there was only his other daughter and son! B Chapter 249 Chapter 249 And Joanna was treated even worse than a stranger! Joann, why are you still so stubborn? This is a family scandal. Why do you have to make it public? You have looks, a career, and there are a lot of good men out there! Why don¡¯t you let go of Bruce? No matter what, as Roxy¡¯s father. I¡¯ll definitely settle the matter today! You can¡¯t be with Bruce. Bruce and Roxy are a couple. If you insist on being stubborn, I will really not acknowledge you as my daughter!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t want to say anything else. You can say whatever you want.¡± Roxanne cried until her face was covered in tears and her nose was all runny. Although her tone was soft, it was filled with at strong threat. ¡°Joanna, I beg you! Don¡¯t pester Bruce anymore. I really can¡¯t take it anymore! If you continue to be with. Bruce, I will kill myself! If I die, I won¡¯t let you have it easy either. I¡¯ll drag you and your children down with me. At most, we¡¯ll die together!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. She looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°Roxanne, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Roxanne adjusted her posture and looked at Joanna viciously. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. I¡¯ve already lost my mind! Without Bruce, I¡¯d rather die! ¡°After all, I¡¯m not even afraid of death. Why would I be afraid of dragging a few people down with me?¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, I¡¯ll let everyone know today what kind of woman you are! Get up, get up!¡± Ingrid moved forward to pull Joanna. When Shaun saw this, his head hurt. ¡°Stop fooling around. If you have something to say, say it. Don¡¯t be violent!¡± ¡°Stop it and leave this ce quickly!¡± Ms. Chain and Nancy also went forward to stop them. Ingrid pushed Ms. Chain. ¡°Get Out. This is our family matter. How dare you to interfere?¡± ¡°My Roxy hasn¡¯t broken up with Mr. Everett yet. She¡¯s the future Mrs. Everett. Are all of you blind?¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, please calm down¡­¡± ¡°Get out, all of you. This is our family matter. Why are you outsiders here? What right do you have to interfere?¡± Ingrid pushed Ms. Chain and Nancy out of the ward aggressively. ¡°Hubby, p her mouth hard! I¡¯m going to tear off your pants today to show everyone you are a slut!¡± ¡°Ingrid, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± Outside the ward! Ms. Chain panicked and hurriedly called Bruce. The sound of a phone ringing was heard. Bruce¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett. Pleasee to the hospital quickly!¡± Bruce was using hisputer to hold a multinational conference. Although it was still the festive season, his employees who were overseas were still working as usual, so he was very busy! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Ms. Chain said anxiously, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Haynes, and Miss Roxanne barged into the ward to cause trouble! ¡°We don¡¯t dare to stop them, and also we can¡¯t stop them¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Bruce¡¯s heart sank when he heard that. ¡°I understand.¡± Bruce ended the call. Then, he gave a few simple instructions to the managers who were having video conferencing with him. He then left the rest. of the work to his secretary to handle. After that, he brought his men to the hospital! At the hospital! Twenty minutester. Bruce arrived at the ward aggressively. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re finally here! Mrs. Haynes is creating such a ruckus¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, he walked into the ward with a cold expression. In the ward! Ingrid was still condemning Joanna, refusing to give up. ¡°Mr. Everett is here. Stop arguing!¡± Bruce walked in with a cold expression. What are you doing?¡± When Ingrid and Roxanne heard this, they quickly shut their mouths and did not dare to utter a word. Shaun frowned. ¡°Bruce, you came just in time. I need to talk to you about something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The night before yesterday, you set off fireworks to show your love to Joann. What exactly did you mean?¡± ¡°It meant what it meant!¡± Bruce replied slowly. ¡°Then what is Roxy to you? She¡¯s pregnant with your child now. Are you going to abandon her just like that? ¡°Exin yourself clear today. Give all of us an exnation!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to exin. I broke up with Roxanne! ¡°If it¡¯s not obvious enough, let me repeat this. I¡¯m done with Roxanne Haynes!¡± Bruce said coldly without any hesitation. Now that he had seen through Roxanne¡¯s true colors, he felt extremely disgusted. He could not even be bothered to humor the Haynes family anymore. When Roxanne heard this, it was an extremely big blow to her. ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t treat me like this. How can you be so heartless to me? ¡°Alright! Alright! Since you¡¯re so heartless, I¡¯ll die¡­¡± Bruce was unmoved and had no intention of stopping her. Her threat to kill herself was no longer effective on him! ¡°Bruce, Roxy has been with you for so many years. She is still pregnant with your child. How can you bear to see her die? ¡°How can you just leave her alone?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened as he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself today. I¡¯ve never slept with Roxanne Haynes! She got pregnant using artificial insemination! I don¡¯t have any feelings for her either! Of course, if she wants to give birth to the child, then so be it! I¡¯ll take care of it after it¡¯s born. If you want to take care of it yourself, I can also give you child support! Of course, I¡¯ll get awyer to handle this matter!¡± He did not want to be a fool again! Bruce would not pay a single cent more than what the court ordered him to pay for child support. Roxanne was the one who nned such a scheme against him. If Roxanne hadn¡¯t schemed against him like this, he would have given her arge sum of money as However, since Roxanne dared to set him up like this, he did not have to show her any mercy anymore! When Joanna heard that, she looked at Bruce in shock! She did not expect Bruce to be so heartless toward Roxanne! ¡°Bruce, no, no, I don¡¯t want to break up with you! Tell me, what kind of spell did my sister cast on you? ¡°I lost your love since she came back!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Bruce pushed Roxanne away in disgust. Roxanne turned to look at Joanna and could not stop crying. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m begging you. Let Bruce him back to me!¡± As she spoke, Roxanne knelt down with a thud. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not getting up. You can¡¯t do this to me. You can¡¯t¡­¡± Ingrid was so angry that she almost had a heart attack. ¡°Mr. Everett, you have to be responsible for Roxy! ¡°If anything happens to Roxy, I won¡¯t let you off. I¡¯ll risk my life to get you to bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, don¡¯t be in such a hurry! ¡°Roxanne is rted to a case. The police are already investigating!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she stopped being loud and arrogant. Roxanne who was crying so hard, nearly choked! ¡°Roxy, what the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Bruce, you have to believe me. I really didn¡¯t spend those two sums of money!¡± Ingrid also reacted and quickly added, ¡°Ah, yes! I spent those two sums of money!¡± ¡°I have always kept Roxy¡¯s Richmoren bank card. You¡¯ve really used Roxy wrongly this time!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Bruce scoffed. ¡°Here¡¯s your bank transfer record! ¡°Mrs. Haynes too. Looks like you¡¯ve done a lot of private transactions!¡± As he spoke, Bruce threw a transaction document at Ingrid. Ingrid was shocked, and her face turned pale! Shaun was shocked and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes, you can see for yourself!¡± When Shaun heard this, he immediately picked up the document and looked at it. The document had a list of transfer records, and they were all from two ounts! Some were tens of thousands of dors, and some were even more than 200 thousand dors. In total, there were at least over 2 million dors! When Shaun saw it, he was so shocked that he felt numb for a while. ¡°Oh my god, so much money! ¡°Who did you transfer the money to?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°As far as I know, two people by the names of Oscar and Wace received the money!¡± Shaun felt that a bomb had gone off in his mind. He was very furious when he heard that. ¡°Tell me, why did you secretly transfer so much money to them?¡± Shaun knew that Ingrid were not just ordinary friends with Oscar and Wace. Moreover, they had always been very close to Ingrid. He reckoned that they were Ingrid¡¯s toy boys. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ lost money to them in poker!¡± ¡°Bullshit! How much money did you gamble away in poker? It can¡¯t be over 2 million dors!¡± Ingrid¡¯s face turned pale as she stammered, ¡°I¡­I really lost to poker!¡± ¡°Exin yourself. Why did you have to gamble so much money away?¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes, this is your personal problem. I think you can go out and talk to your wife slowly!¡± At this moment, Shaun only felt humiliation. He was no longer in the mood to care about Roxanne! ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with them?¡± ¡°I have nothing to do with them!¡± ¡°Tell me clearly. Did you use my money on your toy boys?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I really didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call them now. If you dare to cheat on me, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡± ¡°Hubby, I really have nothing to do with them!¡± ¡°Then why did you y poker with them and lose such a big amount of money? Why?¡± Roxanne looked at the two of them helplessly. ¡°Mom, Dad, stop arguing!¡± ¡°Come,e home with me!¡± Shaun grabbed Ingrid and stormed out of the ward! Roxanne was afraid that something would happen, so she quickly followed. After the Haynes family left, the ward was finally quiet. Joanna looked at Bruce. She was speechless. ¡°Bruce, you¡­¡± Chapter Bruce smiled teasingly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Nothing!¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°Did you find out something?¡± ¡°Make a guess!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to guess. Hurry up and tell me!¡± SEND GIFT COMMENT Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Bruce smiled mockingly and said yfully, ¡°Ingrid and her two cousins have always had an improper rtionship! Now that her two cousins have fled, it¡¯s obvious that they have a guilty conscience. ¡°However, I¡¯ve already frozen all their bank ounts! I¡¯ve also sent people to investigate their whereabouts. I believe that the truth will be revealed soon!¡± Joanna could not believe what she heard. She was still in shock. ¡°No! Really? Are you saying that Ingrid made a cuckold out of Dad?¡± ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s more than one! Ingrid knows how to have a good time! She has affairs with many men.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± ¡°I got someone to investigate, of course!¡± Joanna sucked in a breath of cold air. She could not get over her shock for a long time! ¡°Are you saying that Ingrid is the one who hired the murderer?¡± Bruce frowned slightly. ¡°Highly likely, chances are 90%! ¡°However, we still need witnesses! Although the murderer is dead, the murderer received a sum of money before he died! That money came from Ingrid¡¯s cousin! Moreover, the murderer already had cancer before he died! ¡°As long as those two cousins are found, the truth will be revealed, and she will be sent to prison!¡± After hearing this, Joanna could not help but frown. ¡°What about Roxanne?¡± ¡°Whether she knows about this or not, or whether she has anything to do with it, I¡¯m done with her!¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want your rtionship with Roxanne to break up because of me¡­¡± Joanna looked at Bruce seriously, although she hated Roxanne. However, everyone thought that she had seduced Bruce back then. She had carried that burden for six years. Now, if Roxanne and Bruce broke up again, Joanna would probably be med again. Bruce seemed to have guessed Joanna¡¯s concerns. He gently held her hand and said seriously, ¡°Joanna, even without you, it¡¯s impossible for me and Roxanne to be together anymore. Don¡¯t feel too pressured, and don¡¯t worry about what others think! I hope that we can give each other a chance! Let¡¯s start over!¡± Joanna was stunned for a few seconds. Her heart raced, and she subconsciously pulled her hand back. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about our matters in the future!¡± She really did not have the courage to ept him so easily. It was better to deal with him slowly. Perhaps he would change his mind after a while! Meanwhile, at the Haynes¡¯s house. Shaun grabbed Ingrid and returned home in anger and exasperation! ¡°I must get to the bottom of this today¡­¡± Shaun was so angry that his body was trembling. He immediately called Ingrid¡¯s cousins. ¡°Beep¡± ¡°The number you have dialed is unavable!¡± After Shaun made many attempts to call, their phones were switched off. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Wace and Oscar knew that the situation was not right. The two of them had already left Greyport and escaped to some small country in Southeast Alendor toy low. ¡°Why can¡¯t I get through to them? Hurry up and tell me what your rtionship with them is. ¡°Why did you transfer so much money to them all these years?¡± Ingrid¡¯s hair was in a mess, and her makeup was ruined. Her eyshes and eyeliner were covered in tears. ¡°I really gambled the money away!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been kept in the dark by you all these years! How many men did you have affairs with?¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t. You have to believe me, hubby!¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, can you stop arguing? Can you calm down¡­¡± As Shaun realized that he had been cuckolded, he could not remain calm. He yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you damn bitch! You¡¯ve ruined my life! ¡°I married you and gave you money to spend, but you took the money to enjoy yourself with other men!¡± ¡°Ouch! Stop hitting me!¡± Ingrid was beaten up so badly that she fought back! Ingrid scolded back righteously, ¡°Yes, I slept with other men. You are so useless? If you are strong and can satisfy me, will I need to sleep with other men?¡± Someone spat. When Shaun heard this, his lips trembled with anger. ¡°You, you, you shameless woman! I want a divorce! I¡¯ll get awyer to settle it immediately!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be happy to divorce you! But I want half of the family assets!¡± ¡°In your dreams! These are my assets! You won¡¯t get a cent¡­¡± The two of them argued non¨Cstop! The servants were also scared silly. They stood at the side and watched, not daring to step forward to stop the fight. Looking at the chaotic scene in front of her, Roxanne felt like her heart was dead. She did not even want to stop the fight! She was very tired and only wanted to find a shoulder to lean on! Roxanne silently opened the door and walked out of the house. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she had to escape from her house now! She didn¡¯t want to stay for another moment. The sound of a phone ringing was heard. Gavin¡¯s phone rang. Seeing that it was Roxanne. he quickly answered. ¡°Hello, Roxy. Why are you calling me today?¡± ¡°Gavin, I¡¯m so sad. I really need to see you now!¡± Roxanne could not help but cry again! She was dumped by Bruce, and her parents wanted a divorce! She really needed someone tofort her. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle and see you right away!¡± Chapter 251 Chapter 251 ¡°I¡¯m on the street now. I have nowhere to go¡­¡± When Gavin heard this, he said with concern, ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯ll pick you up immediately!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± This was still the festive season. The streets were decorated with colorful lights and ornaments. The atmosphere was joyous, and there were many couples on the streets. Roxanne felt even sadder, so she agreed to meet Gavin! Half an hourter, Gavin sped over on his motorcycle. Gavin parked the motorcycle and immediately hugged Roxanne. ¡°Roxy, why are you crying? Why are you wearing such thin clothes on such a cold day?¡± Roxanne cried uncontrobly. ¡°Gavin, I broke up with Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s okay! So be it! You still have me. I¡¯ll be by your side for the rest of my life! As long as you want, I¡¯m willing to marry you!¡± Roxanne buried herself in Gavin¡¯s arms and cried bitterly! ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you for a ride!¡± As Gavin spoke, he thoughtfully put a helmet on Roxanne! She got on Gavin¡¯s motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his waist! It was obvious that their rtionship was more than ordinary! Not far away, there were two bodyguards hiding in the dark. When they saw Roxanne and an unfamiliar man hugging each other tightly, they were stunned! That was not all. Miss Roxanne actually left with that man. ¡°Darn! Miss Roxanne is actually making out with another man?¡± ¡°What should we do? Should we follow them and stop them?¡± Another bodyguard teased, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett to be cuckolded too!¡± ¡°Stopughing and follow them!¡± After talking, they immediately started the car and followed the motorcycle. ¡°Make a call to Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± One of the bodyguards drove, while the other immediately took out his phone and called Bruce. Bruce¡¯s phone rang! He took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Cherron, one of his bodyguards! ¡°Hey, Cherron, what¡¯s up?¡± Cherron lowered his voice. ¡°Mr. Everett, Tom and I just saw Miss Roxanne hugging a man on the street!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce frowned. Although he didn¡¯t love Roxanne, his reputation meant a lot to him. After all, Roxanne was his fianc¨¦e. Although they had broken up, they had yet to announce it to the public. Cherron continued, ¡°Miss Roxanne is on that man¡¯s motorcycle. Should we stop them?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Follow her and don¡¯t let her leave Greyport! Also, take a photo of them and send it to me!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± After hanging up, Bruce was infuriated. As expected, like mother, like daughter. Ingrid was a loose woman and so she did not bring her N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. daughter up properly! He realized that all these years, he had been blinded to the truth! He actually treated Roxanne well as she had rescued him back in the day. What was even more hrious was that he had returned thevor to the wrong person! The person who saved him was not Roxanne Haynes at all. As Bruce thought of this, he got so angry with himself that he pped himself hard. Soon, Gavin brought Roxanne back to his home! He had already moved out of his house and rented a small and dpidated apartment. ¡°We¡¯re here. Let¡¯s get down!¡± Roxanne got out of the motorcycle and looked up. This building was so dpidated that it looked like it was about to be demolished! ¡°Gavin, why are you living here now?¡± ¡°I sold my house to pay off my debts. I¡¯m staying temporarily.¡± As Gavin spoke, he had already opened the door with the key! The room was messy and dirty. The floor area was small, and the room did not have much space. Roxanne saw this, and her heart ached! Back then, Gavin was also a top student at a top university. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to know Roxanne. His parents had used all their savings to get him into a prestigious school so that he would be sessful in the future. When he was in school, he was charismatic and handsome. He excelled in his studies too. Gavin was the dream lover of all the girls in the school! Unfortunately, a rich student got jealous of him and deliberately got a girl to set him up. Hence, Gavin was expelled from the school. After that, he couldn¡¯t recover from the setback. Until now, he had nothing. ¡°Roxy, have you eaten? Let me cook something for you!¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯m not hungry!¡± Roxanne looked dejected and subconsciously touched her lower abdomen, Was she going to live with someone like Gavin for the rest of her life in such a ce? At the thought of this, Roxanne felt even more upset! Gavin held Roxanne¡¯s hand lovingly. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be too stressed. Give birth to the child, and I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Roxanne was a little touched when she heard that! However, to Roxanne, she needed a rich man more than she needed love.Gavin loved her but it was not enough. In a ce like Greyport, how could he afford to support her and the child if he could not even support himself? However, she was very sad and desperate at this moment! She feltforted when she heard Gavin¡¯s words. Gavin¡¯s tone became gentler, and he was moving closer to her. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t leave tonight, okay?¡± ¡°No!¡± Roxanne immediately shook her head. Although she had been dumped, she had yet to announce it to the public! She was still Bruce Everett¡¯s fianc¨¦e! Especially now that she was pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child! No matter what, she would pester him and not let go. CEND GIFT Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Gavin said, ¡°Roxy, I miss you so much. I can¡¯t stop thinking about you.¡± Hearing Gavin¡¯s words, Roxanne almost melted. However, she shook off Gavin¡¯s hand and shouted, ¡°Stop it! ¡°I¡¯m depressed now and not in the mood!¡± Gavin could not help but hold Roxanne in his arms, murmuring, ¡°Roxy, of course, I know you¡¯re unhappy. That¡¯s why I want to cheer you up.¡± Roxanne shouted, ¡°I really can¡¯t do it with you now!¡± Gavin gently kissed Roxanne¡¯s cheek and whispered sweet words in her ear. As Gavin spoke, he carried Roxanne in his arms and walked to the bed. Roxanne was not in the mood. However, she failed to resist Gavin¡¯s passion and decided not to struggle. Roxanne thought, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Gavin is good at this thing. ¡°Gavin knows me so well. How can I leave him?¡± Cherron and Tom were downstairs. Crack! Crack! Cherron and Tom took many photos of Roxanne walking into the apartment. Gavin¡¯s apartment had thin walls that were not soundproof. Cherron and Tom did not enter the apartment to take photos of Roxanne and Gavin, but they recorded everything Roxanne and Gavin had said. Then, Cherron and Tom sent the photos to Bruce. Bruce was furious when he saw those photos and had indescribable andplicated feelings. Bruce thought, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the man in the photo twice! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Roxanne to have an affair with that man. Besides, it seems they have been together for a long time.¡± Roxanne always pretended to be a pure girl in front of Bruce. Thus, Bruce had never doubted her. In addition, Roxanne had done well in keeping it a secret. That was why Bruce did not discover Roxanne¡¯s affair with another man. Bruce cursed, ¡°Damn it! That woman is disgusting! I must get back everything I gave her!¡± Bruce was very generous to Roxanne before because he felt guilty and tried to use the money to make it up to Roxanne.. Bruce had bought Roxanne many pieces of jewelry, sports cars, and branded bags. When they were engaged, Bruced gave Roxanne a pink diamond ring that was worth 100 million dors. But now, it seemed that Bruce nned to get back every cent he had spent on Roxanne. Bruce used to think it was his fault for Roxanne being harassed by bad people. To Bruce¡¯s shock, Roxanne had an affair with this man named Gavin long ago. Cherron called Bruce for instructions. ¡°Mr. Everett, should we do something to protect Miss Roxanne?¡± Cherron was implying that Roxanne was about to have sex with another man soon if they did not stop her. Bruce said coldly, ¡°Ignore herl ¡°Got it!¡± replied Cherron. Bruce thought, ¡°I have already broken up with Roxanne. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with who Roxanne wants to be with! ¡°I¡¯m willing to give Roxanne thest dignity as long as she knows what¡¯s good for her and gives up pestering me. profile for this breakup. I hate to see things turn into dramas!¡± Everything will be fine if we keep a low The bed was squeaking in Gavin¡¯s small apartment. Gavin wanted tofort Roxanne and make her happy. Unfortunately, Gavin did not know what to do. Thus, he did what he got in bed, attempting to cheer Roxanne up. ¡°Ahh!¡± Roxanne suddenly screamed and used all her strength to push Gavin away. Gavin was terrified and asked, ¡°Roxy, what happened? Are you okay? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Roxanne suffered extreme pain and could not speak. ¡°Roxy? Roxy? I¡¯m calling an ambnce now!¡± Gavin was so frightened that he hurried grabbed his phone and was about to call an ambnce. Roxanne shrank like a shrimp due to the pain and broke up cold sweat on her face. Gavinforted, ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m calling an ambnce now!¡± Hearing Gavin¡¯s words, Roxanne gritted her teeth and said, ¡°No, you can¡¯t call an ambnce! I can¡¯t let anyone know I¡¯m here!¡± Gavin panicked when he heard that. He asked, ¡°Then what should I do? Alright. I¡¯ll send you to a hospital now!¡± Roxanne thought for a few seconds and shook her head. She said, ¡°Send me back to the town. Then I¡¯ll take a taxi to a hospital.¡± Gavin was shocked and replied, ¡°What? I should probably send you to a hospital myself.¡± Roxanne shouted, ¡°Just cut the crap and get me back to the town!¡± Roxanne was in so much pain that she broke out in cold sweat. Roxanne thought, ¡°Bruce is responsible for the baby in my belly! I don¡¯t care whether I can win his favor back or whether he still has feelings for me!¡± Gavin replied, ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Then he quickly put on the clothes for Roxanne. After that, Gavin hastily dressed up and carried Roxanne downstairs. Gavin said, ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re gonna be fine. Okay? No need to be scared. What about I send you to a hospital nearby?¡± Roxanne cried, ¡°No! Just listen to me and get me back to the town!¡± She insisted on returning to the town. Gavin replied, ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Gavin did not dare to waste one minute. He quickly carried Roxanne to his motorcycle. Then he started it and rushed to the town. Cherron and Tom were still hiding in the dark to take photos secretly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± It seems like Ms. Haynes is sick or something.¡± ¡°Stop thinking about what happens to them. Just take photos!¡± ¨C¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Crack! Crack! Then Cherron and Tom turned the cameras to Gavin and Roxanne and took many photos. Ten minutester, Gavin rode his motorcycle and brought Roxanne to the town. Gavin suggested, ¡°Roxy, we¡¯re not far from a hospital. How about I get you straight to the hospital?¡± Roxanne suffered so much pain that her face turned pale. She shook her head and rejected Gavin, saying, ¡°No! Just hurry up and get a taxi for me!¡± Roxanne thought, ¡°I can¡¯t let anyone see I¡¯m with Gavin. ¡°I still want Bruce¡¯s money! ¡°If others see I¡¯m with Gavin, it will be difficult for me to get a cent from Bruce!¡± Gavin hurriedly ran to the road to stop a taxi, crying, ¡°Taxi!¡± Then a taxi stopped before Gavin. Gavin cried, ¡°Roxy, I got a taxi for you!¡± Roxanne shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me! I can go to the hospital myself!¡± After saying that, Roxanne staggered into the taxi. Then she said with a painful expression, ¡°Hi, please take me to the nearest hospital!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± said the driver. The driver noticed Roxanne was in deep pain. Thus, he heavily stepped on the elerator and rushed toward the hospital. Five minutester, the taxi arrived at a hospital. The taxi driver said, ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve arrived at the hospital!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± said Roxanne. Then Roxanne staggered toward the hospital, screaming, ¡°Doctors! Nurses! Somebody please helps me!¡± As Roxanne walked, she took out her phone and called Ingrid. ¡°Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!¡± Ingrid had just finished the fight with Shaun. Ingrid picked up the phone and yelled, ¡°Roxy? Where the hell are you?¡± Roxanne¡¯s weak voice came from the other end of the phone. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ingrid was shocked and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Roxanne said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Juste to the Northshore Hospital now!¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 After hanging up the phone, Ingrid hurriedly said to Shaun, ¡°Go to the hospital with me now. Something happened to Roxy!¡± Shaun was still sulking. Thus, he asked in a muffled voice, ¡°What happened to Roxy?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Roxy is hospitalized. She¡¯s at the Northshore Hospital now.¡± Shaun was shocked when he heard that. He cried, ¡°What happened?¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°Stop asking so many questions. Just go to the hospital!¡± Shaun worried about his daughter and could not be bothered with continuing the fight with Ingrid. Then they hurriedly drove to the Northshore Hospital. In the Northshore Hospital. Roxanne was sent to an emergency room. A doctor was examining her. Gavin tried too hard in bed. Thus, Roxanne was going to have a miscarriage. After the examination, the doctor said in frustration, ¡°Young adults. Don¡¯t know how to control yourselves? You¡¯re only two months pregnant. How can you have sex?¡± Roxanne was still in excruciating pain. She said, ¡°It hurts so much, doctor. Please save my baby!¡± The doctor said, ¡°Now you want to protect your baby? Why didn¡¯t you think about the consequences when you were enjoying the moments in bed? ¡°You can¡¯t have sex before the third¨Cmonth pregnancy because your centa needs time to stabilize. You wouldn¡¯t be in the hospital if you have followed the medical advice!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face was pale. However, she could not exin anything. Instead, she kept begging the doctor to save her baby. The doctor asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the baby¡¯s father? You should probably tell him about this and ask him to Soon, Ingrid and Shaun rushed to the hospital. Ingrid asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my daughter, Roxy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still in the emergency room!¡± replied the doctor. Ingrid asked, ¡°How did this happen?¡± The doctor said, ¡°You are her parents, right? You should remind your daughter of what she can¡¯t do during pregnancy. Young adults know nothing, but you should!¡± The doctor gave a speech to Ingrid and Shaun. However, Ingrid and Shaun were worried about Roxanne and did not hear a word from the doctor. Two hourster, nurses finally took Roxanne out of the emergency room. Roxanne¡¯s legs were held up high to minimize the effect of gravitational pull on the fetus. Ingrid asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my daughter?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°We¡¯ve given your daughter pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicines. She has to stay in the hospital for observation for the next few days. Whether the baby can be saved depends on her recovery.¡± Ingrid became even more anxious when she heard that. She asked, ¡°Doctor, please do something to save my daughter¡¯s baby!¡± The doctor said, ¡°I totally understand how you feel now. We¡¯ll do our best.¡± A nurse pushed Roxanne¡¯s hospital bed into a ward. Then Ingrid and Shaun hurriedly followed the nurse in. Ingrid asked, ¡°Roxy, what did you do? Why did you have a miscarriage out of the blue?¡± Roxanney weakly on the hospital bed. Her face was as pale as a dead person¡¯s. She said, ¡°Mom, stop nagging¡­¡± Ingrid interrupted, ¡°How is this nagging? I¡¯m worried about you! It wasn¡¯t easy for you to get pregnant. What do you do if you lose this baby?¡± Hearing this, Roxanne closed her eyes in shame. Roxanne was very scared now. Meanwhile, she med Gavin inside. She thought, ¡°I told him Gavin couldn¡¯t do that with him. ¡°However, he tried so hard to seduce me!¡± Ingrid kept nagging. Then Shaun could not take it anymore. He red at Ingrid and scolded, ¡°Enough! Stop ming Roxy! ¡°Don¡¯t you see Roxy is weak now? What she needs is rest, not your nagging. How can she recover while having you nagging aside?¡± Hearing this, Ingrid was so angry that she rolled her eyes at Shaun. Then Ingrid said, ¡°Roxy, rest well. I¡¯m going to get you something to eat.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± said Roxanne. Ingrid carried her bag and left the ward. As soon as she walked out of the ward, she called Bruce. Ingrid thought, ¡°Although Bruce didn¡¯t show me any mercy today, now that something had happened to Roxy. How can he sit back and do nothing? ¡°I want Bruce to see how weak Roxanne is with his own eyes. Perhaps, he will change his mind and not break up with Roxanne. ¡°As long as Bruce and Roxanne are together, I don¡¯t have to worry about the police investigating me for hiring a killer.¡± Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. Bruce decided to pick it up. ¡°Hello?¡± Ingrid greeted, ¡°Hi, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Ingrid calmed herself down and said, ¡°Roxy is hospitalized. Are youing to see her?¡± Bruce asked knowingly, ¡°Oh, she¡¯s in the hospital?¡± Bruce asked it on purpose. He already knew what had happened since his bodyguard reported everything to him. ¡°Yeah! The situation was dangerous. Roxy almost died with her two babies! Anyway, Roxy is very weak now. Hurry up ande to see her!¡± Bruce sneered when he heard that. Bruce thought, ¡°Roxanne was hospitalized because she had wild sex with another man. How can her mother be so thick¨Cskinned as to call me?¡± Thus, Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Does it have anything to do with me? I¡¯ve already broken up with Roxanne!¡± Ingrid was shocked when she heard Bruce¡¯s answer. However, she did not give it up. Instead, she continued, ¡°Roxanne is pregnant with your child. How can you be so ruthless? ¡°I don¡¯t care what¡¯s between Roxanne and you. You have to be responsible for Roxy and the baby in her belly. She has your child now. How can she marry another man in the future?¡± Bruce said, ¡°Mrs. Haynes, please stop pestering me. I might consider giving, Roxanne thest dignity if I have a good mood. If you keep annoying me, I won¡¯t show any mercy. ¡°By the way, ask Roxanne to get an abortion. I won¡¯t be responsible for anything even if she gives birth to the baby!¡± Ingrid dumbfounded when she heard that. Ingrid thought, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Bruce to be so cruel to Roxanne in just a few days. Days ago, Bruce promised he would be responsible for the baby. But now, he doesn¡¯t even care about the child.¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Mr. Everett, how can you say that? Roxy has been with you for six years. How can you be Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Bruce said coldly, ¡°Cold¨Cblooded? 50 cold¨Cblooded?¡± ¡°By the way, there¡¯s one more thing you need to know. Mywyer will get back everything I gave Roxanne before. Don¡¯t me me for suing Roxanne if she doesn¡¯t return everything!¡± ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Ingrid thought, ¡°Bruce is a mogul. And he wants the things back that he had given to a woman?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°You not only want to break up with Roxy but you¡­ you want her to return everything that you gave her. Did I get it right?¡± Bruce snorted and said, ¡°Yeah. You got it right! ¡°Roxanne knows very well what she has done. Don¡¯t treat everyone as a fool! ¡°I won¡¯t let Roxanne give birth to this child. If she dares to do so, I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Ask your daughter if you have questions. I¡¯ve already done my best to give her thest dignity! ¡°If you continue to be so annoying, you will see what I will do!¡± Ingrid asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? Roxy has been your girlfriend for six years. Is this how you treat her?¡± Beep. Bruce hung up the phone since he was uninterested in continuing the talk with Ingrid. Ingrid was furious and anxious. She cursed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Bruce is so cruel! I won¡¯t let him get away from it easily!¡± Ingrid did not have the mood to get some food and hurried back to the ward. Roxanne was lying weakly on the hospital bed while Shaun sat beside the bed with a miserable expression. Ingrid ignored Shaun and went straight to bed to see Roxanne, Ingrid and Shaun ignored each other since they were still in a fight. Roxanne said, ¡°Mom, you said you went to get some food¡­¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°Well. It¡¯s toote now. Besides, I forgot to take my car key. Don¡¯t worry. I will order a takeoutter!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Roxanne hummed to reply. Seeing Roxanne was so weak, Ingrid did not want to nag her and dared not to tell Roxanne how merciless Bruce was. Roxanne suddenly said, ¡°Mom, give me the phone. I want to make a call.¡± Ingrid asked, ¡°Whom do you want to call?¡± Roxanne replied weakly, ¡°I want to call Bruce!¡± Roxanne thought, ¡°I loved to put on an act before Bruce. It worked every time! ¡°My old trick doesn¡¯t work that well now. However, I want to give it a try. There is a silver lining as long as Bruce takes a little pity on me. Ingrid¡¯s lips twitched. Then she said with an unnatural expression, ¡°It¡¯ste now. Bruce is probably asleep. It¡¯s better not to call him at this time.¡± Roxanne¡¯s face darkened when she heard that. Then she said resentfully, ¡°When Joanna was hospitalized, Bruce was anxious and took good care of her. ¡°Now that I¡¯m hospitalized, I don¡¯t believe Bruce will do anything. After all, I¡¯m pregnant with his child! I might fail to keep the baby, so I want him to take ast look at it!¡± When Ingrid heard this, she sighed deeply and persuaded, ¡°It¡¯s better not to call him. Forget it and rest well.¡± Roxanne said, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with you? I asked you to give me the phone. You seem like you are unwilling to let me have my phone.¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°Roxy, Mom just called Bruce.¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. She asked, ¡°Mom, did you tell Bruce I¡¯m hospitalized? How did Bruce react? Did he say he ising to visit me?¡± Ingrid was nervous when she heard Roxanne¡¯s questions. Seeing Roxanne was so excited, Ingrid did not want to tell her the truth.. a Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡°Roxy, you just woke up and are still very weak. You should rest well now. By the way, tell me, why did you suddenly have stomach pain?¡± Roxanne panicked and stammered, ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± She dared not to tell the truth. Ingrid said, ¡°I just called Bruce. He sounded very annoyed and talked to me rudely.¡± Roxanne asked anxiously, ¡°Mom, what did Bruce say to you?¡± Ingrid replied, ¡°He said you know what you¡¯ve done.¡± Ingrid could not control her curiosity and asked, ¡°Roxy, what exactly did you do?¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She stuttered, ¡°¡­¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Stop the stuttering and tell me now!¡± Roxanne said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My belly suddenly hurt when I walked on the streets. ¡°Hmph! It must be that bitch Joanna badmouthing me behind my back! It must be her! Otherwise, Bruce wouldn¡¯t have treated me like that! ¡°Joanna, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Roxanne was so angry that her eyes seemed on fire. She wanted nothing more than to tear Joanna into pieces. Ingrid rolled her eyes and reminded Roxanne, ¡°Roxy, it¡¯s not the time to cause more trouble. ¡°The most important thing now is to keep your baby. Nothing can¡¯t happen to the child in your belly no matter what happens!¡± Ingrid and Roxanne concentrated on their conversation without noticing Shaun had left the ward long ago. Roxanne finished talking about herself and suddenly remembered her parents had nned to get a divorce. Thus, Roxanne asked, ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Dad?¡± Ingrid looked around and found Shaun was not here. She said, ¡°He may go out to have a walk.¡± Roxanne asked worriedly, ¡°Mom, is everything okay between you and Dad?¡± Ingrid sighed and said, ¡°No need to worry about us. Take care of yourself first.¡± Now, Wace and Oscar had both left Greyport. Shaun knew Ingrid had cheated on him. Sadly, Shaun could not catch Ingrid in bed. He was angry about it as long as he thought of it. Shaun murmured, ¡°I have married Ingrid for so many years. If I want a divorce, Ingrid will take half of my money and assets. If so, I will lose a lot without gaining anything!¡± Therefore, Shaun decided to bear the insult. The next day, a nurse injected Roxanne with another shot of pregnancy¨Cstabilizing medicine. A doctor asked Roxanne to do all kinds of treatments to keep the baby. Ingrid could not help it and called Bruce again. However, Bruce no longer picked up Ingrid¡¯s calls. That made Ingrid and Roxanne furious. For the next three days, Roxanne stayed in the Hospital to keep her baby. On the fourth day, the doctor announced Roxanne¡¯s baby was saved. Ingridined, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. How can Mr. Everett do this? It¡¯s been four days, and he hasn¡¯t ¡°He should care about his child at least, even if he has no feelings for you.¡± Hearing Ingrid¡¯sint, Roxanne did not say a word. Shey on the hospital bed with a sorrowful expression, and her eyes looked dull. Roxanne had no idea Bruce already knew she had an affair with Gavin. Joanna was allowed to be discharged on the seventh day of the Christmas holidays since she had been in the hospital for days. Joanna was still weak, but the doctor said she could go home and recover. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Bruce and the kids went to the ward to pick up Joanna. Joanna cried, ¡°I can finally be discharged!¡± ¡°Yay! Mommy can finally go home!¡± Davian and Irvin were jumping and yelling happily around Joanna. Bruce carried Joanna into a wheelchair and said, ¡°Be careful!¡± Bruce suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Reagan No. 8 Residence now. ¡°From now on, you and the kids can live there.¡± Hearing Bruce¡¯s suggestion, Joanna frowned, thinking, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in the Everett family¡¯s residence anymore!¡± Thus, Joanna said, ¡°Bruce, I think it¡¯s better for me to return to my ce.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Absolutely no. Your ce is small and poorly furnished. It¡¯s better to go back to the Reagan No. 8 Residence. You and the kids can live together!¡± Joanna lowered her eyes and did not retort again. Joanna thought, ¡°I can only take one step at a time. If I reject Bruce, I don¡¯t know what he will do!¡± Bruce pushed Joanna¡¯s wheelchair and left the hospital. Davian walked on the left side of the wheelchair while Irvin walked on the other side. The entertainment journalists had been waiting in the underground parking lot for several days. Many bodyguards were there to protect Bruce, Joanna, and the kids, but the entertainment journalists managed to take photos of Bruce picking up Joanna home. On the same day, news broke out on the Inte. [Mr. Everett personally picked up his ex¨Cwife and took her home.] [Mr. Everett ns to remarry his ex¨Cwife. Miss Roxanne is going to be abandoned.] People started their discussion on the Inte. ¡°Oh, my god. is Mr. Everett really going to remarry his ex¨Cwife?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard that they¡¯re living together!¡± ¡°Oh my! If so, isn¡¯t Miss Roxanne abandoned?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say. How can Miss Roxannepete with the scheming Miss Joanna?¡± Soon, Roxanne and Ingrid also saw the news. Roxanne and Ingrid were so angry when they saw the photos of Bruce picking up Joanna that they gritted their teeth. Roxanne was annoyed and started to cry. ¡°Mom, what should we do? Joanna is really going to remarry Bruce!¡± Roxanne thought, ¡°I have waited for Bruce for six years. But in the end, I¡¯m dumped by him.¡± Ingridforted Roxanne, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll deal with it!¡± Ingrid immediately called a few paparazzi she was familiar with. Ingrid said. ¡°Hello? Write some articles to nder Joanna now! Describe her so badly that she can never exin it.¡± A person replied on the other end of the phone, ¡°No problem.¡± The next day, many articles defaming Joanna were published online. All kinds of posts defaming Joanna went viral. Without exception, those posts all talked about how Joanna hooked up with her brother¨Cinw! People in Greyport had many entertainment news to read during those days. Then they kept discussing Joanna online. ¡°Wow. This Miss Joanna is really something!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett even abandons Miss Roxanne for Miss Joanna! You know, Miss Roxanne is pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child!¡± ¡°Joanna is so powerful. She must be the most scheming bitch in Greyport! Miss Roxanne is innocent. How can Miss Roxanne be the opponent of Joanna?¡± ¡°Wow. Rich people do live promiscuous lives! One is Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cwife, and the other is his current girlfriend. Most importantly, the two of them are biological sisters!¡± ¡°Anyway, Joanna and Mr. Everett were divorced. Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne are a couple! Joanna is breaking them up!¡± ¡°Joanna is a third wheel. This is an irreversible fact!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say. Joanna can hook up with any man. Why does she have to seduce her brother¨Cinw?¡± The public supported Roxanne and made Joanna be a notorious trend on the Inte. Roxanne was discharged on the ninth day of the Christmas holidays. On the day Roxanne was discharged from the hospital, arge group of entertainment journalists surrounded the hospital entrance. As soon as Roxanne appeared, the entertainment journalists rushed to hand over their microphones to Roxanne. ¡°Ms. Haynes, may I ask if you and Mr. Everett have broken up?¡± ¡°What about the child in your belly? When will Mr. Everett remarry your sister?¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Roxanne lost control of her emotions and cried out loud before the journalists. Roxanne thought, ¡°I want the public to see how miserable I am. Then everybody will know Joanna steals Bruce from me!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, please calm down and say something!¡± Roxanne cried so hard that she looked like she would break down any time. She replied, ¡°Yes, Bruce has already broken up with me!¡± ¡°He says he loves my sister, not me! ¡°My fianc¨¦ abandons me for my sister! ¡°However, I will still give birth to the baby in my belly. I wish Bruce and my sister a happy life.¡± Roxanne¡¯s words immediately became breaking news in Greyport. Soon, all the news on the Inte was talking about how Joanna stole Bruce from her sister. The public thought Roxanne was the victim. Thus, they all supported Roxanne. No one in Greyport sent their blessings in thement section of the news of Bruce and Joanna getting back together. Instead, people wrote the meanest sentences about it. Everyone pointed their fingers at Joanna. After all, people sympathized with the weak, and Roxanne¡¯s crying before the cameras aroused everyone¡¯s sympathy. Joanna also saw the news. The news and thements gave Joanna a headache. Joanna cried, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve told you. We can¡¯t be together!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t care what others say!¡± Joanna had an emotional breakdown. She cried, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Stay away from me! I don¡¯t want to take the me anymore!¡± ¡°Joanna, calm down!¡± Joanna screamed, ¡°I can¡¯t calm down! ¡°I can¡¯t stand people criticizing me like that!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was solemn. He held Joanna¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Therefore, we must rify the truth to the public! And let those who attacked you suffer the consequences of their actions! ¡°Give me one more day! ¡°I¡¯ll hold a press conference and exin everything!¡± Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Bruce decided to call Roxanne by himself. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hi, Roxanne. It¡¯s me, Bruce.¡± Roxanne sneered and said, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m surprised to receive your call. You finally remembered me. ¡°I thought you were obsessed with Joanna and would never leave her.¡± Bruce said gloomily, ¡°Roxanne, I call you because I hope you can rify everything to the media. ¡°Stop inciting people to attack Joanna!¡± Hearing that, Roxanne gritted her teeth in anger. She shouted, ¡°rify everything? Why should I? Everything I said is the truth! ¡°My sister stole my fianc¨¦! And now, I am an abandoned woman!¡± Bruce asked, ¡°Roxanne, do you have no idea what you have done?¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice carried a hint of resentment. Roxanne continued, ¡°Bruce, you were cruel to me first. That¡¯s all I know. As an eye for an eye, that¡¯s what I did!¡± Bruce asked, ¡°Do you have to do this?¡± Roxanne shouted, ¡°You made me do this!¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve already given you the chance, and you didn¡¯t know how to seize it. Don¡¯t me me for what will happen next!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was deep and cold. Roxanne gasped and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon!¡± Roxanne snorted and said, ¡°I¡¯m not so easy to be threatened. Bruce, I¡¯m okay with the breakup since you insist on it. ¡°I will agree to break up with you if youpensate me 200 million dors! Then I¡¯ll raise the child myself.¡± After hearing this, Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Huh. In my eyes, you¡¯re worthless. You don¡¯t deserve to give birth to my child!¡± Hearing what Bruce said, Roxanne was so angry that her entire body trembled. She shouted, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re ruthless! ¡°I¡¯ve loved you for six years. Is this how you treat me? I was hospitalized for so many days and almost lost my life! ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t care about me. But how can you say such hurtful words?¡± Bruce said coldly, ¡°Roxanne, I¡¯ve already sent my warnings to you.¡± Then he hung up the phone. ¡°Hello? Bruce?¡± Noticing that Bruce had already hung up the phone, Roxanne was a little nervous. Roxanne murmured, ¡°Hmph, Bruce. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? I don¡¯t believe you dare to do anything to me.¡± After hanging up the phone, Bruce frowned and considered for a few seconds. He thought, ¡°The public is going crazy online now. I had to take action. ¡°Roxanne betrays me and nders Joanna like that. I should teach that disgusting woman a lesson!¡± Thus, Bruce ordered, ¡°Andy, expose these photos to the public. ¡°I want Roxanne¡¯s reputation to be ruined within three days.¡± Andy replied solemnly, ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Andy thought, ¡°That woman must cross Mr. Everett¡¯s bottom line since Mr. Everett seldom got so angry.¡± The photos of Roxanne and Gavin together were posted online the next day. Those photos showed that Roxanne hugged Gavin¡¯s waist tightly and kissed him intimately on the street. Then, they went on a motorcycle and left together. Everyone could tell Roxanne must have an affair with Gavin. [Roxanne cheated for a motorcycle man. They kissed intimately.] [Roxanne deserves to be dumped. The pure and innocent Roxanne turns out to be a lustful woman.] [Who¡¯s the father of the baby in Roxanne¡¯s belly? It is a mystery.] [Roxanne went to a hospitalte at night. Perhaps it was caused by her affair.] The news of Roxanne having an affair with Gavin went viral overnight on the Inte. It became the most breaking news in Greyport, which was far more explosive than the news about Joanna. In the Haynes¡¯s house. Ingrid saw the news early in the morning and felt like lightning struck her. Bang! Bang! Bang! Ingrid was furious. She went to Roxanne¡¯s room and knocked on the door heavily, Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g grabbing her phone. Ingrid shouted, ¡°Roxy, hurry up and open the door. Something big has happened!¡± Roxanne was still groggy when she heard the knock on the door. Thus, she shouted impatiently, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night! ¡°Wait until I wake up!¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Get out of your room now. You won¡¯t believe this. The bad news about you is spreading crazily on the Inte.¡± Hearing this, Roxanne shuddered and hastily got up. Crack! The door was pulled open. Roxanne asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ingrid angrily handed the phone to Roxanne and said, ¡°Roxy, look at these photos! ¡°Is this you? Tell me, what did you do on Christmas day? Who were you with?¡± Roxanne went nk. She hurriedly grabbed the phone and looked at the photos. Roxanne found that the photos of Gavin and her went viral on the Inte. She even became a trending search. Boom! Roxanne felt like lightening struck her. Then Roxanne¡¯s legs went weak, and she almost lost her bnce. Thud! The phone in Roxanne¡¯s hand fell to the ground. Ingrid was furious. She poked Roxanne¡¯s head and screamed, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why did you insult yourself like that? ¡°I spent years cultivating you and sent you to learn countless courses because I hoped you would marry a rich man and get into a wealthy family someday instead of messing with a loser! ¡°Tell me, how many times have you dated that poor man? You can hook up with anyone but not this kind of cheap person! How many times have I told you? It¡¯s hard to get rid of those poor people!¡± Roxanne was so shocked that her face turned pale. She stepped back to the room and fell heavily onto the bed. As the saying goes, one¡¯s shoes will get wet if he usually walks by the river. Roxanne used to be careful when she secretly dated Gavin and was afraid of being discovered by others. Roxanne way not cautious only one time. Unexpectedly, others discovered them and took photos of them at that time. Ingrid shouted, ¡°Say something! How many times have you slept with that poor man? You¡¯re good for nothing! Why did you do such a self¨Cdestructive thing? ¡°How is Mr. Everett inferior to a poor bastard? Why do you have to humiliate yourself like that?¡± Ingrid was so angry that she pped Roxanne in the face. This was the first time Ingrid had pped her daughter. Ingrid thought, ¡°It is all over now. The daughter I¡¯m so proud of has be aughingstock in Greyport!¡± ¡°Boohoo.¡± Roxanne¡¯s brain went nk. All she could do now was sobbing. Roxanne thought, ¡°Sadly, there is no time machine in the world. ¡°I would never hook up with Gavin if I knew I would end up like this. ¡°I was Bruce¡¯s girlfriend when I was at the university. However, Bruce was so busy that he didn¡¯t have time to be with me. ¡°Besides, my mom taught me since I was young that I had to maintain my purity before men. My mom said the more I yed hard to get, the more men would cherish me. ¡°Therefore, I did my best to keep myself as an innocent girl before Bruce. Once, Bruce could not help but want to touch me, and I pretended to be scared and cried. ¡°Unexpectedly, after a few times, Bruce no longer had the desire to touch me. Then I met Gavin and released my urges on him. How could I leave Gavin? ¡°Day after day, Ipletely depend on Gavin to release my urges.¡± x Ingrid hysterically shouted, ¡°It¡¯s all over now. It¡¯s all over now. What do we do?¡± Ingrid held her chest and cried. She was so upset that as if she was dumped. Ingrid thought, ¡°Roxanne will never have a chance to get into the Everett family!¡± Shaun came out of another room and asked, ¡°What are you arguing about early in the morning?¡± He slept in another room instead of sleeping with Ingrid. When Shaun heard Ingrid making a scene, he couldn¡¯t help bute over and check it. Ingrid cried out loud and shouted, ¡°Ask your daughter what stupid thing she had done. She¡­ I¡¯m so disappointed in her!¡± Hearing this, Roxanne threw herself onto the pillow and cried. Shaun asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened this time?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Read the news online by yourself.¡± Then she wept bitter tears of disappointment. Ingrid thought, ¡°I loved to show off Roxanne and Bruce¡¯s marriage before my friends. ¡°My daughter has be aughingstock, and her reputation is ruined! I don¡¯t think Roxanne can find another man for the rest of her life.¡± Seeing Ingrid and Roxanne were so upset, Shaun hurriedly turned on his phone to read the news. Shaun almost had a heart attack when he read the news. Shaun would never expect that his beloved daughter would hook up with a man who was so poor that he rode a broken motorcycle! Shaun asked, ¡°Roxy, is this true? How did you know this kind of person?¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Roganne cried so hard that she could not say a word. Shaun murmured, ¡°It¡¯s over now. No wonder Mr. Everett is so ruthless to Roxy. Mr. Everett probably knew about this long ago.¡± Ingrid continued to curse, ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re good for nothing! I want to strangle you!¡± Shaun said, ¡°Enough. Stop yelling. Scolding won¡¯t make things better since things have turned out like this. ¡°Take Roxy for an abortion tomorrow and stop her pestering Bruce anymore.¡± When Ingrid heard this, she scowled and shouted, ¡°How does that work? Roxy must keep her baby since things turn out like this. ¡°Roxy has to give birth to the child no matter what happens!¡± p! A crisp sound arose. Shaun couldn¡¯t take it anymore and gave Ingrid a heavy p. ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯re the one who asked Roxy to do this and that! You turned your daughter into this statel ¡°At this time, you are still stubborn and continue to push your daughter into hell! Do you have a brain? ¡°Roxy bes like this because she has you as her mother!¡± Ingrid retorted, ¡°You know nothing! I¡¯m doing this for Roxy! Now everyone knows what Roxy has done. Who will still want Roxy? ¡°The best solution is that Roxy gives birth to Mr. Everett¡¯s child. Thus, she can rely on the child to get money for the rest of her life. At this time, the baby is the only bargaining chip we have! The Everett family is so rich. I don¡¯t believe they won¡¯t give a cent to the child!¡± Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Clung! Shaun was so angry that he kicked Ingrid heavily. Shaun said, ¡°I can¡¯t stand your nonsense talk anymore. If you say such things again, I¡¯ll definitely divorce you!¡± Ingrid shouted angrily, ¡°Then let¡¯s do it! Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? I¡¯ll divorce you tomorrow if you give me half of your property!¡± Shaun was so angry that he panted heavily, shouting, ¡°In your dreams!¡± Then, Shaun turned to look at Roxanne and said, ¡°Roxy, listen to me. You have to abort the child tomorrow. ¡°After that, you can find an ordinary man and live a peaceful life with him. That¡¯s the best solution for you. ¡°Bruce isn¡¯t a man you can control. You won¡¯t be happy even if you manage to be with him. Besides, things have already turned out like this. You won¡¯t have a good ending if you keep annoying Bruce.¡± Hearing Shaun¡¯s words, Ingrid was furious that her eyes were on fire. She shouted, ¡°Hmph! Shaun, of course, you want Roxy to give Bruce up because you hope Joanna to be with Bruce! ¡°Don¡¯t you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning! You¡¯re biased! And you want Joanna to have everything!¡± Shaun shook his head angrily and said, ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous and unreasonable!¡± Ingrid retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the ridiculous one. That¡¯s why you prefer Joanna to Roxy!¡± The two of them scolded each other, and no one gave in. Soon, they started fighting again. Ding Dong! Ding Dong! When Shaun and Ingrid were fighting fiercely, the doorbell downstairs rang. # Two minutester, a maid ran upstairs. She reported, ¡°Mr. Haynes and Mrs. Haynes, two men are at the door.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°They say they are Mr. Everett¡¯swyers.¡± replied the maid.. Hearing that, Shaun and Ingrid were shocked and stopped the fight. Ingrid said, ¡°Bring that man in now.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The maid replied and hurriedly went down to open the door. Shaun and Ingrid quickly tidied up their clothes and hurried downstairs. Roxanne stopped crying and wiped her tears. Then she quietly went downstairs and hid behind the stairs to hear the conversation. Shaun was worried and asked, ¡°What are Mr. Everett¡¯swyers doing here?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Hmph! Mr. Everett must be here to discuss the details of the breakup. We should ask him topensate us a big amount of money since the breakup is settled.¡± When Shaun heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He said, ¡°Is money the only thing in your mind? Are you very short of money now?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Ingrid snorted and did not reply to Shaun. Shaun warned, ¡°Behave yourself and talk lesster. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself!¡± Five minutester, the maid let two men in. They were dressed in suits and wore gold¨Crimmed sses, carrying briefcases. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Shaun greeted politely, ¡°Wee. Please take a seat!¡± Mr. Brycen politely greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Haynes and Mrs. Haynes. Where¡¯s Ms. Haynes?¡± Shaun replied, ¡°My daughter is upstairs. What can I do for you?¡± Mr. Brycen said, ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Everett¡¯swyer, and I¡¯m here to ask Ms. Haynes to return the engagement ring and other gifts given by Mr. Everett.¡± When Ingrid and Shaun heard this, they looked at each other in shock. Mr. Brycen continued, ¡°The gifts Mr. Everett previously gave Ms. Haynes are all valuable. Those are betrothal gifts. ¡°Mr. Everett has withdrawn the engagement with Ms. Haynes. Therefore, pursuant to thew, Ms. Haynes must return all the gifts she has received to Mr. Everett. ¡°This is a list of the gifts. Please ask Ms. Haynes to return all of them. Otherwise, we will sue her for marriage fraud and extortion.¡± Shaun gasped after he heard what thewyer said. He had mixed feelings and could not say a word. Ingrid trembled in anger and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Mr. Brycen continued, ¡°Mrs. Haynes, I¡¯m sure you also know about Ms. Haynes¡® affair with another man. Mr. Everett is furious and wants to get back the gifts that were given to Ms. Haynes. ¡°This is the indictment approved by the court.¡± Ingrid said, ¡°How can Mr. Everett take back the gifts he has given to Roxy? Man gives things to a woman is reasonable and¡­¡± Mr. Brycen smiled and interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s not how thew works. ¡°Ms. Haynesmits deceit during her rtionship with Mr. Everett. Thus, these assets are all obtained by fraud. Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t sue Ms. Haynes for criminal responsibility now and only wants the gifts back.¡± Roxanne hid behind the stairs and heard everything. She got so angry that her body was trembling. Then she rushed out angrily, shouting, ¡°How can Bruce do this to me? ¡°I¡¯ve been dating Bruce for six years. How can I receive nothing for apanying him for six years? How can he be so ruthless after the breakup? ¡°How will Brucepensate me for six years of my youth?¡± Ingrid shouted angrily, ¡°That¡¯s right. My daughter can¡¯t be with Bruce for six years for nothing! Also, Roxy is still pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child. How can that be considered deceiving him?¡± Mr. Brycen said, ¡°Mrs. Haynes, Ms. Haynes, please calm down. Mr. Everett is our client, and what we are doing is just protecting our client¡¯s proper rights. ¡°You can file awsuit if you are unsatisfied with the result. ¡°This is the indictment created by Mr. Everett¡¯swyers. You can take your time to read it and discuss it. ¡°Then we¡¯re leaving now.¡± The twowyers stood up and left, not giving Ingrid and Roxanne a chance to argue. Mr. Brycen thought, ¡°After all, the Haynes family will lose more if they want to get to a court.¡± After thewyer left, Roxanne and Ingrid were still dumbfounded. Shaun was also angry and could not say anything. Ingrid said, ¡°So many things on the list, and we have to return them all! How is that possible?¡± Ingrid and Roxanne were looking at the list of items. They could not help getting annoyed when they thought about returning them all. Ingrid said, ¡°Shaun, do something!¡± Shaun replied, ¡°What else can I do except return the items?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Roxy can¡¯t spend six years on Bruce for nothing!¡± Roxanne gritted her teeth in anger and shouted, ¡°Bruce, Joanna! You two bastards will die a horrible death!¡± Ingrid stopped Roxanne and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of yelling all these now?¡± Shaun interrupted, ¡°We can return those thingster. Roxy should go to the hospital and get an abortion tomorrow first.¡± Ingrid retorted, ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Roxanne screamed, ¡°Dad, Mom, can the two of you stop arguing? Can you stop annoying me?¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Shaun kept sighing. [Although I¡¯ve dated Ms. Roxanne Haynes for six years, I¡¯ve never had intercourse with her! Ms. Roxanne Haynes used inappropriate means to get pregnant¡­] Bruce posted a breakup statement on Twitterter that night. Then Roxanne became a popr topic on all kinds of news. People started their discussions on the Inte again. This time, Roxanne became notorious, and everyone hated her. The next day, Roxanne felt ufortable and had the signs of miscarriage. Roxanne had no choice but to go to the hospital with Ingrid for a checkup. As soon as Roxanne left the house, a group of entertainment journalists chased after Roxanne and asked questions. ¡°Ms. Haynes, may I ask who the man in the photo is? What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± ¡°Did you cheat first? Is the baby in your belly Mr. Everett¡¯s?¡± ¡°Have you read Mr. Everett¡¯s breakup statement postedst night? What do you think about it?¡± Seeing this, Roxanne felt the world spin. She cried, ¡°Go away! All of you!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, please say something!¡± The entertainment journalists did not care about Roxanne¡¯s feelings. Instead, they chased after Roxanne and kept asking questions. Ingrid protected her daughter¡¯s belly carefully. She was afraid that someone would touch Roxanne¡¯s belly in the chaos. Ingrid shouted, ¡°Those photos are all fake. Someone set Roxy up! Those are Al photos! Roxy didn¡¯t do such a thing!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes. I heard Mr. Everett is going to sue Ms. Haynes. Is this true?¡± ¡°This is our privacy. It has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mrs. Haynes. Please tell us more!¡± Roxanne cried, ¡°All of you! Go away!¡± She was surrounded by those crazy journalists. Then Roxanne broke down and cried hysterically before the cameras. ¡°Joanna! I won¡¯t let you off! It¡¯s all because of this bitch that I be today¡¯s state! ¡°Joanna, I curse you to die a horrible death!¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Roxy, hurry up and leave!¡± She protected Roxanne and hurriedly got into the car. The journalists were shocked when they heard Roxanne¡¯s hysterical crying. After Roxanne and Ingrid got into the car, Ingrid said, ¡°Roxy, you have to calm down before the media. You can¡¯t say a bad word about Joanna even though you hate her very much.¡± Roxanne broke down and shouted, ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I really can¡¯t take it anymore! ¡°What should I do now? I don¡¯t even want to live now! ¡°Bruce doesn¡¯t acknowledge this child and asks me to return all the items! My dignity. My reputation. They¡¯re all gone!¡± ¡°Oh, Roxy.¡± Ingrid closed her eyes without knowing how tofort her daughter. Roxannepletely lost this battle. Soon, Roxanne¡¯s hysterical crying in front of the media went viral on the Inte. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped when they saw that. Roxanne used to pretend to be a quiet and elegant girl before people. Thus, no one expected Roxanne to be so crazy. People started their discussion online. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Roxanne to be like this. It turns out that she is a good actress!¡± ¡°Yeah. Roxanne pretended to be so refined and decent in front of the media. Now, it seems that she¡¯s the best at acting!¡± ¡°The Haynes sisters both are not good people. One is a scheming bitch, and the other is an angelic bitch. No wonder they are sisters!¡± Chapter 257 Chapter 257 ¡°From the current situation, the scheming bitch is much better than the angelic bitch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so bad. Miss Haynes seems to be quite innocent and passive.¡± ¡°Guys, don¡¯t jump to conclusions too early. Wait and see what will happen dayster.¡± Manyizens were interested in the news and discussed it all the time. In the Reagan No. S Residence. Like others, Joanna noticed the news since it was the most popr topic now. Luckily, things were different now. People were discussing Roxanne instead of Joanna. Joanna thought, ¡°Roxanne finally has a taste of being attacked and cyberbullied.¡± Bruce got home from work at 8 p.m. Bruce loosened his tie as soon as he got inside. He shouted, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Bruce was tired because he had meetings today and attended interviews to answer those journalists¡® questions. Joanna replied inly, ¡°Wee back.¡± Irvin ran over happily and gave Bruce slippers, saying, ¡°Daddy, wee back!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Bruce touched Irvin¡¯s head after he changed into slippers. Meanwhile, Davian still stayed in his room. Compared to Irvin, Davian was rtively cold. Davian¡¯s favorite thing was staying in his room and ying with theputer. Lilia greeted sweetly, ¡°Daddy!¡± Bruce¡¯s fatigue was gone when he saw his daughter. He carried Lilia and said, ¡°My baby. Kiss Daddy!¡± ¡°Smouch!¡± Bruce smiled gently and kissed his daughter¡¯s little face, saying, ¡°You¡¯re Daddy¡¯s good baby!¡± Joanna frowned and reminded, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t hug Lilia now. Youe back from outside and haven¡¯t washed your hands.¡± Lilia¡¯s resistance to the virus was poor. A weak virus could turn into a serious illness in Lilia¡¯s body. Thus, Joanna had to be careful when it came to hygiene. Bruce said, ¡°I washed my hands outside!¡± With that, Bruce handed Lilia to a servant and said, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs and changing my clothes now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Joanna. The servants had already prepared dinner when Bruce finished changing his clothes. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes, dinner is ready.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Then the family of five sat at the dining table. It was rare for them to get together and have dinner like this. Every time they sat together for a meal, Bruce felt his heart was peaceful and warm. He thought, ¡°I finally felt the warmth of the family.¡± Therefore, Bruce got off work punctually every day. He wouldn¡¯t attend any social events after he got home from work. Davian and Irvin were eating happily. On the contrary, Joanna looked like she had too much on her mind. Seeing Joanna was depressed, Bruce stopped eating. He asked, ¡°Joanna, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Joanna replied inly, ¡°No!¡± She seemed tired. Bruce put some pasta in his mouth and chewed slowly. Then he said, ¡°By the way, I reached out to the doctors in Gaprington today. They said we could send Lilia to Gaprington for treatments. ¡°There¡¯s a 20% chance that Lilia can be cured!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. She cried out, ¡°Really?¡± Bruce smiled warmly and said, ¡°We must try it whether what they say is true or not. As long as there is hope, we should do it.¡± Joanna cried, ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m willing to lose ten years of my life to exchange for the chance that Lilia can stand up!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Pack up when you have time. We will bring Lilia abroad for a checkup in a few days.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Oh? Can you ask that doctor toe over to Greyport?¡± Bruce said, ¡°It¡¯s better we go there. Many medical equipments are unavable in our country.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± said Joanna. When Irvin heard Bruce and Joanna¡¯s conversation, he asked happily, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, do you mean Lilia can stand up soon?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡± Irvin cried out, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great! If Lilia can stand up, she can go to kindergarten with us!¡± Lilia also got excited and asked, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, is that true? Can I really stand up?¡± Bruce said, ¡°Yes, my good baby. Daddy will definitely find the best doctor in the world to cure you!¡± ¡°Daddy is the best!¡± Joanna felt a warmth in her heart when she heard that. Joanna thought, ¡°Anyway, Bruce sincerely loves the children.¡± Later, Joanna asked, ¡°Are you guys all full?¡± ¡°Yes, we are!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Remember to practice the piano after dinner.¡± ¡°Got it, Daddy!¡± Then the family teacher took away the three kids. Joanna returned to her room andy down. It would be better to exercise after dinner. However, Joanna had hypoglycemia and did not want to move. Bruce sent Joanna back to her room. Then he prescribed the medicine for Joanna and watched her take the pills. Seeing Bruce was busy for her, Joanna hesitated to ask him questions. However, Joanna felt silent for a few seconds and could not help asking, ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t you going too far?¡± Hearing this, Bruce was shocked. Then he looked at Joanna in confusion. Joanna exined, ¡°I mean, are you being too cruel to Roxanne? I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t take such a blow and will do something crazy¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Heh! Then let her do it. It¡¯s her freedom to do whatever she wants!¡± Thest guilt Bruce had for Roxanne was extinguished. Bruce thought, ¡°Damn it. Roxanne dared to cheat on me and yed me like a fool! I¡¯ve already shown my mercy since I let her live. Joanna said, ¡°Roxy has been dating you for six years. You can¡¯t let her have nothing¡­¡± Bruce frowned slightly and interrupted, ¡°Joanna, are you out of your mind? Do you remember how Roxanne treat you? ¡°That disgusting woman should have been punished long ago! My money didn¡¯t fall from the sky. I work hard to earn it. I can give my money to charity,, but I will never let that disgusting woman have a cent!¡± Joanna thought about it and did not say anything else. Joanna thought, ¡°It is a great chance for Roxanne to suffer a setback.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about Roxanne. By the way, I want to return to work tomorrow. ¡°I haven¡¯t been to thepany for so many days, and I¡¯m worried about everything there.¡± Hearing that, Bruce thought for a while. Then he agreed and said, ¡°Well. Alright then. ¡°However, I¡¯ll appoint several bodyguards to protect you.¡± Joanna did not refuse or reply to that. Then Bruce walked straight to the bed and unbuttoned his pajamas. Joanna was shocked and looked at Bruce in horror. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bruce showed a suggestive smile and said, ¡°Joann, it¡¯s been so many days. I want to sleep with you!¡± Joanna immediately got up from the bed and said, ¡°Stop it. I haven¡¯t fully recovered. Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so many days. Why haven¡¯t you recovered?¡± Bruce almost could not control himself. Joanna looked away and said, ¡°Before we remarry and my body recoverspletely, you can¡¯t touch me. ¡°Bruce, you have to keep your word. You said you would respect me!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Bruce controlled himself and put on a long face. Then Bruce said, ¡°I¡¯ll just lie beside you and won¡¯t touch you.¡± ¡°No. Go back to your room!¡± Joanna thought, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in Bruce¡¯s words! ¡°Bruce always says he won¡¯t touch me. However, when he loses control of himself, how can I struggle? ¡°Besides, Bruce is difficult to deal with. Every time we sleep together, he makes me exhausted. ¡°The moment Bruce loses control of himself, it is definitely a nightmare for a woman.¡± Bruce said, ¡°We¡¯ve been married for years. Do you have to be so distant?¡± Joanna retorted, ¡°We¡¯re no longer husband and wife! We haven¡¯t remarried yet. So, you have to respect me.¡± Bruce smiled frustratedly and said, ¡°Hehl Alright, alright, I respect you!¡± Then he got up and walked to the other room. Joanna thought, ¡°I haven¡¯t gone to work for days. I have no idea what thepany has be. I will lose more clients if I don¡¯t return to thepany today.¡± 8:30a.m. Joanna arrived at the Haynes Group on time. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes!¡± The employees at the front desk greeted Joanna. Joanna smiled and greeted them, ¡°Hi, everyone!¡± Then the employees started gossiping. ¡°Oh, my God. Miss Haynes returns to work!¡± ¡°I thought Miss Haynes wouldn¡¯te to work after getting back together with Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Agreed. Mr. Everett is so rich. Why is Miss Haynes still working?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is wealthy. However, the Haynes Group is a bigpany. How can Miss Haynes willfully abandon it?¡± ¡°Looks like Miss Haynes is in a good mood and lives a happy life!¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Haynes is happy. She just won the big battle with Miss Roxanne.¡± ¡°In my opinion, this battle willst for days or maybe months. How can Miss Roxanne let Mr. Everett go easily?¡± ¡°How about we make a bet? Let¡¯s see who will get Mr. Everett in the end!¡± The employees gossiped about Bruce, Joanna, and Roxanne. Cora warned, ¡°Cut the crap and get back to work!¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, Cora.¡± Soon, Joanna returned to the office. Joanna murmured when walking into the office, ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for almost a month. I even feel unfamiliar with this ce. ¡°Anyway, I like my state when I¡¯m working.¡± Luna brought in a cup of coffee and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, here¡¯s your coffee.¡± Then Cora came over with a big stack of contracts and documents, saying, ¡°Miss Haynes, these are all the contracts we have signed with clients these days. Please take a look at them.¡± Joanna took a sip of coffee and replied, ¡°Alright. Put them aside now.¡± Then Cora and Luna began to report what had happened in thepany these days. Ten minutester, Cora and Luna finished their report. Then they looked at Joanna and waited for instructions. After hearing the report, Joanna was calm. She thought, ¡°There is nothing urgent in thepany. Everyone was on annual leave for over ten days during the Christmas holidays. ¡°They have just returned to work. Therefore, thepany is fine even without me for days.¡± Joanna paused for a few seconds. Then she said, ¡°Luna, you may leave now.¡± Luna replied, ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes.¡± Then she turned to leave the office. ¡°Cora, where¡¯s Mrs. Maxwell now?¡± Cora replied, ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯ve already rented an apartment for her. She has promised to rify everything for you and testify against Ingrid.¡± ¡°Great. Now tell me about the factories in Mossboume.¡± Cora said, ¡°Mr. Grimm is responsible for the factories in Mossbourne now. ¡°Speaking of Mr. Grimm, he called me yesterday and asked about you.¡± Hearing this, Joanna frowned. She asked, ¡°Really? What did Jay say?¡± Cora had a serious expression and said carefully, ¡°Mr. Grimm is worried about you. Miss Haynes, when you have time, please call Mr. Grimm and tell him you¡¯re okay. Then Mr. Grimm can rx a little.¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Joanna said, ¡°Okay, I will call himter. You can go out first.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Cora replied and left the office. Joanna frowned and sighed deeply. However, Joanna controlled her emotion and handled the work at hand first. After thinking about it over and over, she decided to call Jaydon. Joanna thought, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted Jay for nearly a month. He is probably anxious now.¡± Buzz. Buzz. Buzz Jaydon¡¯s phone rang. Jaydon was depressed these days because he could not reach out to Joanna. When he received Joanna¡¯s call, he hurriedly answered it. ¡°Hello, Joann? Is that you?¡± Jaydon sounded very anxious. Joanna could tell Jaydon was really worried about her. ¡°It¡¯s me, Jay. How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing good!¡± replied Jaydon. He paused for a moment and asked a series of questions. ¡°Are you okay? How¡¯s everything with you now? Where are you?¡± Joanna said, ¡°I¡¯m at thepany now. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Jaydon frowned and hesitated for a while. Then he asked, ¡°Did Bruce make things difficult for you?¡± Joanna sighed slightly and answered, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. No worries.¡± Jaydon asked, ¡°Then why couldn¡¯t I get through your phone these days? I didn¡¯t know what was going on with you and worried about you a lot!¡± Joanna exined, ¡°I was hospitalized before, and Bruce took my phone. ¡°You know how domineering Bruce is. So, I finally have a chance to call you now.¡± Jaydon asked worriedly, ¡°Joann, what do you n to do?¡± Jaydon knew he and Joanna would probably not be together. However, Jaydon did not want Joanna to go back to Bruce. He thought, ¡°If Joanna decides to go back to Bruce, then thest hope of Joanna and I being together will be gone.¡± Joanna fell silent and did not answer Jaydon¡¯s question. Joanna thought, nned to focus on her career. ¡°However, Bruce keeps disrupting my n. I was going to devote myself to work and turn the Haynes Group into one of the top 500panies in the world. ¡°Sadly, with Bruce causing trouble, thepany doesn¡¯t develop as nned this year. Based on the current progress, getting into the list of the world¡¯s top 500panies within three years is just a daydream. ¡°I don¡¯t see thepany will reach the goal even in ten years. The Haynes Group would have developed better without Bruce causing trouble to me. ¡°However, I know Bruce well. That¡¯s why I¡¯m afraid to offend him. He will do more if I annoy him.¡± Noticing Joanna was silent, Jaydon asked again, ¡°Hello? Still there? Say something!¡± Joanna came back to her senses. Then she sighed frustratedly and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s see what will happen. ns can¡¯t keep up with changes¡± ¡°Joann, then what do you really want to do? Do you really want to get back together with Bruce?¡± Jaydon had heard about the news that Bruce was going to remarry Joanna. Thus, Jaydon only wanted to know Joanna¡¯s thoughts about that event. Joanna sighed deeply again and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to remarry Bruce. However, things are very ¡°All I can do is wait and see how things will develop.¡± Jaydon paused for a few seconds. Then he asked, ¡°Is it convenient for you now? How about Ie over to visit you?¡± When Joanna heard this, she quickly shook her head and refused. ¡°Please don¡¯t! It¡¯s not an appropriate time for us to meet each other. ¡°Bruce gets several bodyguards to keep an eye on me. If he finds out I have contacted you, he¡¯ll go crazy again.¡± Jaydon asked, ¡°Then what should we do? Are we not going to see each other for the rest of our lives?¡± Joanna thought for a moment. Then she said, ¡°I¡¯ll figure out how to hold Bruce. Let¡¯s see what things will develop.¡± ¡°Alright then. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Take care!¡± ¡°You too!¡± Jaydon and Joanna both hung up the phones after chatting for a few minutes. Joanna held her forehead in frustration, looking like she was struggling in her thoughts. Joanna thought, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to remarry Bruce! ¡°However, Bruce has my kids now. If I directly reject him, I can¡¯t imagine what crazy things he will do.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. In the Haynes¡¯s house. Roxanne and Ingrid did not dare to go out. Thus, they had been staying at home for more than a week. The entertainment journalists were still waiting for them at the door. They annoyed the Haynes family so much. Meanwhile, the news online about Bruce remarrying Joanna was getting ridiculous. Rumors went that Bruce and Joanna received a marriage license and were going to hold a grand wedding. Those articles even revealed the wedding date. When Roxanne sa the news, she was so angry that she almost went crazy. She cursed, ¡°Joanna, you are a vixen. Why is Bruce so addicted to you? You must drug him! ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s all your fault! Bruce wouldn¡¯t have abandoned me without you!¡± Shaun felt his heart ache for Roxanne when he saw Roxanne had an emotional breakdown. He said, ¡°Hey, Roxanne. You should probably stop thinking about Mr. Everett now. What¡¯s your n now?¡± Roxanne shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. What can I do? I have nothing now. I¡¯ve lost everything! And I be theughingstock for everyone!¡± As Roxanne spoke, she could not help but cry out loud. Ingrid¡¯s face was gloomy. Then she said in frustration, ¡°The most important thing now is how not to return those things! ¡°The gifts that Mr. Everett gave Roxy are worth a lot of money if we sell them. Thus, we can¡¯t return it easily! Roxy has been with him for so long. It can¡¯t be that Roxy doesn¡¯t have anything!¡± Ingrid got angrier and angrier as she spoke. Roxanne cried harder when she heard Ingrid¡¯s words. The engagement ring that Bruce gave Roxanne was a pink diamond ring with more than 20 carats. Bruce even gave Roxanne matching essories, such as a pink diamond ne and bracelet. This set of jewelry was worth more than 100 million dors. When thinking of returning them, Roxanne felt like someone had stabbed her in her heart. Roxanne thought, ¡°That is the most high¨Cend pink diamond. There is only one in the world! ¡°If I return it, Bruce will definitely give it to Joanna! ¡°Other than the diamond ring, Bruce gave me a credit card with no limit. I can¡¯t believe I had to return all of them to Bruce!¡± Thus, Roxanne asked, ¡°Dad, how about you try to call Joanna again and ask her to talk to Bruce?¡± Ingrid agreed and said, ¡°Good idea. Shaun, you should call Joanna now. We are okay with the breakup. However, Bruce has topensate Roxy something!¡± Shaun said, ¡°Is money the only thing in the eyes of the two of you? Roxy did such an embarrassing thing. How can we take Bruce¡¯s things?¡± Ingrid scolded indignantly, ¡°First, this is money. Second, how can Bruce ask a woman to return the gifts that he gave to her? ¡°It¡¯s fine that he dumped Roxy. However, does he have to embarrass Roxy like this?¡± Ingrid urged, ¡°Hurry up and call Joanna!¡± Shaun said dejectedly, ¡°What do I say to Joanna on the phone?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°Ask her to cut Roxy some ck and persuade Bruce to withdraw the indictment!¡± Shaun replied, ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that. If you want, you can call Joanna yourself.¡± Ingrid red at Shaun and yelled, ¡°What do you want? Do you have to watch Roxy fall into a hopeless situation before you¡¯ll be satisfied?¡± ¡°Roxy can¡¯t have nothing. Now, Joanna has taken away the Haynes family¡¯s business. She even takes away Mr. Everett with her!¡± ¡°Huh. Bruce is even worse. He wants the gifts back that he had given to Roxy. He is driving us up the wall. ¡°I¡¯m so sick of this! ¡°Hurry up and call Joanna As Ingrid spoke, she dialed Joanna¡¯s number. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna¡¯s phone rang. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Joanna took up the phone and nced at it. She felt annoyed when she realized the call was from Shaun. Joanna thought, ¡°Dad never calls me for something good. He must call me to talk about Roxanne again.¡± Joanna did not want to answer Shaun¡¯s call. Thus, she muted the phone and ced it aside. ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavable¡­¡± Ingrid cursed, ¡°Damn it. Joanna didn¡¯t answer the phone!¡± Shaun said, ¡°That¡¯s it. Joanna doesn¡¯t pick up the phone. Stop calling her again!¡± However, Ingrid did not give up and kept calling Joanna. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Ingrid gave Joanna eight calls in a row. Joanna couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally picked it up. ¡°Hi, Dad!¡± said Joanna. When Ingrid realized Joanna picked up the phone, her eyes lit up. Then she hurriedly gave the phone to Shaun and gave Shaun a look to urge him to answer the phone now. Shaun was angry at Ingrid. However, he frowned and took the phone. Shaun greeted, ¡°Hey, Joann!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was cold. Shaun paused for a moment and subconsciously nced at Ingrid and Roxanne. Roxanne and Ingrid held their breaths and stared at Shaun with anxiety and expectation. Shaun coughed and said in a low voice, ¡°Hey, umm. Do you have time now?¡± ¡°What? Just say it!¡± Joanna sounded extremely cold. Joanna thought, ¡°I know my dad just wants to talk about Roxanne when he calls me, even if he doesn¡¯t say anything.¡± Shaun said, ¡°Dad wants to see you!¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Say it over the phone if you have something to say! I¡¯m busy. I don¡¯t have time to see you!¡± Shaun hesitated for a while and asked, ¡°Well. Have you decided to remarry Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna was stunned and did not answer Shaun¡¯s question. Joanna thought, ¡°Deep down, I don¡¯t want to remarry Bruce. ¡°However, Bruce has a strong desire for control. He will do anything to achieve his goal if he decides to do it. ¡°Therefore, remarriage with Bruce is not something I can control.¡± Shaun noticed Joanna¡¯s silence and took it as a yes. Thus, Shaun said in a deep voice, ¡°What about Roxy if you remarry Mr. Everett? Have you ever thought about that? ¡°After all, you two are sisters, and Roxy is pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child. You and Roxy fight for a man and embarrass the Haynes family!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and said impatiently, ¡°Dad, save it if you¡¯re calling to criticize me. I still have work to do. Bye.¡± Shaun panicked and begged, ¡°Wait! Joann, please don¡¯t hang up yet. I want to talk to you about some serious matters!¡± Joanna tried to be patient and asked, ¡°What? Just say it!¡± Shaun sighed deeply. Then he said hesitantly, ¡°What do you think we should do since Mr. Everett has broken up with Roxy?¡± ¡°Dad, that¡¯s the stupidest question I¡¯ve ever heard. You should ask Bruce and Roxanne about it instead of me!¡± Shaun sighed again and said pitifully, ¡°You know, Roxy is upset and desperate now. She is about to break down! ¡°I feel my heart ache for Roxy.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She said in a colder voice, ¡°So?¡± Shaun replied, ¡°So, it doesn¡¯t matter that Mr. Everett breaks up with Roxy. But now Mr. Everett ns to sue Roxy and ask her to return everything he gave to Roxy!¡± Joanna was shocked and listened to it quietly. Ingrid stood aside to listen to the conversation. She was so anxious that she kept gesturing for Shaun to get to the point. Shaun felt annoyed and rolled his eyes. Thus, he pulled himself together and asked, ¡°Joanna, can you ask Mr. Everett not to do that to us?¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Joanna could not help butugh coldly. Joanna thought, ¡°Why would my father think I should help them to beg Bruce for that?¡± Shaun continued, ¡°It¡¯s fine that they broke up. However, is Mr. Everett too stingy if he asks Roxy to return all the gifts? It does no good to Mr. Everett¡¯s reputation if the media knows about it. ¡°Also, Roxy has been with Mr. Everett for six years! ¡°The Haynes family isn¡¯t a top¨Cnotch wealthy family, but we¡¯re still decent people in Greyport. However, Mr. Everett is ruthless now. Isn¡¯t he trying to make our entire family beughingstocks? ¡°So, I¡¯m begging you to talk to Mr. Everett and ask him to give up on asking us to return the gifts¡­¡± Hearing this, Joanna was stunned. Then she rejected Shaun directly, ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t help you with that.¡± ¡°Joann, Dad is begging you!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t beg me. I can¡¯t help you with that. I¡¯m being honest.¡± Joanna hung up the phone after finishing her words. Joanna thought, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get involved in Bruce and Roxanne¡¯s matters. ¡°Roxanne and Ingrid will not be grateful to me even if Bruce is willing to listen to me and give up on getting back what he had given Roxanne! ¡°Therefore, there is no need for me to take on such a thankless task!¡± ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Shaun kept saying hello a few times. Sadly, Joanna had already hung up the phone. Shaun sighed and said, ¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t work!¡± Seeing this, Ingrid gritted her teeth in anger and shouted, ¡°That damn bitch! ¡°Call Joanna again until she agrees!¡± Shaun refused, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me anymore! It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford a meal now. Do we have to keep Bruce¡¯s stuff?¡± Hearing this, Ingrid was so angry that she rolled her eyes, shouting, ¡°Stuff? Those things that Mr. Everett gave to Roxy add up to millions of dors! ¡°No, we can¡¯t return these gifts! We should do our best to keep several of them. Or we can dy the return!¡± Shaun shouted, ¡°You¡¯re unreasonable! Call Joanna yourself if you want a negotiation!¡± As Shaun spoke, he got up and went upstairs. Roxanne cried so hard that her eyes swelled up. She asked, ¡°Mom, what should we do now?¡± Ingrid said, ¡°What can we do? Fight Bruce to the death!¡± Roxanne wiped her snot and said in a daze, ¡°But what do we have to fight against him? ¡°I will go to jail if I don¡¯t return those things!¡± Hearing this, Ingrid suddenly got so furious that her eyes were on fire. She shouted, ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed in you! Why don¡¯t you have any self¨Crespect? Why do you have to hook up with that poor bastard? ¡°See? You¡¯ve ruined your future by yourself!¡± Seeing Ingrid was about toin again, Roxanne stood up and ran upstairs. Roxanne cried, ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t want to listen to your speech anymore!¡± With that, Roxanne ran upstairs in tears. After returning to her room, Roxanne turned on the phone she only used to contact Gavin. Roxanne received a call from Gavin as soon as she turned on the phone. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Roxanne took a look at the phone. Then she found hundreds of missed calls and countless messages on the phone. Those calls and messages were all from Gavin. Roxanne answered the call angrily and resentfully, ¡°Hello!¡± Gavin¡¯s anxious and humble voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hi, Roxy? Thank God. I finally got through to your phone! ¡°I¡¯ve called you many times these days. I¡¯m so worried about you¡­¡± Roxanne took a deep breath and roared at the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t call me again! ¡°Do you know how miserable I became because of you? You¡¯ve caused me great trouble! Wow!¡± Roxanne cried ourloud. Gavin felt guilty and kept ming himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Roxanne said, ¡°Stop saying sorry! If sorry works, the world doesn¡¯t needws! ¡°I¡¯ve already lost everything because of you. What else do you want?¡± Gavin said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m worried about you. I just want to see if I can do anything for you.¡± Gavin was so nervous that he was incoherent. Roxanne cried, ¡°If you really want to do something for me, go and kill Joanna! I¡¯ll feel better only when Joanna dies! We are finished, and don¡¯t call me again!¡± Roxanne hung up the phone after finishing her yelling at Gavin. Gavin¡¯s mind went nk. Gavin thought, ¡°The girl I love the most has be notorious! And this is because of mel ¡°Roxy would have married Bruce and gotten into the Everett family without me. She would have the richest woman in Greyport! ¡°But now, everything is gone!¡± Gavin held his head in pain and murmured, ¡°Roxy, I love you. I love you so much. I don¡¯t want things to be like this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a useless man. I¡¯m so useless! What¡¯s the point of my life?¡± Gavin med himself and pped Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. himself heavily. After pping himself dozens of times in a row, Gavin suddenly had a n. His eyes gradually focused. Gavin thought, ¡°I have nothing to lose now. I put my girl in a terrible state. I had to do something for her! ¡°I will risk my life to do it if Roxy can forgive me and regain happiness after I kill Joanna!¡± Gavin muttered, ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯re the one who causes Roxy to be like this! ¡°I must avenge Roxy!¡± Gavin¡¯s eyes widened. Then the hatred filled up Gavin¡¯s empty brain and heart. Gavin murmured, ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m honored to get rid of an enemy for you and your happiness!¡± [Roxy, please be happy!] Gavin sent Joanna thest message. Then, he turned off his phone. Gavin had made up his mind to do something big. He was going to avenge the girl he loved! 0 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 In the Everett Group. 11:30a.m. Bruce had a long meeting in the morning. After the meeting, he looked at his watch and realized it was time for lunch. Bruce thought, ¡°It is also the first day Joanna returns to work. I want to go over and see what she is doing.¡± Then Bruce packed his things, grabbed his car key, and left thepany. ¡°Chirp! Chirp!¡± Bruce walked to the parking lot and unlocked his car. Before Bruce could get into the car, he heard a sweet female voice. ¡°Hi, Bruce! I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time!¡± Bruce was stunned and turned around to see what the woman was. Bruce found a beautiful woman in a white coat standing behind him. She had long wavy hair and was dressed like a sweet girl. Bruce was stunned and asked, ¡°Jennie, why are you here?¡± Jennie smiled sweetly and exined inly, ¡°I was supposed to be nearby to meet a friend. Unfortunately, my friend got something to do and couldn¡¯t ¡°I realized I hadn¡¯t seen you in a long time, so I decided toe to see you!¡± Bruce widened his eyes and asked, ¡°Come to see me?¡± Jennie replied, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while since west met. I quite miss you, Bruce.¡± Hearing this, Bruce felt ufortable and frowned. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jennie blinked her big eyes suggestively. She looked innocent and lively. Jennie said, ¡°Can¡¯t I just Hearing this, Bruce frowned slightly. Bruce thought, ¡°Jennie is my best friend¡¯s sister. ¡°I should probably show her some respect.¡± Jennie asked, ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to have lunch.¡± ¡°Sounds great. By the way, I haven¡¯t had lunch yet. How about having lunch together?¡± Jennie looked at Bruce expectantly. Bruce frowned again. Bruce thought, ¡°But I¡¯m going to pick Joanna up for lunch.¡± Thus, Bruce said, ¡°Well, I have an appointment with someone else. Maybe another day.¡± Jennie did not want to give up. Thus, she continued, ¡°Who has that pleasure to have lunch with you? Do I know that person?¡± Bruceughed awkwardly and replied, ¡°Haha. You probably know her.¡± Then, Bruce opened the door and got in the car. Jennie opened the door and sat on the passenger seat without an invitation. Jennie said, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯m going to the Hampon Building nearby. Bruce, can you give me a ride there?¡± Bruce thought, ¡°The Hampon Building is about a mile from the Everett Group. I will pass by that building no matter which route I choose.¡± Bruce thought for a while and had no reason to reject Jennie. Thus, Bruce said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Jennie deliberately showed a sweet smile. That smile appeared natural. However, she practiced hard to have that natural sweet smile, Bruce started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Jennie asked, ¡°Bruce, I heard you broke up with Miss Roxanne?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Bruce replied in a muffled voice. Jennie said, ¡°I knew it! You two aren¡¯t matched for each other.¡± Hearing this, Bruce did not say anything to reply to Jennie. He just drove silently. Bruce thought, ¡°Jennie expressed her affection for me before. I don¡¯t want to create any more hope for her.¡± Noticing Bruce¡¯s cold reaction, Jennie shut her mouth. Then, Jennie opened her handbag and applied her lipstick. Jennie said, ¡°Bruce, here¡¯s the Hampon Building. Please pull over.¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Then he parked the car by the roadside. Jennie said, ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll invite you for a meal another day!¡± When speaking, she opened the door and was about to get off. Jennie secretly left her lipstick on the seat when she opened the door. Jennie thought, ¡°Bruce drives to pick up that person. Thus, she must be the woman Bruce cares about the most. I need to create conflict between them.¡± Bruce replied perfunctorily, ¡°Okay.¡± Then he drove away. Watching Bruce¡¯s car drive away, Jennie smirked and waved at the car. Jennie murmured, ¡°Bruce, I must get you next time. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Joanna or Roxanne, they aren¡¯t meant for you. I am the best woman for you! ¡°Wait for it. I¡¯ll make you fall in love with me!¡± Soon, Bruce arrived at the Haynes Group. ¡°Hello, Mr.Everett!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± Bruce walked straight to Joanna¡¯s office. At this time, Joanna was dealing with the work at hand. Boom! Boom! Bruce knocked on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± said Joanna. Bruce gently pushed the door open and walked in.. Joanna looked up and saw Bruce. Then her heart skipped a beat. She asked, ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± Bruce smiled and answered, ¡°Haha. It¡¯s already noon. I stopped by to see you.¡± Hearing this, Joanna was stunned. Joanna thought, ¡°Time passed quickly. It is noon now.¡± Bruce looked at Joanna with a smile and said gently, ¡°Are you done?¡± Joanna said, ¡°Yeah, almost.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Joanna asked in confusion, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Bruce said, ¡°Go to have lunch.¡± Joanna said, ¡°I will order a takeout or somethingter.¡± Bruce did not give up. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna had no choice but to turn off theputer. Bruce asked considerately, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± ¡°How about Flech cuisine?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Then the two of them went to the parking lot together. Bruce opened the door for Joanna like a gentleman, and Joanna got into the car. Bruce drove Joanna to the restaurant where he had booked seats. As soon as Joanna sat down, she felt something in her seat. Joanna murmured, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She grabbed the thing in her seat and found it was a tube of lipstick. Joanna was shocked. Then, she opened the lipstick and took a look at it. Joanna cried inside, ¡°This lipstick isn¡¯t a new one. Apparently, someone has used it!¡± Seeing this, Bruce got nervous. Bruce exined, ¡°Well, maybe¡­ Maybe my driver drive my car to pick up his girlfriend.¡± Joanna did not say a word. She thought, ¡°Howe Bruce¡¯s driver dares to drive his car to pick up girls? ¡°Obviously, another woman had sat in the passenger seat before.¡± However, Joanna did not continue to question Bruce. Twenty minutester, they arrived at a French restaurant. It was the most high¨Cend Michelin restaurant with the most luxurious decorations. Bruce said, ¡°Here¡¯s the menu.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Then she randomly ordered the food. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Then Joanna said, ¡°I need to go to the washroom.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± replied Bruce. Joanna got up and walked to the washroom while Bruce sat still to flip through the menu. Jennie came out of nowhere and greeted, ¡°Hi, Bruce! What a coincidence!¡± Bruce looked at Jennie in shock and asked, ¡°Jennie, why are you here?¡± Jennie exined, ¡°I¡¯m having lunch with a friend here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah! So you¡¯re also having lunch with your friend here? Who is it? Can you introduce your friend to me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Jennie sat next to Bruce without asking. At this time, Joanna came out of the washroom and saw Jennie and Bruce sitting together. ¡°This is?¡± asked Joanna. Bruce immediately introduced, ¡°Joanna, this is Jennie, Zachary¡¯s sister. Jennie, this is Joanna.¡± Jennie looked at Joanna and smiled. She said, ¡°Oh, you must be Bruce¡¯s girlfriend. Hi, I¡¯m Jennie!¡± ¡°Hi, Jennie.¡± Joanna reached out and shook Jennie¡¯s hand. Jennie said, ¡°By the way, Bruce, I may lose my lipstick in your car. Did you see it?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened when he heard that. Joanna handed the lipstick to Jennie and asked, ¡°Is this the one?¡± Jennie cried, ¡°Oh, yes, it is! Thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± replied Joanna. Jennie said, ¡°Well, my friend is waiting for me. I¡¯ll see you guys another day!¡± ¡°Okay, bye!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Jennie got up and left. Then Joanna sat down. However, she was clearly not in a good mood. Joanna thought, ¡°Bruce has so many women around him. ¡°Bruce hasn¡¯t finished the things between him and Roxanne. Now there is a Jennie!¡± Noticing Joanna was in a bad mood, Bruce exined, ¡°Jennie is really my friend¡¯s sister. I happened to bump into her. Then she asked me to give her a ride. There¡¯s nothing between us!¡± Joanna squeezed out a smile. She said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin.¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get me wrong!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Then let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Great.¡± The romantic atmosphere instantly became strange. Joanna ate silently. Bruce still felt uneasy even though Joanna said she was not angry. After lunch, Bruce thoughtfully carried Joanna¡¯s bag and said, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll send you back to your ¡°Thanks.¡± Soon, Bruce and Joanna reached the entrance of the restaurant. Jennie cried, ¡°Hey, what a coincidence! ¡°I¡¯m going to go shopping with my friend!¡± The two of them bumped into Jennie again. Jennie asked, ¡°Bruce, can you give me a ride?¡± Bruce directly refused, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. I¡¯m going to send Joanna back to herpany now.¡± ¡°Aww, Joanna. Look how stingy Bruce is!¡± Thus, Joanna said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Give her a ride.¡± ¡°Thank you! Joanna!¡± Then Jennie opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Bruce said, ¡°Jennie, please sit in a back seat!¡± Jennie said, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve had motion sickness since I was a kid. You know that! I¡¯ll get motion sickness if I sit in the back! ¡°Joanna won¡¯t be angry over such a small matter. Am I right, Joanna?¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Then Joanna opened the car door and sat in the back seat. ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Bruce. Jennie said, ¡°Oh, just put me down at the crossing ahead.¡± Bruce started the car and drove to the ce Jennie had specified. Jennie cried, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect Greyport to change so much! I still remember these two buildings weren¡¯t there before I had been abroad to study. And this port! And that rm bell!¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Bruce replied inly, ¡°Yep. They were built two years ago!¡± Jennie sighed and said. ¡°Time has passed in the blink of an eye. I miss my childhood so much. ¡°At that time, Bruce often came to my house to y. ¡°Bruce, do you remember? At that time, we yed house together! It may look childish when I look back on those memories at this age. However, those are great memories!¡± Bruce smiled perfunctorily in response to Jennie. Bruce thought, ¡°We were kids back then. Of course, we yed childish games! I was about ten years old, and Jennie was only six or seven at that time.¡± Jennie continued to talk about her childhood memories excitedly. ¡°Back then, we loved to y the wedding game. You pretended to be the groom, and I was the bride! ¡°It looks so funny when thinking about it now! People used to say we looked like a matched couple!¡± When Bruce heard this, his expression changed slightly. Then he subconsciously nced at the rearview mirror. As Bruce expected, Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. Bruce thought, ¡°Joanna is always sensitive. She won¡¯t tolerate a third person when ites to rtionships.¡± Noticing Bruce was silent, Jennie hurriedly stopped talking and acted as she had just realized the situation. Jennie said, ¡°Hey, look at me! I¡¯mpletely a chatterbox! I keep talking when thinking of those memories. Joanna, you didn¡¯t get mad about it, did you? I only take Bruce as my brother. ¡°Bruce always treats me as his sister. Before I went abroad to study, Bruce and my brother came to the airport to see me off. I was so touched and cried hard for it!¡± Jennie made it worse with her exnation. She made things look like there was something between Bruce and her. Hearing Jennie¡¯s words, Joanna felt annoyed and disgusted. She pursed her lips and did not say anything. ¡°Joanna, are you really mad?¡± asked Jennie. Jennie revealed an innocent expression on her sweet face. That face was a ssic face of an angelic bitch. Jennie said, ¡°Bruce, I didn¡¯t mean to make Joanna mad. I didn¡¯t expect Joanna to get angry so easily! ¡°What should I do? Should I apologize to Joanna? ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know my stories would offend you¡­¡± Jennie kept ming herself and apologizing. She deliberately made it seem like Joanna was easy to get annoyed. Joanna took a deep breath and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me!¡± Jennie said, ¡°Oh, Joanna. I thought you got angry.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes slightly and said, with a faint smile, ¡°No! Why should I be angry?¡± Jennie said, ¡°I knew it. Joanna looks like a magnanimous person! What I talked about are things that happened long ago. Of course, Joanna won¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Joanna retorted bluntly, ¡°You already said those things happened when you were young. What¡¯s the point of bringing them up? Thus, there is no reason to get mad at them.¡± Jennie did not know how to process that. However, she tried to remain calm. Then she said, ¡°Bruce also said he would dote on me as my brother did.. Bruce, you can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Joanna sneered and said half¨Cjokingly, ¡°Bruce¡¯s memory is not very good. Miss Jennie, you¡¯d better not expect too much.¡± ¡°Bruce won¡¯t. Bruce will definitely remember it¡­¡± Joanna interrupted, ¡°Heh. Bruce promised women so many things. A few days ago, he promised me he would never be alone with a single and beautiful woman. ¡°See? Bruce forgot about it in the blink of an eye!¡± Joanna retorted bluntly. Joanna thought, ¡°I¡¯m not being jealous. I just don¡¯t like this angelic bitch! ¡°That woman shows what she wants on her face, but she tries too hard to pretend to be pure. I don¡¯t have to show some respect to this kind of person!¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Bruce even felt it funny and wanted tough. Bruce thought, ¡°Damn it. I can¡¯t believe Joanna will get jealous!¡± ¡°Squeak!¡± Bruce pulled over. Bruce said, ¡°Jennie, we¡¯ve arrived! You should get out of the car!¡± Jennie pretended to look outside and said, ¡°It¡¯s not this street. I need to go to Mason Street ahead.¡± Bruce did not want to listen to Jennie anymore. Thus, he directly rejected, ¡°It¡¯s not far away. Besides, it¡¯s inconvenient to park there. Why don¡¯t you get out of the car and walk over there?¡± Hearing this, Jennie changed her expression. She cried, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m wearing high heels! ¡°I have to walk two streets. How is that possible? Send me there, please!¡± Jennie said as she pouted and looked at Bruce pitifully. Then Jennie ced her hand on Bruce¡¯s arm and acted coquettishly. Bruce hesitated for seconds and said, ¡°Alright!¡± He had no choice but to let go of the brake and drive toward Mason Street. Five minutester, Bruce drove the car to the street Jennie specified. Many pedestrians were on the street. Thus, Bruce could not drive too fast. Jennie said, ¡°Wow. This ce bes bustling! ¡°That¡¯s it. I want to go to that street! Bruce, you can park your car there.¡± Bruce said impatiently, ¡°We¡¯re here. Now get out of the car!¡± Jennie said, ¡°Thank you, Br¨²ce. Thank you for being my free driver today! I¡¯ll invite you for a meal another day!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t ever look at Jennie and said, ¡°Okay. We will see.¡± Then Jennie pushed open the car door and got out elegantly. After getting out of the car, Jennie said goodbye to them. ¡°Bruce, Joanna, bye!¡± Joanna frowned slightly and waved at Jennie perfunctorily. Bruce pouted and looked unhappy. Bruce thought, ¡°Today, I have encountered Jennie three times. That is definitely not a coincidence. Unfortunately, Jennie acted so well, and I couldn¡¯t say a word about it. 1 can feel my car immersed in the air brought by that angelic bitch even though she had gotten off. ¡°But I had to say Jennie is more scheming than Joanna and Roxanne.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Joanna, sit in the passenger seat now!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Getting off and changing the seat sound troublesome. I¡¯ll be fine sitting at the back!¡± Joanna¡¯s voice sounded cold. Bruce exined, ¡°Joanna, Jennie is a little girl. You don¡¯t have to take it to heart!¡± Joanna sneered and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart!¡± ¡°Heh. Alright then! I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll overthink it!¡± ¡°You are the one overthinking it. Why do you have to exin? Your exnation makes things worse!¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Everything is fine as long as you don¡¯t overthink it!¡± Bruce quickly stopped talking. He was scared that Joanna would get mad at him. Bruce thought, ¡°When a woman is jealous, it is best not to add fuel to the fire. ¡°I had to say some women are good at seducing men. They can always create all kinds of coincidences and unavoidable small favors.¡± Jennie failed to seduce Bruce. However, she had already achieved her goal. What Jennie had already annoyed Joanna. Joanna always felt Bruce was a yboy and thought Bruce had affairs with many women. After seeing Jennie, Joanna was assertive that Bruce was a yboy. Joanna thought, ¡°I will never remarry Bruce easily!¡± Soon, they arrived at the Haynes Group. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± said Bruce. ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± Joanna opened the door and got out of the car. Bruce suddenly stopped Joanna, ¡°Joanna?¡± Joanna turned around and asked, ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard. I¡¯lle and pick you up tonight.¡± Joanna said, ¡°No need. I can drive myself back!¡± Then she walked straight to the elevator. Seeing this, Bruce felt nervous. ¡°Joanna, wait for me!¡± When speaking, Bruce got out of the car and chased after Joanna. Joanna asked, ¡°What are youing over?¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Haha. I want to stay here with you since I don¡¯t have anything to do Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g this afternoon.¡± When Joanna heard that, she frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need you. I have to get back to work now! You¡¯ll only distract me if you stay here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t disturb you. Just do what you need to do. I¡¯ll just sit aside and watch you.¡± Joanna frowned even harder. However, she did not say anything. Bruce smiled gently and put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder. Soon, they walked in and passed the front desk of thepany. ¡°Hi, Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna replied inly, ¡°Hi.¡± Then she walked toward her office uneasily. On the contrary, Bruce did not feel uneasy. It seemed that he and Joanna had never separated and that he had never been with Roxanne. ¡°Wow. It looks like Mr. Everett is going to remarry Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say. They openly go out together now and don¡¯t avoid people.¡± ¡°So what? They already have three children. Their remarriage is good for the children.¡± ¡°How about Miss Roxanne? What will happen to her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of our business. Now get back to work!¡± Soon, Joanna returned to the office. Joanna put down her bag and looked at the time. It was one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Joanna used to take a half¨Can¨Chour nap at this time. Otherwise, she would be listless in the afternoon. But now, Joanna did not want to take a nap since Bruce was here. Therefore, Joanna pulled herself together and sat on the office chair. Bruce asked, ¡°Joanna?¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce replied, smiling, ¡°Nothing. I like looking at you this way.¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Joanna rolled her eyes and ignored him. Bruce strode to the desk and locked his eyes on her. ¡°Are you really angry?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Bruce, please sit over there! I feel ufortable when you look at me like that!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m your husband. Why are you afraid of me looking at you?!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and felt speechless! Then, she buried her head in her work. Unfortunately, in less than three minutes, Bruce shouted again, ¡°Joannal¡± ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Joanna looked up impatiently! Bruce bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. This unexpected kiss made Joanna feel as if she had been electrocuted! Her entire body trembled uncontrobly, and her heart thumped. Sensing her reaction, the smile on Bruce¡¯s face widened. When he was interested, he was definitely an expert at flirting! No woman could resist his teasing. Joanna reacted and her face turned red. ¡°Are you crazy? Sit over there, don¡¯t lean against me!¡± ¡°No, I want to be next to you!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and lowered his head to kiss her lips again! ¡°Bruce, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Joann, I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡± ¡°Ah! What are you doing? Let go, don¡¯t be like this!¡± Joanna tried her best to push him away. Unfortunately, she was entangled by Bruce. How could she push him away? Then, Bruce bent down and picked her up from the chair. Then, he walked to the sofa beside her! Joanna waspletely panicked. ¡°Bruce, you said you would respect me!¡± ¡°I respect you! But I love you too¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Let go¡­¡± Before she could resist, he had already sealed her lips domineeringly! Half an hourter. Bruce stood up feeling satisfied. Joanna was curled up on the sofa, feeling weak all over! However, this time, Bruce was very gentle and did not devour her like a wolf like before! Seeing Joanna¡¯s weak appearance, Bruce kissed her forehead. His voice was so gentle that it could make anyone¡¯s heart soften. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at him with dazed eyes. When Bruce felt like it, he really knew how to pamper Joanna. He would fulfill her every wish. ¡°Bruce, can you not be like this in the future? ¡°This is the office. It¡¯s bad for you!¡± ¡°I know, but I just can¡¯t help it!¡± Bruce smiled and got up to hand her clothes! When he was facing her, he could not control his excitement! She had been hospitalized for so many days, he did not dare to touch her during that period of time. How could he tolerate it now? Joanna took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything more to him. ¡°Alright then! Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°You can leave now. Don¡¯t stay here and affect my work!¡± Joanna rudely ordered him to leave. ¡°Look, you¡¯re really heartless! After using me, you immediately kick me away! ¡°You¡¯re sick! You¡¯re really annoying!¡± Bruce asked cheekily, ¡°How annoying?¡± ¡°Hurry up and go back! Don¡¯t talk so much nonsense!¡± Joanna struggled to get up and put on his clothes! Sometimes, she really found him annoying! This guy was really a headache when he was pestering her! However, she knew his personality. She was amenable to coaxing but not coercion! It would be better to go along with him! Once she offended him, he would be even more terrifying than the Grim Reaper. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Alright, go!¡± ¡°You¡¯re urging me to leave! Are you not reluctant?¡± Joanna was speechless! Bruce stood up and put on his shirt. ¡°Come here and tie my tie!¡± Joanna rejected coldly, ¡°No!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Bruce ordered. Joanna had no choice but toe over and tie his tie! Unfortunately, tying a tie also required skill. She couldn¡¯t do it no matter how hard she tried. Bruce hocked her waist and said dotingly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I realize that you were so stupid in the past? You¡¯re really a little fool!¡± Such words gave her goosebumps. ¡°Do it yourself!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving! ¡°Be good ande home early tonight!¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Bruce stopped teasing her and did not dare to tease her anymore! She was quite career¨Cminded now, so it was better not to obstruct her too much! Bruce tidied up his clothes, opened the door, and left! Joanna finally heaved a sigh of relief. She quickly turned on myputer to deal with today¡¯s matters! At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Cora came in and reported, ¡°Miss Haynes, this is the information for the meeting tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay, just leave it with me!¡± ¡°There¡¯s also a staff meeting at the factory in Mossbou¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm called to ask if you want to go over.¡± Joanna thought for a moment. ¡°Tell him that I¡¯ll go over next Monday!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll reply now!¡± ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, your coffee!¡± Luna brought in the coffee. ¡°Just put it here!¡± When Joanna was busy with work, she felt that men would only affect her career Without Bruce around N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. to cause trouble, everything was handled in an orderly manner! Six o¡¯clock in the evening! Joanna looked at the time. It was almost time to get off work! In the past, she would work overtime untilte! But now, if she went backte, Bruce would probably go crazy again! It was better to go back as soon as possible! Joanna turned off theputer and walked out with her bag! The four bodyguards quickly protected her! ¡°Miss Haynes, this way please! Mr. Everett sent us to pick you up!¡± The parking lot on the ground! Beep, beep, beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°What are you doing? Honey!¡± Joanna was stunned! In the past, they had been married for two years, but he had never called her Honey! Now, she suddenly heard someone call her Honey, Joanna with burrs all over her body! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Honey?¡± ¡°Bruce, we haven¡¯t remarried yet. Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it certain that we¡¯re going to be remarried? Don¡¯t even think about escaping from me for the rest of your life!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. She really could not be bothered with him! ¡°Miss Haynes, let¡¯s get in the car!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The bodyguard opened the door and Joanna was about to get into the car! All of a sudden, a masked man in ck ran past the car! He seemed to be holding a bottle in his hand! ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Ssh!¡± The masked man raised the thing in his hand and sshed it at Joanna without any exnation! A bodyguard hurriedly stood in front of Joanna. The bottle of liquid sshed on the bodyguard¡¯s body, but it still sshed on Joanna¡¯s arm! Immediately, Joanna screamed as if sparks had hit her arm. ¡°Ah!!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The bodyguard fell to the ground and screamed in pain! ¡°Thud!¡± Another bodyguard kicked the man in ck to the ground and subdued him. ¡°It¡¯s sulfuric acid! Call the ambnce!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Detain him first!¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re going to die a horrible death! I¡¯m going to kill you, I¡¯m going to kill you¡­¡± Gaviny on the ground and wailed! Another bodyguard removed the ck mask on his face! Joanna lowered her head. She seemed to have some impression of this person. He seemed to be Roxanne¡¯s ssmate! However, now that the bodyguard had been seriously scalded, she couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Get himto the hospital!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The bodyguard immediately called Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, pleasee to the hospital!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is in trouble. Someone just attacked her with sulfuric acid!¡± ¡°What? Is Joanna alright?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is fine at the moment, but Kevin was severely burned!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± ¡°Greyport Hospital!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After Bruce hung up the phone, he did not even have time to change his shoes. He took his car keys and ran to the garage! At the Greyport Hospital. Joanna, Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Joanna, are you all right? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Someone just attacked me and sshed acid at me!¡± ¡°Fortunately, Kevin took a hit for me. I¡¯m fine, but Kevin¡¯s entire back is burned!¡± Bruce felt as if he had been struck by lightning! ¡°Where¡¯s the criminal?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been taken away by the police!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to dare to attack you! He¡¯s too detestable. I won¡¯t let him off easily!¡± As Bruce spoke, he hugged Joanna in his arms. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 ¡°Ouch.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but moan! Her arm was also sshed with a few drops of sulfuric acid. Although the wound had been treated, it still hurt terribly. Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His heart ached as he checked Joanna¡¯s injuries. ¡°Quick, let me take a look!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Kevin¡¯s injuries are very serious! He¡¯s still in the operating room!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get the doctor to treat him well!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna was a little frightened! ¡°Lie down and rest!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay here and watch over you!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was in a mess. Shey weakly on the hospital bed. Bruce guarded by her side, his hawk¨Clike eyes emitting a dense cold light. It had only been a month since thest attack. He did not expect there to be a second wave so soon! It seemed that Roxanne and Ingrid were determined to kill her! He did not want to kill Roxanne, but it seemed that there was no need to hold back Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. anymore. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s face darkened as he called the chief of police! ¡°I want the perpetrator of the attack on Joanna to be sentenced severely!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± the police chief replied in a deep voice! He was able to be a superintendent because of the Everett family¡¯s support. Therefore, Bruce¡¯s words were an order. Soon, Gavin was detained for terrorist murder! Coupled with the pressure from Bruce, he would be put behind bars for at least 20 years. There were many death row inmates in prison who didn¡¯t care about their lives. It was too easy to kill a person! Gavin had offended Bruce. It was probably very difficult for him to walk out of the prison alive! Meanwhile, at the Haynes¡¯s house! Roxanney on the sofa in boredom. She was still racking her brains to think of a way to turn the tables! The news was being broadcasted on the television! ¡°Something happened today. There¡¯s an incident of a criminal throwing sulfuric acid at the Haynes Group! ¡°The chairman of the Haynes Group was almost disfigured by sulfuric acid. The criminal has been arrested by the police¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart sank when she heard this news report. She hurriedly watched the rey again! On the television screen, Gavin was handcuffed and had his arm twisted behind his back. He was escorted into the police car by two police officers! Gavin was still roaring uncontrobly, ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re dead! I¡¯m going to kill you, I¡¯m going to avenge Roxy..¡± After reading this message, Roxanne was shocked. Her eyes were red and her eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets! She was just angry when she said that she wanted Gavin to kill Joanna! However, she did not expect Gavin to really do it! This was bad. Gavin had no power or background. After entering the prison, he would probably not More importantly, if she was implicated, the police would probably think that she was the mastermind! Roxanne¡¯s heart was pounding, and her face was pale! ¡°Gavin, you damn bastard, you¡¯ve really caused a lot of trouble for me!¡± ¡°Why are you so stupid? So stupid. Boohoo¡­¡± 1 Roxanne could not help but cry bitterly. On one hand, she hated Gavin¡¯s stupidity, but on the other hand, she could not help but be touched! She had just said it casually, but she did not expect him to take it seriously! From this, it could be seen how important she was to Gavin! As Roxanne was crying, someone rang the doorbell. The servants went over to open the door. A few serious¨Clooking police officers shed their police badges at the servants! ¡°We are the police. This is an investigation order! Please get Miss Roxanne Haynes toe out!¡± ¡°Oh, officers,e in!¡± ¡± Ingrid heard the voice and came down from the room upstairs. ¡°Haylee, who¡¯s here?¡± Just as she reached the staircase, she saw a few police officers walking into the living room aggressively! Boom! Seeing this, Ingrid¡¯s legs went weak and she felt a chill down her back.. Shaun also walked out of the room. When he saw that it was a police officer, he was also shocked! ¡°Officers, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The police officer in the lead shed his police badge. ¡°We suspect that Miss Roxanne Haynes is rted to a murder case. Please follow us to the police station to cooperate with the investigation!¡± ¡°Officers, is there a mistake?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no mistake!¡± With that, a few police officers rushed upstairs and arrested Roxanne! In the room, Roxanne also heard themotion and was scared out of her wits! The police officer shed his police badge and arrest warrant. ¡°Miss Roxanne Haynes. Pleasee with us to the police station. This is the arrest warrant!¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m not going. I don¡¯t want to go to the police station!¡± Roxanne was so frightened that his face turned pale! Shaun¡¯s heart was also in a mess. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t panic first! Follow the officers to the police station first. I will contact awyer to save you immediately!¡± Two police officers stepped forward and prepared to detain Roxanne! ¡°Officer, Roxy is pregnant. Please don¡¯t handcuff her! She will go with you obediently!¡± ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be afraid. Go to the police station first! I will be there to apany you soon!¡± When Roxanne heard this, tears streamed down her face. ¡°Dad, Mom, you have to find awyer quickly!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Roxanne calmed herself down and followed the police officer downstairs! Just as she was about to get into the police car! Ingrid ran out of the house. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t talk nonsense when you¡¯re at the police station. Wait for the Half an hourter! Roxanne was brought to the police station! In the interrogation room, Roxanne sat opposite the interrogator with a pale face! The two police officers looked at her with a serious expression and prepared to take a statement. ¡°Ms. Haynes, did you send this message?¡± A police officer shed the printed message! It was a message she sent to Gavin in a fit of pique. ¡®I¡¯ll forgive you if you kill Joanna. After reading it, Roxanne¡¯s face turned even paler and her entire body trembled uncontrobly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything! ¡°He wanted to do it himself. I had no idea!¡± ¡°Then why would you send him a message like that? Do you hold a grudge against the victim, Joanna?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, I really didn¡¯t! ¡°I want to go home. Hurry up and let me go! You can¡¯t use me like this. I really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Roxanne became agitated! ¡°We suspect you of instigating the suspect tomit assault!¡± ¡°You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say will be used against you in a court ofw! You can also hire awyer to defend you!¡± When Roxanne heard that, she panicked even more! Other than Gavin, she had also murdered Margaret. Coupled with the fact that she had been in a tense state, she could not withstand the pressure and copsed. ¡°Ah! My stomach hurts. I want to apply for medical parole!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t be nervous! It¡¯s just a suspicion now. There¡¯s no final verdict. You can only stay in the police station for now!¡± ¡°The sulfuric acid case really has nothing to do with me. I really don¡¯t know. I was just saying it casually. I didn¡¯t expect him to really do something stupid!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, in addition to the sulfuric acid case, we also suspect that you hired someone to kill the victim Joanna! ¡°This is your transfer record. May I ask why you transferred the money to a stranger¡¯s ount?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t do it! It wasn¡¯t me, it really wasn¡¯t me!¡± Roxanne trembled and was about to faint! Seeing that she was so nervous, the two police officers looked at each other. ¡°The suspect is pregnant and highly nervous. I suggest we take our time to interrogate her.¡± ¡°Alright! Take her to the infirmary first and make sure she¡¯s safe!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Soon, Roxanne was sent to the infirmary again! After all, she was pregnant. Regardless of whether she was guilty or not, the police had to ensure the safety of her and the child! However, during this period of time, the police had already collected arge amount of evidence! All the evidence pointed to Roxanne, suspecting that she was the real culprit who hired someone to kill Joanna! Roxanney on the hospital bed, feeling uneasy and praying for thewyer toe quickly! At around nine in the afternoon, Shaun and Ingrid finally arrived with theirwyer! After understanding the situation, thewyer began to help analyze the situation! He also specially told her some things to take note of during the interrogation. The next day! Everyone who had contacted Roxanne recently was called to the police station! This included Kensley! In the interrogation room! ¡°This is your ount, right? Why would Ms. Haynes give you so much money?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kensley tried his best to hide the panic in his heart! ¡°Confess and we can consider lightening your punishment!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep quiet until mywyer gets here!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave the police station for the next 24 hours! You can only leave after the matter is investigated!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Kensley was also detained at the police station for investigation! Shaun and Ingrid were even more anxious. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Will Roxy go to jail?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You spoiled her like this!¡± ¡°How did I spoil her?¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Shaun was a little flustered and exasperated. ¡°Hurry up and tell me the truth. What exactly did the two of you do behind my back?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± Ingrid was still being stubborn! Shaun was furious. ¡°You¡¯re still unwilling to tell the truth at this point! Roxy is in this state all because of you. If Roxy did anything wrong, it was also you who instigated it. I won¡¯t forgive you for the rest of my life!¡± Ingrid gasped when she heard those words. Slie had no time to argue with Shaun! Roxanne was now in the police station! Her daughter had already confessed to her that Margaret¡¯s death was caused by her! If this matter was brought up again, then Roxanne would not be just sent behind bars. At the thought of this, Ingrid was anxious and flustered! In just one night, seven or eight blisters appeared on her mouth! Seeing that Ingrid was silent, Shaun did not know what to do. ¡°Say something. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now?¡± Ingrid sighed and weakly fell onto the sofa! The development of the matter had already exceeded her expectations and control! She just wanted to spend some money and secretly get rid of Joanna! However, she never expected that her two idiotic cousins would fail to kill Joanna! Now, Roxanne was involved again! This matter was getting bigger and bigger. It was very likely that the mother and daughter would spend the rest of their lives in jail! Ingrid gasped as tears streamed down her face! At this moment, she finally regretted her actions. She finally had a taste of harming others and herself! ¡°If nothing works, then¡­¡± Shaun cocked his eyebrows. ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Ingrid wanted to say something but stopped herself. She swallowed the rest of her words! She had not told Shaun that she had hired someone to kill Joanna! If Shaun knew that she was the one who hired someone to kill Joanna, he would probably hate her even more! Now, the matter had reached an irreparable state! Instead of the two of them going to jail, she might as well take all the me! Her daughter was still young and had a long life ahead of her. She could not spend the rest of her life in prison! ¡°Say something! Aren¡¯t you usually quite talkative? I won¡¯t tell you what I want you to say now!¡± Ingrid paused for a few seconds and suddenly looked at Shaun. Her tone was rare and gentle. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault!¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve let you down! I¡¯ve let this family down too!¡± Shaun was stunned when he heard this. He looked at Ingrid in surprise! They had been married for more than 20 years, and Ingrid had always been very domineering. She was the kind of person who would not let others off easily and would make herself sound reasonable even if she wasn¡¯t. This was the first time he had taken the initiative to admit his mistake! ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Forgive me! You¡¯re a very good man. I¡¯ve implicated you in this life!¡± For the first time, Ingrid felt guilty! Shaun was even more confused after hearing this! Ingrid didn¡¯t say anything else. She stood up and silently walked to the room upstairs! She had to prepare for the worst! She had to find a way to meet Kensley and bribe him to push all the me to her! Soon, the results of the first round of interrogation were out! Thewyer who had originally defended Roxanne was also threatened by Bruce. He did not dare to defend Roxanne anymore! Therefore, the verdict was out very quickly! Roxanne was convicted of murder and officially prosecuted by the police! ¡°Suspect Roxanne Haynes, suspected of attempted murder! ording to thew of Greyport, you will be sentenced to 12 years¡­¡± Roxanne had alreadypletely copsed after the court¡¯s verdict! ¡°No, no¡­ I don¡¯t want to go to jail, I don¡¯t want to go to jail! ¡°I didn¡¯t. It really wasn¡¯t me! ¡°I didn¡¯t hire anyone to kill her. I really didn¡¯t hire anyone to kill her!¡± ¡°You can appeal!¡± ¡°I want to appeal. I didn¡¯t hire anyone¡­¡± Roxanne lost control of his emotions and started shouting in court! She would rather die than spend 12 years in prison! After Ingrid and Shaun heard the verdict, they stood rooted to the ground and looked at their daughter pitifully! 12 years in prison! When her daughter was released from prison, her life would bepletely ruined! ¡°Dad, Mom, save me. I don¡¯t want to go to jail. I¡¯d rather die than go to jail¡­¡± When Ingrid heard this, her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife! She felt a lump in her throat and tears streamed down her face! Shaun could not help but cry as well! How did their family end up in such a state? Ingrid wiped her tears and silently stood up from the audience! ¡°Your Honor! I object to this case!¡± When the judge heard this, he and everyone else looked at Ingrid. Ingrid took a deep breath and sobbed, ¡°My daughter is not a suspect in this case! ¡°I¡¯m the suspect. I did all of this!¡± When the judges and jurors heard this, they were all shocked! However, words were useless. There were too many parents who were willing to take the me for their children! ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I did all of this! It has nothing to do with my daughter!¡± The judge paused for a few seconds and said seriously, ¡°As parents, we can understand your feelings! But thew is thew¡­¡± ¡°Your Honor, I have evidencel¡± Ingrid decided to go all out! In court, she told him about how she, Wace, and Oscar had hired someone to kill Joanna! When everyone heard this, they looked at Ingrid doubtfully! Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, mom, boohoo.¡± Roxanne sobbed uncontrobly! Ingrid and her daughter looked at each other and couldn¡¯t help but cry! She had beenpetitive all her life and had done many bad things. However, she had given all her maternal love to her three children. Roxanne cried until she was out of breath! She did not want to go to jail. She was still young! Her mother loved her. She knew that her mother wanted to take the me for her! ¡°Please sentence me to jail! I did all these things. My daughter is innocent!¡± When everyone heard this, they were dumbfounded! The audience was discussing animatedly. ¡°Oh my god, Ingrid really did this! Since ancient times, most stepmothers have been very vicious!¡± ¡°s, do you think she said that deliberately to take the me for her daughter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say, but I think she said it so realistically that it doesn¡¯t seem fake!¡± ¡°I knew it. Miss Roxanne has always been so innocent. How could she do such a thing?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover!¡± ¡°s, the rtionship between wealthy families is really messy and heartless! The two sisters are also in such a mess¡­¡± When Shaun heard this, he was petrified on the spot! He never thought that Ingrid would be so bold and vicious as to hire someone tomit murder! Moreover, the person she wanted to kill was his daughter! Although he had never doted on Joanna since he was young, Joanna was still her biological daughter! ¡°Ingrid, you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Shaun was so angry that his entire body was trembling. He pointed at Ingrid¡¯s nose and asked. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°p, p!¡± Two crisp sounds rang out! Shaun gave Ingrid two tight ps! ¡°You vicious woman, why are you so vicious? Why did you do such a thing?¡± ¡°My two daughters are ruined by you!¡± Ingrid staggered and almost fell to the ground. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that anymore. I don¡¯t have a wife like you! 1, Shaun, was so blind as to marry you!¡± ¡°This is the court. Please keep quiet!¡± Take Mrs. Haynes into custody first. We¡¯ll reopen this case!¡± The police officers walked over and brought Ingrid and Roxanne into the police car! At Reagan No. 8 Residence! Joanna had been hospitalized for a few days and had moved home long ago. Bruce told her what happened in the court today! Joanna was shocked. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Ingrid has already turned herself in. She was the one who hired the murderer!¡± Joanna did not speak for a long time after hearing this! She knew that this matter had something to do with Ingrid and Roxanne! Or perhaps, both mother and daughter were involved! It was just that Ingrid had taken on all of them! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t worry, they will receive the punishment they deserve!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Dad? How is he? What¡¯s his attitude now?¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°What do you think? No one can take such a huge blow to their family!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened! Although her father didn¡¯t dote on her, now that something like this had happened to the Haynes family and Shaun had high blood pressure, it was probably very difficult for him to withstand it! Chapter 265 Chapter 265 In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Ingrid¡¯s interrogation! In court! Ingrid stood haggardly in the judgement seat. Her eyes were haggard, and she no longer looked as domineering as beforel Shaun, Derick, and Ryan were all watching with grave and worried expressions! ¡°Ingrid, why did you hire someone to kill Joanna?¡± Ingrid took a deep breath. ¡°Humph, she deserved to die! If it weren¡¯t for her, our family wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this!¡± ¡°So, did you hire her to kill her for personal reasons?¡± ¡°Yes, as long as she¡¯s dead, our family will have a good life!¡± Ingrid confessed readily! Now that things had gotten out of hand, she urgently wanted to take all the me for her daughter. She could only confess as soon as possible and let this case be closed as soon as possible! The judge and the juror discussed for a while and soon began to announce the verdict! ¡°Now for the final statement! ¡°Ingrid has hired a murderer many times. The situation is very bad. ording to the criminalw of Greyport, she is sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment andpensation of 78 thousand dors for various damages to the victim¡­. ¡°Roxanne will be acquitted!¡± After hearing the verdict, Ingrid finally felt relieved! No matter what, her daughter was acquitted! ¡°Roxy, you have to be well. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Roxanne choked and could not speak. She could only look at Ingrid miserably. ¡°Mom, Mom!¡± ¡°Please take the suspect away!¡± ¡°Mom, Mom!¡± Derick and Ryan were also agitated! ¡°Rick, Ryan, you have to take good care of yourselves!¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take good care of ourselves!¡± Ingrid couldn¡¯t help but cry. She looked at her three children reluctantly! Click! The police officers handcuffed Ingrid again and escorted her back to the prison! Seeing Ingrid being taken away, Roxanne was inconsble. She stumbled forward, wanting to hug her mother onest time! ¡°Mom, Mom!¡± ¡°Thud!¡± Roxanne ran too fast and missed a step, falling heavily to the ground! ¡°Roxy¡­¡± Seeing that Roxanne had fallen, Shaun and Derick hurried over to help her up! Roxanney on the ground and struggled for a while. She could not get up at all. ¡°My stomach hurts. My stomach hurts!¡± ¡°Roxy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ouch, my stomach hurts!¡± ¡°Oh no, my sister is bleeding!¡± Roxanne¡¯s lower abdomen was in so much pain that she could not take it anymore. A stream of heat flowed down her thigh! ¡°Ouch, it hurts¡­¡± Roxanne groaned and fainted from the pain! ¡°Roxy, Roxy, quick, send your sister to the hospital!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Derick quickly picked up Roxanne and Ryan quickly went to drive the car! 20 minutester! Shaun and Derick hurriedly sent Roxanne to the hospital! ¡°Doctor, help!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The nurses hurriedly pushed the wheelchair over! ¡°I think my daughter¡¯s having a miscarriage!¡± The nurse took a look. ¡°Quick, the pregnant woman has a miscarriage. Hurry up and send her to the operating room!¡± Soon, Roxanne was sent to the emergency room! Shaun looked at his daughter¡¯s miserable appearance and his heart ached so much that he could only cry. ¡°Roxy, how did my precious daughter be like this!¡± Derick could not help but feel dejected. ¡°Roxanne was fine. How did this happen?¡± Ryan punched the wall hard, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°It¡¯s all Joanna and Bruce¡¯s fault that Mom and Roxanne ended up like this!¡± ¡°If anything happens to my sister, I won¡¯t let them off even if I have to risk my life!¡± When Shaun heard this, he was even more mncholic. ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t do anything rash!¡± ¡°Your mother is in jail, and your sister is in the hospital! I don¡¯t want anything to happen to the two of you!¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry!¡± Ryan said with a gloomy look in his eyes! N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Although he was younger than Roxanne and Derick, he was the most scheming! He was about to graduate from university this year. After he graduated, he had to settle scores with Joanna. He had already nned many ns to deal with Joanna! 40 minutester! The door of the operating room opened and the doctor walked out with a serious expression! ¡°Who¡¯s the patient¡¯s family!¡± Shaun¡¯s heart sank. He hurriedly went forward to check. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the patient¡¯s father!¡± ¡°The pregnant woman is bleeding profusely. Her uterine wall has ruptured!¡± ¡°Doctor, what should we do?¡± ¡°If we want to save the patient¡¯s life now, we have to remove her uterus! ¡°Family members, quicklye and sign the agreement. The patient is waiting for surgery! If it¡¯s any Boom! Shaun and Derick, Ryan felt as if they had been struck by lightning! ¡°Doctor, you have to save my daughter. She¡¯s still so young. How can you remove her uterus? ¡°She¡¯s not married yet. How can she have children after her uterus is removed?¡± ¡°Sir, the patient¡¯s life is in danger. If we don¡¯t operate now, it will be toote! ¡°Hurry up and think about it!¡± ¡°Dad, what should we do?¡± Shaun frowned and cried, ¡°Doctor, is there no other way?¡± ¡°Hurry up and think about it. Time¡¯s ticking!¡± The doctor urged sternly! ¡°Dad, hurry up and sign it! No matter what, we have to save Roxanne¡¯s life first!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Shaun wiped his tears and signed the notice with trembling hands! ¡°The family members have agreed to the surgery. Arrange for emergency preparations for the surgery immediately!¡± After the doctor finished speaking, he quickly entered the operating room! Shaun couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°How could something like this happen out of the blue?¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Shaun coughed a few times and held his chest, unable to breathe! ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Huff¡­¡± Shaun rolled his eyes and fell to the ground! ¡°Dad, Dad!¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s probably having a heart attack!¡± ¡°Doctor,e here!¡± When the two nurses heard the shout, they rushed over to take a look! ¡°Quickly bring some medicine. The patient is having difficulty breathing. Quickly unbutton the patient¡¯s clothes!¡± The head nurse quickly performed CPR on Shaun! A doctor also rushed over! Soon, Shaun was also sent to the emergency room! Ryan frowned. ¡°Why is there so much trouble in a perfectly fine family!¡± When Derick heard this, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s all Joanna¡¯s fault. She caused our family so much trouble! ¡°She caused Mom to go to jail, Roxanne to have a miscarriage, and now Dad¡¯s illness! ¡°Damn her! ¡°I will definitely take revenge on her. I will definitely not let her have an easy time!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Let¡¯s pray that Dad and Roxanne can survive the crisis!¡± In the blink of an eye, it was already five o¡¯clock in the afternoon! The doctors had been performing the surgery for more than six hours before they came out of the operating room! ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my sister?¡± ¡°The operation was very sessful. The patient hasn¡¯t woken up yet! ¡°She still have to stay in the ICU for a few more days!¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Thank you, doctor!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. This is what we should do!¡± The two of them frowned and heaved a sigh of relief. They did not dare to dy and hurriedly went to Shaun¡¯s side¡­ Shaun was now stable as well. Now, he was lying on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask on and receiving an IVI ¡°Nurse, how¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s blood pressure is very high. He must not be agitated again! Otherwise, it¡¯s very likely that his blood vessels will rupture, causing a cerebral hemorrhage!¡± When the two of them heard this, they were even more worried. ¡°Okay, we understand!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and see Dad!¡± On the hospital bed, Shaun had already woken up in a daze! Seeing this, Derick quickly walked up to him and asked, ¡°Dad, how are you? Are you feeling better? Do you want some water?¡± ¡°Where is your sister? How is she?¡± Shaun opened his eyes and asked weakly. ¡°Roxanne has alreadypleted the surgery. The doctor said that the surgery was very sessful! Dad, don¡¯t worry. Take care of yourself first!¡± When Shaun heard this, his eyes stung and two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks. ¡°Roxy, my child. I¡¯ve really let you down!¡± Roxanne was only 25 years old this year. Now that she had suffered such a blow, he was worried that she would not be able to take it! Thinking of this, Shaun could not help but hate Ingrid! ¡°It¡¯s all your mother¡¯s fault! It¡¯s all your mother¡¯s bad idea! If your sister hadn¡¯t gone for artificial insemination, this wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± Ryan sighed andforted his father. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t say too much first! The doctor said that you have to recuperate and not be agitated anymore!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Dad, you should rest for now! If you ask me, it¡¯s all that slut Joanna¡¯s fault! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, our family wouldn¡¯t be so unlucky!¡± When Shaun heard this, he closed his eyes deeply and began to have difficulty breathing again! ¡°Don¡¯t mention her anymore. Dad can¡¯t be provoked! If you mention her again and anger Dad, what should we do?¡± When Derick heard this, he quickly shut his mouth and did not dare to mutter anymore! Two dayster! Roxanne was pushed out of the ICU. After being unconscious for two days, Roxanne finally woke up on the third day! ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re awake?¡± Seeing that Roxanne was awake, Shaun and Derick quickly surrounded her! ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong with me? Where am I¡­¡± Roxanne was very weak. Her body was filled with instruments and nutrition tubes! ¡°Roxy, this is a hospital!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take care of yourself!¡± ¡°Hospital? What about my child?¡± As Roxanne spoke, she subconsciously touched her belly! Shaun sniffed andforted her gently, ¡°Roxy, child, the child has been aborted!¡± ¡°A miscarriage?¡± Roxanne was stunned. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to get pregnant, but she still couldn¡¯t keep it! ¡°This child shouldn¡¯t have been born in the first ce. If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone! The most important thing is for you to recover!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she blinked and tears streamed down her face! She couldn¡¯t take this blow and fainted again! ¡°Roxy, Roxy¡­¡± ¡°Dad, Roxanne is still very weak. It¡¯s better not to tell her so much bad news! When she recovers a little, we¡¯ll tell her about the removal of her uterus!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Shaun said and could not help but cry again! Six years ago, Roxanne had gone crazy once! If she knew the truth, hhe did not know if she would go crazy again! ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be too sad!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your body is also so weak. You have to take care of your body!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Hurry up and rest in the ward. The caregiver and I will be here!¡± ¡°Alright! You have to take good care of your sister!¡± ¡°Got it, Dad!¡± Shaun did not say anything else and returned to his ward with his walking stick! Soon, Joanna learned that her father and Roxanne were hospitalized! Her father never doted on her and she did not want to interact too much with Shaun, But he was her Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g father after all! Her father was hospitalized. As his daughter, she had to go over and take a look to show her sincerity. One day, Joanna brought a bunch of supplements to visit Shaun! In the ward! ¡°Dad! I¡¯m here to see you¡­¡± As soon as Joanna walked into the ward, Shaun became agitated. ¡°Leave. You¡¯re not my daughter!¡± Joanna was stunned, but she still insisted on cing the nutritional supplements on the table. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re getting old. Don¡¯t be so agitated!¡± Shaun¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Joanna with hatred. It was as if this was not his daughter, but an irreconcble enemy! ¡°Hurry up and get lost. I don¡¯t want to see you again! Are you satisfied now? Our family has been ruined by you! ¡°Now you¡¯ve won. Not only did Roxy have a miscarriage, but she also had her uterus removed. She will never have another child in the future! ¡°Her reputation has beenpletely ruined by you! You can be with Bruce happily!¡± Shaun scolded Joanna and vented all his anger on her! When Joanna heard this, her face turned pale and her heart ached! She didn¡¯t feel good about this either! ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be so angry¡­¡± ¡°Get lost! Get lost! Don¡¯t call me Dad anymore. You¡¯re not my daughter!¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Joanna was stunned. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a knifel She did not expect her father to hate her so much! However, she was also a victim! She had almost lost her life several times. If it weren¡¯t for her luck, she would probably be lying in the cold cemetery now! She was naive again! Her father had never treated her as his daughter! And she was still naively thinking of being filial to him! ¡°Dad, take care of yourself. I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Get lost! Hurry up and get lost! Take all your things away. I don¡¯t need them!¡± As he spoke, Shaun staggered down from the hospital bed and threw out all the things that Joanna had brought! ¡°Get lost! Hurry up and get lost! I don¡¯t want to see you again!¡± Thud! Thest giftnded on Joanna! Joanna was almost knocked down. She hid her tears and walked out of the ward! In the corridor, Derick happened toe back from shopping. When he saw Joanna, he looked like a wild beast that had lost control! He suddenly pounced forward and punched her. ¡°Joanna, how dare youe to the hospital?¡± Before he could hit Joanna, the bodyguards behind her had already rushed forward and pushed Derick away! ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t touch her!¡± the bodyguards warned Derick sternly! Bruce was very worried that something would happen to Joanna. Therefore, no matter where she went, he would get his bodyguards to follow her! Derick nced at the few strong bodyguards and did not dare to act rashly. He cursed again, ¡°Joanna, you caused my mother to go to jail and made our family suffer! ¡°Be careful! One day, I will let you get your retribution!¡± When Joanna heard this, he sneered angrily. He did not want to endure it anymore. ¡°Derick, Ingrid brought this upon herself!¡± ¡°What kind of retribution do you want me to get? If she didn¡¯t hire someone to kill me, why would she go to jail? ¡°She¡¯s harming herself in the end. She deserves it! She deserves to be punished by thew!¡± Derick choked, not knowing how to refute! ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± The bodyguard suddenly grabbed Derick¡¯s cor. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, watch your mouth and be more respectful to Ms. Haynes!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Derick¡¯s eyes narrowed and he did not dare to scold anymore. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I can¡¯t afford to offend you! ¡°We¡¯ll see. You¡¯ll never be able to enter the Haynes family¡¯s house again!¡± Joanna felt very tired! She did not want to say anything more to Derick¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± When the bodyguard heard this, he let go of Derick and escorted Joanna away! Downstairs in the hospital. As soon as Joanna appeared, before he could get into the car, arge group of entertainment reporters who were tracking him surrounded him like a tide! ¡°Miss Haynes, when will you remarry Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have noment!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, please say a few words! I heard that Miss Roxanne has gone crazy. Is this rumor true?¡± ¡°How many years has Ingrid been sentenced to for hiring a murderer?¡± ¡°Move aside, Miss Haynes will not be interviewed! The bodyguards went forward to stop the entertainment reporters from approaching! ¡°Move aside, don¡¯t block the way!¡± Under the escort of the bodyguards, Joanna got into the car and fled! Now, she waspletely afraid of the media! She was even more afraid of the media fabricating nonsense! When he returned to Reagan No. 8 Residence, it was already seven in the evening! Bruce had also returned from work. Seeing her dejected look, he hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Joanna, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡­¡± ¡°Why do you look so pale?¡± ¡°I just went to see Dad!¡± ¡°Oh, is he alright?¡± Bruce asked lightly. Joanna sighed. ¡°He¡¯s very agitated now. He doesn¡¯t want to see me at all!¡± Bruce looked at her gently. ¡°Then let¡¯s not go over during this period of time!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna wanted to say something but hesitated. However, Joanna was no longer able to continue. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just don¡¯t feel good!¡± ¡°Are you still worried that the media will spout nonsense?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get someone to suppress these negative news! I won¡¯t let them make up nonsense again!¡± When Joanna heard this, she did not say anything else. ¡°Do you want to go and take a look at Roxanne?¡± Bruce was stunned! Why did he want to see Roxanne? She had brought this upon herself! ¡°Roxanne is in a bad state now. I heard that¡­ after her uterus was removed, she won¡¯t be able to have children in the future!¡± Alter hearing this, Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°She deserves it! She¡¯s pitiful but she deserved it! She brought this upon herself! Don¡¯t feel too burdened. This has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°But¡­ Bruce sighed. ¡°There are no buts. If you did something wrong, you should be punished!¡± Joanna did not say anything else after hearing that! If Roxanne was not rted to her by blood at all, she would not tolerate her harming her like thist But now, Roxanne was her half¨Csister after all! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t think too much! We still have to live! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about others. Let¡¯s just live our own lives!¡± ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s talk about remarryingter!¡± ¡°Up to you!¡± SEND GIFT Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Bruce¡¯s expression turned cold, and he felt vaguely ufortable! He could not figure out what Joanna was thinking, but he was certain that she did not want to remarry him! Joanna had yet to notice the change in Bruce. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll go upstairs and rest first!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Oh right, next Saturday, I happen to be free. Let¡¯s bring Lilia to Gaprington! I¡¯ve already made an appointment with the doctor over there!¡± ¡°Okay, I understand!¡± Joanna said and dragged his tired body upstairs! At the hospital. Roxanne woke up in a daze. It had been a week since she finished the surgery. The doctor had not told her about the removal of her uterus, so she thought she just had a miscarriage! ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re awake?¡± Seeing that she was awake, the care worker, Haylee, hurriedly went over to take care of her! Roxanne blinked weakly. She was still in hysteria. ¡°Mom, Mom¡­¡± Haylee quickly brought a ss of warm water over. ¡°Miss Haynes, have some water!¡± Roxanne rolled hier eyes slightly and became more awake. ¡°Where¡¯s my mother?¡± Haylee¡¯s face stiffened, and she stammered, ¡°Madam¡­ has already gone to prison!¡± Roxanne was stunned for a moment when she heard that. After a while, she came back to her senses! Her mother protected her and took all the me! Thinking of how her mother was going to be imprisoned for 15 years, Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but feel a lump in his throat! ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not good for your health! Don¡¯t be too sad! 15 years will pass very quickly. If Madam performs well, there¡¯s still a chance to reduce her sentence¡­¡± Before Haylee could finish, Roxanne cried even harder and struggled to sit up! However, the moment she moved her body, the lower half of her body was in so much pain that she could not take it anymore! She even had a drainage bag and catheter inserted into her body! ¡°Ouch! Why does my entire body hurt so much?¡± Haylee quickly went forward to hold her down. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t move. You¡¯re seriously injured!¡± The anesthetic effect on Roxanne¡¯s body had long passed, and her wound was in extreme pain. ¡°It hurts. Tell me quickly, what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Haylee panicked and stammered, ¡°Miss, stop asking. Take care of yourself first!¡± ¡°Tell me now!¡± As they were talking, a nurse pushed open the door and walked in! ¡°Ms. Haynes, it¡¯s time to change the dressing!¡± As she spoke, she pushed a wheeled stretcher in! The wheeled stretcher was filled with medicine bottles and instruments. It was obvious that they were Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g not instruments for changing the dressing for ordinary surgeries. ¡°Haylee, don¡¯t lie to me. Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t think too much!¡± The nurse came to the head of the bed and observed the various equipment indexes. ¡°It¡¯s time to change the dressing!¡± ¡°Nurse, what¡¯s wrong with me? What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be so agitated!¡± As the nurse spoke, she began to change her dressing! Roxanne felt a sharp pain. Her intuition told her that it was not as simple as a miscarriage! ¡°Nurse, quickly tell me! What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Roxanne struggled and resisted, unwilling to cooperate with the nurse to change the dressing. Her uterus had been removed, and the wound was in the most obscure ce! If she didn¡¯t cooperate and change the dressing, the nurse really couldn¡¯t do anything! ¡°Ms. Haynes, you have to apply medicine every day. Otherwise, the wound infection will be very serious!¡± Roxanne moved slightly. She felt that his entire body was in so much pain that he could not take it anymore. He became agitated as well. ¡°Tell me quickly, tell me quickly!¡± Seeing that she was so agitated, the nurse did not dare to hide it anymore. ¡°Okay, okay, okay, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, you have to be mentally prepared! You underwent surgery and had your uterus removed!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The nurse¡¯s heart tightened and she did not dare to say anything else! ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, your uterus has been removed¡­¡± Boom! When Roxanne heard this, it was as if she had been struck by lightning. She was in a daze for a long time. ¡°No, impossible, impossible! ¡°Ouch!¡± Seeing this, Haylee quicklyforted her. ¡°Miss Haynes, calm down. You have to recuperate now!¡± ¡°My uterus is gone. What kind of woman am I?¡± When the nurse saw this, she hurriedly went out to call the doctor! Three minutester! Shaun and the doctor rushed over! Roxanne had already lost control of her emotions and smashed everything she could on the ground! ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t be so agitated. You have to take care of your own body!¡± ¡°Ah! Get lost, all of you!¡± Roxanne pulled her hair like a madman! She could ept the miscarriagel However, she could not ept the fact that her uterus had been removed! This also meant that she had lost the right to be a mother! ¡°Roxy, my daughter!¡± Shaun could not help but cry! ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Let me die¡­¡± ¡°Roxy, you must be strong!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. There are no obstacles that you can¡¯t ovee in life! You still have your parents. You¡¯re still young!¡± Roxanne could not listen at all. She hadpletely lost control of her emotions. ¡°Boohoo¡­ Hahaha!¡± Shaun was shocked. ¡°Roxy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s great! I don¡¯t have anything left! Everything I have has been snatched away by that slut Joanna!¡± Roxanne cried and cried. Suddenly, heughed maniacally like a lunatic! ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t scare Daddy. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Roxanne cried andugh. She looked like she had lost her mind.. ¡°Doctor,e quickly!¡± ¡°Don¡¯te over! Don¡¯te over!¡± ¡°Hurry up and give her a tranquilizer!¡± ¡°Let me go! I don¡¯t want an injection. I want to leave the hospital. I want to find Brucel¡± ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t abandon me! I want to be Greyport¡¯s richest woman, Mrs. Everett. I can¡¯t live without you!¡± Roxanne lost control and spouted nonsense! Shaun was extremely worried. His heart was racing. ¡°Roxy, stop moving!¡± Two male doctors stepped forward and pressed Roxanne down. The nurse quickly injected her with a tranquilizer! ¡°Hurry up and stop her bleeding!¡± Roxanne went crazy and pulled out the catheter on her body. The wound was torn open again! Blood seeped out again, and the entire bedsheet was covered in blood! When Shaun saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°Roxy, my daughter! How can I bear to see you like this?¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s mental state has been stimted. Don¡¯t stimte her anymore!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After the nurse injected Roxanne with a tranquilizer, she quickly fell asleep again! For the next few days, Roxanne¡¯s emotions were very unstable. She had to rely on tranquilizers every day! Shaun was even more worried that there was nothing he could do! The doctor had no choice but to suggest that Shaun find a psychiatrist for her. ¡°Mr. Haynes, if it really doesn¡¯t work out, after the patient recovers a little, we¡¯ll transfer her to psychological therapy!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Shaun had been in the hospital for more than 10 days! Today, he was going home to get some personal necessities. Who knew that after he had just left the hospital, arge group of entertainment reporters rushed up and over to interview him. ¡°Mr. Haynes, may I ask how Miss Roxanne is doing?¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne had a miscarriage. Why did he have to stay in so many hospitals?¡± ¡°Are Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett really going to remarry? Will you give your blessings?¡± In the face of the entertainment reporters¡® interview, Shaun said gloomily, ¡°Joanna and I are no longer father and daughter. She is the worst and most vicious woman in the world! ¡°She¡¯d better die. She¡¯s made life difficult for our family. I don¡¯t have a daughter like her!¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes, please say a few more words!¡± Shaun did not care about being embarrassed at all. He waved his hand and pushed away the entertainment reporters in front of him. ¡°Go away. I¡¯ve already said what I needed to say! Our the Haynes family is unlucky to have such a vicious daughter! ¡°From now on, Joanna and I are enemies!¡± ¡°What do you think about Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Also, was it really Mrs. Haynes who instigated the assassination of Miss Haynes?¡± Shaun said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s there to say? She was the one who snatched my sister¡¯s boyfriend six years ago! ¡°Now, she has caused her sister to be like this. With such a vicious heart, she is destined to not have a good ending! She will definitely get her retribution! ¡°As for the assassination, she deserves it! If I don¡¯t have to bear legal responsibility, I want to kill her too! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said! Go away!¡± Shaun pushed away the entertainment reporters, got into the car, and left! Soon, Shaun¡¯sments exploded on the inte! Shaun¡¯sments exploded on the inte! [Miss Haynes was used by his biological father of being cold¨Cblooded.] [Joanna¡¯s unscrupulous means to drive her sister crazy and became a disgrace to the family.] Joanna was cursed by her Father.] [Shaun hated his eldest daughter to the core and threatened to kill her.] Simr news instantly appeared on the front page¡­ SEND GIFT Chapter 269 Chapter 269 The next day! When Joanna was heading off to work, she had just arrived downstairs! A bunch of entertainment reporters were already waiting downstairs at the Haynes Group! ¡°Miss Haynes, have you seen yesterday¡¯s news?¡± ¡°What do you think about Miss Roxanne¡¯s mental illness? Also, do you agree with the usations of your father?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She did not want to answer any questions! ¡°Get out of the way, get out of the way!¡± The bodyguards went forward to disperse the entertainment reporters! ¡°Miss Haynes, please say something¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get close, get out of the way!¡± The bodyguard stopped them stiffly! Joanna hurriedly walked towards thepany and entered thepany¡¯s elevator in a sorry state! In the conference room! The higher¨Cups of the Haynes Group had already arrived. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had also arrived early. ¡°Prepare for the meeting!¡± Mr. Roger sighed and said with a serious expression, ¡°Miss Haynes, there are a bunch of entertainment reporters surrounding thepany every day! They have beening to thepany every day for the past few days! This has seriously affected thepany¡¯s order!¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll get someone to deal with it!¡± Mr. Paul also frowned. ¡°This matter is very serious. Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t youy low?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Thepany¡¯s stock price has fallen drastically these few days. It¡¯s been falling to the limit for a few days! At this rate, our the Haynes Group¡¯s stock market is about to copse!¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne and Mr. Everett¡¯s matter has also caused a hugemotion! Why don¡¯t we quickly lower these negative news! The Haynes Group will suffer a huge loss!¡± When Joanna heard this, her brows furrowed tightly. ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have the meeting first! We¡¯ll mainly talk about three questions today! First, thepany¡¯s image package. Second, thepany¡¯s online delivery problem¡­¡± Just as Joanna was speaking, the phone started vibrating! Joanna nced at it. The call was from Michael! ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to take this call first! Cora, exin the contents of the meeting to everyone first!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Cora took over the content of the meeting and continued to talk! Joanna took her phone and left conference room! Usually, she would not answer the phone during a meeting! However, Michael called her so early in the morning. Something must have happened at the factory in Mossbourne again! Hello, Michael! What¡¯s the matter?¡± Michael¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, when are you free to come to the factory in Mossbourne?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°All the cooperating businesses have canceled their orders. The Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Fire Department. have alsoe to inspect one after another! They said that our factory¡¯s fire prevention is not up to standard and that we have to stop operations to rectify it!¡± ¡°How could this be? What¡¯s going on?¡± Michael said dejectedly. ¡°The partners are saying that our the Haynes Group¡¯s reputation has been damaged, so we¡¯ll temporarily terminate the cooperation!¡± ¡°Also, many workers have gone on strike!¡± ¡°What about Mr. Grimm? Isn¡¯t he at the factory these days?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm has called Venturas. I haven¡¯t been able to get through!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m aware!¡± ¡°Close the factory first and cooperate with the fire department! I¡¯ll make a trip to Mossbourne in two days!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± After Joanna hung up, she frowned and pondered for a few seconds! Then, she opened today¡¯s news! As soon as she opened the news app, a video of Shaun criticizing her in front of the camera popped up! In the video, her father¡¯s face was filled with hatred as he wanted to sever their father¨Cdaughter rtionship. He simply wanted to tear her into pieces. After reading the news, Joanna didn¡¯t know what to feel! Simr things had happened too many times! She was now immune to the media¡¯sments! She didn¡¯t want to care anymore and couldn¡¯t be bothered! It was six o¡¯clock in the evening. At Reagan No. 8 Residence! Joanna came back from work on time! ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Bruce arrived home before her. ¡°Yeah!¡± Bruce reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s Saturday the day after tomorrow. The ne tickets have been booked!¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go to thepany for the next few days. Rx! When we reach Gaprington, we can go on holiday as well¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood!¡± Bruce quietly observed Joanna. Davian and Irvin ran over happily to wee her. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What did you learn in school today?¡± Joanna asked casually. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot today! There¡¯s handiwork and painting!¡± ¡°You think so?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Davian and Irvin had already been arranged to enter the best noble kindergarten in Greyport! ¡°Are you used to the new school?¡± Irvin said happily, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a habit! It¡¯s even better than the kindergarten at Venturas!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Lilia can¡¯t go to kindergarten now! When Lilia recovers, let her go to kindergarten with us!¡± When Joanna heard this, he squeezed out a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! When Lilia recovers, she will definitely go to school with you!¡± Lilia also shouted happily, ¡°Mommy, are you off work?¡± ¡°Good girl! ¡°I¡¯m going to cook!¡± Bruce frowned and said, ¡°No need. Let the servants do it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m free today. I¡¯ll personally make some food for the children!¡± Davian smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great. I want to eat Mommy¡¯s dumplings!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°I want to eat spaghetti!¡± Bruce smiled at Joanna. Joanna looked at Bruce speechlessly! ¡°Why are you looking at me? It¡¯s rare for you to cook spaghetti for me. Do you feel wronged?¡± ¡°No!¡± Joanna put down her bag and went upstairs to change her clothes. Then, she entered the kitchen again! There were many servants in the Everett family. There was no need for her to do anything herself! However, she still took the time to make something for the children to eat! When cooking, her mood could also be calmer! Joanna silently cut the chicken. She had been thinking about something and had identally cut her hand! ¡°Ouch!¡± Bruce heard it and quickly came over to check. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± 1 ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I identally cut my hand!¡± Bruce quickly grabbed her hand. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re not careful at all! Hurry up and wrap a band¨Caid around it¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Let me handle this!¡± Joanna listened and looked at Bruce in surprise. ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°Tsk, how can something that you know be difficult for me!¡± ¡°Alright, cut these chickens into pieces! Cut some ginger and put it in!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± While Bruce was working in the kitchen, Joanna went out to look for Band¨CAids! In the children¡¯s room! The two little guys were ying on theputer again. ¡°Davian, someone is insulting Mommy again tonight!¡± ¡°Humph, these big baddies think Mommy is easy to bully!¡± ¡°What should we do? Should we avenge Mommy?¡± ¡°Of course! We can¡¯t just watch Mommy get bullied!¡± ¡°Shaun is a big baddie. How dare he defame Mommy like this? We must teach him a lesson!¡± Irvin frowned. ¡°Davian, this fat uncle seems to be our grandfather!¡± ¡°If he treats Mommy like this, he¡¯s definitely not our grandfather! We don¡¯t want him to be our grandfather!¡± ¡°Yes, Davian. What do you n to do?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet!¡± ¡°cklist all these posts online!* ¡°So many!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This website has the mostments. Let¡¯s just use this website!¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, it¡¯s time to eat. What are you guys doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on our way!¡± ¡°You two brats, what are you sneaking around for again?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Be good, please don¡¯t!¡± ¡°We know! Mommy, don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy¡¯s dumplings is the best in the world!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to eat a big bowl today.¡± ¡°I want a big bowl too!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your spaghetti!¡± Thank you, Honey!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him! At nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Joanna was about to go to bed. ¡°Bruce, why are you here again?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We¡¯re already living together. Can¡¯t we sleep together?¡± ¡°Bruce, my heart is in a mess right now. I want some peace and quiet!¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Joanna sighed deeply, not knowing what to say. The ¡°Why are you looking so sad?¡± ¡°I have something on my mind!¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t give yourself so much pressure! At the very least, you still have me!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing that you can¡¯t deal with if you please me.¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 AN When Joanna heard this, she felt disgusted in her heart. She really did not like Bruce¡¯s superiority! ¡°Bruce, can you stop saying such things in the future? I don¡¯t like to hear such words! ¡°I hope that we are equals. Please respect me in the future and don¡¯t put on such a high and mighty attitude!¡± Bruce choked. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. My bad! ¡°I respect you. I¡¯ll listen to you. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Since you listen to me, please sleep in the next room!¡± When Bruce heard this, his hawk¨Clike eyes turned cold. ¡°Joanna, I can¡¯t listen to you on this matter! ¡°We need to cultivate our rtionship again. If you keep resisting me like this, how are we going to cultivate our rtionship?¡± ¡°Bruce, what do you want?¡± Joanna was frustrated. She really did not have the energy to deal with him now. She did not want to have any physical contact with him. At least, she was really not in the mood now! Seeing that Joanna was so against him, Bruce felt extremely ufortable! This was the first time he was humble to a woman, and no one had ever resisted his goodwill like this! ¡°I don¡¯t want anything! Why are you so agitated?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you so much now. My heart is in a mess and I need peace!¡± ¡°Could you please get out of here!¡± Suddenly, Bruce¡¯s temper was ignited, and his tone was filled with anger. ¡°Joanna, my patience is limited!¡± After saying that, Bruce looked at Joanna gloomily! He had never been a good¨Ctempered man. Since he was young, everyone had listened to him, but no one had ever dared to give him face like this! Joanna choked on her anger and shrugged her arms helplessly. ¡°Alright! Since you want to sleep here, I¡¯ll go out!¡± Joanna turned around and walked out of the room! This actionpletely angered Bruce. Joanna, stop right there!¡± Joanna ignored him and walked out of the room! Bruce waspletely enraged. He suddenly lifted the nket and got off the bed! He caught up to Joanna in a few steps, grabbed her wrist, and pushed her back to the bed. ¡°Ah-¡± He was too strong. Joanna fell back onto the bed! Then, Bruce leaned over and pressed down on the bed! ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? Let go!¡± Joanna panicked and struggled to resist! Bruce pinned her arm firmly and frowned. ¡°Joanna, do you have to make me so angry?¡± Joanna¡¯s tone softened a little. ¡°I already said that I¡¯m not in a good mood now!¡± Tll give you three seconds to put away your emotions!¡± Bruce ordered gloomily. He couldn¡¯t stand her throwing a tantrum at him! He couldn¡¯t stand her rejecting his goodwill! Bruce was such an arrogant person, but he took the initiative to give others a way out! This was already something he wouldn¡¯t do for others, but Joanna did not know how to give him a way out! Joanna looked into Bruce¡¯s eyes with the same coldness! The more domineering he was, the more disgusted she was! His desire to control was too strong. Ordinary people could not stand it at all! ¡°Bruce, can you not be like this?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be so shameless!¡± Joanna was so angry that her heart ached. Her chest heaved violently! Competing with Bruce was like throwing an egg at a rock! She was at a dsiadvantage no matter what ¡°Heh, alright! Don¡¯t you want to sleep with me? Come, I¡¯ll satisfy you!¡± Joanna was going all out. ** She pulled her hands away and took off his pajamas. She looked at Bruce with hatred and contempt! Seeing this, Bruce was so angry that he panted heavily! He loved her! To him, sex was a way to express his love! It was not just a need in that aspect! If he wanted a woman, he only needed to crook his finger. A lot of women would line up and fight to sleep with him! ¡°Joanna, you really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Bruce got up from the bed angrily and walked out of the room with his long legs! ¡°Bang!¡± The door was pulled open with a loud bang! After Bruce left, Joanna¡¯s face was pale, and her heart was pounding! Bruce was really terrifying when he lost his temper. It was really tiring to get along with a violent and irritable man like him! In the past, she could love him unconditionally and obey him unconditionally! But now, she really could not do it! Bruce walked out of the room and remained enraged. ¡°Mr. Everett, are ¡°Give me the keys!¡± going out?¡± ¡°Oh, okay?¡± The servant quickly went to get the car keys. Bruce drove a Lamborghini. He stepped on the elerator and drove out of the garage. Bruce took out his phone and called Zachary! Beep, beep, beep! The call was quickly picked up! ¡°Hey, Zachary!¡± Zachary¡¯s teasing voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hey, Mr. Everett, why did you call me today?¡± ¡°I thought you had forgotten me as your friend!¡± Bruce snorted. ¡°I¡¯m very annoyed now. I¡¯ll go over and drink with you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I have a few beauties here. All of them are the champions of the beauty pageant!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce drove straight to Zachary¡¯s nightclub! Half an hourter! Bruce arrived at Zachary¡¯s nightclub! This was Greyport¡¯s most luxurious and high¨Cend nightclub! Zachary had a special private room to receive his friends. Bruce entered the private room. There were already several beauties sitting in the dark private room! Other than them. there were also Zachary¡¯s other two good friends! ¡°Mr. Everett, what brought you over today? How many days has it been since youst came? I thought you had forgotten. about me!¡± Bruce did not say anything and sat down on the sofa! ¡°Let me introduce you¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for introductions. Everyone in Greyport knows Mr. Everett!¡± Zachary¡¯s two good friends immediately took the initiative to greet Bruce! ¡°Come on, keep Mr. Everettpany!¡± ¡°Let them go. I just want to drink!¡± Zachary was stunned! His two good friends were also stunned! They did not expect Mr. Everett to be so disrespectful! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Alright then! You guys go first! We¡¯ll meet again another day!¡± ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll get going first!¡± After his friend left, Zachary smiled awkwardly. ¡°Look at you. Every time youe out to y, you always have a droopy face!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more fun with more people! Come on and drink with Mr. Everett!¡± Zachary waved his hand and called a few beauties over. ¡°No need, let them go out too!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t even raise his head. He was currently annoyed and didn¡¯t have the mood to look at beauties! ¡°Mr. Everett, these six beauties are all national treasures. Are you really not going to choose two?¡± ¡°No need!¡± ¡°Treally don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. You don¡¯t even like such a good beauties!¡± Bruce poured a ss of wine and leaned against the sofa with his long legs crossed. ¡°I¡¯m so annoyed today. I just want to drink!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll apany you!¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s boring without a woman present! Let them stay and drink with us!¡± Bruce did not refuse again. It could be considered as tacit consent. ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you pulling a long face? I¡¯ll y dice with you!¡± Zachary looked at a beautiful woman. ¡°Go and sing a song for Mr. Everett to liven things up!¡± ¡°Kelly, do a hot dance to relieve Mr. Everett¡¯s boredom!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± In less than 10 minutes! The atmosphere in the private room became lively, exuding an extravagant aura! These beauties were all the strongest socialites and were best at pleasing men! Unless the man did not step into this ce! Once he stepped into this ce, it was equivalent to stepping into and of paradise. Who could sit still? There was no need to talk about morals. A person of his status was too experienced! ¡°Mr. Everett is too skilled. I can¡¯t even beat you!¡± A scantily d beauty snuggled in Bruce¡¯s arms, trying her best to make him happy. Another beauty also leaned over. ¡°Mr. Everett, let¡¯s have another drink!¡± Bruce drank more than 10 sses of alcohol in a row and was already a little drunk: Zachary took out his phone and called his sister! ¡°Hello, Zachary, why are you calling me sote at night?¡± ¡°Jennie, Mr. Everett is at the nightclub now. Do you want toe and y?¡± On the other end of the line, Jennie¡¯s surprised voice sounded. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, it seems like Mr. Everett is in a bad mood and drank a lot!¡± ¡°Zachary, I¡¯ll be there right away! You must make Bruce stay!¡± Jennie suppressed the joy in her heart! ¡°Yes! Come quickly!¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271. Eleven o¡¯clock in the evening! It was also the busiest time for nightclubs! The door of the private room was pushed open, and a tall, fashionable, and beautiful woman walked over! ¡°Zachary! Jennie walked in leisurely! Jennie, Bruce is drunk! Hurry up and take care of him!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, got it!¡± ¡°Bruce, Jennie is here!¡± With a smile, Jennie walked towards Bruce. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s up? Why are you here to entertain yourself? ¡°Did you have a conflict with Joanna?¡± Bruce smiled and did not say anything! Jennie walked to his side and sat down beside him! The beauties tactfully moved aside! ¡°Jennie, why are you here?¡± ¡°I heard from my brother that you were drinking alone here, so I specially came over to take a look! ¡°Coincidentally, I can¡¯t sleep either. I also want toe out and have fun!¡± ¡°What are you guys ying? Count me in!¡± A beautiful woman smiled and said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great. We¡¯re ying dice now!¡± When Jennie heard this, she joined in with interest. ¡°Come,e,e, continue ying! It¡¯s more fun with more people!¡± The few beauties started shouting and ying again! Under the stimtion of the atmosphere, Bruce and Zachary also started ying! After a few rounds, Jennie kept on losing! ¡°Five!¡± ¡°Six!¡± ¡°You lose!¡± ¡°s, I lost again!¡± Jennie looked vexed! ¡°Bruce, drink for me!¡± Bruce¡® was already a little drunk. ¡°I¡¯ve already helped you drink two sses. What¡¯s the point of losing without drinking?¡± Jennie shook his arm and said coquettishly, ¡°Bruce, drink for me onest time!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright, onest time!¡± Bruce said and drank another cup for Jennie. Zachary, get two more bottles of wine. We must drink to our heart¡¯s content today!¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce immediately refused. ¡°No, I can¡¯t drink anymore! It¡¯s gettingte today. It¡¯s time to go back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only 12 o¡¯clock. Since you¡¯re here to y, aren¡¯t you going to enjoy yourself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Jennie has just arrived and you¡¯re already leaving. How disrespectful!¡± Jennie pestered Bruce and refused to let him go. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re going to y all night today. We won¡¯t go home until we¡¯re drunk!¡± ¡°Bruce, are you so anxious to go home because you¡¯re afraid that Joanna will check on you?¡± ¡°Hahaha, Mr. Everett is such a powerful person. Why would he be afraid of his wife?¡± the beauties also teased. Bruce insisted on standing up to leave. ¡°No, no, I really can¡¯t drink anymore!¡± Zachary patted his shoulder. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re too boring. Since you¡¯re here to have fun, why are you so worried?¡± ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s end at two o¡¯clock. Will that do?¡± Bruce had no choice but to agree. ¡°Alright!¡± Zachary opened another bottle of wine and everyone yed a few more rounds. Bruce was even drunker! ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t think I have your Messenger yet. Let¡¯s add each other on Messenger!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Bruce said as he took out his phone! ¡°You can add it yourself!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jennie happily took Bruce¡¯s phone! ¡°Oh my god, our phones are exactly the same. The models are all the same!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Bruceughed drunkenly and leaned against the sofa in a daze. Jennie took his hand and sessfully added him on Messenger. Then, they took a few more photos together! After taking the photo, Jennie looked up at Bruce. She saw that he was drunk and unconscious. She deliberately took his phone and posted it on his Instagram! She uploaded all the photos she took to his Instagram. In these photos, there were beautiful women surrounding him, and there were also photos of him hugging Jennie¡¯s shoulder! After posting on his Instagram, Jennie smiled smugly! When Joanna saw Bruce¡¯s Instagramter, she would definitely be furious! It would be best if she made a scene with Bruce and broke up with him! At Reagan No. 8 Residence! It was past midnight and Bruce still hadn¡¯t returned after he left. Joanna was a little worried. After asking the servants, she found out that he drove out alone and did not even bring his bodyguards! She was even more worried! Then, she took out her phone and was about to call him! After turning on the phone, she habitually scrolled through her Instagram! When she scrolled through it, she realized that Bruce had actually posted something on Instagram. He was someone who did not post on his Instagram even once in ten thousand years! Of course, there were very few people who followed him! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Curious, Joanna clicked on Instagram and saw that Bruce was drunk and hugging a few beauties on his left and right. He was very happy! ¡°Cough!¡± Joanna choked on her breath! She knew that Bruce was a yboy! A dog couldn¡¯t change its spots. How could a person like him focus on her? Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang! Jennie saw that it was Joanna calling and quietly hung up! The call was cut off, and Joanna was even more furious! She sent him another Messenger. ¡°Bruce, where are you?¡± Hearing the Messenger notification. Bruce jolted. ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± ¡°Oh, Bruce, bad news!¡± ¡°I took the wrong phone. I wanted to post something on my Instagram, but I didn¡¯t expect to post it to yours!¡± Bruce was still unclear about the situation and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Bruce immediately took the phone. Coincidentally, Joanna called again! ¡°Hey!¡± Joanna¡¯s cold voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Bruce, where are you now?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Joanna did not speak. Her chest heaved violently! Then, she hung up! ¡°Crazy!¡± Bruce cursed resentfully! However, he was still afraid that Joanna would be angry! After all, when this damn woman was angry, she was really willing to do anything! Her personality was even more stubborn and unyielding. Four years ago, when the two of them divorced, she left for four years without any news! He was really a little afraid of such a woman! Bruce took a look at Joanna¡¯s message. At the same time, he saw his Instagram! ¡°Who posted this?¡± Jennie hurriedly said apologetically, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m sorry! I took the wrong phone just now. I thought it was my phone, so I wanted to post it on my Instagram! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be your phone!¡± Bruce was stunned. He hurriedly opened his Instagram to take a look! It was a photo of him and a few beauties! No wonder Joanna had called. She must have thought that he was out and at it again like old times. This photo was filled with an ambiguous aura. There was no way to exin it! Bruce stood up and walked out without looking back! ¡°Bruce!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything and directly left the private room! Jennie hurriedly chased after him. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re drunk. You can¡¯t drive. I¡¯ll send you back!¡± ¡°No need!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry to go back?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened and he did not say anything. He hated it the most when others schemed against him! He called the driver directly! ¡°Kody,e and pick me up immediately!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Be there in 15 minutes!¡± Bruce said and sent a location! ¡°Got it!¡± It was one o¡¯clock in the evening! At Reagan No. 8 Residence! Bruce came back reeking of alcohol! The door was locked from the inside! ¡°Knock, knock!¡± Bruce knocked on the door a few times. Joanna did not open the door. She had already decided to move out tomorrow! She would rather be single for the rest of her life than be with such a yboy! She could already imagine that even if they remarried in the future, he would probably cheat on her and raise a lover! Her heart was already in pieces. She could no longer withstand these blows! Joanna, open the door! Open the door!¡± ¡°Knock, knock, knock!¡± Bruce knocked on the door a few more times! Unfortunately, no matter how hard he knocked on the door. Joanna refused to open the door for him! ¡°Joanna, 1 know you¡¯re still awake. Open the door! ¡°I went out to drink just now, but I only drank! I didn¡¯t do anything else! ¡°I didn¡¯t post anything on my Instagram. Someone else took the wrong phone! ¡°Hurry up and open the door. Let me exin!¡± Joanna did not seem to hear him. She did not open the door for him nor did she answer! Bruce breathed out the smell of alcohol. He was so angry that his head hurt! Only now did he realize that Joanna¡¯s temper was really stubborn and unyielding! Moreover, she really refused to give in! If he did anything wrong, she really would not forgive him! ¡°If you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯ll kick it open!¡± ¡°Knock, knock!¡± Bruce knocked on the door until it shook! SEND GIFT COMMENT Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The servants were all woken up by the noise. Davian and Irvin were also woken up! The two little fellows came out of the children¡¯s room in their pajamas in a daze! ¡°Hurry up and open the door. If you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯ll knock it down!¡± ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce red at him coldly. ¡°Take the children back to sleep!¡± The servants¡® hearts skipped a beat and they quickly replied, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, go back to your room and sleep!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Is Daddy bullying Mommy?¡± Davian¡¯s little face that was like a milk bun exuded a childish and fierce aura! If Daddy dared to bully Mommy, he would definitely teach Daddy a lesson. Bruce waspletely drunk. He kicked the door a few times. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll count 123. If you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯ll really be angry!¡± Irvin¡¯s son was so frightened that he did not dare to breathe. ¡°Davian, what¡¯s wrong with Daddy?¡± The servants went forward and wanted to carry the two little fellows away. ¡°Davian, Irvin, hurry up and go back to your room to sleep!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sleeping. We have to protect Mommy!¡± In the room! Joanna originally wanted to ignore him, but seeing how fierce he was! If she didn¡¯t open the door for him, he would probably tear down the house! Swoosh! The door was pulled open from the inside! Bruce was about to kick the door when it opened. He staggered and almost fell to the ground! This made him even angrier! ¡°Joanna, do you have a fucking death wish?¡± Seeing how drunk he was, Joanna¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Bruce, are you going to let me sleep?¡± Davian was very worried that his mommy would be bullied. He looked at Joanna anxiously. ¡°Mommy, did Daddy bully you¡­¡± Joanna took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself down. ¡°Be good. The two of you, go back and sleep!¡± ¡°Lilian, take Davian and Irvin back to sleep!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± The two servants did not dare to dy and hurriedly carried Davian and Irvin away! After the children was taken away! With bloodshot eyes and reeking of alcohol, Bruce pushed Joanna into the room! Joanna staggered and almost fell to the ground! Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Joanna, you really make me angry! I think you just need to be taught a lesson!¡± As he spoke, Bruce suddenly took off his tie and shirt and threw them on the ground. Seeing this. Joanna¡¯s face turned pale and she hurriedly took a few steps back. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re drunk. Don¡¯t do anything rash!¡± Before she could run away, Bruce had already pounced on her like an eagle catching a chick! ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna shouted in shock. Bruce had already picked her up by the waist and thrown her onto the bed! ¡°Bruce, if you touch me, I¡¯ll move out tomorrow!¡± Rip! Joanna¡¯s silk pajamas were torn apart! Bruce was infuriated as he blocked Joanna¡¯s lips. ¡°Ah, no!¡± The strong smell of alcohol made her want to throw up! Joanna tried her best to avoid his forceful kiss! Unfortunately, Bruce had always been domineering. After drinking, he became even more violent. ¡°Ah! Let go-¡± An hourter! Only then did the anger in Bruce dissipate a little! Joanna was trembling all over. Shey weakly under the nket and did not even have the strength to cry! The next day! After Bruce woke up, he still felt dizzy. He had indeed drunk a little too muchst night, and he was still feeling ufortable all over! He was the only one on the bed. No one knew when Joanna had left the bed! Recalling how irritable he wasst night, Bruce pped his forehead in frustration! He had promised her that he would not use force on her again! He was drunkst night and in a fit of anger, he broke his promise again! got up, put on his clothes, and hurried downstairs! ¡°Good morning, Mr. Everett!¡± The servants greeted him respectfully! Bruce frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna?¡± ¡°Madam went out early in the morning!¡± ¡°Did she say where she went?¡± ¡°She said he was going to work!¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt a little uneasy! He was afraid that Joanna would really be angry!! This dann woman was very difficult to coax when she was angry! Thinking of this, Bruce hurriedly took out his phone and called Joanna! Beep, beep, beep! A dull busy tone came from the receiver! Needless to say, she must had gone to Mossbourne again or gone overseas! Joanna, where are you now? Call me back!¡± Bruce sent her Messenger voice message! Half an hourter, there was still no response! Bruce made a couple of calls but no one answered ¡°This damn woman isn¡¯t answering her phone again!¡± Bruce was so angry that he gritted his teeth! Other than Joanna, no one had ever ignored his call! Joanna, tomorrow is Saturday. I¡¯ve already booked a flight to Gaprington! Where are you now? Hurry up and reply to me!¡± For the entire morning, Joanna didn¡¯t answer his calls or reply to his messages! Bruce was angry and anxious. His heart felt like a volcano that could erupt at any moment! The more she refused to listen to his calls, the more frustrated he became, and the more he called her! Beep, beep, beep! Bruce called Andy¡­ Andy saw that Bruce had called and hurriedly answered, ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett, what is it?¡± ¡°Andy, check Joanna¡¯s cell phone location immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 After Andy hung up, he quickly went to the engineering department to check the location of Joanna¡¯s phone! Mark was in charge of the engineering department. Seeing Andy¡¯s serious expression, he asked curiously, ¡°Did Mr. Everett give an instruction?¡± ¡°He got me to check the location of Miss Haynes¡¯s phone. Hurry up and check it!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Mark checked the location and said teasingly, ¡°Tsk, isk, tsk. Looks like Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes are at odds again!¡± ¡°Last night, Mr. Everett posted something on his Instagram. Did you see it?¡± Andy was also in disbelief. ¡°I saw it. Why would Mr. Everett post something like that on his Instagram? I really don¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t it obvious that he wants Miss Haynes to be jealous!¡± Mark added. ¡°I also find it strange. Someone who hardly posted anything on his Instagram actually posted a photo of him drinking with a pretty girl yesterday! ¡°He even hooked arms with the eldest daughter of the Garcia family. Those who don¡¯t know might think that the two of them are officially announcing their rtionship! ¡°I guess Miss Haynes saw it too. That¡¯s why she had a fight with Mr. Everett today!¡± ¡°Stop talking. Have you found anything?¡± ¡°Found it!¡± ¡°Hurry up and send it to Mr. Everett. If you¡¯rete, Mr. Everett will lose his temper again!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Mark did not dare to dy and hurriedly sent the location to Bruce! Bruce took a look at the location! As expected, Joanna went to the factory in Mossbourne! ¡°Kody, prepare the car immediately and follow me to Mossbourne!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce suppressed the anger in his heart and brought the driver and bodyguards to Mossbourne to look for Joanna! He was just that stubborn. His desire to control was just that strong! The more Joanna wanted to hide, the more he wanted to find her. Meanwhile, at Mossbourne. Joanna came to the factory in Mossbourne carly in the morning! Now that the factory was in trouble again, several partners had canceled their cooperation! Other than that, the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Fire Department also took turns toe knocking on her door! Joanna brought Michael and Cora to meet a few corperate partners! It was two o¡¯clock in the afternoon! Bruce rushed to the factory in Mossbourne aggressively! ¡°Who are you? Do you have a work pass?¡± The security guard at the door was an old man in his fifties! He did not know Bruce and had never seen hime to the factory! Therefore, when they saw Bruce and the others walking straight to the factory, they hurriedly went forward to stop them! ¡°Do you have a work pass? You can¡¯te in without a work pass. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When Bruce heard this, he straightened his back. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Joanna!¡± The security guard looked at Bruce suspiciously. Seeing that he was dressed in a suit and leather shoes and looked serious, he thought that he was selling insurance! After all, in his impression, insurance sellers wore suits all year round and dressed like business elites, but in fact, they were selling insurance. Joanna is our chairman. If you want to see her, you have to make an appointment!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Who are you?¡± The security guard was from another province. He really didn¡¯t know Bruce! He was an old man and came from a small vige. How could he recognize someone powerful like Bruce? Bruce choked in anger! Andy cleared his throat and introduced solemnly, ¡°This is Mr. Everett!¡± The security guard red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of boss you are. You can¡¯t enter without a work pass!¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Bruce was so angry that heughed! Andy subconsciously adjusted his sses. ¡°This is Mr. Everett. Miss Haynes is his girlfriend!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do either. You have to show your work pass!¡± The security guard was unreasonable! He muttered inwardly, ¡®Are insurance sellers so daring these days?¡± Bruce had lost his temper and walked straight in! ¡°Stop right there!¡± The bodyguards behind Bruce immediately stopped the old man! Bruce entered the factory and walked aggressively towards the administrative office! In the administrative office! Bruce walked in with a gloomy expression! There were more than ten clerks in the office who were typing up documents! They looked up in a daze and saw a super handsome man enter. Everyone was dumbfounded! ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna?¡± The clerks looked at each other. They had been working here for almost six months, but they had never seen Miss Haynes! ¡°Oh, wait a moment! I¡¯ll get our manager over!¡± a clerk said and quickly called Nichs! Nichs heard that someone was looking for Joanna and hurriedly came out of the office! ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you here?¡± After seeing Bruce, Nichs was dumbfounded! He never expected Mr. Everett toe here! ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna?¡± Nichs¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly said, ¡°Miss Haynes isn¡¯t at the factory. She went out to meet a clicht!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened when he heard that. ¡°Her phone¡¯s location shows that she¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Haynes¡¯s phone is here, but she¡¯s gone out!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce gritted his teeth in anger! It seemed that Joanna knew that he would look for her! She also knew that he would use her phone¡¯s location to look for her everywhere, so she deliberately left her phone in the factory. She was not in the factory at all! ¡°Where is she now?¡± Nichs smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that!¡± ¡°Then who is she with?¡± ¡°Oh. Mr. Lawrence and Cora apanied Miss Haynes to meet clients!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and left the office! ¡°Wow, who is this man? He looks like a celebrity! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± A clerk could not help but be infatuated! ¡°He¡¯s Mr. Everett! Miss Haynes¡¯s ex¨Chusband!¡± ¡°Ah? Gosh, Miss Haynes¡¯s ex¨Chusband is so handsome! He¡¯s so handsome. Why does she still want a divorce?¡± The new clerk was from the north, so she naturally didn¡¯t know about Greyport¡¯s upper¨C ss. ¡°Heh, look at how ignorant you are. Mr. Everett is Greyport¡¯s richest man! Greyport¡¯s most awesome man!¡± ¡°Wow, Miss Haynes is really lucky!¡± The few clerks could not help but sigh! ¡°Don¡¯t be infatuated. That¡¯s a man you¡¯ll never get!¡± Bruce left the office and called Cora directly! Beep, beep, beep! When Cora heard the phone ring, she picked it up and looked at it. She was so frightened that her face turned pale! ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s Mr. Everett!¡± Joanna was negotiating with a client when her face darkened. ¡°Ignore him!¡± After saying that, she continued to talk to the client! ¡°Mr. Zaborski, do you think this project is still negotiable?¡± Opposite her sat a middle¨Caged man with sparse hair. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you a chance! But now, business is really too difficult! Mossbourne¡¯s users are very concerned about the brand¡¯s reputation!¡± Joanna paused. ¡°Our reputation has always been very good!¡± I know, but your corporate image is really bad!¡± ¡°Can you give us another chance to work together?¡± B SEND GIFT COMMENT Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Mr. Zaborski thought about it for a moment. ¡°Seeing how sincere Miss Haynes is. I¡¯ll go back and discuss it with my boss!¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll wait for your good news!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s any news!¡± ¡°This is my new business card. You can call this number!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Beep, beep, beep! Cora¡¯s phone vibrated wildly again! Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is calling again. Please answer it!¡± ¡°You know Mr. Everett¡¯s temper! It won¡¯t be good if he gets angry!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and her face turned extremely gloomy! Last night, no matter how much she begged, he was unmoved! He tormented her for more than an hour! Until now, her entire body felt weak and ufortable! She had already made up her mind not to return to Room Reagan No. 8 Residence! Even if she couldn¡¯t stay in Greyport anymore, she would shift the focus of her career to Mossbourne! Beep, beep, beep! Cora¡¯s phone rang again! Cora¡¯s expression was solemn as he said, ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯d better take it!¡± ¡°Answer the call! Tell him I¡¯ve already gone back!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Cora braced herself and replied. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce¡¯s extremely cold voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering your phone?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t hear it just now. I¡¯m really sorry!¡± ¡°What about Joanna?¡± ¡°Mm, Miss Haynes, she¡­¡± Cora looked at Joanna in panic! Joanna gestured for her not to say anything! Cora took a deep breath and stuttered, ¡°Miss Haynes, she, she went to the washroom!¡± ¡°Give her the phone immediately. I need to talk to her about something!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was filled with anger! ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett, please wait a moment!¡± Cora looked at Joanna helplessly and gestured for her to answer the call! Joanna pursed her lips and still took the phone! Hello, Bruce. What¡¯s the matter?¡± When he heard Joanna¡¯s voice, Bruce could no longer control his temper! He had been calling her since morning and had already called no less than a hundred times. He hated it the most when others did not answer his calls! Joanna, are you fucking deaf? I called you so many times, why didn¡¯t you answer?¡± Joanna was also filled with anger. ¡°Bruce, did you call to argue with me?¡± Bruce roared into the phone, ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll give you 20 minutes to get back here!¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve already thought it through. I want to move out of Reagan No. 8 Residence! It¡¯s best if we live separately!¡± When Bruce heard this, the anger in his heart surged to the top of his head. ¡°Joanna, I dare you say that again!¡± Joanna replied angrily, ¡°I said, I don¡¯t want to be with you. Let¡¯s separate for the time being!¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds. He tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart and tried his best to soften his tone. ¡°What happenedst night was my fault! ¡°I went back on my word. I shouldn¡¯t have forced you! I¡¯ll apologize to you. Will that do?¡± This was the first time he had backed down and admitted his mistake! However, Joanna did not ept his apology at all. ¡°Bruce, this is not about the apology! It¡¯s just that there¡¯s no way for us to continue living together! ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down for a while!¡± ¡°Are you breaking up with me?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever gotten back together. How can we break up?¡± ¡°Heh, Joanna, are you serious?¡± Bruce frowned slightly, feeling extremely ufortable. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious!¡± Joanna replied coldly. Bruce¡¯s angerpletely dissipated. Her tone softened. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Take back what you just said. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you¡¯ve just said!¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds before saying solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re really notpatible! ¡°If we continue to be together, we¡¯ll just be torturing each other! It¡¯s better to suffer short¨Cterm pain than long¨Cterm pain. Let¡¯s be friends again!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was stunned for a long time! This feeling of defeat made him furious from embarrassment! At the same time, it made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave! He had never been rejected like this before! ¡°Joanna, the ne tickets have been booked. We¡¯ll go to Gaprington tomorrow! Can we talk about this after we¡¯ve treated Lilia?¡± Joanna fell silent! Indeed, there was nothing more important than treating her daughter¡¯s illness! Bruce calmed down and said gently, ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll pick you up immediately!¡± No need, I¡¯m not going back tonight!¡± ¡°See you at the airport first thing in the morning!¡± Bruce pleaded, ¡°No, I want to see you now!¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re making me feel suffocated. Can you give me some space?¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t test me! I¡¯m at the factory now. I¡¯ll give you 20 minutes. Come back immediately! ¡°If I don¡¯t see you in 20 minutes, I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt even more agitated and uneasy. ¡°Bruce, can you not be like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you for 20 minutes. See for yourself!¡± Bruce said and hung up! 1:8 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 ¡°Hello, hello¡­ Joanna called a few times. Bruce had already hung up! This lunatic!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t you go back quickly! Seeing how urgent Mr. Everett is looking for you, it might really be an urgent matter!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and was furious. ¡°What kind of urgent matter does he have? That¡¯s just his personality!¡± After Bruce hung up, he smoked one cigarette after another! His cold and distinct face looked as if it was covered in frost. It made people shiver just by looking at him! Andy, Kody, and the others were even more afraid. They did not even dare to breathe loudly! They knew that when Bruce was angry, he could explode at any time. 10 minutes had passed! Bruce subconsciously nced at his watch and his heart ached! He felt that he could no longer subdue this damn woman! His orders and dignity had already lost their power to her. Another ten minutes passed, but Joanna still hadn¡¯t returned. Bruce had already smoked half a box of cigarettes. His heart was burning! He had already given the order just now and was only waiting for her for 20 minutes. Now, it was time! ¡°Heh, damn woman, you¡¯re really brave!¡± Bruce threw the cigarette end on the ground! ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Greyport!¡± ¡°/yes. Mr. Everett!¡± Andy hurriedly opened the door for Bruce. Bruce was about to get into the car with a gloomy expression! Suddenly, amercial car drove towards the factory entrance! From the looks of it, Joanna had returned! ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes is back. I think it¡¯s Miss Haynes¡¯s car!¡± Bruce looked up at the time. 25 minutes had passed! This damn woman was five minuteste. ¡°It¡¯s really Miss Haynes, Miss Haynes has already gotten off!¡± Kody confirmed! Bruce sat in the car and finally heaved a sigh of relief. Although she was five minuteste, he had still returned. Joanna had already walked to the car angrily. She knocked on the window and said angrily, ¡°Bruce, why are you looking for me so urgently?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce rolled down the window with a straight face! ¡°You¡¯rete!¡± Joanna choked in anger. ¡°There¡¯s a traffic jam on the road. The driver was already going as fast as he could! I can¡¯t fly back!¡± When this damn bastard threw a tantrum, she couldn¡¯t stand it! Therefore, she could only rush back. Bruce looked up and ordered, ¡°Get in!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my work yet¡­¡± ¡°I said get in the car!¡± Joanna frowned and got into the car resentfully! ¡°Kody, you get off as well!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± the driver replied and quickly got out of the car! Joanna looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Bruce hid his emotions, but he could not help but wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly! He was so worried that she really wouldn¡¯te back just now. He was even more worried that she really didn¡¯t care about his feelings! Joanna was stunned. She tried her best to push him away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bruce held her tightly in his arms and said angrily and hatefully. ¡°You damn woman, do you have to piss me off like that? ¡°I called you so many times. Why didn¡¯t you answer? Do you know how worried I was?!¡± Joanna punched his shoulder a few times. ¡°Let go of me. Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Last night, he had tormented her so fiercely! She was still filled with anger and would definitely not forgive him easily! Bruce tightened his arms and hugged her even tighter! She belonged to him. She could forget about leaving him for the rest of her life! ¡°Mm, what are you doing?¡± Bruce leaned forward and kissed her lips fiercely! Joanna struggled violently. Unfortunately, the more she struggled, the more fiercely Bruce kissed her! Joanna knew his temper very well and did not dare to struggle anymore! Around five minutester! Seeing that she was no longer struggling, Bruce finally let go of her! ¡°Are we still breaking up?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you¡­ Ah¡­¡± Joanna wanted to scold him! Unfortunately, his kissnded again, suffocating her! ¡°Mmm¡­. Let go of me. Can¡¯t we just talk this out¡­¡± Joanna whimpered! Bruce held his breath, but his arms still trapped her in his arms! ¡°Tell me, do you still want to break up?¡± Joanna¡¯s brain was deprived of oxygen from his kiss. Her entire body went limp, and tears of grievance and anger could not help but fall! ¡°You bastard, I hate you!¡± Seeing that she was crying. Bruce¡¯s tone softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry forst night. I won¡¯t do it again! As long as you don¡¯t agree, 1 definitely won¡¯t touch you!¡± Then let go now!¡± ¡°If you forgive me, I¡¯ll let go!¡± ¡°No way, you bastard. You went back on your word!¡± Joanna was so angry that she kept on crying! Bruce stopped talking and hugged her even tighter. He wished he could fuse her into him. Joanna, I love you! Let¡¯s forget about the past! Let¡¯s start over! ¡°Give me a chance, and also give yourself a chance! I know I have a bad temper and haven¡¯t done many things well enough! ¡°I¡¯m neither a good husband nor a good man! But I¡¯m willing to change for you, and I¡¯m willing to learn how to be a good husband and a good father!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was low and attractive, making one¡¯s body go weak! SEND GIFT Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Joanna looked at him in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief! It was really not easy for such an arrogant person like him to say such things! However, she would not be easily deceived by the sweet words of this kind of scumbag, who was a repeat offender and had a criminal record! After all, sweet nothings were the cheapest method to flirt with girls! Joanna was no longer a teenage girl and was long past the age where she would be fooled by such methods. ¡°Say something. Why are you looking at me suspiciously like that? Do you think I can¡¯t do it? Or do you think I¡¯m a scumbag who can¡¯t change for the rest of my life?¡± Bruce, who was self¨Caware, asked. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know!¡± Joanna replied angrily, but her expression clearly softened! ¡°I. Bruce, always keep my word! Give me a year. If I really can¡¯t do it, we¡¯ll break up then. I won¡¯t pester you anymore!¡± Joanna didn¡¯t reply! If Bruce could truly change, if he could truly do as he said, then of course Joanna was willing to love him! After all, this was the man she had loved for more than ten years, the man who had left a mark on her heart! It was just that it hurt too much to love him, so she did not dare to love him anymore! ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll take it that you agree!¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he smiled teasingly. Joanna¡¯s beautiful face was very tense. She said angrily, ¡°Then can you let go of me now?¡± Bruce leaned his face in front of hers again. ¡°Kiss me and I¡¯ll let go of you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mad!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll punish you every time you scold me in the future! I¡¯ll reward you every time you kiss me!¡± When Joanna heard this, she instantly exploded again. ¡°Bruce, can you not be so childish?¡± ¡°You just said that you¡¯re willing to change for me! Why are you still so domineering and demanding?¡± Bruce was stunned! It couldn¡¯t be helped. He was used to giving orders and couldn¡¯t change his ways in such a short period of time! ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I take back what I said just now! Could you kiss me still?¡± Joanna pushed his face away. ¡°No, don¡¯t be so annoying! You¡¯re being way too mushy. I have goosebumps all over!¡± ¡°No, if you don¡¯t kiss me, I¡¯ll kiss you!¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Joanna had no choice but to bite the bullet and kiss Bruce on the cheek! Bruce was really difficult to deal with! If she angered him, he might use force on her again! Joanna was not willing to endure his ¡°storm¡± again. Bruce smiled in satisfaction and released her! ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Joanna tidied up her messy hair. ¡°I still have something on today. I can¡¯t go back with you!¡± ¡°We¡¯re flying to Gaprington tomorrow. We have to go back and prepare our luggage. What¡¯s more important than catching. the ne tomorrow?¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned deeply. ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s a problem with the factory now! I want to stay and deal with it!¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s so troublesome, you might as well not do it! Come home and take care of your family in peace. How much money can you earn here? I can just give it to you directly!¡± When Joanna heard this, she choked in anger. ¡°Bruce, can you not interfere with my career?¡± ¡°What¡¯s yours is yours, and what¡¯s mine is mine! Even without you, I can live well and earn enough money!¡± ¡°Ah, okay, okay, okay. You¡¯re a strong woman. I won¡¯t interfere with you, okay?! I know you¡¯re the best, and you don¡¯t care. about my silly money!¡± After saying that, Bruce could not help but sneer internally! He truly did not understand. How much time was Joanna going to waste? Such a small and lousy factory could not make much money in a year! Wasn¡¯t it better to guard him, a God of Fortune, instead of insisting on asking for trouble? Joanna was toozy to argue with him. She opened the car door and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting out! You can go back first!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Since there¡¯s a problem with your factory, why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯ll help you solve it!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already said not to interfere with my career!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll wait for you here!¡± ¡°Suit yourself!¡± Joanna said, exited the car, and walked towards the factory. Bruce also got out of the car and followed behind her like ackey! Seeing this, Andy and Kody could not help but wipe their cold sweat. ¡°Did Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes reconcile again?¡± ¡°That goes without saying. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett to bootlick like this!¡± Mark could not help but say teasingly! Bruce and Joanna were in the car. Although Andy and Kody couldn¡¯t hear what Bruce and Joanna were saying, they could tell from Bruce and Joanna¡¯s bodynguage that Joanna had the upper hand. ¡°Hehe, I thought Mr. Everett would fly into a rage! I didn¡¯t expect it to pass over so quickly!¡± Andy said with lingering fear. ¡°Sigh, only Miss Haynes dares to throw a tantrum at Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°This is really strange. Has Mr. Everett changed? He¡¯s so dedicated and gentle to Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Looks like Miss Roxanne haspletely be a thing of the past! I heard Miss Roxanne was mentally agitated and has already been sent to a mental sanatorium for treatment!¡± When Mark heard this, he could not help but sigh again. ¡°Miss Haynes is the tougher of them. Miss Roxanne is no match for her!¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 SEND GIFT COMMENT At a mental sanatorium! Roxanne was mentally agitated and had been sent to a hospital specialized in treating mental and psychological illnesses! ¡°Bruce, these are the twins I gave birth to for you. Look at how much they look just like you!¡± ¡°Bruce, you haven¡¯t named them yet!¡± Roxanne hugged two pillows and smiled happily! Shaun watched from the side and felt an indescribable heartache! His beloved daughter, his little princess that he was so proud of, had now be a raving mad lunatic! He could not ept such a let¨Cdown! ¡°Roxy¡­ Dad is so sorry!¡± Shaun could not help but wipe his tears with his sleeve! Roxanne¡¯s eyes were unfocused. She hugged the pillows and looked at them for a long time. ¡°No, these are not our children! I think I had a miscarriage! Oh my God, where¡¯s Mom? ¡°Mom, Bruce wants to break up with me. He doesn¡¯t want me anymore! Mom, quickly help me think of a solution! I can¡¯t live without Bruce. I still want to be Mrs. Everett!¡± Roxanne¡¯s emotions were out of control again. She was running around the room! Shaun quickly went forward tofort her. His heart ached as he said, ¡°Roxy, let¡¯s not think about this anymore! Let¡¯s treat your illness properly¡­ Roxanne suddenly shuddered and shrank into the corner of the wall as if she were frightened. ¡°Who are you? Go away and don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m your father. Don¡¯t you even recognize your father?¡± ¡°Daddy, Daddy¡­ I¡¯m begging you, please let me out! I don¡¯t want to live here. I want to find Bruce! ¡°Daddy, please save me! I can¡¯t be aughingstock in the eyes of everybody else. I want to be Mrs. Everett! I can¡¯t let that bitch Joanna have Bruce. I can¡¯t let her bully me. Boohoo¡­¡± Roxanne cried as she spoke. Even though she was delirious, she still hated Joanna to the core! ¡°Roxy, you¡¯re making me so sad!¡± Shaun couldn¡¯t help but cry! When one reached middle age, they should have a stable and happy life! But now, Shaun¡¯s life had practically fallen into Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. hell! Roxanne sprung forward again and knelt on the ground. ¡°Dad, go plead with Bruce and ask him not to abandon me! I truly know that I was in the wrong. I won¡¯t dare to do it again! ¡°I really, really love Bruce. I really love him! I got together with Gavin because I was young and ignorant. I wanted to have a bit of fun! Boohoo, the person I truly love is Bruce¡­¡± As Roxanne spoke, she could not help but cry! These consecutive setbacks had made her mentally unstable! The door was pushed open and two nurses walked in. ¡°Mr. Haynes, your visitation time is up! ¡°It¡¯s time for the patient to take her medicine. If you stay for too long, it will only agitate the patient¡¯s emotions!¡± When Shaun heard this, he wiped away his tears. ¡°Roxy, cooperate with the treatment! I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll visit you in a couple of days!¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t leave me behind! I want to go home with you. I don¡¯t want to stay here!¡± Seeing that Shaun was about to leave, Roxanne leaped forward like a madman and cried out in a heart¨C wrenching way! Shaun steeled his heart and turned to leave! As soon as he walked out of the ward, more heart¨Cwrenching cries came from behind him! He knew that it was the nurse feeding Roxanne her medicine! A perfectly fine family had now be like this! Shaun¡¯s hatred for Joanna had reached an irreconcble level! In the parking lot¡­ Shaun frowned and squatted down with his hand over his heart. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Seeing this, the driver thought to hurry forward to check on Shaun. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t breathe!¡± ¡°Sir, it looks like you¡¯re having a rpse!¡± The driver quickly took out a pill of heart medicine from his bag. Shaun took the medicine and took a while to recover. The driver said worriedly, ¡°Should I send you to the hospital for a checkup?¡± Shaun shook his head sadly. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go home!¡± At the Haynes¡¯s house¡­ The driver helped Shaun into the house. Seeing this, Derick quickly came over. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! My heart was acting up again!¡± When Derick heard this, he quickly gripped his father. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not feeling well either! Don¡¯t go to the hospital for the next few days. We can talk about it after you recover!¡± Ryan happened to be at home too. ¡°That¡¯s right! Dad, you can¡¯t copse!¡± Shaun nced at his second son and said worriedly, ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t worry so much! Study hard and don¡¯t let this affect your studies! ¡°You should be graduating from university this year. Don¡¯t let this affect your graduation!¡± A wave of gloominess came over Ryan¡¯s face. ¡°I understand!¡± After Shaun finished his instructions to Ryan, he turned to look at his eldest son. ¡°Rick, how¡¯s the matter regarding thepany and this month¡¯s rent collection?¡± Although Shaun was kicked out of the Haynes Group, he still had a few smallpanies under his control! Derick was now managing those smallpanies! ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all good!¡± ¡°What about the rent?¡± Rent¡­ Derick scratched his head without realizing it. In the past, Ingrid was in charge of collecting rent! Now that Ingrid was not around, the responsibility of collecting rent naturally fell on Derick! However, he had already spent the money! Derick had a B¨Clist celebrity as his sugar baby, and almost all of his money was spent on that celebrity! However, how could he afford that? Thus, he secretly sold a house and a shop in the city center! He had given all the money to that celebrity! He did not dare to tell Shaun about this! ¡°Where¡¯s the money?¡± Derick smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Thepany¡¯s ounts have been tight recently. I¡¯ll use it for now!¡± When Shaun heard this, he did not question Derick any further He was only worried about Roxanne¡¯s illness and did not have much energy to ask about anything else! The next day¡­ At the airport¡­. In the VIP lounge¡­ Bruce and Joanna were preparing to fly to Gaprington with Lilia! ¡°Kody, help us with our check¨Cins!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Joanna prayed sincerely, ¡°I hope this doctor can cure Lilia!¡± ¡°You have to be confident. Lilia¡¯s illness will definitely be cured!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to the washroom!¡± ¡°Go!¡± Joanna took her bag and walked towards the washroom! Just as she reached the washroom, her phone rang! Joanna took out her phone. It was Orvin! Orvin was Jaydon¡¯s personal assistant and the person Jaydon trusted the most! ¡°Orvin!¡± On the other end of the line, Orvin¡¯s anxious voice said, ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm was in a car ident!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm was in a car ident. His injuries are very serious. The doctor said that they might not be able to save him!¡± BOOM! When Joanna heard that, she felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Her mind went nk! ¡°Before Mr. Grimm fainted, he kept shouting your name! I hope you cane to the hospital to visit him!¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at Marhall Hospital in Venturas!¡± Joanna came back to her senses. ¡°Send me the hospital¡¯s address. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Joanna¡¯s entire body was cold and she was a little out of her wits! Jaydon was in a car ident! No matter what, she had to go over and see him! Joanna looked at the boarding pass in her hand. She was burning with anxiety! SEND GIFT Chapter 278 Chapter 278 On one hand, there was the urgency of going to Gaprington to get treatment for their daughter. On the other hand, Jaydon¡¯s life hung by a thread after a car ident. Joanna pondered for a moment and made the decision to visit Jaydon in Venturas first. He had been a tremendous help to her in the past, and without him, she doubted she and the children would have made it this far. While Lilia¡¯s condition was pressing, it wasn¡¯t a matter of life and death.. Furthermore, having Bruce by her side providedfort and support. Joanna couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate. After leaving the restroom, she swiftly exited the airport. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the pier!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna hailed a taxi and headed straight to the pier to catch a boat to Venturas. Inside the waiting hall, Bruce and Lilia remained seated, anxiously awaiting Joanna¡¯s return. They scanned the area, growing increasingly concerned as time passed. But Joanna didn¡¯t appear. Bruce instinctively nced outside and said, ¡°Lilian, could you please check the restroom and see why Joanna hasn¡¯te back yet?¡± The caregiver. Lilian, respectfully replied, ¡°Of course, Mr. Everett!¡± Setting down her luggage, Lilian made her way toward the restroom. Lilia sat in her stroller, her tender face beaming with excitement. ¡°Daddy, once I¡¯m done seeing the doctor, will I be able to walk again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bruce fondly ruffled his daughter¡¯s hair, his voice filled with affection. ¡°Absolutely, sweetheart. Daddy promised you to find the best doctor to cure your leg!¡± ¡°When my leg is healed. I will be able to run and have fun with my brothers, hooray!¡± Lilia¡¯s face beamed like a sunflower at the thought. ¡°Oh, I really hope my illness gets better soon!¡± ¡°It definitely will! Daddy¡¯s little princess will grow up healthy and happy. ¡°Daddy, why isn¡¯t Mommy back yet?¡± Upon hearing Lilia¡¯s question, a slight crease formed on Bruce¡¯s brow. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s been over 20 minutes now!¡± While they were talking about Joanna, Lilian returned from the restroom. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Haynes isn¡¯t in the restroom. I checked every stall, but she wasn¡¯t there.¡± BOOM! Bruce¡¯s mind was struck by an ominous premonition. ¡°Did something happen to her?¡± she thought. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce quickly reached for his phone and dialed Joanna¡¯s number. As Joanna neared the pier, she heard her phone ring, causing her heart to sink even further. Without even looking at the caller ID, she knew it was Bruce calling. That was precisely why she didn¡¯t dare to answer! If Bruce discovered that she had gone to visit Jaydon, he would undoubtedly be furious. Beep, beep, beep! The incessant ringing intensified Bruce¡¯s concern. Desperate for answers, he was on the verge of madness, thinkinig about instructing the bodyguards to search every nook and cranny in the vicinity. He remembered Joanna had endured a harrowing kidnapping attack in the past that nearly imed her life! Bruce grew increasingly restless, relentlessly ming himself for allowing her to go to the restroom alone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter. Mr. Everett?¡± Beep, beep, beep! Bruce frantically dialed Joanna¡¯s phone number! Joanna¡¯s heart raced, but she mustered the courage to answer, ¡°Hello¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s voice on the other end carried an urgent and worried tone, ¡°Joanna, where are you? We¡¯re about to board the ne. Why haven¡¯t you returned yet?¡± ¡°I¡­ Joanna hesitated, struggling to find the right words. Anxiety surged within Bruce, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me where you are. I¡¯lle find you!¡± After a brief silence, Joanna plucked up her courage and confessed, ¡°Bruce, I have a pressing matter that needs to be done. right away. ¡°You and Lilia go to Gaprington. I¡¯ll join you tomorrow!¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce furrowed his brow, his concern evident. *Joanna, where exactly are you now? What has happened? What¡¯s it that¡¯s even more important than our daughter¡± Joanna took a deep breath, striving to convey her message with rity, despite her restlessness, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s urgent!¡± ¡°Go ahead with Lilia to Gaprington! I¡¯lle find you tomorrow!¡± Hearing this Bruce knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Where are you now? What happened? ¡°Tell me now. Don¡¯t keep me in the dark!¡± Joanna collected her thoughts and said worriedly, ¡°I¡¯m nning to go to Venturas now!¡± ¡°What are you doing there?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened! Joanna¡¯s resolve solidified, and she truthfully divulged, ¡°Jay has been in a car ident. He¡¯s currently in the hospital, fighting for his life. I need to visit him¡­¡± What?¡± Bruce gasped,pletely taken aback. He never anticipated Joanna would forsake him and their daughter to be by Jaydon¡¯s side! ¡°Go ahead with Lilia to Gaprington! I¡¯lle find you tomorrow!¡± Bruce was unable to contain a bitterugh. ¡°Joanna. I¡¯ll give you one final chance. Return to me immediately! ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s gonna be the end of our rtionship! There¡¯s no need for you toe back!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank upon hearing Bruce¡¯s words. She pleaded, ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t be like this! Lives are hanging in the bnce. Jay is in critical condition, fighting for his life. He¡¯s my closest friend, and I cannot simply abandon him¡­¡± ¡°How can you leave our daughter behind?¡± Bruce¡¯s voice turned piercingly sharp. ¡°Bruce. Lilia can wait for a day or two without any repercussions. But Jay¡¯s circumstances are entirely different. He¡¯s been in a severe car ident and is currently undergoing critical care!¡± Bruce clenched his jaw tightly, his teeth grinding. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your tongue. Come back to me immediately!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must visit Jay!¡± ¡°Joanna, do you truly value Jaydon over me and our children? ¡°Or is your connection with Jaydon more important than our bond as a family?¡± Bruce¡¯s jealousy consumed him, pushing him dangerously close to the brink of madness! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t exin everything to you right now! If you insist on thinking that way, I understand! ¡°I can only tell you¡­¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment, and resumed, ¡°I can only tell you that Jay and I are truly just friends! Our rtionship isn¡¯t soplicated as you¡¯re imagining!¡± With those words, Joanna abruptly ended the call. She knew that further exnations would likely be futile. ¡°Hello? Hello!¡± Bruce roared in frustration. But Joanna had already hung up. Bang! The sound of a loud crash filled the air as Bruce angrily threw the phone to the ground, shattering it into pieces! Lilia made a start, her little face turning pale in an instant. The assistant and bodyguards apanying them exchanged uneasy nces, afraid to make a sound, their breaths held. Mr. Everett, who had beenposed just moments before, was now devoured by intense anger. ¡°Joanna, I will never forgive you for this! I don¡¯t need you that much!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes zed with fury, his entire demeanor exuding a threatening aura. Andy stuttered, ¡°Mr. Everett, the ne is about to depart. If we don¡¯t board now, we won¡¯t make it!¡± Bruce took a few deep breaths, forcefully adjusted his tic, andmanded, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get on the ne!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Andy replied hastily. Lilia looked at Bruce with fear in her eyes and asked, ¡°Daddy, aren¡¯t we waiting for Mommy? She hasn¡¯te back yet!¡± Mommy went to be with someone else, and we don¡¯t need her anymore!¡± Lilia¡¯s face turned even paler upon hearing this. ¡°Daddy, can¡¯t we wait for Mommy, please?¡± ¡°From now on, we won¡¯t mention her again. Remember, it¡¯s just you and me, Lilia! Daddy will find you a new mother.¡± Lilia couldn¡¯t hold back her tears, sobbing, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want, I don¡¯t want a new mommy¡­¡± ¡°No more crying!¡± Bruce, feeling overwhelmed, raised his voice at his daughter for the first time. Lilia bit her trembling lip, torn between wanting to cry and being afraid to. Her small shoulders shook as she sobbed uncontrobly. Bruce, seeing his daughter¡¯s distress, felt as if someone had pricked the most vulnerable part of his heart. ¡°My sweet girl, don¡¯t be scared, don¡¯t cry. Daddy isn¡¯t angry with you!¡± Bruce quickly pulled Lilia into a comforting embrace, doing his best to soothe her. ¡°Lilia isn¡¯t upset, and Daddy, please don¡¯t be upset either, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Daddy will take you to see a doctor in Gaprington¡­¡± An hourter, Joanna rushed to Venturas. She was heading for Marhall Hospital. Joanna hailed a taxi and reached the hospital. As soon as she stepped out of the cab, she dialed Orvin¡¯s number. ¡°Hey, Orvin, is Jay out of the operating room?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm is still in surgery. He hasn¡¯te out yet! I¡¯m on the third floor, outside the operating room. Hurry over!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t waste a moment and hurriedly made her way to the third floor. Ten minutester, Joanna finally caught sight of Orvin. Outside the operating room, a group of anxious individuals had gathered. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Orvin, what happened to Jay?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm hasn¡¯t been in a bad moodtely. He got into a collision with a truck while on his way to Greyport this morning. ¡°Oh my, howe?¡± Joanna was overwhelmed by worry and unease, and anxiety built up inside her. ¡°Jay, you have to hold on! You must fight through this.¡± At that moment, all they could do was wait. Joanna joined her hands in prayer, seeking sce in her faith. SEND GIFT COMMENT Chapter 279 Chapter 279 As Joanna continued to pray fervently, an elderly man in his sixties entered the room. He had a distinguished presence andmanded respect as he walked in. The people waiting outside the operating room greeted him with deference, ¡°Mr. Grimm!¡± Joanna, upon hearing their greetings, instinctively looked up. It was Jaydon¡¯s father, Tim Grimm, a renowned figure in the gambling industry in Venturas. ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± Although Joanna and Tim had never met before, they seemed to know each other very well. After all, their names had frequently graced the headlines, making them well-acquainted, if only indirectly. ¡°So, you¡¯re Joanna Haynes?¡± Tim assessed Joanna, his tone devoid of any detectable emotion or hint of anger. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Joanna replied, her heart skip ping a beat unconsciously. Orvin promptly stepped forward to introduce, ¡°This is Mr. Jaydon Grimm¡¯s father, Mr. Tim!¡± ¡°Mr. Tim, this is Ms. Haynes, the chairman of the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Tim.¡± Tim adjusted his sses, his demeanor calm andposed. Though he showed little emotion, his every move exuded a sense of regality, much like a lion reigning over the grasnds. He naturallymanded respect with his intimidating aura. ¡°Mr. Grimm, please have a seat. Mr. Jaydon is still in the emergency room.¡± Tim took a seat with a cool and collected expression, his focus solely on his son¡¯s well-being. Nothing was more important than his son¡¯s life now! An hour passed, the lights in the operating room dimmed. And the doctor emerged. Orvin, Joanna, and the others eagerly approached, seeking an update. ¡°How is Mr. Grimm?¡± The doctor spoke with gravity, ¡°The patient has suffered multiple fractures and significant blood loss. He needs to be closely monitored in the intensive care unit for at least a day.¡± ¡°Is his life in immediate danger?¡± ¡°The surgery was sessful, and as long as he wakes up within a week, there should be no life- threateningplications.¡± ¡°No matter what, you must do everything in your power to save my son.¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, please rest assured that we will spare no effort.¡± Tim furrowed his brows slightly, a touch of sorrow in his expression as he took a deep breath. ¡°I need to go in and see my son!¡± ¡°Sure! Please follow me, Mr. Grimm.¡± the doctor promptly led Tim to change into a surgical gown. Jaydon¡¯s brother, Cas sius Grimm, and younger sister, Grace Grimm, joined Tim as they entered the intensive care unit to visit Jaydon. Joanna, being unable to enter, remained outside the unit, peering through the ss partition. Jaydony on the hospital bed, his body covered in splints, the bandages resembling a mummy¡¯s wrapping. The harrowing scene of the ident yed out in Joanna¡¯s mind, intensifying her concern and distress. ¡°Jay, you have to hold on,¡± Joanna whispered, her eyes welling up with tears, unable to contain her emotions. 1/4 12258 Twenty minutester, Tim and the others emerged from the ICU after visiting Jaydon. Joanna was still waiting outside, her expression grave and concerned. ¡°What is your rtionship with Jay?¡± Tim suddenly halted in his tracks. Joanna hesitated, ¡°Uh¡­ just friends.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Tim expressed disbelief. The rumors about Joanna and Jaydon had been rampant, and it was hard to imagine that Tim hadn¡¯t heard anything. However, since Jaydon had always harbored hatred towards his father and preferred to keep his distance, Tim didn¡¯t want to exert too much control over his son. ¡°Yes, sir, what I said is the truth! Please don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Joanna instinctively tried to exin. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no misunderstanding! Before Jaydon lost consciousness, he kept calling your name. I believe you must be important to him.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, unable to respond. Tim took a deep breath and continued calmly, ¡°I know about your past and your notorious reputation.¡± Joanna¡¯splexion turned even paler upon hearing his words. Seeing Joanna¡¯s vexed and apprehensive expression, Tim added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Haynes, I¡¯m not a ret arded old man, and I won¡¯t ask you to leave my son. ¡°But if you want to be married into our family and be a Grimm, you must stay true to Jay.¡± Joanna¡¯s head felt like it was about to explode from the pressure. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid there must be some understanding between us. I and Jay, we are just friends.¡± Tim looked at Joanna with a wry smile, chuckling. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you don¡¯t have to exin, nor do you need to exin! I won¡¯t interfere, as I said! ¡°I just want you to know one thing. If you date my son, I won¡¯t object! ¡°But you can¡¯t be wishy-washy and indecisive,¡± Joanna¡¯s head wentpletely nk. The ambiguous rumors between her and Jaydon had already spread far and wide. Even if they really had no romantic involvement, in the eyes of outsiders, they were already seen as a couple. But the truth was, Joanna and Jaydon were truly just friends, and they had never been involved romantically or physically. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Please stay with Jaydon.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, I see.¡± Tim finished speaking and left without looking back. In the parking lot, Grace wore an annoyed and disdainful expression. ¡°Dad, is this woman really Jaydon¡¯s girlfriend? ¡°I heard she was previously married and had three children! This second-hand woman isn¡¯t worthy of Jaydon.¡± Tim tightened his lips slightly. ¡°As long as Jaydon likes her, nothing else matters.¡± ¡°But this woman¡¯s ex-husband is Bruce! I heard she¡¯s still entangled with him! And not long ago, she and her sister were fighting over a man, causing quite a stir! ¡°And now, all of a sudden, she¡¯s with Jaydon again! Such an improper woman is simply not suitable for Jaydon.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Tim smiled meaningfully, choosing not to say more. Actually, he wasn¡¯t a conservative and narrow-minded tycoon himself. He had lived a libertine life, siring no fewer than eight children with various women. So, when it came to rtionships, he took a more liberated view. As long as this was what his son wanted, he would support his 214 12-2 pursuit. After all, he believed that a man could never be faithful to just one woman. And whether Joanna had children or not was ultimately irrelevant. Joanna had kept a vigil for a full day and night. It was noon on the second day when Jaydon stirred from his deep slumber. He woke up in a daze! Jaydon weakly coughed, his body riddled with multiple fractures, rendering him immobile and wrapped up like a cocoon. He couldn¡¯t move at all. Joanna, ever watchful, immediately noticed his awakening and eximed, ¡°Jay, you¡¯re awake!¡± Jaydon blinked his eyes in disbelief as he gazed at Joanna. ¡°Is it really you, Joann¡­?¡± Joanna felt her eyes well up with tears, her voice choked with emotion. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Jay! You¡¯re finally awake. How are you feeling?¡± Jaydon took a shuddering breath, his voice as feeble as a thread. ¡°Joann¡­ seeing you here, everything feels right again.¡± ¡°Jay, don¡¯t worry yourself,¡± Joanna reassured him tenderly. ¡°Sure¡­¡± Jaydon mustered a slight movement of his fingers, attempting to raise his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move, Jay! Your arm is secured in a cast,¡± Joanna cautioned, concern etched on her face. Time flew by, and Joanna had spent three days by Jaydon¡¯s side in the hospital. During this time, she managed to find moments to call Bruce, who had taken Lilia to Gaprington. Her worries for them only grew stronger. Regrettably, her attempts to reach Bruce went unanswered, for he was a man too proud and self- assured to tolerate even a hint of perceived betrayal from Joanna. Even if there truly was nothing between her and Jaydon, he would never believe it. On the fourth day, Jaydon had safely passed the critical phase and regained a significant portion of his consciousness. With a plethora of caregivers and ser vants attending to him, Joanna¡¯s presence no longer seemed as necessary. ¡°Jay, take good care of yourself. I have to return to Greyport this afternoon,¡± Joanna gently informed him. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Joann, I don¡¯t want you to go¡­¡± Jaydon reluctantly held onto her hand, his eyes filled with profound affection and tenderness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯lle back to see you in a couple of days. Thepany needs someone to oversee matters, and I must make sure everything is in order,¡± Joanna reassured him. ¡°Joann, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get to see you again once you leave,¡± Jaydon grasped Joanna¡¯s hand tightly, desperately yearning for her presence. ¡°You¡¯re my closest friend, Jay. I promise to visit you often,¡± Joanna replied, her voice filled with sincerity. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m worried that Bruce might cause harm to you.¡± Jaydon expressed his deep concern, his gaze fixed on Joanna, Given his current condition, he was unable to protect her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Jay. Take care of yourself.¡± Joanna soothed, offering Jaydon aforting reassurance before finally bidding farewell to the hospital. Beep, beep, beep! As soon as Joanna left the hospital premises, she wasted no time in dialing Bruce¡¯s number, hoping to reach him. Several days had passed without any contact, and she wondered if he had indeed departed for Gaprington with Lilia. 3/4 12:25 Chapter279 It was in Reagan No. 8 Residence! Joanna returned to her abode a little after five in the afternoon. At the entrance of the luxurious vi, a security guard promptly intercepted her. ¡°Ms. Haynes, this is a private estate. Unauthorized entry is not permitted.¡± Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Joanna was startled, realizing that Bruce had issued instructions to restrict her ess to the premises. Thankfully, she had not transported a significant amount of her belongings to the vi, and she had yet to terminate her previous lease agreement. ¡°Has Bruce returned?¡± Joanna inquired, hoping to glean some information from the guard. Shaking his head, the guard responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I would like to get in to gather my belongings. That should be permissible, correct?¡± Outside the imposing entrance, a stern-faced security guard denied her entry. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please wait until Mr. Everett returns and grants you the permission, and then you may pack your belongings. ¡°We are unable to grant you ess at the moment, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Hmm, fine then!¡± Joanna gave a sneer and turned away. Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t easily fallen for Bruce¡¯s charm and had no illusions about him. Being kicked out of the house didn¡¯t leave her too disheartened. She would simply move out; after all, she no longer wanted to reside there. The phone rang. Joanna dialed Andy¡¯s number. He served as Bruce¡¯s personal assistant and would have information about Bruce¡¯s schedule. Andy answered promptly. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± Joanna lowered her voice. ¡°Andy, is Bruce back now?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Andy hesitated. ¡°Please tell me now. I need to speak with him.¡± Andy dared not to lie to her. ¡°Mr. Everett is scheduled to return tomorrow.¡± ¡°What time?¡± ¡°He¡¯s expected to arrive on a flight at 4 p.m.¡± ¡°Alright, I see!¡± After ending the call, Joanna followed the leafy path, walking for quite some time until she reached a bus stop. This was an upscale residential area, and every household had private drivers, making it difficult to hail a taxi. Unlike in Mossbourne, there weren¡¯t as many ride-sharing apps avable in Greyport. Joanna continued walking for another half a day until she finally reached a taxi. ¡°Take me to Greenwick Residential Complex, please!¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± the driver acknowledged and started the car. Half an hourter! Greenwick Residential Complex! ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve arrived at Greenwick.¡± Joanna paid the fare and stepped out of the taxi. The cellphone beeped. After getting out of the vehicle, Joanna immediately called Miranda. ¡°Hello, Miranda, are you home right now?¡± Miranda¡¯s voice on the other end sounded excited. ¡°Yes, Joann, I¡¯m here!¡± 1/4 12:26 ¡°Could youe downstairs and meet me? I¡¯m at the entrance of theplex!¡± Joanna had left her keys and ess card at Reagan No. 8 Residence. This was also a high-end residential area. Without a key card, one could not enter at all! Of course, no one knew how Bruce got in! ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Soon enough, Miranda hurried downstairs to meet Joanna. Seeing Joanna¡¯s return alone, Miranda¡¯s face registered surprise. ¡°Joann, why are you back today?¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze darkened, and she remained silent. ¡°Are you here to collect your things?¡± Joanna shook her head slightly. ¡°No, I¡¯m back to stay.¡± Miranda¡¯s face expression became sterner as she heard this. ¡°Huh? Are you going back to Reagan No. 8 Residence then?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going!¡± Worry creased Miranda¡¯s face. ¡°Oh? Did you have a falling out with Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna fell into silence once again. Noticing Joanna¡¯s despondent demeanor, Miranda deduced the situation. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. With you and the kids away, we felt so bordd.¡± During Joanna¡¯s absence, the three household servants still received their regr pay. Back at home, Kelly and Tracy were also overjoyed. ¡°Miss Haynes is back?¡± ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡± Joanna put down her bag and casually replied, ¡°Anything is fine. I¡¯ll go freshen up with a shower first.¡± Joanna went to her room, changed her clothes, and then took a rxing hot shower. After being in the hospital for three days, her clothes had be musty and needed a good wash. After the refreshing shower, Joanna changed into her cozy pajamas and decided to make another phone call to Bruce. This was her neenth attempt. Unfortunately, once again, there was no answer on the other end. It seemed that Bruce was truly angry and had his pride hurt! Joanna wasn¡¯t looking for reconciliation either! However, her luggage and car were still at Reagan No. 8 Residence. She wasn¡¯t Bruce, who had countless cars and several drivers. She only had one vehicle and therefore needed to drive it back. At half-past three in the afternoon, Joanna had already arrived at the airport! Since she couldn¡¯t reach Bruce on the phone, it would be even more challenging to meet him! All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She could only wait for him at the airport! The airport, an VIP passage! Bruce disembarked from the ne, holding his daughter, with assistants and bodyguards following closely behind! The treatment n for Lilia¡¯s leg had been finalized during their trip to Gaprington. The ailment could be cured, but her current physical condition was too bad for that, and she had undergone multiple surgeries, which had taken a toll on her body! Now, she needed treatment and would have to wait until she turned five. By then, her bones would be stronger, and corrective surgery could be performed. Afterward, she would undergo rehabilitation therapy! Approximately three sessions would be enough to fully recover! 2/4 12:26) Lilia was now four and a half years old, so in about six months, she would be ready for corrective surgery! Outside the railing, Joanna spotted Bruce walking out and called out to him, waving her hand. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce nced up and saw Joanna on the other side of the barrier! In an instant, however, Bruce¡¯s face darkened, and his handsome and imposing face was filled with frost! He hurried forward, his long legs takingrge strides, with the bodyguards following suit! Seeing this, Joanna anxiously shouted, ¡°Bruce, hold on!¡± Bruce was still sulking and ignored her. Lilia saw Joanna and raised her little hand, calling out, ¡°Mommy, Mommy! ¡°Daddy, Mommy is calling us. Mommy, we¡¯re here!¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned cold as he reprimanded his daughter, ¡°Sweetie, Daddy has told you that you don¡¯t have a mommy, and she¡¯s not your mommy!¡± Lilia pouted her small mouth and with a hint of tearful voice said, ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t be angry! If you do, please be angry with me, don¡¯t be angry with Mommy!¡± Hearing this, Bruce¡¯s heart pained immensely. He felt deeply hurt by her disregard of his feelings. ¡°Bruce, wait a moment!¡± Joanna followed along the railing, chasing after him! Being tall and with long legs, Bruce could easily walk faster than Joanna. Joanna didn¡¯t catch up with him until she reached the parking lot. She was panting for breath, finally approached him as he was about to get into the car. ¡°Bruce, hold on!¡± Joanna gasped for breath and reached out, grabbing the car door! Bruce look at her coldly said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to say between us!¡± ¡°How is Lilia¡¯s condition?¡± Joanna said as she tried to go and hold Lilia. Lilia stretched out her arms, wanting Joanna to hold her. ¡°Mommy!¡± Bruce withdrew slightly with a stern expression. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my daughter!¡± Seeing this, Joanna choked with anger. ¡°Bruce, Lilia is my daughter too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve her! You don¡¯t deserve to be her mother!¡± Joanna sighed inwardly at the sight, refraining from the urge to roll her eyes in frustration. Right now, she didn¡¯t want to get into another argument with Bruce. It was pointless. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not argue, Bruce. I just want to ask you one thing. What exactly do you want?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darted, his gaze turning dark and intense as he fixed it on Joanna. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, if you go see Jaydon, then it¡¯s over between us.¡± After saying that, Bruce heart ached terribly! The past few days had been incredibly trying for Bruce. He had reached the peak of his frustration, barely able to withstand the emotional turmoil. He had humbled himself for Joanna, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t satisfied and was still entangled with Jaydon. What Joanna did had deeply disappointed Bruce; he had never felt so awfully hurt by a woman before. ¡°I¡¯ve already exined to you, Jay had a serious ident. He was dying¡­¡± Joanna attempted to exin. But Bruce¡¯s anger red up even more upon hearing Jaydon¡¯s name. The veins on his temples pulsed with tension. ¡°Don¡¯t mention him in front of me, Joanna. I don¡¯t want to hear any more from you! 3/4 12:26 ¡°If you can¡¯t let go of him, then go be with him!¡± With those words, Bruce clutched their daughter tightly and moved to get into the car. Joanna quickly stepped forward, her outstretched arm blocking the car door, her face disying a mix of annoyance and determination. ¡°Bruce, even if it¡¯s over between us, can¡¯t we at least part ways with dignity?¡± Bruce paused, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he looked at Joanna, searching for answers. Taking a deep breath, Joanna stood her ground and spoke with unwavering resolve. ¡°My car and belongings are still at Reagan No. 8 Residence. I need to gather my things before I leave, right?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, registering her request. ¡°And we need to discuss the issue of child custody,¡± Joanna continued, her voice firm but filled with a hint of vulnerability. Bruce rolled his eyes in response, but Joanna pressed on. ¡°I gave birth to and raised up the three children. You can¡¯t just take them away from me all at once.¡± ¡°Furthermore, the children have been living with me all this time. It would be detrimental to their education and overall well-being if they were abruptly separated from me.¡± Bruce listened in silence. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Although Bruce Everett did not want to forgive Joanna Haynes, he could not deny that what she said was true! A child could not be without a mother¡¯spany or a mother¡¯s love! Especially a mother¡¯s love could not be bought with money! ¡°There¡¯s no possibility that the custody of the children will be given to you! ¡°The children will be living with me in the future! I can promise you to let you visit them once a week!¡± ¡°No, I want custody of the children¡­¡± Bruce sneered coldly, his brows slightly furrowing. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t negotiate with me! You know best what kind of person I am!¡± After saying that, Bruce got in the car directly! Lilia Haynes started crying, ¡°Mommy, Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Lilia!¡± Joanna looked at her daughter and really wanted to hug her¡­ Bruce did not give Joanna a chance to cuddle her daughter at all, and mmed the car door shut directly! ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± Joanna pounded on the car door angrily! ¡°Wait a minute. You have to let me take back my luggage and the car!¡± Bruce rolled down the car window and looked at Joanna coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want any of your belongings. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone pack them up and send them to yourpany.¡± With that, Bruce closed the car window and ordered the driver to leave. Joanna watched as the car drove away. She was filled with anger and frustration, but she knew Bruce was difficult to get along with. However, this was also good. Beingpletely separated from him was not a bad thing! Joanna angrily hailed a taxi and returned home. In the car. Bruce let out a few rough breaths, but his anger still could not be suppressed. Lilia continued to s ob softly. ¡°Mommy, Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Stop crying. She¡¯s not your mommy anymore!¡± ¡°Daddy, please don¡¯t be angry with Mommy, okay? I am begging you. Please forgive her!¡± With tears in her eyes, Lilia pitifully shook her father¡¯s arm. Bruce, upon hearing this, became even more frustrated. He leaned back in his car seat and closed his eyes to rx. Joanna cared so little about his feelings and cared so much about Jaydon Grimm! He really could not ept to forgive her! This time, she had already crossed his bottom line. He would not forgive her so easily. He wanted Joanna to know that he was not a man with no principles! Ring, ring, ding! Bruce was already feeling extremely annoyed, and now the phone was ringing again! Feeling restless, he took out his phone and looked at it. Surprisingly, it was a call from Jennie Garcia. ¡°So annoying!¡± Bruce irritably muttered and threw the phone aside. Ding, ding! Not even a minute after the phone call ended, a Messenger message came through. [Hey, Bruce, what have you been doing these days? Why aren¡¯t you answering your calls?) 1/4 1226 [Are you angry? I¡¯m really sorry about that night. I didn¡¯t mean it! I sincerely apologize to you. Did it cause a misunderstanding between you and Joanna?] [Bruce, reply to me. Are you really angry?] [Should I call Joanna to exin?] Jennie sent several voice messages in a row to Bruce. However, Bruce could not be bothered to listen to them. He did not like women who were too maniptive. Even though Jennie¡¯s tricks were perfect, how could a smart and wise person like him not see through them? The next day. In the conference room at the Everett Group. Bruce walked into the conference room with a cold face. The conference room was already filled with senior executives and directors, all with serious expressions, not daring to be the slightest bit careless. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the meeting!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, we have good news! ¡°Princess Daisy from Novlis will arrive at Greyport next month for an international dialogue. They are currently selecting a hotel for their stay. ¡°The hotel under our Everett Group is also on the list!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°When next month?¡± ¡°On the eighth of next month, Princess Martha will also be present!¡± ¡°We have to do our best to strive for this opportunity for reception and not make any mistakes!¡±/ ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett!¡± For foreign royal members to stay at the hotel was equivalent to creating sensational worldwide publicity for the hotel. It would also raise the status of the hotel greatly. Therefore, all major six-star hotels were eagerly ¡°Mr. Everett, here are the reports from the past few days.¡± ¡°Put them aside for now.¡± ¡°The orders from Escostan have also been faxed over.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The executives from various branches and the vice president reported on their work one by one, and Bruce gave further instructions. After the meeting. It was already 11:30 in the morning. Bruce returned to his office, and Andy had already made coffee. Bruce spoke as he rubbed his throbbing temples. ¡°Andy, go to the Haynes Group. ¡°Go and deliver Joanna¡¯s car and her luggage to her.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Andy was a little surprised when he heard this. He looked at Bruce with confusion. Delivering luggage to Miss Haynes¡¯spany? Wasn¡¯t that clearly announcing a breakup? He could not figure out whether Mr. Everett was serious about it or not. Bruce frowned and said impatiently, ¡°Why are you still here? Just go!¡± 2/4 12:26 ¡°Sure, understood!¡± As Andy was about to leave, he could not help but ask further worriedly, ¡°¡­ Mr. Everett, is there anything else you want me to do?¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°No, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go right away!¡± It was 1:00 in the afternoon. Joanna was in the office dealing with the work at hand. Knock, knock, knock! The sound of knocking on the door echoed. ¡°Come in.¡± Cora pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Miss Haynes, Andy is here!¡± Joanna was surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s here to deliver your luggage and the car.¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna could not speak a word and her face instantly turned pale. Heh. Bruce was indeed ruthless, sending someone to deliver her things to her office. He was clearly telling everyone that he dumped her and kicked her out! ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Joanna spoke and went downstairs to meet Andy personally. ¡°Andy!¡± Seeing Joanna approaching, Andy forced a smile. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes. ¡°Here is your car key and your items are already in the suitcase. I¡¯ve ced it in the trunk for you. ¡°You can check to see if anything is missing.¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hmm, I got it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ then I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Andy, who usually acted prudently, was stumbling and uneasy today. ¡°Sure.¡± After Andy left, the employees started gossiping and whispering again. ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s going on between Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mr. Everett asked Andy to deliver the luggage and car key to Miss Haynes. What does it mean?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they living together already? Are they breaking up now?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, there might be some big newsing up! Let¡¯s get ourselves prepared and enjoy the show!¡± ¡°Stop gossiping. Focus on your work to make more money!¡± At the Office. Joanna had a terrible headache. She had always been worried about the trouble at the factory in Mossbourne. Joanna pondered for a while before deciding to make a call to Michael Lawrence. ¡°Hello, Michael. Any news from Mr. Zaborski?¡± 3/4 12:26) ¡°Not yet. I have not received any response.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt disheartened. It seemed like they were going topletely lose Mr. Zaborski, the important client! Now, she had to expand into new businesses and markets! Her rtionship with Bruce had also fallen apart, and they had signed a betting agreement. It had been nearly a year, but thepany had not made any progress. She needed to step up and make thepany grow rapidly. At Reagan No. 8 Residence. It was dinner time. Three children sat at the dining table while Bruce sat there feeling somewhat lost. Irvin Haynes spoke up, touching the tender spot. ¡°Daddy, why hasn¡¯t Mommye back?¡± Davian Haynes chimed in. ¡°Yeah! We miss Mommy! Where did Mommy go? Why doesn¡¯t shee back to see us?¡± Bruce looked at the two little ones gloomily. ¡°Don¡¯t mention Mommy from now on!¡± Davian and Irvin were stunned hearing their father¡¯s reply. Lilia pouted her little mouth and silently shed tears. Davian and Irvin exchanged nces at each other. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The news of their little sister¡¯s illness being curable was good news. But now that they could not see their mother again, they were upset. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat. After eating, go upstairs and sleep early!¡± After saying that, Bruce ced the tableware on the dining table in a solemn manner. He did not even have the appetite to eat and went upstairs to sleep. ¡°Lilia, did Daddy and Mommy have a fight?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy did something that made Daddy unhappy. When we were in Gaprington, Daddy was not happy every day.¡± ¡°Then do you know what the argument was about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only heard Daddy talking to Mommy on the phone.¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 ¡°What did they talk about on the phone?¡± Lilia looked innocent and said, ¡°It seems like they were discussing that if Mommy wanted to meet Mr. Grimm, Daddy would cut ties with Mommy!¡± Irvin tilted his head, puzzled, and asked, ¡°Why? Mr. Grimm is a nice person. Why does Daddy hate him so much?¡± Davian pulled a long face and lightly patted Irvin¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re silly. Daddy must be jealous of Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course! Daddy wants to be with Mommy, but Mr. Grimm is also pursuing her. ¡°Now, if Mommy goes to see Mr. Grimm, Daddy will definitely be angry!¡± Upon hearing this, Irvin suddenly realized. ¡°So what should we do then? ¡°Should we think of a way to help Daddy and Mommy get back together?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s assess the situation first¡­¡± It was 11:00 in the evening. At Greenwick Residential Complex. Joanna was busy untilte at night, and it was already past 11:00 when she finally returned home. When she got home, she waspletely exhausted. She had been busy at thepany all day and had to figure out how to deal with the issues at the factory in Mossbourne. It was overwhelming for her. ¡°Joann, you are back?¡± Miranda quickly took over Joanna¡¯s bag. ¡°Yeah!¡± Joanna replied wearily. She then took off her clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. After that, she went straight to bed to sleep. ¡°Joann, aren¡¯t you going to eat something?¡± ¡°I already ate at the office. I¡¯m too tired now.¡± Seeing how exhausted she was, Miranda said with concern, ¡°I see. Rest well then.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good night.¡± Miranda turned off the lights in the room and gently closed the door. The next day. News of Bruce and Joanna¡¯s breakup spread like wildfire. The inte was abuzz with discussions and various true or false rumors were flying around. [Rumored to have broken up, Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes living separately!] [Love turned sour. Heading towards its end!] [Miss Haynes, a skilled two-timer, harvesting love from Mr. Everett and Mr. Grimm] [Mr. Grimm got involved in a car ident, apanied by Miss Haynes as an official girlfriend] The people in Greyport were once again eagerly digging for gossip, waiting for even more overwhelming revtions. Joanna was busy dealing withpany matters and naturally did not pay attention to these rumors. Early in the morning, as Joanna reached the underground parking lot on her way to work, several entertainment reporters emerged from all directions when she was about to get into the car. 1/4 12:27 They somehow managed to infiltrate and were lurking downstairs, waiting for Joanna. They swarmed towards her the moment she appeared. ¡°Miss Haynes, is it true that you broke up with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, is your official boyfriend Mr. Grimm or Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Are you two-timing? Did Mr. Everett kick you out of the Everett family?¡± ¡°Go away, I have nothing to say!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, just say a few words!¡± The entertainment reporters rushed to bother her with questions. Feeling annoyed, Joanna got into her car and drove out of the parking lot. Unfortunately, her current address had been exposed. She could not stay there anymore and needed to move as soon as possible. To a more private location. It was 8:10 in the morning. Joanna arrived at the building of the Haynes Group. To her surprise, as soon as the car arrived, another group of entertainment reporters rushed towards her again. Her current situation felt like being surrounded by ambushes on all sides. ¡°Miss Haynes, is it really over between you and Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Have youpletely given up custody of the children?¡± ¡°Is it still possible for you to reconcile with Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna maintained a cold expression and remained silent, striding towards thepany in an imposing manner. She had been really annoyedtely! These media outlets were like flies, constantly waiting outside her house or lurking around the After returning to the office, Joanna calmed her emotions and immediately called Michael. Ring, ring, ring! The call connected very soon. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Hey, Michael.¡± ¡°What can I do for you, Miss Haynes?¡± ¡°I will be going to Mossbourne this afternoon. Prepare all the necessary documents and client information.¡± ¡°Understood, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± After ending the call, Joanna focused her attention on dealing with thepany¡¯s matters. In the afternoon, she had to rush to Mossbourne to deal with matters at the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Fire Department. Therefore, she needed to ensure that the work here was well taken care of in the morning. At 1:00 in the afternoon, Joanna hurried to Mossbourne with Cora. She would probably have to stay in Mossbourne for the next few days. If the matters here were not handled properly, she could not be at ease. In the blink of an eye, five days had passed. Joanna was busy and upied every day. On the sixth day, she finally resolved the issues with the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Fire Department. The factory was operating normally again. However, the client base was not very stable. If the factory wanted to stabilizepletely, it had to explore new markets, 2/4 12:27 All in all, things were still going well. At least everything was back on track, and there was no interference from Bruce. Joanna could focus on her work, and her efficiency doubled. Venturas. At Marhall Hospital. With most of her work at hand being handled, Joanna finally found some free time to visit Jaydon. In the hospital ward. Joanna entered with nutrition supplements and a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Jay, are you feeling better? I Seeing that Joanna had arrived, Jaydon instantly brightened up. ¡°Joann, why are you here today?¡± ¡°I managed to squeeze out a bit of time today toe and see you!¡± Joanna said as she ced the flowers and nutrition supplements on the bedside table. Jaydon was also very happy; his eyes seemed to sparkle with joy and tenderness. He had been looking forward to Joanna¡¯s visit every day, thinking that she would not be able to find time to see him. But unexpectedly, she came today out of the blue. ¡°How are you? Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright! Don¡¯t worry!¡± Jaydon had been transferred from the intensive care unit to a regr ward. In the ward, other than Jaydon, there were also Carmel Basil and two nurses kept himpany. Seeing Joanna¡¯s arrival, Carmel¡¯s expression immediately changed, and she red at Joanna with hostility. ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Jaydon unintentionally coughed. Seeing this, Joanna asked with concern, ¡°Is your throat dry? Let me get you some water¡­¡± Before Joanna could find a ss, Carmel, with an attentive demeanor, came over with a ss of water. ¡°Mr. Grimm, have some water! Here, be careful, let me help you!¡± While speaking, Carmel carefully brought the ss to Jaydon¡¯s lips. Watching Carmel¡¯s eyes fill with hostility, Joanna felt a little confused. There had always been rumors about Jaydon and Carmel¡¯s rtionship. It seemed that Carmel cared a lot about Jaydon. After Jaydon finished drinking the water, he straightforwardly asked Carmel to leave. ¡°Carmel, you can leave first.¡± Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment appeared on Carmel¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± ¡°Out!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Carmel did not dare to disobey. She rolled her eyes at Joanna disdainfully, then left the ward. During the days when Joanna was not around, Carmel had been apanying Jaydon in the hospital. Even though Jaydon had told her that she did not need to stay, she insisted on being there to take care of him. When they were at thepany, Jaydon doted on her the most. Over time, Carmel started to believe it was love and began fantasizing about bing Jaydon¡¯s official girlfriend. After Carmel left, the atmosphere became slightly awkward. ¡°Well¡­¡± Joanna wanted to say something but hesitated, not knowing what to say. Jaydon looked at Joanna tenderly, his heart full of concern. ¡°Joann, why have you lost weight again? You¡¯ve also be haggard, and you even have dark circles.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I did not sleep wellst night.¡± 3/4 12:27) ¡°Have you resolved the issue with the factory in Mossbourne? ¡°If it can¡¯t be resolved, let¡¯s not worry about it for now. Once I¡¯m in better health, we can discuss the matter.¡± Joanna smiled gently and reassured him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle thepany¡¯s matters. ¡°You¡¯d better take care of yourself and not worry too much!¡± As long as Bruce stopped causing trouble and did not secretly create obstacles, Joanna¡¯s ability and execution were strong enough to manage thepany without any problems. ¡°You take care of yourself too,¡± said Jaydon as he subconsciously reached out to hold her hand. Joanna¡¯s eyes showed a hint of ease. ¡°Jay, rest well. I¡¯lle to see you another day.¡± Jaydon was stunned when he heard Joanna was leaving. ¡°Why are you leaving right upon arrival?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot of work at thepany. I still have to meet with a few business partners.¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. There¡¯s no end to money, and even in the worst case, you still have me, right?¡± Joanna smiled and pursed her lips slightly upon hearing this. No matter how sweet a man¡¯s words were, they should not be taken too seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± After saying goodbye to Jaydon, Joanna left the ward. Just as she walked out of the room, she heard a stern voice from behind. ¡°Ms. Haynes, stop right there!¡± Carmel was standing behind. Her eyes filled with resentment as she stared at Joanna. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Joanna heard the voice and instinctively turned around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Carmel pulled a long face and stared at Joanna fiercely. ¡°Ms. Haynes, I want to talk to you privately!¡± ¡°About what?¡± Joanna was puzzled. ¡°I want to ask you why you¡¯re still entangled with Mr. Grimm when you clearly have a rtionship with Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna fell silent and looked at Carmel in confusion. ¡°Hmph! Haven¡¯t you done enough harm to Mr. Grimm? How much more do you want to harm him?¡± Joanna was even more stunned after hearing this. Carmel red at Joanna with anger and said bluntly, ¡°Mr. Grimm¡¯spany is in trouble because of you! ¡°Otherwise, Starlight Media would not have such a bad reputation and hit rock bottom! ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, you and your ex-husband!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as she listened. Indeed, Jaydon¡¯spany had reached this point of chaos, and Bruce had yed a significant role in it. Starlight Media had been sabotaged by Bruce behind the scenes, which pushed the entertainment Although Jaydon was from a wealthy family, losing this amount of money was simply nothing, Starlight Media was still a business he built, and now it was destroyed by Bruce. It was definitely infuriating! Carmel continued without stopping. ¡°Also, the reason why Mr. Grimm got into a car ident was to rush to see you!¡± When Joanna heard this, she found it even hard to believe. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you love. If you want Mr. Grimm to be well, please stay away from him! ¡°A woman like you is not worthy of Mr. Grimm!¡± Carmel angrily scolded without reservation. Joanna took a deep breath and looked at Carmel calmly. ¡°Miss Basil, I think you have misunderstood. ¡°Jay and I are good friends. It¡¯s not what you think!¡± Carmel sneered. ¡°Huh, no need to exin. I¡¯m not a fool. ¡°We are all sophisticated adults. How could I not understand what you are nning about? You just want to make use of Mr. Grimm! ¡°Please stay away from him and stop bothering him!¡± Carmel came from a less privileged background and had to work hard to make a living at a young age. In her eyes, men were more like resources to be utilized, a stepping stone to climb the socialdder. The more benefits she could gain from a man, the more it proved that he loved her. Based on her own experiences and mindset, she naturally assumed that Joanna had the same thoughts and intentions. She believed that Joanna was merely using Jaydon to gain more advantages. Of course, Carmel truly loved Jaydon and fantasized about bing his official girlfriend. Joanna remained silent and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Fine, I understand what you mean. But I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t need to exin my rtionship with Jay to anyone. ¡°I can¡¯t ept your request.¡± Carmel became even angrier after hearing Joanna¡¯s reply. ¡°Joanna, are you insisting on sticking to Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m insisting on sticking to Jay. Jay and I are good friends! I won¡¯t lose my good friend because of anyone or ignore their well-being!¡± 1/5 12:27 (0) ¡°Joanna, what you¡¯re doing is hical¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to say much to you right now, so please step aside!¡± Joanna finished speaking and did not bother saying anything more to Carmel. She walked away directly. Watching Joanna¡¯s departing figure, Carmel felt irritated. ¡°Hmph, Joanna, don¡¯t get too smug at the moment! One day, I will make Mr. Grimm fall in love with mepletely!¡± Joanna left the hospital, feeling a sense of unease in her heart. She had never considered being with Jaydon! However, outsiders always assumed that there was a romantic rtionship between them, which was not the case. Carmel had also treated her as an imaginary rival in love! After returning to Greyport, Joanna checked the time and realized tomorrow was Sunday. It was also the day she had agreed with Bruce to see the children. Although she was busy with work, she still wanted to meet her children. Ring, ring, ring! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. I He was sitting in a chair, smoking one cigarette after another. It had been a whole week, and he thought that Joanna would show some weakness and seek reconciliation with him¡­ But to his surprise, a whole week had passed, and Joanna had not even called him once. Now that he saw Joanna¡¯s call, Bruce¡¯s heart suddenly raced with excitement. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°¡­ Bruce, tomorrow is Sunday! I want to bring the children back to stay for a day.¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s heart sank, his face turning grim. Joanna had not contacted him the entire week, and now that she finally did, it turned out she just wanted to see the children! ¡°Hey, are you listening? ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to let me see the children once a week?¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I disagree, did I?¡± ¡°Fine, how do we arrange it for tomorrow? Should I pick up the children, or will you send someone to bring them over?¡± Bruce choked his words when he heard Joanna. ¡°Tomorrow morning at 10:00, I will have someone send the children to the entrance of Century za. ¡°You can only see the children under the surveince of bodyguards, and the time will be limited to one hour.¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna¡¯s heart ached with anger. ¡°Bruce, can¡¯t you be less domineering? ¡°I only get to see the children once a week, and now you want to have them monitored and restrict the time to only one hour. I don¡¯t agree. You can¡¯t do this¡­¡± I want to see them, it will be on my terms. If you Bruce let out a cold sneer and said without a doubt, ¡°Don¡¯t bargain with me. If you don¡¯t agree, then don¡¯t bother seeing them at all!¡± Joanna was furious. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll wait at Century za tomorrow!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± said Bruce coldly and hung up the phone directly. After ending the call, Bruce threw his phone heavily on the table, and his eyes were slightly red with anger. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g This d amn woman really did not care about his feelings at all! 2/5 12:27) This made him feel a huge sense of loss! He could be angry, but Joanna should not ignore his feelings. He could be cold towards her, but she should not refuse to reconcile with him. Unfortunately, Joanna showed no intention of giving in to his demands. The next day, at 10:00 in the morning. Joanna was waiting at Century za as agreed. Twenty minutester, a Mercedes-Benz business car arrived. Four bodyguards got out of the car, followed by the nanny carrying Davian and Irvin. Upon seeing the children, Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly blurred. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia!¡± The two little ones ran over to Joanna happily. ¡°Mommy, we missed you so much!¡± ¡°Mommy missed you guys too!¡± Joanna crouched down and embraced Davian and Irvin, feeling a surge of emotion that almost brought tears to her eyes. However, in front of the children, she usually controlled herself and refrained from crying in their presence. ¡°Mommy, why haven¡¯t youe back? We missed you so much!¡± ¡°Mommy missed you too. From now on, Mommy wille to see you every week!¡± Irvin asked timidly, ¡°Mommy, do you really not want us anymore?¡± ¡°Silly boy, why wouldn¡¯t Mommy want you? Mommy can give up anything, but not you¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s nose tingled with sourness, and tears welled up in her eyes. These were her three children, her flesh and blood. How could she not love them? But now, their custody had been taken away from her. She could only watch helplessly as her children were taken away from her side. That was why she had to work even harder, earn enough money to rival Bruce and reim custody of her children. With her current strength, she could not possibly earn the right to raise her children. ¡°Lilia, how is it going for you and Daddy in Gaprington?¡± The nanny replied, ¡°The doctor in Gaprington said that Miss Lilia¡¯s condition can be treated. However, her physical condition is too weak, so corrective surgery can only be performed after she turns five.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s really good news!¡± Joanna hugged her daughter in excitement, unable to hold back tears of joy. She wanted to kiss her daughter¡¯s little face, but there were too many germs outside, so she refrained from doing so. She just gave Lilia a hug. ¡°Mommy, are you having a conflict with Daddy?¡± Lilia looked at Joanna with a pitiful expression. Joanna was taken aback, unsure of how to exin. ¡°Mommy, can you please not have conflicts with Daddy?¡± How could Joanna ever want to have a falling out with Bruce? Unfortunately, things did not go as nned. ¡°Mommy, can you reconcile with Daddy first? Daddy loves Mommy!¡± Should she take the initiative to reconcile with Bruce? Or should she just forget it? She would ratherpletely cut ties with Bruce! Chapter 284 Chapter 284 ¡°Actually, Daddy is very easy to coax. As long as Mommy apologizes to Daddy and says a few sweet words, Daddy will definitely forgive you!¡± Lilia carefully helped Joannae up with a n. The children were too young to know about theplicated rtionship between adults. She only knew that she hoped that her Daddy and Mommy could reconcile and be together forever. Hearing this, Joanna sighed in secret. ¡°Mommy, pleasee back! I¡¯m begging you. I really want you and Daddy to reconcile!¡± ¡°Mommy, Daddy is really easy to coax.¡± Lilia looked at Joanna pitifully and tried to convince her. When Davian heard this, he snorted. ¡°Lilia, I don¡¯t agree with you! Why should Mommy coax Daddy but not Daddy coax Mommy?¡± Irvin also pouted and added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Daddy has a bad temper. He¡¯s too fierce and gets angry at the slightest provocation. He¡¯s simply like a tyrant.¡± ¡°But I still want Daddy and Mommy to be together! It¡¯ll be great if Daddy can change his bad temper.¡± When Lilia heard this, she quickly defended her father. ¡°He¡¯s not fierce, not fierce. Daddy is not fierce at all. ¡°We just have to be obedient and listen to Daddy. Daddy is very easy to get along with and dotes on us. ¡°Mommy, can you be a little more obedient? Daddy really isn¡¯t fierce.¡± Joanna let out a sigh and rubbed the children¡¯s heads. ¡°Good baby, you¡¯ll know what happened between Daddy and Mommy when you grow up. ¡°No matter what, Daddy and Mommy will always love you.¡± ¡°Mommy, we don¡¯t want to be with Daddy. We want to go home with Mommy.¡± Davian shook Joanna¡¯s arm and begged pitifully. Davian had the coldest personality and was the least close to Bruce. In addition, Bruce had a bad temper and always bullied Joanna. Davian did not like his daddy at all. ¡°Bear with it for now. When I have the ability, I will definitely bring you back to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go! What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Okay, we want fried chicken, fries, and ice cream¡­¡± Joanna paused and agreed with a smile. ¡°Alright! Mommy will bring you guys to eat!¡± The nanny quickly went forward to stop. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Everett has instructed us not to bring the children to eat these unhealthy things.¡± Joanna was at a loss for words. In the past, she rarely fed the children these unhealthy foods. She would only bring them to eat such things once every couple of days. Ever since the little children entered the Everett family, they had not eaten these things. Bruce was very picky about the diet. The children¡¯s diet was made by top nutritionists. Joanna hadn¡¯t seen the children for too long. She still wanted to satisfy their small wishes. ¡°It¡¯s okay to have them once in a while, just a little!¡± The nanny rejected seriously, ¡°Miss Haynes, please don¡¯t. If there¡¯s anything wrong with the children, we can¡¯t take responsibility.¡± Joanna was left speechless and looked at the children apologetically. ¡°Davian, Irvin. There¡¯s not enough time today. I¡¯ll bring you guys to eat next time, okay?¡± ¡°Hmm, alright!¡± The two little guys looked disappointed. ¡°Mommy, we want to drive bumper cars and see monkeys. Let¡¯s go to the amusement park, okay?¡± ¡°Alright then! Mommy will take you there!¡± When the nanny heard this, she quickly rejected, ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯m very sorry! Mr. Everett has instructed that you can only see the children at Century za!¡± After hearing this, Joanna was leftpletely furious. Bruce was too tyrannical. Anyone who did not go along with his thoughts would have a tough time. ¡°This is not allowed. That is not allowed. Can¡¯t eat this, can¡¯t eat that! Am I supposed just to sit and wait with the kids for an hour?¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but get angry. When the nanny saw that Joanna was angry, she looked serious and cautious. ¡°That¡¯s what Mr. Everett instructed We don¡¯t dare to disobey! ¡°Besides, there are only ten minutes left. If you exceed the time limit, we will be punished.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more furious. ¡°Are you kidding me? It hasn¡¯t even been five minutes since I got out of the car! Why are there only ten minutes left?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett said the one hour was calcted from the moment they left the house.¡± ¡°PA¡± Joanna was so angry that her body was trembling. If it wasn¡¯t illegal to hurt someone, she really wanted to chop Bruce¡¯s head. ording to Bruce, she had less than half an hour to see the children every week. If this continued, the children would definitely be distant from her. ¡°Beep, beep, beep!¡± Joanna was furious and called Bruce directly. On the other end of the phone, Bruce¡¯s cold voice sounded. ¡°Hello¡­¡± Joanna shouted at the phone, ¡°Bruce Everett, what do you mean?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already tolerated you again and again. What exactly do you want to do?¡± Joanna was going crazy. Hearing Joanna¡¯s angry roar, Bruce felt much better. ¡°Damn woman, she dared to make me unhappy. Then I would make her unhappy twice as much,¡± thought he. He just wanted to make Joanna angry. ¡°Miss, how did I provoke you again?¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, don¡¯t go overboard. You didn¡¯t care about the children from the moment I was pregnant until they were born. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve snatched them away. You are so shameless! What¡¯s the difference between you and a bandit? ¡°What¡¯s more outrageous is that I¡¯m only allowed to see them an hour once a week. ¡°Okay, an hour¡¯s fine. Now you¡¯re telling me to calcte the time from when the kids leave. Based on that, the time i get to spend with the kids¡¯s less than twenty minutes. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± ¡°Joanna was about to die from anger. Her eyes were as red as blood. Bruce sneered and said casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything. Do I need to exin to you what I want to do?¡± Joanna could not help but curso, ¡°Bruce Everett You¡¯re really over the top You jerk, you¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°Humph, did you call to scold me? Alright, don¡¯t se Children next week ¡°Bruce was never a good person. If he started to act up, he went to extreme lengths. When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that her entire body was trembling. She couldn¡¯t contain the fire in her chest. She hated Bruce extremely. This bastard always had a way of making her go crazy. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s time now. We have to bring the children back.¡± ¡°No, they are my children. None of you can take them away.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Joanna¡¯s eyes were red as she fiercely protected the children. ¡°Mommy, we don¡¯t want to go back. We want to go home with Mommy!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia¡­¡± Like four walls, four burly and tall bodyguards stepped forward and blocked Joanna. The nanny quickly carried the children into the car. ¡°Mommy, Mommy¡­¡± Joanna could not win at all. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia, don¡¯t be afraid. I will definitely think of a way to bring you back!¡± Before she could finish, the driver stepped on the elerator, and the car drove away. Joanna watched the car drive away. She was so angry that her eyes were red, and her heart was pounding violently. The feeling of the enemy being powerful and her being weak was really too maddening. She had to make the best use of her time to earn money and be an expert among experts. Only then could she fight against Bruce. She knew that with Bruce in Greyport, her career would not develop smoothly. If she wanted to overtake on a bend, she had to stay away from Bruce¡¯s harassment and shift the focus of her business to Mossbourne. The next day. At the conference room of the Haynes Group! Joanna was having a meeting with the higher¨Cups with a serious expression. ¡°Miss Haynes, ourpany is currently going downhill, and we even have to hire a world¨Cfamous sports star as our spokesperson. The endorsement fee is definitely a huge expense!¡± Joanna replied calmly, ¡°Thepany¡¯s image is very important now. Entertainment celebrities are not as positive as sports celebrities. Although the endorsement fee is expensive, it has an advantage over thepany¡¯s long¨Cterm development.¡± Mr. Roger sighed. ¡°Even if we want to build thepany¡¯s image, the price is too high!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Haynes Group has never spent so much money to hire celebrities to endorse.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made the decision. Thepany¡¯s international image must be established. This will also be beneficial to expand the market of Mossbourne!¡± Send Gift Chapter 285 Chapter 285 ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Since Miss Haynes has made the decision, it¡¯s useless even if we object!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re going to hold a technology exhibition. What¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°And the online tform? We don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re doing!¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were both from the Raymond Haynes era. They did not know much about these things on the inte. In addition, there was still a difference between Greyport and Mossbourne, so they did not really approve of it. Joanna patiently exined to the two of them, ¡°It¡¯s popr to sell goods online around the world now. We have to follow the trend of the times. ¡°This is what I think. We¡¯ll hold a technology exhibition and invite inte celebrities to do a live broadcast. This is also a way to promote ourpany. ¡°If possible, we might set up an onlinepany in the future to train our own live¨Cstreaming sales anchors.¡± ¡°Well, this¡­¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul looked at each other. They didn¡¯t object or approve. Joanna patiently exined her three ideas again. Mr. Paul, Mr. Roger, and the other higher¨Cups were finally convinced. Anyway, the Haynes Group was half¨Cdead now. It might be a good idea to change their old approach. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting. I¡¯ll leave Greyport for a while in the next few days.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger walked out of the conference room. Joanna sorted out the information she needed. ¡°Cora, print out two copies of this document.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Get ready. Come with me to Mossbourne this afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Call Michael Lawrenceter and tell him that I¡¯ll be there in the afternoon. Tell him to call Trumpet¡¯s company first. We might have to cooperate with him a second time and ask Michael to prepare for the coboration!¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Cora replied and got back to work quickly. At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. After the meeting in the morning, Joanna rushed to Mossbourne with Cora in the afternoon. She had worked with Brother Trumpet once before and felt good about it. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Brother Trumpet had also told Joanna that she had her natural influence. He suggested they do a live stream together to sell products, thinking it might have a great effect. In the past, Joanna did not want to be noticed. But now that she thought about it, since so many people were paying attention to her, why not make use of it? After Joanna arrived at the factory in Mossbourne. Michael and Nichs were already waiting in the office. ¡°Michael, have you contacted Brother Trumpet?¡± I¡¯ve already contacted him. After knowing that it¡¯s you, he¡¯s very willing to cooperate with us for a second time.¡± Hearing this, Joanna smiled. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± Nichs said, ¡°The time has been set. He wants you to make a trip to Greene Town personally next month.¡± Chapter 285 ¡°Well, okay. ¡°Are all the products for the technology exhibition ready?¡± ¡°Everything is ready. All of them are the top new products of ourpany.¡± ¡°Take me to the workshop.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Michael and Nichs took Joanna to the workshop. The several research and development engineers that Joanna brought back from Melta previously had already developed several new domestic products. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is a newly developed fourth¨Cgeneration smart bot. Not only does it have all the functions of the previous robot, but it has an additional function of intelligent conversation. ¡°It can simte a real person¡¯s thoughts and make corresponding instructions,¡± the research and development engineer Alex Field introduced the functions of the product seriously. Joanna was very happy to hear that. ¡°Great!¡± ¡°And here are sweepers and smart dishwashers. Our technology is internationally state¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cart. But the fee is only half. If the market can be opened, it¡¯s bound to be lucrative.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± At the Everett Group in Greyport. Bruce was also busy. ¡°Has the matter of Princess Daisy¡¯s hotel amodation been confirmed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s confirmed. Our hotel has been selected.¡± The higher¨Cups apuded and celebrated. Bruce finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great! During the reception, everything has to be wless. There can¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ve already started training our employees.¡± ¡°We will hold a wee party during Princess Daisy and Princess Martha¡¯s staying.¡± ¡°This is the specific n of the wee party. Please take a look, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce flipped through the proposal and gave it a careful read. ¡°Good, very good.¡± ¡°At that time, Mr. Everett, you might have to receive them personally!¡± Hearing this, Bruce smiled. ¡°Of course, keep up the good work.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After the meeting. Andy handed over the schedule. ¡°Mr. Everett, this is your schedule for the next few days.¡± Bruce took a look. He was flying to Escostan the next day. In the following week, they would have to inspect several developed countries in Escostan. He hated business trips the most, especially when he had to travel so far for so many days. Unfortunately, he had to go even if he didn¡¯t want to. After all, his business there was getting bigger and bigger. At Sherane Bay Vi, eight o¡¯clock in the evening. 10:52 Alter Joanna left, Bruce moved back to Sherane Bay Vi with the children. Reagan No. & Residence had too much of the aura of Joanna¡¯s existence. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he brought the children back to the ce where they used to live. ¡°Baby, Daddy is going on a business trip tomorrow. The three of you stay at home. Be good.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I will.¡± Lilia looked at Bruce reluctantly. ¡°Daddy, when will youe back?¡± ¡°About a week! I will bring you gifts when Ie back¡± ¡°Daddy¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Um, did you call Mommy?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± ¡°Daddy, women are easy to coax Why don¡¯t¡­ you coax Mommy and let Mommye back?¡± Lilia looked at Bruce cautiously. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t mention her again!¡± Davian¡¯s face straightened up. ¡°Lilia, cat your food!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Lilia did not dare to say anything else. Bruce lost his appetite and went upstairs. After Bruce left, Davian criticized Lilia sternly. ¡°Are you stupid? Daddy is such an arrogant person. Why would he apologize to Mommy?¡± ¡°So what should we do?¡± Davian frowned and thought about it. ¡°Hmm, if we really want Daddy and Mommy to get back together, we have to do something behind their back¡± When Irvin heard this, he asked curiously, ¡°What should we do?¡± Davian thought for a long time. ¡°We can use Daddy¡¯s Messenger to send Mommy a message to ask for peace!¡± ¡°Ah! Will this work?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Irvin¡¯s nose shrank ¡°If Daddy finds out, he¡¯ll break our legs.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do it the other way around. We¡¯ll hack into Mommy¡¯s Messenger and use Mommy¡¯s tone to send messages to Daddy to make peace. ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°It will definitely work!¡± Irvin asked worriedly, ¡°What if Mommy finds out?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? Mommy isn¡¯t Daddy. Even if she finds out, she won¡¯t hit us.¡± Lilia smiled happily. ¡°I agree, I agree. We¡¯ll use Mommy¡¯s Messenger to apologize to Daddy.¡± ¡°Daddy will definitely be very happy when he sees Mommy¡¯s proposal text.¡± ¡°Davian, hacking Mommy¡¯s Messenger will be left to you!¡± ¡°No problem. Watch me.¡± Spon¡­ Davian sessfully hacked into Joanna¡¯s Messenger. Joanna had two Messenger ounts, but she hardly ever used this one. So even if it got hacked, she wouldn¡¯t notice right away. 10:52) The kids quickly logged into Messenger. ¡°What should we send to Daddy?¡± ¡°Well, just say that I miss you and that I love you!¡± ¡°No, no. Mommy won¡¯t be so mushy. Daddy won¡¯t believe it even if he sees it.¡± ¡°Exactly, we have to follow Mommy¡¯s habit of sending messages.¡± Lilia tilted her head and asked, ¡°How will Mommy send it?¡± ¡°Mommy usually spoke very simply. Let¡¯s fake Mommy¡¯s tone to get close to Daddy first!¡± Lilia said excitedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Davian knows Mommy best!¡± Davian thought for a moment and typed three words on Messenger. ¡°Are you there¡­¡± Then, he sent it to Bruce. ¡°Buzz, buzz!¡± Bruce took a shower and was about to sleep when his phone notified him that there was a message from Messenger. He casually picked up the phone. He took a look and saw that it was actually from Joanna. [Are you there¡­] Although there were only three simple words, they made Bruce¡¯s heart suddenly be excited. Send Gift Comment Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Ever since their divorce, he had been hoping that Joanna would take the initiative to contact him every night. Unfortunately, Joanna did not contact him ever once. Even after she returned to Greyport, she had almost never taken the initiative to send him a message. ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± Bruce subconsciously let out a cough. These three simple words actually made him feel butterflies in his stomach. Bruce deliberately waited half an hour before slowly replying, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ding dong!¡± When the three kids heard the phone ring, they immediately gathered together to check. ¡°Daddy texted back! Daddy texted back!¡± ¡°Quick, take a look. What did Daddy say?¡± Davian frowned and said, ¡°He replied with three words, ¡®What¡¯s the matter¡°!¡± Irvin blinked. ¡°Davian, how should we reply then?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The three kids tilted their heads and thought for a long time. Lilia suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just apologize to Daddy directly? Just say that I shouldn¡¯t have made you angry and that i shouldn¡¯t have met Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°No, no. This is too straightforward. Daddy definitely won¡¯t be appeased, ¡± ¡°Then how do you think we should reply?¡± Davian rolled his eyes. He was the smartest of the three. He thought for a while and typed a few words on the phone. [Are you still up?] ¡°Swoosh!¡± The message was sent to Bruce again. Irvin grinned. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so simple. Will it work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Daddy is in a fit of anger now. You have to coax Daddy well! Say some sweet words in Mommy¡¯s tone. If Daddy is happy, he might not be angry anymore!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You have to flirt slowly. Let¡¯s see Daddy¡¯s reaction first.¡± Soon. Bruce received a message from ¡°Joanna.¡± [Are you still up?] After reading the message, Bruce couldn¡¯t fall asleep anymore. His heart was itchy. ¡°This damn woman finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and came to make peace. ¡°However, she made a mistake that went against my principles, so I¡¯m not going to forgive her easily,¡± thought he. 1Speak up!] Bruce replied coldly. ¡°Daddy texted back again!¡± Irvin could not help but worry after reading it. ¡°Ugh, how do we reply? Daddy¡¯s reaction is very cold.¡± ¡°Yes, let me think about it.¡± 10-52 [I can¡¯t sleep. Missing you¡­] Davian typed a line of words on the screen and sent it over. After Bruce read the message, a warm smile appeared on his face. This was the first time Joanna had confessed to him so ¡°emotionally.¡± ¡°This damned woman had finally given in. ¡°Since she had given in, I have to put on airs to let her know that I¡¯m a man of principle,¡± thought he. Therefore, Bruce resisted the urge to reply and put his phone aside. ¡°When ites to women, you gotta keep them interested but not too close. y it cool. That way, she¡¯ll feel unsure, and that¡¯s when she¡¯ll give you her heartpletely,¡± said he inwardly. Half an hourter. Before the three kids could receive a reply from their daddy, they were already so sleepy that they could not take it anymore. Irvin let out a big yawn. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Daddy replying?¡± Lilia could not help but rub her sleepy eyes. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± ¡°It looks like Daddy won¡¯t reply today. Let¡¯s go to bed!¡± ¡°Davian, is this method going to work? Why do I feel like it¡¯s useless?¡± Davian said proudly, ¡°We have to take it slow. That¡¯s all for today. Let¡¯s continue tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back to sleep.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Davian and Irvin yawned and sneaked out of Lilia¡¯s room. They returned to their rooms to sleep. Lilia enjoyed a bedroom alone, and the two boys shared a room. As the room was rtively close, the servants did not notice. Bruce waited for a long time. Seeing that Joanna did not reply, he could not help but fall asleep. The next day. Bruce got up early in the morning and felt exceptionally refreshed today. He didn¡¯t look as unpleasant as a few days ago. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡± The three little kids were sitting at the dining table and having breakfast. Bruce hurriedly adjusted the cor of his suit and rushed out. ¡°Good morning, babies! ¡°Daddy is going overseas for a business tripter. Be good at home, the three of you!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we understand.¡± ¡°Lilian, arrange for a driver to send the boys to schoolter.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, leave it to me!¡± Each of the three kids had five servants, drivers, and nannies. Even if Bruce and Joanna were not around, there was no need to worry that no one would take care of them. Bruce looked at the time and hurried out to the airport. He was flying to Escostan today. ¡°Mr. Everett, the luggage is ready.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± In the car. Along the way, Bruce kept checking his phone. He kept thinking about Joanna and flipping through the chat history with her. 10:57 He could choose not to reply to her messages, but he wanted her to keep sending him messages. Unfortunately, Joanna did not send another message. ¡°Ugh, that damn woman is very arrogant! Could it be that she retreated when she saw that I didn¡¯t reply? ¡°How about I take the initiative to reply to her? ¡°No, I have to hold it in. This damn woman was spoiled too much. That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t take me seriously,¡± said he inwardly. He was conflicted in his heart. The expression on his face alternated between mncholy and mysterious smiles. Andy and Mark secretly looked at each other. They were so frightened that they did not even dare to breathe. ¡°Mr. Everett rarely had such rich facial expressions. ¡°What was he thinking about today? He was so serious and focused,¡± they wondered. At Porash. Joanna was not idle. She had been in Mossbourne for the past two days. With her personally taking action, she had managed to win back several old clients. ¡°The technology exhibition will be held in the convention center. ¡°The venue has been rented. Miss Haynes, you can take a look personally.¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Michael introduced, ¡°This ce can amodate up to three thousand people at the same time, and our product cabs will be ced here.¡± Joanna frowned and pondered. ¡°Have you decided on the inte celebrity who will be invited for the live broadcast?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, I suggest you consult Brother Trumpet. He¡¯s the leader of the inte celebrity world. He definitely knows more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Bring me the phone. I¡¯ll call him.¡± ¡°There you go.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. || Joanna took the phone and called Brother Trumpet. ¡°Beep, beep, beep.¡± The call was quickly picked up. Brother Trumpet¡¯s slightly surprised voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Brother Trumpet. I¡¯m Joanna Haynes.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Haynes. We haven¡¯t talked in a long time. I thought you had forgotten about me.¡± ¡°Why would I? There¡¯s been an ident recently.¡± Brother Trumpet smiled awkwardly and asked with concern, ¡°I heard of it. Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Brother Trumpet didn¡¯t know what else to say. He was clearly talkative, but when faced with Joanna, he inexplicably felt inferior. ¡°By the way, mypany is going to find a few popr live broadcasters. Brother Trumpet, do you have any rmendations?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already heard from Mr. Lawrence. I¡¯ll call my friends tonight and see who¡¯s more suitable!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you in advance!¡± Brother Trumpet paused for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m going to start a live broadcast soon. Let¡¯s have a good chat when we meet next 10:52 Chapter 286 week.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Then see you soon!¡± ¡°Good¨Cbye.¡± After hanging up, Joanna began to look around the exhibition hall again. ¡°Set this ce up again and take down that board. The lights have to be controlled. There¡¯s bound to be a lot more media that day. ¡°The security equipment also needs to be done well. ¡°This is our first step into the Mossbourne market. We have to do a good job at this technology exhibition,¡± said Joanna. ¡°Got it, Miss Haynes.¡± Michael and Nichs, along with the nning director and marketing manager, carefully prepared the exhibition. Joanna naturally had to be hands¨Con as the boss, running around and giving orders. By the time she was done, it was already past nine in the evening. Joanna returned to the hotel and took a hot shower. She was so tired that she soon fell asleep on the bed. At Lundi Airport. After more than ten hours of flight, Bruce arrived at Antlen, his first stop in Escostan. There was an eight¨Chour time difference between Antlen and Greyport. Therefore, it was only in the afternoon when he got off the ne. Bruce met with a client there and then went to inspect thepany in Antlen. While he was inspecting thepany, his phone vibrated. ¡°Beep, beep, beep.¡± There was a message from Messenger. Bruce guessed that it must be Joanna. He had been waiting for her reply for a day. He quickly took out his phone to check. It was indeed from Joanna. However, there was no word but just a cute emoji. Bruce was stunned. ** Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Tick¨Ctock! Another group of emojis was sent over. One was a little yellow duck dancing, and the other was an emoji of a husky being stupid. Bruce frowned. What did that mean? He knew Joanna quite well. She looked weak, but she was actually very strong and stubborn. Acting cute and coquettish was not her style at all. [?] Bruce sent a question mark over. When the three little guys heard there was a Messenger message, they quickly rushed to check it. ¡°Daddy replied. Daddy replied.¡± ¡°Eh? Why is there only a question mark? It seems that Daddy doesn¡¯t want to forgive Mommy at all.¡± Davian smiled smugly. ¡°No way. If Daddy really didn¡¯t want to get back together with Mommy, he wouldn¡¯t have replied at all.¡± ¡°Since Daddy replied, it means that Daddy really wants to reconcile with Mommy.¡± When Irvin and Lilia heard this, they were very happy. ¡°Then how should we reply?¡± ¡°Well, use Mommy¡¯s tone to care about Daddy first.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Then, Davian replied to their Daddy with a message on Messenger. [Take care of yourself!] Bruce was even more confused after reading it. Joanna used to love him very much. However, ever since he insisted on divorcing her, Joanna must have been heartbroken and changed completely. She couldn¡¯t wait for him to die, so why would she care about him? [Who the hell are you?] Bruce sent a voice message. He suspected that it was not Joanna at all. ¡°Daddy is suspecting us. How are we going to reply?¡± ¡°How should we reply? What if Daddy video calls us?¡± Davian thought for a moment. ¡°Looks like we have to use our ultimate move.¡± [I¡¯m the babies¡® Mommy.] [Honey, you¡¯ve had a hard time on your business trip.] It seemed that Bruce had confirmed the other party was indeed Joanna from this message. [Honey, I was wrong before. Can you forgive me?] ¡°Heh¡­¡± After reading the messages, Bruce could not help butugh. [Honey, take good care of yourself overseas! The weather in Lundi is not good. Be careful not to catch a cold!] There were a few heart¨Cshaped emojis at the end of the message. Bruce¡¯s heart instantly softened. He replied with a message. [Got it!] For the rest of the day, Bruce had a smile on his lips. Even when he spoke to his assistant, it was not like he was giving orders. When Andy saw this, he was scared and his blood froze for the entire day! ¡°Mark, what is Mr. Everettughing at?¡± 10:57 Mark shrugged. ¡°How would I know? Mr. Everett has been very strange these past two days. He¡¯s always staring at his phone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He was also absent¨Cminded when stared at his phone. I didn¡¯t know why he was with a smile on his face all the time.¡± ¡°Is he thinking about buying Caron Tel? ¡°After all, it¡¯s such a big investment. It¡¯s normal to be cautious!¡± Andy shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s not Mr. Everett¡¯s first time acquiring such argepany. But I¡¯ve never seen such a strange smile from him. It makes my blood freeze.¡± ¡°As the saying goes, there must be a reason for something abnormal. It¡¯s better to be careful! I keep feeling that it¡¯s the calm before the storm.¡± Mark echoed, ¡°Yes, I think so too.¡± After Bruce returned to the hotel at night, his phone rang again. [Honey, I¡¯m going to sleep. Love you. Kiss, kiss.] After reading the message, Bruce¡¯s heart was immediately filled with happiness. It seemed that he had overestimated his principles. He had clearly wanted to break up with Joannapletely, but unexpectedly, he forgave her so easily just after she said a few sweet words to him. [Okay, sleep tight!] Bruce replied. In Sherane Bay Vi, the three little children gathered together again to plot. ¡°Look! I already said that as long as Mommy bows down to Daddy first, Daddy will definitely forgive Mommy.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°When Daddyes back and meets Mommy, won¡¯t we be exposed?¡± ¡°We have to help Mommy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll call Mommy and find out what she thinks. As long as Mommy still loves Daddy, there won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Beep, beep, beep. Davian made a Messenger video call to Joanna. Joanna felt dulled with sleep when she heard the phone ring. She picked up her phone and saw that it was a Messenger video call from Davian. Joanna answered the video call while feeling sleepy. ¡°Hello, baby!¡± ¡°Mommy, are you sleeping?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already sote, Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡± ¡°We miss Mommy, so we video¨Ccalled you.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°I miss you guys too.¡± Davian suddenly wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Joanna forced herself to stay awake and chatted with her son. She had been walking all day and had a few blisters on her feet. Now she was tired and sleepy. ¡°Well, Daddy is on a business trip.¡± Joanna paused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Mommy, I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ still love Daddy?¡± Joanna was stunned. She didn¡¯t want to talk to the children about this. They were so little. How could they understand the rtionship between adults? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby? Why are you suddenly asking this question?¡± Davian pouted. ¡°Mommy, if Daddy asks you for peace, will you still be willing to reconcile with Daddy?¡± Joanna was stunned again. Even her pajamas fell apart. Bruce was the man she had loved for more than ten years. He had long been deeply imprinted in her heart. Even if she said that she didn¡¯t love him, how could she not love him at all? It was just that she was trying her best not to love him! ¡°Mommy, answer me!¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re still young. Can you not care about these things?¡± ¡°Mommy, just tell me, will you forgive Daddy?¡± In order tofort her son, Joannaughed and said, ¡°Yes, I will!¡± She knew that Bruce was such an arrogant and conceited person. How could he bow down to her? Davian was very satisfied when he heard that. ¡°That¡¯s good. Mommy, you can keep sleeping now!¡± ¡°Okay. Babies, you should sleep now, too!¡± After hanging up, Irvin eagerly asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Well, I guess Mommy must still love Daddy. If that¡¯s the case, that will be best. Then we don¡¯t need to worry about Mommy being angry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Daddy loves Mommy, and Mommy loves Daddy too! Let¡¯s boldly matchmake them.¡± Lilia strongly agreed. The next day, Bruce was ready to talk about the acquisition. At 8 o¡¯clock in the morning, he received a message. [Honey, wake up!] At noon, he received another message. [Honey, it¡¯s time for lunch.] At six o¡¯clock in the evening, he received a message again. [Honey, it¡¯s time for dinner.] Looking at the messages from Joanna, Bruce felt extremely pleased. Even when he went to discuss work, he had a smile on his face and was very amiable. He was not even angry at the other party¡¯s harsh request. Not only were Andy and Mark surprised, but even their business partners were extremely surprised! A business tycoon like Bruce was known internationally as a bad¨Ctempered guy. Moreover, he was shrewd and decisive. Although he was not even 30 years old, he was smarter and bolder than those old entrepreneurs! ¡°It was impossible to take advantage of him in business! For the next few days, Joanna¡¯s messages arrived on time every day. On the seventh day, the resentment in Bruce¡¯s heartpletely dissipated. His work was almost done. It was time to go back home! ¡°Mr. Everett. The ne tickets are booked.¡± ¡°Okay! ¡°Pack all this stuff!¡± The floor was filled with luxury goods. There were bags, cosmetics, and all kinds of gifts. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Bruce went back to his room to sleep, holding the phone in his hand. Andy and Mark ordered someone to pack these things. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Mr. Everett is really inhumane.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He bought more than ten limited edition models of Herm¨¨s. He buys one every time he goes to a new city. Who is he going to gift this time?¡± ¡°I wonder which woman is so lucky.¡± ¡°Will they be given to Miss Garcia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes have broken up. He will definitely make a new girlfriend.. ¡°Only Miss Garcia is worthy of Mr. Everett and such generous gifts.¡± ¡°Be careful. Hurry up and pack them.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Bruce had always been generous with women. As long as he liked a woman, he was really willing to spend money on her. Although the only real girlfriends he had were Roxanne and Joanna, in fact, how could a man of his status not have female intimates? However, those were just for fun. The women who had been with him all couldn¡¯t forget him. Even if it was just a short or temporary rtionship, he was still generous and definitely didn¡¯t owe a woman a love debt. In terms of money, he would definitely not be stingy! Send Gift Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Before going to bed, Bruce¡¯s Messenger prompt sounded as usual. [Honey, when are youing back?] Bruce was overjoyed and wished that the ne would take off tonight. [I¡¯ll fly back tomorrow. I want to see you.] [That¡¯s great. I want to see you too.] [I¡¯ll text you when I get on the ne.] [Okay!] [I¡¯m going to sleep!] [Good night, honey. Kiss!] After sending the Messenger messages, the three little guys were worried again. Irvin looked mncholic. ¡°What should we do? Daddy will be back tomorrow! When Daddyes back and finds out the truth, will he be even angrier?¡± Davian analyzed calmly for a few seconds. ¡°Yes, I think he will. But from Daddy¡¯s tone, he is no longer angry with Mommy. What we have to do now is to arrange for them to meet.¡± ¡°Daddy will definitely be willing to see Mommy, but if we want Mommy to be willing to see Daddy, we have to think of a way!¡± ¡°How about we just call Mommy and confess everything to her? That way, we can call Mommy toe over directly!¡± Davian¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°That won¡¯t work. If Mommy knew the truth, she definitely wouldn¡¯te over.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll call Mommy first and find out what she thinks.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Davian picked up the phone again and made a video call to Joanna through Messenger. Beep, beep, beep. Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. Soon, Joanna picked up the call. ¡°Hello, baby.¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Joanna smiled at Davian in the video. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Davian chuckled and blinked cutely. ¡°Mommy, um¡­ Are you free tomorrow?¡± Joanna was stunned. It would be Saturday tomorrow. It was not yet time to visit the children. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± ¡°We miss you. We want to see Mommy.¡± ¡°I miss you guys too, but I¡¯m still in Mossbourne.¡± ¡°Mommy, when are youing back?¡± ¡°Maybe the day after tomorrow! I¡¯ll visit you on Sunday.¡± When Davian heard this, he paused for a few seconds. ¡°Mommy, can youe back tomorrow?¡± ¡°Anything happened, baby?¡± Irvin also squeezed into the video and said, ¡°Um, Daddy will be back from overseas tomorrow!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Lilia¡¯s eyes curved into a smile. ¡°We want to pick Daddy up at the airport tomorrow and give him a surprise. We want Mommy to apany us!¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened when she heard that. She said patiently, ¡°I don¡¯t think that will work. I¡¯m preparing for an exhibition. I don¡¯t have time at the moment!¡± ¡°I see! Can¡¯t you take just one day off?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit you guys on Sunday, okay?¡± The three little guys looked disappointed. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy now. Talk to youter. See you!¡± After Joanna blew the three little guys a kiss, she hung up the video call. ¡°Mommy hung up? Mommy said she was in Mossbourne. She definitely won¡¯t be able toe back tomorrow.¡± ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Irvin was smart. After rolling his eyeballs, he suddenly had an idea. ¡°Hey, how about this? We¡¯ll lie to Mommy and say that Lilia is sick. ¡°In that case, Mommy will definitelye. ¡°When Daddy and Mommy meet, they might reconcile.¡± When Davian and Lilia heard this, they also felt that it was a good idea. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it!¡± The next day, it was Saturday. It happened that the children did not have to go to school. Bruce¡¯s flight was at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon! Beep, beep, beep! At one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. ¡°Hello¡­¡± Davian said anxiously, ¡°Mommy, bad news. Lilia is sick!¡± Boom! On the other end of the line, Joanna felt a chill run down her spine. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Lilia suddenly feels her stomach hurt terribly and she keeps vomiting.¡± ¡°Is there no one in the house?¡± ¡°The servants are on holiday. We don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Joanna panicked. ¡°How is that possible? Get the driver to send Lilia to the hospital first¡­¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t make it. Lilia can¡¯t take it anymore. Mommy,e quickly!¡± Joanna¡¯s mind was filled with worry for her daughter, so she didn¡¯t have time to think too much. ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at Sherane Bay Vi!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± ¡°Mommy,e quickly. Lilia can¡¯t take the pain anymore!¡± * ¡°Okay, I will!¡± After Joanna hung up, she was so anxious that she broke out in cold sweat. She hurriedly called Bruce! ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is unavable¡­¡± Seeing Joanna¡¯s anxious expression, Cora asked with concern, ¡°Miss Haynes, what happened?¡± ¡°Cora, I have to hurry to Sherane Bay Vi. Lilia is sick.¡± 10-52 ¡°Huh?¡± Upon hearing this, Cora also started to worry. Lilia had been sickly since she was young and would fall sick at any time. Therefore, they did not suspect that the news was fake. ¡°Miss Haynes, you go quickly! Lilia is more important.¡± ¡°Cora, I¡¯ll leave here to you. You¡¯re in charge of these.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna was burning with anxiety. She couldn¡¯t care about the exhibition and hurriedly drove to Greyport. An hourter, Joanna rushed to Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°Miss Haynes, what brings you here¡­¡± The guards were very surprised to see Joanna. ¡°Hurry up and open the door. Davian called me and said Lilia is sick!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh¡­¡± When the guards heard that Lilia was sick, they hurriedly opened the gate and let Joanna in! Everyone knew that Lilia was the apple of Mr. Everett¡¯s eye. She was more favored than her two brothers. If anything really happened to her, they could not bear the responsibility. At the entrance, Davian and Irvin were already waiting. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, where is Lilia?¡± ¡°Lilia is inside!¡± As they spoke, Davian and Irvin held Joanna¡¯s hands and ran into the courtyard. Sherane Bay Vi was huge! It took a long time for them to just walk to the front yard. The two little guys led Joanna into the inner courtyard. On the hugewn, there was a foam background board. There was also a moon arch made of foam on both sides, and it was filled with flowers. There were still children¡¯s drawings pasted on the background board! Although it looked simple, it was very warm. It was obvious that the children had meticulously decorated it. Lilia was wearing a princess dress and sitting on thewn. When she saw Joanna, she happily waved at her. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m here.¡± Joanna panicked and hurriedly ran over to check. ¡°Lilia, how are you?¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes and smiled sweetly. ¡°Mommy, my stomach hurt a little just now. I¡¯m much better now!¡± When Joanna heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her daughter. ¡°You almost scared me to death!¡± Just as they were talking, the gate of the vi opened again, and a few luxury cars drove in. Bruce happened toe back. Through the car window, Bruce saw Joanna. Moreover, thewn was decorated romantically. It was obvious that a wee party had been carefully prepared for him. Bruce felt warm in his heart. He thought it was decorated by Joanna and the children! The resentment he had toward Joanna before hadpletely dissipated! ¡°Mommy, Daddy is back!¡± Joanna turned around and saw that Bruce had indeed returned. ¡°Mommy, let me tell you a secret. Daddy really wants to get back together with you!¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. The car door slowly opened! 374 10:52 Bruce got out of the car with long legs! Even though he had been on the ne for more than ten hours, he did not look tired at all. He was still dressed in a suit and leather shoes, looking energetic. His handsome face exuded a high¨Cspirited aura. After seeing Bruce, Joanna was filled with anger. ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡± Bruce greeted her with a smile. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Bruce, how could you leave the children at home for so long?¡± Bruce was stunned! ¡°If you can¡¯t give the children enoughpany, return them to me. Do you know that Lilia felt sick just now?¡± Bruce was even more confused. He hurriedly went forward to check. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, Lilia is fine now!¡± Davian and Irvin hurriedly acted as peacemakers. Bruce vaguely felt that something was wrong. Joanna¡¯s attitude toward him was fierce and did not have the slightest bit of tenderness. ¡°Joanna, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Joanna looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°I know! You¡¯re a busy person, but children need their parents by their side. ¡°You left seven or eight days and left the children to the servants. What if something happens? ¡°For the sake of the children¡¯s health and growth, it¡¯s better for them to live with me!¡± Send Gift Comment 10 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this.¡± ¡°Mommy, stop it. Today is our family reunion day!¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll pay attention in the future!¡± Bruce still had a trace of fantasy in his heart, hoping that Joanna was joking with him. Hence, he put on a smiley face and went forward to hug Joanna! Joanna subconsciously took a few steps back and pushed his arms away. She looked at Bruce in surprise. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing?¡± Bruce choked again! Joanna¡¯s attitude toward him was as cold as ice. It did not seem like a joke at all. She clearly called him honey in Messenger, and she even acted coquettishly and begged for peace. ¡°Joanna, why are you so fickle?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You¡¯re the fickle one. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t y t you know that I was overseas on a business trip?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more furious. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really strange. How would I know that you were going on a business trip?¡± A few days ago, Davian called her and said that their Daddy was on a business trip. However, Joanna did not expect Bruce to be on a business trip for more than a week! Bruce touched his dry upper lip and took out his phone. ¡°Did you send these messages to me?¡± Joanna nced at it. The Messenger ount was indeed hers, but she was not the one who sent the messages. ¡°Bruce, can you not y these little tricks?¡± ¡°What tricks did I y?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t used that Messenger ount for a long time. What¡¯s the use of your yacting?¡± Puff! When Bruce heard this, he waspletely dumbfounded. The gaze he used to look at Joanna turned from hot to cold and finally froze into ice. It seemed that he had been tricked. What was even more annoying was that he actually believed it and was foolishly happy for a few days. When the three little children saw this, they lowered their heads and did not dare to make a sound! They thought that once they made peace between their Daddy and Mommy on Messenger, their Daddy and Mommy would definitely be very happy to see each other and let bygones be bygones. However, they never thought that when their Daddy and Mommy met, there would be a big fight. Bruce took a deep breath and looked at the three little guys gloomily. He now knew that it was not Joanna who had sent him the messages these past few days. Looking at the guilty reactions of the three little guys, Bruce knew it was probably them. ¡°Heh, I see!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°What did you see?¡± Bruce sighed in frustration. He was speechless to the extreme. Joanna had never bowed down to him, much less begged for peace! ¡°It¡¯s none of your business about what I see! Now that you¡¯ve barged into my house for no reason, I can sue you for trespassing.¡± 10:52 ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really moody!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m moody, so what? I¡¯m richer than you. Are you not convinced?¡± Joanna choked in anger. ¡°What a lunatic!¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you. If you call me lunatic again, I¡¯ll send you to a mental hospital and you can forget abouting out for the rest of your life.¡± Bruce was really furious. This was the first time in his life that he had been fooled like this. Seeing this, Davian¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, stop arguing! ¡°It was me. I stole Mommy¡¯s Messenger ount. I sent the messages!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was instantly suffocated. She looked at her son in surprise and anger. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°We¡­ We just want Daddy and Mommy to reconcile!¡± After hearing this, Joanna became even angrier. ¡°Davian, I¡¯ve told you many times. You¡¯re not allowed to do such things again, and you¡¯re not allowed to lie¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish reprimanding him, Bruce sneered. ¡°Joanna, shut up. This is my son. What right do you have to lecture him?¡± ¡°Bruce, he is my child too! I definitely have to teach my child a lesson for doing something wrong.¡± Lilia was so scared that she pursed her lips and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, stop arguing!¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Irvin was so scared that he started crying too. Bruce took a deep breath and held Joanna¡¯s hand. ¡°If you want to argue, let¡¯s argue aside. Don¡¯t scare the children.¡± With that, Bruce desperately grabbed her and dragged her into the house. Joanna panicked and quickly struggled. ¡°Let go. What do you want?¡± She did not dare to enter the house with him. If she entered the house, it was very likely that she would be bullied by him. ¡°Joanna, it should be me who asks you what you want?¡± The two of them instantly quarreled again. Bruce had originally happily brought a bunch of gifts for Joanna, but now, it seemed to be a joke. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± The three little guys started crying together. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not argue anymore. Let¡¯s not argue in front of the children anymore!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± After saying that, Joanna left Sherane Bay Vi angrily! Bruce was so angry that he smashed his phone into pieces. The next day, in the conference room of the Everett Group, Bruce¡¯s face was very cold.. He threw the proposal book onto the face of the nning director and said, ¡°What kind of bullshit n is this? Take it back and redo it! ¡°Also, have you read the details of the contract? Type a new report for me.¡± One of the senior managers reported nervously, ¡°Mr. Everett, this is a new cooperation request the Stark Group made this year¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much nonsense with me. If they want to cooperate, so be it. If they don¡¯t want to cooperate, then ask them to get lost!¡± ¡°Princess Daisy will be staying on the eighth of next month. There¡¯s still a week left. Where is the venue suitable for the wee party¡­¡± 3/4 10:52 ¡°Are you all dead? Why would I spend so much money on you? Why are you asking me about everything? What¡¯s the use of hiring you?¡± Today, Bruce was in an extremely bad mood. He scolded almost all the senior managers. The senior managers lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly. After the meeting, Andy and Mark still had lingering fears! ¡°Look, what did I say? The calm before the stormn!¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. We have to be more careful these two days. Don¡¯t get into trouble.¡± ¡°Who made Mr. Everett so angry for no reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I heard that Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes seem to have quarreled again!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, they had a fierce argument!¡± ¡°No wonder!¡± Crack! Crack! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In the office, Bruce threw all the documents on the ground. ¡°What kind of shit are you making? Send them all back and redo them!¡± The exhibition Joanna prepared was imminent. ¡°Brother Trumpet, have you chosen the host?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already chosen. On the day of the exhibition, I¡¯ll bring eight friends over to support the event. I¡¯ve already sent the name list to Mr. Lawrence!¡± Joanna was very happy to hear that. ¡°Brother Trumpet, thank you so much!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± Brother Trumpet was a big streamer with tens of millions of fans. His friends were also inte celebrities with tens of millions of fans. With their help, the exhibition would definitely be very sessful! Of course, favors were favors. Joanna would still pay the advertising fees andbor fees! ¡°The exhibition will start tomorrow. Are the products ready?¡± Joanna was worried and checked the exhibits over and over again. ¡°Miss Haynes, everything is ready. There won¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the media from Mossbourne. We have to maintain order and safety.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. We¡¯ve already done the security measures. It¡¯ll definitely be a sensation tomorrow. We¡¯ll strive to make a name for ourselves in Mossbourne.¡± After hearing this, Joanna finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s for the best. Let¡¯s all cheer together.¡± A few marketing managers also cheered. ¡°Good luck! Good luck!¡± On the day of the exhibition, Joanna rented thergest exhibition hall at the convention center, enough to amodate 3,000 people. ¡°Wee to the Haynes Group exhibition.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, please introduce us to the main product first.¡± Brother Trumpet was in high spirits as he took a video to warm up. ¡°This ¡°This is our new generation of smart home robots. It has a lot of functions¡­¡± Joanna introduced the main products one by one! ¡°Hello, everyone. Today, we are here at the exhibition of the Haynes Group. This is the chairman from the Haynes Group.¡± 10:53 ¡°Miss Haynes, please say hello to the fans.¡± Joanna smiled at the camera and said, ¡°Hello, everyone! I¡¯m chairman Joanna Haynes from the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Wow, the Haynes Group¡¯s chairman is so young and beautiful!¡± ¡°Are you beautifying yourself? You¡¯re too beautiful.¡± ¡°Guys, let me introduce this product to you. This is the first product of the Haynes Group¡­¡± When the live broadcast started, the media also came over to interview! ¡°Joanna deserves to die!¡± ¡°Joanna is not human!¡± The entire venue instantly fell silent! Joanna was shocked. ¡°Cora, go check who¡¯s making trouble!¡± Send Gift Chapter 290 Chapter 290 ¡°Joanna, you unfilial daughter. Get out here! I¡¯m going to take you down with me¡­¡± Cora hurriedly ran out to take a look. Then she said, ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s Mr. Haynes causing trouble.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna furrowed her brows, wearing an extremely displeased expression on her face. Shaun was at the entrance of the exhibition hall. Shaun had a huge sign hanging around his neck. On it were the words ¡°Shameless Joanna¡± written in red ink. He was holding a loudspeaker in his hand and cursing Joanna loudly. Someone asked, ¡°Who is this person? Is he crazy?¡± Then another one answered, ¡°I think it¡¯s Miss Haynes¡¯s father.¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± Joanna hurried out. Then she asked, ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡± After seeing Joanna, Shaun pointed at her nose and scolded, ¡°You unfilial daughter. Don¡¯t call me Dad. You¡¯re a jinx. I won¡¯t acknowledge you as my daughter!¡± ¡°Dad, stop fooling around¡­¡± Shaun continued, ¡°Get lost. How could I give birth to a wretch like you? Do you know that you¡¯ve harmed Roxy badly? ¡°Our entire family has been harmed by you. You¡¯re a jinx. Everyone,e and take a look. This is the bitch who seduced her brother¨Cinw and drove her sister crazy.¡± His words sparked a lively discussion among the crowd. ¡°Oh, my God. Is it true?¡± The online streamers and media present were shocked. Joanna¡¯s face turned pale. And she almost gasped for breath. She never expected her father toe to the trade fair and ruin her reputation in such a way. And the shlights of the media went off in a frenzy. They captured a series of intense shots of Shaun. The poprity of the inte celebrities¡® live streaming rooms skyrocketed instantly. ¡°What¡¯s going on? A battle between father and daughter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s so fierce.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the grudge between them? Why does this father subject his daughter to such a devastating blow?¡± The security guards quickly came over to maintain order and tried to pull Shaun away from the scene. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t cause trouble here!¡± Shaun shouted, ¡°Get out of my way. And let¡¯s see who dares to stop me today! Whoever tries to hinder me, I¡¯m determined to take Joanna down with me! ¡°Everyone, gather around and witness! Joanna is a jinx who specializes in harming her own family. What sins did Imit in my previous life to give birth to a jinx like you?¡± * Joanna trembled with anger and said, ¡°Dad, have you had enough of thismotion? ¡°Take him away!¡± The security guards no longer hesitated. They grabbed Shaun¡¯s arms and wanted to drag him out. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Joanna, go to hell! Why aren¡¯t you the one who went crazy? You caused Roxy to be like this. You shouldn¡¯t have lived,¡± Shaun shouted. After hearing that, Joanna was speechless. She was so angry that she could not say anything. And she felt like she had been hit by a thousand arrows in the heart. ¡°Hurry up and leave this ce. Don¡¯t cause trouble again.¡± Shaun could not break free, and he was getting more and more agitated. Then he had a heart attack and slumped to the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes. Mr. Haynes!¡± Shaun, who already had hypertension and heart disease, had a sudden episode when he got overly emotional. ¡°Call an ambnce and send Mr. Haynes to the hospital!¡± The chaos in front of her made Joanna¡¯s mind go nk. She was dumbfounded. Cora and Michael quickly called the ambnce. It was very soon. Shaun was sent to the hospital. Roxanne was now hospitalized in a mental hospital. Ingrid was in jail. Moreover, Derick and Ryan were not by Shaun¡¯s side. Joanna could only wait in the hospital. The carefully prepared trade fair was ruined by Shaun just like that.. Then an hour had passed. The doctor walked out of the operating room. Joanna immediately came over and asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient?¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s condition is very bad. Hypertension has caused a cerebral infarction. He can¡¯t handle any more stress. Otherwise, he might be paralyzed for the rest of his life.¡± After hearing this, Joanna felt a sudden jolt beneath her feet. ¡°Please do your best to save my father!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best.¡± The doctor didn¡¯t say anything else and then went into the office. Joanna blinked and tears rolled down her face. At this moment, she truly felt a sense of numbness. Coraforted her and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry too much. Mr. Haynes will definitely be fine.¡± ¡°Well. Let¡¯s leave it to fate,¡± Joanna replied and sighed in despair. Then she sat on the hospital chair in a daze. She really did not want to have anything to do with her father after what he had done to her. ¡°How about apanying him in the hospital today?¡± Joanna shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll call Derick and ask him toe over. Let him take care of it.¡± Then Joanna took out her phone and dialed Derick¡¯s number. Joanna called Derick directly. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Hello, Derick. It¡¯s me, Joanna.¡± Derick¡¯s fierce voice immediately came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Well. Why are you calling me?¡± -Joanna said coldly, ¡°Dad is hospitalized. Come to the hospital quickly.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that Dad is in the hospital. Come to the hospital quickly to take care of him.¡± Derick was on a date with a B¨Clist celebrity. When he heard Joanna¡¯s call, he was extremely unhappy. 10:53 Unfortunately, Ryan was still in school. Derick was now the pir of the family. Then he asked, ¡°Why is Dad hospitalized? Where is Dad now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask so much. Dad is at the Northshore Hospital in Porash now. Come over quickly.¡± With that, Joanna hung up. She had done what she had to do. Since her father did not want her to be his daughter, she did not want to put in any more effort. Then Cora asked, ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t you go back first? I¡¯ll just wait here. ¡°When Mr. Derickes overter, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll cause a scene with you again.¡± Joanna¡¯s face was gloomy and tired. She replied, ¡°Just let him do whatever he wants.¡± An hour and a half had passed. Derick rushed over. As soon as they met, Derick immediately cursed, ¡°Joanna, what did you do to Dad? ¡°You damn bitch. Not only did you harm our family, but you also even caused Dad to be hospitalized.¡± Derick cursed as he flew into a rage. He looked like he wanted to fight Joanna. Cora quickly stepped forward to stop him. ¡°Mr. Haynes, please calm down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll calm down. I just want to know what she did to Dad. Joanna, if anything happens to Dad, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Then a crisp sound rang out. Joanna could not take it anymore and pped Derick in the face. Derick was stunned by the p. He looked at Joanna in surprise and horror as if he wanted to tear her apart. ¡°Joanna, how dare you hit me?¡± Joanna looked at Derick with a cold and gloomy expression. ¡°Don¡¯t curse at me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Derick was instantly enraged. He rushed over and attacked Joanna. Joanna was even more furious. She swung the bag in her hand and smashed it crazily at Derick. Then several loud thuds could be heard. Derick was caught off guard by the blows and struggled to defend himself. Joanna had at least practiced female self¨Cdefense for a few years. Derick was thin and weak. Coupled with the fact that he was always hanging out with women, he was as weak as a sick chicken. With a plop, he lost his bnce and was actually smashed to the ground by Joanna. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± Derick got up again and prepared to fight Joanna to the death. Joanna red at Derick coldly and said angrily, ¡°Derick, don¡¯t go too far. I still have evidence that you harmed my son. ¡°If you keep yelling at me, do you believe that I¡¯ll send you to jail?¡± When Derick heard this, his arrogance instantly weakened. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Joanna had already disowned her family. If she was really forced into a corner, she would definitely present the evidence of him persecuting Irvin to the police. Then he would probably go to jail. ¡°Alright. Joanna, you have guts.¡± Derick gritted his teeth and put away his overbearing attitude. ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll never see each other again. Don¡¯te and see Dad again!¡± Then Joanna replied, ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯d better remember what you said. No one wants to interact with you. ¡°Also, tell Mr. Shaun that my father¨Cdaughter rtionship with him ends here. If hees looking for trouble with me again, I won¡¯t 3/4 10:53 F be polite,¡± Joanna said and turned to leave. Cora quickly followed. This time, Joanna was really angry. In the past, even if her father said that he wanted to sever their father¨Cdaughter rtionship, in her heart, he was still her father. Now, it seemed that there was no need for her to maintain their father¨Cdaughter rtionship. ¡°Miss Haynes, where are we going now? Back to the factory or back to Greyport?¡± ¡°How¡¯s it going at the trade fair?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Nichs and Michael are still dealing with issues there. I heard that there are many media outlets around now. Miss Haynes, it¡¯s better for you not to show up at this time.¡± ¡°How about going back to Greyport first? Let¡¯s go back and discuss the marketing n,¡± Joanna said. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Joanna had just walked out of the hospital. Unexpectedly, arge group of entertainment reporters had chased them here. ¡°Ms. Haynes, may I ask how your father is?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, is your father mentally unstable? Or is this the Haynes Group¡¯s special marketing method?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, how are you feeling right now?¡± ¡°Will the trade fair be held again?¡± ¡°Is your father doing this on purpose to attract attention?¡± Cora tried her best to block the camera in front of Joanna. ¡°Move aside, everyone. Miss Haynes does not give interviews¡­¡± Joanna and Cora finally managed to escape from the relentless pursuit of the entertainment reporters. Then the night came Shaun¡¯smotion at the trade fair instantly exploded on the Inte. In the past, the poprity of Joanna was only rtively high at Greyport. This time, because the trade fair was held at Mossbourne, there were arge number of reporters from Mossbourne This time, the entire country was rmed, and it caused a huge uproar online. Then Joanna returned to Greyport She did not dare to show her face at all. And she stayed at home for two whole days. ¡°Miss Haynes, things have been getting out of hand recently. I think it¡¯s better to hire some influencers to write nification articles.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯spletely unexpected. Why did Mr. Haynes do something like this?¡± ¡°Has he even considered the consequences for the Haynes Group by doing this 7¡ä¡ä Joanna¡¯s expression was as cold as ice. She was extremely depressed. Shaun was prepared to go all out to destroy Joanna ¡°Inform the reporters that I want to attend the press conference,¡± Joanna said After hearing that, Cora was stunned. ¡°Miss Haynes, at this time, let¡¯s just hide.¡± Then Joanna replied, ¡°No. The more urgent the situation is, the more I want to rify everything. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I want to announce to the media that I¡¯m severing the father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Shaun.¡± Joanna decided that she couldn¡¯t give in anymore. In the past, Shaun held a press conference and announced that he would cut ties with her. Now, she was the one who wanted to cut ties with her father. She was already prepared to present the whole truth of the matter to the media. She could not bear this me anymore. And she wasn¡¯t willing to swallow her anger anymore. If she couldn¡¯t shake off this me, it would crush herpletely. In any case, she was already deserted by everyone and had be a pariah that everyone wanted to attack. There was nothing left ¨C for her to lose anymore. At the same time, Bruce was at the Everett Group. Bruce had naturally heard about such a huge incident on the Inte. After Andy brewed a cup of coffee for Bruce, he said with a serious and careful expression, ¡°Mr. Everett, there¡¯s been another issue with Miss Haynes ¡°Mr. Everett, now you and Miss Roxanne are involved. If we don¡¯t deal with it in time, I¡¯m afraid it could escte and have a worsening impact.¡± ¡°I got it,¡± Bruce replied. Andy asked, ¡°Then¡­ should we help Miss Haynes suppress the negative news? ¡°I heard that Mr. Haynes made a scene in front of the media and said that Miss Haynes drove Miss Roxanne insane.¡± Andy could not stand it anymore and could not help but put in a few good words for Joanna. Shaun was so biased. His attitude towards his two daughters was like night and day. If the roles were reversed and Joanna was driven insane by Roxanne, Shaun would definitely ignore the situation. Then Bruce said, ¡°Well. Hasn¡¯t she always been very headstrong? She can handle it herself. She doesn¡¯t need my help. ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for the wee party?¡± Andy paused and then handed over a proposal. ¡°This is the specific proposal. It has been revised. Mr. Everett, please take a look.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Bruce casually flipped through the proposal. ¡°For the past few days, he had been too busy receiving Princess Daisy and did not have much energy to think about other things.¡± Suddenly, Bruce heard a burst of notification sound. At this moment, the phone rang. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Jennie¡¯s sweet voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Bruce, what are you busy with?¡± Hearing Jennie¡¯s voice, Bruce frowned and then said, ¡°I¡¯m working in thepany. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh. I asked you to help me buy the bag overseas. Did you bring it for me?¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯ve already brought it over.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. When are you avable?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not avable these couple of days.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not avable, I¡¯ll go get it myself. I¡¯m downstairs in yourpany now.¡± When Bruce heard this, he subconsciously scratched his head. And he replied, ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯lle up to find you.¡± Jennie hung up happily. ¡°Andy, go fetch the Herm¨¨s two¨Ctone handbag that was brought from Escostan,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± Twenty minutes had passed. Jennie, who was dressed exceptionally morous, arrived at Bruce¡¯s office. ¡°Take a look. Isn¡¯t this the one you want?¡± Jennie took the bag and was very happy. ¡°Yes. This is it. Bruce, thank you. This is very difficult to buy. I can¡¯t find it in the country at all.¡± Bruce pursed his lips slightly and did not say anything. ¡°Oh. By the way, how much is it? I¡¯ll transfer the money to you,¡± Jennie said. ¡°No need. Take it as a gift from me,¡± Bruce replied. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Jennie smiled sweetly. The Herm¨¨s spring collection two¨Ctone handbag was quite difficult to acquire. It was priced at over 200 thousand dors, and one could only purchase it through allocation. ¡°I heard that Princess Daisy is staying at the hotel on the 8th of this month. Is that true?¡± Jennie asked. Chapter 291 ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle and join in the fun.¡± ¡°That would be best.¡± Bruce replied. Then Jennie smiled charmingly and said, ¡°Bruce, since you give me a bag, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Bruce said. He agreed casually. In any case, he was very annoyed. An hour had passed. Bruce and Jennie arrived at the Blue Pavilion restaurant. It was really a coincidence. Joanna and Brother Trumpet, Cora, also ate here. It was rare for Brother Trumpet toe to Greyport. Joanna naturally had to do her part as a host, so she brought him here for a meal. Unexpectedly, enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road. Cora immediately saw Bruce. ¡°Miss Haynes, Look! Isn¡¯t that Mr. Everett and Miss Garcia?¡± Then Joanna turned around and saw Bruce and Jennie. The two of them were chatting enthusiastically and looked very intimate. ¡°Yes,¡± Joanna replied coldly. ¡°Hey, what a coincidence!¡± Jennie also saw Joanna. ¡°That¡¯s right. What a coincidence!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna and also saw Brother Trumpet beside her. Instantly, the expression on his face was extremely strange. ¡°We¡¯re done eating. We¡¯ll get going first,¡± Joanna said. ¡°It seems that your taste is getting worse and worse,¡± Bruce replied. After hearing that, Joanna was speechless. She choked in anger and left with Brother Trumpet. ¡°Ms. Haynes¡­¡± Brother Trumpet looked embarrassed. ¡°Just ignore him,¡± Joanna replied. Brother Trumpet came from Mossbourne. Although Brother Trumpet had achieved some sess in the realm of inte celebrities, his presence would definitely pale inparison to someone like Bruce. After that, some rumors about Bruce started circting on the inte. [Mr. Everett is suspected to have a new rtionship.] [Mr. Everett is going on a date with the Ship King¡¯s daughter.] At the same time, Joanna was at the Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°Oh. There¡¯s news online attacking Mommy again.¡± ¡°Yeah. Daddy and Miss Garcia are still dating.¡± ¡°We have to think of a way to help Mommy.¡± ¡°¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°We need to take down all these websites that are attacking Mommy.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work. How can we possibly take down so many websites?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The three little kids were extremely worried. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is the marketing n.¡± ¡°Well¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, have you thought it through? Are you really going to hold a press conference?¡± Joanna had a serious expression. Then she replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought it through. If I¡¯ve been tolerating it in the past, I might as well take the initiative to attack and rify everything ¡°In any case, I have a clear conscience Justice speaks for itself¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get ready.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Joanna said. Then it was the next day. Cora prepared everything. She said, ¡°Miss Haynes, the press conference is ready. ¡°It was on the 7th of this month.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Time flew by in the blink of an eye. It was the 7th of that month. Joanna held a press conference at Porash She said, ¡°Wee, reporter friends. I¡¯m holding a press conference now mainly to rify three things. ¡°Firstly, I solemnly announce that I have severed the father¨Cdaughter rtionship with Mr. Shaun. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. ¡°Secondly, I want to rify once again that the rtionship between me and Mr. Bruce has never been what the public thinks. ¡°Thirdly, I will introduce the future development center of the Haynes Group.¡± The journalists kept taking photos And the shlights of the cameras in the audience kept shing incessantly. Joanna sat quietly on the stage without any makeup. Her face was a little gloomy as she took a sheet of paper in her hand. Someone asked, ¡°Who could this be?¡± Then Joanna replied, ¡°This is Mrs. Maxwell, the nurse who was once by my grandfather¡¯s side. Six years ago, it was on the day of Mr. Everett and Miss Roxanne¡¯s engagement. ¡°She was present throughout the entire event.¡± Then the woman said, ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Amy Marwell ¡°That day, it was Mrs. Haynes who asked me to drug Miss Joanna with sleeping pills. She asked me to send Miss Joanna to Mr. Bruce¡¯s room.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s her purpose in doing this?¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes said that Miss Joanna was so outstanding that she had won Mr. Raymond¡¯s favor. She wants Miss Joanna¡¯s reputation to be ruined, so she schemed to frame Miss Joanna and falsely imed that Miss Joanna made advances toward Mr. Bruce.¡± Send Gift Chapter 292 Chapter 292 What Mrs. Maxwell said caused a sensation in the room. The reporters present were even more dumbfounded. They could not believe it. Today, Joanna specially brought Mrs. Maxwell to the media. She had been backed into a corner with no way out. She decided to go all out. Instead of hiding it, she might as well take the initiative to rify everything. ¡°Mrs. Maxwell, did Mrs. Haynes really instigate this matter? You¡¯ll have to bear legal responsibility for what you said.¡°¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If Mrs. Haynes does this, isn¡¯t it equivalent to shooting herself in the foot?¡± Mrs. Maxwell nced at Joanna and then looked at the media solemnly. Then she said, ¡°That day, Mrs. Haynes originally found a few paparazzi to secretly take photos, wanting topletely ruin Miss Joanna¡¯s reputation. So, she sent the servants away and asked me to send the unconscious Miss Joanna to Mr. Everett¡¯s room. ¡°However, there was an ident that night. Mr. Everett was originally very drunk, but he woke up for some reason. He mistook Miss Joanna for Miss Roxanne. ¡°After that, Mr. Raymond and Mrs. Margaret were very angry and forced Mr. Bruce to marry Miss Joanna.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Everything I said today is true. I¡¯m not lying at all. I¡¯m also willing to take legal responsibility for my words and actions.¡± Mrs. Maxwell was originally Ingrid¡¯s confidant. But ever since that incident was ruined, she was fired by Ingrid and kicked out of the Haynes¡® house. Then Mrs. Maxwell lost her job. Coincidentally, her son was seriously ill. But she did not have the money to treat her son. And she was out of options. In the end, her son died in the hospital. From then on, Mrs. Maxwell also hated Ingrid to the core. Unfortunately, she was just a servant. She could do nothing to Ingrid. It was not until Joanna found her that she could finally vent the anger in her heart. Therefore, she was very cooperative. Then someone asked, ¡°Mrs. Maxwell, what else do you know?¡± ¡°I just want to rify the facts for Miss Joanna today. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. All these years, I¡¯ve been feeling very guilty. Seeing that Miss Joanna has been misunderstood and insulted, I feel even more guilty.¡± As Mrs. Maxwell spoke, she could not help but wipe her tears. ¡°I¡¯ve been a servant in the Haynes family for more than ten years. Ever since I worked there, I¡¯ve rarely seen Miss Joanna. ¡°For many years, Miss Joanna has been living in a boarding school. She will only be brought home on important holidays. Mr. Shaun has never given Miss Joanna a single cent for her living expenses and school fees. ¡°Miss Joanna has always been treated as an outsider in the Haynes family. Not only does Mr. Shaun hate Miss Joanna, but Ingrid also treats Miss Joanna as a thorn in her side. ¡°As a father, Mr. Shaun only dotes on Ingrid¡¯s child. Back then, he was also the one who abandoned Miss Joanna and her mother. Ingrid was originally a mistress.¡± When the reporters below the stage heard this, they couldn¡¯t wait to dig out more shocking information. ¡°Miss Joanna, is she telling the truth?¡± ¡°Did your father not love you at all?¡± Joanna looked at the camera calmly and gloomily. Then she replied, ¡°Yes. ¡°In order to snatch my grandfather¡¯s shares back from me, Mr. Shaun has resorted to moral ckmail more than once. He has attacked and scolded me many times. The father¨Cdaughter rtionship between us is over. He is no longer my father.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned red. And she choked up several times. In the end, she could not hold back her tears. The reporters also sympathized with Joanna¡¯s plight. After all, children rarely lived happily in a family with a stepmother. 17-575 7 ¡°Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t be too sad. We all support you and understand you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡± ¡°Miss Joanna, would you mind borating on your rtionship with Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna heaved a sigh and tried her best to calm down. Then she said, ¡°Mr. Everett and I divorced five years ago. ¡°He¡¯s not only an excellent entrepreneur, but also the father of my children. ¡°We¡¯re divorced now. No matter how many entanglements we had in the past, we¡¯ve let go. I hope we can wish each other well and raise the children together.¡± ¡°What about Mr. Grimm? Miss Joanna, please say a few more words.¡± The media reporters were unwilling to give up and wanted to dig up more information. Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Grimm is my benefactor and my best friend. When I was in my most difficult and helpless state, it was Mr. Grimm who helped me a lot. ¡°Without Mr. Grimm, there wouldn¡¯t be Joanna today. But we¡¯re really just good friends, now and in the future.¡± People in the audience kept taking photos. The cameras kept shing. Joanna went all out today. And she answered all the reporters¡® tricky questions one by one. The press conference that was originally nned for half an hoursted for more than an hour. It was very soon. The video of the press conference was uploaded online. The major media outlets scrambled to publish news about Joanna cutting ties with her father. In less than 24 hours, Joanna had be popr all over the country. [There is an internal rift between father and daughter in the Haynes Group.] [Current chairman of the Haynes Group is devastated by family betrayal.] [Shaun disregards the bond between father and daughter, pushing his daughter to a dead end.] [The Haynes Group is facing turbulence and the possibility ofplete bankruptcy.] Send Gift Chapter 293 Chapter 293 At the Haynes Group. Joanna sat in the office feeling a little dejected. She did not know the consequences of her actions. She might not be able to recover and probably would lose everything. Bang! Bang! Bang! There was a knock on the door. Joanna was lost in her thoughts when she was startled by it. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Cora walked in with a serious expression. ¡°Miss Haynes, the Inte is in an uproar now. It¡¯s all about the Haynes Group¡¯s news! ¡°But we¡¯ve already found influencers to protect our reputation!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± Joanna replied. As Cora spoke, a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry too much. The people in Greyport and Mossbourne seem to have different points of concern.¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s different?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Cora said, ¡°In Greyport, all of the people attacked you, Miss Haynes. The masses already have a bad impression of you. ¡°But in Mossbourne, although there are also people who attack you, most of them support you!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Joanna found it a little unbelievable. She was already afraid of being criticized. She felt that it was impossible for her to have supporters. The reason why she held the press conference was because she wanted to rify the facts and did not want to take the me.. Cora clicked on a few posts and showed them to Joanna. ¡°Yes! Miss Haynes, look at this post and these ones. They¡¯re all seeking justice for you! ¡°Looks like you made the right decision, Miss Haynes. Turning the focus of the business to Mossbourne might really be a way out. ¡°What¡¯s more, Miss Haynes, I think you can really listen to Brother Trumpet¡¯s opinion and register a live broadcast ount on the tform. This way, it¡¯ll be easier for you tomunicate with the masses.¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°Register a live broadcast ount?¡± Cora said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Nowadays, many celebrities and business owners are live¨Cstreaming on the tform! They asionally release videos and can attract a lot of attention.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s really something to consider,¡± Joanna replied. Cora continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already registered two ounts under thepany¡¯s name. Miss Haynes, you should register one too.¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Soon, Joanna registered an ount on the most popr tform. After sessfully registering, she only posted a simple self introduction video. However, she did not expect that such a video would have over a million views. In less than a day, her ount had actually gained more than 100 thousand fans. Of course, Brother Trumpet contributed and rmended a lot to this. Joanna¡¯s press conference also caused a huge uproar in Greyport. Bruce, Joanna¡¯s ex¨Chusband, was naturally affected! Arge number of reporters were waiting downstairs of thepany for Bruce to appear. At the Everett Group. ¡°This stupid woman. Why did she have to hold a press conference at this time?¡± Andy was also worried. ¡°Yeah! Tomorrow is the day Princess Daisy arrives at Greyport. Although Mr. Everett has divorced Miss Haynes, he will still be affected. Now, all the media are taking turns to interview us!¡± ¡°Repress the news about Greyport. No matter what, we have to wait until we¡¯re done with Princess Daisy¡¯s reception.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce was both angry and speechless! This incident might affect the reception of the royal family of Novlis. However, he saw the press conference where Joanna severed ties with her father! He also saw Mrs. Maxwell¡¯sint against Ingrid. He finally knew the truth. Joanna had never schemed against him from the beginning to the end, and the ones who plotted against him were Roxanne and Ingrid. Although the two of them had already been punished, Bruce had missed Joanna. Looking at the haggard and stubborn Joanna in the camera, Bruce had mixed feelings. The next day, Princess Daisy from Novlis arrived at Greyport, apanied by Princess Martha. This time, Princess Daisy was visiting Greyport on behalf of the Novlis royal family for an international talk. The chief governor, his wife, and the diplomats received Princess Daisy together. The entire conversation would be broadcast live. The entire Greyport was paying close attention to this matter! The conversation ended. Princess Daisy and Princess Martha nned to stay in Greyport for a day. The hotel they checked into was a seven¨Cstar hotel under the Everett Group, and rows of luxurious cars drove toward it. Greyport¡¯s security personnel and the Everett Group¡¯s private security personnel had already taken security measures. Bruce and a few major shareholders were dressed in suits and leather shoes. They received Princess Daisy and Princess Martha personally. ¡°Hello, wee¡­¡± The blond, blue¨Ceyed, and elegantly dressed Princess Daisy and Princess Martha got out of the car. ¡°Wow, Princess Daisy is so beautiful!¡± ¡°Princess Martha is prettier¡­¡± Exims echoed among the onlookers. Princess Martha, in particr, stunned everyone present. Her exquisite and defined facial features and hot and sexy figure surprised the crowd. After all, she was a real princess. Her noble temperament could captivate anyone. Even if the crowd only took a nce at her face, it would make people¡¯s hearts palpitate. Bruce¡¯s eyes lit up as well. Although he had seen all kinds of beauties, this was still his first time communicating with a real princess face¨Cto¨Cface. He was a man and would more or less be vanity. Princess Daisy and Princess Martha were weed into the hotel with people around, like stars surrounding the moon. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 The equally outstanding appearance of Bruce caught the attention of Princess Martha. Bruce was originally of mixed race, with a handsome and profound countenance. He had a robust and muscr physique,parable to that of a male model. Especially when dressed in a suit, he exuded charm and confidence. When a man like him stood amidst the crowd, he would immediately be the center of attention. Princess Daisy and Princess Martha nodded to the onlookers in a friendly manner. Under the protection of security personnel, they gracefully walked toward the hotel. A brand¨Cnew red carpet extended from the entrance to the reception hall. Both sides of the grand hall were already filled with celebrities from various fields. Everyone hade to witness the charm of the foreign royal family members, so the weing ceremony became a symbol of the status of political figures. Several notable politicians and celebrities from Greyport shook hands and exchanged greetings with Princess Daisy. Princess Martha, not being the focus, didn¡¯t have to deal with these formalities. After the wee ceremony, it was time for lunch. Princess Daisy and Princess Martha, apanied by several dignitaries, went to the restaurant together. Bruce had to apany them as well. During the meal break, Princess Martha spoke up. ¡°Can you give me your phone number?¡± Princess Martha took the opportunity to discreetly ask Bruce in Antlenish. ¡°Of course,¡± Bruce responded in Antlenish. Then, Bruce took out a pen, wrote his phone number, and handed it to Princess Martha. Princess Martha took the note and teasingly blinked at Bruce. ¡°I will get in touch with you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Princess Martha smiled slightly and entered her room. Although not many people witnessed this scene, Jennie had been following behind Bruce all along, and she saw it as well. Jennie¡¯s face darkened. She felt a vague sense of uneasiness in her heart. One was a royal princess of Novlis, and the other was a wealthy and powerful figure in Greyport. They seemed to be a good match. Princess Martha was studying abroad. She had an open¨Cminded personality and had been in several rtionships. There had been quite a few media reports about her. Anyway, she posed a huge threat to Jennie. The weing ceremony had just ended. Jennie deliberately looked sad and said, ¡°Bruce, the ceremony is finally over!¡± 11.705 Hearing this, Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I think Princess Martha seemed interested in you.¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly upon hearing that. ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m a divorced man. How could Princess Martha be interested in me?¡± Jennieughed sarcastically. ¡°Why not? Women¡¯s intuition is always urate. Princess Martha definitely has feelings for you. We went to the same school when we were studying abroad. She has been in several rtionships before¡­¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly, not saying much in response. He knew that his personality wasn¡¯t suitable for dating a princess. But as the saying went, everyone had their vanity. Princess Martha was indeed beautiful, and even if she did have feelings for him, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. Jennie paused for a few seconds and cautiously looked at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, is itpletely over between you and your ex¨Cwife?¡± Bruce hesitated, a hint of sadness appearing in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not answering, so I¡¯ll take that as a yes!¡± ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s over.¡± Upon hearing that, Jennie¡¯s bright eyes flickered, and she said with a hint of shyness, ¡°So, can I pursue you?¡± Bruce furrowed his brow. ¡°Jennie, don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m not joking! I¡¯m serious,¡± Jennie quickly confirmed. She had to seize the opportunity now. She didn¡¯t want to procrastinate any longer. If Bruce really caught Princess Martha¡¯s attention, Jennie might not stand a chance. Bruce¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, and he politely declined. ¡°Well, Jennie, I¡¯ve always seen you as my little sister. Don¡¯t have these scary thoughts. I¡¯m not right for you.¡± The smile on Jennie¡¯s face disappeared, and she said seriously, ¡°How do you know you are not right for me? We haven¡¯t even tried dating yet. Why don¡¯t we give it a shot?¡± With that, Jennie instinctively grabbed Bruce¡¯s arm. ¡°Stop it. We aren¡¯t suitable for each other, for real.¡± ¡°Bruce, do you think I¡¯m not good enough for you?¡± ¡°No, your brother would beat me up if he found out.¡± Jennie quickly exined, ¡°My brother has always known that I like you. Bruce, I¡¯m not a child anymore. I¡¯ve loved you for many years.¡± After saying that, Jennie buried her head in Bruce¡¯s chest, trying to hold him tightly. Bruce¡¯s expression darkened as he saw that Jennie was doing this in a serious manner. ¡°Jennie, stop it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Just give me a chance, Bruce! We can try dating for a while. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I won¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°Trust me. It won¡¯t work out!¡± Bruce said and forcefully pulled his hand away from Jennie¡¯s grip. Jennie decided to go all in and tightly hugged Bruce¡¯s waist, unable to be pushed away. ¡°Bruce, I think we are a good match. And I wasn¡¯t acting on impulse. I¡¯m definitely more suitable for you than Joanna and Roxanne. I will love your children, I promise¡­¡± Bruce felt even more frustrated after hearing what Jennie said. To be honest, he was still concerned about Joanna. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Neither Jennie nor Princess Martha could rece Joanna in his heart. Unfortunately, Joanna disappointed him again and again. The more he didn¡¯t want her to be involved with Jaydon, the more she ignored his feelings. ¡°I have something urgent to attend to now. I¡¯ll have the driver take you back!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Andy, have Kody take Jennie back.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce didn¡¯t want to have any more entanglements with Jennie, so he walked away with a cold face. Joanna was still busy with work. Ring! Ring! Ring! The phone rang. Joanna picked up the phone and saw that it was Jaydon calling. ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, gentle and maic. ¡°Joann, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine! What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I saw some news online and I was really worried about you.¡± Joanna smiled knowingly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me! Everything is fine.¡± Jaydon let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Joanna. I know you too well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jay!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re doing it again. I¡¯ve told you countless times. Stop thanking me all the time. It feels like we¡¯re strangers.¡± Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Hearing this, Joanna stopped being stubborn and asked with concern, ¡°Alright! How¡¯s your recovery?¡± ¡°I am recovering quite well. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Jaydon deliberately paused. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened, thinking that he was not recovering well. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I miss you a lot.¡± Hearing that, Joanna heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely visit you after I¡¯m done with my work.¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡± After hanging up, a trace of mncholy and worry appeared on Jaydon¡¯s handsome face. He was really worried about Joanna. Now, she was like standing on the cusp of the storm, receiving a thunderous baptism. It was very likely that she would suffer a great setback! Of course, it was also possible that she would turn the table and make aeback in the business world. However, the probability of sess was too low. Jaydon was feeling mncholic when the door was pushed open. Carmel walked in. When she saw Jaydon frowning and holding his phone, she immediately guessed that he had just called Joanna. ¡°Mr. Grimm, did you call Ms. Haynes?¡± When Jaydon heard this, his frown deepened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± Carmel¡¯s charming face darkened, and her tone was a little jealous. ¡°No, I just think that it¡¯s better for you to keep a distance from her, Mr. Grimm! ¡°A woman like her can¡¯t even tolerate her biological father. From this, it can be seen that she¡¯s not a good person¡­¡± Carmel really wanted to be Jaydon¡¯s girlfriend. However, it was a pity that being too eager for sess often backfired. Jaydon was very unhappy. ¡°I think you should go back now and note to the hospital again.¡± When Carmel heard this, her expression instantly froze. ¡°Mr. Grimm, are you chasing me away?¡± Jaydon suppressed his emotions. ¡°I¡¯m not chasing you away. I just don¡¯t need you to take care of me here!¡± Jaydon felt that Carmel had fallen in love with him. He had to deal with it and get her out of here. She had already crossed the boundaries of the game. A rich young man like him was most afraid of being restrained by others. He could y around, but he would never easily fall in love with a woman. This was not a matter of morals, but the reality was like this. If he had wanted to get married from the start, and then he cheated on her and fell in love with someone else, he could be said to be a scumbag. But from the start, it hadn¡¯t been love. It had just been mutually beneficial. He liked her because she was young and pretty. And she liked the fact that he was rich enough to provide her with resources. It was just that women were often too emotional. In a love game, it was very easy for women to fall in love. However, men were often very rational. He would only be interested in such women for a short time. It was impossible for him to really marry them. Seeing that Jaydon was angry, Carmel immediately became nervous. ¡°Mr. Grimm, did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°Then why do you want to chase me away? Is it just because I said a few bad things about Ms. Haynes? ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hear it, I won¡¯t say it anymore. Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t chase me away, okay?¡± Carmel cried pitifully. Seeing this, Jaydon felt even more frustrated. ¡°I need peace now. You can go out first! ¡°I think you need to calm down now. Think about what you can do in the future. Or should you focus on your work? ¡°Even if you leave me in the future, you can still live a good life.¡± Although Jaydon was a yboy, he had always been very gentle to girls. He could not bear to hurt the girls. who had been with him. However, the more he acted like this, the more the girls loved him. When Carmel heard this, her expression changedpletely. She quickly understood what Jaydon meant. It was very difficult for a girl of her background to marry into a wealthy family and be a richdy. The best choice was to be clear¨Cheaded and smart. While she was still young, she should get more money and resources to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Then, she should marry a nice man. That was the best choice! Carmel was a smart girl and knew her current situation very well. Without Jaydon, she was nothing. Carmel¡¯s expression changed in a second. She returned to her usual obedient and non¨Cstick self. ¡°Mr. Grimm, I¡¯ll be obedient in the future. I¡¯ll focus on my work in the future! ¡°Mr. Grimm, give me another chance. I promise I won¡¯t let my imagination run wild again.¡± Hearing that, Jaydon looked at her skeptically. Carmel was an actress with rtively high potential in hispany. She had been with him for the longest time and was an actress supported by thepany. ¡°Alright! You can go out first! I¡¯ll give you a month off to adjust your mentality before arranging a new¨C job¨Cfor you.¡± ¡°I got it! Thank you, Mr. Grimm.¡± Carmel quickly wiped her tears and tried her best to smile brightly. It was not that easy to win her boss¡¯s heart. It was better for her to be more clear¨Cheaded! There were a few actresses who overestimated themselves in Starlight Media. They relied on their ambiguous. rtionship with the boss to be smug and think that they were the boss¡¯s wife. Such stupid women ended up being refused to cast and banned. Now, they had be ordinary people. On the other hand, Carmel was obviously much smarter. Even if she could not be Mrs. Grimm, it was not a bad choice to be able to rely on Jaydon and be a top celebrity in the entertainment industry. The Haynes Group. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Joanna was dealing with work in her office when Cora knocked on the door and entered. As soon as Cora entered, she said in surprise, ¡°Wow, Miss Haynes, that¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Joanna looked up subconsciously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, look. It¡¯s only been two days, and you already have 2 million fans on your Dok¨CDek ount.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was also stunned. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I heard that it¡¯s very difficult to gain fans!¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s real.¡± Cora eagerly showed her the ount. Joanna took a look. Indeed, there were already more than two million fans and more than ten thousand ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s really quite amazing.¡± Joanna was also shocked. Brother Trumpet had told her before that she naturally attracted attention. It seemed that he was right. Joanna was the ex¨Cwife of the richest man in Greyport and even Jaydon¡¯s current rumored girlfriend. Indeed, she could attract a lot of attention. Many A¨Clist celebrities were not as popr as her. ¡°Miss Haynes, it seems that you can do a live stream and sell the goods yourself. There¡¯s no need to hire an inte celebrity¡­¡± Joannaughed awkwardly. ¡°Ha¨Cha, stop joking! There are specialized talents in all walks of life. I¡¯m just following the pace of the times and not falling behind! ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s a good thing to get so much attention.¡± Cora pondered for a few seconds and suggested, ¡°Miss Haynes, you should take advantage of the situation and post a video every day.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Beep, beep, beep. Joanna¡¯s phone rang. It was from Brother Trumpet. ¡°Hello, Brother Trumpet!¡± Brother Trumpet¡¯s slightly shy voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, I just asked a few 11:38 friends to help you post a promotional video. ¡°It¡¯s best if you release a post tomorrow. If you¡¯re free, you can show up on my live stream. That way, your fans will increase even faster.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was very grateful. ¡°Brother Trumpet, thank you. Thank you for helping me promote it. ¡°Now I have got more than 2 million fans, and I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± Brother Trumpet smiled slightly. ¡°We¡¯re friends. That¡¯s what I should do. ¡°When are you free toe to Greene Town? I¡¯ll teach you in detail about the live stream.¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned and pondered for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy these two days. I might not have time until next week!¡± ¡°Alright, give me a call in advance when youe to Greene Town.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll probably be free next week.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you next week.¡± ¡°Okay, bye!¡± ¡°Good¨Cbye.¡± Brother Trumpet said sincerely and hung up. He had been married once before, and his wife had passed away three years ago from cancer, leaving him with a daughter. Over the years, many women had appeared around him. However, he felt that he could not have the fight feeling. It wasn¡¯t until he met Joanna that he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of closeness! Perhaps it was because the two of them had experienced marriage once. After all, they resonated with each other. After hanging up, Joanna nced at the calendar. Today was already Friday. It was time to see the children the day after tomorrow. She had to work overtime today and tomorrow to settle the work at hand. Send Gift Chapter 296 Chapter 296 ¡°Cora, make two copies of this document! ¡°Also, find out the contacts with the Neorace Group and the Skywinds Group. ¡°Besides, make an appointment with the president of Belize Group and see when we can meet!¡± Hearing that, Cora looked at Joanna worriedly. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s already Friday. It¡¯s almost time to get off work. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stay upte to work again?¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take a day off on Sunday. I¡¯ll go see the children in the morning and see Jay in the afternoon. ¡°I¡¯ll finish my work in the next two days.¡± Cora sighed. ¡°Miss Haynes, your body won¡¯t be able to take it if you keep working like this. You have to pay attention to bncing work and rest. Don¡¯t work so hard.¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Cora did not dare to say anything else and could only go out to print the documents. She was very worried about Joanna. Miss Haynes did not care about her health once she started working. She worked overtime every day. It was not something that ordinary people could withstand. In particr, she had to bear both mental and physical pressure. The next day! Beep, beep, beep! Joanna called Bruce. Tomorrow was Sunday. She had to make an appointment to see the children. After she made a few calls, Bruce finally picked upzily. ¡°Hey, speak!¡± His tone was extremely cold and his words were extremely simple. ¡°Bruce, tomorrow¡¯s Sunday. I¡¯ll see the kids.¡± Bruce sneered and said in a mocking tone, ¡°Humph, you¡¯re a busy person. Do you still have the time to see the children?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and did not want to argue with him. ¡°Tomorrow morning at ten o¡¯clock, get the driver to send the children over!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same old ce, the entrance to Century za. You can stay with them for an hour.¡± Joanna gritted her teeth and wanted to argue with him. After some thought, she suppressed her anger. ¡°I see!¡± Before she could finish her words, Bruce hung up. ¡°Joanna, let¡¯s see how long you can hold on. ¡°I¡¯ll make everything difficult for you because you left me.¡± The next day. Joanna drove to Century za early in the morning. 9:50 a.m. Joanna had arrived at her destination. She looked at the time and saw that there were still ten minutes left. She prayed in her heart that the children would not be stuck in a traffic jam. Otherwise, their meeting time would be shortened. However, things did not go as nned. At ten thirty. Three luxury cars drove over one after another! Joanna took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and hurried over. The children were stillte. When the car door opened, Davian and Irvin jumped out of the car happily. ¡°Mommy!¡± The nanny carried the pram out of the car and pushed Lilia over. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia! ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you sote?¡± The nanny said indifferently, ¡°Miss Haynes, there was a traffic jam just now. There are only ten minutes left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business. You can¡¯t cancel out my time with the children like this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. In order to ensure the safety of the children, we can only do this!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that she had nothing to say! However, it was useless even if she argued with reason now! ¡°Mommy, we miss you so much!¡± ¡°I miss you guys too!¡± Joanna hugged the children in her arms. Her nose twitched and her eyes were sore! She wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°What have you been doing these past few days?¡± Joanna sniffed and forced a smile. ¡°Every day we go to school, go home, do our homework, and learn the piano.¡± Irvin took out a small packet of biscuits. ¡°Mommy, these are the handmade biscuits I brought for you. Davian and I made them ourselves.¡± Joanna took it. ¡°Thank you, baby.¡± ¡°Mommy, can we go to the amusement park today?¡± ¡°Baby, I¡­ I¡¯ll bring you guys there another day, okay?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Joanna sighed silently and looked at the children with heartache and helplessness. ¡°Miss Haynes, ten minutes is up. We have to bring the children back now.¡± ¡°Can you let me stay with the kids a little longer?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± When the children heard that they were going back, they lost their temper. ¡°We¡¯re not going back. We want to be with Mommy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We miss Mommy very much. We don¡¯t want to go back so soon. You bad woman, if you keep urging us to go back, I¡¯ll beat you up,¡± Irvin said as he clenched his small fists.. ¡°Mr. Irvin, Mr. Everett has instructed us to rush home before 11 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. We¡¯re not leaving¡­¡± Seeing that the children were throwing a tantrum, Joanna gentlyforted them. ¡°Good boy, go back early! ¡°I will go to see you guys next week.¡± After saying that, Joanna kissed the children one by one. She couldn¡¯t bear to part with the children. However, there was nothing she could do. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. If she angered Bruce, he mighte up with some tricks to mess with her again. An Aston Martin was parked in the parking lot. Bruce sat in the driver¡¯s seat and watched Joanna¡¯s every move gloomily. He was deliberately making things difficult for Joanna, hoping that she would argue with him. As long as she made a scene, he would have a reason to cut her off from the children. He just liked to see her go crazy and give in. Under thefort of Joanna, the children could onlypromise. ¡°Goodbye, Mommy!¡± ¡°Goodbye, my babies!¡± Joanna had tears in her eyes. However, it was not the time to cry now. She could only think of a way to be stronger so that she could fight against Bruce. After the children left, Joanna calmed herself down and took out her phone to call Jaydon. She was very busy with work now, and it was rare for her to take a day off today. After seeing the children in the morning, she prepared to go to Venturas to see Jaydon in the afternoon. Beep, beep, beep. Jaydon quickly answered the call. ¡°Hey, Joann.¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯lle and see youter.¡± Jaydon was very happy to hear that. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°I¡¯m rushing to the docks now to catch a boat. I¡¯ll be there around two¨Cthirty in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± After hanging up, Joanna rubbed her sore eyes to prevent herself from crying. Then, she got into the car and drove toward the egg tart shop that Jaydon had mentioned. Joanna left. Bruce also started the car and immediately followed her. He just wanted to see what she was busy with and who she was dating. Ten minutester! Joanna arrived at the egg tart shop and bought a dozen egg tarts. Then, she ced the egg tarts on the passenger seat of the car and began to rush to the docks! Bruce had been following behind. After following her for a while, he soon realized that Joanna was heading toward the docks in the direction of Venturas. Needless to say, she was definitely going to see Jaydon. After understanding what was going on, Bruce went off the deep end! He just couldn¡¯t stand the ambiguity between Joanna and Jaydon, and he couldn¡¯t stand the fact that she cared so much about Jaydon! ¡°Buzz buzz!¡± The car¡¯s engine roared. Bruce stepped on the gas and crashed into Joanna¡¯s car. ¡°Bang!¡± There was a loud sound. Joanna was driving when she suddenly jolted forward! The seat belt quickly tied her to the seat. It seemed that she had been rear¨Cended. Fortunately, the car wasn¡¯t moving too fast. Otherwise, her car would have flipped over. Joanna calmed herself down and immediately stopped the car. She was about to get out of the car to check! Through the rearview mirror, she saw that the car behind her was Aston Martin. Instantly, a bad premonition rose in her heart. In Greyport, not many people could afford to drive Aston Martin. There were not many cars on the road, and the speed was not fast. Logically speaking, it was impossible to be rear¨Cended! That could only mean that the person who hit her car was doing it on purpose! Other than Bruce, no one else would dare to be so willful. After Joanna reacted, she gasped in fear! She did not dare to get out of the car at all. Then, she put the gear in gear and drove forward! She did not want to have too much contact with Bruce! Buzz, buzz, buzz! Seeing that Joanna didn¡¯t get out of the car, Bruce became even angrier. He put the gears in reverse and drove back 7 inches. Then he stepped on the elerator and there was a loud bang. The front of his car mmed into the back of Joanna¡¯s car again! Joanna was even more certain now that the person who hit her car was Bruce! ¡°What a lunatic!¡± Joanna was furious and only wanted to leave quickly. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 After confirming that it was Bruce who hit her, Joanna was even more afraid to stop the car. She put in the forward gear again and drove straight ahead. Seeing this, Bruce gritted his teeth in anger. He stepped on the elerator and elerated past Joanna. Immediately afterward, with drift, the car stopped in front of Joanna. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna screamed and quickly stepped on the brakes. Fortunately, the brakes worked well. The car braked in time. Otherwise, she would have hit Bruce¡¯s car. After Bruce forced Joanna to stop, he suddenly turned the car around and crashed into the front of her car like a dodgem car. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± Bruce kept moving forward, backing up, and then crashing into the head of her car. The rear and front bumper of Joanna¡¯s car were dented, and the headlights were shattered. Joanna sat in the car. It was as if she was sitting in a bumper car. Her body shook with inertia. Even the egg tarts on the passenger seat were shattered. Creak! Joanna pushed open the door recklessly and got out of the car angrily. ¡°Bruce, kill me if you dare.¡± Seeing Joanna get out of the car, Bruce pursed his thin lips and stopped hitting her car. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± Joanna walked in front of his car and knocked hard on his car window! ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you crazy?¡± Joanna was about to go crazy from anger. Her eyes were as red as blood and her entire body was trembling from anger. The car window rolled down. Bruce raised his eyebrows and looked at Joanna provocatively. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m crazy! What¡¯s wrong? Do you have al way to stop me?¡± Joanna gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°You bastard, get out of the car.¡± Joanna cursed and opened the car door angrily. She grabbed Bruce¡¯s cor and pulled him out. This damned bastard was too hateful and despicable. If killing someone wasn¡¯t illegal, she wouldn¡¯t be able to vent her hatred even if she killed him 100 times. Bruce looked down at her, his eyes filled with provocation and yfulness. He looked at Joanna¡¯s furious expression. He felt extremelyfortable and aplished. What a damn woman. Since she dared to make him unhappy, he would make her much unhappier. Joanna looked up and red at Bruce. ¡°What on earth do you want? How did I offend you to make you hate me so much?¡± He was too tall, so she had to raise her head when arguing with him and looked less aggressive. Bruce smiled evilly. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m happy to do so! ¡°I like the way you hate me but can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Puff! Joanna was about to go crazy after hearing this. Tears instantly filled her eyes. She was on the verge of tears, but she tried her best to stop herself from crying. She wasn¡¯t Bruce. She couldn¡¯t withstand his repeated torment. Moreover, she only had one car. Now that the car had been hit by his car, it would probably take many days to repair it. It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to go to Venturas today. ¡°Bruce, you bastard!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m a bastard! Are you not convinced?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Joanna was so angry that she gritted her teeth with great strength. Coincidentally, two traffic policemen walked over. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I identally rear¨Cended her,¡± Bruce replied casually. ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt anyone, did you? Should we call an ambnce?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a rear¨Cend collision.¡± ¡°Are you the drivers? Show me your driver¡¯s licenses.¡± Bruce looked at the traffic police and said slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t have my driver¡¯s license with me. I¡¯ll call my secretary to send it over now.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Beep, beep, beep! Bruce took out his phone and called Andy. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Get my driver¡¯s license here and get the driver to pick me up. I¡¯ll send you the addresster.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± The traffic police looked around the car and saw that no one got hurt, so they decided not to make a big deal out of it. ¡°So are you settling this matter in a proper manner or ording to public regtions?¡± ¡°Thank you, we can settle this privately.¡± When Joanna heard this, she retorted hatefully, ¡°Sir, he deliberately hit my car. ¡°Please arrest him. He deliberately vited the traffic rules and tried to kill me!¡± When the traffic police heard this, he subconsciously looked at Bruce. After taking a closer look, he realized that Bruce was actually an influential figure in Greyport! His expression immediately changed and he hurriedly called his superior. ¡°Let¡¯s all go to the Transit Authority. ¡°Tow the car!¡± The Transit Authority. Soon, they concluded that Bruce should be fully responsible. ¡°Mr. Everett, you have to bear all the costs of repairing Ms. Haynes¡¯s car. ¡°Do you have any objections?¡± Bruce shrugged. ¡°No objections!¡± ¡°Alright then! Inform the insurancepany to repair the car!¡± Outside the Transit Authority! Andy asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s already been resolved.¡± ¡°Then Mr. Everett, please get in the car.¡± A Rolls¨CRoyce was already parked at the entrance of the Transit Authority. Bruce looked at Joanna. Joanna was still angry. Bruce was fully responsible and would bear all the expenses of repairing the car. But for someone who needed to use a car every day, this was really too inconvenient. ¡°Get in the car! I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Joanna replied fiercely, ¡°No need.¡± When Bruce heard this, his expression changed. He ordered, ¡°Get in the car. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really annoying¡­¡± After saying that, Joanna walked straight to the road. It was already past three in the afternoon. Beep, be¨¦p, beep! Her phone rang again. Joanna nced at it. It was Jaydon. She had said that she would arrive at two o¡¯clock, but it was already past three o¡¯clock. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± ¡°Joann, what¡¯s going on? Why haven¡¯t you arrived yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. There was a small ident Just now¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bruce rushed over. He snatched her phone away! Seeing this, Joanna trembled with anger. ¡°Bruce, are you crazy?¡± ¡°Get in the car!¡± Bruce said as he grabbed her wrist and forcibly dragged her to the car. ¡°Ah! What are you doing? Are you insane? Let go of me. Help!¡± She struggled violently! Bruce bent down and forcefully picked her up, stuffing her into the back seat of the car. ¡°Bang!¡± The car door was mmed shut. ¡°Kody, get off the car first.¡± Kody did not dare to hesitate and quickly replied, ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett!¡± Then, Kody hurriedly got out of the car! Joanna¡¯s anger turned into panic. ¡°Bruce, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just want to ask you. Where are you nning to go?¡± ¡°Where am I going? It¡¯s none of your business!¡± When Bruce heard this, he grabbed her arm and pressed her down. ¡°Do you really love Jaydon that much?¡± Joanna paused and looked at the car window! ¡°Look at me and answer!¡± Bruce grabbed her chin domineeringly, forcing her to look into his eyes. There seemed to be two mes dancing in his eyes. Joanna felt that she would be burned to ashes as long as she looked at him, ¡°So what if I do? So what if I don¡¯t?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t want to meet his eyes and tried her best to avoid his gaze. Unfortunately, his hand held her chin tightly. She could not dodge in time. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! You clearly still love me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t love you. Don¡¯t be narcissistic!¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t love me, why do you not dare to look me in the eye?¡± Bruce breathed heavily and asked fiercely. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re too violent! A domineering, selfish, and aggressive man like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be loved_at_____ all.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was so angry that he was speechless for a long time. He admitted that his personality was wed! Sometimes he didn¡¯t consider other people¡¯s feelings, but he was already slowly changing. Why couldn¡¯t she give him more time? Why couldn¡¯t she amodate him to his shorings more? She clearly knew that he couldn¡¯t stand her flirting with another man. ¡°Joanna, you really disappoint me.¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really strange. As for what I¡¯m going to do, what does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°I forbid you to see him. I forbid you to have anything to do with him.¡± ¡°Humph, Jay is my friend. No one can stop our friendship.¡± Bruce hadpletely lost his patience. ¡°Joanna, do you have to go against me like this?¡± ¡°Bruce, can you not be like this?¡± Chapter 298 Chapter 298 ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± B Send Gift Comment ¡°I¡¯m not your ve, and you¡¯re not my master. You have no right to ask me to do anything, and I will never do what you say. ¡°It¡¯s my freedom to make friends with anyone. What right do you have to control me?¡± Joanna was completely furious! Bruce paused and stared at Joanna. Indeed, he had no right to control her freedom, and she was not his ve. However, he just couldn¡¯t stand the ambiguous rtionship between her and Jaydon! He was going to do whatever it took to make them break up. Since he couldn¡¯t capture her heart, he could sleep with her. Bruce kissed her lips all of a sudden. Breathing heavily, Joanna¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°Mm¡­ Let go¡­¡± Bruceid the back seat t and kissed her lips domineeringly. He loved her. His request was also very simple! He wanted her to love him wholeheartedly andpletely break up with Jaydon. Then, he would love her wholeheartedly and never pay attention to other women in his life. Unfortunately, why didn¡¯t she understand his heart? She had challenged his bottom line time and time again. Joanna pushed his shoulder desperately. ¡°Bruce, let go¡­¡± Rip! Her shirt was torn¡­ Outside the car. Andy, Kody, and a few bodyguards were waiting silently. Although they could not see what was going on in the car, they could guess what would happen. ¡°Oh my god, didn¡¯t Mr. Everett already break up with Miss Haynes? Why are they together again?¡± Kody shrugged. ¡°How would I know? Mr. Everett¡¯s thoughts are too hard to guess. No one can guess what Mr. Everett is thinking.¡± Andy frowned and pondered. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ve gotten back together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say! Mr. Everett changes his mind faster than flipping a book. Even if he gets back together with Miss Haynes, it¡¯s nothing surprising!¡± ¡°s, I really didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett would get back with his ex¨Cwife! Perhaps Mr. Everett can¡¯t live without Miss Haynes for the rest of his life¡­¡± It was so torrid in the car. An hourter, Bruce finally stopped! Joanna was about to fall apart. She was nestled in the backseat and did not even have the strength to put on her clothes. His energy and stamina were so amazing. It was unbearable. Bruce lit a cigarette and smoked gloomily. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll give you onest chance! ¡°Don¡¯t get involved with Jaydon. I¡¯ll forgive you this time! ¡°I can give you everything you want. I can give you everything that Jaydon can give you! I can also give you what he can¡¯t give you. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. What are you unsatisfied with since you¡¯ve got a man like me?¡± Bruce had always been very confident in himself. He thought that he was the most outstanding man in the world. Joanna was so lucky to be with him. She should be grateful. In particr, he was quite devoted to rtionships. If Joanna was obedient, he would definitely be a good man! From now on, he would be a good husband and a good father. Joannay on the sofa without saying a word. How could she not understand what Bruce was thinking? She believed that he could do what he said. Bruce was a very arrogant person. He could usually do what he promised others. However, a man like him was really too scary! Getting along with him was really tiring! Moreover, his desire to control was too strong. If she wanted to be his wife, she had to listen to him in every aspect and submit to him. In the past, Joanna had indeed done this. But now, she really could not do it. Especially he wanted her to cut ties with Jaydon! How was this possible? Although she and Jaydon were not in love, Jaydon was the most important person in her life. Seeing that Joanna was silent, Bruce could not help but ask, ¡°Say something!¡± Joanna frowned slightly and ignored him. It was useless to say anything more! In any case, if anyone wanted to go against him, they would be asking for trouble. Bruce forcefully pulled her into his arms again. ¡°Joanna, do you still not understand my thoughts now? ¡°Do you know how many women want to throw themselves at me? How many women crave my love? ¡°I know, you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯m a yboy! Afraid that I¡¯ll hurt you! 11-29 ¡°I also know that I have a bad temper and have hurt you a lot in the past. Please give me some time. I¡¯m willing to change! ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m willing to change for you!¡± Joanna remained silent! A leopard couldn¡¯t change its spots! It was hard to change one¡¯s nature! Usually, when a man made such a solemn promise to a woman, it was usually just a big lie. ¡°Joanna, we have children. We have the foundation of love. Come back to me and be a housewife in peace. We will be very happy. ¡°If you want money, I can give it to you! How much do you want? I can satisfy you. Why do you have to do this?¡± Bruce was very sincere. This was the first time he had talked to a woman so earnestly. When Joanna heard this, she could not help but sneer in her heart. It was better for her to rely on herself. Some time ago, when he was angry, he directly kicked her out of the house. His love for her was more like a master raising a pet. When he loved her, he wished he could give her the whole world. When he didn¡¯t love her, he wished she could disappear from his life. She did not want to live such an insecure life. In Marhall Hospital in Venturas, Jaydon was very anxious and did not know what had happened. He could only call Joanna again and again. Beep, beep, beep! ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is currently unanswered¡­¡± ¡°Joann, what exactly happened? Did Bruce make things difficult for you again? ¡°Joann, hurry up and reply to me. Are you alright?¡± Jaydon was restless. He wished he could immediately fly to Greyport to look for Joanna. Seeing this, the nurses looked even more anxious. ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t move!¡± Jaydon frowned and tried to stand on the ground. ¡°No, I want to be discharged now!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm. It takes a few months to recover from a bone injury. There are many fractures in your body. You¡¯ve only recuperated for less than a month. Don¡¯t move around.¡± ¡°If the bones don¡¯t recover, it¡¯ll be troublesome if you want to recover in the future!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If the bones don¡¯t recover and you be crippled, it will be troublesome!¡± Jaydon was distraught. ¡°No, I have to be discharged now! I have to look for Joann¡­¡± Creak! 11-39 The nurses were in a terrible fix when the door of the ward was pushed open. ¡°Mr. Grimm, Mr. Tim is here.¡± Tim then walked in! ¡°Daddy! Why are you here?¡± Jaydon called out subconsciously. Looking at his son¡¯s anxious expression, Tim could not help but frown. ¡°Jay, what are you doing?¡± Jaydon paused. ¡°I¡­ I want to be discharged¡­¡± ¡°Discharged?¡± Tim was even more incredulous. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have a friend who might be in trouble. I¡¯m going to save her!¡± Tim looked at his son meaningfully. ¡°Your friend? Is it Ms. Haynes?¡± Jaydon was stunned. He did not reply, which meant that he had tacitly agreed. ¡°Jay, are you serious about Ms. Haynes?¡± Jaydon replied without thinking, ¡°Yes!¡± . Tim sighed slightly. ¡°Rest well and tell me about Ms. Haynes¡¯s situation. I will send someone to help her!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jaydon looked at his father in disbelief. hough. Breypostisitou territory, I have a lot of old friends there. It won¡¯t be a pr small favor.¡± Jaydon quickly told his father about Joanna. ¡°Take good care of yourself. I will call my friends over there and ask them for help.¡± ¡°Thank you, Daddy!¡± to help with a ¡°You¡¯re wee. Rest well. If you really like her, I won¡¯t object.¡± Tim and Jaydon were very distant, not like father and son at all. ¡°When you recover, I will support you in marrying her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Have I ever broken my promise?¡± ¡°Thank you, Daddy!¡± ¡°Take good care of yourself!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Jaydon felt slightly more at ease. He never thought that his daddy would not object to him dating Joanna. With his father¡¯s support, he was even more determined to win Joanna¡¯s heart. Greyport. Send me back!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve told you so much. Do you hear what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Bruce, my heart is in a mess right now. I can¡¯t give you an answer!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only ask you one question. You have to answer me honestly! ¡°Do you still love me?¡± Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Joanna frowned. She really had nothing to say to Bruce. Love or not, it didn¡¯t seem to matter anymore! Bruce shook her arms. ¡°Answer mel ¡°No¡± Joanna thought for a few seconds and gave a firm answer. When Bruce heard this, his breathing instantly stopped, and his heart seemed to fall into an ice cave. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Joanna¡¯s pupils moved slightly as she looked at Bruce solemnly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. We¡¯ve broken up. It¡¯s impossible for love to exist anymore. *Bruce, you¡¯re an amazing man. When ites to rtionships, I hope you can be as mature as you are when ites to your career,¡± Bruce stared into Joanna¡¯s eyes as if he wanted to see the truth in her eyes. Joanna pushed him away and began to put on her clothes. Her expression was very calm. She did not cry or feel sad. It was as if she did not have any emotions about what had just happened. This made Bruce even more disappointed. He pinned her arms on the car seat again and was unwilling to give up. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Do you really want to choose Jaydon?¡± Joanna did not resist or struggle. She allowed him to do whatever he wanted. She looked into Bruce¡¯s eyes calmly and coldly. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s really over!¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for a man like you to have any woman you want. There¡¯s no need to waste your time on me. I don¡¯t want to love you anymore.. ¡°I hope we can part on good terms. We won¡¯t disturb each other. We wish each other well.¡± Bruce took a deep breath. His pride was hurt. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious! ¡°I want to live a new life now. If you really have a trace of love for me, please let me go.¡± After Joanna finished speaking, her heartpletely calmed down. It was time to say goodbye to Bruce! ¡°Humph!¡± Bruce could not help but sneer. This feeling of defeat made his heart feel like it was being cut by a knife! Joanna sighed and said sadly, ¡°Bruce, I hope you can start a new life too. ¡°We used to be husband and wife. We should let each other go for this sake! ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything, nor do I owe you anything. There¡¯s no deep hatred between us. There¡¯s This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. no need to fight to the death. ¡°In my heart, you will always be the father of my children. I sincerely wish you well and hope that you can get your own happiness soon.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes widened! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t regret it!¡± Joanna replied seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t regret it! As long as you don¡¯t disturb my life and don¡¯t suppress me behind my back, I will live well. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and let go of her resentfully. It seemed that he had really lost herpletely! This made his heart ache so much that it felt like it was about to split open. An unprecedented pain and difort filled his heart. Joanna paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re a courageous man. You won¡¯t be entangled with just a rtionship. I once loved you. That¡¯s enough. ¡°I don¡¯t want to love anyone else now. It¡¯s not that you¡¯re bad, and I don¡¯t hate you. I just want to start a new life. I don¡¯t want to live in the past. ¡°I hope you understand that I¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s heart felt like it was being sliced by des, and his eyes could not help but turn red. This was the first time Joanna had said so many emotional words to him! Every sentence made him feel extremely ufortable. How he wished that he could go back to the past! If he could, he would definitely love her well and not disappoint her. But now He might lose her forever, he knew. The more he pushed, the faster she would escape. ¡°Joanna..¡± Bruce¡¯s voice choked up. He clearly had a lot to say to her, but he could not say a single word. Joanna tidied her messy har and forced a smile at him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving! Let me know when the car is repaired. ¡°You¡¯re almost 30 Don¡¯t do anything meaningless. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to hurt others just because you¡¯re angry! ¡°Goodbye!¡± With that, Joanna opened the door and got out of the car calmly! Bruce watched as Joanna left. He mmed his fist on the chair and then held his forehead in frustration. The thing he regretted the most in his life was probably losing Joanna! When Andy and Kody saw that Joanna had left, they quickly walked to the car. Seeing Bruce¡¯s dejected expression, Andy¡¯s heart sank. He carefully asked, ¡°Mr. Everett, are you going back to thepany now? Or are you going somewhere?¡± Bruce took two deep breaths and regained hisposure. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to thepany!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Kody hurriedly got into the car and drove back to the Everett Group! 6:30 p.m., in Marhall Hospital, Venturas, Jaydon was still worried about Joanna¡¯s safety, and he was even more anxious. Creak! The nurse pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Mr. Grimm, Ms. Haynes is here!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Joanna walked in with a smile on her face and a box of egg tarts in her hand. ¡°Joann, you¡­ Why are you here?¡± Jaydon widened his eyes in shock and subconsciously sat up straight. Joanna hurriedly went forward and helped him put a pillow on his back. ¡°I already said I wasing to see you today! ¡°Sorry, I was dyed by something! ¡°Here¡¯s the egg tart I brought for you from Taylor¡¯s!¡± Joanna bought some other egg tarts and brought them over to Jaydon. Jaydon looked at Joanna in surprise. He sized her up and asked, ¡°Joann, are you alright?¡± Joanna smiled at Jaydon. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°I was so worried about you!¡± Jaydon¡¯s face was serious as he hugged Joanna in his arms. ¡°You know what? I was so worried about you just now. I hate that I haven¡¯t recovered and can¡¯t leave the hospital to look for you!¡± Joannaforted him gently. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t be too nervous. I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡± Jaydon asked worriedly. ¡°What happened in the afternoon? Did Bruce find trouble with you again? ¡°I was so worried that he would hide you again¡­¡± Joanna smiled sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will happen again. I¡¯ve already made it clear to him!¡± ¡°Joann¡± Jaydon hesitated and looked at her affectionately and passionately. Joanna picked up the egg tart on the table. ¡°The egg tart is still warm, Hurry up and eat!¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t have the appetite to eat now. He just looked at Joanna with mncholy. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t hide anything from me. You have to tell me.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. ¡°How¡¯s your recovery?¡± ¡°I am recovering very well. In another month, I should be able to walk.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was a little surprised. ¡°So fast?¡± can move now. Look!¡± As he spoke, Jaydon raised his leg Joanna quickly stopped him. ¡°Alright, hurry up and lie down. It takes a few months for bone injuries to recover. You have to recuperate well! ¡°I brought you egg tarts. Hurry up and taste them!¡± Joanna said as she picked up an egg tart and brought it to his lips. Jaydon took a small bite. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Look at you, why are you thanking me? If you don¡¯t want me to thank you, you¡¯re not allowed to thank me either¡± ¡°Ha¨Cha, that¡¯s good. From now on, we¡¯re not allowed to be so polite.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°By the way, thepany is preparing to expand and develop online live broadcasting.¡± Jaydon was stunned. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Short videos are very popr now!¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°Sure! I support you. Do it boldly! When I¡¯m better, I¡¯ll get someone to promote you!¡± Starlight Media had many popr celebrities! They could attract arge number of fans by casually asking a few female celebrities to show up in the live stream. Therefore, there was no need to worry about not receiving attention. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll talk about other things after you recover! Your priority now is to recuperate!¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to tell you something seriously!¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m listening!¡± Jaydon¡¯s handsome face became serious ¡°I¡¯ve figured out a lot of things after the car ident. ¡°The fate is unpredictable, and people have their own fortunes. One day, we might have to leave this world by ident! ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot during my stay in the hospital I¡¯ve also been thinking about a question.¡± Send Gift Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Joanna smiled and asked curiously, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes became blurry as he said with a mncholic expression, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, if there¡¯s only one day left in my life, who would I want to stay with?¡± Joanna was stunned! ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it seriously. If there¡¯s only one day left in my life, I hope that the person by my side is you!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened when she heard that. ¡°Jay¡­¡± She had already guessed what he was going to say! Seeing her resistance, Jaydon quickly took the initiative. ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t have to say it first. I know what you want to say! ¡°Can you hear me out?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes shed and she frowned. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Jaydon could not help but hold Joanna¡¯s hand. ¡°At the moment of the car ident, I only thought of you! ¡°If I die tomorrow, what regrets do I have in this life? ¡°That¡¯s probably¡­¡± Joanna could not bear to listen anymore. ¡°Jay, stop talking!¡± How deep were Jaydon¡¯s feelings for her? It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know! However, in her heart, whether it was Bruce or Jaydon, they were not the best partners! Moreover, she did not want to get married again, nor did she yearn for love. To be honest, she had not completely let go of Bruce in her heart. If she agreed to Jaydon¡¯s courtship, it would be unfair to him. Jaydon was a very good man. She felt that she was no longer worthy of him. At the same time, Jaydon was an amorous yboy. Compared to Bruce, he was probably more popr with women. Joanna thought that she did not have the charm to make Jaydon give up other women for her.. Therefore, she only wanted to be friends with him for the rest of her life. Jaydon held her hand tightly and said with deep affection and sincerity, ¡°Joann, are you really not going to give me a chance?¡± Joanna panicked and subconsciously retracted her hand. ¡°Jay, can you not talk about this?¡± A hint of disappointment appeared in Jaydon¡¯s eyes as he probed, ¡°Joann, tell me the truth. Have you always loved Bruce? ¡°If you still love him and can¡¯t leave him, please tell me the truth! I definitely won¡¯t pester you anymore.¡± Joanna was even more flustered when she heard that. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Jay, I¡­ I don¡¯t want to fall in love anymore, nor do I want to ept anyone¡¯s feelings!¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the reason? Why do you always resist me?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes shed uneasily. ¡°The pain in my heart hasn¡¯t healed! I don¡¯t want to be in love anymore. ¡°Jay, I hope we can be good friends for the rest of our lives!¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to heal the wound in your heart, and I¡¯m willing to give you time to slowly ept me!¡± Joanna avoided bfs hand stiffly. ¡°Jay, we¡¯re really not suitable for each other!¡± ¡°Joann, you haven¡¯t even tried it. How do you know we are not suitable?¡± ¡°Jay, I¨CI don¡¯t know what to tell you! ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to ept anyone else. I just want to be single!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Joann, why are you so stubborn?¡± Jaydon looked at her in disappointment! ¡°Are you worried that there are too many women around me? Afraid that I¡¯ll abandon you? Afraid that I¡¯ll be irresponsible? ¡°I can guarantee you¡­ Joanna stood up decisively. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll visit you another day¡± Then, without waiting for Jaydon to ask her to stay, she opened the door and left. ¡°Joann, Joann!¡± Jaydon called out anxiously a few times. Joanna had already §±led! She left the hospitall Joanna had mixed feelings in her heart. She could not help but cry. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry! ¡°I really can¡¯t ept you. My heart is already broken. I¡¯ve already lost the ability to love! ¡°Even if I¡¯m with you, I can¡¯t give you the happiness you want, let alone be a good wife.¡± After Joanna leht the hospital, it started to drizzle outside! It was very cold to be drenched by the drizzlel The pedestrians on the street were rushing along with umbres. Neon lights flickered in the rain in Venturas, making the streets even more cheerless. Joanna walked in the rain without holding an umbre, allowing the light rain to drench her. Her heart was in a mess now. She just wanted the rain to pour through her heart and make her stay clear¨Cheaded. The next day, at the office of the Haynes Group, Joanna sneezed a few times. ¡°Achoo, Achoo!¡± Seeing this, Cora said with concern, ¡°Miss Haynes, do you have a cold?¡± Joanna sniffed and said hoarsely, ¡°It might be!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you a cup of cold medicine and give you two cold pills.¡± Joanna shook her head. ¡°No need. Get me a cup of water! I¡¯m sleepy after taking the cold medicine. I don¡¯t want to take the medicine.¡± ¡°How can you not take medicine? Although the cold is a small illness, it can kill you if you fall ill.¡± Joanna lowered her head to deal with the documents. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Hurry up and settle today¡¯s matters! ¡°I have to make a trip to Greene Town tomorrow! I originally nned to go there today, but this ount goes wrong. I have to settle it today¡± As Joanna spoke, she rummaged through the pile of bills. Cora was even more anxious when she saw this. ¡°Miss Haynes, your health is the most important. Don¡¯t work so hard!¡± ¡°Hurry up and go! I know my own health. It¡¯s just a small cold. I¡¯ll be fine after enduring it.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Cora replied helplessly. In the Everett Group, Bruce was also very busy. Beep, beep, beep! Just as he was busy, an unfamiliar international call came in. ¡°Hello!¡± Bruce answered the call. ¡°Hi¡­¡± A sweet female voice came from the other end of the phone! Bruce was stunned and asked in Antlenish, ¡°May I know who it is?¡± The other party replied in Antlenish, ¡°I¡¯m Martha.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was instantly shocked, and his blood was boiling with excitement. He never expected that Princess Martha would actually call him. Bruce was a rather picky person when it came to women. Ordinary women could not catch his eye at all. But Princess Martha was different! She was a genuine princess. Just her identity was enough to arouse all the men¡¯s vanity and desire to conquer. Which man didn¡¯t want to marry a princess? ¡°Your Highness, what can I do for you?¡± Bruce smiled teasingly. The gloominess in his heart was swept away, and he began to chat with Martha in Antlenish. Princess Martha was very enthusiastic. She was not reserved or shy! ¡°Can I ask you out?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Are you free toe to Docan? I¡¯d like to see you.¡± ¡°Of course Lam!¡± ¡°Next week, let¡¯s meet In Docan.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two of them chatted for a while before reluctantly hanging up! After hanging up, Bruce felt that he was in a dream! Although he had countless women before, he had never tried a noble girl like the princess. Since Princess Martha was interested in him, he had no reason to reject her. In particr, Joanna had clearly told him that it was impossible for them to get back together. ¡°Andy, book me a flight to Docan.¡± Andy was stunned. ¡°To Docan? ¡°Mr. Everett. We have no trip to Docan next week¡± ¡°I told you to book it. Why are you talking so much nonsense?¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is going to Docan for no reason!¡± Mark also looked surprised. ¡°To Docan? Why go there? To discuss business?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not on the itinerary either! He suddenly mentioned that he was going to Docan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care so much. If Mr. Everett tells you to do something, just do it obediently.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has been very strange these past two days. He¡¯s been answering international calls every day and even chatting with the other party in Antlenish for more than half an hour. I wonder who he¡¯s been chatting with so fervently.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what they were talking about?¡± ¡°With Mr. Everett¡¯s temper, how would I dare to do that?¡± ¡°Then do you think the other party is a coborator?¡± ¡°ording to my understanding of Mr. Everett, the other party is definitely not a coborator. If it was a coborator, Mr. Everett would not have chatted with him patiently for so long. ¡°Moreover, he seemed to be in a very good mood when they were chatting. He had a smile on his face the entire time!¡± ¡°Then who do you think he was talking to?¡± ¡°Well, I think it must be a woman!¡± ¡°A woman? What kind of woman? Is she so charming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Joanna went to thepany carly in the morning on Tuesday. After the meeting with the higher¨Cups, it was already past ten o¡¯clock. Joanna looked at the time. If she set off now, she should be able to reach Greene Town by noon. ¡°Cora, do you have all the samples and documents?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve brought them all.¡± ¡°Alright then! We have to rush to Greene Town now.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Call Michael. Tell him and Nichs to pick us up at the port.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already called Mr. Lawrence.¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled. She admired Cora¡¯s ability to handle things and work. ¡°Miss Haynes, the number of fans has increased by several hundred thousand in the past two days. At this rate, the number of fans will soon exceed 10 million.¡±¡± Joanna frowned and said in surprise, ¡°No way?¡± ¡°Brother Trumpet has more than 50 million fans. With his help, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to have ten million fans.¡± ¡°Ha¨Cha, let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna brought Cora to Porash. After they arrived at Porash, Michael and Nichs would wait for them there. This time, there was a female bodyguard, Tatiana, Tatiana was newly hired and was the national boxing champion. Dealing with eight to ten strong men would not be a problem. It was not safe for Joanna to enter and leave a ce without the protection of the bodyguards. Therefore, Joanna paid a high price to hire another female bodyguard. Three hourster. Greene Town! Joanna¡¯s group had arrived at Greene Town. Brother Trumpet was already waiting downstairs. When he saw Joanna get out of the car, he came to wee her personally. ¡°Brother Trumpet!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯re here.¡± There was a warm smile on Brother Trumpet¡¯s face as he stepped forward to shake hands with Joanna. Joanna politely shook hands with Brother Trumpet. ¡°You can call me Joanna from now on! Calling me Ms. Haynes sounds. strange.¡± Brother Trumpet smiled shyly. ¡°Alright! ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Let¡¯s go for lunch.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made reservations. Let¡¯s go straight to the hotel.¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± The group drove straight to the hotel. Ten minutester, Brother Trumpet brought Joanna to the best hotel in the town, Joy¡¯s. In arge private room, Joanna and Brother Trumpet sat opposite each other, Cora, Michael, and the others sat beside them. ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t like to eat?¡± Brother Trumpet flipped through the menu and asked like a gentleman. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll order the food!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Brother Trumpet ordered more than ten of the hotel¡¯s signature dishes and a bottle of red wine. The dishes were served one after another. Brother Trumpet had helped her so much. Joanna took the initiative to raise her ss and toast Brother Trumpet. ¡°Brother Trumpet, to our future.¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± Cora also raised her ss. ¡°Brother Trumpet, let me toast to you too!¡± Brother Trumpet smiled slightly. ¡°I still have a live broadcast in the afternoon. I can¡¯t drink too much.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll drink it.¡± Cora used to be a PR representative, so she knew the rules of the wine table. Seeing Cora finish her wine, Brother Trumpet had no choice but to raise his ss and drink another ss of wine. They ate and drank to their fill! Joanna handed a stack of documents to Brother Trumpet. ¡°Brother Trumpet, this is the sample that our Brother Trumpet flipped through it seriously and looked up at Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t¡­ you do a live stream with me. this afternoon?¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± After Brother Trumpet finished speaking, he smiled gently. His long eyes narrowed into a beautiful arc. Although Brother Trumpet was not as good as Bruce and Jaydon in terms of appearance, Brother Trumpet¡¯s personality was extremely gentle and approachable. Getting along with him wasn¡¯t tiring at all. Joanna brushed her hair in embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be a bad influence!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Mossbourne is different from Greyport. You¡¯re very popr in Mossbourne!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna was in disbelief. She guessed that Brother Trumpet might beforting her. Brother Trumpet gave her an encouraging and affirmative look. ¡°Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t dare to invite you to do a live stream with me. ¡°I live off my fans. If I¡¯m not confident, I don¡¯t dare to offend my fans easily.¡± Joanna was still a little hesitant when she heard that. Michael chimed in, ¡°Miss Haynes, give it a try!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If you can¡¯t do it, just leave the live broadcast immediately.¡°¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Seeing that Joanna agreed, Brother Trumpet was very happy. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in Greene Town for a day? You can consider not leaving.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Joanna was a little hesitant. ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll hurt you? ¡°My live broadcaststs from six to eleven in the evening. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be toote and inconvenient for you to go back!¡± ¡°Ha¨Cha, alright!¡± ¡°Is everyone done eating?¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother Trumpet, for your hospitality. We¡¯re all done eating!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± At six o¡¯clock in the evening, Brother Trumpet finished the preparations before the live broadcast and started it. Joanna, Cora, and the others also went to Brother Trumpet¡¯s mediapany. After entering thepany, Joanna was shocked. She never expected Brother Trumpet¡¯spany to have so many people. Previously, she had watched Brother Trumpet¡¯s live broadcast at a recording studio. There were already many employees inside, but she did not expect there to be even more people at thepany¡¯s headquarters. In the client lounge, the seats were filled with all kinds of pious people. ¡°Who are these people?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, these are all the bosses and people in charge of variouspanies. They¡¯re all waiting in line for Brother Trumpet to sell their goods!¡± Joanna nced at the lounge again. There were at least one hundred people sitting inside. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Brother Trumpet is the leader of the live broadcasting industry. It¡¯s not easy for others to meet Brother Trumpet. These are allpanies that have already been chosen. There are more that haven¡¯t been chosen.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯m quite lucky,¡± Joanna said emotionally. ¡°That¡¯s right! Many CEOs ofpanies have made appointments for half a year, but they haven¡¯t been ranked yet. We¡¯re especially lucky to directly discuss a coboration with Brother Trumpet.¡± Joanna came back to her senses and began to watch Brother Trumpet¡¯s live broadcast! In the live broadcast, Brother Trumpet was no longer as shy and reserved as before. He was in high spirits and seemed to be talking non¨Cstop! ¡°Good evening, everyone. Wee to Trumpet¡¯s live broadcast room. ¡°Today is another day of luck for everyone. There will be 100 thousand nice products at cheap prices. You only need to spend two cents to buy each. Everyone, get ready now¡­¡± Brother Trumpet began to warm up the live¨Cstream and liven up the atmosphere. Joanna sat at the side and watched, feeling inexplicably nervous. In the past, she was most afraid of facing the camera. Especially when she was facing the Greyport media. They had the sharpest tongue in the industry, and their words were so mean. An hourter, Brother Trumpet had already sold a few popr products in a row! Charter 201 Seeing that the live stream was getting more and more popr, Brother Trumpet changed the topic and took out the products of Joanna¡¯spany. ¡°Let me introduce this product to everyone. It¡¯s a smart cleaning robot developed by a subsidiary of the bigpany, the Haynes Group. ¡°This smart cleaning robot is sold for 196 dors on the market. I¡¯ve got the lowest price for everyone today it only needs 18 dors to be shipped home ¡°In addition. I¡¯ll give everyone a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer and a box of tissues¡± Brother Trumpet passionately introduced Joanna¡¯s products. When Joanna heard this, she was even more dumbfounded and surprised She did not prepare these gifts! Moreover, the price was not 78 dors Brother Trumpet charged 2 dors less Don¡¯t underestimate 2 dors. If they sold several hundred thousand products, it would be a huge loss! ¡°Brother Trumpet¡­¡± Joanna called out softly. Outside the camera, Brother Trumpet waved his hand at Joanna, signaling to her not to be nervous and not to speak casually. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It just so happens that the chairman of the Haynes Group, Joanna, is in my live stream! ¡°Now, I¡¯ll let Miss Haynes introduce the product to everyone personally!¡± As he spoke, Brother Trumpet waved his hand, indicating for Joanna toe to the camera and show up. Joanna calmed down and walked in front of the camera, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really Joanna. Wee, wee!¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I support you!¡± The fans on the screen sent thements crazily, and the poprity of the live stream instantly exceeded a million. ¡°Let¡¯s continue introducing the product. It only costs 78 dors to buy this sweeping machine produced by a bigpany, it¡¯s guaranteed for a year, and you can refund it in seven days!¡± ¡°Brother Trumpet, the price is wrong. It¡¯s 80 dors¡­¡± Send Gift Chapter 302 Chapter 302 ¡°Oh, I misread the price! ¡°What should we do? We¡¯ve already sold 100 thousand products!¡± Brother Trumpet pretended to be anxious. When Joanna heard this, her head hurt even more. ¡°How about this? In order to make up for the loss of Miss Haynes, I¡¯ll pay the price difference! Did everyone see that? This is really not a script. I really misread the price.¡± Joanna was at a loss. After all, she had never done a live broadcast before and had never encountered such a thing! When the fans heard this, they ced their orders crazily. In less than three minutes, all the products were sold out. ¡°Miss Haynes, can we add more products? There are still fans who haven¡¯t bought it!¡± ¡°Sure, but you have to make a reservation!¡± ¡°Keep cing orders, everyone!¡± At night, the live broadcast room was very popr! While Brother Trumpet went out for the bathroom, Joanna quickly chased after him. ¡°Brother Trumpet, I didn¡¯t prepare those freebies! What about the difference in price?¡± Brother Trumpet took a sip of water and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I said it wrong on purpose!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joanna was confused! On second thought, it made sense. How could an experienced streamer like Brother Trumpet misread the price? ¡°The hand sanitizers and tissues were developed by mypany to give benefits to fans!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt even more apologetic. ¡°But I can¡¯t make you pay for it. Tell me how much it is and I¡¯ll give you the money!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. These costs are very low. I¡¯ll make up for the difference in price. It¡¯s also a benefit I¡¯m giving to my fans.¡± Joanna was even more shocked when she heard this. She looked at Brother Trumpet in a daze! Her nose twitched a little, and she was even more touched. ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t let you lose money!¡± Brother Trumpet chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing! You really don¡¯t have to be so conflicted!¡± In a short while, 200 thousand cleaning robots had been sold. Moreover, 100 thousand cleaning robots had been reserved. ¡°This is the chairman of the Haynes Group. Everyone, follow her¡­¡± After the live broadcast, Joanna found Brother Trumpet. ¡°Brother Trumpet, I¡¯ll pay you the benefits you gave the fans. You didn¡¯t charge me much for selling my products. I can¡¯t let you lose money.¡± Joanna insisted on making up for Brother Trumpet¡¯s loss. ¡°We¡¯re friends. There¡¯s really no need to be so calctive! ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult for you. Helping you is a piece of cake.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Although we¡¯re friends, I can¡¯t take advantage of you in business. How can I let you incur losses and sell my products?¡± the really nothing. Don¡¯t take it to hawt If you continue to be so polite q I¡¯m really carry tranne was a Offic touching and pulley Brother Trumpet with partspte meje) kost The two of them had probably been turnuph marriage bolje Hack ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the hotel ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need We can go back oureplus ¡°Okay, alright then! Brother Trumpet chilled like a pritleman and did not inloket If he insisted on striving her back to the hotel, she would probably 1 He had a gond impression of Joanna It was britter to esim Joanna returned to the hotel Cora looked surprised ¡°Miss Haynes, Brother Trumpet is this live broadcast Now, the number of fans has exceeded & million. your You¡¯ve gained hundreds of thousands foes through- ¡°Tsk tsk tsk Theard that some streamers have to send gifts crazily in order to gain more fans! They have to spend hundreds of thousands of dors on the gifts!¡± When Joanna heard this, she had a new understanding of the live broadcast industry. It seemed that Brother Trumpet was indeed quite good to her Joanna had been in the business world for so long, so she knew some rules. Women in the business circle would more or less encounter all kinds of unspoken rules. Especially for a single beauty like her, it was inevitable that she would attract the attention of men In Docan Bruce received an invitation from Princess Martha. He booked a flight to Docan and arranged to meet Princess Martha! Princess Martha grew up in Melta, so her personality was very outgoing and passionate. The two of them hit it off at first sight. There was no need for them to deliberately spend some time to know each other faced with a woman of such status, no man could resist the olive branch thrown at him. Bruce was a normal man Naturally, he could not control himself He had been in Docan for a week! He apanied Princess Martha every day, having fun and living a luxuinous life A weekter, the directors and higher ups of the Everett Group were about to go crazy. This was the fost time that Mr Everett had abandoned his wo zin a state of loss of contact Therefore, the uglier ups and directors repeatedly urged Bruce to return to the country During his absence thepany had already umted countless important contracts to deal withi Left with no choice, Bruce could only go back When he parted with Princess Martha, Princess Martha was extremely reluctant However, she couldn¡¯t go back to Greyport with him if someone secretly took photos of them, it would be a piece of internationally breaking news. Therefore, they only dared to meet overseas. ¡°Bruce, when will we meet again?¡± Princess Martha looked at Bruce affectionately and asked him in Antlenish. Bruce smiled ambiguously and replied in Antlenish, ¡°I¡¯lle and see you when I¡¯m free. Let¡¯s contact each other by phone!¡± ¡°You must miss me. You have to miss me every day!¡± ¡°I willl¡± Bruce boarded the ne and Princess Martha waved goodbye to him, unwilling to part with him. In Greyport, Jennie had been anxious these days! Bruce was not in Greyport, so she could only call Andy. ¡°Bruce hasn¡¯t been in Greyport during this period of time. Where did he go?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is on a business trip to Docan!¡± ¡°A business trip to Docan?¡± Jennie¡¯s eyebrows twitched! The Everett Group¡¯s business empires were all over the world. But they really had no business investment in Docan. Moreover, Docan was a country with developed oil and tourism. Rich people were everywhere, and it was a rich country. Bruce would not spend so much effort to invest there! From this, it could be seen that he was definitely not going to Docan for a business trip. Recalling how Princess Martha had asked Bruce for his contact information, Jennie¡¯s heart turned even colder. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Bruce was most likely going to meet Princess Martha. Thinking of this, Jennie gritted her teeth in anger! She racked her brains and tried to woo Bruce for a few years, but she did not seed. But Princess Martha had seduced the man she couldn¡¯t have so easily. Who said that a man didn¡¯t care about a woman¡¯s status and position? This was nonsense. Morals and values were less important! In real life, if a beautiful and noble royal princess extended an olive branch to a man, and he happened to have the ability to receive this olive branch, probably no man could resist this temptation. Bruce was also a man! Moreover, he was already divorced and was currently single. Naturally, he was qualified to date any woman. ¡°Andy, when will Bruce be back?¡± ¡°Oh, I heard that he has already booked a flight ticket. He will be back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you. I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± After hanging up, Jennie was even more worried. In the past, she had always regarded Joanna and Roxanne as love rivals and wanted to trample on them. Now, as she wished, Bruce had broken up with Joanna and Roxanne. She thought that with her background and appearance, she would sessfully marry him and be Mrs. Everett. However, she did not expect Princess Martha to appear in Bruce¡¯s life. Although she was the daughter of the Ship King,pared to the princess of Novlis, her status was far inferior! At the airport, Bruce got off the ne and had just left the VIP channel. ¡°Bruce!¡± Jennie was already waving at him.. ¡°Jennie! Why are you here?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Oh, I just happened toe to pick up a friend. I didn¡¯t expect that my friend¡¯s ne would arrivete. I was about to leave when I happened to see you!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Bruce was a little skeptical! ¡°Of course! Since it¡¯s such a coincidence, let¡¯s have a meal together!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Bruce didn¡¯t really want to ask her out for a meal. ¡°Eh, Bruce, were you on a business trip overseas?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± ¡°That¡¯s tiring, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bruce replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°Look at you. You look so haggard. You still need to nourish yourself! I know a Frayn restaurant. Shall we go and try it together?¡± ¡°How about another day? I have to go back to thepanyter.¡± Jennie ignored him and took the initiative to hold his arm. ¡°No matter how busy you are, you have to eat, right? Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 ¡°Snap, snap!¡± The paparazzi hiding in the dark took photos of their backs. Of course, Jennie deliberately leaked the news to attract the paparazzi She had no choice but to use the power of public opinion to establish a rtionship with Bruce. ¡°Bruce, what do you want to eat?¡± Jennie held Bruce¡¯s arm intimately ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m tired now. I really can¡¯t do it today!¡± Bruce showed no interest in Jennie and firmly declined her proposal Jennie pouted unhappily. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce coldly withdrew his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that! I¡¯m going back first!¡± ¡°Oh, alright then!¡± Although Jennie wore a disappointed expression, she had already achieved her goal! The paparazzi should have taken photos of them together. As expected, the news about Bruce and Jennie broke out online the next day. ¡°Mr. Everett allegedly starts a new romance, seen kissing the daughter of a gambling tycoon at the airport.¡± ¡°Miss Garcia may be Mr. Everett¡¯s new girlfriend.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett and Miss Garcia¡¯s rtionship nearing the next level, the two seen together in Docan.¡± Gossip about Bruce and Jennie being in a romantic rtionship flooded the inte! However, Bruce had always been indifferent to such gossip. After all, this was not the truth! There was no need to pay attention to things not based on the facts. In the conference room of the Haynes Group. Joanna held a regr meeting with the higher¨Cups as usual. ¡°Miss Haynes, our inventory has beenpletely cleared out!¡± ¡°Yes! Who would have thought that online live streaming would be so sessful? We managed to clear out the inventory backlog in just two days¡± ¡°What¡¯s better is that customers have also ced orders for over a hundred thousand units. Now the factory needs to speed up production¡± ¡°p, p, p.¡± The higher¨Cups apuded one after another. This time, Joanna not only cleared out the inventory but also obtained several major orders. The stock prices also began to rise. The Haynes Group sessfully overcame the current challenges. Joanna said, ¡°Yes, next, I¡¯m going to shift my focus to Mossbourne.¡± ¡°We have no objections Go ahead and do it boldly!¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul also began to look at Joanna in a different light and began to support her entry into the Mossbourne market. After the meeting, Joanna returned to her office. Cora handed a stack of documents to Joanna and asked with concern, ¡°Miss Haynes, have you really decided to invest in a mediapany?¡± Joanna took a sip of coffee and replied earnestly, ¡°Yes. For now, let¡¯s familiarize ourselves with the media industry! ¡°We¡¯ll test the waters and see how it goes!¡± Joanna had already decided to invest in the media industry! Perhaps this would be a new starting point! ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go and print the necessary documents for the mediapany,¡± Cora said, preparing to go out and print the materials. Joanna stopped Cora again and said, ¡°By the way, next month, I¡¯m going to rent a venue in Greene Town to open the media ¡°Give Michael a call and ask him to go to Greene Town in the next few days to see if there are suitable venues!¡± ¡°Got it, Miss Haynes!¡± Cora replied. Joanna suddenly thought of something and murmured to herself, ¡°It would be great if I could get Brother Trumpet to invest in this mediapany!¡± Hearing this, Cora agreed. ¡°I think so too!¡± Cora continued, ¡°Miss Haynes, you currently have over 4.5 million followers. Once it surpasses 5 million, you can also start live streaming!¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna humbly smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m still not familiar with this industry. I¡¯ll learn from Brother Trumpet and others first!¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± Joanna said with a smile, ¡°Hurry up and copy the information!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Cora carried a stack of documents out of the office. In the blink of an eye, over half a month had passed.. Joanna registered another mediapany in Mossbourne with a total investment of one million dors. Of course, Brother Trumpet was also brought in as a shareholder of thepany. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Joanna gave him a 40% stake without requiring him to invest any money, only his participation as a shareholder. Brother Trumpet was familiar with the industry and could teach her how to train neers and host live broadcasts. For the entire half month, Joanna had been busy with the affairs of the newpany in Greene Town. ¡°Tomorrow is Sunday! I have to go back to Greyport! ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna cheered happily. After Joanna returned to Greyport in the afternoon, she immediately called Bruce. It had been two weeks since shest saw the children, so she wanted to ask him to let her meet them. Ring, ring, ring! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. Seeing that it was Joanna calling, Bruce frowned. She hadn¡¯te to see the kidsst week. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hi, I want to see the kids tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce agreed readily. He was in a rtionship with Princess Martha and was not as obsessed with Joanna as before. Joanna said, ¡°Then tomorrow at 10 a.m., bring the kids to Century za.¡± Bruce frowned slightly. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it then.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was cold and polite. This time, he did not give Joanna a hard time. Joanna let out a sigh of relief! No matter what, as long as Bruce stopped interfering in her life, everything would be fine. The next day, Joanna arrived at Century za at 9:30a.m. At 10:00a.m. sharp, the children arrived! ¡°Mommy!¡± Davian and Irvin jumped out of the car and ran toward Joanna. Upon seeing the children, Joanna¡¯s mood instantly improved. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia.¡± Davian looked at Joanna with a puzzled expression. ¡°Mommy, why didn¡¯t youe to see usst week?¡± Joanna answered, ¡°Mommy had a business trip to Mossbournest week and didn¡¯t have time to visit you.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The two little boys nodded obediently without asking further questions. Humans were social animals. Even in the case of blood rtions, if there had been a long period of separation, people could gradually be unfamiliar with each other. Ever since Bruce had taken custody of the children, Joanna had had very little time to spend with them in the past few months. The children were no longer as attached to her as they used to be. Although they had still shown affection when they met, it was obviously not the same as before. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia, today I have some free time. I can take you to the amusement park to ride bumper cars,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Alright!¡± Seeing that the two little boys hadn¡¯t seemed very happy, Joanna had carefully asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± The two little boys had looked a bit unenergetic with unhappy expressions. ¡°Is there something that¡¯s making you unhappy? Can you tell Mommy?¡± Joanna gently crouched down. Davian said gloomily, ¡°Mommy, is it true that you and Daddy won¡¯t get back together?¡± Joanna was taken aback. ¡°Why are you asking that?¡± Irvin chimed in, ¡°Daddy seems to be getting a new girlfriend!¡± Joanna was stunned. Lilia pouted unhappily and said, ¡°Yeah! Daddy talks on the phone with ady every day. Sometimes, they chat for over an hour!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Joanna asked instinctively. ¡°Yes! Mommy, if you don¡¯t make more effort, Daddy will really find us a new mommy.¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and patiently exined, ¡°Darlings, the rtionship between Daddy and Mommy has already broken down. If Daddy finds a new girlfriend, we should be happy for him. ¡°No matter what, Daddy and Mommy will always love you.¡± The three little ones looked disappointed upon hearing that. ¡°Mommy, if that¡¯s the case, are you nning to find a new boyfriend too?¡± Joanna was taken aback and didn¡¯t know how to exin it to the children. Davian looked serious. ¡°Mommy, we still hope for aplete family! ¡°We want Daddy and Mommy. We don¡¯t want a new mommy or a new daddy.¡± Joanna let out a sigh and gently rubbed Davian¡¯s head. ¡°Darlings, when you grow up, you will understand Daddy and Mommy. ¡°Even if Daddy finds a new mommy for you, you should respect her, understand?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°The weather is nice today. Mommy will take you to the amusement park for a walk. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sayst time that you wanted to see monkeys at the amusement park? Let¡¯s go. I will take you to see the monkeys today.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The two little boys¡® eyes lit up! This time, the nanny didn¡¯t overly object! Joanna took the three little ones to a nearby amusement park. Children would always be children! Once they entered the amusement park, they instantly forgot their worries. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett said today that he can give you an extra two hours. You cane back at 1 p.m.¡± Joanna nodded slightly. ¡°Understood!¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Joanna apanied the children and yed at the amusement park for an entire morning. At lunchtime, she bought fried chicken and fries for the children. Time passed quickly, and three hours had gone by! One o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the nanny looked at her watch and reminded, ¡°Miss Haynes, it has been three hours. It¡¯s time for us to take them home.¡± ¡°Okay, stay safe on the way!¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± ¡°Goodbye, darlings!¡± Joanna was a little down. No mother wanted their children to no longer be attached to them. But now, she could clearly feel that her children were not as attached to her anymore! She had to quicken her pace, swiftly develop her career, and regain custody of the children. After the children left, Joanna looked at the time. It was only one in the afternoon. She realized she hadn¡¯t visited Jaydon in Venturas for almost half a month! Taking advantage of the free time today, she decided it was time to go see him. Three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, in Venturas. Joanna arrived at Marhall Hospital! Today, she hade directly to the hospital without calling Jaydon beforehand. ¡°Crash!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Just as Joanna reached the entrance of the ward, she heard the sound of things being thrown inside the ward! Joanna was taken aback and instinctively froze, standing at the door of the ward. ¡°Get out, all of you! Get out!¡± Jaydon¡¯s roaring voice could be heard from inside the room, ¡°Mr. Grimm, please don¡¯t lose hope. Your leg hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. ¡°If you rest for a while, you will be able to stand up again.¡± ¡°Get out, all of you! Get out!¡± Jaydon roared, his voice filled with intense despair. Upon hearing this, Joanna felt her heart tighten instantly! Jaydon had always been gentle andposed. He rarely lost his temper! Even when he did get angry, he would never be this aggressive! The door of the ward creaked open. The two nurses were chased out! Seeing Joanna, the two nurses felt as if they had encountered a savior. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯re here? ¡°That¡¯s great. Please go in and try to talk to Mr. Grimm!¡± one of the nurses said anxiously. Joanna felt a wave of unease. ¡°What happened to Jay?¡± The nurse looked anxious. ¡°Mr. Grimm¡¯s leg seems¡­¡± Joanna asked, ¡°What happened to his leg?¡± ¡°It seems to be paralyzed!¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna thought, feeling as if lightning had struck her, leaving her in shock. Her fingers tightly gripped her flesh. ¡°What? What did you say?¡± The nurse looked at Joanna and said mournfully with teary eyes, ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­ seems to be disabled. ¡°His leg has been removed from the cast, but he still has no sensation in his legs, and he can¡¯t stand up!¡± When Joanna heard this, she gasped. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°The doctor said it may be a nerve injury!¡± Joanna asked worriedly. ¡°So what do we do?¡± ¡°If Mr. Grimm doesn¡¯t recover, he may have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair!¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Upon hearing this, Joanna stumbled and almost lost her bnce! Il Jaydon became disabled, with his personality, how could he bear it? For him, it would be worse than death! ¡°Ms. Haynes, please go in and try to persuade Mr. Grimm! ¡°Mr. Grimm has been devastated these past few days. He refuses to eat or drink, forbids the doctors from giving him medication, and refuses treatment! ¡°At this rate, I¡¯m afraid Mr. Grimm is really¡­¡± Joanna took two deep breaths and tried to stabilize her emotions. ¡°Okay, I got it!¡± Jaydon red up in the ward. ¡°All of you, get out! Leave me alone! I don¡¯t need your help! Get out, all of you! Get out!¡± Crack! Crack! The sound of something being smashed could be heard again. Creak! The door creaked open. Joanna pushed the door open and walked in! It had only been half a month since theyst met. However, Jaydon had visibly lost a significant amount of weight. His eye sockets were sunken, his hair disheveled, and his jaw was covered in stubble. He looked haggard. He was different from his former handsome and elegant, dignified appearance as a noble son! If one didn¡¯t look closely, they could hardly recognize him! ¡°Jay¡­ Joanna made a great effort to stabilize her emotions and called out gently. Jaydon raised his head in a dazed manner, only to realize that it was Joanna who hade. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Joanna walked toward the bedside, stepping on the shards of broken ss. ¡°Jay, I came to see you.¡± Jaydon frowned. His eyes were reddened, and his voice was extremely hoarse. ¡°You don¡¯t have to see me. Leave!¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached. She walked to the bed and subconsciously held his hand tightly! Jaydon trembled all over and abruptly pulled his hand back. ¡°Go away! Just go! Let me be alone! ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anyone right now. Just leave¡­¡± Joanna felt a sourness in her nose. ¡°Jay, pull yourself together!¡± ¡°I¡¯m disabled now. I can¡¯t stand on my own two feet anymore! I might spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair! ¡°How can I pull myself together? What meaning is there for me to live? ¡°Just go! Don¡¯te to see me again!¡± Jaydon said frustratedly, closing his eyes tightly, unwilling to look at Joanna anymore. ¡°Jay, I won¡¯t leave¡­¡± Joanna choked. She felt like ten thousand arrows had pierced her heart! If possible, she would rather take Jaydon¡¯s disability upon herself! ¡°Just go. Don¡¯t bother me!¡± Jaydon slumped on the bed, covering his head with a nket.. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t be like this!¡± Joanna threw herself onto the bed, hugging him with heartache How could someone like him end up disabled? ¡°Your legs will definitely be healed. You must have faith! With the advancement of medical technology, there must be a way to cure it! ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient! Don¡¯t lose hope!¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Jaydon couldn¡¯t help but shed tears of despair. ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t need to ¡°I know the condition of my own body. I don¡¯t need your pity or sympathy. Jaydon¡¯s emotions spiraled out of control as he yelled and tried to push Joanna away. Unfortunately, his legs had no sensation. He pushed too forcefully, and with a loud thud, he fell to the ground. Instantly, his arms were covered in blood and cut from the ss shards on the ground. When Joanna saw this, she felt her heart tighten even more and hurriedly approached him. ¡°Jay, please, don¡¯t do this! There must be a way!¡± ¡°Go! Just go!¡± Jaydon forcefully pushed Joanna away, disregarding the blood streaming from his hands. After knowing each other for so many years, it was the first time he hadshed out at her. ¡°Jay, your hand is bleeding! We need to bandage it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother with me!¡± Jaydon struggled on the ground, refusing to let Joannae closer. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t stand up. Tears of despair and frustration streamed down his face. He never expected that he would one day be disabled. It was a devastating blow to him. As the realization of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair sunk in, he truly wished for death. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t be like this! Even if your legs don¡¯t recover, I¡¯m willing to be your legs! ¡°Don¡¯t give up. You have to stay strong! ¡°You have to be resilient for me!¡± Jaydon raised his gaze and looked at Joanna. His eyes were filled with despair and a sense of hopelessness. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ve be a useless person! I don¡¯t have the right to love you anymore, and I can¡¯t give you happiness! I can¡¯t give you anything! ¡°Please, leave! Allow me to preserve a shred of dignity!¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Jay, no, I won¡¯t go! I¡¯ll stay here to take care of you, to support you until you recover!¡± ¡°Just leave! I don¡¯t need your sympathy, and I don¡¯t need your pity!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached when she heard that. She didn¡¯t know how tofort Jaydon. She could only approach him and hold Jaydon tightly in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes, dropping one by one. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t be like this! No matter how you are, it won¡¯t change your ce in my heart!¡± ¡°Joanna, you really don¡¯t need to pity me. You don¡¯t need to sympathize with me! ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity!¡± Jaydon said, unable to hold back his painful cries. Joanna also started crying. ¡°No, I don¡¯t pity you! I feel sorry for you. If I had a choice, I would give my legs back to you! ¡°You must stay strong. Even if things don¡¯t get better, I¡¯ll stay by your side for the rest of my life!¡± Jaydon¡¯s heart trembled as he stared at Joanna with bloodshot eyes. In the past, he was so confident and charming, yet he never managed to touch Joanna¡¯s heart. He never expected that now he had be disabled, a useless person. Send Gift Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Joanna held Jaydon tightly, feeling heartbroken. ¡°Jay, you must stay strong! ¡°Doctor, pleasee quickly! We need help!¡± Soon enough, the doctor and nurses arrived. The doctor administered a sedative to Jaydon and then tended to his wounds. The nurses quickly cleaned up the ward! After receiving the sedative, Jaydon quickly fell asleep. ¡°Mr. Grimm¡¯s legs must not sustain further damage. He needs to be well taken care of.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Joanna replied with a heavy heart. She anxiously asked the doctor, ¡°Doctor, will Jay¡¯s legs be able to recover?¡± The chief orthopedist looked solemn. ¡°At the moment, it¡¯s uncertain. Mr. Grimm¡¯s central nervous system has suffered severe damage. In the medical field, the nervous system is the most difficult to heal.¡± Joanna felt like she had been plunged into an icy abyss upon hearing this. ¡°What are the chances of a cure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The likelihood of a full recovery is only 10%. ¡°The patient also needs to actively cooperate with the treatment and subsequent rehabilitation, which will be a lengthy process. ¡°For now, we need to find a way to help the patient ovee their emotional barriers and actively cooperate with the treatment.¡± Alright, I understand!¡± Joanna replied. After the doctor finished speaking, they went straight into their office without saying anything else. In the corridor, Joanna sat absentmindedly in a chair with her mind nked. It was really it was truly an unexpected turn of events! She never imagined that Jaydon would encounter such a tragedy. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to help him ovee his emotional barriers. Lost in her thoughts, Joanna was startled by a stern andposed voice. ¡°Ms. Haynes!¡± Hearing this, Joanna looked up. She did not know when Tim had arrived. At this moment, he was standing before her with a grave expression. Joanna felt a pang in her heart and quickly stood up, ¡°Mr. Grimm, hello!¡± Tim furrowed his brow and said with a sorrowful tone, ¡°During this period, Jay¡¯s mood has been extremely low, and no matter how much we try to console him, it doesn¡¯t seem to work.¡± Joanna instinctively bit her lip, feeling an immense heaviness in her heart. Jaydon was her best friend and the person who had been the kindest to her. If it weren¡¯t for Jaydon, she wouldn¡¯t have made it this far. Tim adjusted his gold¨Ccolored sses, and his face filled with sadness, ¡°Ms. Haynes, I hope you can spend more time with Jay at the hospital. ¡°I guess you¡¯re the only one who can talk him out of it. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± After a moment of contemtion, Joanna replied solemnly, ¡°Mr. Grimm, please rest assured. I will stay by Jay¡¯s side and apany him.¡± ¡°Jay is the child I love the most, but unfortunately, he¡¯s also the one I feel the most distant from. ¡°As his father, it deeply saddens me to see him go through such a hardship,¡± Tim said sorrowfully. Hearing Tim¡¯s words, Joanna felt an overwhelming sadness. However, she didn¡¯t know how tofort Tim. ¡°Good thingse to good people, and Jay will surely recover,¡± Joanna said, trying to offer some reassurance. Tim said, ¡°I hope so! ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Please stay here and apany Jay¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tim left with his butler and assistant without saying much more. The door to the ward opened. Jaydon had been in a deep sleep for over two hours before he slowly regained consciousness. Joanna had been by his side the entire time, and as she noticed Jaydon¡¯s neck move, she quickly leaned in to check, ¡°Jay, are you awake?¡± Jaydon weakly opened his eyes, taking a moment to regain his awareness. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon tenderly, her gaze filled with warmth. ¡°Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?¡± Jaydon hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a sense of destion. He immediately closed his eyes again. He had no appetite for anything at the moment. He felt utterly disheartened. ¡°Jay, get up and eat something!¡± ¡°I bought this spaghetti myself. Have some!¡± Jaydon¡¯s face was clouded over. His voice was hoarse as sand rubbed against the edge like gravel. ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t have to stay here.¡± Joanna quickly reassured andforted him, ¡°Jay, I¡¯ve said I will be by your side until you recover. ¡°I spoke to the doctor. They said you have nerve damage, but it still has a good chance of healing. ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope. Lilia couldn¡¯t walk since she was born! I thought she would never be able to walk in her lifetime!¡± Joanna continued, ¡°But there¡¯s always hope. There is a doctor in Gaprington who can treat Lilia¡¯s leg condition. She is too young now, but she can undergo corrective surgery next year!¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes flickered with a slight heaviness. He didn¡¯t believe Joanna¡¯s words at all. Joanna paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°You see, even congenital disabilities can be treated All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. sessfully, let alone your condition, which was caused by a car ident. So please, don¡¯t lose hope!¡± Jaydon replied, ¡°Joann, I know you¡¯re trying tofort me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Joanna insisted. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t walk in the future, there are advanced prosthetics avable. With them, you can still walk like a normal person. ¡°Jay, you have to believe in yourself¡± Joanna held Jaydon¡¯s hand tightly, her beautiful eyes shining with encouragement. Jaydon felt even more heartbroken as he looked into Joanna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Come on, eat something! You need to take care of your body,¡± Joanna urged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat!¡± Jaydon¡¯s mood plummeted to the lowest point, unaffected by Joanna¡¯s persuasion. For two consecutive days, Joanna remained in the hospital, taking care of Jaydon and giving him encouragement and confidence. However, her efforts seemed to have little effect, as Jaydon¡¯s emotions remained incredibly low and depressed. After all, this was not an ordinary setback that could be resolved with a few words offort. Joanna felt helpless. At this rate, Jaydon¡¯s health would only worsen. On the third day, Joanna made a significant decision after careful consideration. She wanted to marry Jaydon and take care of him for the rest of his life. ¡°Jay, do you still love me?¡± Joanna asked. Jaydon was stunned. His dispirited eyes trembled slightly. From the moment heid eyes on Joanna when they were teenagers, Jaydon had deeply fallen in love with her. Joanna gathered her courage and looked deeply into Jaydon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Jay, if you still love me, would you¡­. let me be your wife?¡± Jaydon had always loved her. She was unsure how tofort him, but if she could uplift his spirits, she would marry him. Jaydon furrowed his brows slightly, expressing his sadness. ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t have to do this. 11-73 I am now in this state and can¡¯t provide you happiness. Don¡¯t pity me, and don¡¯t joke about your own happiness.¡± Joanna trembled as she listened and said camestly, ¡°No, I¡¯m not pitying you! ¡°I genuinely like you, truly¡­ love you.¡± Her eyes flickered involuntarily as she spoke. For Jaydon, there was gratitude and appreciation in her heart. In the past, she had carried a burden and couldn¡¯t ept Jaydon¡¯s love. Now, when Jaydon was at his most vulnerable, she felt it was necessary to offer him the support she could provide. ¡°Joann, you really don¡¯t have to sacrifice yourself like this! I know the person you love is Bruce.¡± Joanna held his hand tightly, gazing at him with warmth in her eyes. ¡°No, it¡¯s not true. I really love you! ¡°In the past, I felt that my divorce and having children made me unworthy of you, so I couldn¡¯t ept your love. ¡°But now, as you said, life is unpredictable, and fortunes can change in an instant.¡± Joanna continued, ¡°There are some things that, if not done now, may never have a chance in the future! That day, you told me that if it was yourst day, you wanted me by your side. ¡°After I went back, I kept thinking about that question. If my life had only one day left, I would want you and my children by my side.¡°¡± Jaydon listened silently, and a glimmer of light flickered in his eyes. He didn¡¯t really believe what Joanna said! After all, her ex¨Chusband was Bruce. Regardless of character, Bruce was indeed his strongest rival. Whether it was in terms of looks or family background, he stood out from the crowd. It would be difficult to be attracted to another man after loving a remarkable man like Bruce.. ¡°Jay, if you still love me, I¡¯m willing to marry you! I want to be your wife, to take care of you for a lifetime, and to love you for a lifetime.¡± ¡°Joann, you really don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± Jaydon tried to pull his hand back. ¡°What do I need to say to make you believe?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already a disabled person now, I can¡¯t give you happiness!¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Send Gift Comment ¡°Fool, if it were me who became disabled, would you abandon me?¡± After hearing Joanna¡¯s question, Jaydon fell silent once again, If it were Joanna who had an ident, he would probably do everything to take care of her for the rest of her life. ¡°We have been through so much together. Don¡¯t you believe in me?¡± As Joanna spoke, she leaned down and nted a deep kiss on Jaydon¡¯s lips. There was a hint of sweetness on her soft lips. Jaydon¡¯s entire body trembled as if he had been electrocuted. It turned out that kissing the person he loved felt so wonderful. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Joanna smiled gently and said earnestly, ¡°Jay, I love you!¡± Jaydon stared at Joanna, his eyes filled with astonishment. The words ¡°I love you¡± seemed to contain infinite energy. It instantly pierced through his gloomy and despondent heart, shining a beam of warm sunlight upon it. Really? Jaydon asked in disbelief. Joanna said solemnly, ¡°I can swear to the heavens! ¡°I didn¡¯t ept your love before because you¡¯re too outstanding, and I felt unworthy of you.¡± When Jaydon heard this, a trace of hope waspletely ignited in his heart. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Joanna asked, ¡°So, do you still love me?¡± Jaydon¡¯s face was filled with sincerity as he said, ¡°Of course, I have always loved you, and I will continue to love you in the future!¡± Joanna smiled tenderly and pressed his hand against her cheek. ¡°Then, when you¡¯re discharged from the hospital, let¡¯s get married!¡± Upon hearing this, Jaydon subconsciously swallowed, and his throat tightened. ¡°Joann, have you really thought it through?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve thought it through. I¡¯ve always loved you and want to be with you for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I swear to God, I love you!¡± Happiness came too suddenly. Jaydon felt like he was in a dream.. ¡°Joann, do you really not regret it? ¡°I may not be able to walk for the rest of my life. I will be a burden to you forever.¡± Joanna gently rubbed her cheek against his palm and said, ¡°Being able to take care of the person you love is also a kind of happiness. ¡°No matter if you can stand up or not, I will never leave you in my lifetime. Unless you don¡¯t want me anymore.¡± ¡°How could that be? Joann, 1¡¯ve been waiting for this day for too long,¡± Jaydon said, his nose tingling and his eyes turned wet. Joanna smiled at him, revealing the dimples on her cheeks. Then, she leaned against his chest and hugged him tightly! Jaydon shuddered and hugged Joanna. In a blink of an eye, Joanna stayed in the hospital for another week. With Joanna by his side, Jaydon¡¯s mood improved significantly, and he was willing to cooperate with the doctors¡® treatments. Beep, beep, beep! Every day, Joanna received urgent phone calls from herpany. ¡°Hello, Cora,¡± Joanna answered. On the other end of the line, Cora¡¯s eager voice came through. ¡°Miss Haynes, we have already rented the venue in Greene Town. All the contracts have been negotiated, and Brother Trumpet is waiting for you toe and sign the agreement! ¡°When are youing back to Greene Town?¡± Joanna ceplied, ¡°Oh, you take care of things for now! Help me exin to Brother Trumpet that I can¡¯t leave at the moment!¡± 11.DE ¡°Alright then!¡± After hanging up with Cora, Luna¡¯s call came in. ¡°Miss Haynes, you haven¡¯t returned to Greyport for over a week. When are youing back? ¡°Ourpany is preparing to sign a contract with Belize Group¡¯s president!¡± Joanna felt a headacheing on upon hearing this. ¡°I have an urgent matter here, so it might take a few more days before I can return. ¡°Send me the contract documents first. I¡¯ll call the president of the Belize Group and exin the situation.¡± ¡°Okay, sure!¡± Joanna¡¯s phone rang nonstop every day. Greyport, Porash, and Greene Town all had a pile of work waiting for Joanna to handle. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jaydon knew that Joanna¡¯s career was in a rising phase and that she was exceptionally busy with work. Although he had more than enough money and Joanna didn¡¯t need to prioritize her career, he was not like Bruce. He didn¡¯t want to hinder Joanna from pursuing what she wanted to do. He also understood that Joanna wanted to fulfill her personal value. Therefore, he was very supportive of her career. ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t you go and focus on your work for now?¡± Jaydon suggested. Joanna smiled gently and reassured him. ¡°No, nothing is more important than your health. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to work when you¡¯re feeling better Jaydon furrowed his brows. ¡°But I¡¯m worried that if you continue like this, your work will be affected¡­¡± Joanna replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if I¡¯m not around, the higher¨Cups will take care of thepany¡¯s matters!¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m really touched that you¡¯re sacrificing yourself for me!¡± ¡°You silly. Come, have some fruit.¡± Joanna smiled and stuffed an apple into his mouth. In the blink of an eye, it was already next Tuesday! Bruce suddenly realized that Joanna hadn¡¯t called himst Sunday to ask to see their children. However, in the past few days, he had been engrossed in his fiery interactions with Princess Martha, and his obsession with Joanna had diminished. Bruce was in a daze. Beep, beep, beep! Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Joanna. Bruce quickly answered the call. ¡°Hello¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s calm voice came through on the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, Bruce. I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Bruce straightened his back, listening attentively to her words.. ¡°Well, it¡¯s about the doctor in Gaprington that you took Lilia to see. Could you give me the contact information of that doctor?¡± Joanna asked. Bruce was stunned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like to consult on something.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send it to youter.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Joanna finished speaking and was about to hang up. Bruce suddenly felt a strange pang in his heart, as if he couldn¡¯t breathe. He didn¡¯t want Joanna to hang up so quickly. Could it be that their rtionship was really over like this? ¡°Joanna¡­¡± Bruce hesitated, struggling to find the right words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t know what to say. Little did he know that Joanna had been taking care of Jaydon in Venturas these past few days. He also thought she wanted the doctor¡¯s contact information to inquire about Lilia¡¯s condition. If he knew that Joanna was seeking information for Jaydon, he would probably be furious. Joanna said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± ¡°Okay, call me if there¡¯s anything you need. If you need help, feel free to look for me!¡± Bruce suddenly became gentle! He probably felt that he had really lost Joanna! ¡°Thank you!¡± Joanna thanked him and hung up. After hanging up, Bruce suddenly felt extremely ufortable. He finally realized that Joanna no longer loved him. He knew that he would never be able to enter her heart again in his lifetime. During that period, he did many crazy things, all in the hope of making her love him. One sentence from Joanna deeply touched his heart, ¡°If you have even a shred of love for me, please let me go.¡± Beep, beep, beep! The phone rang again! Bruce looked at the phone. It was an international call. Needless to say, it was Princess Martha calling! Bruce furrowed his brows. He felt a slight reluctance to answer Princess Martha¡¯s call. Princess Martha was too clingy! She had to call him every morning, noon, and night. Moreover, their conversation wouldst at least half an hour. He was busy with work every day, and he didn¡¯t have the energy to engage in lovey¨Cdovey talks. In the first few days, he found it very refreshing and was willing to make her happy. But after a while, it became tasteless to him. He found out that it was nothing special to a princess! Beep, beep, beep! The phone rang again. Bruce reluctantly answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Bruce, why didn¡¯t you pick up the call earlier?¡± ¡°Oh, I was busy and didn¡¯t hear it,¡± Bruce replied. ¡°Are you free next week?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bruce inquired. ¡°I want toe to Greyport to see you, Princess Martha said. Bruce was stunned. They had just met in Serene Indst week! It hadn¡¯t even been five days, and she was already requesting another meeting. ¡°That might not be a good idea. Greyport has too many paparazzi, and if I¡¯m seen alone with you, it won¡¯t be good for your image.¡± Princess Martha insisted. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. What are you afraid of? ¡°I truly believe that I¡¯ve fallen in love with you. Even if we get photographed, we can go public with our rtionship!¡± Bruce felt a headacheing on upon hearing her words. It was true that men were fickle! Things that came too easily often lost their allure, Princess Martha¡¯s passionate and bold nature was indeed attractive in the beginning. But for men, this attraction was just a temporary novelty. Once the novelty wore off, it became nothing! However, considering Princess Martha¡¯s prestigious status, Bruce patiently continued to appease her. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 ¡°Let¡¯s forget about Greyport for now. It would be better for us to meet abroad after I finish my current work,¡± Bruce patiently persuaded in Antlenish. Upon hearing this, Princess Martha¡¯s voice carried a hint of disappointment as she said in Antlenish, ¡°Bruce, are you afraid of being caught by the media?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Bruce ambiguously responded. ¡°After all, you are a princess. If we were caught by the media, it would affect your reputation,¡± he exined. Princess Martha instantly felt relieved and joyfully said, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t worry. Even if we are caught, I can marry you!¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s head started to ache even more. The pace of this rtionship development is too fast! Deep down, he was still a traditional man. When it came to marriage, he wanted to carefully consider it. Moreover, he still could not let go of Joanna! Being with Princess Martha was just seeking novelty! Bruce remained silent. Princess Martha asked again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± ¡°Haha, of course, I¡¯m happy!¡± Princess Martha happily said, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯lle to see you next week!¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that! Once I finish my busy week, I¡¯lle to see you! ¡°It¡¯s more convenient for me toe to your ce!¡± Bruce quickly reassured Princess Martha. For some reason, he just didn¡¯t want his rtionship with Princess Martha to be exposed. Princess Martha replied, ¡°That¡¯s fine too!¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, love you!¡± After hanging up the phone, Bruce let out a long sigh, feeling a mix of emotions. Princess Martha was a legitimate royal princess, and if their rtionship were to be exposed¡­ To be honest, it would undoubtedly satisfy the vanity of many men to a great extent. However, Bruce inexplicably felt troubled by it. In the Marhall Hospital of Venturas. Joanna had already contacted a surgeon in Gaprington, and she had exined Jaydon¡¯s condition and scheduled an appointment. ¡°Jay, this Doctor Carl is the most authoritative surgeon in Gaprington. Lilia has also made an appointment with him to discuss the surgery. ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to Doctor Carl about your situation, and he said there¡¯s a fifty percent chance of a cure. If things don¡¯t work out here, we can go to Gaprington.¡± Jaydon listened absentmindedly and suddenly interjected, ¡°Joann, are you really willing to marry me?¡± Joanna paused, looking somewhat surprised at Jaydon! In the past, she had closed off her heart and refused to ept anyone¡¯s feelings. But now, once her heart opened, she suddenly felt that marrying Jaydon wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. Even if he became disabled, so what? In the worst¨Ccase scenario, even if their rtionship were to break apart in the future, that would be a problem forter. ¡°Jay, why are you asking this question again?¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna intently and said with a tinge of mncholy, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will regret it in the future.¡± Joanna smiled at him. ¡°As long as you won¡¯t regret it, I won¡¯t regret it either.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna asked, ¡°Why do you have such little trust in me?¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°No, I just feel that happiness came too suddenly. I¡¯m too happy¡± ¡°Silly!¡± Time flew by, and another week passed. With Joanna by his side, Jaydon¡¯s mood improved significantly. Apart from theck of sensation in his left leg, most of his body had recovered quite well. After the doctor carefully removed all the splints for Jaydon, he examined his condition again. ¡°Mr. Grimm can be discharged from the hospital soon, ¡°Ms. Haynes, Doctor Carl that you mentioned is renowned for his medical expertise worldwide. It might be worth it for Mr. Grimm to visit him. There could be a chance for a miracle.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°I hope so!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make the arrangements there. We¡¯ll fly over next week.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Jaydon had been in the hospital for over two months, and today he was finally able to be discharged. Joanna said to Jaydon, ¡°Jay, pack your things here. I¡¯ll go back to Greyport for two days to take care of some matters and pack my luggage. ¡°Next Wednesday, I¡¯lle to Venturas to meet up with you.¡± ¡°Alright, take care, and don¡¯t overexert yourself!¡± Jaydon finished speaking and gently rubbed her head affectionately. Joanna smiled at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯lle back soon to be with you.¡± ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon suddenly called out to her. Joanna stopped in her tracks, thinking he was reluctant to let her go. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± After hesitating for a second, Jaydon silently took out a ring from his pocket. It was a 9.9¨Ccarat heart¨Cshaped pink diamond ring. It was the ring he had bought for Joanna when he first confessed his love and proposed to her. Unfortunately, Joanna didn¡¯t ept it at that time. This time, he had his assistant find the ring for him. ¡°Joann, this ring was specially bought for you!¡± ¡°Would you¡­ be willing to wear it?¡± Joanna was momentarily stunned, but then she smiled and reached out her hand. ¡°Of course!¡± Jaydonughed and looked at her affectionately. ¡°By wearing this ring, it means you have epted my proposal.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna nodded firmly. Jaydon felt a sense of relief and slid the ring onto Joanna¡¯s ring finger. Joanna¡¯s fingers were long and slender, delicate and graceful. Illuminated by the light, the ring on her finger exuded an air of elegance and grandeur. ¡°Joann, I love you!¡± ¡°I love you too!¡± Joanna smiled gently and put her face in front of him. Jaydon then deeply kissed her forehead. ¡°For you, I will work hard on my recovery. I¡¯ll strive to regain my health as soon as possible to bring you happiness.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± They looked at each other and smiled. Joanna also leaned in and kissed his lips. ¡°Take care of yourself, I¡¯ll be gone for two days, but I¡¯lle back soon.¡± ¡°Alright, remember to call me if anythinges up!¡± ¡°Yes, I will!¡± After bidding farewell to Jaydon, Joanna hurriedly headed back to Greyport. She hadn¡¯t been in Greyport for over half a month! The work in herpany had piled up like a mountain! She nned to spend one day handling the work in Greyport. She would also set aside another day to deal with the work in Porash and Greene Town. And, of course, she would make sure to find some time to meet with her children. Returning to Greyport, Joanna checked the time and realized it was only a little after 3 p.m. Moreover, today happened to be Sunday. ¡°Hello!¡± Bruce quickly answered the call. Joanna paused for a few seconds and said, ¡°Urn, Bruce, I want to see the children today.¡± ¡°Today?¡± Bruce frowned. Joanna used to make appointments in advance when she wanted to see the children.. Why did she suddenly want to see them today without any prior notice? Bruce eximed, ¡°It¡¯s already afternoon!¡± Joanna quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s only a little after 3 p.m. I cane directly to Century za, and you can have the driver bring the children to meet me, okay?¡± When Bruce heard this, he pondered for a while. He finally couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Joanna, what have you been busy withtely?¡± During this period, he focused all his attention on work and Princess Martha. He deliberately ignored everything rted to Joanna! ¡°Nothing much! Just busy with work.¡± Joanna replied, not wanting to share too much about Jaydon with him. Even though she had made it clear there was no chance of them getting back together in this lifetime, she knew Bruce¡¯s personality too well. His possessiveness and need for control were too strong. If he found out that she was with Jaydon, he would probably go crazy and act irrationally. ¡°Is it possible?¡± Joanna asked again. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± After hesitating for a few seconds, Bruce agreed. ¡°That¡¯s all for now!¡± Joanna hung up after saying that. At 4 p.m, a nanny van and two MPVs arrived at Century za. As the car doors opened, Davian was the first to jump out of the car. ¡°Mommy!¡± Following closely behind, Irvin also got out of the car. The two little ones happily ran toward Joanna. ¡°Davian, Irvin!¡± Joanna had missed her children so much after not seeing them for a while. She immediately ran toward them and tightly embraced Davian and Irvin. ¡°Mommy, why haven¡¯t youe to see us for so long?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my darlings. Mommy has been a bit busytely.¡± Meanwhile, Bruce also got out of the car, carrying Lilia in his arms. ¡°Mommy!¡± Lilia sweetly called out. ¡°Lilia¡­¡± Joanna looked up and was surprised to see Bruce there. Instantly, her heart tightened. ¡°Bruce, why are you here too?¡± Seeing Joanna¡¯s uneasy and surprised expression, Bruce felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you so nervous to see me?¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Joanna quickly denied it. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much. Why haven¡¯t youe to see me for so long?¡± Lilia asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve been very busytely,¡± Joanna apologized. She quickly stepped forward to try and pick up Lilia. Bruce scoffed and muttered sarcastically, ¡°Even if you¡¯re busy, you should make time to be with the children. ¡°How could you be such an irresponsible mother?¡± Joanna paused for a moment, not wanting to argue with him. She then picked up Lilia in her arms. The moment she reached out, she identally revealed the diamond ring on her finger. Suddenly, Bruce¡¯s gaze fell upon the diamond ring on Joanna¡¯s hand. His lips twitched involuntarily. Joanna had never liked wearing jewelry, so it was naturally impossible for her to spend money to buy a diamond ring. Moreover, this diamond ring was a pink diamond in the shape of a heart. It was worth at least a few hundreds of thousands of dors. The Haynes Group was currently in trouble now, and Joanna would never spend such arge sum of money on a diamond ring. ¡°What is that you¡¯re wearing on your hand, Joanna?¡± Bruce asked abruptly. Joanna felt a sinking feeling in her heart upon hearing his question. She hade in a hurry and forgot to take off the ring on her finger. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nothing.¡± Joanna instinctively replied. Bruce¡¯s face paled. ¡°Show it to me.¡± ¡°Bruce, can you please stop meddling in my affairs?¡± ¡°Give me your hand!¡± Bruce demanded, gripping Joanna¡¯s wrist and forcefully bringing her hand closer to his eyes. This diamond ring was a heart¨Cshaped pink diamond. It must be incredibly expensive. Bruce¡¯s eyebrows raised, feeling an inexplicable wave of jealousy washed over him. ¡°Who gave you this?¡± ¡°What do you mean who gave it to me? Can¡¯t I buy a ring for myself?¡± Joanna snapped, pulling her hand back angrily. Bruce paused for a moment. ¡°Did you really buy it yourself?¡± Joanna replied coldly, ¡°Bruce, my personal affairs are none of your concern.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Faced with Joanna¡¯s indifference, Bruce let out a cold snort and suppressed his anger. He didn¡¯t need to be so fixated on her. Since she didn¡¯t love him anymore, he did not have to lower his dignity and cling to her. It would make him look like a fool. He was too arrogant to continue chasing after someone who clearly didn¡¯t want him. Joanna didn¡¯t want to engage in further conversation with Bruce. Instead, she lovingly looked at her three children and asked, ¡°Do you miss Mommy, my darlings?¡± ¡°Of course, we do!¡± the three children replied in unison. Joanna smiled affectionately and took out three folded paper stars from her bag. ¡°Mommy brought you some gifts!¡± Each of the children received one, and they looked at the beautiful paper stars in their hands with curiosity. ¡°Wow, Mommy, what is this?¡± *These are little stars that Mommy folded by hand. When you miss Mommy, you can take them out and look at them,¡± Joanna exined. ¡°When Mommy isn¡¯t with you, let the little stars keep youpany¡± These three little stars were made with special paper, and each had the name of one of the children written on it. Though they held no mary value, they were filled with a mother¡¯s love and blessings for her children. ¡°Thank you, Mommy!¡± Davian carefully kept the paper star and looked at Joanna with a serious expression. ¡°Mommy, when will youe to see us next time?¡± Joanna took a breath and gently crouched down. ¡°Mommy will have a business trip next week, so I might not have time toe and see you. ¡°Wait for the week after next, and Mommy wille to see you again.¡± Upon hearing this, Irvin pouted and asked, ¡°Mommy, where are you going on your business trip?¡± 11-34 ¡°Well, I¡¯m going abroad.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ When the three little fellows heard this, they looked unhappy. Both their parents were very busy. Their father went on business trips frequently, and now their mother would be away every other day. They hardly had much time together as a family. They spent their days either at the kindergarten or with the servants. When Bruce heard this, he felt displeased and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should go back.¡± ¡°Mommy! We don¡¯t want to go back¡­¡± Joanna looked at Bruce coldly and pleaded, ¡°Bruce, can I please cook a meal for the children?¡± Bruce coldly rejected her. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Joanna let out a deep sigh. ¡°Bruce, I am their mother. You cannot be so overbearing and prevent me from building a rtionship with our children.¡± ¡°Daddy, we want to eat Mommy¡¯s cooking. It¡¯s been so long since west saw her! ¡°Sob, we miss Mommy so much!¡± Lilia couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Seeing his daughter crying in distress, Bruce¡¯s heart softened involuntarily. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Mommy will make dumpling for you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great!¡± Davian and Irvin instantly cheered up. Joanna carried Lilia in her arms and led Davian and Irvin toward the roadside, preparing to hail a taxi to go home. Behind them, Bruce silently followed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Joanna red at Bruce with annoyance. She didn¡¯t want him to join her time together with the children. Bruce snorted coldly and teased. ¡°Joanna, are you nning to make my children ride a taxi?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem with that?¡± Joanna asked angrily, her tone defiant. Her car still hadn¡¯t been repaired, and just mentioning it made her feel frustrated. Bruce pursed his lips. ¡°Forget it! We¡¯ll use my car.¡± With that, Bruce called the driver to bring the nanny van over. ¡°Get in the car!¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment but eventually obediently got in. The nanny van had seven seats, and Joanna and the children sat in the back row. Bruce sat in the front passenger seat. Twenty minutester, the driver arrived at the entrance of Greenwick Residential Complex. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯ve arrived at our destination.¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Bruce responded coldly. ¡°We have arrived. Let¡¯s go.¡± The driver get out first and opened the door. Davian and Irvin happily jumped out of the car. ¡°Wow, this ce is much nicer! We finally get to go home with Mommy.¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s been so long since we had Mommy¡¯s homemade dumplings. I¡¯ve even dreamed about eating Mommy¡¯s dumplings a few times.¡± Joanna smiled and followed suit, getting out of the car. ¡°Today, Mommy will make sure you enjoy a satisfying meal. *Thank you, Mommy.¡± Joanna had just called Miranda. She asked Miranda to prepare the ingredients for the dumplings! After being away from her children for so long, she wanted to cook a meal for them with her own hands. The children loved her homemade dumplings, and she wanted to make them a special treat while she had the time. Joanna led the children in front. Bruce also got out of the car and followed. ¡°What are you doing here, Bruce?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Nothing!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. What if you abduct my children?¡± Joanna was infuriated by his remark. ¡°How about letting Daddy join us for the meal?¡± Davian suggested. Joanna took a deep breath and decided not to argue with Bruce. She reluctantly allowed him to follow them into the elevator. After returning home, the children were overjoyed! ¡°Wow, it feels so cozy here! Mommy, can we stay here and not go back?¡± Joanna felt a pang in her heart. She would love for the children to stay. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately¡­ ¡°You two stay here and behave. Mommy will start making dumplings now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two little boys ran into theputer room! Miranda and Kelly also took Lilia to the children¡¯s room. Bruce sat on the sofa with a cold expression, looking like a gloomy figure. ¡°Miss, let me help you knead the dough!¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll be quick!¡± Suddenly, Bruce shouted toward the kitchen, ¡°Joanna, make a bowl of spaghetti for me!¡± Joanna was enraged by Bruce. However, she did not reject his request. Soon, a delightful aroma wafted from the kitchen. ¡°Wow, it smells so good! My mouth is watering!¡± ¡°Mommy, are the dumplings ready?¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Soon, it¡¯s cooking now! ¡°Both of you, go wash your hands quickly!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to eat three big bowls!¡± ¡°I want to eat five big bowls!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll burst!¡± The two children washed their hands and yfully teased each other. Bruce watched from the side, feeling a tangle of emotions in his heart. It had been a long time since he had seen the three children so happy. Wasn¡¯t it just a dumpling? Why were they so excited? The Everett family had several chefs. Even if they made something delicious, he had never seen the children this happy before. Ten minutester, Joanna walked out with a tray, carrying three bowls of dumplings. ¡°Wow, it smells so good!¡± ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s hot. Eat slowly!¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 ¡°Okay!¡± Two little boys couldn¡¯t wait and sat on the small chairs they used to sit on when eating They held a big spoon and ate the dumplings eagerly. The enticing aroma made Bruce¡¯s stomach growl, and he involuntarily swallowed, thinking, ¡°Where is my spaghetti?¡± Even though he had a discerning and picky appetite, ever since he tasted the spaghetti made by Joanna, his taste buds could never forget that vor. Joanna didn¡¯t say a word and turned back into the kitchen! After a short while, Joanna came out holding a te of spaghetti! The fragrant scent of meat sauce and meatballs filled the whole room. Although the preparation was simple, the taste was incredibly delicious and appetizing! With a cold expression, Joanna ced the dish of spaghetti on the table and walked away. Bruce didn¡¯t say much either and picked up his tableware to eat it. The father and his three children gathered around the dining table and enjoyed their meal.. Soon, Davian finished a bowl of dumplings and asked, ¡°Mommy, is there more?¡± Joanna quickly smiled and replied, ¡°Yes! There¡¯s plenty more!¡± Davian licked his lips and contentedly said, ¡°Mommy, I want another bowl! Please add more shrimp for me!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna took Davian¡¯s bowl and filled it with more than half a bowl. ¡°Mommy, I want some too!¡± Irvin was afraid there wouldn¡¯t be any left in the pot, so he hurriedly finished his portion. Joanna smiled again and served Irvin a bowl. As she watched the children devour their food, she felt immense joy and tenderness in her heart. If possible, she wished she could cook for her children every day. The two little boys devoured two big bowls of small dumplings. Lilia had a small appetite and only ate a small bowl. Bruce also finished his spaghetti. He had never experienced such a satisfying and enjoyable eating experience before. Only the spaghetti made by Joanna could satisfy his discerning taste buds. After finishing dinner, it was already 7 p.m. Joanna chatted with the children,pletely ignoring Bruce. Watching the warm and lively conversation between the mother and her three children, Bruce felt increasingly left out. Jealousy crept up in his heart. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Bruce intentionally coughed heavily, trying to draw attention. Unfortunately, Joanna and the children were engrossed in their reunion, and no one paid him any mind. Bruce touched his nose in annoyance and spoke in a cold tone, ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia, it¡¯s time for us to go back!¡± The three little ones¡® smiles vanished as soon as they heard it! The smile on Joanna¡¯s fate also cooled down! Davian, with a hint of grievance, said, ¡°Mommy! We want to stay here!¡± Joanna felt a pang in her heart upon hearing their words. She knew Bruce wouldn¡¯t agree to let the children stay, so she gentlyforted them, ¡°¡­Darlings, you have to go to kindergarten tomorrow!¡± ¡°Mommy, we want to stay with you!¡± The three little ones said in unison, their eyes pleading as they looked at Joanna. Seeing their expressions, Joanna felt even more distressed. She instinctively nced at Bruce. Bruce¡¯s face turned cold, and his eyebrows raised slightly. This stubborn woman. If she had just listened obediently, he wouldn¡¯t have to separate her from her children. He fought for custody of the children only to force Joanna to stay by his side. Unfortunately, Joanna would rather endure the pain of separation than ept him. Joanna said, ¡°Darlings, please listen and go back with Daddy for now¡­.¡± 11:15 ¡°Hurry up and leave. We still have no practice tonight!¡± Bruce urged with a stern face. If Joanna had been willing to ask him to stay, he would have dly stayed with the children. But he knew that Joanna would never keep himl ¡°Mommy.¡± the three little ones pouted and dragged their feet, unwilling to leave. Seeing the longing in their eyes, Joanna felt her heart breaking She looked at Bruce sorrowfully and asked in an almost pleading tone, ¡°Bruce, can you let the children stay here for one night?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Bruce locked eyes with her, feeling a wrenching sensation in his heart, an irresistible surge of emotions. ¡°Well, they can stay¡­ but¡­ I want to stay too!¡± Bruce took a few steps closer, his eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at Joanna. How he wished Joanna could hug him affectionately and ask him to stay! But seeing Bruce¡¯s unfriendly gaze, Joanna panicked. She quickly stepped back, creating distance between them. Joanna was truly afraid of Bruce! She was even more afraid of the feeling of being forcibly dominated and conquered by him. Even with him standing before her, her heart couldn¡¯t stop racing with nervousness. ¡°Why are you so nervous, Joanna? Are you afraid I¡¯ll devour you?¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t help but feel a stirring inside as he watched her anxious state. If the children hadn¡¯t been present, he might not have been able to resist his urges. The feeling of being with her was etched deep into his bones, irresistible. It was a feeling that no other woman could evoke in him. Beep, beep, beep! Coincidentally, Bruce¡¯s phone started ringing! He took out his phone and nced at it. It was a call from Princess Martha. Bruce furrowed his brows and promptly disconnected the call. Joanna also instinctively nced at Bruce, realizing that the person calling him had an unusual rtionship with him. Beep, beep, beep! Just as Bruce disconnected the call, another call came in immediately. Bruce cursed under his breath and turned away. He did not want Joanna to see his emotions at that moment. Lilia waved to Joanna, gesturing for her toe closer to have a private conversation. Understanding her daughter¡¯s intention, Joanna crouched and brought her ear close to Lilia¡¯s mouth. Lilia spoke cautiously, ¡°Mommy, Daddy is going to have a new girlfriend. Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± Joanna was taken aback. ¡°If Daddy has a new girlfriend, Mommy will bless them.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lilia looked disappointed after hearing her response. Beep, beep, beep! The phone rang again! Bruce, feeling helpless, walked to the balcony to answer the phone. ¡°Hello!¡± Bruce answered the phone with a deep voice. On the other end of the line, Princess Martha¡¯s dissatisfied voice came through, asking him in Antlenish, ¡°Bruce, why didn¡¯t you answer the phone?¡± Bruce replied in the samenguage, ¡°Um, what¡¯s up?¡± The two of them alwaysmunicated in Antlenish despiteing from different countries. They had nonguage barrier between them. Princess Martha paused for a few seconds and mysteriously said, ¡°I want to give you a surprise!¡± ¡°What kind of surprise?¡± ¡°Guess where I am?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± I said I¡¯m at the airport right now. Hurry up ande pick me up!¡± Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯lle to see you next week?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait, so I came to see you! Are you happy?¡± Bruce¡¯s head throbbed even more! Instinctively, he turned around and nced at Joanna. Joanna didn¡¯t pay attention to who he was talking to but was engaged in a conversation with the children. ¡°Bruce, aren¡¯t youing to pick me up? I thought you would be happy!¡± Princess Martha¡¯s tone carried a hint of disappointment. Bruce felt helpless and could only grit his teeth and say, ¡°Don¡¯t wander around, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up right away!¡± ¡°No, I want you toe personally to pick me up.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m busy right now.¡± Princess Martha felt even more dejected upon hearing that. ¡°Bruce, do you not love me anymore? Or give me an address, and I¡¯ll take a taxi myself!¡± Bruce gave in and replied, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯lle to pick you up. ¡°Don¡¯t wander around. I¡¯ll be there to pick you up soon.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, hurry up!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything more and hung up the phone directly. ¡°Darlings, it¡¯s time for us to go back.¡± Irvin deliberately stirred the pot, saying, ¡°Daddy, who were you talking to on the phone?¡± Lilia pouted and said, ¡°It must be thatdy again. ¡°Mommy, Daddy talks to that prettydy on the phone every day.¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened upon hearing that. ¡°Nonsense. Let¡¯s go!¡± The three little ones didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. They could only bid their mother goodbye with a sense of grievance. ¡°Goodbye, Mommy, we¡¯re leaving!¡± ¡°Okay, bye, darlings!¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± Bruce hurriedly left with the children. Back in the car, Bruce still had a furrowed brow. ¡°Kody, you take the kids home. Also, send another car to take me to the airport.¡± ¡°Now, take me to the airport expressway first!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± Kody responded and quickly started the car, driving away. Send Gift Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Bruce hurriedly arrived at the airport. Princess Martha was wearing sunsses and a baseball cap, dressed in casual attire that made her look like an ordinary foreign girl. She didn¡¯t bring any servants or bodyguards. As soon as Princess Martha saw Bruce, she excitedly ran toward him and jumped night into his arms! She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging onto him. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re finally here? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so long!¡± Bruce instinctively looked around to make sure they weren¡¯t being secretly photographed by the paparazzi. ¡°Get in the car quickly. I¡¯ll take you to the hotel first.¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to go to the hotel. I want to go to your home.¡± Bruce was taken aback by her request. Currently, he hadn¡¯t nned on publicly announcing his rtionship with Princess Martha. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. It would be more convenient to stay at a hotel.¡± Princess Martha stared at Bruce and said earnestly, ¡°Bruce, I want to meet your family.¡± ¡°Martha, my home¡­ It¡¯s not convenient, and I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t feelfortable.¡± Princess Martha smiled confidently. ¡°What¡¯s not convenient? I can adapt well.¡± Princess Martha knew that Bruce was the wealthiest man in Greyport. Even in the global rich list, he ranked within the top twenty. Marrying him, she would not lose out at all. His house must also be quite luxurious. Princess Martha, being a princess, had seen a lot of the world and had experienced several romantic rtionships. She had no shortage of suitors pursuing her. However, she fell in love with Bruce at first sight. She had already made up her mind to marry him. Bruce frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll still take you to the hotel first. My home is really not convenient. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Get in the car quickly!¡± Bruce ced Princess Martha¡¯s luggage in the trunk of the car. Princess Martha pouted but obediently got into the car. Inside the car, Bruce asked with concern, ¡°Why did youe to Greyport alone? What if you encounter any danger?¡± Princess Martha leaned against his chest with a sweet smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I often travel alone around the world.¡± Princess Martha had strong social skills and often hid her identity. She usually traveled without any assistants or bodyguards. Bruce listened and didn¡¯t ask any further questions.. Bruce¡¯s mind was filled with anxiety, thinking about how to make her leave Greyport as soon as possible. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you n to propose to me?¡± Princess Martha asked. ¡°Martha, we¡¯ve only known each other for less than two months. I don¡¯t want to rush things.¡± Princess Martha immediately interrupted him and said, ¡°No! I love you and want to marry you!¡± She intimately hooked her arms around Bruce¡¯s neck. Then, she offered him her red and fragrant lips. Looking at Princess Martha, with her wavy hair, captivating eyes, and seductive allure, Bruce felt even more indifferent. To him, Princess Martha was like an expensive and exotic dish. It might have been fresh and enjoyable the first time. But after having it several times, he grew tired of it. If he had to eat this dish for the rest of his life, he would be even more intolerant! Marriage with Princess Martha required careful consideration. Although she was a princess, thews in their country heavily protected the rights of women. In the event of a divorce, a woman would be entitled to sixty percent of the assets. Moreover, prenuptial agreements were not epted. If he married Martha, it would be a lifelong If they got a divorce, he would lose at least half of his fortune. Seeing Bruce¡¯s restless and troubled expression, Princess Martha also looked grave. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you want to marry me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just feel that it¡¯s too early to discuss this question now¡­.. Princess Martha said furiously, ¡°Bruce, do you not love me? Are you just ying around with me? ¡°I even took the initiative to propose to you. Aren¡¯t you happy about it?¡± As a princess, she had a sense of inherent superiority that made her believe Bruce must be willing to marry her. After all, no man could resist the favor of a princess. Martha had a casual attitude toward rtionships. However, the more she acted that way, the more Bruce felt repulsed. If Princess Martha could easily be with him, she could just as easily ept another man. Moreover, she had been raised with liberal education, and her view of love was quite open¨Cminded. Bruce might not be a good person, but deep down, he had a strong sense of traditional masculinity. He might not uphold the ideals of a gentleman, but he would not tolerate his woman disregarding the principles of womanhood. ¡°Are you going to say something?¡± Princess Martha asked, unable to contain her anger. Bruce¡¯s head hurt even more! ¡°Martha, can we talk about thister?¡± Seeing Bruce¡¯s hesitation, Princess Martha looked disappointed. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to propose to a man. However, she did not expect that Bruce did not cheer as she had expected. Instead, he was silent and resistant. This was something that Princess Martha did not expect! The next day, at the Haynes Group. Joanna arrived at thepany early in the morning. She hadn¡¯t been to the office for almost half a month, and there was a backlog of work requiring her attention. ¡°Good morning, Miss Haynes!¡± The receptionists greeted her one by one. At 9 am, in the conference room. Joanna started the meeting with the executives, conveying her instructions and orders. The meeting continued until 11 a.m., covering all the necessary matters. Joanna returned to her office. ¡°Luna, schedule a meeting with the president of Belize Group. We can sign the contract today!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna continued, ¡°Take care of these documents and send the contract to the filing room! ¡°Also, bring me the contracts and tax forms from the past few days!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna immersed herself in her work, busily handling tasks and responsibilities. The employees couldn¡¯t help but whisper among themselves. ¡°Wow, Miss Haynes hasn¡¯t been in the office for so many days. ¡°I heard she went to Venturas to apany Mr. Grimm!¡± A young female employee, who was a fan of Jaydon, infatuatedly asked, ¡°What happened to Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°I heard he was in a car ident. It¡¯s possible that he might be disabled!¡± ¡°Oh no! How could this happen? Mr. Grimm is so talented, handsome, and wealthy. How could fate allow him to be disabled?¡± The female employee expressed her regret. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so unfair!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Did you notice? Miss Haynes is wearing an engagement ring¡± ¡°Miss Haynes never wore jewelry like that before. It seems like she was about to get married!¡± ¡°With who?¡± ¡°Who else could it be? It must be Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Do you think she will get back together with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Luna is here. Everyone gets back to work!¡± The employees quickly stopped their conversation as Luna approached. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Joanna was busy at thepany the entire day! She was upied until past 11 p.m. She finally finished all the piled up work from the past two weeks! Checking the clock, it was already 11:10 pm. Joanna yawned, closed herputer, and prepared to go home. After finishing her tasks in Greyport, she had to rush to Porash and Greene Town the next day! After returning home, it was already 12:30 am., and Joanna hurriedly took a shower before falling into bed and immediately falling asleep. Early the next moming, Joanna hurriedly made her way to Porash. She called Michael. ¡°Michael, I¡¯m almost in Porash!¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll pick you up now!¡± ¡°Great, hurry up. I will arrive in 20 minutes!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After Michael picked her up and brought her to the factory, Joanna started dealing with the work there. Joanna asked, ¡°How¡¯s thepany¡¯s operationstely?¡± Michael replied. ¡°Everything is going well. The business has been much betterpared tost month.¡± Joanna eximed, ¡°That¡¯s good! ¡°Bring me the most recent documents and contracts!¡± Michael said. ¡°The contracts that need to be signed are already ced on your desk, and the reports are all prepared!¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°It¡¯s what we should do!¡± In the morning. Joanna finished the work in Porash. At 1 p.m., Joanna hurried back to Greene Town with Michael and Tatiana. She had rented an office building in Greene Town. The mediapany was all set up, and now all that was left was for her to go there and sign the contracts! During this period, Cora stayed in Greene Town to help with the newpany. ¡°Cora, I¡¯ll be right there!¡°Joanna said to Cora on the phone. ¡°Okay, Brother Trumpet can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make arrangements to meet him.¡± At 3 p.m., Joanna met with Brother Trumpet. They discussed the shares of the mediapany. They talked until 6 p.m. before finalizing the contract. Afterward, she apanied Brother Trumpet for a live stream for a while. After finishing up, it waste at night again. Joanna had been busy these past few days, barely having any leisure time. Ring, ring! Just as she arrived at her hotel, Jaydon¡¯s call came in. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± ¡°Joann, have you arrived at the hotel?¡± Jaydon asked. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 ¡°Yes, we¡¯re already at the hotel Joanna let out a long sigh of relief and stretched her numb neck. Jaydon looked at Joanna¡¯s tired face and said in distress, ¡°Are you tired? You have been too devoted to your work, you workaholic. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. You have me, and you can count on me. I am not very sessful, but I can assure you a wealthy life.¡± Hearing that, Joanna smiled. ¡°I know! ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m stronger than you think, I can take it. It¡¯s just fine.¡± ¡°Joann..¡± Jaydon sighed helplessly. ¡°Jay, are you done packing?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done packing and ready to go.¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy for another day. I might not be able to return to Greyport until tomorrow afternoon. ¡°And I¡¯ll go to Venturas on Thursday morning.¡± Jaydonforted her gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry. Anyway, my legs can¡¯t be worse. It doesn¡¯t matter if we are one dayter.¡± ¡°Take good care of yourself while I¡¯m away.¡± ¡°You too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go to bed now!¡± ¡°Okay, good night!¡± After saying goodnight to each other, Joanna hung up the video call. She had been exhausted for the past two days. She took a quick shower and fell asleep as she hit the pillow. It was 7 a.m. the next day. Joanna got up early and went through the contract carefully again. At nine in the morning, she met Brother Trumpet and officially signed the contract with him. After signing the contract, Brother Trumpet looked at Joanna tenderly. ¡°Miss Haynes, we¡¯re partners from now on.¡± Joanna also smiled knowingly. ¡°Yeah! I hope we can work well together!¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our pleasant cooperation.¡± They solemnly shook hands again. Brother Trumpet paused and asked again, ¡°Right! What have you been busy with recently? I heard from Cora that you¡¯ve been in Venturas.¡± Joanna heard it, and her eyes flickered. ¡°Oh, a friend of mine got into a car ident! I was there to take care of him.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± When Brother Trumpet heard this, his eyes darkened. Although Cora did not tell him what exactly Joanna had been doing these days, he could vaguely guess something. After all, the rumors about Jaydon and Joanna were everywhere. At the same time, Brother Trumpet had seen the ring on Joanna¡¯s finger. ¡°This is¡­ Brother Trumpet nced at her diamond ring and hesitated to speak. Seeing this, Joanna showed her ring generously and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from my fiance¡± Brother Trumpet pursed his lips. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± It seemed that he did not have any chance to pursue Joanna. It made sense because they had very different family backgrounds. Of course, Cora Could also see the disappointment in Brother Trumpet¡¯s eyes. She quickly changed the topic and said, ¡°We¡¯ve already rented the shop. Miss Haynes, Mr. Trumpet, it¡¯s about time to choose the decoration style now¡± ¡°Okay. Cora, you stay here and be in charge of the decoration of the shop.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°I¡¯d better get going, then. I might be out of the country for a week. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the job here to you guys.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Haynes. We won¡¯t let you down.¡± Joanna said nothing else since she had recognized Cora¡¯s working ability. It was one o¡¯clock in the afternoon! Joanna hurried back to Greyport! Miranda had already packed the luggage for her. The next day, Joanna arrived early to meet up with Jaydon in Venturas. They were at Venturas Airport. ¡°Jay, have you booked the flight tickets?¡± ¡°Yes, I have¡± Jaydon sat in the wheelchair with a smile. Beside him were four bodyguards and two nursing workers. Joanna also brought Tatiana, and the group of people met up with each other at the airport. Jayden stretched out his arms to Joanna. ¡°Oh, Joann, I miss you so much!¡± Joanna hugged him intimately. ¡°Me too!¡± Jaydon hugged her tightly and kissed her on the forehead gently. They looked at each other, smiled, and couldn¡¯t take their gentle eyes off one another. ¡°What time is the flight?¡± ¡°Ten o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nine o¡¯clock now. Let¡¯s take a seat and wait.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce also appeared in the VIP lounge with Princess Martha. Greyport Airport was too big, and the media could secretly photograph them easily. So he especially drove Princess Martha to Venturas Airport. He had booked a return flight for her. Princess Martha looked unhappy. ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to go back so soon. I¡¯ve only been here for two to three days!¡± Bruce lowered his voice and looked around. ¡°I¡¯ve booked the flight ticket. There are too many people in Greyport. It means we are more likely to be seen there. We¡¯ll be in big trouble if the media takes photos of us being together.¡± ¡°Bruce, will you miss me?¡± Princess Martha put her arms around his waist with affection. Bruce said perfunctorily, ¡°Yes, sure. I¡¯ll miss you. I¡¯ll fly to see you after I finish my work.¡± ¡°Bruce Princess Martha looked at Bruce affectionately and tiptoed to want a kiss from him. Bruce was wearing sunsses, a mask, and a cap on his head. He looked around in alert. Seeing no one was paying attention to them, Bruce took his mask off and gave her a peck. At this moment, he was afraid of being photographed by the media! He had just finished kissing Princess Martha and abruptly looked up. A familiar figure came into sight. ¡°Joanna¡­ Bruce¡¯s pupils dted. At that time, Joanna was leaning against Jaydon. The two of them were chatting affectionately. It looked like they were going to leave the country together. Joanna said she was going on a business trip overseas when she came to see the children the other day. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Unexpectedly, she was going abroad with Jaydon. Immediately. Bruce¡¯s eyes turned sharp, and he felt his anger surging to his chest. ¡°Joanna Haynes Bruce shouted angrily and walked towards her fiercely. Joanna looked back when she heard the voice. When she saw Bruce, she couldn¡¯t help trembling all over. ¡°Bruce¡­ ¡°Huh! You said you were going on a business trip overseas, but it turns out you¡¯re going on an overseas trip with Jaydon!¡± Bruce was about to hit the ceiling, and his eyes were zing with anger. He had a bad temper and could as well tolerate anything else. However, when it came to things on Joanna and Jaydon, he could not bear it at all. Joanna paused for a moment and stood up. She subconsciously exined, ¡°I¡¯m going abroad with Jay for his treatment!¡± PUH! Upon hearing this, Bruce was even more furious! Some time ago, Joanna called him and asked him for information about the doctor from Gaprington. 11:160 ehapter At that time, he thought Joanna wanted to consult Li¡¯s condition, and he had never expected that she was consulting for Jaydon! ¡°You¡¯re Impossible, Joanna! When our daughter went abroad to see a doctor, you didn¡¯t give it a shit. But now you¡¯re so concerned about Jaydon! ¡°You are a terrible mother! Now you think this guy is more important than your daughter? Are you going to abandon your daughter for him?¡± Bruce said sarcastically. His face was extremely gloomy. He wished he could eat Joanna and Jaydon alive. Joanna took a deep breath, and her eyes darkened as well. ¡°Bruce, please hear me out. Lilia and Jay are in different situations. ¡°Lilia¡¯s illness is congenital. It can¡¯t be cured within a short time. But Jay¡¯s situation was caused by the ident. If he misses the recovery period, it will be very troublesome¡­¡± ¡°Stop giving me crap!¡± Bruce took a few steps forward and couldn¡¯t wait to strangle Joanna. Jaydon also frowned and warned, ¡°Bruce, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to Joanna. Who the fuck do you think you are to interrupt?¡± Bruce was nothing like a gentleman when he lost his temper. When Princess Martha saw things tensing up, she quickly held Bruce and asked in Antlenish, ¡°Bruce, who are they?¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds before he realized that Princess Martha was still beside him! ¡°Martha, get on the ne first.¡± ¡°No! Are they your friends? Do you know them?¡± Although Martha did not understand theirnguage, she could tell they were arguing! ¡°Stay out of it. Get on the ne! We¡¯ll be in touch by phone.¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m so worried about you! I want to stay with you.¡± Princess Martha said and hugged Bruce nervously. Bruce was stunned and got less angry in a sh. ¡°We¡¯re talking about something. Don¡¯t worry. I can handle it!¡± Princess Martha shook her head stubbornly. ¡°No. I¡¯m so worried about you. Please let me stay!¡± Seeing this, Joanna frowned and took a deep breath. Although Princess Martha was dressed like amoner, she could still recognize her at a nce. After all, Princess Martha had just visited Greyport. two months ago. The media reported the event and made a big story of it. Moreover, Princess Martha and Bruce were wearing his¨Cand¨Chers clothes. It was obvious that they were a couple. It seemed that the pretty girl Lilia was talking about was Princess Martha. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯d better take care of your friend. Bye!¡± Joanna said and pushed the wheelchair to leave. She did not want to be entangled with Bruce and sincerely wished him a new love. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Joanna, stop right there. I¡¯m not done yet¡± Seeing that Joanna was about to leave, Bruce pushed Princess Martha away He took a few steps forward and grabbed Joanna¡¯s arm tightly ¡°Ouch!¡± Joanna screamed out and was almost dragged to the ground. ¡°Bruce, we have nothing to talk about¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, please calm down and control yourself¡± Tatiana and Jaydon¡¯s bodyguards stood in front of Joanna ¡°Joanna, be clear with me! Do you have to be with Jaydon?¡± Bruce asked and still refused to pve up Joanna pondered for a few seconds and decided to tell him everything ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve already said yes to Jay¡¯s proposal ¡°At the same time. I wish you happiness¡± Bruce heard this and immediately gasped for a breath. His heart instantly tank to the ¡°What You¡® agreed to his proposal? ¡°Yes I love Jay When he fully recovers, we¡¯re going to get married¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and his face looked twisted. ¡°Who said you could do that? Who has agreed to i87¡ä¡ä ¡°Bruce, this is private affairs make the decision myself, I don¡¯t need anyone ?¡¯t appe Bruor¡¯s heart was broken. He pointed at Joanna¡¯s hose and caid ferociously, ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you. If you dare to marry him, I¡¯ll make you feel Sorry (twear ¡° Jaydon was also extremely mad ¡°Bruce you¡¯ve gone too far Joann has divorced you Leave her als ¡°if you find fault with Joann again, I won¡¯t i maty on you¡± firuce¡¯s eyes turned sharp in a second, and he red at Jaydon in disdain. ¡°Hingh, Jaydon, mark Joanna will be my an for the mat of ¡°If you dare to touch hm. /¡®ll make you suffer like hell? Bruce said and wanted to step forward to grabi Jaydon¡¯s cor Seeing this, Joanna stopped in front of daydon ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? ¡°What? You want a piece of me?* The bodyguards on both sides stepped forward and began to push and pull Jaydon brought four bodyguards, while fruce also brought five to sis bodygu good fight The security guards at the airport also rushed over. ¡°Calm down, gentlemen Pease don¡¯t make trouble at the airport¡± Both sides refused to gue in, looking like they were about to have a Jaydon looked at Bruce gibamily ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be too arrogant I¡¯m not ud of you *This is Venturas, not Greyport¡± ¡°Jay, just ignore him. Let¡¯s go Joanna pushed the wheelchar and wanted to leave ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll make you feel sorry Hearing that Joanna¡¯s heart sank a little ¡°Bruce, I hope you can get over it and ept the fact ¡°I wish you happiness from the bottom of my heart, and i hope you ca rich me the same. ¡° After saying that she pushed Javdon toward the boarding gate. ¡°Good! Very good Bruce swung his arms angrily and flew into a rage. When Princess Martha saw Bruce¡¯s furious look on his face, she stood rooted to the ground in shock When Bruce was with her, he was always gentle and considerate. But she did not expect he would be so terrifying when he lost his temper ¡°Bruce.¡± ¡°The ne is about to take off it¡¯s time to board the ne. Hurry up! We¡¯ll contact each other by phone¡± Bruce tried hard to suppress his anger and said goodbye to Princess Martha He ignored Princess Martha¡¯s request and left. Joanna felt uneasy on the ne. Bruce had threatened her, and she wondered what he would do to get back at her this time. Seeing Joanna¡¯s worried look, Jaydonforted her softly, ¡°Joann, don¡¯t worry too much about it!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Jay. I¡¯ve been panicking inside. ¡°Bruce has an extreme personality. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll take revenge on me again.¡± ¡°Joann, sell thepany if you can¡¯t do anything with him.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. Grandpa has been devoted to the Haymes Group all his life, and I can¡¯t let it be ruined in my hands!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. No matter what happens, I will be there for you and protect you.¡± Jaydon could onlyfort Joanna. Bruce was indeed a bad guy. Anyone who had offended him woulde to no good end. Some time ago, his film and televisionpany almost closed down. It turned out that Bruce had yed tricks under the table and caused him to lose tens of million dors. He had yet to swallow his anger and hadn¡¯t forgotten it.. It seemed that he had to ask his father for help. Otherwise, it would be too difficult to deal with Bruce. Bruce returned to the Everett Group. He went back to his office and felt like shit! ¡°Joanna! Joanna! I will make you feel sorry! I swear I will.¡± ¡°Andy, I want the Haynes Group to go bankrupt within a year¡± The reason why Joanna dared to fight him head¨Con was that she had the Haynes Group behind her.. He wanted her to have nothing. He wanted her to lose everything she cared about the most. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Andy looked at Bruce in shock. ¡°Mr. Everett. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be too difficult to make the Haynes Group go bankrupt within a year.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difficulty? I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make the Haynes Group go bankrupt and close down.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, did you forget that Miss Haynes has signed a betting agreement with you?¡± Hearing that, Bruce suddenly remembered it. Right! He had signed a betting agreement with Joanna. Within three years, if Joanna failed to lead the Haynes Group to the world¡¯s top 500, Joanna would have to leave the Haynes Group unconditionally. However, he wouldn¡¯t be happy enough even if she left the Haynes Group. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to destroy the Haynes Group!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with viciousness. ¡°Okay¡± Andy came out of the office and was in a cold sweat. Mark asked curiously again, ¡°What is Mr. Everett mad about this time?¡± ¡°Well, he might be having an issue with Miss Haynes again.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he break up with Miss Haynes?¡± Andy said with a frown, ¡°Yeah! But who knows what Mr. Everett is thinking.¡± ¡°I heard that Mr. Everett and Princess Martha are secretly dating. Mr. Everett has won the princess¡¯s heart. Why is he still so obsessed with Miss Haynes?¡± Andy curled his lips and said, ¡°That¡¯s tough love! The more he loves her, the more eager he will me her!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Mark looked grim. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± *Mr. Everett gave an order and wanted the Haynes Group to go bankrupt within a year.¡± ¡°Fuck! That¡¯s mean!¡± ¡°I agree. What kind of grudge does Mr. Everett have against her? Why can¡¯t he just let go?¡± ¡°Jesus! Miss Haynes met Mr. Everett in her life. What an unlucky woman!¡± ¡°Come on. We¡¯d bettere up with something the soonest!¡± ¡°What can we do? The Haynes Group is also a listedpany. It¡¯s not that easy to make it go bankrupt overnight!¡± We can only split them up internally and cause internal strifes.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang again! It was Jennie calling! Bruce nced at it and threw the phone back on the desk. He was not in the mood to talk to Jennie! Twenty minutester, Andy came in to report again. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Garcia is here! She¡¯s waiting at the reception now.¡± ¡°What is she doing here? Tell her I¡¯m busy and not at the office.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Andy went out to reply again. ¡°Miss Garcia, Mr. Everett is not at the office.¡± ¡°Oh really? ¡°Mr. Everett is not at the office? ¡°Then where has he gone?¡± ¡°I have no idea where Mr. Everett has gone. How would we dare to ask?¡± Andy replied with a smile. When Jennie heard this, she sneered in her heart and was more sure that Bruce was at the office. Andy was Bruce¡¯s special assistant and knew Bruce¡¯s every move quite well. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for him downstairs.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± ¡°If Brucees back, please let me know. I have something urgent to tell him.¡± ¡°Okay, sure.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Garcia is waiting downstairs.¡± ¡°Did she say what she wanted?¡± ¡°Miss Garcia said she had something urgent to tell you.¡± ¡°She¡¯s crazy!¡± Bruce cursed and put his legs onto theputer desk. He had been angry since yesterday and had not eaten anything by then. It broke his heart whenever he recalled that Joanna had agreed to Jaydon¡¯s proposal. ¡°Joanna, you want to get rid of me? Don¡¯t even think about it! ¡°If I can¡¯t have you, I swear no one else can have you. Don¡¯t even think about marrying Jaydon. ¡°I will make you feel sorry. I swear I¡¯ll make you feel sorry.¡± Bruce was arrogant, possessive, and had a double standard for others. In his heart, Joanna would be his woman for the rest of her life. Even if he didn¡¯t want her, other guys still couldn¡¯t have her. Whoever dared to touch his woman would be messing up with him. Send Gift Comment Chapter 313 Chapter 313 He could flirt with other women but couldn¡¯t stand Joanna flirting with other guys. Carl Hospital, Palistian City. It was the most authoritative hospital in Gaprington. Doctor Carl had excellent medical skills and published medical papers that shocked the world. Therefore, this hospital was named after him. They had made an appointment one month ago, so Joanna and Jaydon had met Doctor Carl as nned. Doctor Carl arranged for Jaydon to undergo various tests. ¡°If you want your nervous system to recover as soon as possible, you¡¯ll have to do rehabilitation treatment and training for at least three to six months.¡± Doctor Carl was in his sixties. He had grey hair and a big hawk nose. He looked hale and hearty, kind and gentlemanlike. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good news as long as it can be cured.¡± Doctor Carl continued in fluent Antlenish, ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to give him a nerve test to see how active his nerves are.¡± ¡°Okay, Doctor.¡± ¡°Jay, did you hear that? The doctor said it could be cured.¡± Joanna held Jaydon¡¯s hand tofort him. Jaydon also heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I hope so!¡± Then, Doctor Carl took out a specialized medical instrument and tested his nervous sensitivity. Unfortunately, Jaydon¡¯s nerves could hardly react. This was not good news. In the next few days, Joannapleted the hospitalization procedures for Jaydon. Jaydon began a new round of treatment at Carl Hospital. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. In the blink of an eye, a week was gone. Other than taking care of Jaydon, Joanna Haynes would have meetings with domestic employees online. Beep! Seeing that it was Luna calling, Joanna quickly answered the call. ¡°Hello, Luna.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, have you paid attention to the stock market in the past few days?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The Haynes Group¡¯s shares have declined dramatically and might be at risk of delisting¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart sank. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s also because of Mr. Haynes. What he did some time ago has very negative influences. A large number of shareholders have undersold their shares. ¡°Also, Melta¡¯s star yer wants to terminate his contract, saying he wants to end his cooperation with the Haynes Group and will no longer serve as the Haynes Group¡¯s international spokesperson. ¡°Mr. Haynes is holding a banner downstairs every day. It¡¯s useless even if the security guards call the police.¡± ¡°Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul are worried sick. They have held a staff meeting every day for the past few days. Pleasee back as fast as you can!¡± Luna reported the bad news one by one. Joanna frowned even more tightly. ¡°Okay, I see.¡± Cora called her right after she hung up on Luna. Joanna had no choice but to answer the call again. ¡°Hello, Cora.¡± Cora¡¯s urgent voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, there¡¯s a problem with the tax at the factory of Porash. We¡¯ve got a huge amount of back tax has to pay.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was stunned. She had been telling the finance department to pay taxes on time. How could she evade taxation? ¡°Didn¡¯t the finance department always pay the taxes on time?¡± Cora sighed. ¡°The finance minister Mr. West has already run away. We can¡¯t find him now. He¡¯s not answering his phone or replying to his messages. He¡¯spletely out of contact!¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna felt a chill in her heart. ¡°Thepany¡¯s book value is short of over 1.4 million dors. And Mr. West has embezzled over two million dors from thepany. ¡°Michael has already called the police. The police are investigating it.¡± Boom! Hearing that, Joanna was shocked and couldn¡¯t be more pissed off ¡°Okay, I see. I¡¯ll return as soon as possible in the next two days!¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes.¡± After hanging up the phone, Joanna felt her heart cold as ice and couldn¡¯t help to tremble all over. It was too difficult to survive in the business world. Shit happened every day. She received calls from her employees or higher ups every day. Without exception, they all told her bad news. It made her can¡¯t wait to fly back and deal with the shits immediately. Jaydon could also see her anxiety, and he was worried about her. He knew he couldn¡¯t ask for more since Joanna had been there for him for many days. He was happy with that. ¡°Joann, I won¡¯t recover in a short period. If you¡¯re worried about thepany, fly back to Greyport first!¡± Joanna forced a smile on her face. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re doing rehabilitation here! How can I go back alone and leave you behind? ¡°Just focus on your treatment. Don¡¯t get distracted.¡± Jaydon held Joanna¡¯s hand and said gently, ¡°Joann, I¡¯m fine here. I mean it. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. ¡°I can live with the fact now. I won¡¯t give up on myself again, whether my legs can recover or not.¡± He knew Joanna was worried about him. That was why she had been taking care of him. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll go back to Greyport first. I¡¯lle back and keep youpany after I¡¯m done with the Jaydon nodded. ¡°Okay. Just go. I¡¯ll be fine. ¡°Call me if anything happens. If I can¡¯t solve it, I¡¯ll get someone to help you.¡± When Joanna heard this, she did not have the time to make any more polite remarks. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll book the flight tickets.¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± Joanna said nothing else and told Tatiana to book the flight tickets back to the country. Soon, Tatiana had booked the next day¡¯s flight tickets. The nended in Greyport at eleven o¡¯clock. As soon as Joanna got off the ne, she went straight to the office instead of going back home first. When Luna saw Joanna, she quickly came forward and said anxiously, ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re finally back! ¡°Things about thepany are out of control these days! Mr. Hayneses to the office every day to make a scene. The police have taken him away just now. ¡°Because of it, we¡¯ve already called the police three times. ¡°But we can¡¯t solve the problem radically in this way. Mr. Haynes still keepsing to the office to make a scene.¡± Joanna heard that and knitted her eyebrows tightly. ¡°Inform all the higher¨Cups to attend the meeting at two this afternoon, Everyone must be present.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna walked straight to the office with a cold face. Luna could not help but ask again, ¡°Miss Haynes, what about Mr. Haynes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him for now! Let him do whatever he wants!¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡± Luna sighed and quickly sent the meeting notification to the higher¨Cups¡® group chat. It was 2 p.m. in the conference room. Mr. Paul, Mr. Roger, and all the other higher¨Cups of thepany came to the conference room for a meeting. When they met, Mr. Paul could not help butin, ¡°Miss Haynes, you finally show your face.. ¡°Thepany is in deep water now, but you don¡¯t care much about it and have just disappeared for long¡± Mr. Roger added, ¡°Yep. Thepany will surely go bankrupt if it goes on like this.¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had worked hard with Raymond Haynes through hard times. They were almost 60 years old. Therefore, even though they did not hold as many shares as Joanna, they treated her as their junior and didn¡¯t show much respect to her in their words and actions. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. Let¡¯s analyze the root cause first¡­¡± Without waiting for Joanna to finish, Mr. Paul flew into a rage again. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, the stock market has dropped so dramatically that it¡¯s marked as Special Treatment. We¡¯re going to be delisted soon!¡± ¡°In my opinion, the shareholders still don¡¯t trust the chairman. How much trouble has she caused since Miss Haynes took office? ¡°The Haynes Group¡¯s reputation has long fallen to rock bottom.¡± ¡°Exactly. This isn¡¯t something that can be salvaged by cooperating with a few star yers or celebrities¡® endorsements!¡± The two shareholders took turns ming Joanna. While Joanna was away, Shaun started to talk nonsense in front of the media again. Especially when Joanna broke off their father¨Cdaughter rtionship, he was even more exasperated and went all out to smear Joanna. The nder of her biological father was far more devastating than cyber violence! This was not the end. A few of thepany¡¯s higher¨Cups had resigned one after another. Undoubtedly, these were all Bruce¡¯s tricks. They¡¯d paid big money to poach some higher¨Cups away. ¡°Please give me some more time. I promise I¡¯ll figure out something to turn the situation around!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk big now! It happened all because of you. If you could turn the table, you would have done it long ago.¡± Mr. Paul turned his head away angrily. ¡°Then what do you mean, Mr. Paul?¡± Joanna asked with a long face. These two old foxes were easy¨Cgoing when thepany was making money. But they would only shift the me to her when something went wrong with thepany. If not for the fact that she was in a difficult situation at the time, Joanna would not want to work with them again. Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger looked at each other, hoping the other one to make the first move. ¡°Miss Haynes, I know you¡¯ve been working hard, and you also want thepany to run well. But you¡¯re still too young. Some things can¡¯t be done with hard work only!¡± In other words, he still wanted her to quit and leave the Haynes Group. After all, Joanna was only 25 years old. They were over 50. Deep inside, they couldn¡¯t ept that their boss was a young woman who would tell them what to do. Even though Joanna respected them a lot, it did not change their opinion of her. Send Gift Comment Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Joanna knew that they wanted to evict her from the Haynes Group At this point, she can¡¯t pretend to be polite anymore, Joanna sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯m more anxious than anyone else about this matter with thepany. I also hope ourpany can grow and prosper more than anyone else! ¡°Now is the time to solve the problem, not the time to me each other! At the very least, the financial growth of the Haynes Groupst year increased by 5%! ¡°To make apromise, even if I¡¯m not qualified for the position of chairman, I¡¯ll automatically withdraw from the Haynes Group after three years! You can still benefit from the betting agreement, so your loss will be covered. Don¡¯t worry. ¡°You guys will absolutely make a profit. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s there to worry about. When I make money, all of you will benefit from it. Even if I lose money, I¡¯ll lose myself and you won¡¯t be involved. I¡¯m under much more pressure than you guys.¡± This was the first time that Joanna was so angry during a conference.. He felt overwhelmingly pressed from the very beginning, yet Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul kept criticizing him. They acted out the reality of ¡®we can share riches and honor, but difficulties are for your own. ¡°Miss Haynes, take some water! Let¡¯s calm down first!¡± Thepany¡¯s vice president Ethan acted quickly when he sensed the situation was out of control. ¡°At this stake, you don¡¯t care about how to get thepany out of the difficulties. And all you did was triticize me. You think that¡¯s the way out?¡± Joanna was no longer as humble and low key as before. Her words were sharp and her aura was fierce. When Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul heard this, they were also stunned by Joanna¡¯s imposing manner. Actually, we are discussing the problem! You¡¯re so noisy. I thought you were arguing with someone!¡± Joanna¡¯s face sank. She said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not arguing with anyone. I just hope that everyone can work together and think of a way to get through the current difficulties. ¡°When the three¨Cyear contract expires, if I¡¯m not qualified for the position of chairman, I¡¯ll automatically withdraw from the Haynes Group, even if none of you chase me away. ¡°The deadline isn¡¯t up yet. What¡¯s the point of forcing me to leave now?* Mr. Rogerughed dryly and quickly responded, ¡°Joann! Mr. Paul was also anxious just now. He meant nothing bad and was worried about the future of thepany! ¡°He¡¯s an elder Just listen to himin! You¡¯re just a junior. Just calm down and forget it Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. When Joanna heard this, she grew even angrier. These two wily old foars were used to taking advantage of their seniority! ¡°Mr. Roger, we¡¯re in thepany now. There are no seniors or juniors! We are equal. Everything will be done ording to thepany¡¯s rules. ¡°if apany keeps showing off its seniority and makes no effort to seek progress, it won¡¯t be far from bankruptcy Joanna¡¯s words were quite rude. When Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger heard this, they felt more disgraced. They were so angry that they could not say anything for quite a long time. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I don¡¯t care anymore. Do as you see fit! ¡°If anything happens, don¡¯t look for my help. Now I¡¯m leaving, Hmph. Mr. Roger said in anger and stood up to leave the conference room. Anyway, Joanna had been chairman for more than a year. It was just another two years before she would leave office. Thinking of this, he felt much more relieved. Let her do it for the next two years! As long as thepany didn¡¯t go bankrupt, he couldn¡¯t be bothered. When the three¨Cyear deadline was up, if she could notplete the betting agreement, she would have to hand over her shares unconditionally When that day finally came, she would be in trouble. ¡°So that¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting! ¡°Tonight, everyone writes a proposal and submits it at tomorrow¡¯s meeting.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes.¡± Joanna did not say anything else. She stood up and left the conference room. It was already past five o¡¯clock! Joanna returned to the office and continued to deal with the piles of work on her table. She buned herself in work until 11 p.m. When thepany building was already empty, Joanna turned off theputer and left thepany exhausted. When she was back home, Miranda was still awake. She saw Joanna dragging her suitcase with a tired and depressed expression. 1150 She felt distressed so much that she hurriedly opened the door for Joanna. ¡°Joann, why did youe back in the middle of the night? ¡°Just tell me you were about to go back home so that Kelly could pick you up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Joanna entered the house weakly. ¡°Are you tired? I¡¯ll run you a bath. You should take a bathter!¡± Miranda said and quickly went forward to take her suitcase. ¡°Alright!¡± Then, Joanna took off her coat and changed into slippers. She walked to her room with a tired expression. After a while, Miranda filled the bathtub and quietly came over to call her. ¡°Joann, the water is ready! ¡°Take your time to take a bath first, I¡¯ll make some cakes for you!¡± When Joanna heard that, she realized she had not eaten anything for the entire day. Her stomach also rumbled. ¡°Thank you, Miranda!¡± Joanna was extremely annoyed as she soaked in the bathroom! She had been thinking about how to turn the situation around. After the bath, Miranda¡¯s cakes were also ready. At this moment, Joanna was dizzy from hunger. She already had hypoglycemia for years. After not eating for a day, she felt even more ufortable. Taking all the cakes in, Joanna returned to her room to sleep. Unfortunately, she found it a sleepless night. She was so tired that she felt sleepy so much and her eyes nearly closed, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all. Now, people were preconceived. The public image of the Haynes Group had hit rock bottom, just like a stain hard to erase. Joanna thought about it all night. Perhaps she could only change thepany¡¯s name, Changing the name might redeem the impact. However, if the name was changed eventually, the original name that his grandfather had given would be invalid. But, in order to minimize the loss, changing the name was the most direct and effective way. The next day came. Joanna went to thepany early in the morning! Today, she was going to discuss with the directors about changing thepany¡¯s name. The executives and Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger also arrived at the conference room. ¡°Dear directors, after a night of careful consideration, I want to change the Haynes Group¡¯s Brain Industrial Co., Ltd. to Golden Rule Technology.¡± When everyone heard this, they looked at each other, thinking that they had heard wrongly. ¡°Huh? Change thepany¡¯s name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a wise option, right? This name, Brain Industrial, was personally given by your grandfather! ¡°Moreover, thepany has been in business for half a century, and its reputation has already been established after decades of efforts. How can we dismantle our own brand?¡± Mr. Roger couldn¡¯t sit still anymore and retorted anxiously, ¡°That¡¯s right. How can thepany¡¯s name be changed casually? The signboard of an oldpany can¡¯t be changed hastily!¡± Joanna paused for a few seconds before continuing. ¡°Times are different now. Besides, we¡¯re in the electronic technology business, not the catering industry!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do either. Brain Industrial has a ce internationally. If we change the name rashly, we¡¯ll have to start all over again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree! ¡°Me neither!¡± Joanna continued, ¡°Technologypanies are based on their advanced technology as a selling point. If we don¡¯t boast cutting¨Cedge technology and impressive products, users will not care about whether it¡¯s an old brand. Look at the international big names like Kodak and Nokia. They failed to keep up with the times, so they were out of the user market, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± ¡°How is it different? The food and beverage industry might pay more attention to brand effects. But this is a technological product industry. We rely on technology and product quality, not brand effect!¡± Joanna retorted. *Uh, Miss Haynes has a point!¡± An executive replied seriously! He agreed with Joanna¡¯s point of view. ¡°Miss Haynes, changing thepany¡¯s name might be a way to make up for it! However, it¡¯s a pity to completely abandon the old brand Brain Industial!¡± Another suddenly suggested, ¡°We can set up another branchpany and transfer some specific industries to the newpany! In this way, we can protect Brain Industrial¡¯s reputation and develop a new brand effect.¡± Setting up a subsidiarypany?¡± Joanna frowned. This might be a solution. It was a change in form but not in content. There was no better way at the moment, so this was the only way. While everyone was in a meeting, there was amotion downstairs again. ¡°Joanna Haynes is an unfilial daughter!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes is a jinx. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be in the Haynes family.¡± ¡°She is a heinous monster! Totally inhumane!¡± Shaun had a sign hanging around his neck and was making a scene downstairs again! It was useless to call the police. Shaun was Joanna¡¯s father. So this was a family matter. Even if he was brought to the police station, they would only let him go after warning him. Someone knocked on the conference room¡¯s door. ¡°Come in!¡± The door was pushed open. Luna walked in with a serious expression. She whispered into Joanna¡¯s ear, ¡°Miss Haynes, bad news. Mr. Haynes is causing trouble downstairs again!¡± Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Luna continued, ¡°Mr. Haynes has been causing trouble downstairs every day. There¡¯s even nothing the police can do about him.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, please go down and take a look. If it doesn¡¯t work, at least find a way to persuade Mr. Haynes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all for the meeting. Hand over all the opinions you¡¯ve written. I¡¯ll give you an answer tomorrow.¡± ¡°Luna, collect the papers!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and walked out of the conference room with a dark face towards the elevator! Downstairs in thepany, Shaun was sitting in a wheelchair with arge sign hanging around his neck and a loudspeaker in his hand, from which came an endless loop of curses cursing Joanna. ¡°Joanna is an unfilial daughter. She¡¯s crazy! She¡¯s insane!¡± ¡°Joanna is not even human. He¡¯s worse than animals. She caused her family to be destroyed¡­¡± The loudspeaker kept repeating curses at Joanna! Y Due to cerebral infarction, Shaun was now hemiplegic. It was even difficult for him to stand up on his feet, and his mind was a little confused. However, this also deepened his hatred for Joanna. Every morning, he would ask the nanny to push him downstairs to the Haynes Group. He came here for nothing else but to create trouble for Joanna. Seeing this, Joanna was so angry that her heart ached. She rushed forward and grabbed Shaun¡¯s arm! ¡°Dad, when are you gonna let it go?¡± Shaun was originally sitting paralyzed, but when he saw Joannae out, he turned lunatic in an instant, stretching his neck and scolding Joanna. ¡°You devil girl. Beast. Animal. Now you are finallying out? Why are you a coward? Do you not dare toe out and meet your father after doing something wrong?¡± Shaun¡¯s words were unclear, and he was extremely angry. Joanna could not hold it in anymore. ¡°What did I do wrong? Why would I be afraid to see anyone?¡± Joanna was indignant and retorted directly! ¡°You unfilial daughter, I¡¯m going to beat you to death! I¡¯m going to beat you to death!¡± Shaun scolded in pain. He raised his walking stick shakily and hit Joanna. Joanna also flew into a rage. She came closer to him and said, ¡°Hit me, hit me! What right do you have to hit me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your father. Since I gave birth to you, I naturally have the right to hit you!¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯re really unreasonable. I¡¯m heartbroken and disappointed to have a father like you!¡± When Shaun heard this, he scolded, ¡°Having a daughter like you, I¡¯m even more heartbroken and disappointed! If I had known that you were such an ingrate, I wouldn¡¯t have let you give birth. You should have died overseas early, and you wouldn¡¯t have had to add such a big baby to the family.¡± Shaun foamed at the mouth, still scolding Joanna aggressively. Seeing her father being cruel like this, she was really heartbroken. ¡°Is there an old man like you? Is there a father like you? You didn¡¯t hesitate to push your daughter to the edge!¡± ¡°Oh, you know that I¡¯m your father now? You know that I¡¯m your father now! I won¡¯t acknowledge you as my daughter. Didn¡¯t you break off the rtionship with me? 1, Shaun Haynes, do not have a daughter like you!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. She was so angry that his heart was trembling. However, Shaun was already so sick. If she were to provoke him again, he would probably die of anger. Joanna took a few deep breaths to hide her tears. ¡°Dad, leave thepany quickly and stop fooling around!¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? I¡¯m going to fight you to the death. You destroyed Roxy. You caused my family to be separated. I won¡¯t let you have an easy time,¡± Shaun scolded. He couldn¡¯t help but cry. Her heart didn¡¯t ache too much when Ingrid was brought to jail. However, Roxanne was mentally unstable and had his uterus removed. This was uneptable to her and made him heartbroken. Although all of these tragedies were not directly caused by Joanna, she was notpletely innocent. That was why Roxanne got hurt like this. Therefore, he hated Joanna to the core and directed all his anger at Joanna. ¡°Qad, what do you want? What do you want?¡± Joanna was going crazy! ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about anything now. I just want to see you lose everything! ¡°Do you know how miserable Roxy is now? She¡¯s crazy and pathetic in the mental hospital! As for you, you¡¯re sitting in the office giving orders to your subordinates. You¡¯re high and mighty, carefree, and enjoying everything that should belong to Roxy. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you the one who went crazy? Why aren¡¯t you the one who had your uterus removed? Roxy is such a well¨Cbehaved and beautiful girl. But she lost everything because of a vicious sister like you! ¡°How ashamed of you to keep living on? You should die. Even if you die, you can¡¯t redeem your sins!¡± Shaun cursed incoherently with tears streaming down his face. Even so, Joanna understood every word. Her father¡¯s words were like knives that stabbed fiercely into her heart! If someone else had said these words, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been so painful. Unfortunately, these most vicious words came from her father. It turned out that in her father¡¯s heart, there was actually such a huge difference between his daughters! There were already many passers¨Cby gathering outside thepany. Arge number of reporters also rushed over after hearing the news. In the past few days, the Greyport media had finally found another piece of melodramatic news that caught people¡¯s attention. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart sank. She only wanted to end the battle quickly and leave. Otherwise, she will be caught by the mediater, and she will be crucified on the moral shelf again. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Dad, if you don¡¯t quit, I won¡¯t show mercy even to my father!¡± ¡°You still want to be rude to me? ¡°The family has already been ruined by you. It¡¯s already broken up. ¡°What else do I have to lose? You unfilial daughter, I¡¯m going to beat you to death¡­¡± Shaun cursed and trembled as he tried to stand up from the wheelchair! Joanna was alsopletely disappointed. She said coldly, ¡°Dad, your behavior really makes my heart ache! ¡°If you continue to riot like this, perhaps I can¡¯t do anything to you. But don¡¯t forget that the evidence of your son¡¯s crime is still in my hands! ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose your son, just go home!¡± Shaun choked in anger. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°If you say so!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Shaun sucked in a breath of cold air and fell heavily into the wheelchair again! Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as she looked at the nanny coldly. ¡°Hurry up and send Mr. Haynes home! ¡°In the future, if youe to thepany to kick up a fuss again, I will fix you! He¡¯s my father, so I naturally can¡¯t hold him ountable! But that doesn¡¯t mean that you will be innocent and safe. ¡°If anything happens to my father, what can youpensate me?¡± When the nanny heard this, her heart trembled. She said, ¡°I know, I know! Sir, let¡¯s hurry back¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s reputation had already been demonized by the media! In Greyport, everyone thought that she was unscrupulous, scheming, and ruthless. Naturally, the nanny thought so too! Now that she heard Joanna¡¯s warning, she was even more afraid! ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. Um not leaving!¡± The nanny didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer and hurriedly pushed Shaun. ¡°Joanna, you have guts, you really have guts! If you dare to hurt my child again, I¡¯ll fight you to death!¡± Joanna retorted coldly, ¡°Even if you die with me, I¡¯ll drag Derick down with me. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± The nanny was flustered and hurriedly pushed Shaun away! An hourter! Derick called Joanna again. Joanna was in a terrible fix. She answered the call without looking at the phone number. ¡°Hello¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Derick immediately shouted, ¡°Joanna, Dad was hospitalized again. What did you say to him this time?¡± ¡°Derick Haynes, you¡¯d better take good care of Dad and not let hime to thepany to 11:50 Chaptersis cause trouble again. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be polite to you!¡± Derick snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t control Dad if he wants to go to thepany. I¡¯m not the one who asked him to gol By the way, we don¡¯t have any money now. We can only go to thepany. You, the big boss, are living a carefree life!¡± Joanna gritted her teeth and said sinisterly, ¡°Derick Haynes, stop pushing my boundaries! ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll report you to the police tomorrow for harming my son!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, you win!¡± With a bang, Derick Haynes hung up. Joanna took a deep breath. She was so angry that he was about to spit blood. With trembling hands, she opened a drawer and took out a bottle of antidepressants. After swallowing ten pills in a row, she gradually calmed down. Shaun squatted downstairs at the Haynes Group every day and raised a banner to reprimand Joanna. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Send Gift Comment Although Joanna had announced in front of the media that she had cut ties with Shaun, he was her father after all. She could not really take tough measures against him After the trouble caused by Shaun, the Haynes Group¡¯s reputation could not get any worse. Apany name change was necessary. The inte was filled with news about Joanna angering her father to the point that he became paralyzed, driving her sister crazy and sending her stepmother to prison. Because of such news, there was nothing Joanna could do to clear her name. A ringing sound was heard. Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Hello, Cora, what¡¯s up?¡± When Joanna saw that it was a call from Cora, her heart was in her mouth again. On the other end, Cora¡¯s voice was a little grim. ¡°Miss Haynes,e to Mossbourne immediately! *2 million dors was taken from the factory¡¯s ounts. This money was set aside for the payment of taxes. ¡°Now that the ountant has absconded with the money, it will be troublesome if the taxes can¡¯t be paid.¡± ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°Also, the renovations for the mediapany in Greene Town are almostpleted. The remaining payment must be settled. We also need to buy various equipment and have the start¨Cup capital.¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°Around how much do we need?¡± ¡°The final renovation fee is about 200 thousand dors. The purchase of equipment might cost 400 to 600 thousand dors!¡± ¡°Give me a list of the specific items!¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes! I¡¯ll send it to your emailter.¡± ¡°What else is there?¡± Cora said solemnly, ¡°it¡¯s almost the 10th. It¡¯s time for the factory¡¯s employees to get paid again. Now that the entire sum has been taken, we still need 400 thousand dors for the employees¡® sries!¡± ¡°Okay, I got it!¡± After Joanna hung up the phone, her head throbbed even more. The capital ount of the factory in Mossbourne was short of 2 million dors! Including the money for the equipment and employees¡® sries, it added up to more than 3.2 million dors. Although she could afford to fork out 3.2 million dors, she had just invested 4 million dors to start a mediapany not long ago. She really did not have much cash in her hands now! However, if thepany did not pay the taxes soon, there would be endless trouble in the future! The ountant absconded with the money. She had no idea when she could get the money back. Joanna felt powerless. It was a really terrible feeling. Just when she was feeling vexed, a ringing sound was heard. The phone rang again. It was a video call on Messenger from Jaydon. ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± ¡°Joann, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the office!¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna and said worriedly, ¡°Why do you look so pale? Did you encounter some difficulties again?¡± Joanna supported her forehead with her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a small problem. I can handle it. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Jaydon pondered for a few seconds and said in a serious tone, ¡°Joann, I¡¯m your fianc¨¦ now. I hope we can be honest with each other! ¡°You don¡¯t rely on me when you¡¯re in trouble. When do you n to rely on me then?¡± ¡°¡­ Joanna was at a loss for words. Her eyes instantly reddened, and her delicate shoulders trembled involuntarily. Through the screen, Jaydon could feel Joanna¡¯s despair and frustration. ¡°What on earth happened? Tell me quickly! Besides, I¡¯m also a shareholder of thepany. I have the right to know what happened to thepany!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Joanna let out a long sigh. Then, she briefly told Jaydon what had happened! Actually, even if she did not say it, Jaydon had a general idea. After listening to what happened, Jaydon smiled andforted Joanna. ¡°It¡¯s just 3 million dors. I¡¯ll transfer it to you!¡± When Joanna heard that, she quickly refused. ¡°Jay, no. You¡¯ve already helped me too many times. I can¡¯t let you help me again!¡± ¡°Joann, I¡¯m also a director of thepany. Now that thepany is in trouble, I must take responsibility! ¡°I¡¯m a man. Of course, I should bear the responsibility!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart constricted, but she still refused repeatedly. ¡°Jay, I¡¯ll think of a way. Take care of yourself and undergo rehabilitation treatment. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry about anything else¡­¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll transfer 3 million dors to you. Take it that I¡¯m investing in your new mediapany.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± When Joanna heard that, she did not know what to say! The factory was set up in Mossbourne because she had a cash flow problem. Jaydon had already invested more than 6 million dors in herpany. If she still epted his investment now, she would feel bad about it. ¡°It¡¯s settled then. You don¡¯t have to be anxious or worried. I can do everything!¡± Jaydonforted Joanna gently. He was already used to helping Joanna!. He liked the feeling of her relying on him. He liked the feeling of helping her solve her troubles even more. Money! He had plenty of it! Although his wealth could notpare to Bruce¡¯s, his worth was more than 2 billion dors. In particr, he was Tim¡¯s favorite son. He had the backing of the leading tycoon of the gambling industry in Venturas. At the Everett Group, Andy began to report on how they had attacked the Haynes Group during this period of time. ¡°Mr. Everett, the share price of the Haynes Group has plummeted in the stock market. ¡°If we attack them one more time, they¡¯ll bepletely delisted! ¡°Once they withdraw from the market, it won¡¯t be long before they dere bankruptcy! ¡°Also, several important higher¨Cups from the Haynes Group have been poached by the Everett Group. ¡°If these important executives leave the Haynes Group, the situation will worsen for the Haynes Group. Thepany won¡¯tst long then.¡± Bruce smiled darkly. ¡°Very good!¡± Andy continued to report, ¡°Miss Haynes¡¯s factory in Porash has also made a loss of over 2 million dors. The ountant has already taken the money and gone to Elmerton. He probably won¡¯te back for the rest of his life!¡± After Bruce heard this, he crossed his arms, and a sinister smile appeared in his eyes! At this rate, Joanna would go bankrupt in less than two years.. ¡°This isn¡¯t ruthless enough. Add fuel to the fire. I must make sure Joanna can¡¯t make aeback!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A trace of sympathy for Joanna appeared in Andy¡¯s eyes. Joanna had offended Bruce, and the oue was really terrible. However, this had always been Bruce¡¯s style of doing things. He would make whoever dared to go against him regret it. He was not a good person! The next day, at the Haynes Group. It was nine in the morning. Joanna was holding a meeting with the higher¨Cups to study the options for thepany name change. Over the past few days, she had too many things to worry about. She had to have meetings every day. Halfway through the meeting, a clicking sound was heard. The door was pushed open. Bruce was wearing a ck suit. His hair was neatlybed back, revealing his shaved sideburns. He looked noble, handsome, and stylish. However, there was an unfriendly glint in his sinister and ruthless eyes and a faint mocking smile on his lips. It was obvious that he was there to cause trouble. ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the asion today? Mr. Everett hasn¡¯t been to thepany for a long time!¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger quickly stood up and behaved obsequiously. Bruce was clearly only 29 years old, and his 30th birthday was in the next half of the year. The two wily old men did not unt their seniority, nor did they dare to act superior in front of Bruce! Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart sank. She had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± ¡°Well, Miss Haynes, how rare of you to ask such a question. I¡¯m also a shareholder of thepany. Can¡¯t I be here?¡± As Bruce spoke, he strode to the front of the conference table, pulled out a chair, and sat on Joanna¡¯s right. ¡°It looks like you guys are having a meeting. Go on. Don¡¯t dy your meeting because of me!¡± Bruce smiled faintly with a mocking expression! ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Let¡¯s continue the meeting!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes just proposed to change thepany name for the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Tell me. ¡®Brain Industrial Co., Ltd¡® is such a good name. It¡¯s a well¨Cestablishedpany, after all. Miss Haynes wants to change its name all of a sudden. Mr. Everett, what do you think of the name change?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Change thepany name?¡± He snorted. ¡°Miss Haynes is the chairman. She can change thepany name if she wants to!¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were speechless. They did not expect Bruce to have no objections to this matter! Come to think of it, Bruce only concerned himself with thepany¡¯s dividends but never participated in the management and operations of the He was busy enough with his ownpany, so he naturally did not have the energy to pay attention to the small profits of thispany! Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered as she looked at Bruce warily! She knew that Bruce was definitely up to no good! ¡°Then let¡¯s continue the meeting! I now announce to everyone¡­¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, I have some news to announce!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, please speak.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes immediately turned to Bruce. Bruce looked at Joanna mockingly. ¡°It¡¯s better that you speak after I¡¯m done! ¡°I now announce my withdrawal from the board of directors of the Haynes Group!¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Everyone was stunned and speechless as they looked at Bruce in shock. Joanna also widened her eyes and looked at Bruce in a daze. ¡°What did you say?¡± Joanna gulped, and her voice was a little hoarse. Looking at Joanna¡¯s shocked expression, Bruce curled his lips slightly and repeated what he had said, ¡°I now announce my withdrawal from the Haynes Group!¡± ¡°What?¡± Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul werepletely dumbfounded. The smile on their faces froze. It could be said that people had confidence in the Haynes Group because of Bruce. Even if he did not participate in thepany¡¯s management, his shareholding ensured that the Haynes Group would not be a third¨Crate The Haynes Group was currently in a precarious situation. His withdrawal was undoubtedly thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Joanna pursed her lips and frowned. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Bruce shrugged and looked at Joanna mockingly. If he withdrew from the board, the Haynes Group would have to buy back his shares at a high price. Based on the current situation, the Haynes Group could not fork out so much money unless they sold a portion of their shares to buy back Bruce¡¯s shares. In short, it was a blow to the Haynes Group. The Haynes Group was very likely to face liquidity problems and copse soon. Mr. Rogerughed dryly and asked cautiously. ¡°Mr. Everett, can you tell us your reason?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and replied coldly. ¡°There¡¯s no reason! I merely want to withdraw my investment, that¡¯s all!¡± Mr. Paul also had a serious expression on his face. ¡°Mr. Everett, can you reconsider it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Haynes Group is in deep trouble now. Mr. Everett, can¡¯t you put it on hold first?¡± Bruce rejected coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not a phnthropist! ¡°I withdraw my investments inpanies that are too risky. I¡¯m not targeting anypany in particr!¡± ¡°Oh, but¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, can you reconsider it? Give the Haynes Group a little more time!¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger were still trying to persuade Bruce to change his mind. Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Everyone, please leave the room, I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Everett alone!¡± ¡°Oh, okay, okay, okay!¡± Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the other higher¨Cups stood up one after another and hurriedly left the conference room. After all, Bruce was Miss Haynes¡¯s ex¨Chusband. If they were to talk alone, the chances of Bruce reconsidering might be higher. After everyone left the room, the mockery in Bruce¡¯s eyes deepened as he looked at Joanna mockingly. ¡°Why? Are you trying to throw yourself at me by getting everyone to leave?¡± Joanna took a short breath and said coldly with a dark expression, ¡°Bruce, did you do it on purpose?¡± Bruce chuckled and said nonchntly, ¡°How could you say that? The share price of the Haynes Group has fallen so much that the Haynes Group is about to go bankrupt. I¡¯m merely cutting my losses in time! ¡°We¡¯re all businessmen, so we naturally have to prioritize our interests!¡± When Joanna heard that, she was even more furious. Bruce had so many investments. So, naturally, some profited, while some made losses! His shares in the Haynes Group did not affect him at all! He was doing this now to take revenge on her! ¡°Bruce, can you not behave this way?¡± ¡°How have I behaved?¡± Bruce pretended to y dumb and stared at Joanna maliciously. Joanna was fuming. There was a hint of helplessness in her beautiful eyes, and her pate face was filled with anger. ¡°You clearly know that the Haynes Group is in a difficult situation now. By choosing to withdraw at this juncture, aren¡¯t you trying to destroy the Haynes Group?¡± Bruce leaned back in his chair and casually lit a cigarette. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!¡± As he spoke, he arrogantly blew a smoke ring at Joanna. Joanna coughed a few times because of the smoke. She was so angry that she could not speak for a long time. Then what exactly do you want?¡± Bruce frowned with a dark and sinister expression. ¡°Nothing. I merely want to withdraw my investment from the Haynes Group!¡± ¡°Is there no room for negotiation?¡± Bruce remained aloof and silent! Of course, there was room for negotiation! She just had to refuse to marry Jaydon and admit defeat to him. Lastly, she should hug his thigh and cry her heart out in repentance! If she did all that, not only would he not withdraw from the Haynes Group, he was even willing to acquire the Haynes Group. The hateful thing was that this wretched woman insisted on infuriating him. She clearly knew that he hated Jaydon, yet she insisted on getting involved with that bastard. Since she did not care about his feelings, he could only take extreme measures to take revenge on her. If he could not get something, he would destroy it! Joanna shifted her gaze as she looked at Bruce helplessly and sadly. Her tone became more vulnerable as she said, ¡°Bruce, can you not be this way?¡± ¡°Are you begging me?¡± ¡°I guess so!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t! I wouldn¡¯t dare to ept it!¡± Bruce¡¯s face was cold, and his heart was filled with anger! Joanna continued helplessly, ¡°Have you forgotten the betting agreement I signed with you? Can¡¯t you withdraw from the Haynes Group after the three¨Cyear deadline is over? ¡°If you withdraw now, , what will happen to the betting agreement which we signed?¡± Bruce¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°This doesn¡¯t affect our betting agreement! Our agreement is still valid.¡± ¡°But what you¡¯re doing will put me in a desperate situation!¡± Joanna¡¯s voice became agitated. Bruce was trying to drive her into a corner. If he withdrew from the Haynes Group at this juncture, the Haynes Group would probably go bankrupt before the end of the year, let alonest until the deadline of the betting agreement. ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Why should I care about you? ¡°You¡¯re no one to me. Why should I sympathize with you?¡± Joanna felt a chill within herself as she looked at Bruce in a daze. Bruce also looked into Joanna¡¯s eyes coldly. However, he was muttering in his mind, ¡°Come on, beg me! ¡°As long as you beg me so that my pride can be salvaged, return to my side, and let me vent my anger, we can reconcile.¡± Unfortunately, this was just Bruce¡¯s imagination! The two of them stared at each other for half a minute! Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she retracted her gaze. ¡°If you insist on withdrawing from the Haynes Group, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Joanna could not hold in her anger anymore. ¡°Bruce, can you not be so overboard? You have to give me some time to raise the money. ¡°How do I raise that much money in a month?¡± Bruce turned around again. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve already given you a chance. You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t know how to cherish it!¡± Joanna was speechless to the extreme. Of course, she knew that Bruce was deliberately making things difficult for her. ¡°Can you not let your personal grudges affect work matters? ¡°We don¡¯t owe each other anything. Why can¡¯t we part on good terms? In any case, I¡¯m the mother of our children. ¡°You have a new love. I sincerely wish you well! I don¡¯t need you to wish me well too. I just hope that we can be ordinary friends again, okay?¡± Bruce¡¯s heart was raging with fury. It was like a bucket of gasoline had been poured onto his heart. Bruce did not want Joanna to be so distant toward him! What he wanted was for her to be unable to leave him. He wanted her to love him to the core like before. Joanna, who do you think you are? Are you worthy of being friends with me?¡± Bruce clearly did not think this way in his mind, but the words he said were so hurtful. He was angry. He would not let the matter rest unless he vented his anger. ¡°Alright! I got it!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes in destion. Her eyes instantly reddened. She was about to burst out crying, but she held back her tears and stopped herself from crying. Seeing her like this, Bruce did not feel relieved. On the contrary, he felt pangs of pain. ¡°Are you sad? Are you upset?¡± As he spoke, Bruce subconsciously approached Joanna. The blood in his body instantly boiled. ¡°Leave! I¡¯ll raise the money as soon as possible!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and reached out to hook her chin. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want me to withdraw, I¡¯ll give you a chance! ¡°Make me happy, please me! You know how to do so¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. As Bruce spoke, he took a deep breath and suddenly lowered his head to kiss Joanna¡¯s lips. ¡°Oh¡­ No¡­¡± Joanna panicked. Before she could resist, she was already wrapped in his arms. ¡°Joanna, why are you defiant? Why do you have to anger me?¡± Bruce said viciously and pressed her against the conference table. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Joanna panicked and struggled desperately. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t touch me again. I¡¯m already engaged!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to marry him. You¡¯re mine. You can only belong to me¡­¡± With a ripping sound, Joanna¡¯s blouse was torn. ¡°Oh, help!¡± Joanna struggled and bit Bruce fiercely. ¡°Ow!¡± Bruce¡¯s shoulder hurt from the bite, infuriating him even more. ¡°Bruce, if you touch me again, I¡¯ll die in front of you!¡± Joanna struggled with all her might. Her face was filled with resistance and fear, and tears fell from her eyes. Bruce was silent. He frowned and stopped. The way Joanna resisted hurt him deeply. It was as if a sharp knife had pierced his heart. It was unbearably painful. Whatever he wanted had alwayse to him effortlessly. However, he only realized now that it was so difficult to change the mind of someone he had once lost. ¡°Joanna, just wait and see. I¡¯ll make you regret it! ¡°When the timees, don¡¯t cry and beg me!¡± Bruce let go of Joanna resentfully and strode out coldly. Joanna got off the table and slumped into a chair. Tears of humiliation slid down her pale cheeks. Outside the conference room, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were feeling uneasy. They were also mumbling softly! ¡°Do you think Miss Haynes can persuade Mr. Everett?¡± Mr. Roger looked up and replied in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Miss Haynes is Mr. Everett¡¯s old me. As long as Miss Haynes uses her feminine wiles, it will definitely be alright!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Mr. Paul was speechless. Seeing the look of disbelief on Mr. Paul¡¯s face, Mr. Roger continued to tease, ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you believe me? It¡¯s not like Miss Haynes hasn¡¯t done it before.¡± ¡°I hope so!¡± Just as the two of them were whispering, the door of the conference room was pulled open with a loud bam! Bruce walked out with a dark expression. His face was menacingly dark! ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± The two wily old men hurried over. Bruce coldly walked toward the elevator without saying a word! The bodyguards behind him followed him, stopping the others from approaching. ¡°W¨Cwhat is going on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the negotiation fell through?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look!¡± Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the others hurriedly walked toward the conference room! In the conference room, Joanna was still in shock, and her clothes were a little messy. Fortunately, no intimate parts of her body were exposed! Mr. Paul asked anxiously. ¡°Miss Haynes, how did it go? Has Mr. Everett changed his mind?¡± Joanna snapped out of her daze, and her expression changed. She cried out, ¡°All of you, get out. Who told you toe in?¡± Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger were speechless and taken aback by the roar. They left the conference room again after they were snubbed. The two of them automatically imagined some scenes. They believed that Joanna must have used her feminine wiles on Mr. Everett, but Mr. Everett rejected her! That was why she was so flustered and exasperated. A few of thepany¡¯s higher¨Cups could not help but whisper among themselves. They also believed N?velDrama.Org is the owner. that Joanna must have taken the initiative to throw herself at Mr. Everett. ¡°It looks like Mr. Everett isn¡¯t interested in Miss Haynes anymore!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure. No matter how nice something is, one is bound to get sick of it!¡± ¡°Of course. I heard that Mr. Everett and Princess Martha are in a secret rtionship!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true, right?¡± ¡°I also heard that Princess Martha specially flew over to Greyport!¡± ¡°Wow, no wonder Mr. Everett can¡¯t wait to make a clean break with his ex¨Cwife!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal? Men are fickle in their affection! Besides, Princess Martha is a princess. Miss Haynes is already a mother, How can shepare?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Miss Haynes is still very feminine and charming!¡± ¡°Even if Mr. Everett is gone, she still has Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to work! If word of this reaches Miss Haynes¡¯s cars, we¡¯ll be in deep trouble.¡± The Everett Group. Bruce returned to thepany in frustration. As soon as he entered his office, his phone rang before he could sit down to catch his breath. A ringing sound was heard. It was Princess Martha¡¯s persistent phone call again! Bruce looked at the phone and frowned! To him, it was easy to pick up girls but too hard to shake them off. Sometimes, he just wanted some novelty, but women always fell for him, and there was no end to their pestering. If he were not careful, women would im the moral high ground and condemn him as a scumbag. Especially for a man of his status, if he looked at any woman for a second longer, it would make the other party¡¯s heart flutter. She would think she had a chance with him! Of course, he had never thought of himself as a good man who was chaste and pure. A ringing sound was heard again. The phone kept ringing! Bruce exhaled in frustration and braced himself to answer the call. ¡°Hello, Martha!¡± Princess Martha¡¯s disappointed voice could be heard on the other end of the line. ¡°Bruce, what took you so long to pick up the phone?¡± ¡°I was in a meeting just now. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce asked perfunctorily. His passion for Princess Martha had clearly subsided, and his attitude had be indifferent. It was said that men were wolves that liked to chase after their prey! The harder it was to catch the prey, the more precious it was. However, there were always some prey that threw themselves at him with just a nce. How would that satisfy his desire to conquer? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wereing to see me this week?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy this week. I don¡¯t think I can spare the time.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go over 5 Greyport to see you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea! I¡¯ll visit you after I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already told my father about us! My father wants to meet you personally.¡± Bruce was speechless after he heard that, and his head throbbed even harder! He had not even thought it through yet. Was he going to meet her parent so soon? ¡°Bruce, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you unwilling?¡± ¡°Martha, we¡¯ve only known each other for a short time. Isn¡¯t it too soon to talk about marriage now?¡± Princess Martha said dejectedly. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for over three months. We¡¯ve known each other well enough. ¡°As long as we truly love each other, the sooner we get married, the better.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m busy here now. I¡¯ll call you tonight!¡± *Bruce¡­¡± Bruce said a lew more perfunctory words before hanging up. After hanging up, his head throbbed even harder! ¡°Mr. Everett, are you withdrawing your investment from the Haynes Group?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why? Can you tell us the reason?¡± ¡°Well, this is about an investment. It¡¯s not convenient to talk about it in detail. Thank you!¡± Bruce said a few simple words in front of the media before entering thepany. Even though he did not reveal the reason, the reporters were used to acting on hearsay evidence, and they analyzed his words in depth. They knew that he was implying that the Haynes Group was about to go bankrupt. Soon, the inte was flooded with news of the Haynes Group¡¯s impending bankruptcy! This news fastened the pace of the Haynes Group¡¯s decline. The share price had reached rock bottom several times, and each share was worth less than 20 cents. Their market value had evaporated by more than 2 billion dors. The Haynes Group. A ringing sound was heard. ¡°Joann!¡± ¡°Jay, how¡¯s your recovery?¡± ¡°Pretty good. How about you? Why are your eye circles so dark?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night!¡± Joanna forced a smile, but it was uglier than if she were crying. Although Jaydon was not by Joanna¡¯s side, he had also heard the rumor! Of course, he also knew that Bruce was deliberately suppressing Joanna! ¡°Joann, don¡¯t worry too much!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it! I¡¯m still busy here, so I won¡¯t talk to you for now.¡± Joanna was afraid that she would cry, so she quickly hung up. The phone rang as it tried to get through. Jaydon called his father again. ¡°Hello, Daddy!¡± ¡°Jay, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tim sounded happy! This son of his was very distant from him. It was rare for Jaydon to take the initiative to look for him. ¡°Daddy, I want you to help Joanna.¡± Tim was stunned and speechless! ¡°No problem, don¡¯t worry!¡± Tim dominated the gambling industry in Venturas. His influence extended to the entire Venturas. Although he was not born in the same era as Bruce, let alone of the same age, they had many simrities. Soon, Tim found his good friend, John Garcia, the Ship King of Greyport. He was the grandfather of Zachary and Jennie. He was the Ship King of Greyport. He was almost 90 years old and was highly respected. His worth was several billion dors. He was from the same era as Bruce¡¯s grandparents. He could be considered to be on good terms with the Everett family. ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s meet for coffee!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce was still very respectful to the old man. After all, John was older and more experienced. Among the wealthy in the entire Greyport, everyone had to show John some respect. Furthermore, John was friends with the patriarch of the Everett family. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 The next day at the Rainville Coffee Estate. This was a private coffee estate filled with expensive coffee nts. The coffee estate was surrounded by mountains and water, and an artificialke had been built. At the end of theke was a vi that upied more than half of the hill. In a ce like Greyport, where every inch ofnd was expensive, it was obvious that anyone who could own a private coffee estate must be wealthy. This was John¡¯s private coffee estate. John had already retired from the business world. His only hobby was drinking coffee. Now, he nted and brewed coffee to cultivate his mind. At ten in the morning, Bruce arrived at the coffee estate as agreed! John was fiddling with a few expensive coffee nts. Greyport was close to the sea, and the climate was hot and humid. The coffee nts were very delicate and hard to grow. Besides stringent requirements for sunlight and temperature, there were also extremely high requirements for soil quality. However, John had grown the coffee nts to be green and lush. It could be seen that he had put in a lot of effort. ¡°John, how have you been?¡± Bruce was wearing casual clothes with a ck windbreaker. Unlike his domineering andposed style when he wore a suit, he looked more cheerful and amiable. ¡°Bruce, how have you been?¡± John asked warmly as if he was greeting his grandson. Although John was over 90 years old, he looked to be only in his sixties or seventies. He was hale and hearty. Dressed in white, he looked like an amiable and ordinary old man. However, from his eyes, one could see a trace of the domineering and ruthless youth he had once been. In his early years, John made his fortune in the sea trade. In that era, piracy was prevalent at sea, and sailors lost their lives if they were not careful. John was able to make a name for himself in that era and monopolize the trade at the pier of Greyport. Bing the Ship King of his generation was a testament to his courage and skills back then. Bruce carried a tin of high¨Cend coffee beans and walked forward with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re all doing quite fine! ¡°John, you¡¯re in the pink!¡± As Bruce spoke, Bruce ced the gift container on the bamboo coffee table. John chuckled. ¡°I invited you here for coffee. Why did you bring a gift?¡± ¡°How could Ie empty¨Chanded after not visiting you for so long? I know you like to drink coffee, so I¡¯specially brought you authentic Arabica coffee beans.¡± The Arabica coffee beans were produced in Hanston. They were extracted from the two coffee nts grown by the king back then. They could not be bought on the market at all. ¡°Try the coffee from the coffee nt which I grew myself. I grew the nt and brewed the coffee myself.¡± John grabbed Bruce and brought him to his coffee room affectionately. As soon as Bruce entered the coffee room, the rich aroma of coffee wafted into his nose. There was a charcoal stove in the room. The coffee set was all made of y. They did not look modern at all. It took John ¨¢ long time before a pot of coffee was finally brewed. He handed a cup of it to Bruce proudly. ¡°Here, try it.¡± Bruce picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mellow and aromatic in my mouth. It has a lingering taste. Not bad, not bad at all!¡± When John heard that, he smiled even more kindly and proudly. To be honest, the coffee beans were average. After all, John was not a professional coffee farmer. However, when one sat by theke to look at the bamboo forest and drink coffee with a vintage coffee set, drinking coffee was no longer the point. The main idea was to bask in the mood. The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a while! John suddenly changed the topic and looked at Bruce meaningfully. ¡°The most important thing for men is to be magnanimous! ¡°A man doesn¡¯t care about trifles when he does things. A great person should be magnanimous.¡± Bruce was speechless and stunned. A hint of suspicion appeared in his eyes! All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, John.¡± John chuckled and said half¨Cteasingly. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been bullying Raymond¡¯s eldest granddaughter!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Bruce frowned, and his face was slightly hot. ¡°Speaking of which, your grandfather, Raymond, and I had struggled during the same phase back then! ¡°Life was bitter during that era. It was not like modern times. Everything had to be fought with one¡¯s life. Those who could. make a name for themselves have all gotten ahead! ¡°Those who failed to do so have passed away. ¡°Look, your grandfather and Raymond are no longer alive! When I see your generation, I am reminded of our youth!¡± As people got older, they liked to talk about their youth. John was no exception. He talked endlessly about the past. As a junior, Bruce still had basic manners and self¨Crestraint. He just listened quietly. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for Raymond¡¯s granddaughter. No matter what, she¡¯s a woman. Don¡¯t scare her!¡± After John finished talking, he poured another cup of coffee for Bruce personally! Bruce¡¯s hand that was holding the coffee cup froze in midair. Something seemed to have struck his mind. John continued, ¡°You¡¯re the most outstanding boy among the younger generation. ¡°If your grandfather were still alive, he would probably be smiling in his grave when he saw how well you¡¯ve developed his business. ¡°When I reunite with him in the afterworld, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d unt that he had an outstanding grandson.¡± Bruce was silent. His cheeks burned. He actually felt a little ufortable being praised. Exactly! He was now the wealthiest man in Greyport. He could be said to be the bellwether of the business world! Money was just a number to him. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. He should pursue a higher realm and do things that would contribute greatly to society. ¡°As the saying goes, a gentleman doesn¡¯t fight with a woman. There are so many meaningful things that can be done. Why do you have to hold it against a woman?¡± John hit the nail on the head and directly identified what had bothered Bruce. Bruce put down his coffee cup and smiled awkwardly. ¡°John, I¡¯ve made a fool of myself! It seems that you¡¯re young at heart. You¡¯re so enlightened about everything.¡± Johnughed. Have some coffee! ¡°Be broad¨Cminded and care for all things and people. Live and let live.¡± Bruce was silent. When he heard that, he was at a loss for words again. He had a terrible temper. If someone else had said those words to him, he would probably fly into a rage. However, John was a person of virtue and prestige. And coupled with his seniority, Bruce was willing to heed some of his advice. Even John had spoken up for Joanna. It seemed that he had indeed gone overboard. Bruce was silent when a sweet female voice was heard. ¡°Grandpa!¡± A well¨Cdressed, young, and beautiful woman walked in from outside the house. John looked up and was surprised. ¡°Jennie! Why are you here?¡± ¡°I knew it! You don¡¯te to visit me usually. Strangely, you came today!¡± John pretended to be angry, but his eyes were filled with indulgence. Jennie smiled. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s been a while!¡± Bruce also smiled politely. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Jennie pouted. ¡°You¡¯re really busy. If my grandfather hadn¡¯t invited you to coffee, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see you.¡± Bruceughed dryly! ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go back! I¡¯ll visit you another day and have coffee with you.¡± When Jennie heard that, her face darkened. ¡°Bruce, why are you leaving so soon? I was nning to ask you to go fishing with me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work at the office. When I retire one day, I hope to be like Jolm, cultivating my character and living a simple life in paradise.¡± John smiled. ¡°Alright then! I shan¡¯t ask you to stay. Let Jennie see you out.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Bruce did not say anything else and stood up to bid farewell. Jennie hurriedly went out to see Bruce out. Outside the coffee estate. ¡°Bruce, I heard that¡­ you¡¯re in a secret rtionship with Princess Martha. Is that true?¡± Bruce was stunned and fell silent. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly. ¡°How could that be possible? It¡¯s just the reporters making groundless spections.¡± Bruce did not want to announce his rtionship with Princess Martha, let alone let anyone know. Jennie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± A sly look appeared in Bruce¡¯s eyes as he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you!¡± Bruceughed. ¡°I still have something on. I¡¯ll take my leave first. You don¡¯t have to see me out. I know the way!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Jennie still chased after him. Bruce was already walking ahead on his own. ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m going downtown. Why don¡¯t you drive me there?¡± Bruce rejected coldly. ¡°Jennie, it¡¯s really inconvenient! I have to rush to a meeting now! You should get the driver to drive you there!¡± Se Chapter 320 Chapter 320 ¡°Mr. Everett, when the stock market opens tomorrow, we can give the Haynes Group another blow through the Walton Street financial market. The Haynes Group will soon copsepletely¡­¡± Andy was reporting the progress of the past two days. ¡°In addition, we have already bribed the quality inspection department. They will determine that the Haynes Group¡¯s products have exceeded the limit for formaldehyde and do not meet international safety requirements. ¡°Once this news is exposed, the Haynes Group¡¯s reputation will definitely be beyond repair!¡± ¡°Andy¡­ Bruce frowned, looking troubled! Andy paused, thinking that Bruce thought the method was not vicious enough. ¡°Mr. Everett, we can only take it one step at a time currently! ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll think of other ways. I¡¯ll definitely bring down the Haynes Group¡­¡± Bruce gasped. ¡°Andy, do you think I¡¯m too cruel to Joanna?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Andy rolled his eyes and looked at Bruce in confusion. He would not dare toment on Bruce¡¯s actions. ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you suddenly asking this?¡± Bruce lit a cigarette and took a few deep puffs. ¡°Nothing!¡± ¡°Then, do we carry on with the operation?¡± Bruce thought for a few seconds and said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell Darcy and the others not to carry out the next step in the n for now.¡± ¡°Oh, alright,¡± Andy answered submissively. He really could not figure out Mr. Everett¡¯s personality! Mr. Everett had unpredictable moods. One second, he wanted to drive Miss Haynes into a corner, but the next, he suddenly stopped. ¡°Then I¡¯ll inform Darcy and Mark now.¡± ¡°You may leavel¡± ¡°Oh, alright!¡± After Andy left, Bruce frowned gloomily and lit another cigarette. Between him and Joanna, perhaps he really should be more magnanimous. John was right! After all, she was a woman. Why should he be calctive with a woman? In any case, she was still his children¡¯s mother. He should be magnanimous and hope that she could lead a good life. The Haynes Group. Joanna had been on the verge of copse for the past few days. Based on the speed at which the share price had hit rock bottom, the situation would probably be more tragic today! She did not even dare to check the stock market. However, to her surprise, after the stock market opened for the day, the share price did not fall as much as she had expected. On the contrary, it had increased a little. Joanna was still in shock when her phone rang. A ringing sound was heard. Cora had called again. ¡°Hello, Cora. ¡°Have the workers been paid?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Haynes. The sries and taxes have all been paid.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good! I¡¯ll go to Greene Town in two days.¡± Chapter 320 ¡°Alright!¡± Carl Hospital in Palisrian City, Without Joanna by his side, Jaydon had be much more dispirited. In the ward. A nurse walked in. ¡°Mr. Grimm, Miss Basil is here.¡± ¡°Why is she here?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s here to see you.¡± Jaydon frowned. ¡°Let her in!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Five minutester, Carmel pushed the ward door open and walked in. Carmel was dressed sexily and charmingly. She wore a tight skirt that reached her hips, a tank top, and a thick fur shawl. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. She looked exceptionally gorgeous and sexy. ¡°Mr. Grimm, are you feeling better? I¡¯m here to see you!¡± Carmel ced a fruit basket on the side table and sat on the bed with a charming smile. Jaydon¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± ¡°Well, all of you go out first. I¡¯m going to talk to Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The nurses left the ward one after another. As soon as the nurses left, Carmel threw herself into Jaydon¡¯s arms and spoke coquettishly, ¡°Mr. Grimm, I miss you so much¡­¡± ¡°Carmel, stop it!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Carmel pressed her pouty lips against his lips and asked for a kiss. Her restless little hands even attacked his vitals! ¡°Carmel, stop it!¡± Jaydon pushed Carmel away coldly. Carmel looked disappointed and said softly, ¡°Mr. Grimm, I merely want to make you happy. I¡¯ll be obedient and not cause you any trouble. ¡°I know you like Ms. Haynes. I won¡¯t affect your rtionship. I just hope that we can still be the same as before¡­¡± Carmel still wanted to maintain her former romantic rtionship with Jaydon! In the past, even though she was Jaydon¡¯s girlfriend, she was like a kept woman. Jaydon frowned. Although he had lost feeling in his legs, he had not lost feeling in that area. He was still a normal man! Carmel was a little minx who knew how to torture him sweetly, and her skills were also extremely good. Therefore, he used to dote on her very much. But now, Joanna had already agreed to be his girlfriend. He could no longer have anything to do with Carmel. ¡°Carmel, our rtionp ends here. I¡¯m already engaged!¡± ¡°I know, I know! ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m not asking for any status, and won¡¯t cause you any trouble. I just want to make you happy!¡± As Carmel spoke, her restless little hands reached out again. ¡°There¡¯s really no need. I¡¯ll tell you onest time. Our rtionship ends here. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re only an artiste in mypany, and I¡¯m only your boss!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, do you really hate me that much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate you, but I have a girlfriend now. I don¡¯t want to do anything to let my girlfriend down.¡± Carmelughed. ¡°Mr. Grimm, when have you be so naive? ¡°You¡¯re staying chaste for Joanna here. Do you think she¡¯ll stay chaste for you?¡± Jaydon was speechless and stunned! ¡°Things have always been ambiguous between Joanna and Bruce. Now that you aren¡¯t around, they must have gotten 19.005 Chapter 320 together again.¡± That won¡¯t happen!¡± Carmel snorted. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that the chairman of the Haynes Group has an affair with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Carmel, stop talking and get out!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­* ¡°Get out. If you do this again, I¡¯ll disregard our past friendship.¡± Jaydon was really angry. Carmel looked indignant and aggrieved. In the end, she swallowed her grievance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Grimmm. I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± A ringing sound was heard. Jaydon gave Joanna a video call on Messenger. ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± ¡°Joann, what are you busy with?¡± ¡°I just finished work at the office!¡± ¡°I miss you so much!¡± Jaydon thought of Carmel¡¯s words and still felt a little ufortable. Bruce had never been a good person. Yet, he was not by Joanna¡¯s side and could not protect her. Even if Joanna ignored Bruce, it did not mean that Bruce would not take the initiative to pester Joanna. ¡°I miss you too. I¡¯ll visit you after I¡¯ve finished my work in a few days.¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± Jaydon hesitated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just worried about you because you¡¯re working too hard.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I can handle it.¡± ¡°Look at you. You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight again. The dark circles under your eyes are so obvious. Have you not slept for the past few days?¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and forced a sweet smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You really don¡¯t have to feel sad for me.¡± ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give up your job and be the woman behind me? ¡°You really don¡¯t have to work so hard. I can support you.¡± Joanna was speechless and stunned! To her, her career was her spiritual sustenance and spiritual pir. ¡°Jay, if I give up my job and do nothing every day, I¡¯ll go crazy¡± ¡°Why would you? After we¡¯re married, we can go traveling. You can do what want.¡± you ¡°What do you want 46 do? Of course, I¡¯ll support you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want you to focus all your energy on work.¡± ¡°Jay, why would you suddenly have such thoughts?¡± ¡°Joann, I miss you so much that I can¡¯t sleep. If you don¡¯te over, I¡¯ll go back and apany you.¡± ¡°Jay, you¡¯re still recovering. Don¡¯t give up. ¡°If you miss me, I¡¯ll finish my work in the next two days. Then, I¡¯ll go over and apany you, okay?¡± ¡°When?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Next week!¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I love you!¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°I love you. Go and sleep now!¡± Call me if anything happens. If you encounter something you can¡¯t resolve, don¡¯t bite the bullet. ¡°You have to tell me. I¡¯ll think of something for you¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand! ¡°Hurry up and rest! I¡¯ll hang up first¡± After hanging up. Jaydon felt even more uneasy After all, his love rival was too powerful. To be honest, a man like Bruce was too tempting to women, not to mention that he loved Joanna deeply. It was highly likely for Joanna to have a change of heart. In the past, Jaydon had been wholeheartedly good and devoted to Joanna. He had never cared about reciprocation, let alone gains and losses. But now, after Joanna agreed to his proposal, he suddenly felt a sense of possessiveness! He did not want Joanna to return to Bruce¡¯s side, nor did he want them to have anything to do with each other. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 The following day arrived. The Baynes Group. Joanna returned to thepany, resuming the shareholders¡® meeting as usual. Though Bruce had resolved to cease his campaign of suppressing and retaliating against Joanna, his decision to sever ties with the Haynes Group was now a foregone conclusion. Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger wore troubled expressions, deep in thought for a considerable time. ¡°Given the current circumstances, our only option is to seek new investors!¡± ¡°Otherwise, thepany won¡¯t be able toe up with such a substantial amount of cash!¡± Joanna furrowed her brow. ¡°Seeking new investors?¡± ¡°At this crucial moment, who in their right mind would be willing to invest?¡± Even if the Haynes Group changed its name, the stench of its tarnished reputation remained. Everyone knew the Haynes Group was teetering on the edge of copse. Who would be foolish enough to step into the role of a sacrificialmb eagerly? Mr. Roger¡¯s face turned grave. ¡°Our only option now is to urgently sell off a portion of our shares to raise funds. It¡¯s the quickest way to get our hands on cash.¡± ¡°Otherwise, if we can¡¯t gather the funds within a month, Mr. Everett will petition the court to freeze the Haynes Group¡¯s assets, leading to even moreplications.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes grew somber. With no other options left, she had no choice but to make a desperate gamble and take drastic measures. Although she was reluctant to part with the shares Raymond had bequeathed to her, she knew there was no other way to tackle the imminent crisis. ¡­Alright then! Let it be known that the Haynes Group is preparing to sell some of its shares and seeking potential partners.¡± Word of the Haynes Group¡¯s intention to sell shares quickly spread throughout the business circles. To her astonishment, within two days of the news circting, a mediator emerged, revealing that an expatriate expressed a sincere interest in investing in the Haynes Group and acquiring its shares at their original price. It was a ray of hope amidst adversity for the struggling Haynes Group! Joanna carefully assessed her holdings. If she sold off just 10%, and with a bit of additional capital, she could reim the shares held by Bruce. Even if she sold 10% of her shares, she would retain a significant 41%. She would remain thepany¡¯srgest shareholder! ¡°I¡¯d like to meet this person.¡± Ethan carefully briefed Joanna on the investor¡¯s information. ¡°The investor is an expatriate named Caleb Harrison.¡± ¡°We have also conducted a thorough background check on him. He had a background in the food and beverage industry in Antlen before. He is determined to venture into the domestic market and is highly interested in our Haynes Group!¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna eximed, ¡°That¡¯s fantastic. Let¡¯s schedule a meeting and find a convenient time to meet him.¡± ¡°Very well, Miss Haynes.¡± The following day, with the introduction of a mutual acquaintance, Joanna arranged a meeting with Caleb! He was a sharp¨Cwitted middle¨Caged man in his forties. With a refined presence, he emanated a distinctive gentlemanly aura. Joanna delved into Caleb¡¯s business background in Antlen and his financial strength and reputation within the domestic market. After verifying everything, she felt confident in proceeding with the coboration. After an in¨Cdepth conversation, the share transfer contract was finalized. Although with a heavy heart, Joanna sold off 10% of her shares. After all, she had no desire to continue being entangled with Bruce. His exit from thepany would serve as a definitive closure to theirplicated entanglement. The signing of the contract proceeded smoothly! Caleb officially became thepany¡¯s secondrgest shareholder, holding a 25% stake. However, the progress of the contract was slightly slower than expected, with Caleb¡¯s funds scheduled to be in ce at the end of the month. What surprised Joanna was the active involvement of Miss Haynes and Mr. Roger in facilitating the process! Simultaneously, the mediapany in Greene Town sessfullyunched! Joanna naturally had to be present on the day of the grand opening! Jaydon had arranged for several popr influencers from thepany to attend the opening ceremony. In addition to Brother Trumpet, who was already a prominent inte celebrity, his fellow inte celebrity friends also came to show their support. The grand opening was an extraordinary and extravagant affair, despite Charmont Media Group having not achieved any notable achievements. Nheless, its name was already making waves. After the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Joanna summoned Cora into her office. ¡°Miss Haynes, how can I assist you?¡± Cora wore a polite smile as she looked at Joanna. During Joanna¡¯s absence, Cora efficiently handled all the matters. It had to be acknowledged that she was indeed Joanna¡¯s right¨Chand person. Joanna smiled gently. ¡°Cora, I don¡¯t want you to go to Greyport anymore in the future!¡± Cora¡¯s expression froze. ¡°¡­Miss Haynes, are you terminating my employment? Have I fallen short in any way?¡± Joanna chuckled and spoke sincerely, ¡°I want you to stay here in Greene Town and take on the role of Vice President.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been by my side for so long, and I truly admire yourpetence and efficiency!¡± ¡°I also believe you are more than capable of fulfilling this job.¡± Cora¡¯s eyes instantly brightened, and she looked at Joanna in disbelief. ¡°You want me to be the Vice President?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡­ I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to live up to the role¡­¡± ¡°Well, I trust my judgment and have confidence in you.¡± ¡°Put your heart into it, and I have faith in you!¡± Cora clenched her lip and looked at Joanna with a solemn expression. ¡°Thank you, Miss Haynes. I will exert every effort to excel in my role.¡± ¡°Very well, you may go now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Haynes!¡± Cora expressed her gratitude, overwhelmed by the gesture. Joanna had been Cora¡¯s guiding star and benefactor throughout her career. In the past, Cora had been a mere PR representative for apany tasked with entertaining clients and ying poker. Joanna recognized Cora¡¯s potential and brought her into her fold, guiding her toward a path of dignity and sess as a professional woman. Without Joanna, Cora wouldn¡¯t be where she was today. She was sincerely grateful to Joanna for rescuing her from the abyss. Working by Joanna¡¯s side, Cora was always dedicated andmitted to her responsibilities. After Cora exited the room, Joanna¡¯s phone started ringing. ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± From the other end of the line, Jaydon¡¯s tender voice came through. ¡°I heard the newpany had its opening ceremony today. How did it go? Was it sessful?¡± Joanna smiled at Jaydon¡¯s video on the phone. ¡°Yes, it went smoothly! Thank you, Jay.¡± ¡°There you go again! We¡¯re getting married soon, and you¡¯re still so formal with me.¡± Feeling a tad self¨Cconscious, Joanna yfully brushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯ve wrapped things up here for the most part. I¡¯ve already booked my flight for next Monday.¡± ¡°Tll fly over to be with you next Monday.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too soon?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°Thepany just had its grand opening, and things are still hectic. I won¡¯t keep you on the phone for too long.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After hanging up the phone, Joanna prepared to meet Brother Trumpet and take the opportunity to discuss thepany¡¯s business strategy. In the bustling lobby! Brother Trumpet was busy weing the inte celebrities and guests who had graced the asion. Joanna approached, holding a ss of wine. ¡°Brother Trumpet, you¡¯ve been working hard!¡± Brother Trumpet turned around and, upon seeing Joanna, his eyes softened instantly. ¡°No need to mention hard work. It¡¯s all part of the job.¡± Joanna had demonstrated her utmost sincerity in their coboration. She had invested all the money herself, without expecting Brother Trumpet to contribute a single penny, giving him a 40% stake in the company. The gesture deeply moved Brother Trumpet. He was dedicated to thepany¡¯s affairs and tirelessly attended to them. When Cora noticed Brother Trumpet and Joanna engrossed in conversation, she quickly approached to greet them. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Trumpet!¡± Joanna smiled at Cora and turned to introduce her to Brother Trumpet. ¡°Let me introduce someone new to you! This is Cora, our Vice President.¡± Brother Trumpet was taken aback. ¡°Congrattions! It seems you¡¯ve been promoted quite swiftly. It goes to show the importance of choosing the right boss.¡± ¡°Mr. Trumpet, you¡¯re too modest. I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave thepany matters in your best hands for now. I might have to be away for a few days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve already taken care of recruiting the anchors!¡± ¡°Great! Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say much more and quietly left Greene Town under the cover of the night. Although Charmont Media Group had sessfullyunched, she couldn¡¯t afford to stay and oversee everything there. She still had to handle the final details of selling the shares in Greyport and find a moment to see her child. It was already past nine in the evening when Joanna finally arrived back in Greyport. As she entered her home, exhaustion overcame her, and she copsed onto the bed, too tired to move. However, after contemting for a while, she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to pick up the phone and call Bruce. It had been three weeks since shestid eyes on her children. With her uing trip to Gaprington next week, it seemed even more unlikely that she would have a chance to see them. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. No matter what, she had to see her children tomorrow. Ring, ring, ring! Bruce¡¯s phone began to ring. Seeing Joanna calling, Bruce promptly answered, ¡°Hello!¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment, her tone bing distant and detached. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? ¡°Tomorrow is Sunday, and I want to see the children.¡± Sure! Tomorrow at 10 a.m., same ce.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna ended the call without saying another word. A pang of pain struck Bruce¡¯s heart. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Joanna would only reach out to him if it were about seeing their children. It was often said that men could be heartless in rtionships.. But in truth, when a woman fell out of love, she could be far more ruthless. Joanna arrived at Century za Station at 9.30 am. the next day, well ahead of time. With a few insted containers in hand, Joanna carried the cakes and dumplings she had personally made. She couldn¡¯t make up for everything she had done wrong, but she wanted to do what she could for her children. At precisely 10 a.m., a chauffeur¨Cdriven luxury car pulled up, followed by a nanny car stopping in front of her. When the doors opened, Davian and Irvin hopped out of the car. Shortly after, the nanny emerged, cradling Lilia in her arms. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Davian and Irvin called out in their usual manner. Joanna felt a pang in her heart, her eyes welling up with tears. She hurriedly approached her children. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia! I¡¯ve missed you so much. Do you miss Mommy?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± The three little ones looked a bit weary as they gazed at Joanna. Although the children still showed happiness, an invisible barrier seemed to have formed. After being separated for such a long time, even the strongest bond could slowly dissipate. Especially since the children were only five, their emotions and perceptions were still developing. They could quickly adapt to new environments and new lives. Having spent over half a year with the Everett family, they had already adapted to their new lives. ¡°Mommy, why haven¡¯t youe to see us for so long?¡± Davian furrowed his little brow, his toneced with a hint of dissatisfaction. Joanna knelt and nted a kiss on Davian¡¯s cheek. ¡°Mommy has been very busytely¡­¡± But Irvin interjected before Joanna could finish her sentence, his voice filled with frustration. ¡°Hmph, we knew Mommy would say that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s always either Daddy being busy or Mommy being busy. We¡¯ve gotten used to it. Who has time to spend with us anymore?¡± ¡°Daddy is busy with the prettydy, and Mommy is busy with Mr. Grimm. We¡¯re not important to Mominy and Daddy anymore!¡± With a pout, Irvin disyed his discontent. Joanna listened in silence, feeling a sharp pang in her chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s Mommy¡¯s fault, alright? It¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault! Can you forgive Mommy?¡± ¡°Mommy, we know you¡¯re busy. So, we won¡¯t me you. But deep down, there¡¯s still some disappointment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my sweethearts. Mommy will make sure to spend more time with you in the future.¡± ¡°Once Mommy¡¯s career is on track, once Mommy has the means, I promise I¡¯ll bring you back to me.¡± Irvin said with a touch of arrogance, ¡°Forget it! Mommy wants topete with Daddy¡¯s wealth, but she¡¯ll probably never measure up, ¡°How can you say such a thing?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the truth. We didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± ¡°If you say that again, be careful. I might give you a timeout,¡± Davian warned, protective of Mommy. He didn¡¯t like how Irvin was being disrespectful. Joanna immediately intervened, stopping Davian in his tracks. ¡°Davian, you¡¯re the big brother. It would be best if you never treated your siblings that way. You need to protect them, understand?¡± understand, Mommy!¡± Lilia stretched out her tiny hands and sweetly said, ¡°Mommy, hug!¡± Joanna bent down and embraced Lilia in her arms. After not seeing each other for nearly a month, Davian and Irvin had noticeably grown taller, and Lilia had put on a few pounds. ¡°Mommy has some free time today. How about going to the amusement park?¡± ¡­Mommy, we don¡¯t want to go.¡± Joanna was taken aback. ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you both love going to the amusement park?¡± ¡°We have horseback riding lessons in the afternoon, which is much more fun than going to the amusement park.¡± ¡°Yeah, and we have art and science sses in the evening! Those are way more interesting!¡± Irvin added, his eyes shining with excitement. Joanna felt a twinge of sadness upon hearing their response. She had missed too many important moments of her children¡¯s growth even though they were no longer interested in what Mommy had nned for them. Even without the presence of parents, Bruce¡¯s financial resources would ensure that the children received the best life and education. So many people were around to y with the children that their dependence on their parents naturally diminished. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s been an hour already. It¡¯s time to take the children back.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Yes. The children have their music lessonsing up. Mr. Everett requested that we bring them back early.¡± ¡°I see. Alright then!¡± ¡°Sweethearts, do you feel overwhelmed or exhausted with all these lessons?¡± Joanna voiced her concern, fearing that Bruce¡¯s expectations put too much pressure on the children. ¡°Not at all, Mommy! These sses are actually really enjoyable.¡± Joanna smiled warmly at their response. Her worries seemed unnecessary now. Knowing Bruce¡¯s character, she was confident that he would provide the children with the best teachers avable. These teachers were industry experts who knew how to make learning engaging and exciting, incorporating games and interactive activities into their lessons. If the children found the sses interesting and fun, they wouldn¡¯t resist or feel drained by them. ¡°Here are some cakes and dumplings that Mommy made just for you. Take them home and enjoy!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mommy!¡± The nanny quickly stepped in, taking the food from Joanna¡¯s hands. ¡°Mr. Everett has instructed the children to follow a specific dietary n.¡± Joanna paused briefly, feeling too weary to say much. ¡°Goodbye, Mommy!¡± ¡°Goodbye, my sweethearts!¡± Joanna embraced each child tightly and nted a gentle kiss on their cheeks. Soon after, the children hopped in the car! As Joanna watched the car zoom away, a wave of mncholy washed over her, causing her to stand there for a while, lost in her emotions. It was evident that the three children had grown increasingly distant from her. If things continued down this path, it wouldn¡¯t be long before theypletely lost their reliance on her. With these thoughts weighing heavily on her, Joanna felt an intense pang in her heart! ¡°Just give it a little more time, sweethearts. Mommy will bring you back to her side. No matter what happens, Mommy will never give up on fighting for your custody!¡± Finally home! Joanna resumed packing her belongings, preparing for her flight to Gaprington the next day. It had been a long time since she spent quality time with Jaydon. This time, she decided to stay there for at least a week. Miranda noticed her packing and hurriedly approached to offer assistance. ¡°Joann, do you need help with these items?¡± ¡°Miranda, don¡¯t worry. I can handle it myself!¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Miranda replied, stationing herself at the doorway, observing Joanna as she organized her belongings. Joanna finished packing her belongings after ten minutester. She nned to turn in early tonight with a flight scheduled for 8 a.m. the following day. ncing back, she noticed Miranda still standing at the doorway, wearing a hesitant expression. ¡°Miranda, is something on your mind?¡± Joanna asked with genuine concern. Miranda let out a nervous clnuckle. ¡°Oh, no, nothing¡­¡± Joanna found it even more peculiar. ¡°Miranda, is something troubling you? If there¡¯s any difficulty or trouble at home, please tell me. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help. You know I¡¯m here for you.¡± *Tmn fine. I just wanted to have a heart¨Cto¨Cheart talk with you.¡± Joanna paused, casting a skeptical gaze at Miranda. Miranda had been by her side for the longest time since their days in the Haynes family. Joanna trusted Miranda more than anyone else. ¡°Miranda, what¡¯s on your mind? Just say it!¡± After a brief pause, Miranda hesitated and stumbled, ¡°Joann, I¡¯ve watched you grow up since you were a little girl! And all along. I¡¯ve only wanted the best for you.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate that,¡± Joanna shed a gentle smile before embracing Miranda tightly. ¡°Well, are you nning to be with Mr. Grimm in Gaprington?¡± Joanna was taken aback, puzzled by Miranda¡¯s question. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± After contemting, Miranda gathered her courage and said, ¡°Joann, I can¡¯t help but feel that you and Mr. Grimm aren¡¯t a perfect match.¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze turned serious. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Joann, you¡¯ve had three children with Mr. Everett, and it¡¯s clear he still has strong feelings for you.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Even though I may be a servant, I feelpelled to say that sometimes it¡¯s best to stick with the original spouse. Besides, you have three beautiful children together.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter upon hearing Miranda¡¯s words. ¡°Miranda, it¡¯s impossible for me to be with Bruce anymore.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ he¡¯s a decent man! Reuniting with him, for both you and the children, would indeed be the best choice!¡± ¡°Miranda, please refrain from discussing this any further. In the future, let¡¯s not bring up such matters with me. Joanna dered firmly, closing the door with determination. Regardless of the circumstances, a reconciliation between her and Bruce was out of the question. Ring! Ring! Ring! Jaydon¡¯s phone buzzed once again. ¡°Hey, Jay, why are you still up?¡± Due to the time difference, it was likely thete hours of the night where he was. ¡°Joann, is your luggage all packed?¡± ¡°Yeah, all done. I¡¯ve got an 8 a.m. flight tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Just the thought of seeing you tomorrow has me so excited that sleep seems impossible.¡± ¡°Darling, it¡¯s best to rest for a fresh start tomorrow. Go ahead and sleep now!¡± ¡°Wishing you a safe journey. I¡¯ll be at the airport to greet you tomorrow!¡± Chapter 323 Chapter 323 With the next day¡¯s arrival, Joanna rose from her bed at 6 a.m. She meticulously packed her belongings and readied herself for the journey to the airport. The drive to the airport would take approximately 40 minutes. Leaving precisely at 6:10 a.m. would be ideal. Her car had been expertly repaired and promptly returned to her, enabling her to embark on her journey independently! Miranda was also up early, diligently preparing a hearty breakfast. ¡°Joann, may your journey be smooth, and may you take the utmost care! Once you reach Gaprington, ring me to let me know you¡¯ve arrived safe and sound.¡± ¡°Got it, I understand!¡± After devouring her breakfast, Joanna dragged her suitcase and descended the elevator to the underground parking lot! The underground parking lot. Beep¨Cbeep! Joanna unlocked her car and hopped in. Meanwhile, a faint ticking sound emanated from beneath the car as if a needle on a gauge was rhythmically dancing. Unfazed by the faint noise, Joanna didn¡¯t give it much thought. She dismissed it as a harmless electrical hum With that thought aside, she ignited the car¡¯s engine. Just as she was about to exit, the phone began to ring. Ring, ring, ring! ¡°Hello, Miranda!¡± From the other end of the line, Miranda¡¯s voice carried a sense of urgency. ¡°Joann, you forgot to grab your passport! Shall I bring it to you right away?¡± Joanna instinctively smacked her forehead upon hearing this. ¡°Oh gosh, Ipletely forgot.¡± ¡°Miranda, can you bring it to me in the elevator lobby? I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Joanna let out a yawn and then stepped out of the car, heading toward the elevator lobby. In her hurry to leave earlier, she had absentmindedly left her passport on the dressing table, forgetting to pack it into her bag. Drip! Drip! Drip! The car¡¯s gauge needles began their countdown. After Joanna stepped out of the car, she walked approximately 90 to 120 feet when suddenly, a loud and ear¨Cshattering explosion echoed behind her with a resounding ¡°boom!¡± The st from the exploding bomb sent car ss fragments flying through the air, apanied by an intense wave of heat that violently propelled her off the ground. ¡°Boom!¡± Joanna instinctively lunged forward, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Countless shards of ss embedded themselves into her back, causing her to lose consciousness instantly. Blood began to seep and spread across her body. The st badpletely obliterated her car. Thankfully, she had managed to move away from it. Otherwise, she would have been torn apart by the devastating explosion. Miranda stepped out of the elevator, only to be jolted by the loud st, nearly knocking her out. ¡°Oh my God, where did that explosione from?¡± After waiting three minutes, witnessing no furthermotion, Miranda anxiously exited the elevator This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. lobby to assess the situation. The sight before her was utterly horrifying. Joannay motionless in a pool of blood. ¡°Joann, Joann, what happened to you?¡± Miranda¡¯s shock turned into sheer panic as she rushed to assess the situation. Joanna was drenched in blood, unconscious and unresponsive. The security guards from the Residential Complex and neighbors who heard themotion hastily rushed to the scene. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Miranda tried to lift Joanna, but her entire body was drenched in blood, making it difficult for her to get a proper grip. She desperately screamed to the security guard at the top of her lungs. ¡°There was an explosion here! Please call an ambnce!¡± ¡°Oh, okay! I¡¯ll call for an ambnce immediately.¡± ¡°And call the police too!¡± ¡°Hello, is this the hospital? Please send an ambnce to Greenwick Residential Complex immediately!¡± ¡°Hello, is this the police station? There has been an explosion at Greenwick Residential Complex¡­¡± In an instant! The entire building was jolted awake. The police swiftly arrived on the scene, promptly sealing it off. They dispatched experts to investigate and determine if there were any other hidden explosives. It was a small yet powerful bomb, capable of destroying a car without a second thought. Amidst the unfortunate events, the silver lining was that Joanna wasn¡¯t inside the car when the explosion urred. In no time at all! Joanna was swiftly transported to the hospital by ambnce. ¡°Please give way. The patient¡¯s condition is critical¡­¡± ¡°Doctor, you have to save Joann!¡± Miranda trailed closely behind, her entire being consumed by panic. ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯ll do our best!¡± The doctor and nurses pushed Joanna swiftly into the operating room. ¡°The patient is severely injured. Prepare for immediate surgery¡­ The doctor and nurses didn¡¯t dare take the situation lightly, swiftlymencing the life¨Csaving treatment for Joanna. Outside the operating room, Miranda kept her hands sped together in continuous prayer. ¡°Joann, may the divine watch over you, keeping you safe and sound.¡± ¡°Poor Joann, who could be so heartless as to unleash such a vicious attack upon you!¡± At 9.30 a.m., the usual time for hustle and bustle, Bruce made his way to the office as usual. Inside his car, the radio broadcasted thetest news of the day. ¡°We have an urgent news update. There has been an explosion in the underground parking lot of Greenwick Residential Complex.¡± ¡°A woman has been critically injured in the explosion, and sources reveal that she is none other than the chairman of the Haynes Group! She has been rushed to Greyport Hospital for emergency treatment, and her life hangs in the bnce.¡± ¡°The police have nowunched an investigation into what appears to be a terrorist attack¡­¡± Boom! Bruce¡¯s head spun upon hearing this news! ¡°Greenwick Residential Complex, chairman of the Haynes Group¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s heart pounded with unease as he swiftly retrieved his phone to call Joanna. Ring, ring, fing! He dialed her number repeatedly, but Joanna¡¯s phone remained unreachable. ¡°We need to go to the hospital, immediately head to Greyport Hospital!¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett!¡± The driver immediately made a sharp turn, heading toward Greyport Hospital. Fifteen minutester! Bruce arrived in haste at Greyport Hospital. At the nurse¡¯s station, Bruce¡¯s heart pounding with urgency, grabbed a nurse and anxiously inquired, ¡°Nurse, what¡¯s the name of the victim in the explosion today? Is it Joanna?¡± The nurse nodded, taken aback by Bruce¡¯s presence, ¡­Yes, it is!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart sank, and a wave of unease washed over him. ¡°Where can I find Joanna? Which floor is she on?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the operating room on the third floor¡­¡± Bruce was already sprinting toward the third floor without waiting for the nurse to finish her sentence. Bruce raced up to the third floor, gasping for breath. At the operating room entrance, Miranda anxiously scanned the area, her face etclied with fear. Upon seeing Miranda, Bruce¡¯s despair intensified. ¡°Miranda, where is Joanna?¡± Miranda turned around, recognizing Bruce, and immediately burst into tears. ¡°Mr. Everett, Joann is still in the operating room¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes widened, and he felt a wave of dizziness. ¡°Joanna, you have to wake up. Please wake up!¡± The surgery stretched on for over two hours. Finally, the operating room doors swung open, and the doctor emerged. Bruce and Miranda hurriedly approached. ¡°Doctor, how is the patient?¡± The doctor¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°The patient suffered severe injuries from the explosion, particrly to the back. There is a possibility of hearing impairment in the future.¡± ¡°We havepleted the surgery, and she has been transferred to the intensive care unit for close monitoring.¡± Bruce took a sharp intake of breath. ¡°May 1 go in and see her?¡± The doctor firmly declined, his expression serious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not possible. The patient¡¯s condition is extremely critical, and we cannot risk any interference that may lead to infection.¡± ¡°Doctor, please, do everything you can to save her! You must save her life!¡± Bruce disregarded all decorum and tightly gripped the doctor¡¯s hand, his face disying a mix of anxiety and anguish. ¡°I understand your concern. Rest assured. We will do everything we can.¡± The doctor¡¯s words offered somefort as he tried to console them. Miranda continued to weep inconsbly, her voice choked with sorrow, ¡°How could this happen? Everything was fine¡­ How could there be an explosion?¡± Kelly and Tracy, upon hearing the news, hurriedly arrived at the scene. Tracy wiped her tears and spoke. ¡°ording to the police, someone nted a bomb in the car with the sole intention of killing Joanna.¡± ¡°Thank goodness Joanna left her passport at home. Otherwise, she would have been killed in the explosion¡­¡± Kelly¡¯s voice trembled as she sobbed, ¡°Who could be so cruel? Targeting Joanna repeatedly!¡± ¡°May the heavens protect her and guide her through this trial.¡± Bruce stood nearby, his mind a nk canvas. It wasn¡¯t the first time Joanna had faced an assassination attempt. Roxanne and Ingrid orchestrated that previous attempt. However, the perpetrator behind this incident remains unknown. Logically speaking, apart from Bruce, Joanna had no known enemies in Greyport. She had no rivals in the business world either. It seemed unlikely that someone would take such extreme measures to assassinate her. This attack was carried out by someone who held a deep grudge against her. And the person who despised Joanna the most, the one consumed by hatred and wanting her dead, ironically, was a member of the Haynes family itself. Bruce¡¯s mind spun in chaos, and the first person who came to his mind was Shaun. But upon further reflection, it seemed highly unlikely. After all, Shaun was Joanna¡¯s biological father, and it was hard to imagine a parent stooping to such depths of malice. Even if he harbored resentment toward Joanna, it was doubtful he would resort to such a vicious act. Additionally, Shaun was now partially paralyzed andcked the physical capability to orchestrate such an attack Bruce furrowed his brow, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and worry, his concern reaching its peak. Joanna, you must hold on. You must stay strong!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you. No one should have the power to harm you except me!¡± ¡°Rest assured. I will find the perpetrator for you and make them pay, no matter who they are. They will not escape justice¡­¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Jaydon was aware that Joanna was due to arrive today, and he couldn¡¯t contain his excitement, staying awake throughout the night in anticipation. As soon as his rm went off, he wasted no time and dialed Joanna¡¯s number. Ring, ring, ring! ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is currently unavable. Please try againter¡­¡± Jaydon spent the entire morning attempting to reach Joanna, but all his efforts were in vain. Her phone remained unresponsive. A foreboding sensation washed over Jaydon, filling his heart with unease. Joanna wouldn¡¯t simply ignore his calls without a valid reason. Jaydon had carefully nned the timing, calling Joanna before she boarded the ne. But now, five hours had passed, and Joanna¡¯s phone remained consistently unreachable. Each unanswered call only heightened his sense of dread. It seemed something significant had urred. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Could it be that Bruce has imprisoned Joanna?¡± ¡°Has Joann had a change of heart? Is she no longer willing to see me?¡± Jaydon was consumed by anxiety, his mind racing with the thought that Bruce might have again caused trouble for Joanna. Unable to reach Joanna by phone, he also found it impossible to get in touch with Miranda and Tracy, adding to his growing unease. As noon approached, Jaydon finally seeded in reaching Miranda on the phone! ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Miranda, why haven¡¯t you been answering your phone all this time?¡± Miranda sniffled and cleared her throat, her voice hoarse. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been at the hospital all this time, I didn¡¯t hear the phone ringing!¡± Jaydon¡¯s brow furrowed in concern. ¡°Why has Joann¡¯s phone been consistently unreachable?¡± Upon hearing his question, Miranda burst into tears, her sobs intensifying. ¡°Mr. Grimm, something terrible has happened to Joann.¡± Boom! Jaydon¡¯s heart sank, a wave of unease washing over him. His eyebrows twitched involuntarily. ¡°¡­ What has happened to Joann?¡± ¡°Joann has been involved in an ident, and she¡¯s currently undergoing critical treatment at the hospital!¡± Miranda¡¯s voice trembled with emotion, her tears flowing freely. Jaydon¡¯s mind went nk, a chilling emptiness settling within him. He felt as though he had been plunged into an icy abyss. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What has happened to Joann?¡± Joann was getting ready to head to the airport this morning, but little did she know, there was a bomb nted in her car.¡± ¡°Joann has been critically injured in the explosion and is undergoing life¨Csaving treatment¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Jaydon gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine. His mind was buzzing with disbelief. ¡°How is Joann now? What is her condition?¡± Miranda fought back her tears, her voice trembling as she spoke, ¡°Mr. Grimm, Joann is currently in the hospital undergoing treatment. She just underwent surgery, but she has yet to regain consciousness!¡± ¡°The doctor said Joann is in critical condition and needs to be closely monitored in the intensive care unit¡­¡± Her tearful voice apanied Miranda¡¯s words, but Jaydon couldn¡¯t absorb the rest of her sentence. The phrase ¡°critically injured¡± kept reverberating in his mind. He couldn¡¯t fathom the image it evoked! ¡°Joann, Joann¡­¡± Jaydon¡¯s instinctpelled him to try to get out of bed. 10.015 However, to his dismay, his left leg waspletely numb, and his right leg didn¡¯t respond as expected! Losing bnce, he clumsily fell to the ground with a heavy thud! ¡°Mr. Grimm, please be carefull Two nurses hurriedly approached to assess the situation. ¡°Mr. Grimm, what¡¯s happening? How can we assist you?¡± Jaydon¡¯s mind was in a frenzy. ¡°Joann, Joann has been involved in an ident. I need to return to the country immediately!¡± Struggling on the ground, Jaydon desperately tried to stand up. However, his urgency only made it more challenging ¡°Mr. Grimm. please try to remain calm¡­¡± Jaydon felt his blood rushing through his veins as he eximed hoarsely, ¡°I need to fly back right away! Please, help me book a ne ticket as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm. it¡¯s crucial that youplete your scheduled rehabilitation treatment today. The doctor emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency for optimal recovery.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Please book a flight for me immediately. Find the earliest avable one. I have to go!¡± ¡°Joann has been involved in an ident, and I must return to the country right away to be by her side.¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± the nurses attempted to reason with him, urging him to prioritize his health. ¡°Go now!¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes welled up with determination as he raised his voice. Sensing his urgency, the nurses nodded in understanding and replied. ¡°Alright, we will make the arrangements promptly!¡± Joanna¡¯s involvement in such a grave incident left Jaydon in a state of unease, making it impossible for him to remain calm andposed. Without wasting a moment, he instructed his assistant to arrange a flight back to Greyport. The nurse returned with an update fifteen minutester. ¡°Mr. Grimm, we have secured your flight back to Greyport¡­¡± Regrettably, the earliest flight avable is scheduled for tomorrow at noon! It would be at least another two days before he could return to Greyport. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way to secure a faster option?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid the earliest avable ticket is for tomorrow afternoon.¡± Jaydon closed his eyes, a surge of frustration and helplessness washing over him. Even if he could arrange a private jet, it would need more time to take off. The only possibility for a quicker return was to charter a ne. ¡°Joann, you have to wait for me. Please, wait for me!¡± ¡°No matter what happens, I can¡¯t let you face this alone!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, please try not to be too devastated. Ms. Haynes will undoubtedly pull through.¡± Jaydon¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, his eyes aze with a deep shade of red. This was meant to be a day filled with excitement, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his beloved. However, he could never have anticipated such a devastating turn of events. A bomb nted in the car! The mere thought of it was unbearable, leaving him unable to fathom the current state of Joanna. At Greyport Hospital, Bruce¡¯splexion turned ashen, his countenance icy and foreboding, overwhelmed by intense fear. All his hatred foward Joanna dissipated at that moment q, reced by a profound sense of worry and care. If only Joanna could awaken, he truly wished her well. He was ready to let go of their conflicts, see her find happiness, and shield her from harm. ¡°Joanna, I won¡¯t allow anything to happen to you. You must wake up! I need you, and our children need you. How could they ever live without their mother?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Andy¡¯s voice trailed off, struggling to find the right words to console Bruce. ¡°Andy, I need you to investigate immediately and spare no effort in identifying who tampered with the car.¡± ¡°We must bring the culprit to justice, no matter what it takes!¡± Andy hesitated momentarily before offering his analysis, ¡°The police have already dispatched experts to investigate. It appears to be a sophisticated homemade explosive device.¡± ¡°It was rigged with a timer connected to the engine. Once the car door was opened, the timer would trigger the countdown.¡± ¡°The individual responsible for constructing the bomb must possess considerable expertise.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the vehicle¡¯s data recorder has not yielded any significant leads.¡± Bruce¡¯s face contorted with anger as he furrowed his brow But for now, Joanna was still in grave danger, and it wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on those matters. The most crucial thing was to save Joanna¡¯s life. Joanna, you have to wake up!¡± Through the transparent barrier of the intensive care unit, he gazed at Joanna¡¯s motionless form, connected to a myriad of tubes and monitors. It had been a day and a night, yet there were no signs of her regaining consciousness. The following day arrived, and Jaydon swiftly disembarked the ne, apanied by his entourage, rushing to the hospital without dy. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you, Joann. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯vee to see you.¡± ¡°Are you insane? Do you think I would stoop so low as to harm Joanna? You¡¯ve truly lost your mind.¡± ¡°It has to be you. No one else could have done this!¡± Bruce coldly avoided Jaydon, his gaze piercing through him. The weight of worry and concern for Joanna had left no room for petty arguments or disputes. He had spent the entire previous day and night in the hospital room, unable to find sce even for a moment. ¡°Mr. Grimm, you¡¯ve misunderstood Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Joanna is still in critical condition, and now is not the time for conflicts or usations.¡± Jaydon¡¯s heart was heavy with pain, the anguish cutting deep. ¡°When will Joann wake up? ¡°Joann, how could ite to this? How could things have turned out this way?¡± Bruce fixed a chilling, resentful gaze on Jaydon. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! If Joanna hadn¡¯t gone to see you, none of this would have happened.¡± ¡°Because of me?¡± Jaydon shot back, his anger zing in his eyes as he confronted Bruce. ¡°Bruce, did you have something to do with the tampering of Joann¡¯s car?¡± ¡°Her car was damaged because of your reckless driving, and you were the one who arranged for its repairs!¡± ¡°And now this car has exploded. Are you seriously iming to have no involvement in this?¡± Bruce seethed with fury, his teeth grinding together, as he lunged forward, ready to unleash his wrath upon Jaydon. Their respective bodyguards swiftly stepped in, preventing them from engaging in physical violence. Bruce seethed with anger, his eyes burning with intensity as his heart clenched in pain. He couldn¡¯t fathom hurting Joanna, let alone using such a despicable and cruel method! Moreover, he had always loved Joanna. It would be in the business realm if he had to confront her. How could he ever contemte harming her life, let alone taking it away? ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Grimm, please cease this quarrel!¡± ¡°I understand that both of you deeply care for Joann, but now is not the time for arguments.¡± ¡°At this moment, nothing is more important than Joann¡¯s recovery. Let us focus on getting her through this critical phase, and we can address any other issuester.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± They huffed, gazes locking in a standoff filled with disdain and indifference. The arrival of the doctor coincided with their presence. ¡°Doctor, how is the patient? What¡¯s her condition?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes has yet to regain consciousness. It would be best if you were mentally prepared. If she doesn¡¯t wake up within a week, there¡¯s a possibility Ms. Haynes might¡­¡± ¡°No, that can¡¯t be true! Joann won¡¯t die. She absolutely won¡¯t!¡± ¡°She will wake up. I have this strong belief¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice quivered as tears welled in his eyes, unable to be contained. Upon hearing the devastating news, Bruce sank into the chair, his spirits crushed. If only Joanna coulde back to life. He would willingly release his grip, grant her freedom, and sincerely wish her happiness. ¡°Joanna¡­ Bruce closed his eyes in torment, struggling to find the right words, yet none could escape his lips. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 [The Haynes Group¡¯s chairman Joanna was seriously injured in an explosion, which is suspected to be an act of revenge!] [The police attach great importance to the explosion. A special task force has been established to investigate the ident.] [The Haynes Group¡¯s chairman has fallen into a deepa.] The explosion caused a stir in the entire Greyport. It quickly went viral on the Inte and all the netizens were discussing the incident. *Heavens! Why is someone trying to kill the Haynes Group¡¯s chairman again? Who did she offend?¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! Her stepmother hired someone to kill her half a year ago. Now, someone tried to kill her again!¡± ¡°Who did it? It¡¯s so brutal!¡± ¡°Fortunately, the explosion happened in the morning, and no innocent people were injured.¡± ¡°I wonder who she offended. Why did that person hate her so much that he even tried to kill her?¡± ¡°She has slim chances to survive this time. I heard that she has been unconscious for a few days. To be honest, it would be a pity if she died so young.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± Shaun was at home. Television and online media were full of news of the explosion in the past few days. So, he already learned about the incident. After knowing that Joanna was severely injured, he fell silent for two days. Although he hated his daughter very much, he was not happy at all after knowing that such a thing happened to her. Derick, on the other hand, was overjoyed. ¡°God is fair! That bitch deserves the punishment! ¡°God, please let her die as soon as possible! ¡°As long as she dies, the Haynes Group¡¯s shares will return to the Haynes family. We¡¯ll take our things back! ¡°God, please take that damn bitch away right now.¡± Shaun couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s your sister.¡± Derick sneered. ¡°She¡¯s not my sister. She¡¯s our enemy. Dad, didn¡¯t you want her to die in the past? ¡°Justice from God! She was injured in the explosion because God could stand it anymore and punished her in this way.¡± Shaun let out a long sigh. Looking at his father¡¯s gloomy face, Derick was a little unhappy. ¡°Dad, why are you sad for her? ¡°Think about how she treated us. If it weren¡¯t for her, our family wouldn¡¯t have been down¨Cand¨Cout like this. It would be a good thing for us if she died.¡± A hint of gloat shed across Derick¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°Dad, ording to thew, as her immediate family, you have the right to inherit her property after her death. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll get back what belongs to us. I can¡¯t wait for her to die! It would be great if she died right now.¡± When Shaun heard that, he shook his head with a heavy heart. At this moment, he was wrestling with himself mentally. If Joanna died, her three children were the first heirs to her property. Although he was her father, he might not be able to get anything from her inheritance. If she was alive, he could still get some benefits. At least, the Haynes family could get a dividend from the Haynes Group every year. If she really died, her inheritance would probably fall into the hands of the Everett family, then he would get nothing. Therefore, Shaun would rather Joanna was alive. He sighed and thought of himself. No one knew what would happen next. His health was poor, and he might die at any time. It was time to make a will and discuss how to distribute the property to his three children. ¡°Ryan hasn¡¯t been home for a long time. Call him and see when he¡¯sing home.¡± 1/2 12:01 Chapter 325 ¡°Okay.¡± Derick picked up the phone and was about to call Ryan. At this point, the door opened. ¡°Ryan is back.¡± The servant Fantine walked in. ¡°Ryan is back?¡± The gloom on Shaun¡¯s face was reced by an amiable smile in an instant. ¡°Yes.¡± Fantine also looked happy. While they were talking. Ryan walked in. He was wearing jeans and a casual sweater with a backpack on his shoulder. He looked like ad with a sunny disposition. ¡°Dad! Derick!¡± ¡°Ryan, you¡¯re finally back! Have you found apany for your internship?¡± Ryan smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve found it. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°What kind ofpany?¡± ¡°Gitibank. I majored in finance, so I found a bank for my internship.¡± Shaun was very happy when he heard this. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Work hard!¡± Unlike the foppish Derick, his second son was well¨Cbehaved and never let him worry. ¡°Dad, are you feeling better?¡± Ryan walked up to his father and considerately massaged his leg. Shaun was even more gratified. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Derick could not wait to announce the good news. He said excitedly. ¡°Ryan. I have good news for you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± Ryan asked. Derick said cheerfully, ¡°Something happened to that slut Joanna. Someone nted a bomb in her car. She was seriously injured and was probably about to die!¡± ¡°Oh Ryan¡¯s eyes flickered and he didn¡¯t seem to be interested in the news. Derick frowned at his indifferent reaction. ¡°Are you not happy?¡± Ryan sneered. ¡°Whether she dies or not has nothing to do with our family.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If it weren¡¯t for her. Mom wouldn¡¯t have gone to jail and our sister wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much. It¡¯s all because of her that our family has be like this! ¡°Even if she dies 100 times, it doesn¡¯t make us hate her any less!¡± Derick said through gritted teeth. ¡°Thank God, she got what she deserved! I really want to thank the person who nted the bomb in her car. But that damned bitch is so lucky that she didn¡¯t die instantly when the bomb went off. What a pity!¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes turned gloomy when he heard that. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going back to my room Shaun couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Ryan, what are you busy with all day long? Why are you so secretive and don¡¯t evene home?¡± Ryan answered perfunctorily, ¡°I¡¯m busy with graduation stuff. I¡¯m about to graduate, so I need to prepare my thesis and my graduation exams. I¡¯ve been quite busy recently.¡± ¡°Oh. Go ahead then.¡± ¡°Okay. After saying that, Ryan went upstairs. Now that his son was busy, Shaun did not have a chance to talk about dividing up the family assets. ¡°Dad. I¡¯m going back to the office,¡± Derick said. ¡°Dad, she doesn¡¯t deserve your attention.¡± ¡°She¡¯s been in the hospital for three days. It¡¯s only right that I go and see her.¡± ¡°Humph! Such kind of person deserves to diel ¡°I¡¯m not going with you. Dad, you shouldn¡¯t see her either. She has cut off her rtionship with you, so she¡¯s no longer your daughter. Besides, it¡¯s good for our family if she dies.¡± Shaun sighed lightly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead if you want to see her. But I won¡¯t go with you.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t go visit her, how can we fight for her inheritance after her death? But her three children are first in line for heredity. That¡¯s a little bit tricky.¡± ¡°Anyway, the death of that bitch is good news.¡± After two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the maid wheeled Shaun into Greyport Hospital. A whileter, they arrived at the door of the intensive care unit. Themps over their heads glowed pale white, making everyone¡¯s face look gloomy. Bruce was sitting in a chair on the left side of the corridor, while Jaydon was on the right side. Their bodyguards and assistants were standing on both sides of the corridor. Although there were many people, they stood in a line on the two sides, as serious as soldiers on guard. Those who didn¡¯t know would think that they were guarding some big shot. ¡°Mr. Haynes is here!¡± The nurse led Shaun over. After a quick nce at Shaun, Bruce and Jaydon retracted their gazes at the same time. Shaun who was sitting in the wheelchair felt a little uneasy. ¡°L.. I¡¯m here to take a look at Joann.¡± The corridor fell silent. No one wanted to talk to him, let alone tell him about Joanna¡¯s current situation. Jaydon just ignored him. Shaun treated Joanna so badly that he almost drove her up the wall. Such a father was not worthy of others¡® respect. Bruce did not talk to him either. His former respect for Shaun had been reced by contempt and disgust now. Shaun was even more embarrassed. ¡°How¡¯s Joann?¡± he asked. Bruce and Jaydon pretended not to hear him. It was rare for them to keep a synchronized reaction. Now that the two of them did not speak, the others did not dare to talk to Shaun either. Everyone knew Shaun¡¯s attitude towards Joanna. They didn¡¯t think he was here to see Joanna because he cared about her. It was very likely he was up to no good. Send Gift Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Shaun could only ask the nurse. ¡°Miss, how is the patient? When will she wake up?¡± The nurse paused for a while before she answered politely, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. The patient is still in the intensive care unit.¡± ¡°What are her chances of waking up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say at the moment. You may ask the doctor.¡± ¡°Oh. Then please take good care of her.¡± Shaun didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Mr. Haynes, don¡¯t worry. We will do our best.¡± Now that the hospital was run by Bruce, the doctors and nurses would do their best to treat and take care of Joanna of course. What¡¯s more, Bruce was personally watching outside the intensive care unit. No one would dare to make the slightest. mistake. Shaun sighed andpressed his lips, forcing back the words that sprang to his lips. It would be useless no matter what he said now. No one weed him here, so he was too embarrassed to stay any longer. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back. Let me know if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The maid wheeled Shaun out of the hospital. Bruce turned to Jaydon. The more he looked at him, the angrier he became. ¡°Someone may leave too. There¡¯s no need for him to stay here.¡± Jaydon heard his every word clearly. He was not someone who could swallow humiliation. Like a volcano erupting suddenly, he lost his temper and roared, ¡°You¡¯re the one who should go back! I¡¯m Joann¡¯s fiance. It¡¯s only right for me to stay here to wait for her to wake up!¡± Bruce frowned coldly. ¡°Hmph! Joanna is the mother of my children. The children are the fruit of our love. Who do you think you are?¡± Jaydon took a deep breath. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be arrogant!¡± Bruce suddenly stood up. ¡°Jaydon, it¡¯s all your fault! ¡°If you were not crippled, I would have killed you with a punch! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Joanna wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. If it weren¡¯t for you, such a thing wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± Indeed, if Jaydon hadn¡¯te between them, he would not be jealous and even lose his temper at Joanna. If he hadn¡¯t kicked Joanna out of the Everett family¡¯s house, she would not have encountered such a catastrophe. Therefore, in Bruce¡¯s mind, Jaydon should be med for all this. He indirectly caused Joanna¡¯s injury. Jaydon was infuriated by his irrationality. ¡°Bruce, you are the one who caused Joann to end up like this! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Joann and I would have gotten married long ago! You¡¯re the one who destroyed her life. You deserve to die!¡± Miranda grew sense when she saw the two of them about to argue again. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Grimm, we¡¯re in the hospital now. Stop arguing! ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯ve been here for three days. Why don¡¯t you go back to rest for a while? ¡°We¡¯ll take care of everything here. Bruce¡¯s temper was explosive, so Miranda wanted him to leave first. ¡°I won¡¯t leave until Joanna wakes up!¡± Bruce replied coldly. When Miranda heard this, she did not dare to persuade him anymore. Andy frowned at the side. Mr. Everett had been out of the office for three days in a row. He could tell thepany must have suffered a great loss. However, he knew his boss well and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡± At this point, Andy¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He took out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number from abroad. ¡°Mr. Everett. I¡¯m going out to answer the call.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Andy took the phone and walked out of the corridor. ¡°Hello!¡± An unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice rang out on the other end of the line. She asked in Antlenish, ¡°Hello, it¡¯s Martha!¡± After freezing for a while, Andy unwittingly looked back at the corridor. Why would Princess Martha call him? Princess Martha said disappointedly. ¡°I called Bruce, but he didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Miss Martha, how did you get my phone number?¡± ¡°I called the front desk of yourpany and got your number from the receptionist.¡± ¡°Oh, I see! What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Are you with Bruce? What happened to him? Why has he never answered my calls?¡± ¡°Well, wait a minute.¡± Andy covered the phone, hurried to Bruce, and whispered, ¡°Mr. Everett, Princess Martha wants to talk to you.¡± Bruce frowned. For the past three days, he had been so anxious that he did not have the mood to answer anyone¡¯s calls. He didn¡¯t expect Princess Martha to find Andy¡¯s phone number. ¡°Hey, Martha!¡± Princess Martha¡¯s aggrieved cries came from the other end of the line. ¡°Bruce, why didn¡¯t you answer All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. the call? ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯m worried about you? Why don¡¯t you get in touch with me? Why?¡± ¡°Martha, I¡¯m in trouble.¡± ¡°Bruce, you promised that you woulde to Novlis to see my father. I¡¯ve told my father about it. How can you go back on your word? ¡°Bruce, do you really care about our marriage?¡± Bruce said in a low voice, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. ¡°Martha, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your apology. I just want a promise from you.¡± ¡°Martha, I¡¯m really sorry. I might not be able to go to Novlis.¡± Princess Martha was shocked. ¡°Why?¡± After a short silence, Bruce braced himself and said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to get married now.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to marry me?¡± ¡°Yes, I have no ns to get married for the time being.¡± Princess Martha fell silent. She did not expect Bruce to be reluctant to marry her. She thought that Bruce would be overjoyed to marry her. After all, she was a real princess. Every man dreamed of marrying a princess. ¡°Bruce, are you serious? ¡°Answer me!¡± Princess Martha cried bitterly. ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m so heartbroken. I won¡¯t ept it! Are you breaking up with me?¡± Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it if you want to break up with me.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t break up with you! I love you. I really love you. Bruce, we¡¯re very happy together, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡± ¡°Bruce, did I do something wrong? You can tell me. I¡¯m willing to change for you.¡± Bruce said solemnly in a hoarse voice, ¡°Martha, our rtionship is developing too quickly. I think we both should calm down ¡°Let¡¯s calm down for a while.¡± ¡°How could you abandon me? You bastard! I won¡¯t break up with you. I¡¯m going to see you!¡± Princess Martha thought angrily. She had been in love several times, but she was the one who duinped the other party every time. This was the first time she had been tricked. Andy looked at Bruce in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± ¡°If she calls again, don¡¯t answer!¡± ¡°Well, okay!¡± As they were talking, the doctor came over. Bruce and Jaydon asked anxiously at the same time, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s Joann?¡± ¡°Can we go in and see her now?¡± The doctor frowned. ¡°Yes, but only one person can go in.¡± ¡°Let me in! I¡¯m her fianc¨¦!¡± ¡°Get out of here. Jaydon, if you dare to mess with me again, I won¡¯t show mercy!¡± The two of them began to quarrel bitterly. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Grimm, why don¡¯t you discuss it first?¡± ¡°Bruce, you don¡¯t have the qualification to see Joann!¡± ¡°Jaydon, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her fianc¨¦!¡± ¡°I¡¯m her ex¨Chusband. Have you ever been married to her? Do you know her well? Do you have children with her?¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± A short whileter, Bruce changed into a surgical gown and followed the doctor into the intensive care unit. Jaydon was not good at arguing and it was inconvenient for him to move, so he could do nothing when Bruce entered the ward and see Joanna earlier than he did. Joanna was still in aa. She had a lot of wounds on her body, some of them so deep that Bruce could see her bones. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t lose any part of her body in the explosion. Seeing Joanna like this, Bruce felt a twinge in his heart and tears welled up. Joanna, you must wake up! ¡°Our children are waiting for you at home. They can¡¯t live without you. Do you hear me? Do you hear me? ¡°You love them the most, right? As long as you wake up, I¡¯m willing to return them to you. ¡°Joanna,e on, wake up!¡± Bruce slowly grabbed Joanna¡¯s hand. Send Gift Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Bruce could not hold back his tears anymore. Sometimes, death came all of a sudden. In the face of it, people didn¡¯t care about the things they used to care about very much. If he could turn back time, Bruce would definitely cherish Joanna¡¯s love for him, and would not allow their rtionship to end up like this. ¡°Joanna, do you know how much I love you? I admit that I¡¯m not a good man. ¡°I¡¯m a jerk. I¡¯ve done a lot of things that hurt you. I know I deserve to die and that many people want me to die. ¡°I¡¯m really willing to die if you can wake up. But why have you never believed me? Why don¡¯t you believe that I love you?¡± Joanna had never believed that Bruce would really love her. Therefore, no matter what he did, she refused to ept his love. She also refused to open her heart to him and let him enter her world again. Joannay on the sickbed without moving. There was a deep wound on the back of her head from the ss shards, and her head was wrapped in a thickyer of gauze. After Bruce stayed in the intensive care unit for 10 minutes, the doctor came in. ¡°Mr. Everett, the patient needs a quiet environment. You¡¯d better not be here for too long. ¡°Got it. Bruce took a deep breath and struggled to calm himself down before he left the intensive care unit with a gloomy face. When Jaydon saw hime out, a murderous look shed across his eyes. ¡°Bruce is so annoying. He must have been sent by God to punish me!¡± he thought angrily. No matter how outstanding Jaydon was, Bruce could always find a way to suppress him. Jaydon hated this man, but he just did not know how to deal with him. Overwhelmed by jealousy and frustration, he was not in the mood to keep his gentlemanly demeanor. Seeing Bruce walk out of the ward, Andy immediately handed the phone to him. ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s the butler!¡± When Bruce heard this, he immediately took the phone. ¡°Hello!¡± On the other end of the line, the butler Gael said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Everett, Lilia was very worried about you and had been asking me to call you. So, I could only make a phone call.¡± ¡°Give the phone to Lilia.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Gael immediately handed the phone to Lilia. Lilia took the phone and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve been out for a long time. Why don¡¯t you come back?¡± Bruce paused, not knowing how tofort his daughter. ¡°Well, Dad is busy.¡± Lilia said aggrievedly, ¡°Dad, are you on a business trip? When are youing back? I miss you so much!¡± ¡°I have something to deal with and can¡¯t go home for the time being.¡± ¡°Hmph! Dad, you must have gone to see that beautifuldy again! You don¡¯t want me anymore.¡± ¡°You silly girl. How could not want you? Dad loves you the most.¡± Indeed,pared to the two naughty boys, Bruce loved his daughter the most. ¡°Dad, why didn¡¯t Mome to see us or call us?¡± In the past, although Joanna could not go to see the children every week, she would call them every day no matter how busy she was. She had not called the children for four days since the ident. When Bruce heard this, tears sprang to his eyes again. ¡°Lilia, be good at home. ¡°Dad will go home tonight to apany you.¡± ¡°Qkay!¡± ¡°Gotta hang up. ¡°Okay. Bye. Dad.¡± After saying that, Lilia kissed the phone. Bruce¡¯s heart ached even more. He had left the children at home for four days and never called them during this period. No matter what, he would go back and apany them today. Davian and Irvin returned from kindergarten at 3:00 p.m. The two kids entered the room with sullen faces as if they had something on their minds. Lilia was sitting in a special automatic wheelchair. She pressed the button on the remote to make the wheelchair quickly move toward her brothers. ¡°Davian, Irvin, you guys are back!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Seeing them in low spirits, Lilia asked with concern, ¡°You don¡¯t look happy. What happened?¡± Davian didn¡¯t answer. He had a solemn look on his chubby face, looking quite cool. Irvin said worriedly, ¡°We heard bad news in kindergarten today!¡± ¡°Bad news?¡± ¡°I heard that there was an explosion in Greenwick Residential Complex, and someone was seriously injured. The person who was injured seems to be the Haynes Group¡¯s chairman.¡± Lilia covered her mouth in shock when she heard the terrible news. ¡°The Haynes Group¡¯s chairman? Isn¡¯t that Mom? ¡°Mom has never called us in the past four days. Could the person who was injured in the explosion really be her?¡± Davian frowned and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hurry up and call Mom!¡± ¡°I tried, but no one answered. I can¡¯t get through to Miranda and Miss Kelly either.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What should we do then? ¡°Why don¡¯t we call Dad to ask about it?¡± When Irvin heard that, he shook his head vigorously. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t dare to call him. Dad has an explosive temper. If I said something wrong, he would definitelysh out at me.¡± ¡°Dad said he would be back tonight. We¡¯ll ask him when he¡¯s back.¡± Bruce came back exhausted at 6:00 p.m. He had not been home for three days. If his daughter hadn¡¯t called him today, he would be waiting at the hospital at this point. In the living room, the three kids were waiting for him on the sofa side by side. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bruce replied in a muffled voice. His gloomy face made him look sad and weary. The kids all looked at him solemnly. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Bruce took off his coat and handed it to the servant. When he saw the children¡¯s strange expressions, he could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so upset?¡± Davian immediately said, ¡°Dad, I heard that something happened to Mom. Is that true?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Who told you that?¡± After the ident, he reminded the butler not to tell the children about what happened to Joanna. Lilia and Irvin also looked at Bruce worriedly. Bruce hesitated for a few seconds before he answered, ¡°Yes, something happened. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not serious and your mom will be fine soon.¡± ¡°Dad, you¡¯re lying!¡± Davian shouted like an angry cat. ¡°There was an explosion in Greenwick Residential Complex. Something terrible happened to Mom. Why are you trying to hide it from us? How is Mom now? We want to go to the hospital to see her!¡± Davian began to cry as he spoke. ¡°Baby!¡± Bruce felt a twinge in his heart. ¡°Dad, please take us to the hospital. We want to see Mom.¡± Irvin also cried. Bruce¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even tighter. He said, still trying to hide the truth from the kids, ¡°Your mom is fine. Her injury is not serious. ¡°I promise I will take you to see her when she gets better.¡± Davian pleaded with him between sobs, ¡°No! Dad, I¡¯m begging you. Take us to see Mom now. ¡°Mom is injured. She definitely needs us. She will recover faster if she has us around. We must go to the hospital to apany her. ¡°Dad, if you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll take a taxi to the hospital!¡± With that. Davian walked out in a huff. ¡°Come back!¡± Bruce grabbed Davian by the cor and lifted him up. Davian¡¯s personality was the most simr to his. He struggled with all his might like an unruly little lion, trying to break free from his father¡¯s grip. Bruce was in a bad mood. Seeing that Davian was making a scene, he grew even angrier. He immediately held Davian down and pped him on the butt. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m going to see Mom! You baddie! I hate you!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was so angry that he almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. He pped the kid twice again. This father and son were both extremely stubborn. Bruce wouldn¡¯t stop pping his son until he cried, while Davian struggled to hold back his tears no matter how hard his father spanked him. Davian was unconvinced and shouted even louder after being spanked. But someone as domineering as Bruce wouldn¡¯t give in to a child. He raised his hand and spanked Davian twice more. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 ¡°You bad man! I hate you. You¡¯re not my dad. I want Mom!¡± ¡°Be good! Or you¡¯ll get more punishment!¡± Lilia was terrified and kept pleading for her brother, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t hit Davian anymore. Boohoo¡­¡­..¡± Davian,e on, apologize to Dad. Say that you won¡¯t do it again!¡± Irvin was timid but smart. If he were Davian, he would apologize right away to avoid getting hit. He was terrified to see his brother being beaten up by their father. ¡°Hurry up and tell Dad that you know your mistake!¡± Davian was stubborn. Even though his butt hurt, he refused to give in. ¡°You want me to apologize to this baddie? No way!¡± Bruce was so angry that he spanked the boy again. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t hit Davian anymore! I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t hit him anymore.¡± Gael couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and tried to stop Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t hit Davian anymore. You¡¯re strong. What if you injured him by ident?¡± ¡°Do you know your mistake?¡± Bruce spanked Davian twice more. The boy was still so young, yet he already dared to challenge his father. What would happen when he grew up? Bruce did not approve of the use of violence to discipline children, but the kid would not listen to him if he tried to reason with him. What¡¯s more, he had a hard time controlling himself when he was in a rage. ¡°Thump!¡± Lilia fell from the wheelchair. She burst into tears the moment her head banged on the floor. Bruce¡¯s heart ached when he saw that. He hurriedly let go of Davian and rushed up to his daughter. ¡°Lilia! Sweetie, are you alright?¡± Bruce held his daughter in his arms andforted her gently. ¡°Boohoo!¡± ¡°Come on, show me where you got hit.¡± Bruce took a close look and saw Lilia¡¯s forehead gradually swell up. It made his heart ache even more. He hurriedly stroked her forehead and blew on it. ¡°Good girl, does it hurt? Dad will massage it for you.¡± Lilia looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. ¡°Dad, can you stop hitting Davian?¡± Davian felt a twinge in his heart when he saw his sister fall. He walked up to check on her as well. ¡°Lilia, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Davian didn¡¯t cry after having been spanked so many times. However, when he saw his sister deliberately fall out of the wheelchair to help him out and even get such a huge bump on her forehead, he couldn¡¯t hold back his tears anymore. ¡°Lilia, it¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t protect you well.¡± ¡°No, I identally fell down.¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Looking at the three crying children, Bruce felt even worse. Joanna was their mother. If she died, no one could rece her in their heart. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t cry. As long as you listen to me, I will take you to see Mom¡± When the three children heard this, they quickly stopped crying. ¡°We promise we¡¯ll be good. We¡¯re very worried about Mom and want to go to the hospital to see her now.¡± ¡°You have to listen to me when we get to the hospital. Did you hear me?¡± ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry, Dad. We¡¯ll be good!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Then go have dinner now. Go to bed early after you are done eating ¡°It¡¯s toote today. I will take you to the hospital tomorrow morning.¡± Chapter 328 ¡°Alright.¡± The kids did not dare to cry anymore and went to eat as they were told. After Bruce left. Jaydon finally had the chance to see Joanna in the intensive care unit. ¡°Joann, when will you wake up?¡± Jaydon held her hand tightly, heartbroken. He didn¡¯t know why, but it seemed to be especially hard if he wanted to be with Joanna. So much had happened since they met. ¡°Joann, you¡¯ve always encouraged me before. Now, it¡¯s my turn to encourage you. ¡°Promise me that you will wake up. We have to be strong!¡± As Jaydon spoke, he gently caressed Joanna¡¯s pale face, tears streaming down his face and dripping onto the back of her hand. Joanna¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly, tears rolling down from the corners of her eyes. She could hear what Jaydon and Bruce said to her. But she just couldn¡¯t open her eyes. It was as if she was possessed by a nightmare. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t wake up. When Jaydon saw the tears in the corners of Joanna¡¯s eyes, his chest tightened. He leaned close to her ear and continued, Joann, you can hear me, right? ¡°Joann, you¡¯ve regained your consciousness, right?¡± More tears rolled down from the corners of Joanna¡¯s eyes, but she still did not wake up. ¡°Joann, you must be strong. You must wake up! ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me. You said you would marry me when my legs recovered. ¡°Joann, you can¡¯t break your promise! ¡°Wake up. I¡¯m begging you!¡± Jaydon became more and more agitated as he spoke. The doctor was in the monitoring room. When he saw Joanna¡¯s abnormal heart rate, he hurried to the intensive care unit. ¡°Mr. Grimm, please get out now!¡± ¡°Doctor, she¡¯s crying. She can hear me. She has regained her consciousness!¡± Seeing that he was so agitated, the doctor said, ¡°Mr. Grimm, calm down. ¡°The patient is still recovering. You will impact her nervous system¡¯s self¨Crecovery if you keep her too emotional. There¡¯s coagted blood in her brain, and it takes time for it to be absorbed. ¡°This is a critical moment for the patient¡¯s recovery. Don¡¯t make her have emotional fluctuation. Otherwise, it will be bad for the absorption of the clot.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he immediately apologized. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was just too excited.¡± ¡°You may leave and wait outside.¡± ¡°Joann, you¡¯ve already slept for so long. Wake up quickly. I¡¯m waiting for you outside.¡± Jaydon was pushed out of the intensive care unit. Just as he left the ward, he received a call from Tim. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Jay, I heard you came back from Gaprington!¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Something happened to Joann. I came back to apany her.¡± Tim fell silent after hearing this. This son was like him, but not in every aspect. He was as gentle and affectionate as him but not as cold and fickle as him. Tim loved every woman he saw, and it was impossible for him to be loyal to only one woman. Chapter 328 ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hanging up if you don¡¯t have anything else.¡± ¡°Mom, we¡¯re here to see you.¡± ¡°Shh! Keep it down.¡± ¡°Is¡­ is Mom still sleeping?¡± The kids stood outside and looked at their mother through the ss window. They could not help but cry. Lilia asked as she cried in Bruce¡¯s arms. ¡°Dad, will Mom die?¡± ¡°Good girl. Your mom won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°When will she recover?¡± ¡°Well, she will be fine soon.¡± Bruce felt extremely upset. The children were still young, so he could only comfort them this way. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m Davian. Open your eyes and look at me.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m Irvin. I promise I won¡¯t cause trouble again and I¡¯ll be good in the future. Wake up, please!¡± ¡°Stop crying. Mom will definitely wake up.¡± ¡°Who caused Mom to be like this? ¡°If I get that baddie, I won¡¯t let him off!¡± Davian said as he clenched his fists tightly. Bruce frowned when he heard this. For the past few days, he had been worried about Joanna¡¯s injuries and had not put in any effort to look for the murderer. ¡°Andy, how¡¯s the investigation going?¡± ¡°The traffic recorder doesn¡¯t work and the data inside has been erased. I¡¯m asking the technical personnel to restore it. ¡°So, we haven¡¯t found any clue yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all useless! You can¡¯t even handle such an easy job!¡± Andy lowered his head, not daring to speak. The data in the traffic recorder had been deliberately erased. Even the monitoring system around the repair shop had been destroyed by hackers. The murderer was quite powerful. Not only was he good at chemistry, but he was also proficient in hacking! It didn¡¯t look like one person who did it. It might even be a terrorist group. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a week to find out!¡± ¡°Got it. Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and look into it!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Andy replied and quickly walked out. Irvin was by his father¡¯s side and overheard the conversation between them. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Davian, you know how to restore the surveince data, right? Please do your best to restore it. We must find that bad guy!¡± When Davian heard this, he wiped tears off his face. ¡°Irvin, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely find the bad guy who tried to kill Mom!¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve already seen Mom. Hurry up and go home.. ¡°Lilian, take the kids home.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not leaving. We want to stay with Mom.¡± Bruce put on a serious look, saying, ¡°No, you can¡¯t stay here because it will affect your mom¡¯s recovery. Go home right now. I promise I will bring you to see Mom again when she wakes up.¡± Irvin tugged at Davian¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Davian, let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go back and investigate the bad guy who hurt Mom.¡± Davian nodded hard when he heard this. ¡°Bye, Mom!¡± As soon as Davian and Irvin returned to Sherane Bay Vi, they immediately went to theputer room. Davian turned on theputer and started hacking. Irvin kept an eye out for anyone approaching the room and helped his brother when he was in need. ¡°Davian, will it be very difficult to restore the data?¡± Davian stared at theputer screen, saying, ¡°No matter how difficult it is, I will restore the data to find the murderer and avenge Mom.¡± ¡°Davian, you can do it!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With a solemn expression on Davian¡¯s chubby face, he looked intently at theputer screen and quickly typed on the keyboard. A short whileter, he broke through the firewall and hacked into the city¡¯s surveince data system. Davian checked the surveince clips of the street near the car¨Crepairing shop. No one had ever driven Joanna¡¯s car after it was repaired. So the murderer was very likely to nt the bomb in the repair shop. Unfortunately, the surveince data of the street had been erased. Even if they were sure that the murderer had nted the bomb in the car when it was assembled in the repair shop, they would not be able to find out who did it. If they wanted to find some clues, they had to restore all the data. Davian was working on it. But as the workload was huge, there was no way he could restore all the data in one or two days. Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Joanna had been lying in the intensive care unit for nine days, and the clot in her cerebral cortex had almost beenpletely absorbed. However, she was still in aa. It was Joanna¡¯s ninth day in the hospital. Bruce¡¯s phone rang crazily again. Princess Martha called him countless times, but he never answered. She then bombed him with messages. [Bruce, I¡¯m at Greyport airport now. I want you to pick me up. If you don¡¯te, I¡¯ll jump down from the building at the airport.] Princess Martha¡¯s message made Bruce extremely upset. He hated it the most when women threatened him with their lives. Roxanne did so in the past, and now it was Princess Martha. [Martha, I told you that I was not free for the time being. Come on, go back to Novlis first.] [No! I waru to see you now! If you don¡¯te to see me, you know what will happen!] Bruce could tell from Martha¡¯s voice message that she was very emotional now. [Martha, don¡¯t be rash!] [Bruce,e quickly. I don¡¯t have any money on me, and my phone is almost out of battery. I¡¯ll give you half an hour. If you don¡¯te, I¡¯ll jump off the roof of the airport building!] Bruce cursed angrily, ¡°Women are really troublesome!¡± He then turned to Andy and said, ¡°Andy, stay here and keep a close eye on Joanna.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce stood at the entrance of the intensive care unit and looked at Joanna solemnly. Joanna, you have to hold on. I have something to deal with and will be back soon.¡± Jaydon who was watching from the side could not help but mock him. ¡°Hurry up and go ahead with your business! Joann doesn¡¯t need you to be here!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce shot Jaydon a cold re, not wanting to waste his time arguing with him. After Bruce left, a care worker hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Grimm, you¡¯ve been waiting here for a long time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­. go back and rest. I¡¯ll call you when Ms. Haynes wakes up.¡± Another care worker quickly added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Grimm, you¡¯ve been in the hospital for a whole week. ¡°Your body will break down if you continue like this. You should go back to rest and change your clothes.¡± The care workers and bodyguards all felt exhausted. Jaydon had been in the hospital for a whole week. Since he was here, his bodyguards and assistants didn¡¯t dare to leave. As they couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well in the past week, they were on the verge of copse. Jaydon frowned. ¡°Guys, go back and take some rest.¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, we will stay here to keep youpany.¡± ww ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I can take care of everything here. You guys go back and rest for a day. Then, switch to two shifts and take turns toe to the hospital to take care of Joann.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Grimm!¡± The care workers and bodyguards were so grateful that they almost burst into crying. Jaydon only kept one care worker here and let the rest go home to rest. ¡°Joann, I want to be the first person you see when you wake up.¡± Jaydon insisted on waiting outside the intensive care unit. Bruce rushed to the airport. Princess Martha was sitting alone on the bench at the airport without any luggage. ¡°Martha!¡± Bruce called out in a deep voice. Princess Martha was overjoyed to see him. She immediately ran over and threw herself into his arms. ¡°Bruce, I knew you woulde. I knew you still loved me!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Martha, why are you doing this? Go home now. I¡¯ll go meet you after I¡¯m done with my business.¡± Martha no longer believed him. She shook her head vigorously and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving! ¡°Bruce, I love you, I want to marry you! Without you, I feel like life is meaningless. I will die without you!¡± With that, Princess Martha began to cry. Bruce felt so helpless. He warily looked around, afraid that the media would take photos of them. ¡°Let¡¯s This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. go. I¡¯ll send you to the hotel first.¡± When Princess Martha heard that, she sniffled and followed him out. ¡°Click! Click! Click!¡± Not far away, a few paparazzi captured the scene with their cameras. What Bruce was worried happened. The next day, photos of Princess Martha and him hugging at the airport were posted online. This instantly caused a global sensation. In less than 24 hours, even theizens abroad began to discuss it. [Mr. Everett and the princess of Novlis are secretly dating and were seen hugging at Greyport Airport!] [The princess of Novlis went to Greyport. Mr. Everett is very likely to be her husband.) [Mr. Everett¡¯s romance with Princess Martha shocked the world!!] Because of Princess Martha¡¯s special identity, the news shocked the entire Greyport and even the chief governor paid attention to it. If Bruce really married Princess Martha, that would be Greyport¡¯s honor! Greyport¡¯s politicians were also looking forward to the princess marrying someone from Greyport. Bruce was now in his office. The news gave him a headache. ¡°Mark, bury the news immediately.¡± Mark seemed to be in a dilemma. ¡°Mr. Everett, even the chief governor is paying great attention to it. There¡¯s no way we can bury the news.¡± Darcy added. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is good news! Martha is a real princess. Mr. Everett, if you marry her, you¡¯re bringing glory to the country! ¡°It¡¯s an international honor to be able to marry someone from Novlis¡® royal family.¡± When Bruce heard this, he grew even more upset. He was only with Princess Martha for the novelty. Now that the novelty was gone, he realized that he could not fall in love with her at all. What¡¯s more, such a terrible thing had just happened to Joanna and she was still in aa after being in the hospital for so long. How could he be in the mood to get married? Bruce left his office and was about to go to the hospital to see Joanna. Unexpectedly, just as he walked out of the Everett Group¡¯s office building, arge group of reporters rushed toward him. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you dating Princess Martha?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, how far has you two¡¯s rtionship developed? Come on, please say something.¡± The bodyguards quickly stopped the reporters. ¡°Mr. Everett will not ept interviews!¡± ¡°ording to reliable information from customs, Princess Martha is indeed in Greyport. Is she at the Everett family¡¯s house? Are you living together?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Stop asking such stupid questions!¡± However, the reporters didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Mr. Everett,e on, say something!¡± ¡°Get out of the way! Get out of the way, all of you!¡± The bodyguards stood around Bruce to prevent the reporters from approaching him again. Bruce got into the car and drove away quickly. After Bruce and Princess Martha¡¯s romantic rtionship was exposed, politicians from different departments attached great importance to the news and all called Bruce to make sure it was true. Other than that, they even encouraged him to make his rtionship with Princess Martha a step further. This made Bruce extremely depressed. He had no intention of marrying Princess Martha at all. Now, even the chief governor had personally called him to ask about it. Send Gift Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Comment Now, even if Bruce wanted to deny it, no one would believe him. Half an hourter, he arrived at the hospital. Seeing that Bruce was here again, Jaydon frowned with disgust. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing here?¡± Bruce immediately shot back, ¡°I own the hospital. I cane whenever I want. Why should I exin to you?¡± Jaydon took a deep breath. He had also seen the news. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be too greedy. You already started a new rtionship. and the girl is a princess. You should focus on your new rtionship.¡± ¡°Jaydon, shut the fuck up! I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better stop pestering Joann. A womanizer like you is not worthy of her at all.¡± Bruce sneered and retorted, ¡°Did I hear wrongly? You¡¯re calling me a womanizer? ¡°I don¡¯t have so many women as you do!¡± Jaydon sneered. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past! If Joann marries me, I¡¯ll only love her for the rest of my life. I¡¯m willing to give up everything for her. Can you do it? ¡°If you really love Joann, you wouldn¡¯t be entangled with Princess Martha! At the end of the day, the person you love the most is yourself!¡± When Bruce heard this, his face turned ashen and his chest heaved violently. If it was in the past, he would have beaten Jaydon up. He didn¡¯t know why, but this year, his temper became less explosive and he was much more tolerant than before. It was probably because people became mature when they were about 30 years old and their temper would turn milder ordingly. He would shudder when he asionally thought of what he had done and how unruly he had been before When the two were arguing, a doctor in a white gown and mask walked over followed by four serious¨Clooking nurses. The doctor nced at the two of them and warned them sternly, ¡°You¡¯re in the hospital now. Please don¡¯t make too much noise. It will affect the patients.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce and Jaydon looked at each other with disdain. ¡°Doctor, when will Joanna wake up?¡± ¡°If she continues to sleep like this, will she be a vegetable?¡± The doctor replied with a serious expression. ¡°The patient is in critical condition and needs to undergo emergency surgery. ¡°Calm down. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Bruce and Jaydon were both stunned. The doctor seemed to be a little strange. Without saying anything else, he walked into the intensive care unit with the nurses. A short whileter, they wheeled Joanna out. Jaydon asked nervously. ¡°Doctor, where are you going to do the surgery? ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about the surgery before.¡± ¡°We observed in the monitoring room and found there was something wrong with the patient¡¯s heart. We have to operate on her immediately.¡± ¡°We¡¯re taking the patient to the operation room. Please get out of the way.¡± As they spoke, the nurses wheeled Joanna to the other end of the corridor. Bruce unwittingly wanted to go with them, but the doctor immediately warned him, ¡°Don¡¯te with us. It¡¯ll affect my performance in the surgery.¡± Bruce was even more suspicious. ¡°Seems like something is wrong! ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Carter Joann¡¯s attending doctor? Who is this doctor?¡± It was rare for Jaydon to speak to Bruce calmly, ¡°Andy, go to Mr. Carter¡¯s office and have a look immediately!¡± 1/4 Chapter 330 ¡°Okay.¡± Andy hurried to the doctor¡¯s oflice. In less than a minute, he hurried back. ¡°Mr. Everett, bad news! Mr. Carter was knocked out!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Even the nurses on duty were knocked unconscious!¡± ¡°Oh no! That man who spoke to us just now is not a doctor!¡± ¡°Go get him! Hurry up!¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he took the lead to run in the direction the doctor had just left. Jaydon who was sitting in the wheelchair was burned with anxiety. His legs couldn¡¯t move now, so there was no way he could catch up with those people. A bunch of bodyguards also swarmed toward the end of the corridor. At this point, the four fake nurses were about to wheel Joanna into the elevator. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Bruce shouted. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Bam! Bam Bam¡­¡± Seeing that they had been found out, two ¡°nurses¡± immediately took out their pistols and fired a few shots at the bodyguards. The leading bodyguard was hit and fell to the floor. Bruce was also shocked. Joanna was still lying on the wheeled stretcher. Under the violent impact, she suddenly opened her eyes as if she had been woken up from her sleep with a start. Her head still buzzed and everything in front of her was blurry to her, but she knew what had just happened. When the doctor with the mask saw that she had woken up, he immediately turned around and shot her. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She rolled down from the wheeled stretcher with all her might. ¡°Thump!¡± She fell to the floor. The shot missed. The fake doctor¡¯s face darkened. Just as he was about to fire a second shot, Bruce and the bodyguards rushed over. The bodyguards took out their stun guns and pulled the triggers, aiming at the gangsters. Seeing that two fake nurses were knocked out by the electric current, the fake doctor turned to run away. ¡°Joanna! Joanna¡­¡± Bruce pounced over to check on Joanna. Joanna gasped and opened her eyes, still feeling lingering horror. ¡°Cough! Cough! Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re finally awake! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, he¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Hurry up and catch up with him!¡± With that, Bruce turned to Joanna again. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here. He hugged Joanna tightly as he spoke. Then, he lifted her off the floor. ¡°Doctor! Dogfor! Joanna is awake!¡± The doctor and security guards on duty all came over. ¡°The patient is awake. Hurry up and transfer her to another hospital.¡± ¡°Joann! Joann!¡± Jaydon was burned with anxiety. He really wanted to rush over to snatch Joanna from Bruce¡¯s arms. Unfortunately, he could only watch her being carried away by that man. ¡°Doctor, arrange for an ambnce at once and transfer Joanna to St Mary¡¯s!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Alright, Bruce carried Joanna into the ambnce. The apanying doctors and nurses quickly put an oxygen mask on Joanna and started her on a drip. The ambnce whizzed towards St Mary¡¯s with a roar. The media immediately reported the incident. There was a shooting in Greyport Hospital today. Two criminals have been killed. ¡°While the other three escaped. ¡°The shooting and thest bombing may have been done by the same gang. This serious violent incident has attracted the attention of the police. ¡°The police are involved in this case and have set up an anti¨Cterrorist force.¡± The news was being broadcasted on television. When Princess Martha saw the news on TV, she couldn¡¯t help but question Bruce. ¡°Bruce, who is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my family, my children¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Martha, I¡¯m sorry. I love my ex¨Cwife. I can¡¯t marry you. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a ne to send you back to Novlis right now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, bad news!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Princess Martha ran away from the airport! She¡¯s missing now!¡± ¡°What? How did this happen?¡± ww No matter what, Martha was the princess of Novlis. She was not familiar with Greyport. What if something happened to her? ¡°Princess Martha said she needed to use the bathroom, so I waited outside thedies¡® room. ¡°But she didn¡¯te out after I had been waiting for half an hour. When our people went in to check, Princess Martha was already gone.¡± ¡°Hurry up and find her. Send all our people out to look for her. We must find her as soon as possible! ¡°I¡¯ll join you guys to look for her. ¡°Hurry up and go! Don¡¯te back if you can¡¯t find her!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t let the outsiders know about it for the time being.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After Andy left, Bruce felt so worried that his tooth began to ache. The fact that someone tried to kill Joanna was enough to give him a headache. Now, Princess Martha was gone! It would be too bad if Martha was kidnapped by terrorists. If something happened to her, it could lead to a deterioration in rtions between the two countries. 24 hours passed in the blink of an eye. Princess Martha seemed to have vanished into thin air. No one found any clue about her whereabouts. ¡°Have you found her?¡± ¡°Not yet. ¡°Keep looking for her. Check out if she is out of customs.¡± ¡°Impossible. Princess Martha¡¯s passport is still here. Without a passport, she can¡¯t get through customs.¡± ¡°She will definitely be in Greyport tonight. Hurry up and find her!¡± Bruce paced about in the ward restlessly. He was worried sick now. Princess Martha was brought to an abandoned factory in the suburbs. Someone stuffed a mess of cloth into her mouth, sealed her lips with tape, and tied her hands up. Martha wanted to shout for help, but she couldn¡¯t utter a word. In front of her were a few people wearing cartoon masks. ¡°Sir, what should we do to her?¡± ¡°Which princess is she? She¡¯s quite pretty!¡± ¡°Call Bruce and ask for 200 million dors.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Beep¡­ Bruce¡¯s heart was a mess when the phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, hello!¡± A mechanical voice came from the other end of the phone. Obviously, the caller had used a voice changer. Bruce felt a chill down his spine. ¡°Who is it?¡± On the other end of the phone, the cold mechanical cold voice sounded again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. All you need to know is that the person you¡¯re looking for is in my hands!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Boom! Bruce felt overwhelmed! Princess Martha was kidnapped. ¡°Who the hell is it? What do you want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call the police, or we¡¯ll kill her!¡± Bruce gasped and tried her best to calm the kidnapper down. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t call the police!¡± ¡°Tell me what you want but please, don¡¯t hurt her.¡± ¡°Hehe, Mr. Everett, I gotta say, I really appreciate your straightforwardness! I know you¡¯re loaded. And I just want you to lend me some money. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re really lucky. You even got to date a princess!¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was solemn. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Martha. Just tell me how much you want! ¡°Listen up. I¡¯m telling you right now, don¡¯t you darey a finger on her! If you so much as harm a single strand of her hair, lives!¡± I¡¯ll stop at nothing to make sure every single one of you pays with your A sinister mechanical voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°As long as we get the money, we won¡¯t hurt her! ¡°If you dare to call the police or y tricks, we won¡¯t just kill her!¡± Bruce calmed down. ¡°How much do you want? Name it!¡± ¡°Not much. 200 million dors will do!¡± ¡°200 million dors?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyebrows twitched. These kidnappers were really greedy. However, money was nothingpared to Martha¡¯s safety. He hoped the 200 million dors would guarantee Martha¡¯s being intact. Martha was a princess. If something happened to her in Greyport, 200 million dors wouldn¡¯t solve it./ ¡°Alright, I agree! But 200 million dors is not a small number. Give me some time.¡± When the kidnapper heard this, he smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Hehel Mr. Everett, you are so generous. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t finish my sentence. I want 200 million dors in cash!¡± ¡°200 million dors in cash?¡± Bruce was That was a lot of money. ¡°Why? Have you regretted it?¡± shocked! Bruce tried his best to suppress his anger and said solemnly, ¡°It is indeed difficult to raise cash! Even if I can raise it for you, I¡¯ll have to mobilize a few trucks! Are you sure you can take so much money when you escape?¡± The kidnapper smiled darkly again. ¡°Hehe, Mr. Everett. I¡¯ll take a step back. If you don¡¯t have so much cash. You can pay us in other forms!¡± When Bruce heard this, his frown deepened. ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Theard that you got a Precious Pearl in the audition and a two¨Chundred¨Ccarat pink diamond. ¡°They should be worth 200 million dors!¡± Hoice frowned when he heard that. This was the ultimate treasure of the Everett family. ¡°No, I can give you the money, but not this!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± The kidnapper swung his hand and pped Martha. ¡°Smack!¡± There was a crisp sound. On the other end of the line, Martha whimpered. p! p! ¡°Ah! Ah Martha¡¯s scream was very miserable. *If you don¡¯t agree, your girlfriend will be raped! And we¡¯ll record the whole process. You can check it onler. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll cut off her flesh piece by piece and send it to the Everett family. She¡¯s the Princess of Novlis. If she dies in your family, think about the consequences. The kidnapper said viciously and teasingly. The kidnapper seemed to be very familiar with Bruce and knew where his weakness was. The Everett Group was such a huge business empire! But they were still afraid of falling out with the politicians! If Martha died in the Everett Group, it would be a serious international criminal case. It might even escte into a diplomatic rtionship between the two countries. At that time, the Everett family would also be in trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her. If you dare to touch her, I won¡¯t let you off¡± The kidnapper stopped and said gloomily, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop joking!¡± ¡°Give me the Precious Pearl and the pink diamond, adding 20 million! ¡°Is that eptable?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. Even if he had to go bankrupt, he had to protect Martha¡¯s safety. ¡°Alright! It¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡°Great! I knew you are a straightforward person.¡± The leader of the kidnappers smiled mockingly. Bruce swallowed. ¡°Where should I send the money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you one day to prepare the cash. Wait for my call!¡± ¡°Okay! ¡°I¡¯m warning you onest time. Don¡¯t ever hurt Martha! Otherwise, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to find you guys.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry! We only want money!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also warning you, Mr. Everett. If you dare to call the police, I¡¯ll kill your three children!¡± After the kidnapper finished speaking, he deliberately made a ¡°bang¡± sound in his throat to imitate the explosion. Boom! Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He immediately understood that the kidnappers were the ones who had nted the bomb in Joanna¡¯s car. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t call the police!¡± The kidnapper smiled sinisterly. ¡°Happy cooperation!¡± Then, he hung up. After hanging up. Bruce took a few deep breaths and could not help but light a cigarette! ¡°Mr. Everett, who was it?¡± This was the first time Andy had seen Bruce looking serious and terrified. Bruce spat out a mouthful of smoke, trying to calm down. ¡°The kidnappers!¡± He was really afraid now. He wasn¡¯t worried about himself but Joanna and the children. Andy was also shocked. He asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Kidnappers?¡± ¡°What should we do? Why don¡¯t we call the police immediately¡­¡± Bruce shook his head solemnly. ¡°We can¡¯t call the police. First, we have to ensure Martha¡¯s safety! ¡°Go prepare 20 million dors in cash immediately!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Andy¡¯s expression darkened as he hurriedly took action. In a dpidated factory in the suburbs. There were a total of six robbers. After hearing their leader¡¯s call, all of them were very excited. A short and fat kidnapper wearing a rabbit mask said teasingly, ¡°Boss, I didn¡¯t expect this little girl to be so valuable!¡± Another kidnapper wearing a pig mask added, ¡°She is the Princess of Novlis. Bruce is so rich. He definitely wouldn¡¯t care. about this bit of money!¡± ¡°However, this little foreign girl is really fucking hot!¡± As the kidnapper spoke, he could not help but reach out to Martha¡¯s body. ¡°Boohoo!¡± Martha squirmed in fear! ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Another kidnapper stopped him sternly. He was the leader of them and the mastermind behind the kidnapping. ¡°Yeah. She is money. When we get the ransom, we¡¯ll be rich and by then, we can have all sorts of women.¡± The kidnapper wearing a pig mask looked at Martha reluctantly. ¡°She is a real princess. If I can fuck her, it¡¯s worth it even if I die!¡± ¡°Stupid! ¡°Go get her some food and water. Don¡¯t let her die!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The pig¨Cmasked kidnapper opened a bottle of water and removed the tape on Martha¡¯s mouth. ¡°Come, drink some water!¡± Martha¡¯s eyes were still covered by the ck cloth. As soon as she opened her mouth, she said in Antlenish in a panic, ¡°Who are you? Please let me go. Don¡¯t hurt me!¡± ¡°What is this foreign girl talking about?¡± When the leader of the kidnappers heard this, he said in Antlenish, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We won¡¯t hurt you! As long as your boyfriend brings over the money, we will let you go!¡± ¡°Woohoo!¡± Martha was so scared that she curled up into a ball! The kidnapper in the pig mask was holding a bottle of mineral water. ¡°Little girl, drink some water!¡± ¡°Ahem, ahem, ahem!¡± Martha choked and coughed. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t choke her!¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 332 Chapter 332 ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, this little foreign girl is so hot!¡± ¡°Okay, enough daydreaming. Go stand guard by the door!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The Everett family! Bruce was preparing the cash. The number of money was too big, and the bank also needed time to prepare the cash. They had to go to different banks. It took more than a dozen assistants an entire day to raise the cash. With so much money added together, it weighed more than a ton. It was neatly packed into more than ten boxes. ¡°Mr. Everett, the cash is ready!¡± Bruce took a look. The money was all in the passcode box and neatly ced on the truck! The money didn¡¯t matter much to him. What saddened him was the loss of the Precious Pearl and the nearly three hundred carats of raw diamond! He spent nearly 600 million dors on them in the auction. Those two treasures were invaluable. There was a possibility he would never be able to retrieve them. Beep! The kidnapper called again. Bruce calmly answered the call. ¡°Hello!¡± On the other end of the phone, the sinister voice sounded as usual. ¡°Mr. Everett, you are very cooperative! You didn¡¯t call the police!¡± Bruce, not one for idle chatter, spoke directly. ¡°The money and items are prepared. Where should we deliver them?¡± ¡°Get your things ready. Drive the truck yourself and stick to the route I¡¯m about to give you!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± When Andy and Gael heard this, their expressions turned solemn. ¡°Mr. Everett, this is too dangerous!¡± ¡°Yeah, you can¡¯t go alone!* All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Go out now and don¡¯t y any tricks!¡± The kidnapper said and hung up. ¡°Mr. Everett, I think we should call the police!¡± Bruce shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t call the police. These people are vicious. They will hurt Martha So he did as asked. Bruce drove the truck aimlessly on the road! Half an hourter! The kidnapper called again and instructed Bruce to follow the required route! Bruce cruised along the bridges for a while before venturing into the suburban streets, circling through the entirety of Greyport! The kidnapper was very cautious and refused to tell him the real location. Bruce did not dare to show his anger. So he could only do as the kidnapper said! ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been driving around for more than three hours. Where should I go?¡± A vehement voice emanated from the other end of the phone, using. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re truly deceitful! ¡°How dare you y tricks on us?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°What do you mean? What tricks?¡± ¡°Did you call the police?¡± ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t!¡± The kidnapper sneered with malice, stating, ¡°Instruct the vehicle trailing you to cease its pursuit! If I discover any deceit on your part, I will personally teach your girlfriend a harsh lesson! ¡°The deal is canceled today I¡¯ll call you tomorrow!¡± With that, the kidnapper hung up. ¡°Shit!¡± Bruce cursed! Although he did not call the police, Andy and the butler were worried about Bruce¡¯s acting alone. Therefore, they sent bodyguards to secretly follow Bruce. Despite the bodyguards¡® utmost caution and even their mid¨Cjourney car switch, the kidnappers managed to spot them. An hourter! Bruce returned to the Everett family. Andy and Gael quickly weed them. Seeing that the item was still in the car, they hurriedly asked, ¡°Mr. Everett, what happened?¡± Bruce cursed, The kidnappers realized that I was being followed, so the exchange is off for today!¡± ¡°What?¡± Andy and Gael looked at each other, their mood heavy. ¡°He will call again tomorrow. I¡¯ll go by myself. Do not follow me.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯re worried about your safety!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s Martha who is in danger!¡± At Sherane Bay Vi! After two days and two nights of restoration, Davian finally repaired the surveince data! As expected, after the data was repaired, the video captured everything that could be yed. ¡°It¡¯s finally done!¡± ¡°It¡¯s this person. He damaged the car!¡± When Irvin heard this, she had a look of admiration on her face. Davian, you are amazing!¡± Unfortunately, although the surveince data had been repaired, the image was very blurry! Moreover, the person who had been fiddling with Joanna¡¯s car for a long time was wearing a mask and work clothes. Although they saw the criminal, they couldn¡¯t see his face. Davian continuously zoomed in on the image and scrutinized it for a long while. ¡°The figure of this person seems somewhat familiar.¡± he remarked. Irvin also observed carefully for a while. ¡°I feel the same. But I can¡¯t remember who it is.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s tell Daddy the news!¡± ¡°Tell Daddy to contact the police and have them catch this viin!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± It was 9 p.m. Bruce returned to Sherane Bay Vi in a heavy mood. He was very worried about the children¡¯s safety now. He had to send them to a safe ce. Upon spotting Bruce¡¯s return, the children hurriedly approached him to deliver the news. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯ve discovered a crucial clue¡­¡± Bruce gazed at the children, his expression burdened. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Daddy, what is it?¡± ¡°I want to send you guys overseas for a period of time! ¡°You are leaving tonight!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The three children looked at each other. Davian said solemnly, ¡°Daddy, we have a big discovery. I¡¯ve repaired the surveince data. ¡°Look, it¡¯s this bad guy who nted a bomb in Mommy¡¯s car!¡± Bruce frowned and reached out to touch his two sons¡® heads. That became inconsequential. He was already aware that it was the very same group of people who had nted the bomb in Joanna¡¯s car and abducted Martha! The most important thing now was to ensure the safety of the children! These kidnappers seemed to be very familiar with his whereabouts and family! He was worried that they would install bombs in the kindergarten! ¡°Daddy, we don¡¯t want to go overseas! We want to stay in Greyport! ¡°Mommy is still in the hospital. We have to be there for her!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°No, you¡¯re going overseas tonight! I will pick you up after a while!¡± ¡°Daddy¡­ The three children wanted to protest. ¡°Listen to me!¡± ¡°Gael, make arrangements for a private ne to transport them to Antlen!¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Daddy, we don¡¯t want to go overseas!¡± Bruce hugged his daughter and kissed her cheek. ¡°Be good!¡± At St Mary¡¯s! Joanna woke up. Jaydon stayed by her side. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± ¡°Jay¡­ Joanna opened her eyes weakly. ¡°Joanna, thank goodness you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Jaydon eximed, gripping her hand with excitement. Tears welled up in his crimson eyes uncontrobly. Joanna rolled her eyes. There was only Jaydon in the ward! She made a sincere effort to recollect those memories, but it all felt like a dream. She distinctly remembered that Bruce was by her side. Unexpectedly, when she opened her eyes, she saw Jaydon only. ¡°Weren¡¯t you at Gaprington? Why are you back?¡± ¡°Joann, I rushed back as soon as I heard about your ident!¡± ¡°Oh, what happened to me? My head is throbbing!¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t overthink it. You¡¯re seriously injured right now!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Doctor, the patient is finally awake!¡± The doctor came over and examined Joanna! ¡°The hematoma in the patient¡¯s brain hasrgely resolved, with a substantial amount of residual fluid remaining within the cranial cavity. This may lead to potential memory disturbances.¡± ¡°Is there any treatment avable to cure it?¡± ¡°Try not to strain your brain too much, as it can lead to headaches!¡± The doctor said to Joann. ¡°Also, the patient is very weak now. She has to rest well! Pay attention to the wound on her back. Don¡¯t let it get infected!¡± ¡°Alright, thank you, sir!¡± The doctor left. ¡°Joann, I want to get you out of here!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. At this moment, she suddenly missed her three children! ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia¡­¡± It was said that when people were most venerable, they would always think of the person they missed the most! Unsurprisingly, the people she missed the most were her three children! Jay, I miss my children!¡± Jaydon was stunned! ¡°I¡¯ll call Bruce and ask him to bring the children to see you!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Beep! It was rare for Jaydon to call Bruce! What surprised him was that Bruce had not appeared in the hospital for two days! Bruce had been on the phone for the past two days. When he heard the phone ring, he shivered as if he had been electrocuted! ¡°Hello?¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Although Jaydon did not want to talk to Bruce, he still braced himself and said, ¡°Joann is awake!¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart trembled. He wanted to rush to the hospital to see Joanna immediately, but Martha was kidnapped. He needed to pay the ransom. So he had no time for Joanna. ¡°Joann is very weak now. She wants to see the children! Can you bring the children to the hospital?¡± Jaydon directly exined the situation. Bruce replied coldly. ¡°I can¡¯t do it now!¡± ¡°Bruce, Joann is the mother of the children. You can¡¯t be so selfish. Let her see her children!¡± ¡°I said I can¡¯t do it now!¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was very unfriendly as he was in a rage. He was being ckmailed! He was so annoyed that he was in no mood to argue with Jaydon. Besides, he was waiting for the kidnapper¡¯s call. He had no time to talk to Jaydon. ¡°Why? Joann needs the children now!¡± Jaydon asked unwillingly. Bruce replied impatiently. ¡°The children have been sent overseas. They won¡¯t be back for the time being! Tell Joanna that the children are not going to the hospital!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he was extremely angry. ¡°What right do you have to send the children overseas? You knew how much Joann misses them.¡± ¡°Ssh!¡± Before Jaydon could finish, Bruce hung up! ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Jaydon frowned. He hated Bruce even more. He thought Bruce was a heartless man and would definitely be punished one day. Little did Jaydon know that Bruce¡¯s punishment had already arrived! He was about to die of worry. He might die if Martha was harmed. Once he died, his business empire woulde to an end as well. In the ward! Although Joanna had woken up, she was extremely weak. She was still having a fever and her mind was a mess. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia. I missed you so much¡­¡± Jaydon pushed the wheelchair to Joanna¡¯s bed. ¡°Joann!¡± Joanna looked up slightly and asked gently, ¡°Jay, have you called him? ¡°How was it? Will he bring over my kids?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes flickered, not knowing how to answer. Looking at Jaydon¡¯s troubled expression, Joanna smiled sadly. She guessed that Bruce had refused to let her see the kids. ¡°How is it? When will the childrene over? I really want to see the children now!¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes darkened. He did not want Joanna to be too disappointed. He was even more afraid that she would be sad when she heard that the children had been sent overseas! ¡°Joann, for how, you need to take care of yourself! I just asked the doctor and he said you need to rest well. ¡°Moreover, the children are too young! If they see you like this, they will be worried for you! ¡°It¡¯s better to let the child see you when you¡¯re better!¡± Jaydonforted Joanna gently! When Joanna heard this, she blinked her tired eyes. She missed her kids and missed home very much. But Jaydon¡¯s words made sense. She was now covered in wounds and bandaged. She looked like a mummy. She had various instruments and syringes all over her body! The kids would definitely be afraid when they saw her like this! ¡°Yes! Okay!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much! When you¡¯re better, I¡¯ll get someone to bring the children over!¡± Jaydon told a white lie andforted Joanna gently! Joanna¡¯s eyes shed as she looked at Jaydon gently. It was almost noon! Cora rushed to the hospital. She had been frightened when she heard about the ident. So she came to visit Joanna today. Outside the door of the ward! After taking the medicine, Joanna fell asleep again. ¡°Mr. Grimm. how is Miss Haynes now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already passed the critical period! Don¡¯t worry too much.¡°¨C Cora nodded solemnly. ¡°Why did this happen? She was fine. Why did this happen to her?¡± Jaydon frowned. ¡°Cora. Joann is very weak now. ¡°Later, when she wakes up, don¡¯t talk too much about work! She needs to rest!¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, I understand!¡± After a while, Michael and Brother Trumpet also came to the hospital to visit Joanna! ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll get better!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, take care!¡± To let her rest, they didn¡¯t stay for long in the wards. At the Everett¡¯s Residence! Beep! After five hours of waiting. Bruce finally got a call from the kidnapper. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, now get on the trunk with the money and the objects. Drive to the South Overpass!¡± the kidnapper said gloomily. Bruce¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Alright!¡± The kidnapper then hung up. Gael¡¯s expression was heavy. ¡°Mr. Everett, is it a call from the kidnappers?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What did the kidnapper say?¡± ¡°Let me go to the South Overpass!¡± Kody said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯ll go in your ce!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone. We¡¯re worried! You can¡¯t put yourself at risk for Princess Martha!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°The kidnappers want money. I suppose they won¡¯t hurt us!¡± Gael, Andy, and the others were still worried. ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s still not appropriate! You can¡¯t go alone. Why don¡¯t you call the police¡­¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Alright, stop here. I have to hurry to the South Overpass!¡± After saying that, Bruce took the car keys and hurriedly jump into the truck! Then, he drove onto the South Overpass. It took 40 minutes to pass through the South Overpass, which was a one¨Cway road. Now that it was rush hour, logically speaking, they shouldn¡¯t have chosen such a ce to trade. Half an hourter! Bruce had already made more than half a turn on the South Overpass. The kidnapper didn¡¯t call again. Bruce began to feel a little anxious. He was about to get off the overpass when the kidnapper finally called! 2/3 11:39 Chapter 333 ¡°Hey!¡± The kidnapper ordered sinisterly. ¡°Drive to the South Bridge now!¡± Bruce paused. ¡°¡­Alright!¡± ¡°Park your car in the middle of the South Bridge. Someone will be waiting for you!¡± ¡°I need to make sure the hostage is safe!¡± ¡°She is safe. You don¡¯t have to worry!¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°What if you don¡¯t let her go after I pay?¡± ¡°bring her there and set her free once you get the money!¡± The kidnapperughed on the other end of the phone. ¡°Hehe, Mr. Everett, don¡¯t bargain with us! ¡°That won¡¯t do. This is the rule! I can give you the money but I must see her before giving you the ¡°Otherwise, I can¡¯t give you the money and stuff! ¡°Also, I need to make sure that Martha is safe!¡± When the kidnapper heard this, he handed the phone to Martha. money Martha¡¯s panicked voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Bruce, save me. I¡¯m so scared. I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Martha, don¡¯t be afraid. I aming to save you!¡± ¡°Yes! Bruce, please save me. I want to go home. Boohoo!¡± Before Martha could say anything, the kidnapper gagged her again. After confirming that Martha was still alive, Bruce felt a little relieved! ¡°Mr. Everett, can you rx now? Your girlfriend is still alive and well. If you continue to hesitate, you can¡¯t be sure what will be missing from her body!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her. I¡¯m going to South Bridge now!¡± 20 minutester! Bruce drove to the South Bridge again! The total length of the bridge was about a few kilometers. It was the Greyport Sea Bridge that connected Venturas and Porash! Below the bridge was the sea! Bruce waited on the bridge for more than ten minutes, but no one came. ¡°Are theying?¡± Bruce thought as he looked at his watch. Another ten minutes had passed.. He couldn¡¯t understand why the kidnappers would choose to trade on the bridge. If he really called the police and they intercepted the intersection of the bridge, wouldn¡¯t they be walking into a trap? Whoosh! Bruce was in deep thought. A car drove over quickly. Then, the door opened, and four fierce¨Clooking men wearing masks quickly got out of the car! ¡°Raise your hands and throw the car keys aside!¡± One of the kidnappers raised his gun and pointed it at Bruce. When Bruce heard this, he obediently raised his hand and threw the car keys in his hand to the side! Send Gift Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Without dy, the four robust men swiftly approached the car and forcefully retrieved the boxes of money. Then, they threw the boxes into the sea! There was a yacht parked on the sea. Another two masked men were on the yacht and they immediately pulled the boxes containing the money onto the boat one by one! After the money was salvaged, the yacht quickly drove away! Peace quickly returned to the surface of the sea. The entire process took less than ten minutes. Tve given you the money. Where¡¯s Martha?¡± The kidnapper in the pig mask red at Bruce. ¡°Where are the objects? Give them to us first.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered as he tried his best to calm down. ¡°I want to see Martha. Otherwise, I won¡¯t give them to you!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Alright!¡± A kidnapper opened the trunk of the car! Martha was curled up in the trunk with her hands and feet tied and an eye mask over her head. ¡°The person you want is here! Where are the things?¡± Bruce held his breath. ¡°It¡¯s in the passenger seat of the trunk!¡± The kidnapper in the pig mask quickly pulled open the front passenger seat of the truck. There were indeed two exquisitely packaged boxes on the car seat. The kidnapper¡¯s eyes lit up and he hurriedly took out the two boxes! Another kidnapper dragged Martha out of the trunk! Boom! Martha fell heavily to the ground. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got it. Let¡¯s go!¡± The four kidnappers quickly got into the car, stepped on the elerator, and drove away. Bruce hurriedly went forward to check on Martha. ¡°Martha, are you alright?* ¡°Boohoo!¡± Bruce removed the hood on Martha¡¯s head. After seeing that the person in front of him was Bruce, Martha cried loudly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go¡­ Bruce said hastily as he assisted Martha to her feet. On the other side, once the kidnappers had obtained the item, they erupted with joy inside the car! ¡°Open the boxes. Let¡¯s see what they look like.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The pig¨Cmasked kidnapper opened the box ecstatically. The moment the box was opened, the kidnappers were dumbfounded. There was nothing inside the boxes. ¡°Damn it, they are empty!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The boxes are empty. There¡¯s nothing in them!¡± Upon hearing this, the leader of the kidnappers erupted in a fit of furious rage. ¡°This damn bastard deceived us!¡± he eximed in a fit of anger. ¡°Turn the car around. I¡¯ll kill him!¡± When the kidnapper who drove heard this, he immediately turned the car around. Bruce and Martha were about to get into the car when they saw the kidnapper¡¯s car return. ¡°Get in the car!¡± Bruce knew that the kidnapper had discovered that the boxes were empty, ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± Just as Bruce was about to get into the car, a kidnapper leaned out and fired several shots in his direction. To protect Martha, Bruce was shot in the back! 1/4 * 11:39 [ ¡°Are you out of your fucking mind? Are you really going to kill him?¡± ¡°Leave now! The police wille soon!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± The kidnapper turned the car around and drove away! Martha was even more stunned. ¡°Bruce, how are you?¡± ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Bruce frowned and knelt on one knee. Very soon. Gael and Andy rushed over with some bodyguards! ¡°Bruce¡¯s been shot!¡± ¡°Mr. Everell, Mr. Everett, how are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Bruce sucked in a sharp breath and staggered to his feet. Fortunately, he was wearing a bulletproof vest! He was shot four times in the back! Even though it didn¡¯t prate, the pain was still intense. His back disyed four swollen marks as evidence of the shot. ¡°Call the police now!¡± ¡°Thank God, Bruce¡­ Boohoo¡­¡± Martha cried, couldn¡¯t catch her breath. This was an ident to her. She had been keeping a low profile and traveled around the world alone. Although she had met bad people before, this was the first time she had been kidnapped. ¡°Martha, they haven¡¯t done anything to you yet?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just scared!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, you are safe now!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s send Mr. Everett and the princess to the hospital!¡± Although Martha was not seriously injured, she got some wounds on her skin. Bruce was also injured. They needed to go to the hospital. Half an hourter! At St Mary¡¯s! Bruce carried Martha out of the car! ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m so scared!¡± Princess Martha hugged Bruce tightly, refusing to let go! Bruce could onlyfort her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. This is a hospital! Your wounds required urgent treatment.¡± Then, he couldn¡¯t wait toe over to Joanna¡¯s ward after settling down with Martha. In the ward! Jaydon looked at Joanna gently with chicken soup in his hand. He scooped a spoonful and carefully blew on it to cool it before feeding it to Joanna! Joanna also looked at Jaydon tenderly! This scene was warm and peaceful! Bruce¡¯s heart trembled. He stood at the door and did not enter! Jaydon was indeed better than him! Joanna had never smiled so gently when she was with him. Perhaps, Jaydon was the best choice for Joanna! Bruce stood at the door for ten minutes. In the end, he did note in! ¡°Mr. Everett, Princess Martha¡¯s wound has been treated. The doctor said that it¡¯s just superficial wounds. It¡¯s not a big deal!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce replied absent¨Cmindedly. ¡°Should we contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and exin the situation¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble!¡± ¡°But, after all, such a big thing happened! Princess Martha¡¯s emotions are very unstable!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°When she recovers, I¡¯ll appease her¡­¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he looked lonely again. Perhaps, his fate with Joanna was over¡­ Perhaps, he should sincerely wish Joanna and Jaydon a happy life! As for him, perhaps he should start a new rtionship seriously! Martha undoubtedly loved him. After this incident, he also felt that he should be responsible for Marthal There was nothing wrong with epting her! At the door of the ward! ¡°Idiot, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Princess Martha sobbed loudly! However¡­ The scene of Bruce carrying Martha into the hospital was captured on camera. ¡°Mr. Everett, is the woman you¡¯re hugging today Princess Martha? ¡°How close is your rtionship with Princess Martha? ¡°Is Princess Martha really your girlfriend?¡± The reporters crazily surrounded Bruce again. ¡°I can¡¯t answer those questions at the moment!¡± Bruce rarely spoke in front of the media! When the reporters heard this, they were even more certain that he and Martha were in love! In the suburbs. ¡°Damn it, Bruce gave us empty boxes! How dare he?¡± ¡°I knew he wouldn¡¯t give these two things to us so readily!¡± ¡°At least, we got some money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch the money yet!¡± ¡°Huh??¡± The kidnappers looked at each other. It was so difficult to snatch this money, but he was not allowed to spend it. This was really iprehensible! The leader of the kidnappers said, ¡°We have to save this money for big things¡­¡± ¡°Boss, we won¡¯t be able to spend all this money in our lifetime!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we split it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll split the money equally so we can spend it on cars, houses, and women.¡± ¡°I told you. We have to save it for something big!¡± ¡°So we¡¯ve been busy for so long and got nothing!¡± ¡°Short¨Csighted thing!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t want to do anything big. I want the money!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I want to split the money too! I don¡¯t want much. I just want my share!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we have to share the money! It wasn¡¯t easy to get it?¡± ¡°Boom!¡± Without uttering a single word, a kidnapper, donning a shoddy mask, swiftly drew his gun and fired a shot at the bandit who was moring about distributing the money. They all died. At this moment, the other four realized what was going on and were shocked! They were pleading with the leader. They didn¡¯t force him to split the money. But he shot. It was the same person who shot Bruce just now! ¡°Sometimes, this is what happens!¡± The man with the pig mask mmed the gun on the table! His fierce temperament frightened everyone! ¡°Did you have to kill them?¡± Send Gift Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Comment ¡°I told you, we¡¯re going to use this money for something grand! ¡°As long as you¡¯re part of my team, this money will grow exponentially in the future!¡± ¡°Cars, houses, and women mean nothing. Don¡¯t fixate on temporary pleasures!¡± The masked robber¡¯s agitation grew with each word, his tone bing frighteningly ferocious. Upon hearing this, the four robbers fell silent, refraining from saying anything further. A tall and lean robber suggested, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s stash away all the money for now!¡± ¡°Boss, do you think Bruce will involve the police? Perhaps we shouldy low for a while,¡± one of the robbers proposed. Seeing that the others had submitted, the leader of the robbers rolled his eyes and gave each of them some benefit tofort them. ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ll have 200 thousand dors for now. Don¡¯t waste the money. ¡°Let¡¯s stash away the remaining money for now! After this incident, we¡¯ll execute arger n!¡± As he spoke, the robber opened one of the secured boxes using a password. ¡°200 thousand dors for each. Take it yourself!¡± Uponying eyes on the money, the robbers were immediately filled with joy once more. The recent loss of theirrade seemed to fade into insignificance as they expressed their gratitude to the leader. ¡°Thank you, Boss!¡± ¡°All of you, maintain a low profile. Spend your money wisely and with caution,¡± the leader instructed. ¡°Got it, Boss.¡± At the Haynes¡¯s house! ¡°So much money, where did you spend it? How did you spend so much money within half a year? You¡¯re going to make us bankrupt!¡± Shaun was scolding Derick. As he checked the ounts just now, he discovered an additional 2 million dors missing. To make matters worse, he learned that Derick had secretly sold the finest mansion in the area and two thriving shops. Derick looked indifferent and stammered, ¡°Mom asked me to take care of the money¡­¡± ¡°The house at Shatsui and those two shops at Dorlen were temporarily under your name. When exactly did you sell them?¡± ¡°A long time ago!¡± When Shaun heard this, he was so angry that his heart ached. ¡°Where is the money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already spent it!¡± ¡°Where did you spend it?¡± Derick rolled his eyes, looking like he cared about nothing. ¡°How can I possibly remember?¡± ¡°Did you spend all your money on flirting with female celebrities? You scoundrel! Are you trying to infuriate me to death?¡± Shaun eximed angrily. ¡°You are going to destroy the family¡± Derick could not help but mutter softly, ¡°It¡¯s going to be mine anyway. I can do whatever I want with the money.¡± He was hooking up with two Z¨Clist celebrities. These women in the entertainment industry were all materialists. Of course, they only cared about his money when they dated him! They asked him for gifts every day. That was how he spent his money. When Shaun heard this, he was pissed off. He hit his son with his walking stick. ¡°How dare you talk This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. back? You bastard! ¡°You¡¯re trying to anger me to death! I am so unlucky to have you as my son. I am going to teach you a lesson today.¡± The more Shaun spoke, the angrier he became. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he couldn¡¯t get up from the wheelchair, he would really teach this prodigal son a lesson! In a ce like Greyport, every inch ofnd was worth tens of millions of dors. Derick spent all the money in an instant. Moreover, he didn¡¯t even tell them when he sold the shops. Shaun knew his son was useless, yet he didn¡¯t expect him to go so far. 11-39 Ever since Ingrid went to prison, he had be even morewless! Shaun was scolding Derick when Fantine came in. ¡°Mr. Ryan is back!¡± Then, Ryan walked in. As usual, he was wearing a clean white T¨Cshirt, jeans, and a sweater! He looked refreshed and sunny, looking like a humble young man. ¡°Dad, Derick, what are you guys talking about?¡± Shaun took a deep breath and his tone softened. ¡°Ryan, why did you suddenlye back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming back to pack a few clothes. I might have to leave Greyport for a while in the next few days!¡± When Shaun heard this, he frowned. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Oh, thepany¡¯s sent me on a business trip abroad. I might have to stay abroad for a while!¡± ¡°For sure?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯m back grab my passport!¡± Shaun widened his eyes and asked in surprise, ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an important mission. They also think highly of me, so I have to go now!¡± ** Upon hearing this, Shaun felt a wave of relief wash over him. A hint of admiration flickered in his eyes, and he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Look at your brother. He has always been much more sensible than you, even from a young age. Why can¡¯t you take a leaf out of his book?¡± His second son had been more outstanding than his eldest son. He was also smart and good at studying! It seemed that the Haynes family¡¯s remaining assets were better left to his second son. ¡°Ryan, when will you be back?¡± Ryan paused for a few moments, contemting the question. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. If it¡¯s a brief period, it could be around four to five days. However, if it¡¯s a longer timeframe, it might extend to a month or two.¡± Shaun sighed heavily. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about it when youe back!¡± Ryan looked curious. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Shaun could not help but scold Derick again. ¡°Sigh, ask your brother. Look at what he did.¡± ¡°Derick?¡± ¡°He sold the house in Shatsui and the two shops. He squandered them all! ¡°When you return, I will divide the property between the two of you. From now on, you will each be responsible for safeguarding your own assets. ¡°If we don¡¯t do it now, your brother would spend all our wealth sooner orter!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Ryan replied indifferently. He did not express any dissatisfaction with his brother squandering so much money. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Dad, F¡¯ll go upstairs first!¡± With that, Ryan walked upstairs with a nonchnt expression. ¡°Look at your brother. You good¨Cfor¨Cnothing!¡± Derick pursed his lips and said indifferently, ¡°Are you done scolding me? If you¡¯re done, I¡¯m going out!¡± ¡°Where else are you going?¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m an adult now. Can you not control where I go all day? Where else can I go? I can¡¯t go to heaven, right?¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± When Shaun heard this, he was so angry that he coughed. Ryan also came down with his passport. ¡°Derick, Daddy is old. Don¡¯t make him angry!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re a good boy, and I¡¯m a waste. Is that alright?¡± Shaun instructed Ryan worriedly, ¡°Ryan, you have to be careful overseas! Don¡¯t cause trouble outside!¡± 11.20 ¡°Got ill Dad!¡± Derick could not help but mock. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t worry! He¡¯s a good boy. He¡¯s the most obedient wherever he goes. He¡¯s not like mel¡± ¡°You know yourself!¡± Ryan didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Dad, Derick. See you around!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Shaun looked at his son worriedly. ¡°Are you leaving so soon? Aren¡¯t you going to stay at home for the night?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 100te. I still have to go to thepany dormitory and pack my things. I¡¯ll take the ne tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°Oh, alright then. Be careful!¡± Shaun said as he inadvertently saw arge wound on his son¡¯s arm. Although it was already scabbed over, he could still tell that the wound was very deep. ¡°Sigh, what happened to your arm? Let me take a look.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I identally scratched myself!¡± ¡°Why are you so careless? It¡¯s a big wound.¡± ¡°Oh, I identally hurt myself when I was cleaning up the counter. It¡¯s fine!¡± Shaun looked nervous and wanted to ask a few more questions! Ryan was already walking towards the door. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m leaving too!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving tool¡± Derick followed suit. Watching his two sons leave one after another, Shaun could not help but worry. ¡°Fantine, get ready. I¡¯m going to the hospital to see Joanna.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± He wasn¡¯t really concerned about Joanna¡¯s condition, but he was still a little worried if he didn¡¯t go and take a look. He wanted to know how Joanna was recovering and whether she could continue to be the chairman of the Haynes Group in the future. At St Mary¡¯s! Joanna had been in the hospital for more than half a month. She had already woken up! She had also passed the critical period. After recuperating for a period of time, if nothing went wrong, she could be discharged. ¡°Be good, have another sip!¡± Jaydon was holding a bowl of chicken soup and persuading Joanna to eat more. ¡°I¡¯m full! ¡°Jay, you still want to undergo leg rehabilitation treatment. You should hurry back to Gaprington!!¡± Send Gift Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Comment Jaydon expressed his concern, saying, ¡°No, your injuries are quite severe at the moment. I¡¯ll return once you¡¯ve recovered.¡± While the two of them were engrossed in conversation. Miranda pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Joann, Mr. Haynes is here!¡± Jaydon¡¯s handsome face darkened. He frowned and said, ¡°Why is he here again?¡± Miranda, not wanting Shaun to visit, chimed in, ¡°Do you really want to see him? If you prefer him gone, I¡¯ll make sure he leaves!¡± Joanna cast her gaze downward, her expression reflecting a mix of emotions and inner turmoil. Although she didn¡¯t particrly want to see him, considering he was already there, Joanna decided it would be best to meet him. ¡°Let him in,¡± she reluctantly agreed. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± To be honest, Shaun was old. He might die in a few years. Joanna wouldn¡¯t get to see him much. They probably wouldn¡¯t see each other many times in their lives! But no matter what, he was her father. She was curious about what he was up to. Soon, the door of the ward was pushed open. Fantine pushed Shaun in. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Why did youe here again?* ¡°When I found out that Joann had woken up, I was so relieved! I came here just to see her!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, but she did not say anything! Shaun looked at Jaydon¡¯s cold expression. ¡°Mr. Grimm, can I talk to Joann for a moment?¡± Jaydon replied politely and coldly, ¡°Mr. Haynes, Joann is still very weak. She can¡¯t be too tired!¡± ¡°I understand. It won¡¯t take too long!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. When Jaydon heard this, he looked at Joanna worriedly! ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can go out!¡± Jaydon said gently, ¡°Joann, I¡¯ll go out! If there¡¯s anything, call me!¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t say anything else and was pushed out of the ward by the nurse. After everyone left, Shaun fell into silence once more. For a brief moment, he was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say next. Joanna looked at Shaun coldly and broke the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Dad, just say what you want to say!¡± Shaun sighed deeply! ¡°Dad, why did you sigh Shaun¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. ¡°Joann, I feel terrible!¡± Joanna did not say anything! ¡°Look at our family¡­ We are in trouble one by one! ¡°I feel terrible!¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not interested in listening to yourint!¡± Shaun paused. ¡°Joann, I know you hate me! But you have to understand why I am angry now. ¡°Roxy is still in the mental hospital, and I¡¯m confined to this wheelchair. I¡¯m genuinely concerned. How will she cope once I¡¯m no longer in this world?¡± ¡°So?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened! She knew that her father was not really here to care about her! He must be making some weird request to her again. 1/1 11:39 Seeing Joanna¡¯s expression change, Shaun quickly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just saying it. ¡°Of course, you know about my health! I might die at any time!¡± ¡°If Tim not around anymore, please, forgive Roxy. No matter what, she is your sister.¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t hate anyone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Can you promise me that you will take care of Roxy for me once I am away?¡± ¡°Of course. Joanna, if you don¡¯t want to, just forget what I said.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned cold. She was in no mood to continue the conversation. She once again realized that her Dad cared only about Roxanne, Derick, and Ryan. He came here not to check on her but to ask her to take care of Roxanne. After staying outside for ten minutes, Jaydon couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He was too worried about Joanna. So he went straight back to the ward. ¡°Mr. Grimm, are you done talking? Joann is still very weak. Why don¡¯t you go back?¡± Observing Joanna¡¯s distressed expression. Jaydon asked him to leave the room. ¡°I haven¡¯t done yet!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it another day! Joann is going to rest!¡± Shaun frowned. He felt too ashamed to stay any longer. ¡°Joann, see you around!¡± Joanna ignored him. She didn¡¯t say goodbye. Shaun left. Jaydon asked with concern, ¡°Did your father just tell you something bad again?¡± Joanna sighed heavily. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Ignore him. Don¡¯t take anything he said seriously!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Joanna smiled and struggled to sit up. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling very ufortable?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling dizzy. I¡¯ve been confined to this bed every day. I really crave a walk outdoors!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re very weak! You can¡¯t catch a cold!¡± Joanna remained determined to sit up, expressing her frustration. ¡°I want to go outside and breathe in some fresh air!¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll get the nurse to send a wheelchair in!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jaydon called the nurse. Soon, a nurse sent a wheelchair in! Miranda and Kelly helped Joanna to the wheelchair!! Jaydon¡¯s legs were inconvenient now, and he couldn¡¯t help. ¡°I can push Joann Mr. Grimm, you just fneed to ollow behind!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jaydon had been in a wheelchair for nearly four months and was gradually getting used to it! St Mary¡¯s was a famous private hospital in Greyport. The environment here was very good. And all the facilities were of the highest quality! There was a charming little garden that resembled an art park, featuring meticulously trimmed flowers and nts that were a delight to behold. Miranda pushed Joanna around the garden! About ten minutes passed. In the corridor! Coincidentally, they met Bruce. Martha had been staying in the hospital the past few days and was about to be discharged that day! Bruce naturally came to pick her up. ¡°Bruce, the sun is shining so brightly today!¡± Martha wrapped her arms around Bruce¡¯s arm tightly and affectionately leaned against him. At the same time, Bruce also saw Joanna! Instantly, an indescribable sense of sadness cast a shadow across his face. When their eyes met. Joanna frowned slightly. Her heart was also a little heavy! Bruce never came to her ward. He didn¡¯t even call to ask how she was doing. That day when Joanna woke up, she thought Bruce rescued her. Now she couldn¡¯t help but think that her brain had gone into a state of confusion or disarray. Indeed, because of Jaydon! Miranda and Kelly had never told her that Bruce had been by her side for four days. He came before Jaydon arrived! ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t know what to say. Joanna¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple was obstructed. He asked with difficulty, ¡°Bruce, how are the children?¡± ¡°They¡¯re pretty good!¡± ¡°Can I see them?¡± ¡°They are overseas now and won¡¯t be back for a while!¡± Joanna was momentarily taken aback. ¡°What? You sent them abroad?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why? When are you taking them back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. It dependst!¡± Bruce said coldly. He felt terrible! The kidnappers had targeted Joanna and the children! To ensure the children¡¯s safety, he had to send them overseas! Joanna did not know what had happened to Bruce recently, nor could she make out why Bruce sent the kids away. Therefore, she was very unhappy when she heard this news! ¡°Bruce, you did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t want me to see them.¡± Jaydon also rushed over to take a look. Joann, calm down. Don¡¯t talk to him. Let¡¯s go back to the ward first!¡± ¡°Bruce, say something. Are you doing this on purpose?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened, and her heart ached. ¡°Whatever you say! ¡°Anyway, in your eyes, I¡¯ve always been a bastard!¡± Joanna could not suppress the anger in her heart. She red fiercely at Bruce. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Bruce, who is she? Why is she yelling at you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, she is my ex¨Cwife!¡± ¡°Oh, hi! I am Marthal¡± Joanna felt overwhelmed. ¡°I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s girlfriend now. We¡¯re already thinking about getting married. I hope you and Bruce can be ordinary friends again!¡± Joanna felt weird. ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. We were talking about the children just now. There is nothing else between us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good! I hope you mean it.¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Joanna took a deep breath. Her heart ached. ¡°Bruce, 1 sincerely wish you happiness! But I hope you can bring the children back! ¡°You can¡¯t stop me from seeing the children! That¡¯s selfish¡± ¡°I told you, the children won¡¯t being back anytime soon!¡± Bruce replied coldly. He wanted to exin the reason! But thinking about it, there was nothing to exin! At this point, Joanna had be convinced that he had hidden motives behind his words and actions. Even if he was to die, she probably woulnd¡¯t cry for him. When Joanna heard this, she trembled with anger. ¡°How could you do this? ¡°Bruce, I want the children¡¯s custody back!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. No matter what, the children won¡¯t live with you.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly turned red as she red at Bruce with hatred! Bruce looked at her coldly without any expression! But he was really sad! He thought that he could control everything, but only now did he realize that in the face of fate, everyone had to surrender. Martha pulled on Bruce¡¯s arm, urging him, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t say too much to her. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Jaydon also chimed in, hastily advising Joanna, ¡°Joann, don¡¯t talk with him. Let me take you back to the ward!¡± ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Joanna emitted a stifled cough, while droplets of blood trickled from her nose. Her countenance turned as pallid as paper. Joann, are you alright?¡± ¡°Im alright. It¡¯s just a slight ache in my heart¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s words trailed off as her head tilted, and in an instant, she lost consciousness. Her nose was bleeding non¨Cstop, and her white hospital gown was dyed red. She had already held on for too long! The tense nerves in his brain had already reached their limit. Then, they finally broke! She suffered from severe depression, unable to regte her emotions without the aid of medication. ¡°Joann Joann!¡± Jaydon shouted anxiously and tried to stand up from the wheelchair. Miranda was filled with terror as she swiftly moved forward to assist Joanna. ¡°Joann!¡± she eximed with concern. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s heart jumped to his throat. ¡°Joanna, what¡¯s wrong?¡± As he spoke, he rushed forward and picked Joanna up from the wheelchair! ¡°Bruce, put her down!¡± Jaydon said helplessly, feeling powerless and anxious. Bruce had no time for him. He carried Joanna and hurried into the ward! ¡°Doctor, pleasee quickly! The patient has lost consciousness!¡± Bruce urgently called out, seeking immediate medical assistance. When the doctors and nurses heard the shout, they hurriedly came over to take a look! ¡°The patient is experiencing severe nasal bleeding. Quickly help her lie on their side to prevent any blockage of the respiratory tract!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. When Bruce heard this, he hurriedly ced Joanna on the bed andid her on her side! ¡°Remove the patient¡¯s hospital gown and ensure that her breathing remains unobstructed¡­¡± The doctor quickly inserted an electrocardiogram into Joanna. Then, he took her blood pressure and drew her blood for testing! ¡°Jpanna, you must hold on!¡± The servant pushed Jaydon and rushed to the ward! At this moment, Jaydon felt helpless and angry! Joanna was his girlfriend now. When she was in danger, he did not have the ability to protect her! He could not even hug Chapter 337 herl ¡°All of you, leave the ward first. We need to treat the patient!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Brice and Jaydon were chased out of the ward again. Outside the ward! Bruce¡¯s face was gloomy and he looked dispirited! Jaydon¡¯s face was also gloomy. Other than worrying about Joanna, he hated Bruce even more! The air pressure in the entire corridor seemed to have dropped to the freezing point. It was so heavy that it was suffocating! Miranda was also crying. ¡°What should we do? Why is Joann having an attack again?¡± ¡°Miranda, what do you mean by that? Has Joanna had a simr illness before?¡± Bruce looked at Miranda in shock. ¡°Joann¡¯s depression was getting better.¡± ¡°depression?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°When did Joanna have depression?¡± Miranda was stunned. ¡°You¡¯ve been with Joanna for so long. You should know better than anyone when she had depression! ¡°Joann has been depression since sh was very young! However, it wasn¡¯t serious at that time! ¡°But since six years ago, Joann¡¯s depression got worse. She has to take loads of antidepressants every day. She can¡¯t take it without taking medicine for a day! ¡°Look at how much weight she has lostpared to before. What has she be now? These are the lingering effects of taking antidepressants!¡± Miranda couldn¡¯t help but wipe away her tears once more, overwhelmed by sadness. When Bruce heard this, his breathing instantly stopped. His heart ached as if it was being stabbed by a knife. It was the first time that Bruce learned about Joanna¡¯s depression! He was really a bastard. Not only did he not notice it, but he also kept making her angry! Miranda cried as she spoke, her tears falling non¨Cstop. ¡°Joann is such a poor girl. It breaks my heart to see her going through so much!¡± ¡°When she was having an attack, she often locked herself in her room. I often didn¡¯t dare to sleep, afraid that she would do something stupid. Boohoo¡­¡± ¡°Stop! Bruce¡¯s nose felt sour. He did not want to hear any more! If he had known that Joanna had such a serious depression, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have provoked her, let alone hurt her like this! Her illness must have been caused by him! ¡°Joanna, why won¡¯t you tell me anything?¡± Bruce said bitterly and punched the wall. In the past, he loved to see her go crazy and fly into a rage. Every time he saw her angry and helpless, he felt joyful. However, he did so just to keep her by his side. He believed that once she had nothing, she would never leave him. He really didn¡¯t expect to hurt her so deeply. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be a hypocrite here! Joann became like this because of you! ¡°What right do you have to show remorse here? Leave immediately. If you still have an ounce of humanity left, stay away from Joann! ¡°Do you even realize? It was because of all of you that Joann suffered all these years. Do you have any idea how she endured her time ip Surbano?¡± Bruce closed her eyes. His eyes were extremely red! Martha did not understand theirnguage, but she knew that they were arguing. ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s go back. Don¡¯t argue with them!¡± ¡°Martha, I¡¯m sorry! I have to send you back!¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to hear you apologize!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°My heart is in a mess now! I really can¡¯t start a new rtionship!¡± When Martha heard this, her blue eyes were filled with disappointment. ¡°Bruce, do you really not love me? Are unwilling to marry me?¡± you really Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. He looked at Andy and said, ¡°Andy, send Martha to the airport! ¡°Arrange some bodyguards. Make sure she safely returns to Novlis.¡± ¡°On it, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to go back. I want to be with you!¡± Martha anxiously hugged Bruce¡¯s arm! ¡°Bruce, are you refusing to ept me because of your ex¨Cwife? You still love your ex¨Cwife, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t ept it! Since you still love your ex¨Cwife, why did you start dating me?¡± Martha was instantly exasperated! She could not ept the fact that she had been dumped! She was a princess. She had the noblest bloodline! How could he dump her? Bruce¡¯s mind was in a mess. At that time, he thought that the rtionship between him and Joanna waspletely over! He yearned for a new rtionship to fill the void and alleviate the pain in his heart. After all, he was human too, and he too could experience hurt. Although he hurt Joanna deeply, Joanna hurt him too. However, it was a stupid idea to move on from an old rtionship by dating someone new. ¡°Bruce, think twice!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What kind ofpensation do you want? Just tell me. I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you!¡± Bruce wanted to end this rtionship as soon as possible with money. He was so poor. He had nothing but money. He didn¡¯t know how to make up for the losses he had caused others other thanpensating with money. If possible, he was willing to let her cut him. However, these were all unrealistic! The most practical thing was topensate the other person with enough money! He may have been a scoundrel, but he wasn¡¯t entirely devoid of decency. At the very least, he had the audacity to take responsibility for his actions. Though he had toyed with a woman, he vowed to compensate her financially to the best of his ability. He would not trifle with her emotions and leave her nothing. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Princess Martha, pleasee with us!¡± Andy immediately stepped forward, wanting to take Martha away. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! Let go of me! Bruce, don¡¯t treat me like this! You took a bullet for me. How can you say that you don¡¯t love me?¡± Bruce¡¯s frustration reached its peak, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout at Martha, ¡°It¡¯s because I was wearing a bulletproof vest! I didn¡¯t want you to lose your life in our country. It¡¯s not because I love you. Do you understand?¡± Martha¡¯s eyes instantly widened. She waspletely dumbfounded. Andy and the other two bodyguards dragged Martha out of the hospital and stuffed her into the car! ¡°Bruce! What are you doing? It¡¯s not exactly the most gentlemanly behavior, Jaydon retorted, his tone reflecting his exasperation. Bruce retorted coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve never said that I¡¯m a gentleman! ¡°I won¡¯t be as gentlemanly to all women as you are!¡± ¡°What else do you want from Joann?¡± Jaydon was so angry that he choked. A sense of danger rose in his heart! By coldly driving Martha away, Bruce had made it abundantly clear that he intended to take Joanna away from Jaydon once again. Bruce cast an arrogant nce at Jaydon and spewed venomously. ¡°Jaydon, you¡¯re nothing but a cripple now. Do you honestly believe you can make Joanna happy?¡± Jaydon¡¯s face darkened. ¡°For Joann, I will try my best to recover!¡± ¡°What if you fail? Are you going to condemn her to a life with a disabled partner? ¡°Jaydon, you¡¯re the selfish one! If I were you, I would keep my distance from Joanna and spare her from any burdens!¡± ¡°Joann won¡¯t mind. We¡¯re really in love¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, he was even more disdainful. ¡°Hehe, she¡¯s just pitying you and sympathizing with you. She¡¯s afraid that you won¡¯t be able to take the blow and willmit suicide! Do you really think that Joanna loves you? Wake up!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Jaydon was so angry that his entire body was trembling. He red fiercely at Bruce! ¡°What is that look? Do you want to fight? Jaydon, wake up! Joanna loves me. If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s make a bet! ¡°Joanna only agreed out of sympathy for you! Otherwise, she would have ented your love long ago!¡± In front of Jaydon. Bruce had always been very confident. He was much better than Jaydon! He would never lose to Jaydon. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be too arrogant!¡± A flicker of disdain crossed Bruce¡¯s handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s not arrogance. Love is a peculiar thing! Joanna despises me because she loves me too much! I let her down, so she hates me! ¡°If she truly loves you, why wouldn¡¯t she be willing to let you touch her? And as much as you may dislike hearing it, Joanna felt quite content when she was in my bed! ¡°Every time, she would embrace me tightly and confess her love, saying she couldn¡¯t bear to be without me! Did she ever say that to you? ¡°Oh, my mistake. She didn¡¯t even allow you to touch her! Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t utter such intimate words to you!¡± Bruce was indeed very mean. He knew how to hurt Jaydon¡¯s self¨Cesteem the most! After Jaydon heard this, the blood in his body rushed to his head! If Jaydon wasn¡¯t in a wheelchair now, he would really fight to the death with Bruce! Indeed, he had loved Joanna for so many years, but he had never touched her. ¡°Bruce, shut up¡­¡± ¡°Jaydon, it¡¯s you who should leave! I can provide Joanna with everything that you can and cannot offer. How can you possiblypare to me? ¡°Money? Looks? Strength? Which one are you better at than me?¡± Jaydon was pissed off. The veins on his temples were about to pop out! Unfortunately, what Bruce said was the truth! Jaydon could notpare to Bruce! The only aspect in which he surpassed Bruce was perhaps his tenderness and dedication. However, when it came to character, he wasn¡¯t significantly better than Bruce. Although he was willing to change for Joanna, it was undeniable that he was indeed a yboy in the past. He had even yed with more women than Bruce! ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be too arrogant. No matter what, Joann has already agreed to marry me!¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°Forget about it. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d rather live in solitude my entire life than to marry a woman who doesn¡¯t love me. Joanna agreed to marry you just because she feels sorry for you. Do you think she really loves you? ¡°If you were smarter and really loved Joanna, you shouldn¡¯t have pestered Joanna! If it weren¡¯t for you, Joanna and I would have reconciled long ago! ¡°We have children. We love each other. We have the foundation of our rtionship! And you are the homewrecker. Do you have any shame?¡± ¡°Homewrecker?¡± Jaydon was enraged by this word! Who the hell was the homewrecker? bruce snatched her away from him back then. If Bruce hadn¡¯t harmed Joanna back then, he would have confessed to Joanna long ago! ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve gone too far. I¡¯ll make you pay for what you said today!¡± ¡°Hehe, then I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Bruceughed arrogantly after he finished speaking! Jaydon was so angry that he could not help but pant heavily! ¡°Mr. Grimm, would you like to go back?¡± Jaydon sat in his wheelchair in a daze, his mind nk! He thought perhaps Bruce was right! Maybe Joanna agreeed to his proposal only because she felt sorry for him. If Bruce continued to pester Joanna, Joanna might very well get back together with him! An hourter! Jaydon left in anger. The doctor also walked out of the ward. Bruce quickly went forward and asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s she?¡± ¡°The patient has severe hypoglycemia and severe depression! So, she can¡¯t stand any agitation! ¡°Her external injuries also need to be carefully treated. Otherwise, theplications will be very serious!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°Can Ie in and see her?¡± ¡°The patient has woken up. You can go in!¡± Bruce hurriedly walked into the ward! In the ward! Joannay on the bed, barely breathing, looking terminally ill! It broke Bruce¡¯s heart to see her pale little face that was devoid of any color. ¡°Joanna¡­ Bruce walked to the head of the bed and called out gently! Joanna opened her eyes. When she saw that it was Bruce, she instantly became emotional again! ¡°Bruce, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s okay! Cool it!¡± Joanna instinctively pulled her hand back. ¡°Go away, don¡¯t touch me!¡± she eximed, her voice filled with a mix of anger and difort. ¡°Joanna, can you calm down?¡± Please leave, get out right now! Jay, Jay¡­¡± Joanna pleaded, her voice filled with urgency and distress. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Stop shouting. He¡¯s already gone!¡± Joanna was stunned! ¡°Bruce, did you say something to him? Why would he leave?¡± Bruce shrugged dismissively and sneered, ¡°Who knows? He must have some sort ofplex. I mean, he¡¯s a cripple now. He probably thinks he¡¯s not deserving of you, so he walked away!¡± When Joanna heard this, she fumed with rage. She knew Bruce too well! She believed that Bruce must have said something mean to Jaydon. Otherwise, Jaydon would not have abandoned her and left! ¡°What exactly did you say to Jay?¡± ¡°Joanna, can we have a serious talk?¡± ¡°You and Jaydon are notpatible. You don¡¯t love him at all. Why should you suffer? Do you feel sorry for him because he is crippled now? Is it worth it to sacrifice your own happiness? ¡°Are you stupid? You don¡¯t have to act like an angel. ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t understand. How am I inferior to Jaydon? Why would you prefer him over me?¡± Bruce was extremely unhappy about this! He was clearly richer, more handsome than him, and his personality was slightly better than Jaydon¡¯s. Why would Joanna choose Jaydon? Was she blind? He was the best artworks of God. Even the princess begged to marry him. He could not understand why Joanna kept rejecting him. ¡°Bruce, leave. Get out. I don¡¯t want to see you. I don¡¯t want you in my sight for a second!¡± Joanna eximed. ¡°Joanna, calm down¡­¡± Joanna was already breathless. Sh casually grabbed the things on the table and threw them at Bruce! ¡°Get lost! Now!¡± Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Send Gift Comment Miranda heard a noise and hurriedly rushed in to check! The ward was in a mess! Bruce Everett looked at Joanna Haynes helplessly and annoyed. ¡°Joannal Why are you so hostile to me? Can¡¯t we calm down and have a conversation? With Jaydon the way he is right now, do you really intend to marry him? ¡°My advice to you is to stop being angry with me. Our rtionship could clearly be much better¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached at his words, so she immediately interrupted him, ¡°Bruce Everett, there¡¯s nothing for us to talk about! Get out quickly. I don¡¯t wish to see you!¡± There was no possibility of reconciliation between her and Bruce Everett! Even if she had to die alone and unmarried, that would still be better than for them to get back together again. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Get out! Leave!¡± Joanna shouted hysterically at Bruce. Bruce frowned and looked at Joanna Haynes,pletely at a lost and unsure of what he should do. Upon seeing that Joanna was so agitated. Miranda advised, ¡°Mr. Everett, why don¡¯t you ¡®step out first!¡± ¡°Once Joann is feeling better, you can continue to discuss this with her!¡± When Bruce heard this, his expression turned extremely ugly. He pursed his thin lips slightly and swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. ¡°Think about it carefully!¡± With that, Bruce left the ward dejectedly. Ever since he was a child, he had always been sessful in whatever he wanted to do. However, ever since he divorced Joanna, she no longer cared about him anymore and often made him feel dejected. This feeling of defeat truly drove him insane! ¡°Miranda, what about Jay? When did he leave?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been gone for over an hour!¡± ¡°Did Bruce Everett say something to him?¡± Joanna asked anxiously. Miranda sighed. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be so agitated! You know what Mr. Everett is like. His words cut like a knife! He always picks the worst things to say. A gentle person like Mr. Grimm would definitely be unable to take it!¡± When Joanna heard this, she sighed speechlessly! She knew that Bruce must have said something to Jaydon! ¡°Hand me my phone!¡± Miranda did not dare to hesitate and quickly handed the phone to Joanna. Beep, beep, beep. Joanna dialed a number and gave Jaydon a call. ¡°The number you have dialed is unavable¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, Jay¡¯s phone is switched off!¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t panic. Why not give him another callter!¡± Joanna turned on Messenger once again and sent him a voice message. [Jay, where did you go? Why can¡¯t I get through to your phone?] [Call me back when you see this message. I¡¯m very worried about you!] Half an hourter! Jaydon replied to Joanna¡¯s message. [Joann, I¡¯m leaving. Take care. Don¡¯t miss me!] Joanna¡¯s heart ached when she saw his reply. She hurriedly gave him another call. The phone rang for a long time! In the end, Jaydon Grimm still picked up the phone. He didn¡¯t like the silent treatment, and he would never make others anxious by not picking up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± After the call connected, Joanna finally felt relieved. ¡°Jay, did Bruce Everett say something to you? ¡°He¡¯s a Junatic. No matter what he tells you, just ignore him!¡± Joanna anxiously exined, afraid that Jaydon would think too much. Jaydon took a slight breath. With a tone still gentle and maic, he said, ¡°Joann, Bruce was right! I¡¯m now handicapped. If I stay with you, I¡¯ll only be a burden to you! ¡°I¡¯ll go back to Gaprington first. If my legs can be cured, I¡¯lle back to find you! If my legs can¡¯t be cured, our rtionship¡­ let¡¯s end it!¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart was in a mess. ¡°Jay, listen to me. Whether or not your leg can be cured, it won¡¯t affect our love for each other! ¡°I don¡¯t mind it, I really don¡¯t mind it!¡± ¡°But I mind!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice suddenly rose by two octaves. ¡°Joann, I don¡¯t want you to be with me because of pity! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d really rather not have this rtionship!¡± Joanna¡¯s throat choked. ¡°Jay¡­¡± Jaydon interrupted her next words, his voice trembling slightly. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t say any more! If my legs can be fixed and I can be a normal person again, I will definitelye back and marry you! you ¡°But! If my legs can¡¯t be treated, I don¡¯t want to drag you down! There¡¯s no need to feel burdened by me, and don¡¯t have to agree to my proposal just tofort me! I¡¯m not that fragile. I don¡¯t need you to pity me like this!¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m really not with you because I pity you! ¡°I really do¡­¡± As Joanna spoke, she felt a lump in her throat. But no matter what, she could not bring herself to say the words. ¡®I love you! She had indeed agreed to be with him because she pitied Jaydon. She was even more afraid that he would do something stupid, that he would never recover. Jaydon smiled in disappointment. ¡°Joann, I know what you want to say. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything else. I understand! Take good care of yourself! Wait for me toe back!¡± Jaydon hung up immediately after he finished speaking. ¡°Hello? Jay? Jay!¡± Joanna shouted a couple of times. Jaydon had already hung up! At the airport! After hanging up. Jaydon resolutely boarded his ne! Joanna¡¯s injuries were no longer serious! It no longer mattered whether he stayed or not! Miranda and the nurses would take good care of Joanna. Bruce was right! If he truly loved her, he shouldn¡¯t drag her down! If he was crippled for the rest of his life, how would he be able to give Joanna happiness? He also knew that Joanna had indeed agreed to marry him because she pitied him! If he hadn¡¯t been in a car ident and hist legs had been fine, Joanna definitely wouldn¡¯t have married him! ¡°Joann, wait for me toe back! If my legs can recover, I¡¯ll definitelye back and marry you! ¡°But¡­ If I¡¯m handicapped for the rest of my life, I, too, do not wish to ruin your happiness¡­¡± At the Hospital! ¡°Miranda, help me book a ticket to Gaprington immediately! I need to find Jay!¡± Joanna was really worried about Jaydon and struggled to sit up. Miranda quickly calmed her down. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be so sad. Mr. Grimm is doing this with you in mind! ¡°If you go to Gaprington to look for him now, he will definitely avoid you! You might as well recuperate in peace and wait patiently for Mr. Grimm to return!¡± Kelly also hurriedly persuaded, ¡°That¡¯s right! With you being so seriously injured right now, how could you move around carelessly? ¡°Mr. Grimm cares so much about you. He definitely won¡¯t leave just like that! ¡°Miss Haynes, the most important thing you should do right now is to recuperate! Only when your body recovers will you have the ability to take care of Mr. Grimm!¡± When Joanna heard this, she fell back onto the bed in a daze! She understood Jaydon¡¯s personality very well! Even if she went over to Gaprington now, he would most likely refuse to see her. It would be better for her to give him some space to lick his wounds alone. Moreover, since she had been lying in the hospital for so many days, she did not know what had be of thepany! She needed to recover as soon as possible! In the afternoon! At four o¡¯clock! Kelly pushed the door open and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger are here to see you!¡± Joanna was stunned. Why would these two old roons be so kind as to visit her? ¡°Let them in!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna struggled to sit up, and Miranda quickly ced a soft pillow behind her back. The door opened and Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul walked in one after another. ¡°Miss Haynes, quick, lie back down! You don¡¯t have to get up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m much better now!¡± Mr. Paul put on a fake smile and said hypocritically, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good then. Your bodyes first, and workes second!¡® Don¡¯t feel too pressured!¡± Mr. Roger also smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Haynes, get well soon. Thepany has me and Mr. Paul! You can rest assured and recuperate!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt even more uneasy. This waspletely unlike Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul¡¯s style! Sure enough, Mr. Roger changed the topic and reluctantly said, ¡°Well¡­ You see, you¡¯re currently recuperating right now, but thepany can¡¯t go a single day without its chairman!¡± ¡°And so?¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°Yes, and so, we were thinking of temporarily choosing a substitute chairman for now!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t think too much about it. This is only a substitute chairman! Once you¡¯ve recovered, the position of chairman will naturally still be yours!¡± Mr. Paul also squeezed out a fake smile and echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right! I think your injuries aren¡¯t light either. You won¡¯t be able to recover anytime soon! Thepany would be better off picking a substitute chairman so that we can deal with thepany¡¯s matters in time!¡± The two of them were old shareholders of thepany. Naturally, they were the most qualified to be acting representatives for the chairman position. Send Gift Chapter 340 Chapter 340 After hearing this, Joanna didn¡¯t say anything else! Then, who do you guys think is the best choice?¡± ¡°That¡­ let¡¯s hold a board meeting and put it to a vote!¡± ¡°Or, we could hold a video conference and let the directors and higher¨Cups vote!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what do you think?¡± Joanna thought about it for a few seconds before answering in a calm voice, I have no objections!¡± When the two wily foxes heard this, they finally rxed. ¡°Then, you¡¯ve agreed to it! Tomorrow at ten o¡¯clock, we¡¯ll hold at video conference and select the substitute chairman! ¡°During Miss Haynes¡¯s recuperation period, this person will rece Miss Haynes to handle the company¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna agreed without hesitation. Regardless, they had already nned everything! It was useless for her to object, so she might as well go with their ns. ¡°Then that¡¯s it. We¡¯ll be heading back first! We won¡¯t disturb Miss Haynes from her rest!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Joanna replied politely. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul had achieved their goals, so they could not be bothered to continue exchanging pleasantries and hurriedly left the hospital! After the two of them left! Joanna sighed deeply! These wily old men in thepany were all cunning old foxes! Now that she had be like this, she truly did not have the energy to fight with these old roons! It would be much better for her to let these old foxes duke it out among themselves! And with them out of the way, she would be able to free up some energy to busy herself with Porash¡¯s and Greene Town¡¯s business! Once she obtained a firm foothold in Mossbourne, she would have be independent from Greyport¡¯s market. The next day! At ten in the morning, the video conference began! As soon as the screen started working, all the higher¨Cups of thepany greeted Joanna. ¡°We wish Miss Haynes a speedy recovery!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been hard on everyone!¡± ¡°For the sake of fairness, we will anonymously vote for a substitute chairman today! During the period of Miss Haynes¡¯s recuperation, this person will rece Miss Haynes to deal with thepany¡¯s emergency matters!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, do you have any objections?¡± ¡°No objections!¡± Soon! The higher¨Cups and directors began to vote anonymously and choose the substitute chairman! Now that Bruce Everett had left the board of directors, the new director recing him was Caleb Harrison! However, Caleb had only just entered thepany. He had yet to gain a foothold in thepany, and almost no one had elected him! ¡°Alright, everyone has already voted! Let¡¯s start counting!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Mr. Roger, one vote!¡± ¡°Mr. Roger, two votes!¡± ¡°Mr. Paul, one vote!¡± ¡°Mr. Roger, three votes¡­¡± There were a total of 18 directors and senior management personnel! In the final voting results, Mr. Roger was far ahead with 13 votes! The votes have been counted. Mr. Roger, 13 votes! The position of substitute chairman definitely belongs to Mr. Roger!¡± 11.01 F ¡°Mr. Roger, please say a few words to the board?¡± Mr. Roger immediately stood up and spoke in a professional tone. ¡°Yes, thank you for your trust and support! As everyone knows, Miss Haynes needs to recuperate now and won¡¯t being back to the *Since everyone thinks so highly of me, I¡¯ll temporarily take the role of substitute chairman¡® When Miss Haynes recovers and returns to thepany, Miss Haynes will continue to be chairman¡® ¡°p, p, p! All the higher¨Cups apuded! Joanna watched the screen quietly. Mr. Roger had a smug expression on his face, and his eyes were filled with unconceble joy It seemed that he had long wanted to act as chairmant After the video conference! The lugher¨Cups returned to ark one after another. A few of thein could not help but fall back into ¡°Out of nowhere, how did Miss Haynes get injured by an explosion?¡± ¡°Who did this? What drove them to go against Miss Haynes like that?¡± ¡°Who know?¡± She might have offended someone from the underworld: ¡°Do you think the police have solved the case yet? Why is there no nes at all!¡± Let¡¯s wait for the police to solve the case!¡± ¡°I hope we can quickly find out who did it!¡± Theard that thepany has made a big move recently ¡°What big move! ¡°I think it¡¯s rted to personnel trander and the movement of shares Hub Who did you hear that from ¡°I also heard through the grapevine that someone wants to buy the Haynars Group but I dont kn targeting Miss Haynes¡± ¡°Oh my god, Miss Haynes won¡¯t be kicked out of the board, right?¡± At the hospital! Joanna was lying on the hospital bed with a heavy heart! if it a true! I think it was There were eight bodyguards standing at the door. Although Bruor asn¡¯t around, he still went bodyguards to protect Joanna After all, the bandit had almost kidnapped Joanna in front of everyone¡¯s eyes! Miranda and a nurse walked over Joann, it¡¯s time to change the dressing?¡± ¡°Okay¡± Joanna took off her hospital gown and waited quietly for the dressing to be changed ¡°Tsk tsk tsk such a deep wound will definitely leave a scar in the future! ¡°But it¡¯s fine All of your injuries are on the back! They won¡¯t be visible if you put on your clothes?¡± Joannaid back on the pillow in disappointment and gloom Who could have nted a bomb on her car? Other than Ingrid and Roxanne Haynes, who else would want her dead so badly! Ingrid was currently in jail, and Roxanne was also locked up in a mental hospital¡± This matter could not possibly have anything to do with the two of them. As Joanna thought about it. her brain suddenly had a sh of inspiration! She suddenly remembered that Ryan had an interest in modifying machinery and circuits since he was young. Moreover, he had something close to an obsession with chemistry! When he was in his first year of junior high school, he had even won the first prize of a chemistry Could this matter be rted to him However, this thought only shed through her mund for a moment! After all installing a homemade time bomb required professional knowledge and courage! Star still didn¡¯t believe that Ryan would kill her However, regardless of the truth, she had to be extra careful in the future! Since the murderer could attempt to murder her once, he could very easily try it a second time! The nurse was applying Joanna¡¯s medicine when Kelly knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is here!¡± ¡°Ah Miranda¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Before they could refuse, Bruce had already followed Kelly in! As medicine was currently being applied to Joanna, her entire back was uncovered! Upon seeing Bruce, Joanna¡¯s expression turned frosty. ¡°Bruce Everett, get out now!¡± Bruce took a nce. There were a few deep wounds on Joanna¡¯s back, and they appeared like a few centipedes lying on her skin! Then, Bruce handed over a bag, saying, ¡°Tve brought you some imported medicine. They specialize in treating external injuries!¡± Joanna rejected him coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t need them. Take them away quickly!¡± ¡°Joanna, can you not be so upset with me?¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, can you stay further away from me?¡± Bruce bit his lips. He almost couldn¡¯t resist cursing viciously at her! However, when he saw the injuries on Joanna¡¯s back, his heart still ached terribly. He swallowed back all the curses that were on the tip of his tongue! ¡°I¡¯ll leave the medicine here for you. It¡¯s your business whether or not you use it! ¡°Also, you¡¯d better be careful during this period of time! The murderer might attack you a second time!¡± When Joanna heard this, her mind went into turmoil. She naturally knew that the criminal would attack her once again, but it was impossible to guard against them. What could she do? When Miranda heard this, she panicked in fear. ¡°Huh? What should we do? If the murderer attacks Joann again, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be so lucky next time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We have to think of a way to catch this murderer as soon as possible! This is too terrifying. What kind of grudge does he have to harm people like this?¡± Kelly also had a terrified expression. ¡°The police have been investigating. I believe there will be a result soon!¡± ¡°However, you have to be careful. I¡¯ll send people to protect you!¡± When Miranda and Kelly heard this, they quickly thanked him on behalf of Joanna. ¡°In that case, thank you, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce ced the medicine by the bed and looked at Joanna. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll be leaving first! Call me if anything happens!¡± ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re still the mother of those children. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you! No matter what you think of me, my feelings for you have never changed!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Joanna could not help but sneer. ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe me, and I know it¡¯s useless no matter what I say!¡± ¡°Sigh- Bruce paused and let out a long breath! ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t send the children overseas to purposely prevent you from meeting them! I was afraid that the children would. be in danger! ¡°The robber who nted the bomb in your car is not only watching you but also the children! As long as this killer isn¡¯t caught, I won¡¯t dare to bring the children back! ¡°I hope you can understand me. Whether it¡¯s you or the kids, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to any of you!¡± Bruce spoke in a very sincere tone, his eyes instantly turning red! After listening to Bruce¡¯s exnation, the knot in Joanna¡¯s heart eased a little! However, when she thought of what he had deliberately said to Jaydon, the anger in her heart still boiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to say all that. I don¡¯t need your protection! Life, death, fate! If my life is destined to end, I can only leave obey the heavens!¡± C Chapter 341 Chapter 341 A week passed in the blink of an eye. Joanna had been hospitalized for nearly a month. Her health gradually became better. Joanna could be discharged today. In the Greene Town. After Joanna was discharged from the hospital, she immediately went to the Greene Town. Joanna¡¯s mediapany in Greene Town started to get on the right track. Thepany interviewed some actors and actresses. Thepany had signed contracts with six artists, including those referenced by Brother Trumpet. However, those artists were all streamers responsible for selling products online. The media companies needed diverse artists. Cora walked to Joanna and handed over a proposal, saying, ¡°Miss Haynes, this is thetest proposal. ¡°Mr. Trumpet says he ns to create a talent show. He wants to choose some female candidates who are good at singing and dancing to form a girl group. ¡°This is the preliminary proposal. We willplete a detailed n soon. Now we are working on getting sponsorships and discussing cooperation with local television stations.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Sounds great. Talent shows are very popr now. We can hold an audition and encourage people to participate. Then we can hire some outstanding artists.¡± Joanna flipped through the proposal andmented, ¡°Not bad!¡± Cora reported, ¡°We have calcted and assumed the show needs 2 million dors when it starts. We need to publicize it online and on television.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the audition? And what¡¯s the theme?¡± Cora replied, ¡°The name of the audition is Ultimate Girls, and the target candidates are young women between 18 and 25 years old. We mostly ept candidates who are good at singing and dancing, but other talents are also epted.¡± Joanna thought about it for a while and did not object. Then she added, ¡°I think the age range of the candidates should be broader. So should the theme! ¡°We don¡¯t have to limit so many things since this is the audition that everyone can participate, as long as the show is interesting. Girls who have reached the age of 18 can sign up for the show. Then we¡¯ll adopt a five¨Cround elimination system. That¡¯s more fair.¡± When Cora heard this, she seemed confused, saying, ¡°But our show is called ¡®Ultimate Girls! I¡¯m afraid the show won¡¯t its get best result if the candidates are too old.¡± Joanna said in a deep voice, ¡°It will be okay. A woman should not be limited by her age. There are many definitions of young, such as mentally young and physically young. A woman can be a participant of Ultimate Girls even if she is 50 years old as long as she has a young mindset.¡± When Brother Trumpet and Cora heard this, they pondered for seconds. Then they agreed and said, ¡°Alright then.¡± Brother Trumpet said, ¡°Then we can start now and run the primary election. However, we still haven¡¯t had professional judges for the show.¡± Cora agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Brother Trumpet seemed to be struggling with the decision. He said, ¡°Who should we hire? Big shots might not ept our invitations. Even if we can hire them, we probably don¡¯t have enough money to pay them. ¡°Audiences won¡¯t be interested in the show if we hire less famous judges. They will probably drag the show down.¡± Joanna thought for a moment. Then she said, ¡°Leave this to me. I¡¯ll go ask Jay.¡± Cora suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Haynes, you can ask Mr. Grimm about it. Mr. Grimm is experienced in this area and will definitely offer some help!¡± Jaydon had been in the entertainment industry for a long time and had many connections. Moreover, Jaydon ran an entertainment mediapany. The artists in hispany were all top celebrities. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna took out her phone and called Jaydon. Soon, Jaydon picked up the phone. On the other end of the phone, Jaydon¡¯s deep voice arose. He sounded gentle and warm. ¡°Hello, Joann!¡± 11:21 Joanna took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Jay, how have you been recently?¡± Jaydon replied. ¡°I¡¯m doing good. I just finished today¡¯s three hours of rehabilitation training. What about you?¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯m in Greene Town now.¡± Jaydon changed his tone when he heard that. He asked, ¡°Why are you discharged so quickly? You haven¡¯t even recovered. Why don¡¯t you stay in the hospital for a few more days?¡± Joanna replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already recovered. My brain is getting rusty after staying in the hospital for days.¡± Jaydon sighed and said, ¡°Oh, Joanna, you are such a workaholic. You run wild when I¡¯m not with you now.¡± Joanna smiled and said bluntly, ¡°Jay, I want to ask you something.¡± Jaydon said. ¡°Go ahead!¡± He listened carefully. ¡°My mediapany in Greene Town is preparing to hold an audition. We want to choose 12 women and form a group. When they win the audition, they will be the artists of mypany.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he said, ¡°Talent shows are popr now. I think it¡¯s a good idea!¡± Joanna continued. ¡°We havepleted a preliminary proposal for now. However, we haven¡¯t had any professional judges. ¡°As you know, I have no experience in this area. ¡°So, I call you to ask for your help.¡± Jaydon smiled and replied. ¡°Oh, my pleasure. Thank you for trusting me. What kind of judges do you need?¡± Joanna said. ¡°They should be professionals of singing and dancing talents. It will be better if they are well known for their reputation and professionalism. ¡°You know. The entertainment industry is verypetitive now, and everypany strives for the best. So, we must do a good job in this audition.¡± Jaydon said. ¡°No worries. Leave that to me!¡± Joanna said, ¡°Great! Thank you, Jaydon.¡± Jaydon replied. ¡°Tm hanging up now if you don¡¯t need anything else. I¡¯ll call you back after I find the judges.¡± ¡°Great!¡°¨C Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! After hanging up the phone, Jaydon called Carmel. Carmel¡¯s poprity had declined a little recently. However, she was still a top celebrity in the entertainment industry. Besides, Carmel¡¯s singing and dancing skills were excellent. Jaydon considered Carmel perfect to be the judge of the show. Carmel was happy to receive a call from Jaydon. She immediately picked up the phone and greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm!¡± Jaydon said straightforwardly, ¡°Carmel, here¡¯s a job for you.¡± Carmel cried, ¡°Really? Thank you, Mr. Grimm!¡± She thought it was a television drama or variety show, Jaydon said. ¡°A mediapany in Greene City ns to hold a talent show. I think you are a perfect person for it.¡± Carmel was stunned when she heard that. She asked, ¡°Mr. Grimm, are you asking me to be a participant in a talent show?¡± Jaydon exined. ¡°No, I¡¯m asking you to be a judge for that show.¡± Carmel was shocked when she heard that. She cried, ¡°Be a judge? Me?¡± Carmel thought, ¡°I¡¯m only 25 years old this year and am a young¨Cgeneration artist. ¡°Am I too young to be a judge?¡± Jaydon seemed to know what Carmel worried about. Thus, he encouraged, ¡°Carmel, you¡¯re from a professional girl group. It¡¯s not a problem for you to be a judge for that show! ¡°Besides, your poprity has decreased too much recently. This is a good chance for you to increase your poprity!¡± Carmel looked confused and asked, ¡°Oh, okay. Then what kind of mediapany is that?¡± ¡°Charmont Media Group.¡± Carmel was shocked when she heard thepany name. She cried, ¡°What? Charmont Media Group? ¡°Mr. Grimm, isn¡¯t that Ms. Haynes¡¯s mediapany? You¡¯re asking me to be a judge for the show created by herpany?¡± Jaydon asked in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± Carmel said unhappily. ¡°Mr. Grimm. You know Ms. Haynes and I had some unpleasant moments.¡± Jaydon said, ¡°Carmel, just rx and focus your energy on the work. Joanna is not a petty person. She won¡¯t make things difficult for you!¡± Carmel replied, ¡°I¡¯m not taking the job. This sounds like a show for grassroots. Wouldn¡¯t I be cheesy if I showed up at that show? ¡°Joanna¡¯s lousypany has too many bad histories. That show may drag me down. Anyway, I¡¯m not going to that show.¡± Jaydon frowned and asked unhappily, ¡°Are you sure about it? To go or not to go? Give me an answer!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Carmel said. ¡°I¡¯m not going. That show is too cheesy. I want to be a movie star. I don¡¯t want to participate in such a lousy show.¡± Hearing this, Jaydon could not be bothered to persuade Carmel. He said, ¡°Alright then! Thanks for letting me know!¡± After hanging up the phone, Jaydon called Adriana, the other girl at hispany. Adriana was a top celebrity two years ago. However, thepany gave all the good resources to Carmel after thepany decided to develop Carmel into a superstar. After that, Adriana did not have too much work. Now, Adriana was almost a B¨Clist celebrity in the entertainment industry. Adriana was thrilled to receive a call from Jaydon. She excitedly greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm Jaydon said, ¡°Adriana, here¡¯s a job for you. Being a judge for a talent show.¡± Adriana cried, ¡°Great. Thank you, Mr. Grimm!¡± It had been a long time since thest good job for Adriana. Adriana felt she was about to be history. Thus, when she received a job, Adriana agreed without thinking. After confirming Adriana to be one of the judges, Jaydon called two of his good friends. One was an experienced actor, Nathan Lawson. The other was a rock singer, Theo White. Both of them were Jaydon¡¯s good friends. Thus, they readily epted the job offered by Jaydon. Soon, Jaydon called Joanna back to report the results. Joanna said, ¡°Hi, Jay!¡± ¡°Hey, Joann, I¡¯ve found judges for your show!¡± Joanna was so happy to hear that. She asked, ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Adriana from mypany, Nathan Lawson, and Theo White. What do you think?¡± Joanna was overjoyed when she heard that. Joanna thought, ¡°These three people are less popr than before. However, they are still celebrities. They will bring poprity and topicality to the show!¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Jay!¡± ¡°Pleasure!¡± ¡°Jay, I miss you so much.¡± Jaydon felt his heart melt when he heard that. He said, ¡°Me too! Joann, wait for me. I will recover soon!¡± He sounded a bit sad. ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll wait for you!¡± Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Send Gift Comment I love you, Jay!¡± After considering it for a while, Joanna still said it out loud. Hearing this, Jaydon was stunned for a moment. Then he replied gently. ¡°I love you too!¡± ¡°Take good care of yourself?¡± ¡°You too!¡± Then Joanna and Jaydon talked hot over the phone for a while. They both felt their hearts be closer. Joanna said, ¡°Alright, I should get back to work now. Don¡¯t train too hard.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± The next day. In the conference room. Joanna announced, ¡°The judges and mentors for the show Ultimate Girls have been selected.¡± When Brother Trumpet and Cora heard this, they asked anxiously. ¡°Who are they?¡± Joanna paused for a moment. She replied, ¡°Adriana, Nathan Lawson, and Theo White.¡± Cora couldn¡¯t help but give Joanna a thumbs up. Coraplimented, ¡°Wow, Miss Haynes, you¡¯re amazing. How did you manage to invite the three of them? ¡°I had to admit Adriana is not as popr as before. However, she was the top star in the past two years. I can¡¯t believe we can have her in our show!¡± Another executive, Eleanor Holmes, agreed and said, ¡°Exactly. Besides, Nathan won The Golden Camera Awardst year! I didn¡¯t expect him to ept the invitation!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Mr. Grimm¡¯s credit for letting us have Nathan on the show.¡± ¡°Anyway. It¡¯s still worth celebrating since we have had great judges and mentors.¡± When Brother Trumpet heard the discussion, his face darkened slightly. Brother Trumpet thought. ¡°It seems that Joanna and Jaydon love each other so much. ¡°I should probably abandon my thoughts.¡± Cora sensed Brother Trumpet¡¯s disappointment. Thus, Cora immediately livened up the mood and said, ¡°Brother Trumpet. we¡¯re going to organize our employees for a celebration. How about that?¡± Brother Trumpet squeezed a smile and replied, ¡°Sounds good.¡± Soon, the poster of the audition was posted online. The advertising copywriting was inspiring. Additionally, the advertisement was released online and offline. Soon, the news of the talent show went viral on the Inte. Thousands of people signed up for the audition on the first day. However, the audition was on May 15th. The show had five rounds in total, which were registration, audition, second round, final round, and the night for group forming. After entering the final round, the candidates had to go through four battles before qualifying to be a group member. Joanna had been very busy in the next few days. Joanna had to get sponsors, n the rules of thepetition, and interview the applicants. Joanna¡¯s mood became better when she got busy. Joanna did not have the time to think about the unpleasant things that had happened previously. The Everett Group, Greyport. Bruce waspletely ignored and neglected by Joanna. Joanna did not answer Bruce¡¯s calls or see him. That made Bruce extremely disappointed and depressed. Bruce asked, ¡°What has Joanna been up to?¡± Andy immediately reported, ¡°Oh. I heard that Miss Haynes is preparing an audition for a talent show. She is busy with that project now.¡± Bruce frowned and asked. ¡°An audition? A talent show?¡± Andy replied, ¡°Yes. The news goes that the show is called Ultimate Girls. A woman can sign up for the show if she is 18 or older.¡± ¡°I heard that this talent show is fairer than before! The work is well done. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Haynes to be so good at nning!¡± Andy couldn¡¯t help but praise. Bruce chuckled and said, ¡°Huh. It sounds like Joanna is energetic about this project! ¡°What about the Haynes Group? What have the internal executives been up to recently?¡± Andy frowned and reported. ¡°The news goes that Mr. Roger is the interim chairman of the Haynes Group now. He reces Miss Haynes to handle thepany¡¯s businesses. ¡°However, there¡¯s also news that Mr. Roger wants to quit his job at the Haynes Group. He¡¯s looking for a man to take his job.¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Is that so?¡± Andy reported, ¡°Yes. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul each hold 15% of the shares. The two of them don¡¯t want to work with Miss Haynes. Thus, they are nning to kick Miss Haynes out of the board! ¡°These two are scheming. They are going to kick Miss Haynes out without losing one cent.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Bruce said gloomily, ¡°Got it!¡± Then he lit a cigarette. In the Greene Town. At the office. ¡°Wow, there are too many people signing up!¡± ¡°Yeah! I didn¡¯t expect so many people to sign up for the audition!¡± ¡°I thought we would have several thousand people signing up in total. However, it turned out that over 5,000 people signed up for the show on the first day!¡± ¡°The number of applicants has exceeded 50,000 over the past few days!¡± ¡°Many of them are women over 30 years old. A small number of them are 50¨Cyear¨Colddies.¡± After hearing this, Joanna frowned slightly and said, ¡°The audition must be fair. You can¡¯t prefer young girls or let the applicants.¡± age limit ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Miss Haynes.¡± The show had been popr since its audition because the media had many topics to report, such as the founder, candidates, and judges. Therefore, many people signed up for the show. Joanna had to go many ces to get sponsors before. But now, the sponsors requested to offer money for the show. The sponsorship had reached over 40 million dors in just a month. The television stations fought each other for the broadcasting right of the show. The show was so popr that the media reported Joanna as a sessful woman. Everyone finally saw Joanna¡¯s strength and hard work. Joanna no longer appeared in public as a beauty or Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cwife. Now, Joanna wasbeled as a sessful businesswoman. Cora asked carefully, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Fletcher wants to reference a candidate to the final round.¡± Eleanor agreed, ¡°The CEO of Mellow Coffee asks us to put his daughter in the final round.¡± ¡°Also, the president of Aura Solutions Group sponsors 2 million dors and wants his girlfriend to enter the final round.¡± Joanna was dumbfounded when she heard these requests. Joanna hated the most the people who cheated through socialworks or money. Thus, Joanna said. ¡°How can we do that? Our slogan is fair and square!¡± Cora looked serious. She said, ¡°Miss Haynes. Mr. Fletcher sponsors over 1 million dors. He only has one request. That is referencing a talent. ¡°Moreover, I checked the talent¡¯s profile. She graduated from a dancing school and is a professional without any doubt! ¡°To put it bluntly, Mr. Fletcher only wants the candidate to perform on television so that she can have a better career in the entertainment industry. Eleanor followed Cora to add. ¡°The Mellow Coffee¡¯s CEO has the same intention.¡± When Joanna heard this, she became angrier. She sighed and said, ¡°I nned to select some truly capable candidates. through the audition. ¡°What is the point of the audition if all the candidates want to win the game by giving us money? What is the point of this show?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes. The sponsors have given us so much money and have only one request. If we don¡¯t approve their requests, I¡¯m afraid that we will lose our sponsors!¡± Joanna was speechless when she heard that. Joanna thought, ¡°I nned to create a fair and square show. However, I did not expect to encounter such things! ¡°What¡¯s worse, I have no choice but to approve those requests. ¡°But it will be unfair for candidates who don¡¯t have strong backgrounds if I ept those requests. ¡°So many people sign up for the show. However, we only have 12 spots. The candidates referenced by the sponsors take up half of the spots. That¡¯s to say, only five spots are left for those who win the games with their strengths.¡± Someone suddenly suggested, ¡°Miss Haynes. We can let those candidates referenced by the sponsors enter the final round. When it is time for the final round, we will evaluate their capability. At that time, we can kick them out if they are not capable. ¡°We can guarantee that any candidate referenced by a sponsor can enter the top 201 Joanna replied. ¡°It sounds like the only choice we have now.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll start the work.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Alright.¡± Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Joanna greeted, ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± She had a video call with Jaydon. Jaydon noticed Joanna looked exhausted and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I encountered some problems at work.¡± ¡°What kind of problems?¡± Joanna pondered for a moment and decided to tell Jaydon about those things. Jaydon could not help butugh after he heard what Joanna said. He said, ¡°This is very normal. If you want to survive in this industry, you have to know its rules!¡± Joannained, ¡°I will never expect that there are so many unspoken rules for a talent show.¡± Jaydon replied, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Unspoken rules exist in every industry. There¡¯s no such thing as 100% fairness in this world. One should do the best one can inside of one¡¯spetence. That¡¯s my opinion. ¡°After all, how can we say no to money?¡± Joanna thought about it and agreed with Jaydon. Joanna thought, ¡°Jaydon is right. My purpose of working so hard is to make money! ¡°I will have no money to make if the show is 100% fair. Besides, being too serious does no good for. anyone. ¡°Even if the show is unfair, I should do my best to ensure the rights and interests of every candidate. ¡°If I can¡¯t move the candidates referenced by the sponsors, I can add more spots. I can increase the spots to 20 from 12. ¡°However, I can¡¯t tell this to anyone now, not to mention publicize it! ¡°Otherwise, the sponsors will ask us to allow more and more people to enter the final round.¡± The show received the highest ratings when its first episode was broadcast. Adriana and the other judges instantly became popr. The show would be popr for a long time, assuming the current trend. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 The Ultimate Girls was in full swing. Until the deadline, over 60 thousand people had signed up for the show. However, only a hundred people could get through the audition and enter the second round. Joanna, Cora, Brother Trumpet, and the others were busy during this period. In the conference room. ¡°Miss Haynes, there are too many applicants. Our studio can¡¯t fit so many people at the same time. We need a bigger studio.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°No problem. Safety first. The audition can be held in a gymnasium.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± ¡°Also, the Icebergarts website wants to sponsor the show¡¯s second season. They have already bought the broadcasting rights for the second season.¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on and finish the first season first. It¡¯s still unknown if we can have the second season.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes. Here¡¯s another thing. The proportion of candidates over 35 years old keeps increasing. It is about to exceed the proportion of young candidates. ¡°If this trend continues, our show will turn into a show for old people!¡± Joanna said, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Age is not a problem if a candidate has talents! ¡°We must select candidates with talents in the audition.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°Is there anything you want to add?¡± Cora suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Oh right, Miss Haynes, you are invited to an interview show Joanna asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Cora replied, ¡°The show is called Rooney Interview.¡± Joanna thought for seconds before rejecting it. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t like being exposed in front of the camera.¡± After all, the Greyport media almost demonized Joanna. As a result, Joanna was traumatized by all the media and was scared of facing reporters Cora continued, ¡°Miss Haynes, Rooney Interview is different. This show invites famous entrepreneurs or celebrities with good reputations in the entertainment industry. ¡°Miss Haynes, this interview is full of positive energy. It may help you win renown. So, it¡¯s better to ept the invitation.¡± Brother Trumpet strongly agreed with Cora. He said, ¡°Cora is right. Joanna, you should ept the invitation! It is a rtively high-end interview show in the country. The host is also very influential.¡± Cora continued, ¡°Miss Haynes, it might eliminate the misunderstandings people have about you if you participate in this show! I think you should go!¡± Joanna felt that those words made sense. Thus, Joanna said, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll think about it first. I will do the interview if it¡¯s suitable for me.¡± Cora said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell that show¡¯s director about it.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Cora replied, ¡°No, that¡¯s all.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Alright then. The meeting is now ended.¡± It was already past nine in the evening when the meeting was finished. Joanna and Tatiana returned to the hotel. Joanna murmured when she turned her sore neck, ¡°I¡¯m so tired today. I need a good rest tonight!¡± Tatiana did not like to talk much. Thus, she listened to Joanna quietly. When the two of them reached the room and did not open the door, they saw a figure sh out from the corner of the corridor! Tatiana was a professional bodyguard. Thus, she reacted quickly. She immediately stood before Joanna and shouted, ¡°Who is it?¡± Joanna was frightened by that. Her heart was beating wildly. Tatiana warned, ¡°Miss Haynes, be careful!¡± Then a boy about 18 or 19 years old walked over shyly. He exined himself, ¡°Hello, Joanna. I¡¯m your big fan. May I have your autograph?¡± Joanna repeated, ¡°My autograph?¡± She was stunned when she heard that request. Joanna thought, ¡°I¡¯m not a star or a famous person. Why would this boy ask me for an autograph?¡± The boy looked at Joanna with sparkling eyes and said excitedly, ¡°Yes! I like you very much and want to take a photo with you!¡± Joanna hesitated for seconds. Then she agreed and said, ¡°Well. Sure!¡± When the boy heard this, he was overjoyed. Then, he took out his phone. Joanna cooperated with him and took a photo with him. Then, she signed an autograph for her fan. The boy took the autograph and smiled at Joanna, saying, ¡°Thank you. Best of luck! I¡¯ll always support you!¡± Joanna was shocked when she heard that. Then her eyes unknowingly turned red. Joanna thought, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have a fan! What a surprise!¡± ¡°Goodbye¡± The boy waved at Joanna and left in satisfaction. Joanna could not help but sigh. Then she murmured, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve got a fan. I will never expect that!¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Tatiana said gravely, ¡°Miss Haynes, you have many fans in Mossbourne! Your Dok-Dek ount has over seven million fans!¡± When Joanna heard this, she instantly widened her eyes and asked, ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Tatiana replied, ¡°No. What I said is true. If you don¡¯t believe me, take a look for yourself? Joanna opened the application in disbelief and checked her Dok-Dek ount. As Tatiana had said, Joanna had over seven million fans on it. The number of fans surprised Joanna. Joanna did not understand how she gained so many fans since she did not post a video when she was injured. Brother Trumpet must help a lot in increasing Joanna¡¯s fans without any doubt. However, it was Joanna¡¯s legend and poprity that made her popr in Mossbourne. A huge difference was between Greyport and Mossbourne. Although Greyport was a special economic zone and a metropolitan region, its total poption was only 7 million. Joanna¡¯s reputation in Greyport was not very good because Ingrid had been defaming Joanna for a long time. Additionally, the Greyport media loved news about the fights that happened in the rich and powerful families. Thus, the Greyport media wrote ridiculous news about Joanna. However, things in Mossbourne were different. In the eyes of Joanna¡¯s fans in Mossbourne, although Joanna was born into a wealthy family, she suffered a lot. Joanna was neglected by her biological father and oppressed by her stepmother. Joanna was pitiful in terms of these events. However, Joanna was resilient and courageous. Joanna¡¯s fans in Mossbourne admired her for these characteristics. Therefore, in Mossbourne, Joanna was described as a strong woman. After reading the fans¡¯ments, Joanna was touched. She murmured, ¡°What a surprise! ¡°It seems that shifting the focus of the business to Mossbourne is a good choice.¡± Tatiana said, ¡°Agreed! ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯ste now. Have a good rest! ¡°Good night!¡± Tatiana stayed in the room next to Joanna¡¯s. Joanna entered the room, took off her shoes, and changed her clothes. After that, she turned on the hot water and prepared to take a bath. Joanna had been very tired these days, so she had to take a hot bath every day. After the hot water was ready, Joanna added some bath salts. The doorbell rang before she entered the bathtub and when she took off her pajamas. ¡°Ding dong! Ding dong!¡± Joanna asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± She thought it was Tatiana. Thus, she put on her pajamas and walked toward the door. The man outside replied, ¡°Room service!¡± Joanna was shocked and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver fruits for you!¡± Joanna looked through the peephole. She found that a hotel waiter was standing at the door. He was wearing a white shirt and carrying a fruit tray. This hotel was a five-star hotel and would provide fresh fruits every day. Therefore, Joanna did not doubt it too much. Then the hotel waiter showed his work ID to the peephole. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Then Joanna opened the door. Unexpectedly, when Joanna opened the door, a person hiding somewhere suddenly came out and rushed into Joanna¡¯s room without a word! Joanna was shocked and cried, ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna took a closer look. Then she found the person who barged in was Bruce! At this moment, Bruce was emitting a strong smell of alcohol. His eyes were red as blood, and his feet seemed weak when he staggered into the room. Joanna gasped and patted her chest, trying to let her heart slow down. Then she asked, ¡°Bruce, what are you doing here?¡± Bruce muttered, ¡°Joanna, I miss you. I miss you¡­¡± Joanna shouted, ¡°Are you crazy? Get out!¡± ¡°Urgh!¡± Bruce was so drunk that he opened his mouth and was about to vomit. He looked like he felt terrible. Seeing this, Joanna could not be bothered to ask Bruce to leave. She hurriedly grabbed Bruce¡¯s arm and dragged him to the washroom. Joanna said, ¡°Don¡¯t throw up anywhere. Get in the washroom if you want to throw up!¡± Unfortunately, Joanna could not make Bruce move a little because he was too tall. She did not even have enough strength to hold Bruce with Bruce¡¯s hand on her shoulder. Joanna held and dragged Bruce to the washroom with great effort. ¡°rgh!¡± Bruce vomited at the toilet. The strong smell of alcohol instantly filled the washroom. Joanna asked, ¡°Bruce, how much did you drink?¡± After vomiting, Bruce looked at Joanna with drunken eyes and smiled in a daze. He said, ¡°Haha. Not much, just¡­ just 2.2 pounds of schnapps.¡± Joanna frowned and cried, ¡°2.2 pounds of schnapps? Are you out of your mind?¡± Joanna thought, ¡°Bruce never drinks schnapps. Besides, he has problems with his stomach. If he drinks schnapps, his stomach will hurt for days. ¡°Therefore, Bruce rarely touches schnapps.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°Where are your assistant and bodyguards? Where¡¯s Andy?¡± Bruce mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know!¡± Bruce seemed to be so drunk that he got tongue-tied. Joanna said, ¡°Give me your phone. I¡¯ll call Andy and ask him toe and pick you up!¡± Bruce cried, ¡°Ahh. No! No!¡± Bruce frowned andined, ¡°I feel terrible. My stomach hurts! My stomach feels like it¡¯s on fire!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Then he failed to keep his bnce and sat on the ground. Chapter 344 Chapter 344 His forehead hit the sink with a loud thud! Instantly, his forehead bled, and a pit appeared on it. ¡°Wah!¡± Bruce opened his mouth and howled. ¡°Ouch, it hurts¡­¡± Upon seeing that, Joanna frantically went to help him.¡±Bruce, you¡¯re my nemesis!¡± said Joanna. Joanna grabbed Bruce¡¯s arm and tried to help him stand up as she spoke! Unfortunately, Bruce was about 6 feet and 3 inches tall and weighed over 154 pounds. How could she drag him? ¡°Wow, you hit me! Even my mother didn¡¯t hit me, but you hit me! My head is smashed!¡± Bruce was so drunk that he couldn¡¯t even think straight and was crying his eyes out! Joanna was speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit you. You knocked yourself on the sink!¡± However, it was difficult to argue with a drunk person. ¡°Get up now, and don¡¯t cry!¡± said Joanna. Bruce was still crying. Joanna¡¯s scalp tightened. She could only coax him like a child. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s sote now. You¡¯ll wake others up if you cry like this! Others willin. Get up quickly!¡± After Joanna hugged his back and tried to carry him out of the bathroom! Unfortunately, the drunk Bruce was no longer as arrogant and insufferably proud as before. At the moment, He was like a fool sitting on the ground crying! It was as if he had suffered a great grievance! It was said that when people were drunk, they would vent all the grievances in their hearts! No matter how well they usually pretended, their toughness and armor would all lose their effect once they got drunk! ¡°Stop crying,¡± Joanna said grimly. ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll hit you for sure!¡± Bruce cried with tears in his eyes like a bullied wife. He looked at Joanna aggrievedly! ¡°Honey, I miss you so much. I really miss you! Please don¡¯t hit me, okay? Please?¡± Bruce was still crying. ¡°Okay, okay. Stop it! One will be thanking the gods if you don¡¯t hit one.¡± Joanna frowned and exhaled. Then, she used all her strength to hug his back and wanted to carry him again! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Bruce felt a recoil in his stomach. He opened his mouth and vomited in Joanna¡¯s hands. Then, he vomited again. Upon seeing that, Joanna almost broke down. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re such a pain in the ass!¡± covered in filth. Bruce vomited everywhere. His entire suit and shirt were g Frowning, Joanna quickly turned on the tap. First, she washed her hands and then took a towel to wipe Bruce! Tatiana heard themotion from next door and quickly ca over to knock on the door! N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Miss Haynes, what happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry about it!¡± said Joanna, 3.48% ¡°Okay!¡± Tatiana replied and returned to her room. Joanna wiped Bruce with a towel for a long time. The filth could not be wiped clean at all! Fortunately, all Bruce vomited was wine and gastric juice. He did not eat anything at all. No wonder he was so drunk. Therefore, the filth was not that unbearable! Joanna really could not drag Bruce, so she could only give up. ¡°You stay put. I¡¯ll call Andy now and ask him toe and pick you up!¡± Then Joanna left the washroom. She hurriedly ran to get the phone and dialed Andy¡¯s number. Beep, beep! Soon, Andy answered the phone! ¡°Hey, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Hey, Andy!¡± Andy¡¯s slightly anxious voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Where are you now?¡± As she spoke, she looked at the bathroom! Bruce was terribly drunk now, and she was afraid he would knock something and hit himself again! Andy said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m looking everywhere for Mr. Everett. Mr. Everett is missing! ¡°Mr. Everett was discussing business with someone just then, but the other party insisted on drinking liquor! Mr. Everett apanied him to drink, but who knew Mr. Everett would get drunk? ¡°Mr. Everett disappeared when he went to the toilet. We¡¯re looking for Mr. Everett everywhere right now!¡± Andy and the others were highly anxious. Bruce came to Greene Town today to discuss a coboration with someone. The partner was a northerner who liked to drink liquor. Bruce usually did not drink, but he wanted to for some reason today. Then Bruce did not say many words and started drinking one ss, to the next. When the other party saw that Bruce drank so much, they thought he could hold his liquor well. ¡°There¡¯s no need to look for him. He¡¯s with me now! Come and pick him up quickly!¡± said Joanna angrily, choking. ¡°Ah? He¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll send you my location now. Come and pick him up quickly.¡± ¡°Oh, I see! Please send me your location, Miss Haynes. I¡¯ll rush over immediately!¡± Joanna hung up and sent Andy her location! ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not leaving. Please don¡¯t chase me away, okay?¡± said Bruce, still crying. Although Bruce was drunk, he also heard that Joanna had asked someone to pick him up. He was even more aggrieved like a child and opened his mouth to cry! ¡°Bruce, I just don¡¯t know what to say to you!¡± said Joanna. Then Joanna rushed to the bathroom. Before she reached the bathroom, she heard a sshing sound from it. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Frightened, Joanna hurried into the bathroom! 14:33 Sat, 29 In the bathroom! Bruce fell into the bathtub again, causing the bathroom to be filled with water! Bruce struggled desperately in the bathtub! 48% Unfortunately, the more he struggled, the more unsteady he became! In a daze, he returned to the scene of drowning in the pool more than ten years ago! ¡°Help! Help!¡± ¡°Get Up quickly! What the hell are you doing?¡± Joanna reached out to take Bruce out, but he pulled her into the bath! ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, you¡¯re crazy! Cough, cough¡­¡± Joanna choked on the water and coughed! ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Joanna was stunned. Seeing him like this, she felt a faint sadness in her heart again! She knew Bruce was scared of water! ¡°It¡¯s alright! The water is shallow, and don¡¯t be scared!¡± Joanna came out of the bathtub like a drowned rat! Then, Joanna pulled Bruce out of the bathtub with all her might! Getting off the bathtub, Bruce blew his nose and started crying again. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m sorry! ¡°I made a mistake. You saved me, but I thought it was someone else! I even offered myself to someone else. I¡¯m such an idiot. ¡°Will you forgive me?¡± said Bruce, bursting into tears again! Joanna sighed helplessly. Since she met Bruce, he had been arrogant, cold, and deep like a noble young master! She did not expect him to be like this when he was drunk! ¡°Okay, okay. Stop crying! Take off your wet clothes first! Or you¡¯ll catch a coldter!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take off my clothes. No one can take off my clothes except ¡°Honey, I¡¯m well-behaved. I¡¯ve never loved anyone but you!¡± my wifet ¡°I know! Stop crying and quickly take off your clothes! Your clothes are wet now. You¡¯ll catch a cold Bruce was still crying. ¡°I¡¯m well-behaved. Don¡¯t worry about me, okay? ¡°Honey, I miss you so much. Can you forgive me?¡± said Bruce, kneeling on the ground and hugging Joanna¡¯s thigh. He buried his head in Joanna¡¯s body and cried! Upon seeing him like this, Joanna¡¯s head hurt! Bruce was really ridiculous when he was drunk!! If she filmed a video for him now and showed it to him the next day, he would probably die on the spot! 3/4 14.33 Sat, 29 JulXIGA Beep, beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang again! It was probably Andy. He didn¡¯t know her room number and called her to ask for it! ¡°Bruce, let go of me. I¡¯m going to take a call!¡± ¡°No, no. Honey, don¡¯t go. I won¡¯t let you go. I won¡¯t let you go again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going nowhere but to take a call. I¡¯ll be back soon! My phone is ringing!¡± ¡°No, no¡­ I know you will run away again. If you do, you won¡¯te back. You¡¯ll nevere back! ¡°Honey, how could you be so cruel? You left for four years. Do you know that I thought about you every day for four years? I thought about you every day! ¡°I do want to call you and look for you! But I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll ignore me, and others will scold me! So I don¡¯t dare to look for you! ¡°I thought you¡¯de back. I thought you couldn¡¯t bear to part with me! ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so cruel. How could you say that you don¡¯t love me anymore? Didn¡¯t you say that you would love me forever?¡± Joanna was stunned! ¡°Bruce, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Bruce was so drunk that he knelt on the ground and hugged Joanna¡¯s leg while crying! His shoulders trembled violently as he sobbed. His throat was so choked up that he could barely breathe! Perhaps he was sad deep down! Looking at him like this, Joanna felt an inexplicable pain in her heart! ¡°Get up quickly¡­¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t get up if my wife doesn¡¯t forgive me!¡± Dingdong! Dingdong! The doorbell rang outside! Andy had probably arrived with his men. Joanna pulled her leg and said, ¡°Someone rang the doorbell. I¡¯ll go out and open the door!¡± Bruce cried even harder. ¡°No, no. Honey, are you letting someone else catch me? I don¡¯t want to leave. I want to be with you!¡± Joanna had no choice but to coax him with patience, ¡°Be good, or I¡¯ll ignore you!¡± Bruce obediently let her go when he heard her. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯m scared that you¡¯ll ignore me! How can you be more heartless than me?¡± said Bruce, still crying. Joanna got rid of him with a frown. She quickly went out and opened the door! Outside the door! It was indeed Andy, followed by Kody and the others. ¡°Miss Haynes, where is Mr. Everett?¡± Andy asked anxiously. ¡°He¡¯s drunk and in the bathroom now. Get him out of here quickly!¡± said Joanna. ¡°Okay!¡± Andy hurriedly led his men into the washroom! In the washroom! There was a strong smell of alcohol everywhere, and the ground was a mess and filthy. Bruce was lying in the filth, sobbing. ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t want to leave. Please don¡¯t leave me. I do know I was wrong¡­¡± said Bruce, crying. Andy and the others were speechless. It was the first time they had seen Mr. Everett drunk! Unexpectedly, he made a fool of himself like all the drunkards! ¡°Get him out of here!¡± said Joanna. ¡°Okay!¡± Andy replied, but he did not know where to start! Bruce was dripping wet, and his expensive suit was already beyond recognition ¡°He identally fell into the bathtub just then. Hurry up and find him a clean set of clothes ¡°Why don¡¯t we change Mr. Everett into a hotel robe?¡± said Andy. ¡°Fine!¡± Joanna said and quickly opened the closet. Every room in the hotel would prepare a few bathrobes. Joanna brought one over, ¡°Hurry up and change his clothes!¡± ¡°Okay! ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s time for us to go back!¡± Andy and Kody quickly went forward to help Bruce up! Bruce kicked his limbs and did not let them get close. ¡°Go away. Who are you? ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t want to leave you. The bad people are trying to catch me!¡± Upon seeing that, Andy had a headache. ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯m Andy. The client is still looking for you everywhere! Why are you here?¡± Bruce pped Andy¡¯s hands away. ¡°Go away, and don¡¯t touch me! ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not leaving. Honey, save me!¡± Bruce cried heartbreakingly and grabbed Joanna¡¯s hand tightly, refusing to let it 1. go. His blood-red eyes looked at her pitifully. Joanna frowned but still managed to pry his hands away! ¡°Bruce, hurry up and go back with them!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯re leaving! Please change out of your wet clothes first!¡± ¡°You guys, help Mr. Everett up!¡± When the bodyguards heard that, they quickly went forward and mustered their strength to help Bruce out of the bathroom! Andy and Kody spent a lot of effort taking off Bruce¡¯s shirt. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t take off his pants no matter what, let alone put on a sleeping robe for him. The few of them couldn¡¯t do anything to him, but they didn¡¯t dare to force him, so they could only give up. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it like this! Wrap a towel around Mr. Everett!¡± I¡¯m sorry, Miss Haynes. He¡¯s caused you trouble!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! just gu The four bodyguards carried Bruce, who was half-naked and had to be covered with a towel. Bruce was drunk and struggling like a bull! ¡°Let go of me. You are fucking against me¡­¡­..¡± Perhaps because his madness was too intense, his stomach churned again. ¡°Uh, um¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett wants to vomit. Hurry up and put him down!¡± Bruce bent down and vomited a few times! His stomach was almost empty, so he could only spit out his stomach acid! In the end, he vomited two mouthfuls. A pool of dark red blood apanied by stomach acid was spat out. Seeing that, Andy was scared out of his wits. ¡°Oh, no, Mr. Everett is vomiting blood!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. When Joanna heard that, she was so frightened that her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Is he?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna did not have time to think too much and hurriedly went forward to check! Bruce hunched his body and spat out two more mouthfuls of blood with a painful expression! There was a pool of blood on the floor! ¡°My goodness!¡± Joanna was dumbfounded. Bruce had a stomach ulcer and could not drink. He had gulped down 2.2 pounds of liquor and had not eaten anything to fill his stomach today. He would vomit blood! ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Hurry up. Send Mr. Everett to the hospital and pump his stomach!¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡± 48 ¡°Honey, I feel terrible. Am I going to die?¡± There was blood on Bruce¡¯s mouth. His eyes were as red as blood as he looked at Joanna in a daze. His entire face had turned purple! Joanna was so worried when she heard him! She was even more afraid that he would get alcohol poisoning! Especially since he had a stomach ulcer! Andy looked at Joanna anxiously and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, pleasee with us to the hospital! ¡°We¡¯re worried something will happen to Mr. Everett!¡± Okay!¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing, ¡°Okay!¡± Tatiana also came back to check. She was even morning lif wrong with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°He¡¯s drunk. Hurry up and send him to the hospital!¡± dumbfounded when she saw the scene before her. ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s Andy and the others carried Bruce and hurried toward th the elevator! Along the way, Bruce¡¯s consciousness gradually dissipated. Even so, he held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly and refused to let it go! Twenty minutester! They sent Bruce to Northshore Hospital as quickly as possible. It was midnight, so they had to go to the emergency room! ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor? It is an emergency!¡± 3.48% A nurse hurried out to check, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°He¡¯s drunk. The patient just vomited blood!¡± When the nurse heard that, her expression turned solemn. ¡°Hurry up and send him to the emergency room. Which one of you will settle the registration procedures?¡± A momentter! Bruce was sent to the emergency room again! ¡°Doctor, he¡¯s so drunk now. Can you pump his stomach?¡± A doctor went forward to check Bruce and said solemnly, ¡°The patient¡¯s stomach is bleeding, and we can¡¯t pump his stomach. Send him to the ward first and give him intravenous injections of some relief medication!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce was sent to the ward. The doctor began to give him saline. Then, he helped Bruce take a gastroscope and gave him an intravenous injection of a hemolytic drug. Bruce was already in a semi-conscious state throughout the entire process! Half an hourter! The doctor was finally done with his work! Joanna had been watching nervously from the side. ¡°Doctor, how is he now?¡± ¡°Fortunately, he was sent here in time. The patient has a stomach ulcer and can¡¯t drink liquor. How can you let him drink so much of it? It¡¯s so dangerous! You can¡¯t let him drink like this again.¡± Joanna pulled a long face and replied subconsciously, ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Are you the patient¡¯s family?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Joanna mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll prescribe some stomach medicine for himter. He must be on a diet, and his diet must be light. He has to eat more food that¡¯s good for the stomach!¡± ¡°Got it. Doctor!¡± The doctor left the ward after giving them instructions! Brucey on the hospital bed with a pale face. He finally fell asleep under the alleviation of the medicine! Looking at him like this, Joanna¡¯s heart still ached! Even though she no longer loved him, she still did not want to see anything happen to him. Even though Bruce was in a deep sleep, he refused to let go of her hand! Joanna couldn¡¯t even leave if she wanted to! Andy saw the situation and could only persuade Joanna, ¡°Miss Haynes, could you please take care of Mr. Everett here? With Mr. Everett¡¯s current state, he can¡¯t be alone like this!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± In the morning! 14:34 Sat, 29 Jul i G A. It was past six in the morning! ? 30 48%. Bruce regained some consciousness in a daze. He felt as if magma was rolling in his stomach, burning his entire stomach until it spasmed! ¡°Urgh¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Bruce turned over slightly, and ayer of cold sweat appeared on his handsome face. Joanna had stayed up all night. Seeing Bruce was awake, she said, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Bruce heard the voice and slowly opened his eyes. He saw the person in front of him was Joanna! Bruce was a little surprised and thought he was dreaming. After a while, he opened his eyes again! It was right. The person in front of him was Joanna, indeed! That pair of beautiful eyes were looking at him with concern right at the moment. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 ¡°Why¡­. why are you here?¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was hoarse, and his arrogant look returned. ¡°What do you think?¡± Joanna replied angrily. Bruce shook his head. He had no impression of what happenedst night! He only remembered he came to Greene Town to discuss business with a client. After that, he went to have a meal. During that period, he had been drinking with the client! Then Bruce suddenly wanted to see Joanna. Hence, he took a car to Joanna¡¯s hotel before he was Unexpectedly, he waspletely drunk when he arrived at the hotel. He had no idea what happened If Bruce knew that he had made such a fool of himselfst night, he would probably die on the spot! ¡°Cough, cough. Hiss¡­¡± Joanna poured a ss of warm water and handed it over. ¡°Look at you. You know that your stomach isn¡¯t in good condition. Why did you drink so much liquor? You drank so much that your stomach bled!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business even if I drink myself to death!¡± Bruce returned to his usual arrogant self. However, he was weak now, and his tone was not as high and mighty as before! ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to care about you. I¡¯m only afraid you¡¯ll drink to death, and the children wouldn¡¯t have a father!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth in anger when he heard her! The damn woman could piss him off! ¡°Have some oatmeal! I asked Andy to buy it for you just now.¡± ¡°Take it away. I¡¯m not eating it!¡± Bruce¡¯s stomach felt ufortable. He frowned and subconsciously covered his stomach with his hands! Looking at his pale and weak face, Joanna could not be bothered to bicker with him! ¡°The doctor said that your stomach ulcer is serious. You need to eat some oatmeal to nourish your stomach!¡± ¡°I already said I don¡¯t want to eat it, and you take it away quickly. Don¡¯t worry about me¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s tone carried a hint of anger! In Bruce¡¯s eyes, Joanna only cared about Jaydon. She didn¡¯t care if Bruce was dead or alive! ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat it, forget it! I¡¯m going to leave since you¡¯re awake!¡± Joanna had been watching him for most of the night and was so sleepy that her eyes were fighting! N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She still had a meetingter and had to go to the audition site for an inspection! In the afternoon, Joanna still had to meet the host of Rooney Interview! When Bruce heard she was leaving, his stomach became even more sour! Not only was his stomach sore, but so was his heart! If Jaydon drank until his stomach vomited blood, Joanna would stay by his side even if the sky copsed! 14:35 Sat, 29 Jul luna A woman who had a change of heart was truly more ruthless than a man! ¡°Leave!¡± Bruce endured his heartache and replied coldly. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving! Andy and Kody are outside the door. Tell them if you need something!¡± As Joanna spoke, she ced the oatmeal on the bedside table. Then she stood up and prepared to walk out. ¡°Hiss¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Bruce gasped in extreme pain and curled up his entire body! He looked iparably painful! Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. She quickly went forward to check. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead, and his lips were pale and dry. ¡°Go and leave me alone!¡± he said. ¡°How can I leave with peace of mind when you¡¯re like this? Just wait. I¡¯ll call the doctor right now!¡± Then Joanna hurriedly went out to look for the doctor. ¡°Doctor, pleasee over quickly and take a look. The patient¡¯s stomach hurts badly¡­¡± Soon, the doctor rushed to the ward and did a thorough checkup. He said solemnly, ¡°The patient is weak now! He has to rest more. Give him two bottles of saler!¡± Joanna said worriedly, ¡°He just had a stomachache! Is there any way to relieve it?¡± ¡°I can only give him some painkillers. As for the rest, he can only slowly recover!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Be careful. He can¡¯t drink anything cold or too hot! He can only eat liquid food during this time! ¡°The patient¡¯s stomach ulcer is serious. It¡¯s best to have an operation as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The doctor gave a few more simple instructions and left the ward. Joanna looked at Bruce angrily and said, ¡°Look at you. You used to be fine. Why is your stomach problem so serious now?¡± Joanna knew that Bruce had a stomach ulcer in the past. However, the diet a nutritionist made for him was well-nourished, and Bruce took medicine on time! Basically, there was no big problem for Bruce, He was no different from an ordinary person! But it had be so bad now! ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± said Bruce angrily, frowning. ¡°Even if I die, it has nothing to do with you!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes in anger when she heard him. ¡°You won¡¯t die as long as you don¡¯t do what you¡¯re not supposed to do and listen to the doctor obediently!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving? Hurry up and leave! Don¡¯t stay here and be an eyesore!¡± Joanna choked in anger. ¡°Do you think I really want to stay? You were the one who held my hands yesterday and refused to let me go! Otherwise, do you think I want to stay by your side?¡± 14:35 Sat, 29 Jul The damn bastard really didn¡¯t know what was good for him! Bruce was even more furious when he heard Joanna¡¯s words. He was such a person who most liked to say the opposite! He was stubborn. 24 48% Bruce clearly cared about her but had to pretend that he didn¡¯t. He clearly wanted Joanna to stay and apany him, but he was stubborn and wanted to chase her away! ¡°That¡¯s because I was drunk. I don¡¯t even know what I did. Don¡¯t mention it again! Joanna, don¡¯t think that I care about you. I don¡¯t care about you at all.¡± Joanna heaved a sigh of relief. She was toozy to argue with him. ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Rest well! I¡¯m leaving! ¡°Go Away! Go and find your lover! Leave and never appear in front of me again!¡± Bruce said angrily, turning over with his back to her. Upon seeing him acting like that, Joanna, apart from being speechless, had a strange feeling in her heart! Bruce clearly said that he wanted to chase her away, but from his looks, he clearly did not want-her to leave! Forget it! Seeing that he was vomiting blood, she decided to stay and take care of the sickly, delicate, and mean guy! Joanna snorted coldly. She casually picked up the oatmeal on the table and walked straight out! The oatmeal was already a little cold. She wanted to heat it with the hospital¡¯s microwave! Bruce saw that Joanna had really left. Bruce¡¯s eyes turned red with anger, and a mist of water misted up his pupils! She was really heartless to him! He asked her to leave, but she actually left just like that! He knew that the cruel woman was heartless and ungrateful, and she was much more ungrateful than him! Bruce was so angry that he spat out two mouthfuls of air. He struggled to get up and leave the hospital! Unfortunately, his stomach was too ufortable. Every time he moved, his body would be covered in a cold sweat! He could only lie back on the bed helplessly. Five minutester! Creak! Joanna opened the door and walked in again! Bruce was speechless to see her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you lying down? Why are you getting up?¡± Bruce was so angry that he almost cried when he heard her. He deliberately pulled a long face and angrily said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave? Why are you back?¡± Joanna pouted and said, ¡°The oatmeal is getting cold. I went out and heat it up! ¡°Now that your stomach is empty, you must eat something to cushion your stomach. Otherwise, the acid will corrode your stomach, and your stomach will hurt even more!¡± 14:35 Sat, 29 Jul I¡¯m not eating it!¡± Bruce refused with a cold expression. Joanna red angrily and cried, ¡°You have to cat!¡± She had watched him for most of the night and was so tired! The damn bastard was giving her a hard time. She really didn¡¯t have the patience to talk to him nicely. Bruce was stunned. He looked at Joanna in a daze. This was the first time Joanna had spoken to him in amanding tone! ¡°Hurry up, Sit down and cat. When the oatmeal gets cold, I won¡¯t be bothered to heat it for you again!¡± Joanna could not be bothered to speak to him gently. With a straight face, she held his shoulders and stiffly pushed him back into bed, Then, she scooped a spoonful of oatmeal and blew on it. ¡°Open your mouth!¡± she said madly. Bruce was stunned for a few seconds! Then he obediently opened his mouth and allowed her to feed him the oatmeal. ¡°Swallow it!¡± Joanna¡¯s tone sounded like she was reprimanding a disobedient child. Looking at her angry expression, Bruce felt an inexplicable sweetness in his heart! He liked her like this! Seeing him staring straight at him, Joanna red at him. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Hurry up and eat!¡± One spoonful after another! A bowl of oatmeal was quickly eaten out! The atmosphere also seemed a little odd. It was clearly oppressive, but it made people intoxicated! Bruce suddenly felt that the bowl of oatmeal was the best thing he had ever eaten. ¡°Okay, You are done eating! Lie down and have a good sleep! When the alcohol wears off, you won¡¯t feel so ufortable anymore!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and lifted the nket to get out the bed. ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you hear me telling you to lie down properly?¡± ¡°Why are you so fierce? Can¡¯t I even go to the toilet?¡± Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Joanna red angrily. Bruce got off the bed and looked at Joanna coldly with his hand in the air. His posture was like an ancient king who needed a young servant to bend down and support him in the throne room. Joanna was puzzled and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hmph. We do have no tacit understanding. Hold me!¡± Joanna pursed her lips and reluctantly took a few steps forward. She held his arm and walked toward the bathroom. Bruce leaned on Joanna and walked to the bathroom door. ¡°You can go in!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me in?¡± ¡°Please. It¡¯s only a few steps. Do you still need my help?¡± Bruce puffed up his cheeks and said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m a patient now. How can you take care of a patient like this?¡± Joanna was so angry that she choked and rolled her eyes! The sickly bastard liked to torture her in various ways! ¡°Hurry up! Do you want to see me wet my pants?¡± Bruce urged again. Joanna was speechless and could only help him into the bathroom! ¡°You don¡¯t need me to help you to take your pants off, do you?¡± Joanna said sarcastically. Bruce was thick-skinned. ¡°I have no objections if you¡¯re willing! ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen it before!¡± Upon hearing her, Joanna was furious. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really shameless!¡± ¡°How am I shameless? Which part of my body haven¡¯t you seen? I¡¯ve used it so many times. Do you have to pretend to be reserved with me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Joanna was furious. She flung his arm away fiercely, wishing to press his head into the toilet bowl and eat shit. ¡°Hiss, uh¡­¡± Bruce was weak from his stomach ache. After being pushed by her, he feebly supported himself against the sink. ¡°Oops. Cough, cough. Looking at his pained expression, it didn¡¯t seem like he was pretending! Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Are you Okay?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Bruce looked like he was in pain. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Bruce frowned and covered his chest with his hand. ¡°It hurts here and there! Oh, it hurts!¡± Joanna took him at his words and quickly went forward to check. ¡°You¡¯re covering your heart, and your stomach isn¡¯t here. How can it hurt?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes sank as he hugged Joanna suddenly. ¡°My heart aches. It hurts so much!¡± Joanna was stunned. She knew that Bruce had tricked her. Instantly, her face darkened, and she pushed him away forcefully. ¡°Bruce, stop fooling around! Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re really silly?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Bruce staggered and fell heavily onto the toilet because she pushed him too hard. The bleeding part of his stomach was torn. It was so painful that he gasped! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He opened his mouth and started vomiting again. He spat out all the oatmeal he had just eaten. There were even dark blood clots mixed in! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Bruce covered his stomach and slid to the ground in pain. When Joanna saw him like that, she was so frightened that her heart tightened. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s wrong? ¡°Someone! Andy, call the doctor quickly!¡± ¡°Bruce, how are you? I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to! I thought you weren¡¯t so weak!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Bruce vomited another mouthful of blood. The dark red blood stained his chin. Joanna furrowed her brows in fear and quickly used her wiped away the blood stains. Bruce¡¯s eyes went dark. He lost consciousness and fell into Joanna¡¯s arms! ¡°Doctor, doctor. Come quickly!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Andy heard the shout outside the door and rushed in to check! ¡°Bruce fainted again. Call the doctor!¡± Upon seeing it, Andy was also frightened. ¡°Okay!¡± Soon! Kody ran to look for the doctor. Andy and a bodyguard went forward and helped Joanna bring Bruce to the hospital bed! ¡°Oh, my goodness. Why is Mr. Everett vomiting blood again?¡± Joanna felt a little guilty. She had just been provoked by Bruce and thought that he was fine, so she subconsciously pushed him hard! She did not expect him to be so seriously injured! However, it made sense. He already had a stomach ulcer. It would be odd if he didn¡¯t bleed from his stomach after drinking two 2.2 pounds of liquor After a while, the doctor and nurse rushed over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He just vomited blood again! Now he¡¯s fainted.¡± The doctor quickly went forward to check on Bruce, After the examination, the doctor said solemnly, ¡°The patient is bleeding too much and needs to undergo endoscopic surgery! Hurry up and send him to the operating room!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna panicked even more when she heard the doctor¡¯s words. ¡°Who¡¯s his family? Come over and 47% ¡°Oh, I¡­ I am!¡± Joanna hurriedly followed the doctor to the operating table to sign! Bruce was moved to a small wheeled stretcher, and the nurse pushed him into the operating room! His stomach bleeding was a bit severe, so he needs endoscopic surgery to stop the bleeding! Outside the operating room! Joanna couldn¡¯t help but me herself. She clearly knew that It was his personality. Coupled with the fact that his stomach was bleeding, it was fine for him to be talkative. Why did she have to take him seriously? It was true. In her impression, Bruce had been insufferably arrogant. As time passed, he gave the impression that he was omnipotent. He would not weaken at all, let alone copse! But the truth was that he was also a human! He also had his moments of vulnerability. An hourter! The door of the operating room opened. The doctor walked out. Seeing him, Joanna hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve finished the surgery. He¡¯ll be staying in the hospital for a week! ¡°He has to ecuperate well during this period. If he vomits blood again, he might have to undergo surgery!¡± ¡°Okay. Got it!¡± Bruce was pushed out. He had an oxygen mask on his face, and his face was as pale as paper! Looking at him like this, Joanna felt inexplicably ufortable! She Andy ¡°He has to he returned to his former arrogant self! Kody also rushed forward to check. ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Everett?¡± stay 1. Tak How in the hospital for a week good care of him during this week!¡± When Andy heard her, he could not help but frown. ¡°Oh, my god, Mr. Everett has never been so sick! I didn¡¯t expect he would have to in the hospital for a ¡°What are we going to do? Mr. Everett has to fly to Escostan tomorrow and attend parliament the day after tomorrow. canceled!¡± ¡°Now that he¡¯s sick, all these itineraries must Joanna sighed sadly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no choice but to cancel them temporarily!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only way! ¡°Miss Haynes, can you¡­ take care of Mr. Everett in the hospital?¡± Joanna was stunned! Bruce was busy, but so was she! She also had a lot of work to deal with! If she apanied him in the hospital for a week, who would help her with her work? After thinking for a few seconds, Joanna said softly, ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet. I definitely can¡¯t leave! No matter what, I have to wait until he wakes up!¡± ¡°Yes! Okay!¡± In the ward! Bruce was wearing an oxygen mask and had an electrocardiogram inserted. He slept until the afternoon before waking up in a daze! The anesthetic had worn off, and her stomach hurt even more! ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re awake.¡± Joanna¡¯s tone was gentle and worried as she looked at Bruce nervously. Bruce moved slightly. His usually gloomy and sinister eyes also became dark and weak. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move. What do you want? I¡¯ll get it for you!¡± Bruce shook his head slightly and reached out dejectedly, indicating he wanted to hold Joanna¡¯s hand. Joanna hesitated for a moment before reaching out to hold his hand! A hint of satisfaction appeared in Bruce¡¯s eyes. His big hand wrapped around Joanna¡¯s little hand. His breathing became heavy before he closed his eyes and fell asleep again! Upon seeing this, Joanna did not dare to move for fear of disturbing him! N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Looking at Bruce lying on the bed, weak and emaciated, Joanna¡¯s heart ached slightly. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really a creditor from my previous life. I¡¯ll repay you in this life¡­¡± Beep, beep! Joanna was feeling uneasy when her phone rang! Joanna quickly took out her phone and muted it, afraid it would wake Bruce up! She took a look, and it was Jaydon! Joanna hesitated for a moment but still did not answer it! Bruce was so sick now. If he knew she was on the phone with Jaydon, he would probably explode with his temper! It was better not to agitate him! After hanging up, Jaydon quickly sent a message. [Joann, why aren¡¯t you answering your phone? Are you very busy?] [Yes, I¡¯m in a meeting! I¡¯ll call youter!] Joanna frowned and replied after reading the message. [Okay. Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t tire out!] [Yes. I got it!] Joanna signed as she replied. It had been almost a month since Jaydon left for Gaprington. She wondered how well he had recovered. She really wanted to go over and see him, but he refused to let here. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Andy knocked on the door and entered! ¡°Miss Haynes, I got you some food. You haven¡¯t eaten all day. Eat something first!¡± Andy carried two sets of meals and ced them before Joanna. Joanna sighed. ¡°Leave it aside for now! Now that Bruce held her hand, she did not dare to move! Andy looked at Bruce and asked in a low voice, ¡°Is Mr. Everett still not awake?¡± ¡°He just woke up but fell asleep again!¡± ¡°Oh, alright! Thank you for being by his side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll guard outside. If you need anything, just call us!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After saying that, Andy tiptoed out again! Joanna hadn¡¯t slept sincest night. She was exhausted, sleepy, and hungry now! Unfortunately. Bruce grabbed her hand, and she did not dare to move! After waiting for about 20 minutes, Joanna couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Gradually, her head tilted, and she fell asleep at the bed¡¯s headrest! It was past six in the evening! Bruce woke up again! Looking sideways, he saw that Joanna had fallen asleep on the bed! His hand was still holding Joanna¡¯s, and it was already numb! Thinking about it, Joanna must be exhausted! Bruce gently let go of her hand and carefully ran his fingers through the loosened hair on Joanna¡¯s face! A hint of gentleness and calmness appeared in his eyes! As long as Joanna stayed by his side, it would calm him down, even if she did nothing. Even though his movement was very light and gentle, it still woke Joanna up. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and raised her head in a daze! ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Bruce whispered back. ¡°Mm, go back to sleep if you¡¯re tired!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Joanna yawned and stood up to stretch her sore neck! ¡°What time is it?¡± Joanna looked at her watch. It was already past six in the afternoon! ¡°Gosh! It¡¯s already dark!¡± Joanna cried out silently from deep down. She promised to call Jaydon back. Unexpectedly, it was already night! Bruce moved slightly. ¡°I want to drink some water!¡± ¡°No! The doctor just said that you¡¯ve undergone surgery. You¡¯re not allowed to eat or drink for 24 hours!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m really thirsty¡­ Bruce said as he licked his dry lips. His lips were so dry that they were about to peel off! Seeing this, Joanna got up and poured a ss of warm water. She took another cotton swab, dipped it in water, and gently applied it on his lips! The doctor said that if you are thirsty, just wet your lips with water. It would be best if you did not drink anything. Otherwise, it will stimte your wound, and your stomach will hurt even more!¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked at Joanna gently. He enjoyed the feeling of her taking care of him! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna¡¯s phone buzzed again! Jaydon saw that Joanna did not call him back for a long time and could not stop his urge to call her again! Bruce also heard the vibration of the phone. His gaze on her darkened. ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Joanna subconsciously muted the phone. ¡°Oh, no, no one!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and call back first. Rest well!¡± Before Joanna could go out, Bruce groaned in pain ¡°Okay Hiss. It hurts! Seeing him like this, Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She could not be bothered to go out to call back and quickly checked on Bruce. ¡°Which part does it hurt?¡± Like a child, Bruce frowned and said coquettishly. ¡°Every part of my body hurts¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll get the doctor to prescribe you some painkillers!¡± ¡°No! The painkillers are useless!¡± Bruce said as he looked at Joanna pitifully. ¡°How do you prefer to relive it then?¡± ¡°Sit next to me and warm my stomach with your hands!¡± Joanna frowned and was at a loss for words! She did not know if this bastard was really in pain. However, looking at him, it was better to do what he had requested. Otherwise, he might cause a ruckus. Joanna had no choice but to rub her hands and stick them to his stomach. ¡°Is that better?¡± ¡°Mm, much better!¡± A hint of satisfaction appeared in Bruce¡¯s eyes as he looked at Joanna suggestively! He had suddenly found the trick! As long as he pretended to be sick and in pain. Joanna¡¯s attitude toward him would be better! Rumors said that women were soft¨Chearted and easily overflowed with motherly love! It seemed that it was true! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna¡¯s phone rang again¡­ Needless to say, it must be Jaydon calling again. As soon as Joanna was about to answer the call, Bruce began to cry out in pain. Part of his pain was real, but most of it was because he was exaggerating. It was miserable! Joanna soon discovered that Bruce did it on purpose! The purpose was to prevent her from answering Jaydon¡¯s call. Unfortunately, after the scene in the morning, even though she knew he was pretending, she did not dare to provoke him anymore! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! ¡°Argh, it hurts!¡± Bruce whined again. Joanna frowned angrily Your phone is ringing!¡± When Bruce heard this, he suddenly stopped whining. ¡°Oh, then¡­ ignore it! Anyway, I¡¯m sick now!¡± ¡°No. What if the kids call? ¡°Ignore it!¡± Bruce tried to stop her. Joanna had already brought his phone over. She looked and saw that the phone number was an international call. There were already countless missed calls and countless text messages! Needless to say. these were all calls from Princess Martha! Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. She was obviously unhappy! Sensing that Joanna did not look good, Bruce subconsciously said, ¡°Ignore her!¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even angrier. ¡°Bruce, she called you so many times. You should at least answer it! ¡®Do you know? They¡¯ll be more anxious if you don¡¯t answer their calls!¡± 11-001 Bruce sighed in relief and said helplessly. I¡¯m already in this state. How can I answer the call?¡± ¡°Then, at least send her a message so she doesn¡¯t have to worry!¡± ¡°Joanna, L..¡± Bruce wanted to say something but hesitated. He did not know what to say! Initially, he was only interested in Princess Martha because he found her new and different. He did not expect that it would. go too far! ¡°I¡¯ll give you your phone. Hurry up and reply to the messagel¡± When Bruce heard this, he was a little angry. ¡°Joanna, are you kidding me? Do you have to kick me into another woman¡¯s arms?¡± Joanna was even angrier when she heard that. ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t say such things again in the future! We¡¯ve already divorced. We¡¯re just ordinary friends now!¡± ¡°Then why did you stay and take care of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking care of you because you¡¯re the father of my kids. There¡¯s no other reason! I hope you will stop misunderstanding my feelings for you!¡± Bruce paused, and his expression turned gloomy. ¡°Joanna, aren¡¯t you giving me any chance?¡± Joanna replied coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times. Our rtionship had already endedpletely. There won¡¯t be any more possibilities for us getting back together! ¡°I think we are more suitable to be friends! Please don¡¯t have any thoughts about me in the future!¡± ¡°Joanna, I just want to ask you one thing. Do you not love me at all anymore?¡± ¡°Yes, from the day of our divorce, I no longer love you!¡± When Bruce heard this, he heaved a sigh. He feltplicated feelings surging deep down him. ¡°Joanna, there¡¯s a misunderstanding between us!¡± ¡°The reason why I treated you like that in the past was because I made a mistake! Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, I won¡¯t treat you like before again!¡± ¡°Stop it. I don¡¯t want to hear this anymore!¡± ¡°Urgh! It hurts!¡± Bruce covered his stomach, sweating from the pain. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! ¡°Your phone is ringing again! Hurry up and answer it!¡± Bruce looked at the phone and picked it up. ¡°Hello!¡± Davian¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, Daddy!¡± ¡°Yes, why did you call?¡± Joanna also vaguely heard Davian¡¯s voice. She immediately approached him. ¡°Who is on the line?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Davian!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna immediately snatched the phone. ¡°Hello, Davian!¡± ¡°Hello, Mommy, why is it you? I miss you so much!¡± ¡°Mommy misses you too! Are you okay at Surbano?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°What about Irvin and Lilia?¡± Irvin and Lilia¡¯s voices sounded again from the other end of the call. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re here¡­¡± ¡°Mommy¡¯s hanging up. I¡¯ll video call you guys!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Soon, the video call went through. Joanna¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks after not seeing the children for so long. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Daddy?¡± ¡°Daddy¡¯s ill¡± ¡°Oh, is it serious?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The doctor said that Daddy can be discharged after staying in the hospital for a week!¡± Davian said aggrievedly, ¡°Mommy, we miss you so much!¡° ¡°Can you tell Daddy to take us back?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry! When Daddy recovers, Daddy will bring you back!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Joanna choked on her tears, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Sweethearts, you have to take good care of yourselves over there. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± In fact, she did not have to worry about these problems at all. There were more than ten servants and nannies taking care of the children. In addition, the butler, Gael, also followed. However, no matter how diligent the servants were, they could notpare to thepany of the parents. Joanna chatted with the children for a while more before reluctantly hanging up. She hung up! Joanna was still feeling terrible. She was in a daze with a frown. Seeing Joanna like this, Bruce was worried. After pondering momentarily, he tried to change her mind by using the children as an excuse. ¡°Can you bear to let the children not have aplete family? ¡°If you marry Jaydon, are you sure he will treat the children as his own? ¡°If he can¡¯t, how can I feel at ease giving you custody of the child? ¡°The children are still so young and need their parents¡® care andpany!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt sorry for her kids even more. ¡°Stop that!¡± It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t considered getting back together with Bruce! However, she knew Bruce¡¯s personality too well. He was paranoid, arrogant, oppressive, and had a bad temper. It was too tiring to be with him. It was too painful to love him. She had finally crawled out of the fatal abyss. She did not want to get herself drowned in it again! Bruce¡¯s eyes turned gloomy, and he put on a rational expression. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say anything else! I¡¯ll only say onest thing. It¡¯s better to maintain a marriage for a lifetime!¡± ¡°You know there is no choice amongst stinking fish. All the men are alike. Jaydon will not be any better than me! At least I¡¯m the biological father of the children. No matter what, I¡¯m better than a stepfather!¡± ¡°You want to find a perfect man like in dramas? Let me tell you. There¡¯s no such man in the world. I¡¯m already the only good. man in the world. I¡¯m rich, handsome, good in bed, and not a yboy.¡± Pfft! It took her aback to hear that. Joanna was speechless! ¡°Bruce, can you stop being so narcissistic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being narcissistic. I¡¯m just telling the truth. You don¡¯t know how lucky you are. You¡¯re blind.¡± He had always been very confident in himself. Molten anger surged through Joanna! Not only was this damned bastard mean, but he was getting more shameless. He was a typical narcissist. It really made her speechless. However, she was not in the mood to bicker with him. She solemnly asked, ¡°Bruce, when do you n to return the children?¡± When Bruce heard this, his handsome face turned gloomy, and he mocked, ¡°Joanna, did you stay here to take care of me to let me return the children to you?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t know how to answer! ¡°You don¡¯t have to make things difficult for yourself anymore. Leavel¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he felt his eyes getting wet. They gradually turned red! ¡°How can I leave when you¡¯re like this? I¡¯ll leave when you¡¯re better!¡± ¡°No need! I don¡¯t want to force you if you don¡¯t want to stay!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more speechless. ¡°This has nothing to do with not being sincere.¡± ¡°It does. I¡¯ll be pleased if you¡¯re willing to stay here and care for me because you¡¯re worried about me! ¡°If you¡¯re just doing it out of obligation or because you¡¯re being perfunctory, there¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t need you to pity me.¡± Joanna choked in anger! This damned bastard was really sickly and pretentious. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m just worried about you, so I¡¯m willing to stay here and look after you. Is that alright?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± When Bruce heard this, his lips curled into a smug smile. ¡°I knew it. You still care about me.¡± ¡°Heh Joanna rolled her eyes speechlessly. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! The phone vibrated again. Joanna took a look. It was Cora. Im going out to call back!¡± ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­¡± Bruce instantly put on an act. ¡°It¡¯s Cora. I¡¯ve been with you at the hospital all day. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on at thepany. *Im going to return the call and exin to her about tomorrow¡¯s work ¡° ¡°Alright then! Come back quickly! I can¡¯t have no one by my side.¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, I¡¯ll get Andy and the others toe over and apany you.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re all men. How are they capable of looking after me?¡± ¡°Ill get the nurses and servants toe over then!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want them. I¡¯m a man. I cannot let another woman take care of me.¡± Joanna was so angry that she rolled her eyes again and went out with the phone. She was in the corridor. Joanna called Cora back. ¡°Hey, Cora Cora¡¯s worried voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s going on?¡± Joanna paused for a moment. ¡°Something happened to Bruce. I have to look after him in the hospital for two days. You and Brother Trumpet take care of thepany¡¯s matter first.¡± ¡°Okay, got it¡± ¡°Also, we have an appointment with the host of Rooney Interview. They called to make an appointment. You have to fly to the venue personally to record at the recording studio.¡± ¡°Well, arrange it for next Monday!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll reply¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Buzz Buzz! Buzz! After Joanna called Cora, she quickly dialed Micheal¡¯s number. He had called her several times today, but Bruce was in the middle of the surgery, and she did not have the time to ask him what was happening. Michael quickly picked up ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes. When are youing to the factory?¡± ¡°The raw materials here are out of stock, and the original manufacturer is out of stock. We need to sign a contract with a new supplier.¡± ¡°Also, offline sales are really too busy. We might have to hire a group of packing staff.¡± Joanna listened and sighed slightly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have time this week. I might not be able to go over until next week¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Alright then¡® Thepany has negotiated a few new contracts and needs you to sign them personally.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can next week.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± After dealing with Michael, Ethan¡¯s call came in again. Hello, Ethan¡± Ethan¡¯s tone sounded a little heavy. ¡°Miss Haynes, have you recovered?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better already.¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± Ethan hesitated. ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± Ethan took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Miss Haynes, if you recover, return to work as soon as possible.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What happened to thepany?¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul are interested in selling their shares. They are now secretly looking for a new job. ¡°What¡¯s more. Mr. Roger has cashed out the backlog of the Haynes Group. A group of old employees have also been fired. They said it¡¯s to cut corners and strengthen the management model. ¡°But I think this is just an excuse for Mr. Roger to transfer assets. If you don¡¯t return soon. I¡¯m worried that thepany¡¯s shares will change.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart sank. ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first, then!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± After hanging up the phone, Joanna felt uneasy. She knew that Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul, these two old foxes, were up to no good. As expected, he wanted to cash out by changing the shares. After emptying the Haynes Group, he would escape. It seemed that if she didn¡¯t reply to Greyport, the Haynes Group, things would change. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Joanna was preupied with her thoughts when her phone vibrated again! She took a look and saw that it was a call from Jaydon. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s worried voice came from the other end of the call. ¡°Joann, why haven¡¯t you answered your phone all day? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a little busy today.¡± ¡°I called Cora, and she said you hadn¡¯t been to the office all day. Where are you now?¡± Joanna paused. ¡°I¡¯m in the hospital now.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he became even more worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t me being admitted.¡± ¡°Who is then?¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before being honest with Jaydon. ¡°It¡¯s Bruce!¡± Jaydon fell silent. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t misunderstand. Bruce was on a business trip in Greene Town. He drank until he suffered from a stomach hemorrhage. He¡¯s in critical condition in the hospital now. ¡°I took care of him at the hospital. I didn¡¯t have any other thoughts. I did it just because he was the father of the children. Other than that, I didn¡¯t have any thoughts.¡± Joanna was afraid that Jaydon would be angry, so she quickly exined. After a while, Jaydon said, ¡°Joann, don¡¯t exin. I understand. ¡°When he recovers better, I won¡¯t have to stay in the hospital anymore!¡± Chapter 350 Chapter 350 ¡°I know. You really don¡¯t have to exin.¡± Joanna still exined carefully, Tm afraid that you¡¯ll be angry, and I¡¯m even more afraid that you¡¯ll misunderstand!¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve known each other for a day or two. I¡¯m not that narrow¨Cminded.¡± After hearing this, Joanna¡¯s nervousness rxed a little. ¡°Well, how are you? Did your rehabilitation training go smoothly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°After I¡¯m done with my work, I¡¯ll visit you at Gaprington¡± Jaydon paused for a few seconds before rejecting her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯lle back to visit you when I¡¯m completely recovered.¡± ¡°If.. Jaydon paused. ¡°If what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. That¡¯s all for now! Take care of yourself.¡± Joanna listened and guessed what Jaydon wanted to say. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t feel burdened. Don¡¯t care about what others say. No matter if you can recover or not, as long as you don¡¯t despise me, I¡¯m willing to be with you.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Jaydon said. His heart was still aching. If he couldn¡¯t recover, he would give up pursuing Joanna. Bruce was right. He should not add burdens and burdens to her if he really loved her. He knew that Bruce still loved Joanna deeply. If he really became disabled, he would rather Joanna return to Bruce¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± They ended the call. Joanna ran her fingers through her hair, feeling irritated. There were so many thingstely, making her feel suffocated. Joanna looked at her the calendar on her phone. It was Wednesday. She had to n her itinerary and arrange her work properly. The most important thing was the matter in Greyport. She couldn¡¯t let Mr. Roger take over the chairman¡¯s position anymore. Otherwise, thepany would be emptied. Half an hour had passed. Bruce waited for her in the ward. Joanna returned to the ward absent¨Cmindedly. Her beautiful eyes revealed a trace of fatigue and uneasiness. Bruce looked up and gave Joanna a worried look. His tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction. ¡°Why were you gone for so long? It¡¯s been more than half an hour. Do you have to take so long to make a call?¡± ¡°I have to take care of some things.¡± ¡°Hmph, you must be secretly on the phone with your lover again.¡± Joanna was frustrated and could not be bothered to argue with him! Bruce grumbled in dissatisfaction, ¡°Are you remaining silent because I guessed right?¡± Joanna had a headache and replied resentfully, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your stomach hurt anymore? Do you still have the strength to talk so much? I think you look fine.¡± Bruce looked up and snarled, ¡°My stomach hurts, but it doesn¡¯t affect my speech! ¡°Besides, I can divert my attention from the pain if I talk.¡± Joanna did not say anything else. She sighed and sat at the head of the bed weakly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look listless.¡± ¡°Did Jaydon piss you off again?¡± Joanna turned around and rolled her eyes at him in disgust. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! Joanna replied coldly. Bruce snorted resentfully. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me. From your expression, it¡¯s obvious that something is wrong. Why don¡¯t you just tell me what happened? ¡°Even if I can¡¯t solve it for you, I can help youe up with ideas.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help!¡± ¡°Tsk. I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re thinking! Other people are crying and begging me to give them pointers, but I can¡¯t be bothered. ¡°Now, I¡¯m taking the initiative to help you solve your troubles, but you¡¯re rejecting it.¡± Joanna could not be bothered to say anything more to him. She got up and walked out! ¡°Where are you going now?¡± ¡°Tm going to eat something! ¡°Please! I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you all day. I¡¯ve barely eaten. Now I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything either!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°You can¡¯t eat it after the surgery. I can¡¯t starve with you, right?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce snorted. This damned woman really knew how to ask for trouble! She could be with him, the wealthiest man in town, and didn¡¯t have to do anything. Why did she have to be so stubborn and work in the business world? The mediapany that she had started was famous because he had spoken to president from the television station! Otherwise, why would such a big television station coborate with an unknown new mediapany? What an ungrateful woman! Without him, how could herpany develop so smoothly? The nurses were at the nurse station in the VIP ward A few young nurses could not help but gossip. ¡°Hey! Do you guys know who the patient in Room 9 is?¡± ¡°He had so many bodyguards and assistants following him. It¡¯s like in a movie!¡± Another chubby¨Cfaced nurse said infatuatedly, ¡°I looked at the medical record. It seems to be Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Bruce Everett? No way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really him!¡± ¡°Oh my god, are you saying that the richest man in Greyport came to our hospital for surgery?¡± ¡°What¡¯s impossible about that? He¡¯s suffering from an acute illness. He can¡¯t rush back to Greyport for treatment, right?¡± ¡°Oh my god! I can¡¯t believe it. What about the woman in the ward?¡± ¡°Looks like his ex¨Cwife! ¡°Isn¡¯t his ex¨Cwife Joanna Haynes? They¡¯re already divorced. Why would his ex¨Cwife stay here to take care of him?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°I heard that Bruce is dating Princess Novlis. I wonder if it¡¯s true. Why is he with his ex¨Cwife now?¡± ¡°Also, some time ago, he had a scandal with the daughter of the Ship King Which one is his real girlfriend?¡± A more mature¨Clooking nurse added, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for wealthy families to do such things? Which sessful man doesn¡¯t have multiple girlfriends?¡± ¡°Tsk, there are many good men.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just because it hasn¡¯t been exposed yet. Do you think they don¡¯t keep any mistresses?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! However, this Mr. Everett is so handsome. Even if he doesn¡¯t have money, many women are willing to stick around him! If it were me, I would be willing too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be infatuated. Hurry up and change his dressing!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll go!¡± After the few young nurses at the nurse¡¯s desk finished gossiping, they all fought to change Bruce¡¯s dressing! Night fell¡­ Joanna naturally stayed in the hospital overnight. Fortunately, there was another bed in the ward! Joanna was exhausted. As soon as sheid the bed, she fell asleep in less than three minutes. Although Bruce¡¯s stomach hurt unbearably, his desire still struck and overtook his pain. Unfortunately, he was ill and coudl not do what he wanted. Otherwise, he would probably not be able to resist forcing himself on her again. Midnight! Bruce struggled to get up to go to the toilet. He wanted to call Joanna to help him up! However, seeing Joanna sleeping so soundly, he could not bear to wake her. She could only endure the pain alone and slowly move to the washroom. Soon, it was morning again. The doctor came to check on Bruce. ¡°It is 24 hours after the surgery now. The patient can eat now! ¡°But he will have to eat some digestible liquid food.¡± Joanna listened attentively. ¡°Okay. Does he have to pay attention to anything else?¡± ¡°Also, he has to keep himself warm. He shouldn¡¯t drink cold drinks or cat spicy and stimting food!¡± ¡°Alright!* The doctor left after rounding the ward. Joanna looked at Bruce. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll get the assistant to buy it!¡± Bruce requested without thinking. ¡°I want to eat the spaghetti you make.¡± ¡°Not now. You¡¯ve just had surgery. You can only cat oatmeal and digestible food.¡± Bruce stubbornly said. ¡°But I only feel like eating spaghetti!¡± ¡°Please, this is a hospital. Where can I find a kitchen to cook for you?¡± ¡°Well then. When I¡¯m discharged from the hospital, you¡¯ll make me spaghetti?¡± ¡°Mm, alright!¡± Joanna called Andy in and asked him to go out and buy breakfast. Andy went out to buy oatmeal and milk. He returned with the breakfast. As usual, Joanna fed Bruce his breakfast. ¡°I heard you¡¯re running a talent show?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Joanna fed him a mouthful of oatmeal. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just asking!¡± Joanna listened and did not reply! She fed him spoonful after spoonful. ¡°How is it going?¡± Bruce asked casually. ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°Nol¡± Bruce pursed his lips, feeling a little dejected. He wanted her to rely on him. Ile wanted to be her hero if he could. Unfortunately, Joanna was also very stubborn. She would rather face the trouble herself than ask for his help. ¡°Bruce, I might have to leave the hospital tomorrow! I¡¯ll go to work during the day ande back at night to look after Chapter 350 you. Bruce¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Hurry up and call¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anymore.¡± Se Chapter 351 Chapter 351 ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was gloomy and unhappy. Now that he was so sick, he neededfort and care. He really wanted her to let go of everything and apany him. What was workpared to him? If she took good care of him, he couldpensate her double for the money she had lost during this time. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything, Joanna ignored him and started clearing up the dishes. The atmosphere in the room dropped to the freezing point again. They ignored each other. Knock! Knock! Knock! There was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in¡± Andy gently pushed open the ward door and walked in. ¡°Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone carried a hint of gloominess. Andy frowned and said timidly. ¡°Miss Garcia called just now!¡± Bruce was stunned. ¡°Why did she call?¡± ¡°She said. Andy pondered how to put his words and subconsciously nced at Joanna. Seeing this, Joanna left consciously. Then, she held a trash bag and prepared to throw it out! ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Garcia called and said she wants to visit you!¡± ¡°Why does she want to visit me? Bruce sounded irritated. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°When Miss Garcia found out you were ill, she worried for you and insisted on visiting you!¡± Every time Jennie couldn¡¯t get Bruce when she called him, she would call Andy. Moreover, she could always coax and pester Andy to find out where Bruce had been. Bruce frowned. ¡°Tell her not to! Don¡¯t let here over.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Andy responded and left the room respectfully. On the walkway, Andy happened to see Joanna return after throwing the trash. ¡°Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Andy. I might have to go back to thepany this afternoon. You and Kody take good care of Bruce.¡± When Andy heard this, he asked worriedly, ¡°Huh? Did you tell Mr. Everett about it?¡± He had been by Bruce¡¯s side for the longest time and understood his boss¡¯s thoughts the best! There were clearly so many nurses, but the boss didn¡¯t even need them. He insisted on Miss Haynes taking care of him. personally. Wasn¡¯t this obvious that he wanted to reconcile with his ex¨Cwife? ¡°I¡¯ve told him! I¡¯ll go to work during the day ande over to look after him at night¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡± After saying that, Joanna did not say anything else. She pushed open the ward door and walked in. Meanwhile, Bruce was still in the hospital bed. Bruce was sulking. When he saw Joanna enter, his expression was gloomier. ¡°Alright. The nurse has changed dressing! I think you¡¯re fine now. I¡¯ll return to thepany in the afternoon to deal with something ¡°I¡¯lle again tonight!¡± ¡°Alright! You can leave! You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I won¡¯t die.¡± Bruce replied coldly. However, it was obvious that he was angry! This was what he was like. He liked to say something against his will and let others guess his thoughts. Unfortunately, Joanna was not interested in psychological warfare with him. She replied coldly, ¡°Okay!¡± Then, she packed her clothes and left with her bag. There were too many things to deal with at work! Joanna suddenly remembered that she had something important to do. She had to go back today and make some arrangements. Joanna left! Bruce was so angry that he was heaving. He punched the bed fiercely. ¡°Damn woman!¡± He had used too much force this time, causing his wound to hurt. His entire face was twisted in pain. It was one o¡¯clock in the afternoon! Joanna returned to Charmont Media Group. Cora and Brother Trumpet were watching the contestants rehearse. When they saw Joanna return, they were surprised. ¡°Miss Haynes, why are you back? Didn¡¯t you say you would only be back tomorrow?¡± ¡°I suddenly remembered something very important!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Two days ago, I saw a girl singing in the park. I think she sang very well, so I asked her. She created the songs herself and has great potential. ¡°I think she¡¯s very suitable for this show! I left her a business card and asked her toe for an interview today¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Is she here, then?¡± Joanna looked at her watch. ¡°I just called and asked her to meet at two o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°Oh ¡°How are the contestants rehearsing?¡± ¡°This batch will advance to the next round. Thepetition will start next Saturday! ¡°As for these contestants, although their singing and dancing skills are not good, they are very popr. I suggest that they advance as well.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Also, the person in charge of the CDTV called. He said that the broadcasting effect of the Ultimate Girls program is not bad. I suggest preparing a few more episodes to give the contestants more opportunities to present themselves!¡± When Joanna heard this, she nodded. ¡°I have the same thing in mind. In order to add more highlights, contestants with good show effects can also be kept!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± After the meeting and the interview, it was already past five in the afternoon! Joanna looked at the time. Thepany¡¯s matters were more or less in order! She went to the staff canteen and used the stove to make a bowl of spaghetti for Bruce. Everything was ready! Joanna left thepany with Tatiana. Just as she left thepany, she saw a tall, thin young man walking across the street. The young man was wearing a mask, sunsses, and a cap! When Joanna saw this, she immediately frowned. She felt that this person¡¯s figure vaguely resembled Ryan Haynes. She was already traumatized by people dressed like this, so her heart inexplicably sank. Unfortunately, the distance was a little far, and the other party was wearing a mask and sunsses, so his face could not be seen clearly. ¡°Is that Ryan Haynes?¡± ¡°Why is he here?¡± Joanna subconsciously muttered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Miss Haynest Tatiana saw that she was in a daze and asked with concern! Joanna drooped her eyelids. ¡°Nothing. I think I saw someone familiar just now.¡± ¡°An acquaintance?¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone now. Maybe I mistook someone for him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s hurry to the hospitall¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Tatiana drove while Joanna sat in the back seat of the car. It is about a 20¨Cminute drive from thepany to the hospital. Joanna leaned back in her seat, thinking about what she had just seen. That person¡¯s figure was really simr to Ryan¡¯s. She hoped that she was seeing things. If it was Ryan, then he had probablye with ill intentions. She had to be extra careful. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Joanna carried the thermos lunch box and hurried to the ward. Andy was guarding the door of the ward. When he saw Joanna, he stood up and looked slightly ufortable. ¡°Miss Haynes, you are here so soon?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna replied indifferently and was about to push open the ward door. Andy chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Erm¡­ Miss Haynes, maybe you want to go inter?¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Andy¡¯s lips curled into an awkward smile. ¡°Miss Garcia is here!¡± Joanna was even more confused when she heard that. She asked in confusion, ¡°So?¡± ¡°Heh. I¡¯m just afraid that you will feel awkward!¡± ¡°Why should I feel awkward?¡± When Andy heard that, he smiled in embarrassment! Jennie had personallye to Greene Town to visit Bruce! She was in the ward. Jennie wore a spring¨Cstyle skirt and exquisite light makeup. Her dark chestnut¨Ccolored bangs and wavy hair made her look sweet and young. ¡°Bruce, digestive problems are troublesome. The conditions in this hospital are too outdated. It will be bad if anything happens or there are any seque!¡± ¡°I still suggest you transfer to Greyport¡¯s hospital immediately or fly overseas for treatment!¡± Bruce leaned against the hospital bed with an indifferent expression. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The medical skills of the doctors in this hospital are not bad. The surgery was quite sessful!¡± Jennie blinked her big eyes and looked around with disdain. ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to be rude, but you don¡¯t take your body seriously! ¡°If I hadn¡¯t asked Andy, I wouldn¡¯t have known that such a serious matter had happened to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯ll be discharged in a few days!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m worried! I¡¯ll stay here and take care of you. I¡¯ll leave when you¡¯re fully recovered,¡± Jennie said and held Bruce¡¯s hand subconsciously. She looked at him with a passionate gaze. Her face looked worried and sad. Bruce drooped his eyelids, and he tried to retract his hand awkwardly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. There are nurses and caretakers here¡­¡± Jennie held his hand tighter and said more sincerely. ¡°These people are not as reliable as I am. Hey! You don¡¯t have to feel bad about making me stay. ¡°We are acquaintances, and I think I should look after you.¡± We ar Bruce was annoyed. He wanted to say something but hesitated! Creak! The ward door was pushed open! Joanna walked in with a thermos food container in her hand. Send Gift Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Comment Jennie¡¯s face darkened when she saw Joanna. She quickly let go of Bruce¡¯s hand and raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Ms. Haynes, why are you here?¡± After saying that, Jennie secretly gritted her teeth as anger rose from the bottom of her heart! First, it was Prince Martha. Then it was Joanna. It was really not easy for Jennie to win Bruce¡¯s heart. Joanna looked at Jennie in confusion ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem? Can¡¯t Ie?¡± Jennie curled her lips and said with a fake smile, ¡°Oh, not I mean, why didn¡¯t you knock on the door when you came in? It¡¯s rude to push the door open like this!¡± Joanna was stunned. She rolled her eyes and then turned to look at Bruce. Seeing this, Bruce felt a little sig. Humph, didn¡¯t she pretend that she didn¡¯t care about him? Then he would use this opportunity to make her jealous! He did not believe that Joanna would not be jealous at all. ¡°Jennie is right. Why didn¡¯t you knock when you came in?¡± Joanna was stunned for a few seconds. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I was in a hurry when I pushed the door open just now, so I forgot.¡± ¡°Did I disturb you? If yes, I¡¯m leaving right now.¡± As Joanna said this, she was about to close the door. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t!¡± Seeing that Joanna was about to leave, Bruce suddenly sat up. He only wanted her to be jealous, but he didn¡¯t really want her to leave in anger. Seeing this, Jennie also looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Bruce. I didn¡¯t do anything else. Why would you disturb Us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, you are also here to see Bruce, right?¡± ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m here to look after him! When Jennie heard this, she was even angrier. She said with envy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already divorced? ¡°Yet you are still so close to each other. Fine. That really makes people jealous.¡± Joanna frowned and ignored Jennie. She walked in and ced the thermos box on the table. ¡°Here you go!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Bruce asked in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to eat spaghetti? Here¡¯s spaghetti. I made it for you!¡± Joanna said as she opened the thermos box. She took out a spoon and prepared to scoop some spaghetti out. Knowing that Bruce¡¯s stomach wasn¡¯t in good condition, she specially made the spaghetti soft today. Jennie sniffed in disdain. ¡°Oh my god, what¡¯s that smell? How could you let Bruce eat this?¡± Jennie didn¡¯t know what Joanna put in the spaghetti. A strange smell immediately filled the room. ¡°Ugh¡­ Eh¡­ What a strange smell!¡± Jennie said and deliberately pretended to retch a few times. ¡°Bruce¡¯s stomach isn¡¯t good. He can¡¯t eat these unhealthy things.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes widened. She was speechless at Jennie¡¯s words. A warm feeling welled up in Bruce¡¯s heart. He was already very happy that Joanna remembered to make him spaghetti. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to eat.¡± When Jennie heard this, her eyes widened as he looked at Bruce in disbelief. ¡°Bruce, if you eat such unhealthy things, your health will be affected. ¡°Especially, your stomach is in a bad situation. You can¡¯t eat such things at all. Joanna pursed her lips speechlessly! ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t let him eat much. Also, spaghetti is easy to digest. I have made the spaghetti soft.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do either. If anything happens to Bruce, he will be the one suffering, not you.¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not help but feel awkward. ¡°It¡¯s really alright¡­ Jennie walked forward and stopped Joanna. ¡°Bruce, the stomach is the most important organ in the human body. If the stomach hurts, it will kill you. How can you eat these things? ¡°I brought you a lot of nutritional supplements. These are all good for your health. It¡¯s better for you to eat these nutritional supplements I brought¡­¡± Joanna could not take it anymore. There was a hint of impatience in her tone. ¡°Miss Garcia, you¡¯re not a doctor. Don¡¯t give orders here¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving orders. I¡¯m just worried about Bruce.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just asked the doctor. The doctor said that spaghetti is easy to digest. He can eat a little. As long as he doesn¡¯t eat too much, there won¡¯t be a problem!¡± Jennie straightened his back arrogantly. ¡°That won¡¯t do either. Bruce is different from ordinary people. How could he eat food for ordinary people? ¡°Even dogs won¡¯t eat the food you prepared. How can you let Bruce eat this? He¡¯s a patient now.¡± Joanna was stunned! Jennie was really hard to deal with. She was just an unreasonable bitch. ¡°Bruce, the spaghetti is ready for you. It¡¯s your choice whether to eat it or not.¡± As Jonna said this, she put the bowl down heavily on the bedside table. Seeing this. Jennie looked at Joanna with even more dissatisfaction. ¡°How can you treat Bruce so rudely?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Miss Garcia, I¡¯m talking to Mr. Everett. Please shut up!¡± Jennie rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Ha, you¡¯re so funny. I¡¯m also talking to Bruce. Please shut up!¡± After the two of them finished speaking, they looked at Bruce angrily. They were clearly asking him to decide which one of them was right. Bruce rolled his eyes and looked at Joanna¡¯s exasperated expression. He smiled resentfully, but he felt happy and smug in his heart! He thought. ¡°Damn woman! She deserved this.¡± However, he couldn¡¯t go too far. If he really angered her, she would not give him any face. It was very difficult to coax Joanna if she really got angry. ¡°Jennie, it¡¯s gettingte. Go back quickly! ¡°If you go back toote, it¡¯s not safe on the road.¡± Bruce changed his expression and began to chase Jennie away. When Jennie heard this, she dug her nails into her palms. ¡°Bruce, I specially came from Greyport to see you! ¡°I told you. I¡¯ll stay here and take care of you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need. Joanna can take care of me here! Hurry up and go back! ¡°I will let my driver send you home, okay?¡± Jennie was so angry that she wanted to stomp her feet, but she had no choice but to maintain her elegant appearance. ¡°Bruce, can she take good care of you?¡± Ive studied professional nursing before. Ms. Haynes is so busy. How can he have the time to take care of you?¡± Joanna immediately changed the topic. ¡°That¡¯s right! Since Miss Garcia has time, let her stay here and take care of you. ¡°Anyway, I still have to go back to thepany!¡± Joanna wished that Jennie could stay. If Jennie stayed, Joanna could go back to work. ¡°Joanna Bruce¡¯s eyes widened in anger. He was so angry that he could not speak. Joanna turned to look at Jennie seriously. ¡°Miss Garcia, since you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of Mr. Everett here. With you taking care of him, I can rest assured and leave first!¡± When Jennie heard this, she was overjoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take good care of Bruce. Go do your thing!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s great!¡± Joanna said and left the hospital. Jpanna, stop right there.¡± Joanna stopped in her tracks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was extremely cold. He said gloomily, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Joanna was stunned. She looked at Bruce in confusion! ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be angry! If Ms. Haynes can¡¯t take care of you, there¡¯s still me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to take care of me. Please leave now!¡± Bruce replied coldly. Jennie was stunned! ¡°Bruce, are you angry at me? ¡°Did I say something wrong? I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t be angry!¡± ¡°Andy!¡± When Andy heard the shout, he hurriedly pushed the door open and entered. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Get Kody to send Miss Garcia back!¡± Andy was stunned. He turned to look at Jennie, who looked really furious. ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, Mr. Everett needs to rest. You should leave first!¡± ¡°Bruce, I came all the way here to see you. Why are you so ungrateful!¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, please leave first!¡± Andy pulled Jennie out of the ward. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Joanna looked at Bruce. She was a little speechless. After staying silent for a while, she said, ¡°Bruce, she specially came to see you. How could you chase her away so coldly? Isn¡¯t that too cold?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Bruce suddenly dragged her over and bit her hard. ¡°What are you doing? Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Joanna, do you really not understand, or are you acting?¡± ¡°Bruce, if you continue like this, I¡¯ll leave!¡± ¡°Alright! Leave! After you leave, you can forget about ever seeing the child again.¡± ¡°Bruce, what do you want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I just want you to stay with me.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do anything else to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sick now. Do you think I still have the energy to do that?¡± B Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Send Gift Comment Joanna pushed Bruce away stiffly and wiped away the saliva he left on her lips. She red at him in exasperation. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around okay? If you dare to do anything. I¡¯m really leaving.¡± ¡°Do you hate me so much?¡± ¡°You are simply crazy!¡± Joanna could not help but curse. Bruce grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. Then, he kissed her fiercely. ¡°Uh, let go. Joanna held her breath. Unfortunately, Bruce did not care and forcefully trapped her in his arms, not giving her a chance to resist. Joanna tried to push him away a few times but failed. She was afraid that she would touch his wound, so she could only let him kiss her forcefully Three minutester! The smell of blood filled their mouths. A thinyer of cold sweat appeared on Bruce¡¯s forehead. He frowned and subconsciously let go of Joanna ¡°Kaff, kaff¡± Bruce touched his wound again. He weakly coughed twice, and a trace of blood seeped out of the corner of his lips. Seeing this, Joanna couldn¡¯t be bothered to me him for using force on her. ¡°Look at you I asked you not to do anything. but you still did that. ¡°It¡¯s better if you die of vomiting too much blood¡± Joanna was ming him. She hurriedly went out, wanting to call the doctor here. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t go Bruce no longer appeared to be arrogant. He hugged her tightly and tried his best to press their bodies. together Joanna¡¯s body stiffened, and she subconsciously wanted to refuse However, he was hugging her too tightly, so she could only stay there stiffly and let him hug her. Bruce took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice, ¡°Joanna, if I die, take good care of the children! Take care of the children and live well.¡± Joanna¡¯s pupils contracted. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by something. She felt an inexplicable sadness. She had never thought that Bruce would die. Even if he died, it would be in the distant future! Hearing him say that now, she felt strange. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the inheritance to you and the children. Don¡¯t work too hard. I have enough money for you and the children to spend for several lifetimes.¡± Goosebumps rose all over Joanna¡¯s body when she heard this. ¡°Bruce, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just bleeding from the stomach because you drank too much wine. You¡¯ll be fine soon.¡± Bruce smiled sadly and said even more sadly, ¡°I know my own body. My father and grandfather passed away from stomach cancer ¡°This is a gic disease of our family. I don¡¯t think I can escape this fate. There are already signs of it now. I think it will soon turn into gastric cancer. Bruce said bleakly with a hint of sadness. Actually, his illness was not that serious. It was just that he was too smart and knew Joanna¡¯s weakness better. He had deliberately exaggerated his illness to soften her heart and make her afraid. From there, she This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. would change her mind ande back to be with him. Many men were good at this. ying weak to win sympathy. It was easy and effective. When Joanna heard this, she felt really ufortable. ¡°You jinx. How can you curse yourself like this? Don¡¯t think too much. Don¡¯t scare yourself. ¡°Your body is so healthy. You¡¯ll be fine after resting for a few days.¡± Bruce put on a serious expression and caressed Joanna¡¯s cheek affectionately. ¡°Joanna, thank you for giving birth to three children for me. Otherwise, I would have no family in this world. ¡°I really feel so lonely. Every day when Ie back from work, the house is empty and I can¡¯t feel any warmth of home. No family member is there waiting for me. ¡°I feel that I¡¯m really poor. I have no parents, no siblings, no rtives, no wife. I¡¯m so poor that I only have money¡± His trick worked Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with gentleness. ¡°Don¡¯t you like money the most? Don¡¯t you think that money can buy everything? As long as you have money, you don¡¯t need to care about anything else!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Who said I don¡¯t care? I¡¯m a human too. I¡¯m also very fragile. I just don¡¯t dare to fall, so I am just holding on. ¡°In this world, the strong prey on the weak. If I fall, I¡¯ll be devoured by others very quickly.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this! ¡°Lie down and rest. Think about something happy.¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes became empty. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to be happy about!¡± What he said was true! His life value and ideals had all been realized. He no longer had any material or career pursuits. However, people were always so greedy. When they were poor, they felt that money was the most important. When they were rich, they felt that feelings were the most important. People were always pursuing things that they did not have. The more theycked something, the more they yearned for something. He now had billions of dors. His money was enough to be spent for a few lifetimes. However, no one could share his sess with him! No one truly loved him. The people around him were just after his money. Joanna did not know how tofort him. She only patted his shoulder gently. ¡°Rx, don¡¯t think too much! ¡°You know that I don¡¯t know how tofort others! I can¡¯t say anything nice to make you feel better.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I¡¯m already veryforted as long as you are with me. ¡°Sometimes, I really envy Jaydon¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened and interrupted him. ¡°Why are you talking about someone else again?¡± ¡®Really! I¡¯m particrly jealous of him. Because, well, he has your heart now.¡± Joanna frowned slightly, not wanting to hear him continue. ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much. Hurry up. Lie down and rest for a while!!¡± Bruce let out a deep breath. ¡°When I¡¯m discharged. I¡¯ll bring the children back. You cane and see them anytime, ¡°If I really die one day, don¡¯t be sad for me.¡± ¡°Can you not say such sad things?¡± Bruce said such sad words to her for the first time! However, when she heard these words, they were like thorns that pierced into her heart. She would rather he be as arrogant and condescending as before. She did not want to see him really like a patient, dispirited and weak. Beep, beep, beep! Joanna¡¯s phone vibrated. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m going out to answer a call.¡± With that, Joanna hurried out of the ward with the phone. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice came from the other end of the video call. ¡°Joann, are you still in the hospital?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Why are your eyes red? Did you cry just now?¡± ¡°Oh, nol¡± ¡°Did something happen again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s really fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Joanna tried her best to squeeze out a smile. Is Bruce alright?¡± The operation is already over. He will be discharged from hospital the next month.¡± The two of them were chatting on the video call. Bang! Bang! Bang! An ear¨Cpiercing sound came from the ward, as if something had hit the ground! ¡°Jay, wait a minute!¡± Joanna was shocked. She hurriedly pushed open the door of the ward and went in to check. The door of the ward. Bruce had already fallen to the ground. The IV bottle was shattered on the ground, and his arm was cut by ss shards. Blood dripped out. Joanna was shocked and hurriedly went forward to help him. ¡°Bruce, why did you fall to the ground?¡± ¡°Hiss. Argh¡­¡± Bruce sucked in a breath of cold air, his face filled with pain and weakness. ¡°Someonee! Someonee quickly.¡± Andy, Kody, and the others also rushed in to take a look when they heard the shout. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s going on?¡± Everyone was shocked. ¡°Hurry up and help him up. Go call the doctor¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, how are you?¡± Joanna looked panicked. She and Andy supported Bruce and helped him up. Soon. The doctor rushed over. Seeing this, the doctor frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°He fell just now!¡± When the doctor heard this, he was even more puzzled. ¡°There are so many people here to guard him. How can you let him fall?¡± ¡°1¡­¡± Joanna frowned. She looked guilty and did not know what to say! She had juste out to answer the call. Unexpectedly, Bruce fell in such a short time. Andy and the bodyguards looked at each other. Bruce did not allow them to guard the ward. How could they dare to stay in the ward: ¡°Hurry up and send the patient to the operating room. We have to treat his wound.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°Hello, Joann, what happened?¡± Jaydon was still on the phone. Unfortunately, Joanna was only worried about Bruce¡¯s injuries andpletely ignored Jaydon. On the other end of the line, Jaydon was silent for a few seconds before hanging up silently! In Joanna¡¯s heart, there was still Bruce. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so nervous about him. Send Gift Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Half an hourter. Bruces wounds were treated and he was sent back to the ward. Looking at Bruce lying on the hospital bed, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but scold him, ¡®Look at you. Why did you suddenly fall? Bruce looked unhappy. ¡°I just wanted to go to the toilet, and there was no one here to take care of me. I wanted to go alone, but I didn¡¯t expect that I would fall!¡± Then why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Bruce rolled his eyes arrogantly and said coldly, ¡°Humph, you were out to call your lover. How dare I disturb you?¡± Joanna was choked. She was angry. ¡°So, you fell on purpose, right?¡± Bruce refused to admit it. ¡°No! How could I be so stupid? Why should I fall deliberately?¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m not free, you can ask Andy and the others toe in and help you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to the washroom. I¡¯m not a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing. There¡¯s no need to call them!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a patient now!¡± ¡°Oh, you still remember that I¡¯m a patient?¡± Bruce said with a frustrated and dissatisfied expression. Anyway, he would not let Joanna flirt with Jaydon right in front of him. *Forget it, forget it. I have nothing to say.¡± At night. Joanna stayed in the hospital as usual and slept on the other bed in the room. Actually, there was no need to take care of him much. There were nurses to change the dressing and Andy and the others to buy food. She only helped him up when he went to the washroom. But even so, Bruce was exceptionally satisfied. The next day. Eight o¡¯clock in the morning. Joanna brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then, she helped Bruce wash his face. After all these things were done¡­ ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll go to the office to take a look. I¡¯lle back after 6 p.m.¡± When Bruce heard this, his handsome face darkened. Then who will take care of me during the day?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there Andy and the others?¡± ¡°I told you! I don¡¯t want them to take care of me!¡± Joanna pursed his lips. ¡°Then I¡¯lle over at three in the afternoon. ¡°No! It¡¯s toote!¡± ¡°Bruce, I have kad many things to do in thepany for the past two days. I have to go.¡± Bruce thought for a few seconds. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you the morning. Come over and apany me in the afternoon!¡± ¡°Alright¡± In Charmont Media Group. When Joanna returned to thepany, Cora and Brother Trumpet were already waiting at the ¡°Are the contestants doing well?¡± Cora reported, ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry! Everything is fine. It won¡¯t affect the broadcast on Saturday.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good¡± As they talked, an assistant ran in ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Trumpet, there are reportersing to interview you!¡± 124 11:01 Got it Joanna was originally the least willing to ept an interview from a reporter. However, the reporters today were from CDTV Since they already came here, Joanna thought she had better be interviewed. ¡°Ms. Haynes, will the audition still be in the city center? Yes The reporter raised his microphone again and asked, ¡°May I ask how many times of audition will there be? How many episodes¡± ¡°Currently, it¡¯s the ninth episode!¡± ¡°We heard that Mr. Everett is also in Greene Town. Is that right?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes when she heard this ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not too sure about that! *Im sorry, I¡¯m still busy! If you want to know more details, you can interview Mr. Trumpet.¡± Brother Trumpet was an anchor, so he was naturally more at ease facing the camera. After Joanna let Brother Trumpet continued the interview, she left thepany in a hurry. In the crowd on the street. Joanna saw another tall and thin figure looking over from afar. Joanna was nervous. When she wanted to look again, the tall and thin figure had already disappeared into the sea of people. ¡°Why did I see Ryan again?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what are you talking about?¡± Tatiana was stunned. Joanna frowned. ¡°I think I saw that acquaintance from yesterday again.¡± ¡°That acquaintance?¡± ¡°Aye, he¡¯s my stepbrother! But he¡¯s wearing sunsses and a mask. I can¡¯t be sure it¡¯s him¡± ¡°Your stepbrother?¡± Tatiana¡¯s eyes darted around. And a trace of suspicion arose. Some time ago, someone had nted a bomb in Joanna¡¯s car. Then, another criminal almost kidnapped her in the hospital. It was hard to say if the criminals were targeting her again. ¡°What is he trying to do?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was beating wildly! If she had an illusion yesterday, she couldn¡¯t have an illusion again today, right? She was already certain that the person should be Ryan. However, she did not know why he had been following her. Joanna felt a little uneasy and could not help but associate the explosion some time ago with him. If that incident was really rted to him, he might be targeting her again this time! Joanna had been carefully analyzing. Suddenly, a bad premonition rose in her heart. If Ryan was really behind that explosion, would he install another bomb at the recording site this time? Joanna was the organizer of this show. If anything happened to the contestants, she would definitely lose her reputation and even go to jail. At the thought of this, Joanna felt a cold sweat break out on her back. ¡°Miss Haynes, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°No, nothing. I hope I¡¯m overthinking!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He probably won¡¯t dare to do anything to you!¡± Tatianaforted Joanna. Every time Joanna went out, she always had Tatiana with her. Besides, Bruce also sent four bodyguards to follow her. It wouldn¡¯t be that easy for Ryan to do anything to her. In the conference room. Tomorrow is Friday. We have to rehearse for thest time. We have to go to the recording studio the day after tomorrow.¡± Cora was carefully reporting the next step of the process. Joanna suddenly interrupted. ¡°Yes, I want to make a suggestion!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what do you want to say?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you sayst time that the T¨Crecording studio is a little small? I suggest that we change to a D¨C recording studio this time!¡± ¡°Uh, why?¡± The D¨Crecording studio is rather big. If we change to a more spacious ce, the contestants will perform better.¡± ¡°But this will be more troublesome. Just moving the recording equipment will take a lot of effort.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. In order to improve the program¡¯s effect, it¡¯s worth it to spend some effort!¡± When Cora heard this, she said, ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll go talk to the person in charge from CDTV. ¡°Okay¡± After a while. Cora came back and replied, ¡°Miss Haynes, no. I just spoke to the person in charge in CDTV. ¡°I was told that it¡¯s not convenient to change to another studio. We have to userge machines to move some pieces of equipment. ¡°If we change the venue rashly, he¡¯s afraid that the audience won¡¯t be used to it. He is also afraid that the contestants won¡¯t. perform well!¡± When Joanna heard this, although she felt a little pitiful, she did not insist too much. ¡°Alright then!* In the afternoon. Joanna returned to the hospital with a heavy heart. At the door of the ward. Bruce looked at Joanna¡¯s listless expression and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± ¡°You look distracted. Let me know if you need anything.¡± Joanna hesitated for half a minute, but he could not help but tell Bruce, ¡°When I went to thepany today, I think I saw Ryan. Bruce was stunned. He looked at Joanna in shock. ¡°And?¡± ¡°He¡¯s wearing sunsses and a mask. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s him, but I always feel a little uneasy.¡± Bruce thought for a few seconds. Then don¡¯t go to thepany for the next few days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about myself now. I¡¯m worried¡­¡± ¡°Worried about what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that there will be an ident during the show.¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Then what do you want to do?¡± ¡°I want to ask CDTV to change the recording venue, but the person in charge of the TV station doesn¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°Oh, I seel¡± Bruce rolled his eyes after hearing this. He was very familiar with the president of CDTV. As long as he made a call, there would definitely be no problem! Joanna sighed again. ¡°Forget it. I hope I¡¯m overthinking.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts. How can it not hurt? After all, it was an operation.¡± ¡°Have you eaten anything today?¡± ¡°Not yet! The doctor won¡¯t let me eat anything too hard. There are many things that I can¡¯t eat.¡± In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday. Cora happily called Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, the person in charge of CDIV has agreed to change the venue!¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! He called mest night and offered to change the venue.¡± That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°I hope I¡¯m thinking too much. However, for safety¡¯s sake, it¡¯s better to be cautious.¡± Joannaforted herself. Send Gift Comment ¡°Why did you suddenly change the venue?¡± Chapter 355 Chapter 355 ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve already rehearsed. Now that we¡¯ve changed the venue, we have to get used to it again!¡± The contestants did not understand andined. ¡°Everyone! Thanks for your cooperation. Please work overtime and rehearse!¡± The director began to comfort the contestants. The contestants had no choice but topromise. ¡°This is the only way!¡± The group of contestants rehearsed overnight, and the staff also reorganized the recording venue overnight. The next day. The official recording began. ¡°She will sing a Antlenish song for you today..¡± After the host finished this, a mature¨Clooking contestant went on stage to sing. The program was only halfway through recording. Boom! An earth¨Cshattering explosion came from the T recording studio. Even people in this studio could feel the ground shaking. Everyone was stunned. The instructors and contestants were all panicking. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think there was an explosion somewhere?¡± The host quickly regained hisposure and continued to host the show. ¡°Let¡¯s continue! The next contestant is from¡­¡± The program was still being recorded as per normal. On the other side, the security guards had already gone to the T recording studio to take a look. ¡°Quick, go in and see what¡¯s going on.¡± A few security guards hurriedly pushed open the door to T studio There was an explosion inside, and the entire hall was filled with smoke. The security guards choked and coughed. The explosion caused a hole in the stage. The chairs and the desks were all ruined now. Fortunately, there was no one here, and there were no casualties! ¡°Hurry up and check what caused the explosion.¡± ¡°Could there have been an electrical connection explosion?¡± ¡°Impossible. The voltage here has always been stable. There can¡¯t be such a serious explosion.¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s man¨Cmade.¡± ¡°Should we call the police?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call the police yet. If you call the police, I¡¯m afraid it will cause panic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better for us to investigate this matter ourselves!¡± Soon. Cora called Joanna about the explosion at T studio. ¡°Miss Haynes, bad news! There¡¯s an explosion at T recording studio!¡± When Joanna heard this, her hand that was holding the phone trembled. ¡°What did you say?¡± Cora¡¯s shocked voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°There was an explosion in T studio! Fortunately, the contestants have already moved to another studio. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡± ¡°This explosion is very strange. It¡¯s very simr to the situation when the bomb was nted in your car. ¡°Miss Haynes, I suspect the same guy was behind the two explosions.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt that all the blood in her body rushed into her head. Her guess was right! The T recording studio had really been tampered with. The target was still her! Fortunately, they had changed the recording studio in time. Otherwise, with so many contestants, judges, and invited audiences, the consequences would be unimaginable if there was an explosion at the recording studio. At the same time, thus indirectly proved that this explosion was definitely rted to Ryan. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes. Are you still there?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m listening!¡± ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said solemnly. ¡°Now, we have to be more on guard. Send more people to protect the contestants and staff. Even if we have to end the recording, we have to ensure their safety.¡± Yes, yes, I understand!¡± After hanging up. Joanna was a little out of her wits. Joanna sat in the corridor and stared nkly for more than ten minutes before returning to the ward. Bruce saw her stunned expression and asked with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered ¡°Cora just called to tell me that there was an explosion in the T recording studio!¡± Bruce frowned in surprise. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. No wonder Joanna insisted on changing the recording studio. It turned out that she had a premonition. ¡°I suspect that this matter has something to do with Ryan.¡± ¡°Ryan?¡± Joanna said in shock. ¡°Yes, I seem to have seen him in the past two days.¡± ¡°I have a feeling that this explosion is aimed at me. Moreover, it must be rted to Ryan¡± Bruce subconsciously frowned. No way? He can¡¯t be so bold, right?¡± Joanna calmed herself down and began to think carefully. ¡°You looked down on Ryan. He has been clever since childhood. He always has his own opinion. Also, I believe in my institution. It must be rted to him. ¡°Im going to make a call now and ask him¡­¡± Seeing this. Bruce quickly stopped her. ¡°Are you stupid? If you call him now, do you think he will admit it? ¡°If he really did it, you will only alert him by calling him.¡± ¡°Then what should we do? Should I call the police?¡± Bruce frowned and shook his head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t call the police for the time being.¡± ¡°If we call the police, first of all, this show will have to stop broadcasting. It will have a huge impact on you and the television station. When the timees, just thepensation to the sponsors will be a ¡°Also, it will have a huge impact on Greene TownL ¡°Let¡¯s take a step back. If Ryan didn¡¯t do it, wouldn¡¯t your action worsen your conflict?¡± When Joanna heard this, he felt that he was right. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. He said gloomily, ¡°Let¡¯s find Ryan first.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! ¡°Tll go back to Greyport today to see Dad and ask him what he¡¯s been doing recently. As he spoke, Joanna prepared to pack up and leave. Seeing this, Bruce stretched out his arm and pulled Joanna into his arms. ¡°Joanna¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned extremely serious. He hugged her and refused to let go. ¡°I¡¯m worried that something will happen to you. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t show your face for the time being and stay by my side obediently.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I have much to do in thepany. After this, how can I not show my face?¡± Bruce looked at Joanna solemnly. ¡°Nothing is more important than life. Nothing is more important than When Joanna heard this, she subconsciously looked up at Bruce. Bruce looked at her with the same deep gaze. ¡°Joanna. I really don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± your life.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart ached slightly and she had mixed feelings. Although they didn¡¯t call the police for this, the media still got the news. In front of the building where CDTV was located in. Leon Alvarez, the vice president of the TV station, was surrounded by reporters. ¡°Was there an explosion here yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, no, it¡¯s not that exaggerated. It was just a battery explosion. Thank you for your concern.¡± Leon tried to reduce the impact of the explosion. The reporters obviously did not believe this answer and continued to ask, ¡°But we heard that the entire recording studio was blown up. Could this matter be targeted at the organizer of the Ultimate Girls, Ms. Haynes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A few months ago, Ms. Haynes¡® car was nted with a bomb. Could it be the same group of people?¡± ¡°Hehe, you are thinking too much. We live in a society governed by the rule ofw. We are not shooting a movie. Those bad guys won¡¯t be so bold.¡± Leon¡¯s reply was official. ¡°Then will the program continue?¡± ¡°We will. Don¡¯t worry, everyone.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Haynes? We want to interview her.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is not in thepany!¡± Leon was being interviewed when a Mercedes¨CBenz 600 drove over. Then, the car stopped behind everyone. The door opened and Joanna appeared. The reporters¡® eyes were sharp. When they saw Joanna, they hurried over. ¡°Ms. Haynes is there.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, do you know about the explosion in the studio?¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, everyone. It¡¯s just an explosion caused by electrical aging. Thank you for your concern!¡± ¡°We will ensure the safety of the contestants. In the future, safety measures will be stricter.¡± Joanna had already talked to the person in charge of the television station on the phone. They decided how to exin the explosion together. In front of the media, they would say that it was an explosion caused by the aging of the electrical appliances. ¡°Then what will you do after this?¡± Joanna smiled generously. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be going back to Greyport for a while. I¡¯ll go back this afternoon. I have to go back to settle some matters over there¡­¡± In front of the media cameras, Joanna was still beautiful and elegant. She seemed to be in a good mood and did not seem to be affected by the explosion at all. In front of a TV. Seeing that Joanna was being interviewed, Ryan had his eyes darkened. He smashed the desk hard. ¡°Damn it, she escaped again!¡± ¡°Boss, it¡¯s easy to kill her. Why do we have to go through so much trouble?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Ryan sneered and said viciously, ¡°Killing her is not enough.¡± ¡°I want to ruin her reputation and let her lose everything. I want her to live in fear every day!¡± ¡°I heard that she¡¯s going back to Greyport in the afternoon. Should we teach her a lesson?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Chapter 356 Chapter 356 It was past three in the afternoon. Donning sunsses and a mask. Joanna entered a Mercedes¨CBenz in the hospital¡¯s underground parking lot Four bodyguards got into another car and followed Joanna¡¯s car out of the hospital. ¡°Boss, she¡¯s in the car, but she has bodyguards behind her.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Ryan adjusted his mask and said sinisterly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Think of a way to stop the bodyguards¡® carter. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Ryan started the car and couldn¡¯t help but mutter in his heart, ¡°Mom, sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll avenge you. I¡¯ll make Joanna suffer a hundredfold.¡± The Mercedes¨CBenz headed in the direction of Porash. Behind it was a car with four bodyguards. An hourter. The Mercedes¨CBenz exited the expressway and continued towards the port of Porash. This was his chance! b The outskirts were quiet, and the traffic was sparse. It was the perfect opportunity to make a move. Ryan immediately called his subordinates. ¡°It¡¯s time to strike!¡± ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± The robber, who was driving, immediately stepped on the elerator and increased the speed to 130 miles per hour. ¡°Bang!¡± The car carrying the bodyguards was rear¨Cended. The impact nearly sent the bodyguards¡® car flying, causing it to veer out of control and collide with the roadside barrier. Fortunately, all four of them were wearing seat belts, so their bodies were unharmed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s tailing us!¡± ¡°We got rear¨Cended!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the car and take a look.¡± The bodyguards¡® car was immobilized, and they couldn¡¯t continue driving it. Hence, the gap between their car and Joanna¡¯s car grew further. Meanwhile, a roaring Land Rover sped towards Joanna¡¯s car. It quickly overtook Joanna¡¯s vehicle before executing a drift and stopping before her car. The driver of the Mercedes¨CBenz mmed on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt. Wearing a mask, Ryan emerged from the car with an imposing aura. Without hesitation, he fired several shots at the front windshield of Joanna¡¯s car. ¡°Get out of the car!¡± Ryan shouted as he fired two more shots at the car door. The lock was damaged, and Ryan forcefully pulled open the car door, intending to drag Joanna out of the vehicle. The car door opened. ¡°Swish!¡± A dagger flew towards him. Startled, Ryan hastily turned around to dodge it The dagger flew past his mask, causing it to slide down his face! Before he could react, he received a powerful kick to the chest that sent him crashing heavily to the ground. Ryan was shocked. Upon closer inspection, he realized the person in the car was not Joanna but an unfamiliar woman Seeing Ryan fall to the ground, Tatiana wasted no time. Before he could get up, she swiftly delivered another flying kick. 11:02 knocking the gun out of his hand. The two of them quickly started fighting. Without his weapon, Ryan was clearly no match for Tatiana. In just a few moves, he found himself at a disadvantage. ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± Ryan was pinned to the ground. Tatiana twisted his arm and knelt on his shoulder. Momentster, several police cars arrived, and sirens started ring Seizing the opportunity, Ryan summoned all his strength to break free from Tatiana¡¯s grip. He quickly flipped over and leaped towards the roadside barrier. Below the barrier was the vast ocean, and Ryan disappeared into the water instantly. The police quickly followed and dived into the sea to search for him. Beep, beep! Tatiana called Joanna to report to her, ¡°Miss Haynes, the strategy worked! The perpetrator is indeed Ryan!¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna felt a chill in her heart. ¡°It¡¯s really him!¡± Bruce was also shocked to hear that. ¡°Now that we know it¡¯s him, there¡¯s no way he can escape.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The police will surely capture him. Even if the police don¡¯t arrest him, I won¡¯t let him off.¡± After hearing this, Joanna silently closed her eyes, not knowing what to say. If her father found out, he would definitely be devastated. However, she really didn¡¯t want to harm them. It was they who relentlessly pursued her. Soon, the media reported the incident and released Ryan¡¯s photo ¡°A shooting incident urred in the city. An armed suspect attempted to injure someone!¡± ¡°This is the suspect¡¯s appearance. ording to witnesses, the suspect¡¯s name is Ryan Haynes, born in 1998, and he is armed. If anyone has information, please report it to the police immediately¡­¡± This news caused a massive uproar in Greyport. The media in Greyport werepeting to report the incident. ¡°The second son of the Haynes family is suspected of taking revenge on Joanna Haynes. His methods are cruel¡± ¡°After graduating from university, Ryan went astray and took the wrong path. ¡°Ryan Haynes is suspected to be rted to the previous explosion case, and the police are making every effort to apprehend him.¡± In Greyport. At the Haynes¡¯s house. Derick was dumbfounded when he saw the news. ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t that Ryan?¡± ¡°How did he be a wanted criminal?¡± Shocked by the news, Shaun took a sharp breath. ¡°Cough, quickly call Ryan and find out what happened to him¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call him right away!¡± Derick was also scared out of his wits. He hurriedly called Ryan. Beep, beep! ¡°The number you have dialed is no longer in service¡­¡± ¡°Dad, something¡¯s wrong! Ryan¡¯s phone number has been canceled!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. It must be a mistake. Ryan has always been a good boy. There¡¯s no way he could be involved in something illegal!¡± ¡°Surely it¡¯s a mistake. Don¡¯t get so worked up for now.¡± The father and son were anxious and unsettled. Soon, the nanny entered the room ¡°Sir, Young Master, the police are here!¡± A group of police officers came to gather information. ¡°Mr. Haynes, we would like to know about Ryan Haynes¡® whereabouts. Is he at home?¡± Chapter 3.56 ¡°Ryan hasn¡¯t been home for many days. We are also searching for him everywhere.¡± ¡°Pleasee with us to the police station!¡± Derickpletely lost hisposure. ¡°We really have no idea what he has been doing outside. What he did has nothing to do with us!¡± ¡°I understand, but please follow us to the police station first.¡± Shaun¡¯s breath hitched when he heard this, and he immediately fainted. ¡°Dad! Dad!¡± Unable to bear the shock, Shaun cked out and lost consciousness. ¡°My father has a heart condition. I need to rush him to the hospital.¡± ¡°Ryan¡­ Why are you so stupid?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be so devastated. There might be some misunderstanding in all of this.¡± ¡°That foolish child, how could he do something so stupid? We¡¯ve worked hard to educate him all these years and hoped he could make himself useful!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect¡­ ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s all because of Joanna. My younger brother wouldn¡¯t have thought about seeking revenge if it weren¡¯t for her. He wouldn¡¯t have be a wanted criminal!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention him anymore!¡± Shaun closed his eyes sadly. Derick sighed too. Although he resented Joanna, he never expected Ryan to have the audacity to commit such a sensational act. Although Greyport¡¯sws didn¡¯t include the death penalty, Ryan would likely spend the rest of his life behind bars if he got captured. In Greene Town Beep, beep! ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± Joann, what exactly happened? ording to Greyport media reports, Ryan is now a wanted criminal?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Was he really responsible for the explosion some time ago?¡± ¡°Yes, the police are currently searching for him.¡± ¡°You must take care¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°If things get too difficult, you cane for a while.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave right now. Besides, I¡¯m worried about my father. He won¡¯t be able to handle the stress.¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡± With that, she hung up. Joanna returned to the ward. ¡°Who was it? Is Jaydon calling again?¡± Joanna remained silent. She frowned and did not answer. She was in a bad mood now and didn¡¯t want to argue with Bruce. ¡°Joanna, have you really decided to marry Jaydon? Aren¡¯t you going to reconsider?¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want to talk about this!¡± ¡°Well, the most important thing now is to capture Ryan as soon as possible.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t capture him soon, he will always be a major threat!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart felt even heavier. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that my father won¡¯t be able to handle this shock!¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re always so soft¨Chearted. Don¡¯t you remember how they treated you?¡± Sigh!¡± Joanna let out a deep sigh. Bruce gritted his teeth. Not only was Ryan involved in the explosion, but he kidnapped Princess Martha and extorted 100 million dors from Bruce. Although Bruce hadn¡¯t reported it to the police, it didn¡¯t mean he could take this lying down. Send Gift Chapter 357 Chapter 357 After a few minutes of contemtion, Bruce spoke solemnly, ¡°We can¡¯t stay in Greene Town any longer Let¡¯s go back to Greyport as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Joanna,e back with me. I¡¯m worried about you staying here alone.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately agreed. ¡°Andy, take care of the discharge procedures and arrange for a motorhome to transfer us to the hospital in Greyport.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett, Andy replied and immediately went out to handle the matter. Bruce had already recovered significantly after staying in the hospital for three days. However, he still felt slightly weak and was advised not to engage in stremtous activities. Soon enough, the discharge procedures werepleted, and Antly arranged the vehicle to transport them. Apanied by a specialized medical caregiver to ensure that any issues would be taken care of during the journey, Bruce entered the car. Joanna also got into the car and returned to Greyport together with Bruce. She had already spent around ten days in Greene Town. If she didn¡¯t return soon, she had no idea what might be happening there.. The car smoothly drove towards Greyport. A security vehicle followed closely behind. In Greyport. Two hourster, the group arrived in Greyport. ¡°Mr. Everett, shall I send you to Greyport Hospital first?¡± Bruce furrowed his brow. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go straight to Sherane Bay Vi.¡± He felt he had recovered sufficiently and didn¡¯t need to be hospitalized. Moreover, he had a family doctor and caregivers at home. It was much more convenient than being in the hospital. ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Um, please stop the car at the next intersection. I want to get off.¡± ¡°Joanna, it would be safer for you to stay at my ce at times like this.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯d rather go back home.¡± ¡°How are you going to take care of me?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t Greene Town. You¡¯re almost fully recovered now, and you have so many servants to take care of you. You don¡¯t need me to look after you.¡± Bruce still refused to let her go. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m worried about you!¡± ¡°If you stay there, who will protect you if Ryan finds trouble with you?¡± ¡°I can handle it. You don¡¯t have to worry. Besides, I have Tatiana by my side.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still too dangerous. Ryan ispletely unhinged now. Until he is apprehended, you should stay where I have arranged for you.¡± ¡°Trust me. I won¡¯t do anything to harm you. If you don¡¯t want to go to Sherane Bay Vi with me, you can stay at the old mansion or Reagan No. 8 Residence. Or¡­¡± Joanna furrowed her brow and shook her head. She still rejected Bruce¡¯s suggestion. It would be even more dangerous to live with him. If he were to confine her again, it would be disastrous. ¡°No, really! I have already asked Miranda to find a new ce, and I can move today.¡± Bruce Everett sighed helplessly. ¡°Joanna, why are you so stubborn? I don¡¯t want you to leave my sight. You must listen to my arrangements.¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, can¡¯t you stop being so domineering? Why do you always force others toply with your wishes? Joanna Haynes was highly displeased with this aspect of him. Seeing Joanna was about to get angry again, Bruce could only suppress his temper. ¡°Alright, fine. Do as you wish! If anything happens, don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Kody, just stop at that intersection.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± The driver answered and slowed down before turning into the specified intersection anding to a stop. ¡°Miss Haynes, we¡¯re here.¡± Bruce looked at Joanna in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get off now. Let me take you directly home.¡± ¡°Kody, go straight to Greenwick Residential Complex.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Twenty minutester. Kody parked the car at the entrance of Greenwick Residential Complex. ¡°Where are you moving to? I¡¯ll get my assistant to help you move.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle it myself. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Rest well and stop exerting yourself.¡±¡° Bruce fell silent momentarily and sighed again. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to force her. Joanna always used him of being too overbearing andcking respect for others. She also disliked his controlling nature, which was why she refused to return to his side. He wanted to try changing his temper and not push her too much. ¡°Bye. Call me if you need anything.¡± Then, Joanna got out of the car and went home with Tatiana. Soon, she arrived home. Miranda and Kelly had almost finished packing everything. The floor was filled with severalrge cardboard boxes and about six suitcases. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Since this was a rented house, they didn¡¯t have to move anyrge furniture apart from daily necessities and clothing. Miranda, who was busy packing, stopped her work when she saw Joanna return. Joanna casually responded, ¡°Yes. Is everything packed?¡± ¡°Everything is here. It¡¯s already packed!¡± ¡°Have you found a new house?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in Ona ce. The rent is slightly higher than this house, but it¡¯s safer and has better security measures.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Everything else is packed. Only your personal belongings are left. Do you want to pack them yourself, or should I do it for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pack them myself! You can focus on packing the rest.¡± Joanna did not like others touching her personal belongings. Therefore, whenever Miranda entered her room daily to clean and organize her clothes, she dared not simply touch her personal items. ¡°Alright!¡± Afterward, Joanna directed Miranda, Kelly, and Tracy to start moving. Ona ce was a high¨Cend residential area. It was about 30 kilometers away from their current location and on the other side. of Greyport. Although it was not in the city center, the environment was excellent, and many celebrities and wealthy individuals resided there. It was past eight in the evening. All the luggage was moved into their new home. Joanna had never seen the house before. It was her first time here. ¡°Joann, this is it! What do you think?¡± Joanna put down her bag and looked around. It was a duplex with two floors. Although the overall area was not asrge as the t they had before, having two separate levels provided more privacy. There were two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. The furniture and decoration were rtively new, making the ce look cozy. In addition, each person was assigned a key card. The security at the gate was strict. They did not allow outsiders or vehicles to enter. Even delivery drivers couldn¡¯t enter themunity. The privacy and security measures were well implemented. ¡°Hmm, not bad!¡± ¡°It has been cleaned. So we can move in right away.¡± Joanna went upstairs to the master bedroom. The interior design was beige, and there was arge balcony. When she opened the curtains, she could see the sea outside. Kelly and Tracy would share one room, while Miranda and Tatiana each had their own rooms. Overall, it was a perfect arrangement! After all, her children were not with her at the moment. In fact, having Miranda by her side to take care of things was enough. However, Joanna still hoped her children would eventuallye back to her. She didn¡¯t want to dismiss Tracy and Kelly, who had been caring for her children. She valued their presence. Miranda and the others were busy organizing their luggage downstairs. Joanna took a short break and habitually turned on herputer to check thepany documents. Beep, beep! Joanna called Ethan, the Vice President of the Haynes Group. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Ethan, inform everyone that I will be returning to thepany tomorrow. Schedule a meeting with all the directors and senior executives at 9 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Got it, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Has anything happened in thepany these past few days?¡± Ethan pondered briefly and replied with a hint of seriousness, ¡°Overall, there haven¡¯t been any major issues, but¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Mr. Hughes is preparing to resign from the board of directors and sell his shares. Hearing that, Joanna remained silent for nearly half a minute. ¡°What about Mr. Paul?¡± ¡°There haven¡¯t been any movements from Mr. Paul¡¯s side for now, but I think he¡¯s on the same page with Mr. Roger.¡± ¡°If Mr. Roger quits the board, he will definitely follow suit! Miss Haynes, you need to be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± After ending the call, Joanna took a deep breath and felt a heavy weight on her heart. She currently held only 41% of the shares, and if other shareholders united against her, she would really lose all her voice and final decision¨Cmaking power. However, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain herself without selling 10% of her shares. She could only take it step by step and see what they had in mind. Joanna was having a leadache when Miranda came up with a tray. ¡°Joann, you must be hungry. I brought you some food!¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not hungry. You can leave it for now.¡± Tears welled up in Miranda¡¯s eyes as she felt worried. ¡°Joann, at least eat a little. You¡¯ve been losing weight, and you need to take care of your health. Everything else is a minor issue.¡± ¡°I understand, Miranda! You can leave first. I have some work to do.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go down first. Remember to eat. Don¡¯t forget!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Joanna replied and went back to work. Seeing this, Miranda shook her head with concern before leaving the room helplessly. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 The next day. In the Everett Group. At nine in the morning, Joanna arrived at thepany punctually. In the conference room. Joanna pushed open the conference room¡¯s door. It was already filled with senior executives of the company. ¡°Miss Haynes, good morning!¡± ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± Joanna greeted briefly as she walked towards the head of the conference table and sat in her usual spot. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± ¡°Well, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Joanna nced at her watch, realizing it was already five past nine. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for them a bit.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Luna knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Roger just called to say that he¡¯s feeling unwell and won¡¯t be able to attend the meeting today.¡± Joanna furrowed her brows in response. ¡°Also, Mr. Roger called just now. He mentioned he had to deal with an urgent matter at home, and he can¡¯t attend the meeting today.¡± Joanna¡¯s brows furrowed even more when she heard that. It seemed that the two of them had nned it together. They intentionally skipped the board meeting. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we won¡¯t wait for them.¡± ¡°I appreciate everyone¡¯s hard work during my absence.¡± The senior executives lowered their heads and flipped through the documents in their hands. ¡°Miss Haynes, here¡¯s the performance overview of thepany during this period.¡± ¡°And also, these are the financial statements and a list of employees who have resigned.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set those aside for now.¡± Joanna turned on theputer projection and began the meeting with the management team. ¡°Starting today, I am officially back to work.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s meeting will focus on five points. Firstly, thepany may undergo a transformation. We will change our direction and focus our sales on Mossbourne.¡± ¡°Secondly, I suggest that the management team visit the second and third¨Ctier cities in Mossbourne for market research.¡± ¡°The consumer base in these cities is not inferior to that of the first¨Ctier cities. It is a vast consumer market that we must not overlook¡­¡± The meetingsted for over two hours. ¡°Does anyone have anything to add?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s conclude the meeting for today. Dismissed.¡± The management team gradually left the conference room. Joanna also returned to her office. A few executives couldn¡¯t help but discuss, ¡°The Haynes Group might really be going through a major change. I heard Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger are nning to resign from the board of directors!¡± ¡°We thought it was just a rumor, but seeing that they didn¡¯t attend the board meeting today, it seems they really are leaving.¡± The marketing manager chimed in. ¡°Wow, first Mr. Everett stepped down from the board, and now Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger are also leaving! Is the Haynes Group heading towards bankruptcy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so! After all, there¡¯s Miss Haynes and the new shareholders.¡± The marketing manager pursed her lips. ¡°A single tree cannot make a forest. Can Miss Haynes alone sustain such argepany? Besides, she doesn¡¯t seem actively involved in the management recently!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Even if Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul resign from the board of directors, there will be new shareholders.¡°) ¡°With the Haynes Group in its current state, who would be willing to take on this mess?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check the job postings tonight, just in case! We don¡¯t want to be caught off guard.¡± In the office. Beep, beep ¡°Hello, the person you are trying to reach is currently unavable. Please try againter¡­¡± Joanna tried calling Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul multiple times, but they refused to answer their phones. It was not until three o¡¯clock in the afternoon that Mr. Roger finally picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± Joanna felt a tightness in her chest but managed to steady her emotions. ¡°Uncle Roger, it¡¯s me. Joannal¡± ¡°Oh, I see. What¡¯s up?¡± Mr. Roger pretended to be dumb. ¡°Luna mentioned that you weren¡¯t feeling well, so I wanted to call and ask how you¡¯re doing now.¡± Mr. Roger hesitated briefly before politely responding, ¡°Oh, I was really feeling unwell in the morning. I¡¯m much better now. I can¡¯t help it. Getting olderes with headaches and heatwaves.¡± ¡°Please rest well, and don¡¯t overwork yourself. Take a break until you¡¯re feeling better and ready to return to work!¡± Mr. Rogerughed dryly. ¡°I might not be able to return for a while. I¡¯m nning to take some time off in Mostax to recuperate!¡± After a brief pause, Joanna gathered her thoughts and asked directly, ¡°Uncle Roger, I heard that you¡¯re nning to sell your shares. Is that true?¡± Mr. Roger hesitated a while before responding, ¡°Oh, I do have that n in mind!¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± Mr. Roger took a deep breath and pretended to say earnestly, ¡°Joann, Uncle Roger is getting old. I¡¯ve reached retirement age and don¡¯t want to deal with all this anymore!¡± ¡°Now, I only want to travel with my wife and enjoy our golden years. We¡¯ll leave the business matters to the younger generation like you to strive for sess!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank. ¡°But we¡¯ve been working together for so long. It would be a pity if you sold your shares.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way. How about you repurchase my shares? I¡¯ll sell them to you at the original price we agreed upon. Consider it my final contribution to the Haynes Group.¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna was at a loss for words and remained silent for quite some tim?. She didn¡¯t have enough money at the moment to repurchase his shares! ¡°Take some time to think about it. If you¡¯re not interested in repurchasing them, I¡¯ll have to sell them to someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll consider it, Uncle Roger. Please hold off on finding other buyers for now.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll give you a week to think it over.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t hear back from you by then, I¡¯ll sell them to anotherpany.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Mr. Roger didn¡¯t say much more and ended the call. Joanna heaved a sigh, feeling troubled and overwhelmed as she held her forehead. Ethan happened toe by. Noticing Joanna¡¯s worried expression, he asked with concern, ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna sighed faintly and replied softly, ¡°Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul are nning to leave the board of directors. I¡¯m afraid the Haynes Group might be acquired by anotherpany and eventually fall apart ¡°If we want to save the Haynes Group, we¡¯ll have to repurchase their shares.¡± Joanna felt a headacheing on. She didn¡¯t have enough liquid assets to repurchase their shares in the first ce! Hearing this, Ethan frowned solemnly. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s really troublesome.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ethan pondered for a moment before an idea struck him. He proposed, ¡°Miss Haynes, why not discuss with Caleb and see if he¡¯s willing to repurchase a portion of their shares?¡± ¡°If he agrees, you can share the burden with him. It¡¯s better than selling the shares to someone else, right?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes narrowed as she heard his suggestion. ¡°That could work. I¡¯ll go find him right away!¡± With that, Joanna immediately stood up and made her way to Caleb¡¯s office. Caleb was a new shareholder in thepany. He was a mixed businessman with strong financial resources. Five minutester. Joanna arrived at Caleb¡¯s office. Joanna immediately told him about the repurchase. Caleb was also very interested after hearing this. ¡°That sounds promising!¡± ¡°Are you agreeing to it then?¡± Caleb shrugged and shed her a gentlemanly smile. ¡°Hmm, perhaps¡­¡± ¡°But, I don¡¯t have the necessary funds at the moment either. So we need to raise money as well.¡± ¡°How about we pool our resources and raise the funds together? We can each repurchase half of their shares.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. Let me think of a solution.¡± As Joanna exited Caleb¡¯s office, she found herself facing another dilemma. Even if each of them repurchased half of the shares, it would still cost about 300 million dors per person. It was not a small sum. Joanna really did not know where to raise so much money in such a short time. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t you sell a portion of your shares and take back their shares first?¡± Ethan suggested. ¡°Sell my shares?¡± Joanna hesitated. She only had 41% of the shares in her hands now. If she sold more, it would reduce her stake in thepany even further. It would mean losing control as the majority shareholder and jeopardizing her decision¨Cmaking power within the Everett Group. ¡°Considering the current need for funds, it seems like the only option.¡± Joanna contemted, but after some calctions, she concluded that the risk was too high, and she couldn¡¯t afford to sell more shares. Noticing her hesitation, Ethan proposed an alternative. ¡°Miss Haynes, if you¡¯re not willing to sell them, you could consider using the shares as coteral at a bank.¡± ¡°Using the shares as coteral?¡± ¡°Yes, it might be a way to alleviate the immediate financial pressure. By securing a loan from the bank with the shares as coteral, we can buy ourselves some time and cushion the previous difficulties.¡± ¡°Once we ovee the current challenge and repay the bank loan, we can work on buying back the shares.¡± ¡°Otherwise, we can only watch as otherpanies acquire the Haynes Group!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it!¡± A weekter. Mr. Roger called again. ¡°Joann, have you made your decision?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve made up your mind, I¡¯ll sell the shares to you at the lowest price. But if you haven¡¯t, I¡¯ll have to look for other buyers.¡± ¡°Uncle Roger, give me some time to raise the funds.¡± ¡°Then you have to be quick. I won¡¯t keep on waiting!¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 After a week of careful consideration, Joanna rea lized she had no other choice. She had to sell her shares or take out a loan against them. There was no other way around it. *Sigh. I guess this is the only way. I have to find a way to solve the immediate crisis.¡± Joanna could not help but sigh and prepare to meet the bank¡¯s CEO in the afternoon. Ring, ring! Her phone rang. It was Jaydon. Joanna calmed down and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Jay.¡± Jaydon¡¯s gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. Joann, what are you doing now?¡± Joanna forced a smile. ¡°Tm at thepany.¡± ¡°How¡¯s everything going? Nothing major, I hope?¡± ¡°No, nothing major. Don¡¯t worry.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. If anythinges up, be sure to let me know!¡± ¡°Got it. How¡¯s your recovery going?¡± ¡°The doctor said that I¡¯m recovering well! I might be able to recoverpletely soon.¡± Joanna felt happy about Jaydon¡¯s progress. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! I¡¯lle pick you up then!¡± ¡°Joann, if anything is going on, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Make sure to let me know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I will!¡± Joanna reassured him. She hesitated briefly but decided not to tell Jaydon about her n. After all, 300 million dors was a significant amount, and even if Jaydon was willing to help her, she didn¡¯t want to burden him with that. ¡°Alright then, take care. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Jay, I miss you.¡± ¡°Silly, I miss you too!¡± Soon, Joanna had a meeting with the CEO of Gitibank. Since it was a mortgage loan, they had to follow the market¡¯s rate, which was 40%. Therefore, if she needed a loan of 300 million dors, she would have to mortgage 30% of the After thinking for two days, Joanna decided to go all out. She would mortgage her own shares and use the funds to buy back the shares from Mr. Roger. This was the only method to deal with the situation now. That would be ideal if their n worked. However, if there were any issues with the loan and the funding chain was broken, things would be troublesome. ¡°Uncle Roger, I am in the process of raising funds. The bank¡¯s approval may take about two months.¡± ¡°Please wait for another two more months!¡± Hearing this. Mr. Roger reluctantly agreed, ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Only two months. If you miss the deadline, I won¡¯t wait for you any longer.¡± ¡°Yes, I got it!¡± Meanwhile, Caleb was also raising funds to repurchase his shares. In the end, there would only be two shareholders in thepany. Joanna would hold 56% of the shares, while Caleb would have 44%. In the Everett Group! After a week of rest, Bruce¡¯s body had almost recovered. In the office. Bruce was engrossed in his work when Andy knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Without looking up, Bruce asked in a monotone voice, ¡°What is it?¡± Andy looked worried as he said, ¡°Mr. Everett, Princess Martha has been calling me incessantly. She has also sent me numerous text messages. It¡¯s driving me crazy. Perhaps you should call her back?¡± Bruce had been avoiding Princess Martha¡¯s calls all this time. Meanwhile, she had been bombarding Andy with phone calls and had sent him over a thousand text messages! ¡°Mr. Everett, take a look at these messages. They are all from Princess Martha. It¡¯s really¡­ quite concerning.¡± ¡°If you continue to ignore her, I¡¯m afraid she might do something rash!¡± Bruce took a nce at his phone. The messages from Princess Martha were filled with deep sadness, and the more he read them, the more annoyed he was. A saying once went. ¡°It¡¯s too easy to pick up girls, but it¡¯s not easy to break out with them!¡± He really could not understand why women would resort to such lowly means to hold on to men. Didn¡¯t they realize that men have a rebellious streak in their bones? The more they try to win them back in a submissive manner, the faster men will run away! ¡°Ignore her!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Andy responded helplessly and turned to leave. ¡°Ring, ring!¡± Bruce picked up the phone and called Joanna. ¡°Hello, Bruce,¡± Joanna answered the call. Bruce cleared his throat. ¡°Joanna, what are you doing?¡± Joanna paused. ¡°I¡¯m at the office. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well, are you free today?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes. She would definitely refuse if he said he wanted to invite her for a meal. ¡°Well, I want to discuss the children¡¯s return to the country with h you.¡± Joanna immediately softened upon hearing this. ¡°Are you nning to bring the children back to the country?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we discuss that and arrange it together?¡± Joanna frowned, feeling somewhat puzzled. ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me over the phone?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not something that can be exined over the phone.¡± Joanna fell silent. She wasn¡¯t particrly keen on meeting Bruce, especially not alone! Sensing Joanna¡¯s hesitation, Bruce tentatively suggested, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s meet at a family restaurant and have a good chat ¡°When the childrene back, let¡¯s pick them up together! We need to discuss whether they should study abroad or in the country.¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Blue Pavilion at 6 pm this afternoon.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hang up now. Let¡¯s talk when we meet.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± After hanging up, a smile appeared on Bruce¡¯s lips. He then went to the changing room and showered before changing into clean clothes. He tidied himself up carefully. At 5:30 PM, Bruce drove to the building of the Haynes Group. ¡°Ring, ring!¡± Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. ¡°Hello. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce paused. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to have dinner together?¡± When Joanna heard this, she said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been busy and almost forgot.¡± ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯lle straight to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m downstairs at your office now.¡± ¡°Oh, give me a moment. I¡¯ll be right down.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Twenty minutester. Joanna carried her bag and hurried downstairs. As usual, she wore a white professional suit, with ck¨Cframed sses and her hair casually flowing over her shoulders. She didn¡¯t put on any makeup, not even lipstick. On the other hand, Bruce was dressed in a well¨Cfitted suit, his hair neatly styled. He looked formal as if attending an important event. Joanna opened the car door and got in. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Bruce sized Joanna up. ¡°You¡¯re going like that?¡± Stunned, Joanna asked. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly. Then, he started the car and drove towards Blue Pavilion. Joanna looked beautiful. Even without makeup, she still had the power to captivate others. However, the problem was that women usually were worried about their appearance and would want to present themselves well on a date. It showed that she cared about the person she was meeting. Joanna clearly didn¡¯t care about the date with him at all now! In the car. Joanna subconsciously asked, ¡°Have you told the kids? When are theying back?¡± Silence followed as Bruce drove without responding. Joanna continued, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen the kids. I miss them so much! I don¡¯t even know what they look like now. Did they grow taller?¡± ¡°Bruce, when the kids return, can you let them stay at my ce for a few days?¡± Again, Bruce remained silent, his face devoid of any expression. ¡°Sigh, Lilia is allergic, and I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t adjust well to a new ce! I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯ve lost weight!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes in annoyance. Joanna Haynes didn¡¯t mention anything about him in her three sentences. She was all focused on the kids. It truly irritated him. He had just recovered from his illness, but she didn¡¯t even ask how he was doing, if he was feeling better, or if anything was bothering him It was clear that she no longer cared about him. Seeing Bruce keeping quiet, Joanna sighed, pushed her sses up, and decided to remain silent too. Bruce was about to speak when Joanna interjected. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, and you¡¯re ignoring me. How can we continue the conversation?¡± ¡°What do you want to have for dinner?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± Bruce choked in anger. ¡°We¡¯re here. You can get out now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The doorman came over and opened the door, and Joanna stepped out of the car. They were at Greyport¡¯s most high¨Cend restaurant. ¡°Bruce, we could have just talked about the children¡¯s matters withouting to a ce like this for dinner.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t wee here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°I already told you we¡¯reing here for dinner!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Joanna ordered a steak and sd, while Bruce ordered lobster and caviar. Send Gift Comment Chapter 360 Chapter 360 After a while, the steak and lobster were served. The top¨Cgrade N5 Wagyu beef melted in Joanna¡¯a mouth with a rich and vorful aroma. The texture was delicate, like a savory ice cream Joanna hadn¡¯t eaten lunch, so she was pretty hungry now. She picked up her knife and fork and started devouring the food. Bruce had ordered some Australian lobster with cheesy pasta ¡°Would you like some wine?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t even look up as she stuffed a piece of Wagyu beef into her mouth. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be driving later. Besides, you have at sensitive stomach right now, so it¡¯s better to drink less alcohol.¡± Bruce lifted his ss of lemon water and took a sip, feeling somewhat disappointed. He had intended to have a candlelit dinner with her and create a romantic atmosphere. Maybe even enjoy some wine to stimte their hormones. However, it didn¡¯t seem like she thought of it as a date at all. He was dressed primly while she was in her professional attire. It felt more like a business discussion than a date, and it made him ufortable. Every time Joanna met Jaydon, she would dress up femininely and sweetly, radiating charm and beauty. But whenever she met him, she had to be serious and formal. ¡°Why are you eating so fast?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Joanna suddenly raised her head and looked at Bruce in confusion. Bruce picked up his fork and ced a piece of lobster onto her te. ¡°What I mean is, we can take our time and enjoy the meal. No need to rush.¡± ¡°I still have work to attend to when we get back. So, what do you want to talk about? Just go straight to the point.¡± Bruce¡¯s movements paused, and his face fell. ¡°Can¡¯t you just be present and have a proper meal with me?¡± Joanna remained silent. If it were just about having a meal, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted toe out in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the kids back next Saturday.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Joanna subconsciously stopped using her knife and fork. Bruce smiled faintly. ¡°Yes. Would you like to join me in picking them up?¡± ¡°At the airport?¡± Bruce ced a piece of lobster in his mouth and replied, ¡°No, at Surbano.¡± Joanna hesitated. She felt conflicted about the idea. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She could definitely make time to pick up the kids at the airport. However, if it involved flying to Surbano, it would take at least two to three days. She couldn¡¯t possibly free herself up with thepany being so busy. Seeing Joanna hesitating, Bruce raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to go? I thought you really wanted to see the children.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered as she replied with a heavy heart, ¡°I want to, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have time to fly to Surbano to pick up the kids ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better for me to go to the airport after the kids return.¡± Before Joanna could finish speaking, Bruce frowned. ¡°Joanna, is work more important, or are the children more important?¡± ¡°Both are important, of course.¡± Bruce coldly snorted with a tinge of anger in his voice. ¡°If you¡¯re not going, I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Seeing that Bruce was angry, Joanna quickly changed her statement. ¡°Um, I need to arrange my work and see if I can make time. ¡°If I can, I¡¯ll go with you. But If I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll meet them at the airport when they return. Is that okay?¡± 1/3 11-201 Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Up to you¡± Tm just letting you know. Whether you go or not is entirely up to you¡± After saying that, Bruce kept his head down and continued cating Joanna fell silent too. Neither of them said a word. They silently ate their food In the restaurant, other diners were enjoying their meals. A middle¨Caged woman whispered, ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that Mr. Everett and Joanna Haynes?¡± Herpanion, a middle¨Caged man, nced over and replied, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really them.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they already divorced? Why are they on a date together? I thought Mr. Everett was dating Princess Martha of Novia.¡± ¡°Oh, having a meal together doesn¡¯t necessarily mean anything. After all, they have children together. They can¡¯t avoid seeing each other.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is quite adies¡® man, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s entangled with his ex¨Cwife while dating Princess Martha. On top of that, he¡¯s involved with Miss Garcia, the wealthy heiress! This love square is quite intriguing!¡± ¡°Hmph. a man of his wealth will have a whole harem. This is just what¡¯s been exposed. Who knows how many mistresses he has behind the scenes!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Half an hourter, Bruce and Joanna had finished their meal. Throughout the entire time, they ignored each other. Just like that, they finished the meal in silence. Joanna looked at the time. It was almost eight o¡¯clock. Finally breaking the silence, she said. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should go.¡± ¡°Alright. Where are you staying now? I¡¯ll send you home!¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just drop me off at the office. I still have some unfinished business that I need to take care of¡± Bruce felt a pang in his heart upon hearing her response. ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s already 8 o¡¯clock. It¡¯s past office hours. What are you still going to do at the office?¡± ¡°I have some things to finish today. I need to go back and take care of them.¡± Bruce choked and couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything more to her. He knew Joanna was fully absorbed in her work now. and there was no point in trying to persuade her. After settling the bill, they got up and walked together toward the underground parking lot. ¡°Get in the car.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna opened the passenger door and got into the car. In the car, Bruce Everett drove with a bitter smile. ¡°Joanna, I can¡¯t help but feel like you¡¯re busier than me!¡± Joanna Haynes fell silent when she heard that. She didn¡¯t consider herself any less busy than him. His subordinates were all the world¡¯s top talents who could help him earn money. He only needed to sign documents, attend meetings, and make appearances. Although he was busy, he didn¡¯t have to be physically present at thepany for everything to be handled smoothly by his capable staff. It was different for her. Many tasks required her personal attention. While she had a fewpetent individuals working for her, most were simply coasting along. ¡°The night view by the seaside is beautiful. Let¡¯s take a walk.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t make me repeat myself¡± ¡°Suit yourself¡± Joanna sighed, feeling weary as she leaned back in the car seat. Bruce Everett drove along the coastal road, heading towards the beach. This area was the highest point in Greyport. It offered a panoramic view of the city and the sea. The road was adorned with scenic views and dazzling neon lights. When feeling overwhelmed, a drive along the coastline could lift one¡¯s spirits and bring joy. 20 minutester, Bruce subconsciously nced at Joann. He realized she was motionlessly leaning against the seat and seemed to have fallen asleep! Joanna¡­ Bruce called out softly. Joanna was exhausted, and thebination of a full meal and a car ride made her sleepy. She had fallen asleep without realizing it. Bruce found a spot and parked the car steadily by the seaside without waking her up. Joanna slept for over an hour before abruptly jolting awake. She rubbed her eyes and looked around in a daze. ¡°Oh my, how did I fall asleep?¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and nced at the time. It was already past 10 pm. When she looked over to the driver¡¯s seat, Bruce was nowhere to be seen. Yawning, Joanna Haynes pushed open the car door and got out.. Though it was nighttime, there were streetlights on both sides of the road. Joanna scanned her surroundings. He saw Bruce standing on a reef by the sea. He was looking at the night scenery in the distance and smoking silently His tall figure stood against the wind, appearing lost in thought. ¡°Bruce!¡± Joanna called out as she walked toward him. Without turning around, Bruce asked calmly, ¡°Are you awake?¡± Joanna was a little embarrassed and replied vaguely, ¡°Oh, I¡­ I was too tired just now and identally fell asleep.¡± ¡°What is this ce?¡± ¡°Silver Ocean Avenue,¡± Bruce replied calmly. Joanna joined him on the reef, taking in the surroundings. It was a peculiar location. It was situated between the seaside and a mountain road. Looking down, they could see the bustling city lights and the fishing port. ¡°The view is not bad. How did you discover this ce?¡± ¡°When I was younger and feeling down, I used toe here to watch the sea,¡± Bruce squinted his eyes and took another drag of his cigarette. Joanna coughed as she inhaled some second¨Chand smoke. ¡°Smoking is bad for your health. Don¡¯t smoke so much.¡± Upon hearing her cough, Bruce silently extinguished his cigarette. There were already more than ten cigarette butts on the ground, indicating that he had smoked half a pack in the past hour. Joanna nced at Bruce and suddenly felt an indescribable sensation in her heart. Under the hazy streetlights, his profile resembled a sculpture, with sharp features and a few strands of hair on his forehead blown slightly out of ce. She had to admit that he was really handsome. Send Gift Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Comment Even now, she still felt her heart palpitate. Joanna took a deep breath. Her cheeks were still a little hot. She hurriedly retracted her gaze and did not dare to look at Bruce. ¡°It¡¯s still quite cold here. Let¡¯s go back!¡± With that, Joanna wanted to walk back, but she identally missed her step. ¡°Ouch!¡± Bruce reacted quickly and reached out to hold her waist. ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Joanna replied in a daze, and her heart beat even faster. However, Bruce did not let go. His arms were still around her waist, holding her in his arms. There seemed to be two mas in his eyes. He stared at Joanna deeply, giving her goosebumps all over her body. The next second, Bruce lowered his head and kissed her lips! Joanna was a little at a loss. Before she could react, her lips had already been kissed. This time, Bruce¡¯s movements were very gentle and lingering! He was very serious and engrossed. Unknowingly, Joanna had been drenched in it and allowed him to kiss her deeper and deeper. Two minutester, Joanna shuddered and woke up from Bruce¡¯s tenderness. Bruce was a troublesome demon. Why was she dragged into the magicwork by him again? ¡°Well, let go¡­¡± Joanna came back to her senses and tried her best to push him away! She had already agreed to Jaydon¡¯s proposal. She could not have anything to do with Bruce anymore. Joanna. Two balls of fire were burning in Bruce¡¯s eyes! Joanna took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself down. ¡°Bruce, we should go back!¡± After saying that, Joanna pushed him away stiffly and turned to walk to the car! Unfortunately, it was toote. Bruce took a few steps forward, bent down, and carried her horizontally! Joanna¡¯s body suddenly felt light, and she screamed in fear, ¡°Oh! Let go of me! Don¡¯t do this!¡± Bruce hugged her and walked toward the car. ¡°Joanna. I love you. I really love you! ¡°I can¡¯t control myself. Give me another chance!¡± Bruce stuffed her into the backseat of the car! Then, the back seat of the car was ttened, and Bruce squeezed into the back seat. The narrow space made it impossible for her to escape. ¡°No, Bruce, let go¡­¡± Joanna tried her best to push him away! Unfortunately, how could Bruce, who was already on fire, let her off so easily? Her clothes were torn! Bruce was like a hungry beast, ruthlessly devouring its prey! One bite after another! For the entire night¡­. She could no longer remember how many bites he had taken! In the morning, there were beeping sounds! Joanna¡¯s phone vibrated! Joanna jolted awake from her exhaustion! Every morning, Jaydon would call her! ¡°Oh my god!¡± Joanna didn¡¯t dare to answer the call at all. Her entire body felt like it was falling apart 1/4 11:321 Her entire neck was covered in bruises, and there were luckeys everywhere! She knew it She knew that meeting Bruce alone was very dangerous! Regardless of whether she was willing or not, he had a way to force her to be willing! Moreover, he was really difficult to deal with. After being pestered by him, she could not escape at all. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Bruce smiled lovingly and contentedly, reaching out to hug her. It felt so goodst night! It was stronger than ever before! For a moment, he even felt that he and Joanna were a couple in love! ¡°Beep, beep, beep!¡± The phone vibrated again! Joanna leaved a sigh of relief and helplesslybed the messy hair on her forehead. At this moment, she did not dare to answer Jaydon¡¯s call at all! Especially since that bastard Bruce was still by her side. Once the call was picked up, he would say nonsense to Jaydon. Looking at Joanna¡¯s nervous expression, Bruce also realized that it might be Jaydon calling. Immediately, he frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s calling¡± Joanna replied in frustration, ¡°Bruce, send me back quickly!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice turned gloomy, saying. I¡¯m asking who¡¯s calling you¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Is it Jaydon calling?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened, and he suddenly sat up from the back seat. Joanna was a little out of her wits. She really did not want to have anything to do with Bruce anymore! But every time, she could not resist his pestering! ¡°Bruce, I told you, this has nothing to do with you! Please send me back now!¡± Bruce choked in anger, asking. How is it none of my business¡® Joanna, admit it! You still love me! ¡°There¡¯s no love between you and Jaydon Why do you have to lie to yourself like this?¡± As Bruce spoke, he dragged Joanna over and pressed her against the car seat. His malicious eyes were fixed on hers. He did not believe that she did not love him. Last night, although she was very resistant, he knew that she had feelings for him. It was something for sure. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t say it anymore. It¡¯s over between us¡­¡± ¡°Over It¡¯s impossible for us to be over in this lifetime Unless I die!¡± ¡°Give me your phone!¡± Bruce said and snatched the phone from her hand. He wanted to tell Jaydon that Joanna was with himst night. Moreover, they had sex. ¡°Bruce, please, don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t do this! Joanna was so nervous that she was about to cry. She held the phone tightly. Unfortunately, Bruce had already snatched the phone away! ¡°Bruce, if you dare to answer the call, I will never forgive you for the rest of my life.¡± Bruce was stunned. He looked at Joanna sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t make me hate you. Please don¡¯t interfere in the matter between me and Jay Tears filled Joanna¡¯s eyes as she spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Jay saved my life. Please don¡¯t hurt him!¡± Bruce choked again! In the end, he did not press the answer button The call ended immediately Bruce took a few deep breaths ¡°Joanna, what are you thinking? Do you think it¡¯s fair for you to treat Jaydon like this? ¡°You don¡¯t even love hum Why are you lying to yourself?¡± Bruce, please don¡¯t ask about my private matters! Please send me back now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce tidied up his clothes resentfully Along the way, Jaydon called twice again, but Joanna did not answer. In the Haynes Group, when they returned to thepany, Joanna hurriedly tidied up her clothes and walked toward the office. There was a washroom in the offer. Joanna entered the washroom and washed her entire body Thinking back tost night, she hated herself so much. She knew that Bruce was a dangerous demon. She shouldn¡¯t have gone out alone with him. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She had just taken a shower when the call came in again. Joanna changed her clothes and finally picked up ¡°Hello, Jay Jaydon¡¯s worried voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Joann, why aren¡¯t you answering your phone?¡± Joanna hesitated and said. ¡°Oh, I slept tootest night. I was rushing to work today, so I didn¡¯t hear the call!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Joanna replied guiltily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you cold?¡± Through the video call, Jaydon saw Joanna wearing a thick coat and a silk scarf around her neck. ¡°Oh. I caught a cold! That¡¯s why I¡¯m wearing thicker clothes,¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered. She did not dare to look at Jaydon at all. Her neck and body were all covered in hickeys left by Bruce! This bastard loved this the most! ¡°Jay. I¡­ I need to go. I have a meeting soon! I¡¯ll call youter!¡± Jaydon was stunned for a moment. ¡°Oh, oh, okay then!¡± ¡°Mm, you should rest early too! Don¡¯t worry about me and get well.¡± Because of the time difference, it was still night over there! ¡°Got it! Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Joann, I love you. Wait for me!¡± Jaydon hesitated for three seconds before expressing his love. Joanna gulped. ¡°I love you too. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll miss you!¡± ¡°Oh my god, a security guard saw today that it was Mr. Everett who sent Miss Haynes here!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yest And Mr. Everett was driving personally!¡± ¡°Hey, do you think they might have been togetherst night?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. It¡¯s not impossible they were together.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, this rtionship is getting more and more chaotic. Who is Mr. Everett dating? I can¡¯t understand this!¡± ¡°Come on, what¡¯s so hard to understand? They used to be husband and wife, after all! Didn¡¯t you hear that halt of the ex¨Cwife¡¯s bed is reserved for her ex¨Chusband?¡± ¡°So, when you marry a woman who had been married, you have to see if she and her ex¨Chusband havepletely broken up* ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not scary to buy a second¨Chand car. The scariest thing is that its previous owner still has the key!¡± ¡°Stop saying that!¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 In the office, Joanna put her hands in her hair, feeling extremely heavy and dejected. She did not dare to recall the scenest night! Although she refused to admit that she still loved Bruce, her instinctive reaction had sold her out. How would she have fallen for him unknowinglyst night if she did not love him? And she would not hug him tightly when she lost control and had such strong feelings for him. ¡°Beep, beep, beep.¡± The phone vibrated again. Joanna shuddered and hurriedly looked at the phone. She had been really busy these past few days. Countless calls came in every day. ¡°Hey, Cora.¡± Cora¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Miss Haynes, the advancementpetition is the day after tomorrow. If you are avable, you shoulde.¡± Joanna only came back to her senses after hearing that. Recently, she had been busy with Greyport and had forgotten about Greene Town. ¡°Is the advancementpetition the day after tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already the fifth episode. The contestants will enter the top 16 the day after tomorrow. This episode is rather important. It concerns the list of contestants who will advance. It¡¯s best if youe over.¡± The sponsors had squeezed in half of the spots. There were only seven spots left to make the final 16 on merit. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Joanna nned to add eight more slots for the capable contestants. Therefore, it was best for her to go to the venue personally. Joanna was more awake and was quite worried. ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been almost three months since the registration round.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. If I¡¯m avable the day after tomorrow, I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± ¡°Is there anything going on in Greene Town? We have to take safety measures to ensure the safety of the contestants.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry! The person in charge of CDTV has found a special security guard to protect the scene. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for something like that to happen again.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± After hanging up, Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She was still a little worried. There was still no news of Ryan, and the police had been searching for him. ¡°I wonder how Dad is doing now? Will he be unable to take this blow? ¡°I¡¯d better go and see him!¡± she thought to herself. After finishing her work in the morning, at around two in the afternoon, Joanna called the Haynes family¡¯s nanny, Fantine, to ask about Sha ording to Fantine, Shaun had been staying in the hospital ever since Ryan¡¯s ident. His condition had worsened. After she got the address of the hospital, Joanna drove to the hospital with Tatiana. At the hospital, at around three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Joanna arrived with bags of nutritional supplements. When Fantine saw Joanna, she hurriedly came forward to greet her, ¡°Miss Joanna, you¡¯re here?¡± Joanna¡¯s tone was solemn as she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my dad?¡± ¡°Mr. Haynes is in the ward now!¡± ¡°How¡¯s he now? Is he seriously ill?¡± Fantine sighed faintly. ¡°Oh, Miss Joanna, you¡¯ll know when you go in and take a look!¡± 1/4 ¡°Why are you the only one guarding here?¡± ¡°Mr. Derick is sloppy all day and doesn¡¯t care about Mr. Haynes¡¯s life and death. Mr. Ryan has be like this again. There¡¯s no one in charge of the Haynes family now! ¡°The servants have resigned voluntarily now, so I¡¯m the only one left.¡± As Fantine spoke, her eyes could not help but turn red. Derick was a wastrel! Even though such an incident had happened at home, he still did not forget to eat, drink, and have fun. He had already squandered most of the family¡¯s assets. Now that Shaun was so sick, they could not even afford to pay the servants¡® sries. The other servants had all left. Fantine had been working in the Haynes family for nearly 20 years, so she had stayed. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see my daddy!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Creak!¡± Joanna pushed open the door of the ward. In the ward, Shauny on the hospital bed in a daze. He had gray hair at the temples. His face was very gray, and his eyes were empty and numb. He looked like he had aged a lot. Seeing this, Joanna could not help but feel bad in her heart. She gently walked to the bed and said, ¡°Dad¡­¡± When Shaun heard this, he rolled his eyes slightly. He saw Joanna and his turbid eyes suddenly lit up before darkening again. ¡°Joann, Shaun called out hoarsely. He had a severe cerebral infarction and was half paralyzed. Coupled with the fact that he had been agitated, he slurred even more. He could only lie in bed to recuperate. Joanna endured the pain in her heart and said gently, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here to visit you!¡± Shaun rolled his eyes, and turbid tears flowed from the corners of his eyes. He no longer had any ability. With all these messy things happening at home, he was already too weak to care about anything. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Shaun opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t even finish his sentence. ¡°Dad, rest well, and don¡¯t think too much!¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­ Shaun couldn¡¯t help but sob.. Seeing this, Joanna felt even worse. She knew what her father wanted to say, but she didn¡¯t know how tofort him other than to ask him to get better and not. to worry. It was a pity that Ryan had done such a thing! She was not the police, nor did she have the ability to redeem him. Shaun did not expect the obedient boy he had always been proud of to be so bold as to hurt someone with a gun and install a bomb in his sister¡¯s car. Now that he had be a wanted criminal, Shaun hoped he would escape overseas and never return. Otherwise, he would probably be imprisoned for life once he was caught. ¡°Joann, Daddy might not make it¡­ Roxy¡­¡± Shaun struggled to utter a few words, and his face turned purple! Joanna understood that her father was worried about Roxanne. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry! ¡°I¡­ will take care of Roxanne. I won¡¯t let her stay in the mental hospital for the rest of her life!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± When Shaun heard this, his body rxed. He was finally relieved! He knew very well that Derick was a wastrel and wouldn¡¯t take care of Roxanne. Although Joanna was not on good terms. with Roxanne, she was still much better than Derick. ¡°Dad, rest well. I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± Shaun reached out with a trembling hand, wanting to hold Joanna¡¯s hand. Unfortunately, after trying it for a long time, he still could not lift it. Seeing this, Joanna took the initiative to hold Shaun¡¯s hand. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t think so much. The most important thing is to recuperate! ¡®I¡¯ll check on Roxy this afternoon and send her some daily necessities.¡± ¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shaun responded with difficulty. After visiting her dad, Joanna walked out of the hospital in a heavy mood. ¡°Tatiana, go to Quin Sanatorium!¡± Tatiana was driving. She was stunned when she heard that. ¡°Miss Haynes, what are you going there for?¡± Joanna sighed and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look at Roxanne. I haven¡¯t seen her for so long. I want to see how she¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Tatiana drove straight to Quin Sanatorium! An hourter, they arrived at Quin Sanatorium. This was thergest mental hospital in Greyport. It was located in the remote suburbs, and the people locked inside were all abnormal! ¡°Who do you want to visit?¡± ¡°I want to see Roxanne Haynes.¡± ¡°Roxanne Haynes?¡± The nurse from the mental hospital looked up at Joanna. ¡°Come with me.¡± After registration, Joanna followed the nurse to the ward. ¡°You can go in! Wait here for a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Joanna looked around. Other than a table, there were only two chairs. After waiting for about five minutes, the door was pushed open. A nurse came in with a woman in a striped hospital gown. ¡°Roxanne!¡± When Joanna saw this, her eyes widened. She could hardly recognize the person in front of her. The once proud and beautiful little princess had changed. Her hair had been cut down to her ears, like a schoolgirl. She had also gained weight and looked puffy and wooden. Her spirit was even more lifeless. Joanna sighed. ¡°Roxy, do you still know me?¡± Roxanne raised her head in a daze. She tilted her head and sized up Joanna. Then, she shook her head in a daze. Seeing this, Joanna felt even worse! If she could, she didn¡¯t want to be enemies with anyone. They were the ones who pressed on step by step. In the end, they ended up in such a situation. What a pity! ¡°These food are for you!¡± Joanna quickly handed the things she bought to Roxanne. Roxanne held it in her hand in a daze. She hummed and did not say anything. After staying in the ward for a few minutes, Joanna felt suffocated! ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯ll visit you another day when I¡¯m free.¡± Seeing that Joanna was about to leave, Roxanne suddenly called out weakly, ¡°Joanna.¡± Joanna was stunned and did not know what to say. Roxanne looked at Joanna pitifully. ¡°Joanna, I don¡¯t want to stay here. Can you take me away?¡± Joanna held her breath and looked at Roxanne with aplicated expression. Send Gift Comment Chapter 363 Chapter 363 If she was just being Joanna¡¯s younger sister and had no ill intentions towards Joanna, of course, Joanna was willing to take her away and take care of her for the rest of her life. However, now, Joanna wasn¡¯t sure how much Roxanne Haynes¡¯s condition had improved. Even though Roxanne¡¯s eyes looked as harmless as a doe, Joanna knew that Roxanne was very smart and was even better at pretending. Perhaps she had already recovered and was just pretending to be sick! ¡°Roxy, when you have recovered, I will definitely take you away from here.¡± When Roxanne heard this, her expression became even more pitiful. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m really not sick!¡± I¡¯m begging you. Get me out of here. I swear, I¡¯ll be good. I¡¯ll be really good¡­¡± Roxanne suddenly became agitated and wanted to grab Joanna. ¡°Roxy!¡± Two nurses hurried into the room. ¡°Ms. Haynes. Visiting hours are over. We have to take her back to the ward.¡± When Roxanne heard this, she became even more agitated. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I want to go out. I don¡¯t want to stay here! I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m not sick¡­¡± ¡°Give her a tranquilizer shot to calm her down!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± one of the nurses replied and she hurried off to get the tranquilizer. When Roxanne heard this, she cried even more pitcously. ¡°Joanna, please take me away. I won¡¯t fight with you for Bruce anymore. I don¡¯t want anything! ¡°I just want to leave this ce, Joanna. Please take me with you!¡± Two nurses stepped forward and held Roxanne down firmly. Then, they injected the tranquilizer into her arm! Soon, Roxanne¡¯s body went limp and she fell asleep meekly. After watching this silently for a while, Joanna could not help inhaling deeply and a chill ran down her spine.. People who were admitted into a mental hospital would still be treated as mental health patients even if they weren¡¯t mentally ill. Back then, in order to get Roxanne off the hook, Shaun Haynes deliberately said that she had mental health issues and sent her to a mental hospital. From the looks of it, Roxanne did seem to have some mental disorder. Joanna¡¯s skin was numb as she walked out of the mental hospital somewhat in a daze. ¡°Miss Haynes, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Joanna replied in a leaden voice. Thereafter, Joanna quietly got into the car. Along the way, her mood was extremely downcast and depressed. Roxanne had been warded in the mental hospital for almost a year. To be honest, Joanna¡¯s hatred for Roxanne was no longer that deep anymore. If Roxanne was willing to repent sincerely and if she no longer wanted to harm others, Joanna would not go against her anymore, and more than that, she would not lower herself to Roxanne¡¯s level. ¡°Miss Haynes, where do you wish to go now?¡± Joanna looked at her watch. It was not even five o¡¯clock yet. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the office!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± An hourter, at the office of the Haynes Group. Joanna arrived at the office with a lot on her mind. As soon as she reached the reception, Luna hurriedly came up to her and said anxiously, ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re finally back! Mr. Everett is here. He¡¯s been waiting for you for almost an hour!¡± Joanna was shocked and speechless when she heard that! ¡°Mr. Everett is in your office now. You¡¯d better rush there at once!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Who let him in?¡± Luna had a worried look on her face and said in a timid voice, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett wanted to force his way in. We dared not stop him at all!¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned and walked toward the office. tter! Joanna swung the office door open aggressively. In the office, Bruce Everett sat leisurely in Joanna¡¯s seat with his two legs crossed on the desk. He was flipping through the contracts and documents on her desk in boredom. ¡°Bruce Everett, why are you here?¡± Upon hearing this, Bruce put down the stack of documents in his hand and smiled at Joanna suggestively. ¡°Can¡¯t Ie?¡± Joanna¡¯s face clouded over and she said sternly. ¡°Leave at once. You¡¯re no longer a director of the Joanna, why do you have to be so distant with me?¡± ¡°Last night, we were clearly very happy. Look at how you scratched my back. It¡¯s covered in nail scratches¡­¡± Before he could finish, Joanna waspletely enraged. ¡°Stop talking and leave at once!¡± ¡°Joanna!¡± Bruce immediately stood up and reached out to pull her into his arms. Upon seeing this, Joanna took a few steps back to evade his clutches. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t behave in this manner anymore. Now please leave my office immediately.¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds and then he clicked his tongue. ¡°Joanna, do you have to be so stubborn? I¡¯ve already lowered myself to this level to win you back. Can¡¯t you cut me some ck and meet me halfway?¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even more furious and speechless. She red at Bruce icily and said, ¡°Bruce, you really don¡¯t have to win me back! It¡¯s over between us. Please don¡¯t harass me here in the future.¡± ¡°You clearly still love me. Why are you so resistant to me? What did I do wrong to make you hate me so much?¡± Bruce took a few steps forward and frowned deeply. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything anymore. Get out now!¡± Bruce grabbed Joanna¡¯s wrist and pulled her into his arms abruptly. Then, he pinned her firmly on the desk. ¡°Joanna, what do I have to do before you are willing to forgive me? ¡°I know I made a mistake in the past. Can we let bygones be bygones? Let us start over? ¡°Let¡¯s start from scratch. Give me a chance and give yourself a chance as well!¡± Joanna struggled helplessly, trying to break free from his restraint. ¡°Enough talking already. I don¡¯t want to listen to your nonsense anymore! The person I love isn¡¯t you. Don¡¯t pester me anymore.¡± Bruce gave a scornful snort. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± After saying that, he lowered his head and kissed her lips forcibly. ¡°Oof¡­¡± Joanna opened her mouth and bit him viciously. Bruce was stunned momentarily and he raised his head. p! Joanna pushed him away and gave him a vicious p! Bruce calmed downpletely and his two eyes stared at Joanna with a sinister expression. ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t love you anymore. Please stop showering me with your unwanted affection! ¡°Last night, it was you who force yourself on me! All humans have physiological reactions. Please don¡¯t take human¡¯s instinctive behavior to be love!¡± ¡°Joanna¡­¡± After saying that, Joanna turned around and stormed out of the office! If she continued to stay with Bruce, who knew if he wouldpel her again? It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t done such things before! Joanna hurried out of the office. After Bruce came to his senses, he ran after her. When the employees at the reception saw this, they started gawking at the drama again. ¡°Oh, my goodness! Why does this have to happen every once in a while?¡± ¡°What are Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes thinking?¡± ¡°If they want to get back together, then get back together amicably! If they don¡¯t want to get back N?velDrama.Org is the owner. together, then just break uppletely.¡± Just look at them causing such a ruckus now. I wonder what are they trying to do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If they don¡¯t make a clean break, things will only be moreplicated. Who can tell what they¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°Looks like Mr. Everett still can¡¯t forget Miss Haynes!¡± *Hmph! Anyway, men are different from women. It¡¯s very normal for men to be half¨Chearted. They will love this then that person! Women are different. If they really fall in love with a man, they will only love that man!¡± ¡°Sigh! This major drama will keep ying all day long!¡± In the parking lot downstairs, Bruce hurriedly ran after Joanna. ¡°Joanna, Joanna¡­¡± Joanna was already in the car. She stepped on the elerator and drove away immediately. Bruce stomped his feet in frustration as he watched Joanna¡¯s car vanishing into the distance. Whatever he wanted to do, he always had confidence in achieving sess. Only when it came to Joanna did he encounter defeat again and again. In the car, a ringing tone could be heard. Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna was distraught as she gave Jaydon Grimm a call. The call was answered quickly. ¡°Hello, Joann!¡± ¡°Jay¡­ Joanna wanted to speak but hesitated. Jaydon replied sleepily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you calling me sote?¡± Due to the time zone difference, it waste at night over there. Joanna paused a while and then said softly, ¡°Jay, I miss you so much!¡± ¡°Hehe! Silly girl, I miss you too!¡± person and ¡°Jay¡­ Joanna¡¯s eyes turned red¨Crimmed. She wanted to say something, but she found that she could not say a word. She wanted badly to fly to Gaprington and dash to Jaydon¡¯s side. For the rest of her life, she only wanted to love Jaydon alone wholeheartedly. ¡°Joann, did something happen?¡± ¡°No¡­ nothing!¡± ¡°Really nothing?¡± ¡°Nothing, honest. I¡­ just suddenly missed you, so I called you.¡± Jaydon gave a vague smile and said mysteriously, ¡°Joann, your birthday is next month. I¡¯ve prepared a birthday gift for you!¡± ¡°Birthday gift?¡± Joanna was taken aback! It was already June, and she hadpletely overlooked her birthday which fell on the 24th of July. To her surprise, time passed so quickly. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you remember your birthday?¡± ¡°Hah! I run through every day in a muddle¨Cheaded daze. I have genuinely forgotten!¡± Send Gift Chapter 364 Chapter 364 ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll wait for you toe back!¡± Jaydon Grimm said gently, ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Just tell me if anything crops up.¡± ¡°Got it. Quickly get back to bed!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± After ending the phone call, Joanna Haynes let out a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine when Jayes back. For the rest of my life, other than Jay, I don¡¯t want to love anyone else!¡± The next day¡­ ¡°Tatiana, I¡¯m making a trip to Greene Town. Pack up and prepare to set off in the afternoon.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. When Tatiana heard this, she immediately replied, ¡°Sure, Miss Haynes!¡± In the morning. Joanna arrived at the office to deal with some internal matters. She also had a meeting with Caleb Harrison. to discuss the specifics of buying back the shares held by Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger. If nothing unexpected happened, the agreement could be signed next month. At that point, thepany would be left with two shareholders, namely Caleb and Joanna. At noon. Mr. Roger called again to ask about the progress. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes? When will your loan be in ce?¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°Mr. Roger, the bank is already processing it. We can sign the agreement at the end of next month! Please wait patiently for another month. It will be ready soon.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Okay.¡± Joanna paused. ¡°In that case, Mr. Roger, you can prepare to hand over the work at hand during this period of time.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. I know.¡± After ending the call, Joanna summoned Ethan Alexander into her office. ¡°Miss Haynes, what can I do for you?¡± Joanna handed him a stack of documents and said somewhat solemnly, ¡°Ethan. I¡¯ll hand over Mr. Roger¡¯s job scope to you from now on.¡± Ethan was taken aback momentarily. ¡°Got it, Miss Haynes.¡± He knew that this was a sign that he was going to be promoted. He was now the deputy general manager. After Mr. Roger left, he would most likely be promoted to general manager. ¡°Go and familiarize yourself with this job scope for the next few days so that you won¡¯t be all flusteredter.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°You may go Ethan pursed his lips and left the office with that stack of documents. It was already afternoon by the time Joanna was done with thepany¡¯s matters. She did not dare to dy. She brought Tatiana and rushed to the city of Porash. The factory in Porash was mainly managed by Michael Lawrence and Nichs Boon. During this period, Joanna was simply rushing back and forth between the three cities of Greyport, Porash, and Greene Town like a spinning top. She still had to check out a few cities in the north. Thepany was going to expand its operations and so she was preparing to build a few more new factories. In the city of Porash, Joanna came to the factory first. Michael and Nichs began to report on the work progress here. ¡°Miss Haynes, a few potential sites in Pearl City have already been earmarked for the future factory. That city is very close to Venturas, and the industrial sector is more developed. The rent is cheaper than rents in Porash.¡± ¡°This is the basic information of a few factory sites. However, I suggest that you take the time to take a look yourself.¡± Michael handed a stack of documents to Joanna. ¡°Mm¨Clumi. I can go and check them out.¡± ¡°Our business in the first half of the year has increased by 47%pared tost year. We can¡¯t fulfill the orders now. Thepany is recruiting regr workers on arge scale.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt rather gratified. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s been hard on everyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard at all. It¡¯s what we should do!¡± It was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening when Joanna was done with the work in Porash. ¡°Miss Haynes, are we still rushing to Greene Town tonight?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. We have to rush to the recording studio early tomorrow morning. Time is tight, and it will be troublesome if there¡¯s a traffic jam along the way. It¡¯s better to set off tonight.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Greene Town was about 62 miles away from the city of Porash. If they took the highway, they could reach it in over an hour by car. It was ten o¡¯clock in the evening when Joanna and Tatiana reached Greene Town. After that, the two of them went straight to the hotel. They intended to sleep in the hotel for the night and go to the office first thing tomorrow morning. Joanna had just arrived at the hotel and had yet to catch her breath. Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone rang. Joanna picked it up and saw that it was a call from Bruce Everett. Joanna frowned. She didn¡¯t really want to answer his call! However, the phone kept ringing. If she didn¡¯t answer his call, Bruce would probably go crazy again. After hesitating for a few minutes, Joanna braced herself and answered the call. ¡°Hello? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bruce¡¯s displeased voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Joanna, where are you? Why haven¡¯t you been answering your phone?¡± Joanna was a little exasperated. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Hurry up and say it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sunday the day after tomorrow. Previously I asked if you wanted toe with me to pick up the children. Have you thought about it?¡± Joanna froze and became speechless. She was now in Greene Town and had forgotten about this matterpletely! Moreover, she really did not dare to go to Surbano with Bruce. The round trip would take at least three to four days. Staying with him was equivalent to walking into a tiger¡¯s den. When he heard that Joanna was silent, Bruce asked impatiently, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and braced herself before saying, ¡°Bruce, I really the children up after theye back!¡± When Bruce heard that, he instantly fell silent. ¡°n¡¯t find the time. I¡¯ll go to the airport to pick Neither of them spoke or ended the call. They remained silent for more than a minute. After a while, Bruce finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. He said with resentment, ¡°Joanna Haynes, you¡¯ve really changed! ¡°In your heart, nothing is more important than work, including the children!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I Joanna opened her mouth to exin, but she did not know where to start. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t say anymore! It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to go!¡± With that, Bruce ended the call right away. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± The call had already been ended. Joanna sighed and silently ced the phone near the bedhead. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to pick up the children. She just didn¡¯t want to go with Bruce to pick up the children. Joanna knew Bruce too well. If she stayed with him, he would do everything he could to pester her. Whether she wanted it or not, he would always get his way. Therefore, the further away she stayed from him, the better. The next day at eight o¡¯clock in the morning. At the office of Charmont Media Group. When Joanna and Tatiana arrived at the office, the few staff at the reception greeted them, ¡°Good day, Miss Haynes!¡± 10.99 1 Joanna smiled and nodded at them. ¡°Good day, everyone.¡± Cora was already waiting at the entrance. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is the list that the sponsors have drawn up. ¡°These contestants are still quite formidable but they¡¯re still slightly inferior to the few other contestants who had been climinated ¡°And these few contestants are quite good in all aspects. They also have quite a big fan base. However, because there are limited spots, they may be eliminated in this round!¡± Joanna had thought about it for the whole ofst night and said solemnly, ¡°Mm¨Chmmm. Why don¡¯t we do this? We can hold another repechage round and give these eliminated outstanding yers another shot at glory!¡± Cora¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that ¡°Mm¨Chmm. That¡¯s a good ideal¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± Brother Trumpet also walked out with a smile. ¡°Joann, there¡¯s a livestreaming in the afternoon. Do you want to do it with me?¡± ¡°Livestreaming?¡± Joanna had not done livestreaming for a long time. Her main job was not doing livestreaming, so she was not particrly interested. ¡°That¡¯s right. The fans are very supportive of you! If you show your face in your old livestreaming channel, you can also help promote our show.¡± ¡­ Sure!¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment before consenting to help. ¡°Then I¡¯ll schedule it!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early. Let¡¯s go to the recording studio and see how the contestants¡® rehearsals areing along!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± In the recording studio, the contestants were actively preparing for battle. Now, they were about to advance to thest 16. Therefore, the contestants were all motivated and prepared to bring out their best. When she saw how focused the contestants were, Joanna felt very gratified. No matter what happened, this talent show was still very sessful. More mortantly, through this talent show, the fame of the Charmont Media Group had spread far and wide! At one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Joanna and Brother Trumpet went to the livestreaming studio. ¡°Let¡¯s wee Joanna Haynes to our livestreaming channel!¡± Joanna sat somewhat bashfully in front of the camera. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Joanna Haynes. I hope everyone will tune in to the Ultimate Girls Competition!¡± The screen was flooded with emoticons. ¡°Miss Jojo is so beautiful. Miss Jojo should form a girl¡¯s group. I will definitely support Miss Jojo to enter the entertainment industry!¡± ¡°I like you so much, Miss Jojo!¡± The fans flooded the screen with all kinds of small virtual gifts endlessly. When she saw this, Joanna hurriedly told the fans to stop. ¡°Everyone, please don¡¯t send virtual gifts. We can just have a simple chat, that¡¯s all!¡± Unfortunately, the fans became even more wild. The virtual gifts on the screen covered the screen! Joanna was a little embarrassed. She didn¡¯t want to ept her fans¡® virtual gifts! She didn¡¯t want her fans to spend money either. ¡°Brother Trumpet, I¡¯ll go offline first!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmin!¡± Joanna stayed in the livestreaming channel for a few minutes before hurriedly going offline. As he had to pay attention to thepetition, Brother Trumpet did not sell any goods during this period. He only started. the livestreaming to chat with the fans and promote the show. After an hour of livestreaming, Brother Trumpet also hurriedly went offline. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Due to the immense poprity of the ¡°Ultimate Girls¡± program, the three instructors quickly became popr. This was particrly true for Adriana, whose poprity had already waned. Now, with this show, she quickly became popr again. She was instantly overwhelmed with all kinds of endorsement deals and invitations to act in television. dramas. In the recording studio, thepetition was about to begin. Joanna. Brother Trumpet, Cora, and the rest came to watch the contestants¡® rehearsals. Adriana had arrived at the venue early in the morning. When she saw Joanna, she immediately went up to greet her. ¡°Good day, Ms. Haynes. I¡¯m Adriana.¡± ¡°Good day!¡± Joanna smiled and shook hands with Adriana. ¡°How is it? Which of these contestants do you think has greater potential?¡± When Adriana heard this, she casually pointed at a contestant in the corner. ¡°Hmm, I think it¡¯s a pity for the eliminated contestant number 7. Her song selection and overall ability are better, and she has great potential for grooming!¡± Joanna had also seen contestant number 7¡¯s performance. She was indeed very capable. Unfortunately, she stillcked some stage experience. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on everyone!¡± ¡°Not at all. I have to thank Ms. Haynes for giving me this opportunity.¡± Adriana¡¯s sess made Carmel Basil extremely jealous. Initially, this program had approached her to be the instructor, but she felt that this program was too crass and beneath her and rejected the offer outright. Therefore, she missed the opportunity to raise her status to a higher level! Thepany¡¯s resources also began to be directed to Adriana with her rise in poprity. Due to Carmel¡¯s willfulness, Jaydon Grimm was no longer that willing to support her. At the office of Starlight Media, when she saw Adriana¡¯s poprity in the show shooting through the roof, Carmel was so angry that her heart ached. She threw a tantrum in the lounge. ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s so great about it? It¡¯s just a lousy talent show. I attend it! ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of? You only picked up the programs that I didn¡¯t want!¡± Just as Carmel was throwing a tantrum, her manager pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Aimee, what¡¯s the matter?¡± even be bothered to Aimee looked worried and said gravely, ¡°Carmel, the promotion for the Dior tform next week is canceled!¡± ¡°What?¡± When Carmel heard this, she suddenly stood up from her chair. She was so angry that her face became all contorted! Aimee gave a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried to get it back, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t seed! That promotion host was changed to Adriana! This was a request the organizers vehemently insisted upon, so I had no choice!¡± Carmel rolled her eyes viciously in anger! ¡°I¡¯ll go look for the organizers now!¡± Carmel said and walked out angrily. Just as she reached the parking lot downstairs, an impably dressed man who appeared very capable and experienced walked toward her. ¡°Good day, Miss Basil!¡± The man in the suit was very polite. Carmel nced at the man in the suit. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man in the suit smiled politely and handed over a business card with embossed gold letters. ¡°Our boss wants to ask you out for a meal!¡± Carmel rolled her eyes upon hearing that. ¡°Hmph! Who¡¯s your boss?¡± ¡°Miss Basil, just name your price. Our boss is only inviting you for a meal!¡± As he spoke, the man in the suit handed over a check for one million dors! ¡°Our boss said that as long as Miss Basil is willing to do him the honor, he will invest in an international blockbuster and invite Miss Basil to be the female lead!¡± 10.00 r When Carmel heard this, her heart skipped a beat. Only then did she take a few more looks at the man in the suit again. Although she wasn¡¯t prepared to agree immediately, the person who approached her was quite forthright. He offered one million dors right away. He must be a rich sucker! ¡°Sure!¡± Carmel epted the check and smiled haughtily. In any case, she would film when there were scenes to film. When she had no scenes to film, she would apany the rich fellow for meals and could still earn a lot of money. Although Carmel was young, she knew very well the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry! Earning more money while she was young was the way to go. ¡°Six in the evening! We will send a car to pick you up!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± At six in the evening, a Bentley car drove up. Carmel was already dressed up and looked brand new. She was charming and alluring ¡°Miss Basil, please get in!¡± The driver opened the car door respectfully. Carmel wrapped her shawl around herself and got into the car gracefully. ¡°Who on earth is your boss?¡± ¡°Miss Basil, you¡¯ll know when you arrive!¡± Soon, the car stopped in the parking lot of a high¨Cend club. ¡°Please proceed upstairs! Our boss is waiting for you up there!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Carmel got out of the car. She flipped her beautiful hair haughtily and stepped into the elevator in her stilettos. This was a private club that was only open to members. Even a big star like Carmel Basil was here for the first time. The elevator did not stop until it reached the 20th floor. Then, she transferred to another elevator and went all the way to the top level on the 88th floor. The usher brought Carmel to the revolving restaurant. ¡°Miss Basil, this way please!¡± Carmel pushed open the sandalwood door and walked in. At a nce, the interior was extremely luxurious! There was arge sandalwood round table and a wall of floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows. The decorations inside were very exquisite and luxurious! From the looks of it, the bankroller really had an influential background! Hopefully, he wasn¡¯t a stupid old man. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After waiting for ten minutes, the door opened. A noble and handsome man in casual clothes strode in on his long legs. Carmel took a look and was so shocked that her jaw dropped. ¡­ Mr¡­ Mr. Everett¡­¡± She never expected the bankroller who wanted to meet her to be Bruce Everett. In an instant, Carmel¡¯s heart exploded with joy! Her heart began fluctuating wildly! Now, she felt that she almost could not cling to Jaydon Grimm as her support anymore. If she could cozy up to Bruce Everett at this time, it would be a blessing from the heavens! ¡°Mr. Everett! Carmel¡¯s expression changed in an instant. The arrogance on her face transformed into an alluring charm. ¡°Have a sear!¡± Bruce sized Carmel up briefly and sat down on a chair. Carmel¡¯s heart was thumping nervously. Although she was used to big, ostentatious asions, she was still extremely nervous. ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you asking me out for a meal today? I feel I¡¯m really fortunate!¡± Carmel deliberately let her hand down, and the shawl on one side slid down, revealing her bare shoulder. Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened slightly as he stared at Carmel with an ambiguous expression. I had to be said that Carmel was quite good¨Clooking. Her facial features were exquisite, and her figure was hot. She was really very beautiful when she was presented in the packaging of a celebrity¡¯s halo! Bruce got up and poured her a ss of red wine. ¡°Cheers!¡± Carmel smiled charmingly and looked at Bruce seductively. Initially, she wanted to hold back a little and titite the bankroller¡¯s appetite, However, now that she knew it was such a major catch like Mr. Everett, what was the point of holding back? She should rush in and pounce on him! ¡°Mr. Everett, I believe you didn¡¯t ask me out just for a meall¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Looks like Mr. Everett is very interested in mel ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± A smile appeared in the corners of Bruce¡¯s eyes. Thereafter, he handed over a check for 2 million dors. This is for you!¡± Carmel epted the check and was thoroughly overjoyed! That was why he was hailed as the richest man. He was so generous the moment he made an offer. He was unlike some rich people on whom she had to put in a lot of ellort just to earn some money! She liked this kind, who paid before she had even done anything! ¡°Mr. Everett, you are so forthright!¡± As she spoke, Carmel had already taken off her shawl, revealing the skimpy strappy dress inside. Then, she walked up to Bruce. She sat on hisp straightaway, crossed her hands, and hooked her arms around his neck. ¡°Then let¡¯s do something fun!¡± ¡°Hehe! You misunderstood!¡± Bruce gave augh and pushed Carmel off hisp immediately. Carmel was taken aback and didn¡¯t know what to say! She was very confident in her charm all along! As long as she wanted to seduce that man, no man could refrain from falling at the foot of her scarlet dress! ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ Er¡­ You didn¡¯t invite me here for that?¡± ¡°I did ask you here to do something!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re having an affair with your boss, Jaydon Grimm, right?¡± A look of speechless astonishment swept over Carmel¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re so mean! Why are you talking about this? From now on, you are the only one for me!¡° Bruce evaded her touch again. ¡°No, no, no!! ¡°What I mean is, I want you to cling to Jaydon Grimm regardless of what method you use!¡± The look of astonishment on Carmel¡¯s face became even more pronounced! ¡°Mr. Everett, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean!¡± ¡°I mean, your boss is in Gaprington, which is quite near. I want you to fly there and apany him! ¡°No matter what method you use, just get it done! ¡°Don¡¯t you like him too? Be smart and bear him a child. Then won¡¯t he be yours?¡± Carmel blinked her eyes. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Bruce now! What kind of scheming plot was this? ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡­ still don¡¯t quite understand!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand. Just take the money and do as I say! If you seed, there will be a reward.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, aren¡¯t you interested in me? After all, you spent so much money!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°Go!¡± Bruce slipped the check into Carmel¡¯s cleavagel Chapter 366 Chapter 366 ¡°Oh, I understand! Mr. Everell, you are doing this to break up Mr. Grimm and Ms. Haynes, right?¡± Bruce Everett raised his eyebrows slightly with a wicked smile. ¡°Take the money and work hard. Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask!¡± Carmel Basil took out the check from her chest and pursed her fiery red lips daintily. ¡°Mr. Everett, you are really generous. 1 will definitelyplete the mission. *However, this doesn¡¯t stop us from being ¡®good friends. Why don¡¯t I stay behind to apany you tonight?¡± As she spoke, Carmel leaned limply against Bruce again. Bruce gripped Carmel¡¯s chin and pushed her away brusquely. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you. You should spend your energy on Jaydon Grimm! ¡°All the expenses here are on my tab. You can enjoy everything to your heart¡¯s content.¡± After saying that, Bruce put down his red wine ss and strode off. Carmel gave a scornful snort and waved the check in her hand. She was extremely happy. How interesting! To think that someone was prepared to pay her to seduce Jaydon Grimm. Of course, it would be disrespectful for her to reject such a good deal! Carmel already had designs on Jaydon, to begin with. However, as he was the boss, Carmel didn¡¯t dare to be too rash. This was great. With Bruce Everett as her backing, she could unleash her charm to her heart¡¯s content. In Palisrian City, Gaprington, Jaydon was trying his best to recover. Now, his left leg had regained some feeling. He could already walk with a walking stick. If he worked hard for a while longer, he should be able to walk like a normal person! Jaydon was sweating profusely as he trained himself on the therapy machine when a nurse walked in. ¡°Mr. Grimm, Miss Basil is here!¡± Jaydon frowned when he heard that. ¡°Why is she here?¡± ¡°Miss Basil said that she is here to visit you!¡± ¡°Let her in!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Grimm.¡± Ten minutester, Carmel swayed her hips and walked in with a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Mr. Grimmm!¡± Jaydon stopped the therapy machine and wiped his sweat with a towel. He then asked casually, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Carmel pouted her tiny mouth. Her gentle voice seemed to be able to melt a man¡¯s bones. ¡°I was worried about your condition! See? I specially flew here to visit you!¡± Carmel was wearing a body¨Chugging white tube short skirt. Her curvaceous figure showed off her perfect curves. Her exquisite facial features were lightly adorned with male¨Cseducing makeup. Her long legs and slim waist, coupled with fair skin ingeniouslybined sexiness and innocence! ¡°This bouquet is for you!¡± ¡°Leave it there!¡± Jaydon could not help taking a few more nces at her. After all, she was pleasing to the eye. ¡°Mr. Grimm, you mustn¡¯t misunderstand, okay! I¡¯m really just here to visit you. I don¡¯t have any other thoughts. Carmel smiled cheekily and twisted her waist coquettishly. Jaydon gave a chuckle. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. I am such a good girl. I¡¯ve always listened to my boss most obediently!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Jaydon shook his head and gave a bitter smile! This little vixen was really coquettish and seductive. She was theplete opposite of Joanna Haynes. It was just like orchids and roses were extremely attractive to humans. If a man was asked which flower N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. he liked, he would probably pick whichever was in front of him. Jaydon had finished his training for today and was preparing to return to the ward. The nurse quickly went forward to support him. Carmel reacted quickly and went over to support Jaydon. ¡°Let me do it!¡± Jaydon did not really reject her. He ced his arm on Carmel¡¯s shoulder and walked toward the ward. ¡°What are you doing here instead of working hard?¡± Carmel gave a coy murmur and showed her displeasure coquettishly. Tve been put on the back burner recently. I don¡¯t even have a job to do. I can onlye over to be a ve to you, Boss!¡± ¡°Who can you me? It¡¯s all your fault! I asked you to be an instructor for the ¡®Ultimate Girls¡® program, but you refused to go.¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know that this program would be so popr?¡± As they spoke, the two of them entered the ward. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to take a shower. You don¡¯t have toe in!¡± Jaydon was sweating profusely. Every time he finished training, he had to take a shower. ¡°Mr. Grimm, we¡¯re already so familiar with each other. Why are you still being so polite to me? It¡¯s inconvenient for you to move around. Let me help you wash up!¡± Carmel said as she clung tightly to Jaydon¡¯s arm and looked into his eyes coquettishly. Jaydon inhaled the fragrance on Carmel¡¯s body. His arm felt something warm and soft. In an instant, his blood surged violently and he almost couldn¡¯t control himself. ¡°No need! If you continue to act like this, I¡¯ll have to chase you back.¡± Carmel pouted her tiny mouth with displeasure. ¡°Oh, alright!¡± Jaydon took a deep breath and tried his best to control his urges. He walked into the bathroom with his walking stick. Ten minutester, Jaydon was taking a shower when the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, it¡¯s me!¡± Jaydon frowned. ¡°Get out at once¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, I¡¯ve been with you for so long. Don¡¯t you understand me? ¡°I¡¯m really very good. You don¡¯t have to worry that I¡¯ll cause trouble for you. I won¡¯t affect your rtionship with Ms. Haynes! ¡°I really just want to make you happy, Mr. Grimm!¡± As Carmel spoke, she had already taken off her clothes, revealing her exquisite figure. Ever since the traffic ident, Jaydon had been living a life of abstinence like an ascetic monk for nearly half a year. It was particrly hard for him not to touch a woman for so long since he was a yboy in the past! To be honest, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t have any stray thoughts! ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± This little vixen Carmel had always known how to please her boss. If it were in the past, she would still feel it was taboo and would not dare to be rash. However, now, with Bruce Everett supporting her behind the scene, she naturally dared to go all out. Send Gift Comment Chapter 367 Chapter 367 The bathroom enshrouded in steam was filled with a dubious atmosphere of charm and softness. Carmel Basil walked forward and hugged Jaydon Grimm tightly. ¡°Mr. Grimm. I really miss you. I miss you so much every night that I can¡¯t sleep. ¡°If Mr. Grimm still doesn¡¯t ¡®dote¡¯ on me, I really can¡¯t take the bl ow¡­¡± As Carmel¡¯s fragrant breath b low down, her dainty hands began misbehaving¡­ Jaydon was aroused until he became all flustered. ¡°Carmel, stop this!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, it¡¯s not our first time! Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell anyone! ¡°I just miss you so much. Mr. Grimm.¡± Carmel squatted down and served him submissively! Her action ignited fires all over Jaydon¡¯s body! Gasp! Jaydon inhaled a breath of cold air. In the end, he could not resist this fatal temptation! In particr, this little vixen was simply too good at it. Moreover, she was very bold and knew a man¡¯s heart very well! Before long, Jaydonpletely lost control and the two of them began the main event! An hourter, Jaydon and Carmel were both exhausted andy limply on the bed. ¡°You little vixen, you really know how to titite people!¡± Carmel smiled coquettishly with a smug expression. ¡°Mr. Grimm, I just want you to be happy! If you are happy. I will also have a good life!¡± Once this kind of thing started, after the first time, there would be a second time. When there was a second time, there would be a third¡­. Carmel ended up staying there for three days! Of course! She would do her best to please Jaydon every day. Although Jaydon always used condoms, he did not know that all the condoms had been pierced by Carmell If she was a little more well-behaved and didn¡¯t ruin his rtionship with Joanna Haynes, Jaydon was still willing to secretly raise this little vixen! That night, it was another night of torrid, unrestrained passion. Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone rang, startling the two people who were engrossed in their act. Jaydon frowned and quickly answered the call. The only person who would call him at this hour could only be Joanna Haynes. Carmel hid under the nket and muttered with displeasure, ¡°Mr. Grimm, it¡¯s already sote. Whose call is it? Don¡¯t answer it!¡± Jaydon adjusted his expression and said icily, ¡°Don¡¯t move, and don¡¯t make a s Carmel pouted. ¡°Okay!¡± Hello, Joann Jaydon answered the call and straightaway switched the video call into a voice call. Joanna¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Jay, are you asleep?¡± Jaydon cleared his throat and tried his best to calm himself down. ¡°Mm-hmm. I¡¯m about to fall asleep! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna smiled faintly. ¡°Nothing! I just missed you so I gave you a call. Is it inconvenient for you to answer the video call?¡± Jaydon frowned and said vaguely, ¡°Oh, the lights in the ward have been turned offTM ¡°I seel I was thinking of taking a look at you.¡± ¡­ Then I¡¯ll get out of bed and turn on the lights now!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°There¡¯s no need! It¡¯s inconvenient for your legs to move around. It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t go back and forth.¡± -oh ¡°Oh, alright then!¡± Jaydon was extremely nervous. He was afraid that Joanna would insist on having a video call! Fortunately, Joanna didn¡¯t insist on this! Meanwhile, Carmel was under the nket, tormenting him with all her might! Her sharp little teeth were deliberately scraping against his most vulnerable part. Jaydon inhaled deeply and tried his best to suppress his voice. Nheless, Joanna felt that something was wrong. In the past, whenever she called Jaydon on the phone, it did not matter what time it was, he would talk non-stop. It was really quite strange that he was so quiet today! ¡°Jay, what¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± Joanna asked with concern. How could he be not feeling well? On the contrary, he was feeling too good right now. In fact, he was almost tormented to death. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine. I just caught a cold. Cough, cough¡­ Jaydon deliberately gave a few mu ff led coughs to hide his nervousness. When she heard him coughing, Joanna became even more worried. ¡°Oh, have you taken your medicine?¡± ¡°Yes, already taken!¡± ¡°Joann. I just took some flu medicine so I¡¯m a little sleepy. I¡¯in going to sleep first. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡± Jaydon only wanted to end the phone call in a hurry. He did not dare to say anything more to Joanna! If she heard and realized something, there would really be no way to salvage the situation. ¡°Mm-hmm. Have a good rest!¡± ¡°You too. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ending the call.¡± ¡°After you!¡± Joanna smiled and ended the phone call. After ending the call, Jaydon was very angry. He yanked Carmel out from under the nket. ¡°You little vixen! You are really asking for a beating!¡± ¡°Ah! Mr. Grimm, you are so mean¡­ In Greene Town, Joanna had already been in the square for three days. Thepetition was getting more and more tense. Cora handed over a stack of documents. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is the list of people who have advanced to the next stage. ¡°There¡¯s also this list of eliminated contestants. They¡¯re all rtively capable and have a lot of fans.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. We¡¯ll organize a repechage round in the next episode to give these eliminated contestants a chance to give it another shot.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Next week, we can have a repechage round. Now, we can let those eliminated contestants go and make preparations.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I¡¯ll follow up now!¡± ¡°Cora. I¡¯m going back to Greyport tomorrow. I¡¯ll leave the matters here to you.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry!¡± After Cora left, Joanna picked up the phone and called Bruce Everett. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Hello¡­ Bruce answered the call very quickly. ¡°Bruce.¡± Bruce asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Joanna paused for a moment. ¡°Er¡­ Are you in Surbano now? Did you go and pick up the kids?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°What time will you be back? I¡¯ll pick you guys up.¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll probably arrive at five o¡¯clock tomorrow afternoon!* ¡°Oh. Then I¡¯ll pick up the kids at the airport tomorrow.¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 After ending the call, Bruce Everett immediately dialed Carmel Basil¡¯s number. He wanted to ask Carmel how far things had progressed. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett? Why are you calling me?¡± Carmel couldn¡¯t resist teasing him when she received Bruce¡¯s call. Bruce gave a scornfulugh. ¡°Miss Basil, how¡¯s the progress of your mission?¡± Carmel gave a smug smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Everett! Everything is going smoothly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. If you can sessfully get pregnant with Jaydon Grimm¡¯s child, there will be a reward!¡± Bruce Everett smiled in a teasing fashion. ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll wait for your reward!¡± After ending the call, Bruce gave a scornful sneer and said in a taunting manner, ¡°Joanna Haynes, didn¡¯t you always say that Jaydon Grimm was better than me? ¡°I¡¯ll show you what he¡¯s really like. ¡°You want to be with him? Dream on! At that point, will still have toe back to me obediently.¡± As Bruce spoke, he picked up his ss of red wine and took a sip. With Bruce tripping him up in the background, even if Jaydon Grimm wanted to turn over a new leaf and be a good man again¡­ It was impossible. The next day, at the airport of Greyport City. At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Joanna had already arrived at the airport to pick up the children. Although Bruce had a private jet, the airlinepany belonged to him. Therefore, there was no need to use his private jet. Joanna waited anxiously and kept looking at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s already half past five. Why aren¡¯t they out yet?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be anxious. Perhaps they still have to take their luggage!¡± ¡°Maybe!¡± Joanna exhaled deeply and watched the exit eagerly. ¡°Sigh! I wonder what the children are like now. Have they grown taller?¡± It was 5:40 pm now. Finally, a group of people walked toward her from the VIP passageway. Walking up front were more than ten bodyguards in ck shirts. Behind them was Bruce in casual clothes. At this moment, Bruce was wearing sunsses and carrying Lilia in his arms. He was striding in Joanna¡¯s direction with his long legs. The older toddler Davian and his younger brother Irvin followed closely behind Bruce. They were dressed in tiny suits and carrying backpacks. ¡°Davian! Irvin! Lilia!¡± When Joanna saw the children, her heart felt as if it was about to fly out. She waved at the children with all her might.. ¡°Davian! It¡¯s Mommy Mommy is over there!¡± Lilia cried out excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s really Mommy! Mommy¡­¡± Davian and Irvin ran toward the exit gateway excitedly. Joanna also ran toward them and hugged the two little fellows tightly. She could not resist kissing them again and again. ¡°My babies, Mommy misses all of you. Mommy misses all of you so much!¡± The two little fellows said in unison, ¡°Mommy, we miss you too!¡± ¡°Quick! Let Mommy see if you guys have grown taller.¡± Joanna was smiling but tears kept falling. She simply couldn¡¯t get enough of looking at her two adorable sons. The two little fellows had grown a lot taller and stronger. It seemed that the little fellows had a good appetite while they were in Surbano! ¡°Mommy!¡± Lilia also extended her arms to Joanna. ¡°Lilia,e and let Mommy hug you.¡± Joanna took her daughter from Bruce¡¯s arms and kissed her face. 11:25 ¡°Mommy, I missed you so much!¡± Lilia was wearing a cute princess dress and had two little hair buns on her head/ The hair buns resembled tiny snowballs and looked childish and cute! If not for the fact that she could not walk, she would really look like a beautiful and adorable princess doll. When he saw the children and Joanna so happy, Bruce¡¯s mood also improved. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Come, Daddy will carry you!¡± Bruce said as he took his daughter back into his arms. Joanna led Davian and Irvin on either side of her body and walked to the parking lot. In the car, the children chattered excitedly. Joanna listened to the children¡¯s stories and smiled contentedly. ¡°Bruce, can you let the children stay with me for two days?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Joanna, if you want to be with them, thene to my ce! ¡°I won¡¯t let the children stay at your ce. After all, you can¡¯t guarantee their safety The smile on Joanna¡¯s face turned icy wordlessly. Indeed, it was not safe for the children to live with her. It would be terrible if they were targeted by criminals again! ¡°Daddy, we don¡¯t want to be separated from Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy, can youe home with us?¡± The two little fellows shook Joanna¡¯s arms petntly. Joanna did not answer and looked troubled. ¡°Please?¡± ¡°My babies, Mommy¡­ Joanna wanted to say something but hesitated. She didn¡¯t know how to put it to them! It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to be with the children. She was just afraid of being with Bruce. Bruce gave a scornful sneer and teased resentfully, ¡°Your Mommy is afraid that her boyfriend will be angry and jealous, so she doesn¡¯t dare toe home with us!¡± Pili! When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that her head hurt. She rolled her eyes viciously at Bruce. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± The three little fellows looked at one another. ¡°Mommy, when did you get a boyfriend?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Daddy¡¯s nonsense.¡± Bruce gave a scornful snort and immediately retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. Your Mommy is going to get you guys a stepfather soon!¡± When the three little fellows heard this, they immediately objected. ¡°Oh! We don¡¯t want a stepfather!¡± ¡°Mommy, can you not have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want you to have any boyfriend. Mommy, we only want one Daddy and one Mommy!¡± ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t look for a new Mommy. Mommy, don¡¯t look for a new Daddy either, okay?¡± ¡°Of course, Daddy dotes on all of you the most. Daddy will definitely not look for a stepmother for you guys! ¡°Your Mommy is different. She¡¯s trying her best to look for a stepfather for all of you!¡± When Joanna beard this, she became incensed. ¡°Bruce Everett, shut up. Don¡¯t spout nonsense in front of the children! ¡°Can you not be so hurtful?¡± Bruce¡¯s venomous tongue was unrelenting. ¡°How am I being hurtful?¡± Joanna was so furious that she could not say anything! ¡°Besides, even if I say hurtful things, I am not so immoral and won¡¯t do something sneaky behind people¡¯s backs! I¡¯m open and honest. I¡¯ll admit it if I dare to do it! ¡°Unlike some people who dare to do it but don¡¯t dare to admit it. Sneaking around and doing things behind other people¡¯s back!¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Bruce shrugged. ¡°Why are you so angry? I¡¯m just telling you to be more wary of people! ¡°Don¡¯t be bewitched by other people¡¯s sugar¨Ccoated words, silly woman. You¡¯re so stupid¡­¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. 11:25 Bruce Everett, don¡¯t go overboard! If you continue to do this, I¡¯m going to get angry!¡± ¡°Oh, okay, okay. I won¡¯t say anymore! Let¡¯s wait and seel ¡°Someone is about to reveal his true colors very soon.¡± Send Gift Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Joanna Haynes was at aplete loss for words and could not be bothered to rebut Bruce Everett. She simply lowered her head and kissed the top of her daughter¡¯s head. After not seeing the little girl for so long, Joanna was most worried about her daughter. After all, her daughter¡¯s health had always been poor. Lilia was still very thin and weak. Her skin was so pale that it was almost transparent. Her thin wrist looked like it could be broken with a gentle snap! ¡°Baby, why have you lost so much weight again?¡± Joanna¡¯s face was filled with heartache. She did not even dare to use too much force when she pinched her daughter¡¯s tiny hand. Lilia raised her tiny face that was as pretty as a flower and looked at Joanna adorably. ¡°Mommy, is what Daddy said earlier true? ¡°Is your boyfriend Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes sank. ¡°Baby, children shouldn¡¯t ask about the affairs of adults!¡± Irvin was quick¨Cwitted and chimed in. ¡°It must be Mr. Grimm! Mr. Grimm has been courting Mommy for a long time.¡± When Lilia heard this, a hint of displeasure appeared on her tiny face. She shook Joanna¡¯s arm and begged, ¡°Mommy. although Mr. Grimm is quite nice, I still don¡¯t want him to be our Daddy!¡± ¡°Silly, there¡¯s only one Daddy! Even if Mr. Grimm marries Mommy, we can¡¯t call him Daddy!¡± Joanna frowned and did not know what to say. Bruce leaned against the seat arrogantly and corrected his daughter. ¡°My good baby, other than Daddy, you mustn¡¯t say other men are nice!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna lowered her eyelids and changed the topic. ¡°Bruce, when do you n to send Lilia for surgery?¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned and thought for a few seconds. ¡°She may have to wait until next year! ¡°This year, we have to go through all kinds of tests in the country first. I intend to bring Lilia to Gaprington for surgery in March next year.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Alright!¡± An hourter, at Sherane Bay Vi. The Rolls¨CRoyce stretch limousine drove into the vi courtyard of Sherane Bay Vi and stopped in front of the luxuriant greenwn. The servant at the door respectfully opened the car door. ¡°Good day, Mr. Everett. Good day, Ms. Haynes.¡± ¡°Yay, we¡¯re finally home! Home is still the mostfortable!¡± Irvin eagerly got out of the car and yed happily on thewn. The children had been living here for half a year and were already used to life in the luxurious mansion. Sherane Bay Vi was a top¨Cnotch luxurious mansion that resembled a castle externally. There was a garden, a swimming pool, and a children¡¯s yground. At the back of the garden, a small private horse riding arena had been built as well. The children had just learned how to ride horses and were especially interested in equestrian skills. During this period when they were in Surbano, they were almost bored to death. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the car,¡± Bruce looked at Joanna and said casually. Joanna hesitated and did not move. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d better go back first!¡± When Bruce heard this, he clicked his tongue reproachfully. ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s meaningless if you do this! ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll eat you? You haven¡¯t been with the children for so long. Shouldn¡¯t you spend some time with them?¡± ¡°Mommy, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Lilia hugged Joanna¡¯s neck petntly. Joanna looked troubled. She cated her daughter gently, ¡°My good baby, Mommy wille and visit all of you in two days.¡± ¡°No, I want to be with Mommy. Mommy, please don¡¯t go!¡± Lilia hugged Joanna¡¯s neck tightly and refused to let go. Tears of anguish welled up in her eyes. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go, please?¡± Davian and Irvin also walked up and pleaded pitifully. 11:251 Joanna¡¯s heart ached terribly when she heard them! It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to apany the children, but she was afraid of Bruce Everett. Bruce Everett, this vile bastard. He was too used to pestering her relentlessly. If she stayed, she would probably be pestered by him endlessly. Lilia cried anxiously. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go! I don¡¯t want to be separated from Mommy. Hoo hoo hoo¡­¡± Davian and Irvin also grabbed Joanna¡¯s arms with all their might, afraid that she would leave. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± Joanna could only bite the bullet helplessly and got out of the car. ¡°Good baby, don¡¯t cry. Then¡­ Mommy will y with you guys for a while longer.¡± ¡°Yay! That¡¯s great!¡± Joanna carried Lilia while Davian and Irvin led the way up front Itappily. Bruce brought up the rear. The courtyard was huge. It took them live minutes to reach the living room. ¡°Wee home, Mr. Everett, Wee home, Mr. Davian, Mr. Irvin and Miss Lilia¡± The servants lined up in two rows and bowed respectfully. The group entered the living room. The interior was so big that one could not see the end of it. The Ecostanian¨Cstyle pce decoration looked luxurious and grand. Lilia opened the small bag on her back and took out a picture book ¡°Mommy, look! This is the family portrait I drew! ¡°This is Mommy, this is Daddy, this is Davian, this is Irvin, and this is me.¡± There were five cartoon¨Clike characters in the drawing. Although the drawing was crooked and very abstract, each character was grinning from car to car. When Joanna saw it, she smiled until her eyes looked like upturned ares. ¡°Oh! Baby, you¡¯re so awesome. You drew it so well.¡± ¡°Davian and Irvin taught me to draw this! They even taught me how to make handicrafts and cut little frogs and fold paper airnes.¡± Joanna patted Lilia¡¯s head and then patted the heads of Davian and Irvin as well. She praised them, ¡°You two brothers are awesome. All three of you are awesome.¡± Davian sat beside Joanna joyously. ¡°Mommy, we want to eat your dumplings!¡± ¡°Mommy, can you make dumplings for us today?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Yay! That¡¯s great. We can get to eat Mommy¡¯s dumplings.¡± The three little fellows cheered enthusiastically. Joanna nced at the servant beside her and asked, ¡°Lilian, please prepare boiled potatoes and chopped onions!¡± Lilian bowed slightly with a professional smile on her lips. ¡°Miss Haynes, the kitchen has all these ingredients!¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll borrow the kitchen for a while.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, this way please.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± ¡°My babies, Mommy will go and make dumplings for you now. Be good and wait for a while, okay!¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± Joanna smiled and followed Lilian to the kitchen. After a short while, Joanna arrived at the kitchen. The kitchen was exceptionallyrge. There was a long marble counter and an entire row of high¨Cend kitchen utensils. There were also two huge refrigerators ced side by side which were filled with all kinds of precious ingredients. There were also quite a few chefs working for the Everett family. One specialized in ethnic cuisine while the other specialized in western cuisine. Another was a pastry chef whose specialty was making desserts. Joanna opened the fridge and took out some cheese, butter, and sour cream. She rummaged through the fridge contents again and found that all the ingredients she needed were avable. Joanna ced the boiled potatoes and cheese into the mixer and mixed them up. Then she added the onions sauteed with 11:25 1 butter to the mixture as well as various seasonings. Finally, she added the sour cream and some herbs before stirring the whole mixture evenly to make the pierogi filling. The dough wrappers had already been made by the servant concurrently, so now they were ready to wrap the dumplings. Joanna busied herself in the kitchen. Bruce had changed into a casual white sweatshirt and walked into the kitchen. Although he was the owner of this ce, this was the first time he came into the kitchen. If it wasn¡¯t because Joanna was in the kitchen, he probably wouldn¡¯t even step into this ce for the rest of his life. ¡°Making dumplings for the children?¡± Bruce asked caustically. Send Gift Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Joanna Haynes was busy with the work on her hands. Without looking up, she replied curtly, ¡°Mm¨C hmm.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darted back and forth. ¡°Can you make me a te of spaghetti?¡± ¡°Are you very hungry?¡± Joanna sounded a little impatient. She didn¡¯t think there was anything special about the spaghetti she made. Moreover, this scoundrel Bruce was a fussy eater and was very picky about food. He was even picky about the food made by a five¨Cstar hotel chef. She did not understand why he liked to eat her spaghetti. Bruce gave a scornful snort. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m hungry! Otherwise, do you think I¡¯m asking you to cook it for disy and decoration?¡± Joanna pursed her lips. ¡°Alright! Wait for a while.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait too long. You know that I don¡¯t have a good stomach. My stomach can¡¯t remain empty for too long.¡± Bruce replied petntly. When Joanna heard this, she rolled her eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re really hungry, go look for something else to fill your stomach first!¡± ¡°But I only want to eat spaghetti!¡± ¡°Then just wait!¡± Joanna turned around and retorted, pronouncing each word emphatically. This damn bastard simply enjoyed tormenting her! Before long, an aromatic fragrance wafted out from the kitchen. While Joanna busied herself wrapping the dumplings, Bruce stood nearby to watch just like a supervisor. asionally, he would point out ws here and there. ¡°This one has such an ugly shape. Will it taste good? ¡°Is it healthy if you cook it with so much oil? ¡°Look at this one. The filling is leaking out. How are we going to eat this?¡± Joanna was so infuriated that she wanted to hammer him to death. ¡°Bruce Everett, please shut up and stop yelping beside me.¡± In the past, he was notably very aloof and reticent, but when he did speak, he did not like his words to be challenged. When did he be a chatterbox? Bruce red at Joanna and his words became even more venomous. ¡°Why are you so fierce? You can¡¯t ept other people¡¯s criticism even when you didn¡¯t do a good job? ¡°It¡¯s my mouth. I can say whatever I want. If you are not happy, why don¡¯t you hit me?¡± Joanna was utterly speechless and could not be bothered with Bruce anymore. ¡°Yay! We can eat Mommy¡¯s dumplings now. Mommy¡¯s dumplings are simply too delicious!¡± Davian and Irvin also dashed into the kitchen. They surrounded Joanna and prattled noisily, waiting eagerly to eat the dumplings. When he saw that Joanna was so angry that she ignored him, Bruce rubbed his i nose resentfully and asked in a pretentious manner, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± There was onlyplete silence. Joanna did not want to talk to him. Bruce stretched out his elbow and poked Joanna in the waist. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Are you mute?¡± Joanna gave a sigh. She could not ignore him either. Once this bastard got angry, he was even more terrifying than a demon. ¡°Then please wash the onion!¡± ¡°Wash the onion?¡± Bruce subconsciously rubbed his chin. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°That¡¯s right. My hands are tied now!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce turned around to look for the onions. He looked all over the ce but couldn¡¯t find the onions. ¡°Er¡­ where are the onions?¡± Joanna looked at the big onions lying quietly on the chopping board. She wanted badly to dig out Bruce¡¯s eyeballs. 11:25 What was he looking at? ¡°They are looking at you!¡± ¡°Where?¡± Bruce was very surprised. Joanna was so furious that she was utterly speechless. Was this damn man blind? ¡°On the chopping board!¡± Bruce turned around and saw the onions then. He picked one up resentfully. ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Then, he took that big onion to the sink and turned the tap to the maximum. Ssh! The tap water sshed all over him, and the floor was covered with water. Joanna cast him a side nce and was even more at a loss for words. This damned man dominated the business world like an emperor, yet in daily life, he was aplete idiot. She really doubted that he could survive three days if he were dumped on an uninhabited ind. ¡°Here you go!¡± ¡°For God¡¯s sake, peel the onion first! How are you going to eat it if you wash the onion unpeeled?¡± When Bruce heard this, he also became furious. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡± ¡°It¡¯s such simplemon sense. Is there a need to spell it out?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes in annoyance. Ever since he was young, he had always been served by people every step of the way! Everything in the kitchen was unfamiliar to him! He couldn¡¯t even tell the difference between onions and shallots! Joanna could not take it anymore. She muttered softly, ¡°What an idiot!¡± Bruce¡¯s ears were sharp, and his handsome face immediately clouded over. ¡°What did you say? Say it again!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself!¡± Bruce clumsily peeled the onion and threw it onto the chopping board. ¡°Take it!¡± Joanna continued to wrap the dumplings and couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at him again. Joanna refused to bicker with him, and he was starting to feel bored again. More than that, he didn¡¯t want to leave the kitchen. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± ¡°No need. Get out!¡± ¡°Let me help you wrap!¡± Bruce watched Joanna wrapping the dumplings. The actions seemed particrly simple and he was eager to try his hand at 1. it. Then, he picked up a piece of dough, picked up some filling, and started to wrap it. However, it was a ssic case of someone having great ambition but little talent! When he saw others do it, it appeared so simple, yet when he tried it himself, he made aplete mess. Bruce struggled for a long time, but he could not even wrap a single pierogi properly. ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Why are your hands more clumsy than your feet!¡± Joanna felt extremely disdainful! ¡°As long as it¡¯s edible, it¡¯s good enough!¡± ¡°Go away!¡± ¡°If you want to help, fill a pot with water and put it to boil. Get ready to cook the dumplingster.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the pot?¡± Joanna opened the cab wordlessly. ¡°Do you even need to ask? The pot is definitely in the cab! ¡°Besides, this is your house!¡± ¡°Which pol do I use?¡± ¡°Use this!¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Bruce Everett ced the pot on the gas stove and looked left and right at the gas stove, but he did not know where the switch w35. ¡°Why are you taking so long? Turn on the stovel Bruce rubbed the tip of his nose resentfully, and his eyes became evasive. ¡°Is this gas stove broken? Why isn¡¯t there an on¨Coff switch?¡± Joanna could not stand it anymore. She stalked walked over and flipped up the concealed switch cover. ¡°Open this. The switch is inside. There are annotations on it!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ This design is terrible!¡± Bruce muttered indignantly. Outside the kitchen, the servants looked at one another in disbelief. ¡°Good heavens! Mr. Everett actually stepped into the kitchen. Did the sun rise from the west?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s actually learning how to cook? What a rare sight indeed!¡± ¡°Tsk! Tsk! This is ludicrous!¡± Soon, Joanna was done cooking the dumplings. Then, she added garnishing like more cheese, sliced onions and bacon bits, as well as a side of sour cream. Three servings of fragrant dumplings were ready! ¡°The dumplings are ready. We can start eating now.¡± ¡°Wow! Wow! It smells so good. I want to eat three big servings. The three little fellows gathered around the dining table and were extremely excited. ¡°Wow! It smells so good! I love Mommy¡¯s dumplings the most.¡± As she looked at the children eating with relish, Joanna felt very gratified. Being able to personally cook some food for the children was probably the happiest thing for her. Bruce watched from the side and suddenly became interested in cooking. ¡°Joanna, can you teach me how to make spaghetti?¡± Joanna was stunned and could not helpughing out loud. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Boil the water, put the pasta in, boil for about 3 minutes and thendle them out and rinse with cold water. ¡°Saute the sliced onions in olive oil before adding the diced pancetta. Fry until fragrant before tossing in the pasta. Mix well with the grated cheese sauce. Then garnish with parsley and it¡¯s ready to eat!¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not help but raise his eyebrows. ¡°So simple?¡± ¡°What else were you expecting?¡± *I¡¯ll give instructions from the side. You can do it yourself. In the future, if you want to eat pasta pancetta, you can make it yourself.¡± Bruce gave a snort.¡± Alright!¡± Joanna crossed her arms and gave instructions from the side. ¡°First step, bring the water to a boil!¡± Bruce frowned and cursed in his heart, ¡°What are you acting so high and mighty for? It¡¯s just cooking pasta! ¡°I can even pilot a ne and navigate a submarine. How can cooking pasta stump me?¡± Bubbling! Bubbling! The water started boiling quickly and kept emitting white steam. ¡°Hey, hey! The water¡¯s boiling. What¡¯s next?¡± Joanna could not help giving a mockingugh. ¡°Add the pasta next. Do you still need to ask?¡± Joanna really wanted to give Bruce a knock on his head. Bruce picked up a handful of fettine and threw it into the pot. Due to the boiling water and steam, the water instantly spilled out. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! The water is spilling out, the water is spilling out¡­ Bruce became very flustered. He had never encountered such a scenario before. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Quickly add some cold water!¡± Joanna scooped half a bowl of cold water and poured it into the pot. The water that was spilling out of the pot instantly subsided again. Bruce was dumbfounded. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°When the water is about to spill out, remember to add some cold water to bring down the temperature.¡± Three minutester¡­ The pasta is ready. What¡¯s the next step?¡± Bruce kept asking questions. Joanna was a little frustrated. ¡°The next step is todle out the pasta and rinse with cold water.¡± Bruce took the pasta scoop and tried to scoop the fettine out of the pot. Unfortunately, the long fettine strands seemed to be going against him. No matter how hard he tried, he could not hold them firmly, and he could not open his eyes because of the steam. ¡°I can¡¯t even get this fettine out!¡± Bruce could not help grumbling again. ¡°How dumb!¡± Joanna walked over. She scooped all the fettine out with the pasta scoop in just a few moves. ¡°Bruce Everett, 1 really doubt your ability to use your hands!¡± ¡°For God¡¯s sake, I¡¯m very good with my hands, okay?¡± Bruce retorted indignantly. He had always considered himself an all¨Crounder and would not ept anybody¡¯s contradiction. ¡°Now, heat up the oil and saute the onions before adding the pancetta. Stir¨Cfry until fragrant before tossing in the pasta with the some pasta water. Add some pasta water to the grated cheese to make a sauce. Remove the pasta from the pan and pour sauce over it before topping off with garnishing. That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°So simple?¡± Bruce looked surprised again. Joanna gave a disdainfulugh. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that simple¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! Here I was thinking how difficult it would be! So it¡¯s just sauteing until fragrant!¡± Bruce turned on the gas hob, took out the frying pan, and poured the olive oil into it. ¡°Hey, hey! The oil is emitting smoke. It¡¯s emitting smoke. What should I do?¡± Joanna gave a helpless sigh. ¡°You can add the sliced onions now.¡± Sizzle! The oil temperature was too high, so when the onions were added, they instantly jumped out of the pan. The oil sshed out and scalded Bruce¡¯s hand. ¡°Ouch! It¡¯s so hot?¡± ng! The spat in his hand fell to the floor with a tter. Boom! The temperature of the oil in the pan was too high, and the mes instantly shot up. Bruce got a fright when he saw this. ¡°It¡¯s on fire, on fire¡­¡± Joanna picked up the pan and mped the lid shut at once! Soon, the fire was put out. ¡°Gosh! My goodness!¡± ¡°Bruce, you won¡¯t brag anymore, will you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done it before, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do it well!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn!¡± As the temperature of the oil was too high, the onions were burnt. They were as good as useless! ¡°Oh, my goodness! Will Mr. Everett burn down the kitchen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say!¡± A few servants poked their heads around the kitchen door, their faces full of shock. They were afraid that Mr. Everett would identally set the whole kitchen on fire. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Gasp! Bruce Everett frowned in pain. The oil that sshed out had scalded his arm until a few blisters appeared. Joanna Haynes quickly turned off the gas stove. ¡°Did you get scalded?¡± Gasp! Gasp! Bruce took two deep breaths. ¡°Quick! Let me take a look!¡± Joanna lowered her head to check. There were a few blisters on his arm, and his blue veins were bulging. Does it hurt?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Bruce blurted angrily. ¡°How dumb!¡± That was Joanna¡¯s conclusion. She quickly turned on the tap and rinsed his arm with cold water. ¡°Be gentle. It hurts!¡± ¡°Put some ice on itter. It¡¯ll be fine in two days.¡± Bruce frowned and refused to relent. ¡°Put it on for me.¡± *Fine! You are really born to live like a prince.¡± Joanna gave a sigh and opened the fridge to get some ice. Then, she put the ice cubes in an ice bag and applied it to his blisters. Bruce wasn¡¯t that squeamish, and the pain was within tolerable limits. However, he just enjoyed tormenting Joanna He liked the feeling of Joanna focusing all her attention on him. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Can you be gentler? You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Joanna gently blew on his arm. ¡°Is it really that painful?¡± As he watched Joanna¡¯s anxious and earnest expression, Bruce felt extremely pleased inwardly. ¡°Of course!¡± Bruce extended both arms in front of Joanna petntly and enjoyed her gentle service with a clear conscience. Near the kitchen door, when the servants saw that Bruce was scalded, they were so frightened that their skins tensed up. ¡°Mr. Everett has been scalded. Quickly inform the family doctor toe here.¡± ¡°Go get the burn cream and disinfecting wipes quickly.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After a while, the head servant rushed into the kitchen with the burn cream. ¡°Mr. Everett, the burn cream is here! Dr. Henley is here too.¡± When Joanna heard this, she immediately stopped what she was doing. That¡¯s good. Let the doctor apply the medicine for you!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression sank. He nced at the servant ominously. ¡°Who told you toe in? Get out.¡± The head servant was stunned. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± The head servant quickly excused herself from the kitchen. She was really totallycking in perception. Her attempt to tter her employer had failed big time. After leaving the kitchen, the head servant was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t help muttering to herself, ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. I¡¯ve disrupted Mr. Everett¡¯s flirting with Miss Haynes. Will I get fired?¡± When the other servant heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Seriously, why didn¡¯t you knock before you entered?¡± ¡°I was in a hurry to deliver the cream to Mr. Everett, so I didn¡¯t take the trouble to knock on the door¡­ The head servant was so anxious that she was about to cry! She genuinely only wanted to go in and deliver the cream. She had no intention of interrupting Mr. Everett¡¯s enjoyment! Although Bruce had a bad temper, he was still the richest man in Greyport. He was very generous. The assistants and bodyguards working by his side earned three times the market rate. Moreover, all kinds of bonuses and benefits were very good. Therefore, even being a servant in the Everett family¡¯s residence was much better than being a senior executive in an ordinarypany! After the servant left, Bruce pouted and urged Joanna, ¡°You¡¯re not done yet. Continue!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay now. You¡¯ll be fine in two days!¡± ¡°How is it okay? It still hurts a lot!¡± Bruce said petntly as he looked at Joanna with an aggrieved expression. When she saw his reaction, Joanna could not help feeling goosebumps erupting all over her body! She was still more used to Bruce¡¯s icy aloofness and overbearing demeanor. ¡°Do it yourself!¡± Bruce put his arm on her shoulder. ¡°It really hurts!¡± As he said that, he deliberately stumbled and pinned Joanna against the kitchen counter. He looked at her with two zing eyes. ¡°Stop fooling around. Get off me quickly. Joanna felt as if an electric current had shot through her entire body as she hurriedly tried to push Bruce away. Bruce¡¯s body seemed to possess some maic field. As soon as he approached, Joanna subconsciously became nervous and terrified! It was probably due to the lingering fear left from the past which she still could not get rid of it. Bruce lowered his head and smiled gently and suggestively. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t leave tonight, okay?¡± Joanna had nowhere to retreat. She could only brace herself and pushed him away. She tried her best not to get too close to him. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Get off me quickly.¡± Beep! Beep! Beep! Right at this moment, Joanna¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Get off me now. I have to answer the call.¡± With that, Joanna pushed Bruce away with great force. When she checked her phone, the call was from Jaydon Grimm. Joanna¡¯s expression changed at once, but she still muted the phone and did not dare to answer. When he saw this. Bruce instantly turned into a green¨Ceyed monster. ¡°Who called?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jaydon Grimm, that son of a bitch, again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and did not say anything. Whenever Jaydon Grimm¡¯s name was mentioned, it was as if Bruce¡¯s tail had been stepped on. He would blow his top and stir up all kinds of trouble. ¡°It¡¯s already veryte. I have to go back!¡± ¡°Joanna, can you stay here for a night and apany the children? Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely not do anything to you¡­¡± Joanna interrupted him and replied icily, ¡°I really can¡¯t. I still have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± With that, Joanna took off her apron and walked toward the living room. The children had already finished their dumplings. When they saw that their Mommy was about to leave, they became upset at once. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t leave!¡± ¡°Be good. Mommy wille and visit you another day.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ ¡°Be good!¡± Joanna squatted down and kissed each of the three little fellows on the face. Then, she patiently exined to the children, ¡°Mommy really has to go back. I still have to work tomorrow. You¡¯re all big children now. You understand Mommy, don¡¯t you?¡± Davian and Irvin exchanged looks with each other and said with disappointment, ¡­ Alright! Goodbye, Mommy.¡± The three little fellows had known since they were young that their Mommy had to work hard to earn money to support them. Thus, all three had developed a habit of obediently listening to their Mommy from a young age. In particr, when their Mommy had to go to work, the little fellows would not make a fuss. When Bruce saw that Joanna was determined to leave, he did not dare to force her to stay even though he was displeased. Now, he understood Joanna¡¯s temperament and knew that she hated his overbearing manner. Hence, he had no choice but to use the soft approach. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back!¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll get Tatiana toe fetch me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already sote. It¡¯s inconvenient for her if you ask her to drive here. Let me send you back!¡± Bruce insisted on driving Joanna back. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing reluctantly. The three little fellows waved goodbye to Joanna. ¡°Goodbye, Mommy!¡± ¡°Bye, my babies.¡± In the car, Bruce drove silently with a somewhat sullen face. Joanna was also silent as she looked out of the window. Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. As before, the call was from Jaydon. Joanna muted the call again. Forty minutester, outside Ona ce. Bruce drove to the entrance of the neighborhood district. ¡°Is this the ce?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Yes. Just stop here, it¡¯s good enough!¡± Joanna did not deliberately hide her residential address. If Bruce wanted to look for her, he could always find a way to locate her residential address. Therefore, there was no need to hide it. Bang! Joanna got out of the car and mmed the door shut vehemently. Bruce rolled down the window and leaned out. A sly smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Joanna, be careful!¡± Joanna turned around and shed him a faint smile. ¡°You too!¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t stop you from dating Jaydon Grimm. However, you mustn¡¯t let him touch you before you guys get your marriage certificate.¡± Joanna frowned wordlessly. She did not know how to answer him. When he saw that Joanna was silent, Bruce smiled in a sinister manner. ¡°Before you two get married, if you dare to let Jaydon Grimm touch you, I will cripple him and make you regret it for the rest of your life.¡± When Joanna heard this, goosebumps rose all over her body inexplicably. This bastard Bruce Everett had always kept his word. It seemed that it would not be so easy to get rid of himpletely. ¡°Are you crazy? Do you think everyone is as wanton as you?¡± Joanna retorted angrily and left without looking back. As he watched Joanna¡¯s departing back profile, Bruce lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. In the past, he would have tried his best to stop Joanna from associating intimately with Jaydon. However, now, it was no longer necessary! Bruce would soon let Joanna see Jaydon¡¯s true colors. At that point, he did not believe that she would still want to be with Jaydon. Joanna Haynes, you are mine. You can only belong to me for the rest of your life.¡± Joanna had just stepped inside her home when the phone rang again. ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± On the other end of the line, Jaydon¡¯s worried voice rang out. ¡°Joann, what are you busy with? Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone for so long?¡± ¡°Oh, I was busy outside just now and didn¡¯t hear your call!¡± ¡°Are you very busy?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. A little ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice was as gentle and seductive as ever. He genuinely loved Joanna. However, in his mind, love and desire could be separated. He loved Joanna, but that did not mean that he did not have designs on other women. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 ¡°You too! Have an early night!¡± ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good night!¡± After Jaydon and Joanna said goodnight to each other, they suddenly found that there was nothing else to say. Although Jaydon called her every day, Joanna didn¡¯t really have much to say to him. After ending the call. Joanna felt a little troubled. Miranda had run a bath for her. Joanna immersed herself in the bathtub and thought for a long time. She really did not know where the road in the future would lead her to! However, no matter how difficult the road ahead was, she had to work hard to live. The next day, at the office of the Haynes Group. When Joanna arrived at the office, the atmosphere was a little strained and peculiar. Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger were leaving thepany at the same time. It felt as if the Haynes Group was on the verge of copse. The employees were also a little uneasy. The reception staff greeted politely, ¡°Good day. Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Good day, everyone!¡± When Joanna got to her office, Luna walked in with a stack of contracts. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is the agreement to buy back the shares. Please go through it again.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. No issue.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, are you really nning to pledge 30% of your shares as coteral?¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no turning back now that we have embarked on this course of action. The wheels are already set in motion. We have no choice but to push onward. Luna frowned but did not say anything else. Just like that, life went on uneventfully. In a sh, another half a month passed. Today was already the 22nd of July. It would be Joanna¡¯s birthday in two days. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice rang out from the phone. ¡°Joann. your 25th birthday is in two days! How do you n to celebrate?¡± ¡°Well¡­ No need to celebrate.¡± Jaydon sighed softly and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I may not be able to rush back to celebrate your birthday with you. You won¡¯t be angry with me, will you?¡± Joannaughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I don¡¯t really care about this. Birthdays have no meaning to me other than reminding me I¡¯m at year older.¡± Ever since Joanna was young, no one had celebrated her birthday for her except her mother. Ever since her mother passed away, she had not celebrated her birthday anymore. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Although I can¡¯t go back, I¡¯ll get someone to send you a gift to express my blessing.¡± Joanna wanted to refuse his gesture initially upon hearing that. However, after thinking it over, she eventually epted. ¡°Ha! Alright!¡± ¡°Joann, I love you!¡± Jaydon expressed his love over the phone again. Joanna paused for a few seconds before replying, ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Then I won¡¯t hold you back anymore!¡± Im ending the call!¡± In the blink of an eye, it was already the 24th of July. This day happened to fall on a Friday. At the end of the month, Mr. Paul and Mr. Roger wouldpletely hand over the work at hand. Therefore, Joanna was exceptionally busy at work. Joanna did not give any thought to celebrating her birthday at all and went to work as usual. The employees didn¡¯t seem to know that it was Joanna¡¯s birthday either. Everyone was busy and no one paid attention to this matter. At the office, Joanna was busy with work when Luna knocked on the door and entered. ¡°What is it?¡± Luna said excitedly. ¡°Miss Haynes, there¡¯s a delivery package for you! It looks huge.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Joanna was puzzled when she heard that. ¡°Delivery package? I haven¡¯t been doing online shopping ¡°It¡¯s really a delivery package for you. Maybe it¡¯s a gift from someone else.¡± ¡°Oh, put it in the security room first. I¡¯ll take it when I knock ofllTM ¡°No, you have to sign for it yourself!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Joanna stopped what she was doing and followed Luna out of the office. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°The delivery guy is waiting at the reception!¡± ¡°Okay, okay¡­ Joanna strolled toward the office¡¯s reception. After she reached the reception counter, she saw arge cardboard box on the floor. It was approximately half the height of a person. ¡°Are you Ms. Joanna Haynes?¡± the delivery guy asked politely. ¡°Er¡­ yes.¡± ¡°This is your package. Please sign for it.¡± Joanna looked at the box suspiciously. ¡°What is it? It¡¯s so big!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, once you open it and take a look, you¡¯ll know!¡± Joanna scrutinized the package closely, suspecting that it was probably sent by Jaydon. ¡°I¡¯ll open it after work!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, this delivery box looks so big. It¡¯s impossible to move it without opening it!¡± When Joanna heard that, she thought that it made sense. She might as well open it up for a look. ¡°Do you have scissors?¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± The reception staff quickly handed Joanna a pair of scissors. Joanna took the scissors and sliced through the sticky tape. Just as she was about to open the delivery box, a human head popped out suddenly. ¡°Argh!¡± Joanna was not mentally prepared and got a big fright. ¡°Surprise!¡± Jaydon held arge bouquet of flowers and stood up straight from the box. He smiled at Joanna. Joanna got another shock and was dumbfounded instantly. It never urred to her that Jaydon woulde back! ¡°Joann, happy birthday!¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Jaydon jumped out of the box and handed arge bouquet of Blue Enchantresses to Joanna. Bang! Bang! Bang! At the same time, numerous firecrackers went off, and colorful confetti sprinkled down all over the ce. More than a dozen employees then gathered around and started singing the birthday song. ¡°Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you¡­¡± hapter Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Thereafter, a person in resplendent clothes pushed a small trolley in On the trolley was a five¨Ctiered cake with the words ¡°Happy Birthday Joanna Haynes¡± written on it. ¡°Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you. Jaydon sang the birthday song together with the staff. Joanna was in a daze for a long time. Her eyes instantly turned red¨Crimmed. This was the first time someone had put in so much effort to celebrate her birthday ¡°Miss Haynes, here¡¯s wishing you a happy birthday!¡± After the staff finished singing the birthday song, they all gave their blessings. Needless to say, it must have been arranged by Jaydon Grimm. Joanna took a deep breath and looked at Jaydon. She was visibly moved. ¡°Jay, howe you are back? Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯ting back?¡± Jaydon smiled gently and took two steps forward. He then handed the flowers to Joanna. ¡°I wanted to give you a surprise!¡± ¡°What about your leg?¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon in disbelief. ¡°In order to surprise you, I worked hard at my rehabilitation training. I¡¯ve already recovered.¡± Over the past two months. Jaydon had spared no effort to undergo rehabilitation training. He finally recoveredpletely before Joanna¡¯s birthday. ¡°Really? I¡¯m so happy!¡± Joanna could not help weeping with joy. She pounced on Jaydon and hugged him tightly. Thank heavens! Jaydon did not be disabled. His leg had truly healed. Jaydon also hugged Joanna tightly. His seductive eyes which nted upwards slightly had turned into upturned arcs due to his broad smile. He had already made up his mind. If his leg really couldn¡¯t be healed, he didn¡¯t want to burden Joanna. If his leg could heal, he would definitely marry her. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Joann. I love you. Let¡¯s get married!¡± Jaydon said affectionately as he hugged Joanna and spun around a few times. Joanna could not hold back the tears that were flowing endlessly. Although she did not love Jaydon deep down in her heart, she was happy for him from the bottom of her heart when she found out that his leg had healed. She was even willing to give up everything in exchange for his recovery. ¡°Joann, if it weren¡¯t for you, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up for the rest of my life! If it weren¡¯t for you, I might not have been so enthusiastic in my rehabilitation training!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get married!¡± Jaydon looked into Joanna¡¯s eyes solemnly. ¡°Marry him, marry him!¡± The employees also apuded! Joanna nodded emphatically. ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± ¡°Kiss him! Kiss him!¡± Jaydon smiled and leaned down to kiss Joanna on the forehead. Following that, he lowered his head to kiss her on the lips! Before their lips could touch, there was a sudden silence in the air as if someone had pressed the pause button. All the employees fell silent one by one until the whole ce becamepletely silent. This was because¡­. Bruce Everett was here. He was also holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand and he was watching this whole scene with a sinister expression! ¡°Mr. Everett is here!¡± When Joanna heard this, she immediately felt nervous inwardly. She turned around and saw Bruce standing behind her. He was wearing a smart ck suit which entuated his menacing iciness. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a dour manner, ¡°I¡¯m here to celebrate your birthday!¡± Joanna¡¯s skin tensed up and her heart thumped furiously. ¡°Thank¡­ thank you¡± Bruce and Jaydon locked eyes with each other as if they were preparing to cross swords. ¡°Hah! You have recovered pretty quickly! You can already stand up so soon!¡± Jaydon straightened his back and his lips curled upwards slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry. I don¡¯t dare to not stand up.¡± Bruce gave a scornful sneer and took two steps forward. ¡°That¡¯s true. I was indeed worried.¡± very The temperature instantly dropped to freezing point, and the two men seemed poised toe to blows at any moment. When Joanna saw this, she was so frightened that she hurriedly stood in front of Jaydon. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t cause trouble!¡± This vile bastard would really resort to violence when he found anything disagreeable. He and Jaydon had alreadye to blows three times before. Moreover, Bruce did not care about the consequences of his actions. Jaydon was on the losing end in all three encounters. ¡°What? What did I do? Can¡¯t Ie here? I¡¯m here to celebrate your birthday. Why are you so hostile to me?¡± Bruce looked at Joanna with an ambiguous expression. ¡°Bruce, stop this at once!¡± Bruce exhaled heavily and stared into Joanna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Joanna, the children are waiting at home to celebrate your birthday! Come back with me¡­ As he spoke, Bruce reached out with his arm to grab Joanna¡¯s shoulder. Jaydon pushed Bruce away icily and shielded Joanna by pushing her behind himself. ¡°Bruce Everett, release your hand! From now on, if you so much as touch Joann, I won¡¯t show you any courtesy.¡± ¡°Hah! Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°Joann will be my wife soon. Please know your ce and stop harassing Joann.¡± When Bruce heard this, he raised his eyebrows and looked at Joanna maliciously. ¡°Are you really nning to marry him?¡± Joanna calmed herself down. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already decided to marry Jay.¡± Bruce was so angry that his heart went numb. ¡°Do you really love him?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes!¡± ¡°Hmph! Are you sure that Jaydon Grimm really loves you? Do you know how many women he is sleeping with behind your back?¡± When Jaydon heard this, his face instantly clouded over. ¡°Bruce Everett, don¡¯t sow discord here!¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m sowing discord? Jaydon Grimm, if you¡¯re a man, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid to admit it!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± S Chapter 375 Chapter 375 hapter 375 Joanna Haynes did not want to talk nonsense with Bruce Everett anymore. ¡°Shut up! ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to wish me happiness. I just want you to leave me alone.¡± Bruce gasped and was a little exasperated. ¡°Joanna, Jaydon Grimm is not a good person. You won¡¯t be happy if you marry him. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely regret it in the future! He¡¯s much more fickle than me!¡± ¡°Bruce, please stop stirring up trouble. Please leave this ce immediately.¡± Joanna was really afraid of Bruce. She was even more afraid that he would cause trouble for Jaydon. Joanna Haynes. I don¡¯t approve of you marrying him! You clearly love me. Stop lying to yourself¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself!¡± Joanna panicked. Her emotions fluctuated wildly, and she only wanted to flee this ce as soon as possible. Thereafter, she abandoned the two men behind and quickly ran towards the elevator. Joanna, stop right there!¡± Both Bruce and Jaydon ran after Joanna at the same time. When the staff saw this, their jaws dropped. ¡°Oh, my goodness. Mr. Everett and Mr. Grimm are fighting again. This is simply too melodramatic.¡± ¡°Well, I can finally confirm that Mr. Everett really still has feelings for Miss Haynes! I¡¯m so envious of Miss Haynes. To think that she can be pursued by two preeminent rich and handsome men at the same time,¡± a middle¨Caged female staff said wistfully. ¡°If you were in her shoes, would you choose Mr. Everett or Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m not picky. Either one is fine.¡± When one of the male staff heard that, he couldn¡¯t help taunting them. ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! A group of love¨C struck fools. Sigh¡­. can you guys guess who Miss Haynes will marry eventually?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It will definitely be Mr. Grimm! Miss Haynes said yes to Mr. Grimm¡¯s marriage proposal in front of everyone!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s very likely that Miss Haynes will remarry Mr. Everett. After all, they have three children. As the saying goes, children are the bond of love. With a bond, it¡¯s not so easy to break free.¡± The male staff smirked. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a bet? Let¡¯s bet who Miss Haynes will marry?¡± ¡°Crazy!¡± A few female staff rolled their eyes. Meanwhile, Joanna fled from the office premises. She drove aimlessly along Riverside Drive. She just wanted to find a quiet ce to calm her heartpletely. An hourter, without realizing it, Joanna had driven to the beach where Bruce brought her thest time. Joanna parked the car at the spot where Bruce had parked before. Then, she got out of the car and walked to the reef she and Bruce went thest time. Here, the scenery during the day waspletely different from the night scene. Joanna stood on the reef in a daze, breathing in the slightly salty and breezy sea air. In front of her, the blue sea stretched as far as the eye could see. From time to time, a few seagulls would fly over the ocean, and the Coconut trees were lined up by the road haphazardly in a picturesque manner. The scenery here was indeed carefree and rxing, and her heart gradually calmed down. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Her cell phone vibrated again, and she saw the notification indicating the arrival of new messages. Joanna lowered her head for a look. There were already more than a dozen missed calls indicated on the screen. There were both calls from Bruce and Jaydon. Ding dong! Ding dong! Bruce¡¯s message notification popped up. Joanna subconsciously clicked on it. ¡°Joanna, Jaydon Grimm has been sleeping around with other women behind your back. Don¡¯t be deceived by him. He really doesn¡¯t love you that much.¡± Following that, a few photos were sent over. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Joanna took a look. They were bed scene photos of Jaydon and Carmel Basil. Previously, Carmel went to Gaprington and stayed with Jaydon for more than a week. During that time, Carmel took bed scene photos showing Jaydon and her together while he was asleep. As Joanna looked at those images, she felt an indescribable feeling in her heart. She no longer held any high hopes for love. The truth was, she had agreed to Jaydon¡¯s marriage proposalrgely to repay his kindness. After all, Jaydon met with a traffic ident and had lost all hope. Other than marrying him, she did not know how to cheer him up. Moreover, during this period, she had also slept with Bruce, so she naturally had no right to criticize Jaydon, especially since Jaydon was an adult. Furthermore, in the past, he was the kind of person who could remain untarnished while cruising through a sea of temptation. It was wholly unrealistic to expect Jaydon to suddenly give up the entire garden for a flower, metaphorically speaking. Beep! Beep! Beep! Jaydon called again. Joanna paused for a few seconds before answering the call. ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°Joann, where art you? I¡¯m very worried!¡± After all, Jaydon was guilty of some ndestine acts and was very nervous. ¡°Jay. I¡­ want to be alone for a while.¡± Jaydon paused before asking tentatively, ¡°Did Bruce Everett say something to you again?¡± ¡°No!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. Since Jaydon didn¡¯t want her to know, she didn¡¯t want to expose his lie deliberately either. Although there was no love between them, their deep friendship over the years had already gone beyond love. To Joanna, since she wasn¡¯t marrying for love, it didn¡¯t matter who she married. Since Jaydon loved her so much, she would feel happy and contented if she married him. That being the case, she didn¡¯t care about anything else. She was willing to marry him. Jaydon hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell Joanna everything. He was indeed not a faithful and honest man, and he had also made mistakes that many men would make. If Joanna regretted her decision, he did not really want to force her either. ¡°Joann, are you angry with me? I¡¯m sorry. I want to confess something to you¡­¡± MAHON NG A Send Gift Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Jaydon Grimm did not want to lie to Joanna Haynes, let alone make her regret. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ve let you down! Previously, L¡­¡± Before he could finish, Joanna interrupted him andforted him with a smile. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t apologize to me. ¡°There are some things I don¡¯t want to listen to either. ¡°I just want to ask you one thing. Have you made up your mindpletely about getting married? Are you sure you¡¯re ready to be a husband?¡± When Jaydon heard this, the huge rock in his heart suddenly melted away. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sure. Definitely very sure. ¡°I love you. I¡¯m ready to be your husband. I¡¯m willing to be with you for the rest of my life. Through thick and thin, through health and sickness, I am willing to spend my whole life with you. ¡°There will be countless unknown trials in the future, but I just want to say now that I will protect you for the rest of my life.¡± Joanna took a deep breath and made up her mind. ¡°Alright. You don¡¯t have to say anything else. I¡¯m willing to be your wife.¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± Jaydon was instantly overjoyed. ¡°Where are you? Shall Ie and look for you now?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you my location!¡± ww ¡°Mm¨Chmm. I just want to fly to your side immediately and never be separated from you again.¡± After Joanna ended the call, she sent Jaydon the information about her location. The moment she sent the information¡­ Ding dong! Ding dong! Bruce had sent another message. ¡°Joanna, where are you? I¡¯m almost going crazy. I can¡¯t ept you marrying another man. ¡°Shall we start over? Please give me another chance to make up for the wrongs Imitted in the past. ¡°As long as you return to my side, I¡¯ll agree to any condition! Joanna, I love you. I really love you.¡± Bruce sent a very long text message to Joanna. Jaydon¡¯s recovery made him feel a strong sense of crisis again. He could already feel that he was going to lose Joanna forever. After reading the message sent by Bruce, Joanna¡¯s heart ached slightly. Her eyes became red¨Crimmed involuntarily. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Her love had already been given to Bruce without reservation. However, he had destroyed her love with his own hands, making her no longer dare to yearn for love. The experience was so painful that she didn¡¯t dare to love him anymore. Loving him¡­ was too painful! Joanna thought for a long time and replied via text message to Bruce. ¡°Bruce, I once loved you. That was already enough! Our rtionship is over in this lifetime. Forget me!¡± Bruce sat in the car and smoked one cigarette after another. At this moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of anxiety in his heart. He yearned for Joanna to respond to him. Ding dong! Ding dong! The phone message notification finally rang out. Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly picked up his phone to look at the message. Soon, after reading Joanna¡¯s message, Bruce felt as if he had fallen into an ice abyss. The ashes from the cigarette butt containing sparksnded on his hand, but there was no reaction from him. Bruce could not ept such an oue. He could not ept the sense of defeat that came from Jaydon Grimm snatching Joanna away from him. ¡°Joanna, you will regret it!¡± Joanna did not respond to Bruce again after receiving his message. She knew very well that Bruce didn¡¯t love her all that much. He was just being possessive and couldn¡¯t ept the fact that she was the first to fall out of love with him. Half an hourter, Jaydon drove as fast as he could to Joanna¡¯s side. ¡°Joann!¡± ¡°Jay¡­ Joanna ran toward him with a smile. Jaydon ran toward Joanna at an even faster speed. Then, he hugged Joanna tightly in his arms. Joann, you¡¯re finally going to marry me. I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± ¡°Silly¡­ Joanna pinched Jaydon¡¯s nose affectionately. ¡°Joann, should we hold the wedding first or collect our marriage certificate first?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine either way. I¡¯ll go with whatever you say.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s hold the wedding first. After the wedding, we¡¯ll go get our marriage certificate!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Sure! Joanna¡¯s eyes were smiling. Her beautiful, exquisite face was like a blooming flower. Jaydon kissed her forehead and nted a deep kiss on her cherry¨Cpink lips. His kissing skills were very good. He was gentle and focused and it made Joanna sink uncontrobly into the moment. In contrast, Bruce¡¯s kiss never took into consideration the other party¡¯s feelings. It was always extremely aggressive and invasive, and left no room for the other party to resist or reject at all. It was even more terrifying when she was doing ¡°that¡± with him. He would torment her endlessly until shepletely submitted to him. Soon, the news of Jaydon Grimm and Joanna Haynes¡¯s marriage spread. The wedding was set for the 9th of August. The couple would be married at St. John¡¯s Church, the Venturas. The moment the news was announced, it instantly caused an uproar throughout the country. All the media outlets were scrambling to publish the good news. Even if the couple wanted to keep a low profile, they were unable to. After all, the Grimm family was also a preeminent wealthy family in Venturas. Jaydon¡¯s wedding was naturally very important to the Grimm family. Although Joanna was getting married for the second time, the Grimm family did not despise her at all. After all, Joanna¡¯s ex¨Chusband was Bruce Everett. It was not embarrassing to marry Bruce Everett¡¯s ex¨Cwife. Joanna herself was also outstanding enough. Other than the minor blemish that she was marrying for the second time, she was perfectly worthy of Jaydon. At Nephelene Manor¡­. This was Jaydon¡¯s luxury mansion in the city of Greyport. Although it could notpare to Bruce Everett¡¯s luxury mansion, it was nheless a billion¨Cdor viplex. The people living in this neighborhood were all preeminent tycoons. ¡°Joann, where shall we settle down after we get married?¡± Over the past few days, Jaydon and Joanna had been going house¨Chunting for their marital home together. Although everything was very rushed and many details had to be omitted, they still ced great importance on the general process. For example, they still took care of things like engagement gifts, choosing a suitable date so that caterers, decorators, and other services could be scheduled smoothly, selecting a wedding gown, and so on. Joanna frowned when she heard that. She didn¡¯t really want to live in Greyport. ¡°What do you think?¡± Jaydon was also hesitant. Although he had houses everywhere, this was going to be his marital home, so he thought it was better to buy a new house. Like Joanna, he did not want to stay in Greyport on a long¨Cterm basis. And he most definitely did not want to stay in Venturas on a long¨Cterm basis. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. There¡¯s no hurry to buy the house. When we are free in the future, we can take our time to go house¨Chunting!¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t say anything else after listening to Joanna. He walked over and hugged Joanna gently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you! I¡¯ll do whatever you say!¡± Joanna smiled and looked at him equally affectionately. Jaydon¡¯s eyes flickered, and he instinctively lowered his head to kiss her. When he saw that she did not resist, Jaydon bent down and picked her up with two arms. Then, he walked toward the bedroom. Although the two of them were already at the stage where they were about to get married, they had yet to break through the boundary between men and women. Even though Jaydon was very gentle, Joanna could not get into the mood and subconsciously resisted. When he sensed that something was not right with Joanna. Jaydon quickly stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Joann?¡± ¡°Jay, 1¡­ I¡­ Joanna held her breath and looked at Jaydon somewhat nervously. ¡°Are you still unwilling to get intimate with me? We¡¯re about to get married!¡± A hint of disappointment appeared on Jaydon¡¯s handsome face. Joanna took a deep breath and felt inexplicably flustered. ¡°Jay, can we do this after we get married?¡± Send Gift Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Jaydon Grimm paused. He was still a little aggrieved. ¡°Joann, are you still worried about me? Or¡­ are N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. you not ready yet?¡± Joanna Haynes panicked even more. Her cheeks turned red. ¡°1. She didn¡¯t know how to exin it. Since she had already agreed to marry Jaydon, she should not reject his intimacy. However, she felt an inexplicable panic in her heart. Her mind kept recalling Bruce Everett¡¯s warning to her. If she really had sex with Jaydon before marriage, with Bruce¡¯s temperament, who knew what kind of crazy things he was capable of. Beep! Beep! Beep! Right at this moment, the phone rang. It was as if Joanna had found a life¨Csaving buoy in the ocean. She pushed Jaydon away in a panic and said, ¡°Jay, my phone is ringing! I¡¯ll answer it first.¡± Fortunately, Jaydon was not as difficult to deal with as Bruce. When he saw that Joanna was unwilling. Jaydon did not force her despite feeling disappointed deep down. The call was from Miranda, her housekeeper. Joanna quickly picked it up. ¡°Hello, Miranda, What¡¯s wrong?¡± Miranda¡¯s anxious voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Joann, where are you?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Er¡­ Mr. Everett is here. He seems to be drunk and keeps banging on the door. We dare not open the door for him!¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! On the other end of the line, the faint sound of someone banging on the door could be heard. Joanna¡¯s heart sank. ¡°I understand! I¡¯ll go back now.¡± When he saw how anxious Joanna was, Jaydon asked with concern, ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna hurriedly ended the phone call and said with an uneasy expression, ¡°Jay, I have something urgent to attend to. I¡¯ll go back and settle it first.¡± ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°No need! I can handle it myself Joanna hurriedly picked up her bag and car keys and got ready to go back. Jaydon stopped her again. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to go along?¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need. Something happened at home. It¡¯s better for me to go back and settle it myself.¡± Not surprisingly. Joanna did not dare to let Jaydon go back with her. Bruce Everett and Jaydon Grimm were like arch¨Cenemies to begin with. If they met, who knew what kind of trouble would ensue. ¡°¡­ Alright then! Call me if there¡¯s anything you need help with.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Got it!¡± Joanna replied as she walked toward the door. Thereafter, Joanna hurriedly got into the car and rushed home. Along the way, Joanna kept elerating. She felt increasingly uneasy. ¡°What is this damn bastard up to now?¡± Twenty minutester, in the Ona ce neighborhood, Joanna rushed all the way home. Several security guards had already gathered at the entrance of the house. Meanwhile, Bruce was still banging on the door. ¡°Joanna Haynes, open the door! Open the door!¡± Inside the house, Miranda and Kelly were downright terrified. ¡°Miss Haynes isn¡¯t back yet?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, please don¡¯t cause trouble here! If you continue to do this, we have no choice but to call the police!¡± Those few security guards could only watch helplessly. Other than persuading him in vain, no one dared to step and stop Bruce. forward Bruce was extremely drunk. His eyes were bloodshot as he shoved away the security guards beside him. ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, please stop this!¡± ¡°Get lost! All of you, get lost!¡± When she saw this, Joanna subconsciously inhaled deeply. ¡°Bruce Everett, what are you trying to do?¡± 15:42 When the security guards saw that Joanna had returned, they looked as if they had been granted an amnesty. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯re finally back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s been hard on you guys. All of you can go back first. I¡¯ll handle this myself.¡± When the security guards heard this, they quickly nodded. ¡°Sure, sure! If you need anything, feel free to call the security room!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± ¡°Joanna, you finally opened the door!¡± Bruce staggered forward and pounced on Joanna. The pungent smell of alcohol could already be detected from more than 10 feet away! Joanna frowned. ¡°Bruce, are you crazy? You drank so much again?¡± Bruce stumbled and fell to Joanna¡¯s feet, crashing heavily to the ground. ¡°Urgh¡­ Honey, I¡¯m in pain!¡± Upon seeing this, Joanna hurriedly went to help him up. ¡°Just look at you now.¡± Unfortunately, there was no way she could help him up by herself. When Miranda and Kelly heard Joanna¡¯s voice, they hurriedly came out. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re finally back.¡± ¡°Honey, it hurts¡­¡± ¡°Miranda, Kelly, help me quickly! Help me pull him up!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Bruce did not allow the two of them to get close. ¡°You two go away. I only want my wife¡­ ¡°Bruce, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Honey, I just want to see you. You can¡¯t marry another man! You¡¯re mine, you¡¯re mine!¡± Joanna frowned deeply and looked at Bruce helplessly and hopelessly. There was an indescribable feeling in her heart. ¡°Ugh¡­ Bruce suddenly bent over and vomited. His entire face turned purplish¨Cred as he whimpered in anguish. ¡°Ugh¡­ it hurts so much¡­ I¡¯m dying¡­.. Bruce already suffered from serious gastric ulcers. Some time ago, he drank until his stomach bled. Today, he drank more than 40 ounces of whiskey and started vomiting blood again. ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t you quickly call for emergency medical help?¡± Miranda was terrified. When Joanna saw this, her heart ached and she felt panicky too. She then hurriedly called Andy. ¡°Hello, Andy!¡± ¡°Good evening, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Bruce is at my ce now. Pleasee and fetch him quickly.¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 378 Chapter 378 ¡°Huh?¡± Andy felt a headacheing on. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯ll rush over now. Please take care of Mr. Everett for the time being. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Hurry up. I¡¯ll send you the location now.¡± ¡°Mm¨Clunm. Okay.¡± As she looked at the drunk Bruce Everett, Joanna Haynes shook her head and sighed. ¡°Quickly help him up first.¡± Bruce was in a daze. He shoved everyone away and protested in a drunken stupor, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. Leave me alone. I don¡¯t want to leave!¡± Miranda looked scared and said worriedly, ¡°Joann, quickly send Mr. Everett to the hospital! He drank so much. Will he be alright?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯d better call for emergency medical help quickly!¡± Joanna checked the time. ¡°Andy is on his way. Let¡¯s wait for Andy!¡± About fifteen minutester, Andy arrived in a hurry with a few bodyguards. Bruce was still lying on the ground, drifting in and out of unconsciousness. Joanna knelt on one knee and kept wiping the corner of his lips. ¡°Mr. Everett! Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Andy, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Oh, my goodness. Why did Mr. Everett drink so much again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much. Quickly send him to the hospital!¡± Andy frowned and quickly instructed the bodyguards, ¡°Hurry up and help Mr. Everett up!¡± Two bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Bruce¡¯s arms, trying to help him up. Bruce felt queasy. He just wanted to lie t on the ground. If he so much as moved a little, his stomach would feel like there was magma rolling inside. ¡°Let go of me, all of you! Get lost!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯re taking you to the hospital now.¡± Bruce felt an uncontroble recoil in his stomach. He suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He vomited a few times in a row. The strong smell of alcohol was so pungent it gave people a headache. There were many dark red blood clots in the midst of therge pool of vomit. When he saw this, Andy was so frightened that his skin tensed up. ¡°Oh no! Mr. Everett is vomiting blood again!¡± Joanna took a look and her heart was in her mouth. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Quickly send him to the hospital.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Those few bodyguards hurriedly carried Bruce up and sped all the way to the hospital. Joanna was worried and could only follow them to the hospital. At Greyport Hospital, Bruce arrived at the emergency department ten minutester. Andy had already called the doctor while they were on their way. Therefore, before Bruce arrived at the hospital, the medical director and nurses were already waiting at the entrance. The emergency stretcher was also on stand¨Cby. ¡°Mr. Everett is drunk. He just vomited blood.¡± When the doctor heard this, he did not dare to let his guard down. He quickly instructed the nurses to push Bruce into the emergency room. The Everett Group owned a controlling number of shares in this hospital. Therefore, Joanna knew that the doctor would definitely do his best to treat Bruce. At the entrance of the emergency room, Joanna waited with a pale face. It was summer, yet her limbs felt inexplicably icy cold. ¡°Bruce Everett, you¡¯re really a jinx to me!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°What sins did wemit in our previous life? Why do we have to tangle with each other like this in this life?¡± Joanna sat on bench in the corridor and held her head in her hands. 1 When he saw this, Andy could onlyfort her. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry too much. Mr. Everett will definitely be fine.¡± When Joanna heard him, she said, ¡°Bruce¡¯s gastric ulcer is so serious that he can¡¯t drink hard liquor anymore. Moreover, it¡¯s a whiskey with such a high alcohol content. Why didn¡¯t you guys watch over him?¡± Andy¡¯s face was filled with anxiety and gravity. He exined in a timid voice, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know Mr. Everett¡¯s temperament. How would we dare to interfere with what he wants to do? ¡°Besides, no matter where Mr. Everett went during this period, he wouldn¡¯t let us follow him. If you hadn¡¯t called us. I wouldn¡¯t have known that Mr. Everett had drunk so much.¡± ¡°Sigh!¡± Joanna sighed heavily. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett drank so much. It must be because¡­¡± Andy wanted to say something but did not dare to. ¡°Because of what?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand how Mr. Everett feels? I¡¯ve followed Mr. Everett for so many years, but I¡¯ve never seen him so dejected! ¡°Miss Haynes, are you really going to marry Mr. Grimm?¡± Joanna remained silent and felt suffocated inwardly. She did not know what to say. Andy tried to mediate. ¡°Mr. Everett really loves you, Miss Haynes. Aren¡¯t you going to consider getting back together with Mr. Everett again?¡± ¡°Andy, there¡¯s simply no way to force a rtionship. Some things can¡¯t be repaired once they¡¯re broken.¡± ¡°As they say, it is never toote to mend a broken rtionship. When a prodigal son mends his ways, the value cannot be measured in gold. I believe that Mr. Everett has really fallen for you.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t want to hear anymore. ¡°Andy, don¡¯t say anymore! This is between Bruce Everett and me. No one can persuade me.¡± Andy was silent for a few seconds before deciding to shut up meekly. He was just an employee. How would he have the guts to meddle in his boss¡¯s affairs? Half an hourter, the door to the emergency room opened and the attending doctor emerged. ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± The doctor had a grave look and said with a frown, ¡°Mr. Everett has gastric hemorrhage and his gastric ulcer is very serious. ¡°Under such circumstances, he shouldn¡¯t be drinking hard liquor. If he doesn¡¯t take care, his stomach will be perforated!¡± ¡°Then how is he now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already performed some emergency procedures on him. He will need to stay in the hospital for a few days. During this period, he will need to recuperate properly. He mustn¡¯t eat anything that could irritate his stomach anymore.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Got it.¡± Soon, Bruce was wheeled out but he had yet to wake up from anesthesia. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Comment ¡°Push Mr. Everett to the ward first!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to hang up two more intravenous drips for himter.¡± ¡°Got it, Dr. Marlow.¡± A few nurses wheeled Bruce Everett to the VIP ward. Then, they transferred him to the hospital bed. ¡°We have to leave someone here to watch over him. Which one of you will stay?¡± Andy gave Joanna Haynes an eye signal. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t you take care of Mr. Everett? When he wakes up you with him, he will feel much more at ease.¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment before agreeing. ¡°Alright¡± On the hospital bed. Brucey in a daze. His face was ashen and sallow, and hisplexion was unprecedentedly sickly. and sces Joanna¡¯s heart was filled with mixed feelings. She felt as if her heart had been pricked by a thorn. It was not particrly painful, but it was still extremely ufortable. ¡°Bruce, can you not behave in this manner? ¡°I feel really terrible when I see you like this!¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Joanna sat in front of the hospital bed and could not help muttering to herself. At five in the morning¡­ ¡°Joanna. Joanna¡­¡± Bruce shifted his body groggily and mumbled indistinctly. Joanna had been keeping watch and did not sleep a wink. When she heard the sound, she quickly leaned close to check. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Bruce opened his eyes drowsily. When he saw Joanna, his eyes subconsciously sparkled. He asked in a faint, weak voice, ¡°Why are you here? Where am I?¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°You are in a hospital!¡± ¡°Hospital? Ouch¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Bruce let out a long breath wordlessly. He was in so much pain that his eyebrows were knitted together. He was in low spirits yesterday and only wanted to drink. After a drinking binge, he cked out and had no recollection of what happened. Joanna tidied up his nket which had slipped off and said helplessly, ¡°How should I tick you off? You know that your stomach isn¡¯t good, so why did you still drink so much? ¡°You almost lost your lifest time. Why didn¡¯t you learn your lesson back then?¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes could not help turning red¨Crimmed. Joanna¡¯s words ignited some hope in him. He took a deep breath and looked at Joanna intently with a sorrowful expression. ¡°Joanna, you can¡¯t marry someone else. I won¡¯t allow you to marry someone else! ¡°If you marry someone else, I¡¯ll go crazy!¡± Bruce struggled to sit up as he said this. ¡°Bruce, lie down quickly!¡± Bruce gasped and held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Joanna, I really love you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such things anymore. You¡¯re really making things difficult for me.¡± ¡°Joanna, you clearly still love me. Stop lying to yourself. ¡°You won¡¯t be happy if you marry him.¡± Joanna pulled her hand back brusquely. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. If you keep saying such things, I¡¯ll really leave this ce now.¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes misted over. ¡°¡­ Alright, I won¡¯t say anymore! Don¡¯t leave. I just want to take a few more looks at you. ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much. Rest well.¡± At eight o¡¯clock in the morning¡­ Beep! Beep! Beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Bruce, your phone is ringing.¡± Joanna handed the phone to Bruce. She took a look at the video call. It was a call from their daughter! Thus, Joanna answered the call. ¡°Hello, baby.¡± Lilia¡¯s warm voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Mommy, why is it you? Where¡¯s Daddy?¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Gael told me that Daddy didn¡¯te backst night. I am very worried about Daddy, so I am calling Daddy to ask.¡± ¡°Baby, you¡¯re such a good girl. Daddy is here,¡± Joanna said and directed the phone camera at Bruce. It had to be said that Bruce was very willing to move heaven and earth for his daughter. Joanna tried to persuade Bruce not to drink, but she was unable to move him at all. Perhaps if his daughter try to persuade him, it might work. Lilia¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she saw her Daddy lying on the hospital bed. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with Daddy?¡± ¡°Daddy¡­ got sick from drinking too much.¡± When Lilia heard this, her tiny face turned pale from fright. ¡°Oh? Is Daddy alright?¡± Bruce red at Joanna viciously and grumbled softly. ¡°Why are you telling our daughter this?¡± ¡°Since I can¡¯t talk you out of drinking, I can only let Lilia try.¡± As she spoke, Joanna looked at the phone screen again. ¡°Lilia, see? Daddy is sick from drinking. ¡°Quickly persuade Daddy not to drink anymore in the future.¡± Lilia pouted with her tiny mouth and said to Bruce petntly in a childish voice, ¡°Daddy, you have to be obedient and not drink, okay? Drinking is not good for your health. Your baby Lilia doesn¡¯t want Daddy to be sick!¡± When he saw his daughter¡¯s adorable face, Bruce¡¯s heart softened. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Daddy, are you in the hospital? I want to visit you.¡± Bruce pacified her gently, ¡°Mm¨Chmm, be good and stay at home, baby! Daddy will be back soon.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± After ending the video call, Bruce quietly looked at Joanna. ¡°Great. You have sessfully destroyed my image in my daughter¡¯s mind!¡± Joanna replied helplessly, ¡°Have a look yourself. The children are all worried about you.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were a little bloodshot, but he did not know what to say. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, I think you¡¯re probably better now. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Joanna¡­ Bruce wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°Can you spend more time with me?¡± Joanna¡¯s face clouded over, but she still rejected his request ruthlessly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really have to go. ¡°I¡¯lle and visit you another day when I have time.¡± Although Joanna was worried, she was still determined to leave the hospital. If Jaydon found out, he would probably think too much. She didn¡¯t want more trouble to crop up! Joanna had just left the hospital when her phone rang. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Hello, Jay ¡°Joann, was everything okayst night?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°Did you not sleep well? Why are your eyes so red¨Crimmed?¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and said vaguely, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday.¡± 10.27 We¡¯re going to try on the wedding gown today. Where are you now? I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go over in the afternoon! I still have to go to the office in the morning.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll pick you up this afternoon.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmun.¡± At 9.30 am, at the office of the Haynes Group.¡± When Joanna arrived at the office, it was already well past nine o¡¯clock. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul hadpleted the handover of their work over the past few days, and the management staff had to be reshumed. Currently, thepany only had two shareholders, namely Joanna Haynes and Caleb Harrison. As Joanna had pledged 30% of her stake as coteral, she only held 25% of thepany¡¯s shares at the moment. As a result, Caleb became thepany¡¯srgest shareholder. However, currently, Joanna was still holding the position of CEO. In the office, Luna walked in with a stack of documents. ¡°Miss Haynes, why are you sote today?¡± ¡°Oh, there was a traffic jam on the way so I was dyed.¡± ¡°Here are the information for today and some contracts.¡± ¡°Got it. Leave them here for now!¡± ¡°And these are the reports forst month and the financial reports. Send Gift Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Comment ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Got it!¡± Luna continued to report, ¡°Miss Haynes, these are the handover lists from Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul. And this is the employee list showing the reshuffled staff.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmin. Anything else to report?¡± ¡°Also, the payment for some goods has not been settled. It may not be settled until the end of the year. After the payment for these goods is settled, we can close the ounts with Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul.¡± ¡°Alright. I got it!¡± Luna smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡± ¡°Can you get me a cup of coffee on the way?¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna kept herself busy dealing with thepany¡¯s matters. In less than ten days, she would have to hold her wedding. She had to quickly delegate all the work at hand and try to squeeze out a week¡¯s time. Not only did she have to deal with the work in Greyport, but she also had to take care of the work in Porash and Greene Town. Joanna was busy for the entire morning. Without realizing it, it was soon noon. Beep! Beep! Beep! Jaydon called again. ¡°Hello, Jay. What is it?¡± On the other end of the line, Jaydon¡¯s gentle voice with a tinge of resignation rang out. ¡°Joann, are you done with your work? I¡¯ve already made an appointment with the store manager of Milunda Wedding Studio. We can go over to look at the wedding gownster. ¡°Did you forget again?¡± When Joanna heard this, she instinctively pped her head. She was so busy that she had indeed forgotten. ¡°Oh, oh¡­ I¡¯m almost done here!¡± ¡°Shall we go for lunch first?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Then pack up. I¡¯ll be there in about 20 minutes.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Joanna ended the phone call and checked the time. It was already 12:30 in the afternoon. Thereafter, she quickly tidied her hair, put on some light makeup, and left the office with her bag. When the staff at the reception saw Joanna ending her phone call hurriedly and dashing out, they could not help gossiping again. ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I say that Miss Haynes would choose to stay together with Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°You guys lost, okay?¡± Another staff looked incredulous. ¡°Tsk! Tsk! What a big surprise. I thought Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett would reconcile. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Haynes to choose Mr. Grimm and get married so quickly.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a sudden marriage. They¡¯ve been dating for quite a few years now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Now that it hase to fruition, it¡¯s worth celebrating.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is giving up just like that? This doesn¡¯t feel like Mr. Everett¡¯s style.¡± ¡°Hey, do you think Mr. Everett will gatecrash Miss Haynes and Mr. Grimm¡¯s wedding and try to snatch the bride?¡± When the others heard thus, they burst intoughter. ¡°It can¡¯t be that melodramatic, can it? What era are we in now? How can there still be such things as snatching brides?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. At the end of the day, Mr. Everett is still the richest man in Greyport. His worth is a few billion dors. The moment he opens his mouth, he can have any woman he wants. Even Princess Martha has to wait for him pathetically!¡± ¡°Oh, right! Why isn¡¯t Princess Martha making any move now? I still think Mr. Everett and Princess Martha are morepatible!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that! Hurry up and get some lunch take¨Cout. The canteen is going to close soon!¡± Downstairs, Jaydon was already waiting in a Mercedes¨CBenz 600. He opened the passenger door like a gentleman. Joanna got into the car gracefully. ¡°Thank you!¡± Jaydon got into the car after that. Joann, are you tired today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± ¡°What do you want to cat?¡± Joanna smiled gently. ¡°Anything is fine!¡± ¡°Then shall we go to that restaurant specializing in Salen¨CCity¨Cfeatured cuisine we went to thest time? I heard that they have new items on the menu.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jaydon smiled faintly, started the car, and brought Joanna to that restaurant. After their meal, it was already 2:30 pm. At Milunda Wedding Studio¡­. ¡°Wee, Mr. Grimm and Ms. Haynes. This way, please. Let me give you a brief introduction.¡± Joanna looked at the splendid array of wedding gowns and was a little dazzled. Every piece was very beautiful and they looked just like artwork in an exhibition. ¡°This studio only stocks handmade wedding gowns made in Itona!¡± ¡°Joann, there is not enough time before our wedding day. If we customize a wedding gown, we probably won¡¯t make it in time. We can only choose ready¨Cmade ones now, but these wedding gowns are all handmade overseas.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. It will do!¡± Joanna was not so picky about such details. In particr, since this was her second marriage, the more low¨Ckey it was, the better. There was no need to be too ostentatious. In ordance with Joanna¡¯s wishes, the two of them only needed to get their marriage certificate and then treat their rtives and friends to a meal. That would be good enough. However, it was Jaydon¡¯s first wedding after all. She still had to give some thought to his dignity. The wedding ceremony was thus more extravagant. ¡°Let¡¯s try this one! It is verypatible with Ms. Haynes¡¯s bearing. This is 100% handmade.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna immediately followed the shop assistant to the fitting room. The shop assistant first gave her a makeover and then helped her change into her wedding gown. Jaydon sat outside quietly browsing through the magazines as he waited for her. An hourter, Joanna was done with her makeup and styling. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She changed into her wedding gown before walking out. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡± Joanna smiled bashfully when she heard that. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she was really beautiful in her wedding gown. She suddenly recalled her marriage with Bruce seven years ago. At that point, she was only 19 years old. She was young and immature, and filled with hopes and dreams for the future. ¡°Do you want to try another piece?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Chapter 381 Chapter 381 The shop assistant took out a fishtail¨Cstyle wedding gown decorated with crystals. ¡°This is personally designed by a famous. Frayn designer. Everything is hand¨Cembroidered. The crystals on it are all Swarovski crystals. This gown used more than 20,000 crystals in all.¡± Jaydon Grimm¡¯s eyes were filled with doting love as he said gently, ¡°Joann, try it on!¡± When she saw Jaydon¡¯s gaze that was full of anticipation, Joanna Haynes smiled bashfully. ¡°Alright!¡± Then, she entered the fitting room again with the shop assistant. About fifteen minutester, Joanna had changed into another wedding gown and walked out of the fitting room. Jaydon took a look and was instantly stunned. It was said that a woman was at her most beautiful in her whole life when she wore a wedding gown. It was indeed so. When Joanna wore the wedding gown with a fishtail design, her figure was curvaceous and exquisite, and her entire body seemed to be glowing. She was beautiful and elegant. The wedding gown was glittering like gemstones. Under the light, it sparkled brightly. As she looked at Jaydon¡¯s dumbfounded expression, Joanna felt even more embarrassed. ¡°Jay, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful!¡± Jaydon praised sincerely. Joanna lowered her head slightly and did not say anything. The shop assistant was full of smiles and served Joanna enthusiastically. ¡°Ms. Haynes, do you want to try something else? These are the treasures of our studio.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll take this one!¡± Joanna did not want to try anymore. Just trying these two pieces alone was already tiring enough! In her view, wearing a wedding gown was just a formality. She did not specifically demand perfection. ¡°Alright!¡± Jaydon lowered his head for a look. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t you think this wedding gown is a size too big?¡± Joanna felt it too. Her shoulder straps were a little loose. Even though it was already the smallest size, she was too thin, so the gown was still a little big on her. ¡°Can you adjust the shoulder straps?¡± ¡°Of course, we can.¡± Joanna looked at herself in the mirror again. ¡°Then make this size smaller!¡± ¡°Sure. No problem.¡± ¡°How many days will it take? We need it this week, Jaydon asked worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! There will be no dy. It will definitely be modified before Friday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± As the wedding date was too close, they could not demand perfection in the details. ¡°Then let¡¯s go take wedding photos first! We¡¯ll use them for posters at the wedding ceremony.¡± Joanna had no objection. ¡°Sure!¡± If they wanted theplete set of wedding photos, they would have to select many outdoor venues for their photo shoot. There was obviously not enough time when they were so pressed for time. Therefore, they could only shoot an interior scene first. This shot would be used as a poster at the wedding ceremony. Joanna was wearing the wedding gown while Jaydon changed into a white suit. They took a few simple photos. Even so, it was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening by the time they finished taking the photos. Joanna was downright exhausted. She stood in her high heels for the entire afternoon. Outside the changing room, after changing into her own clothes, Joanna was so tired that she copsed on the sofa. She did not want to get up again. As he looked at Joanna¡¯s exhausted appearance, Jaydon¡¯s heart ached terribly. ¡°Are you very tired?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Come, take off your shoes.¡± Joanna looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Why?¡± Jaydon walked forward and took off Joanna¡¯s shoes. Then, he gently massaged her feet. ¡°You wore high heels today and stood for the entire afternoon. Your feet hurt, right?¡± Joanna blushed at once. ¡°No, no! I¡¯m fine.¡± As she said that, she wanted to pull her feet away. Jaydon held her feet tightly and continued to massage her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me give you a massage. You¡¯ll feel much better.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt even more embarrassed. ¡°Jay, you¡¯ll spoil me like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll pamper you like a little princess in the future.¡± Joanna smiled, revealing the shallow chin dimples on her checks. Jaydon really knew how to take care of others. When she was with him, even if there was no love, she would still be very contented. At the age of 15 or 16, love was sacred and could not tolerate any impurity. However, as one grew older, many things could be tolerated. Joanna no longer pursued perfection in love like before. The two of them left the studio and went for dinner together. After dinner, it was already 9:30 pm. In the car, Jaydon leaned down and kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead. He looked into her two eyes gently. ¡°Joann,e back with me!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tensed up. ¡°No, I¡¯d better go home!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he simply smiled like a gentleman. ¡°Alright! In any case, I can just wait for a few more days.¡± Thereafter, Jaydon drove Joanna back. Half an hourter, at Ona ce. ¡°Let me send you to the door!¡± Joanna got out of the car. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. It¡¯s just a few steps. You are also tired from running around all day. Quickly go back and rest.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. You should rest early too.¡± ¡°You too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± Jaydon smiled at Joanna. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Goodbye.¡± Joanna waved goodbye to Jaydon. After Jaydon left. Joanna dragged her exhausted body home.. She had just entered the house and had yet to take off her shoes. Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone rang madly again. She picked it up and saw that it was a call from Bruce Everett. In the afternoon, her phone was kept in the changing room. closet. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Throughout the entire afternoon, Bruce had already called her dozens of times. Joanna hesitated for a moment but did not answer the call. Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone kept ringing non¨Cstop. Joanna was afraid that something might happen to Bruce, so she answered the call. ¡°Hello!¡± On the other end of the line, Bruce choked as he asked, ¡°Joanna, where are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce took a deep breath. He was so angry that his two eyes were bloodshot. For the entire afternoon, he had called so many times, but Joanna did not answer. This was really unbearable for him. I want to see you.¡± When Joanna heard this, she fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Bruce, we should not meet again!¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m giving you 20 minutes toe to the hospital and see me.¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was filled with an overbearing tone. Joanna felt suffocated and replied helplessly, ¡°Bruce, can you stop acting like this? I¡¯m getting married soon. Please don¡¯t¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bruce interrupted her and said sullenly, ¡°If you don¡¯te, you have to bear the consequences.¡± With that, he ended the call. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Joanna ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Her expression was indescribably unsightly. When she saw this, Miranda asked with concern, ¡°Joann, what happened?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already sote. You still want to go out?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm¡­¡± Joanna answered vaguely and went out again with her car keys. Bruce¡¯s personality was too extreme. If she went against him head¨Con, he might go crazy again. Twenty minutester, Joanna reached the hospital in a hurry. ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re here?¡± Andy was standing guard at the door of the ward. ¡°Mm¨Chmm¡­¡± Joanna responded before pushing open the door of the ward and walking in. In the ward, Brucey on the bed with a sullen and ominous expression. At this moment, his expression was sinister and icy, exuding a terrifying aura. Joanna walked to the front of the bed and looked at him without any emotion. ¡°Bruce Everett, I¡¯m here. What do you want?¡± Bruce did not say anything. He simply looked at Joanna icily with both eyes. Joanna also returned him a frosty re. Their eyes locked and they remained silent for a few minutes. Five minutester, Joanna finally broke the silence. ¡°Do you have anything to say? If you have nothing to say, I¡¯ll go back now.¡± Bruce called out to her icily, ¡°Joanna!¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m listening!¡± Joanna stopped in her tracks again. Bruce lifted the nket and got out of bed sullenly. Upon seeing this, Joanna instinctively took two steps back. ¡°If you want to say something, just stand there and say it.¡± Bruce was still approaching her step by step. Joanna panicked and subconsciously wanted to walk toward the exit. Unfortunately, Bruce had already grabbed her wrist and abruptly pulled her into his arms. *Argh¡­ Don¡¯te near me.¡± ¡°Joanna, do you have to torment me like this?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as he pushed her viciously onto the hospital bed. Then, he leaned over and pressed her down. He pinned her down firmly under his demonic ws. ¡°I¡¯ve called you so many times. Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls? Do you know that I¡¯m almost going crazy?¡± ¡°Argh! Bruce, stop touching me like this!¡± Joanna panicked and pushed against his chest desperately. Bruce¡¯s expression changed suddenly. A mouthful of dark blood seeped out of his mouth. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m dying.¡± When she saw this, Joanna was a little flustered and didn¡¯t dare to push him hard again. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Bruce gave a muffled cough, and another gush of bloody foam rushed up his throat. Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as she said in shock, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re coughing blood again. I¡¯ll summon the doctor here!¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Bruce was still pinning Joanna¡¯s two hands firmly on the bed. He looked at her with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll go crazy without you. I won¡¯t allow you to marry another man.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached and her eyes turned red¨Crimmed. ¡°Get up first. I¡¯ll call the doctor here first.¡± ¡°No. Just let me die like this. You don¡¯t love me anymore anyway!¡± When Joanna heard this, she snappedpletely. She used all her strength to push Bruce away. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Bruce Everell, can you stop threatening me like this every time? ¡°Don¡¯t use the ruse of self¨Cinjury in front of me again. The person you love has always been yourself alone. ¡°It¡¯s really impossible between us. The one I love is Jay.¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes dimmed suddenly and his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. ¡°Joanna¡­ Joanna strode toward the door of the ward. ¡°Doctor, quicklye and take a look at him!* Soon, the doctor and nurses rushed over. When he saw Bruce¡¯s condition, the doctor got a big shock. ¡°Mr. Everett is vomiting blood again. Quickly prepare him for surgery! ¡°He vomited so much blood. It might really be a perforated ulcer.¡± As he spoke, the doctor sniffed again and immediately detected a strong smell of alcohol. ¡°Did Mr. Everett drink again? ¡°Goodness! There¡¯s really half a bottle of wine here. ¡°Quickly send Mr. Everett to the operating room Bruce¡¯s legs went weak. He bent over and coughed. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± He spat out another mouthful of blood. His stomach hurt like a churning and roiling sea. ¡°Quick! Quick! Quick!¡± A few nurses went forward and helped Bruce onto the transfer stretcher. They then hurriedly wheeled him into the operating room. He was already suffering from gastric ulcers and had just drunk alcohol. His condition had worsened as a result. ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has a perforated ulcer. He is in great danger now. He needs urgent surgery.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a chill run down her spine and she copsed onto a bench in the corridor. ¡°Bruce, why do you have to do this?¡± Two hourster, the indicator lights outside the operating room finally went off. The doctor walked out of the operating room. When she saw this, Joanna quickly went forward. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s Bruce?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has a perforated ulcer. The surgery to patch up the ulcer has beenpleted. We still need to keep him under observation in the intensive care unit!¡± ¡°¡­ Alright, I understand!¡± When Andy heard this, he also became anxious. ¡°Mr. Everett was fine earlier. Why did he be so seriously ill again?¡± Joanna let out a deep breath. ¡°Which one of you brought him the wine? You know that he can¡¯t drink, so why do you still let him do whatever he wants?¡± Andy¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°I don¡¯t know either! Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t allow us to stay in the ward! ¡°We don¡¯t know where the wine came from!¡± Andy and the bodyguards were also terrified! They had followed Mr. Everett for so long. Mr. Everett had always been in good health. He rarely had colds or fevers, let alone get hospitalized. Although he had gastric ulcers, the condition could almost be neglected since it rarely red up. However, now, he was actually so seriously ill. Joanna stood guard outside the intensive care unit all night. At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, after the doctor confirmed that Bruce had passed the critical period, he Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. was pushed back to Chapter 382 the ward. On the hospital bed, Bruce had an intravenous drip on his arm and electrodes ced on his chest that led to an electrocardiogram machine next to him. There was a drainage tube extending from his stomach and an oxygen mask on his face. His condition looked a little terrifying. Joanna could not bear to continue watching. Her heart ached and she felt terrible. Although she hated Bruce Everett, for some reason, she could not bear to see him in pain. ¡°You guys take good care of him. Call me if anything happens.¡± When Andy heard this, his expression becanie grim. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s better if you stay! If anything happens to Mr. Everett, we won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility.¡± Joanna shook her head dejectedly. ¡°No. The doctor said that he has survived the critical period. You guys are responsible for taking care of him. He will recover soon.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± Andy still wanted to persuade her to stay. ¡°I have other matters to attend to. I have to go.¡± With that, Joanna fled the hospital in a hurry. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, her determination would start to waver. At 9:30 am.. Joanna returned to the office in a groggy stupor. She had been feeling exhausted since yesterday afternoon. Coupled with the fact that she had not slept the entire night, she was even more exhausted now. Today was already the 2nd of August. There was only a week left before the wedding. She had to quickly settle all the matters in the office. ¡°Congrattions, Miss Haynes!¡± The staff at the reception congratted her. Joanna smiled slightly without a word and walked straight to her office. In her office, as soon as she sat down, the phone rang. Beep! Beep! Beep! When she saw that it was Cora¡¯s call, Joanna quickly answered the call. ¡°Hello, Cora.¡± Cora¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Miss Haynes, the Ultimate Girls program will enter the finals next week. ¡°Currently, eight contestants have advanced to the final eight. I¡¯ve already sent the name list to your phone.¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°The finals have arrived so soon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Joanna pondered for a while and rubbed her throbbing temples. ¡°Oh, I may not be able to attend. I¡¯ll leave the matters over there to you and Brother Trumpet.¡± Cora was taken aback. ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes! ¡°At the same time, congrattions to you and Mr. Grimm! When the finals are over, I think I can make it in time for your wedding with Mr. Grimm.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Thank you.¡± Tll end the call now if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After settling the matters in Greene Town, Joanna called for a meeting with the senior management. In the conference room, the senior management staff were already waiting. Due to the staff reshuffle, the management had also made some adjustments and added a few new faces. The meetingsted for an hour. Joanna delegated the work and listened to the employees¡® opinions. In the blink of an eye, it was eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. *After this, I might have to take a week off. I hope everyone will take good care of his respective scope of work at hand.¡± Chapter 382 ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°If there is nothing else, that¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting,¡± Joanna said and closed herptop. The senior management walked out of the conference room one after another. ¡°Wow! Miss Haynes is really getting married!¡± ¡°The news of the marriage has already been announced. How can it be fake?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that something may happen midway!¡± ¡°What can possibly happen?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for the wedding favors! Although Mr. Everett, Mr. Roger, and Mr. Paul have quit the board of directors, it¡¯s still not bad to have Mr. Grimm backing us up now.¡± After Joanna concluded her meeting with her staff, she couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and sprawled on her desk and fell asleep. She was really too tired. If she didn¡¯t rest soon, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take it Joanna slept until the afternoon. She woke up in a groggy stupor and felt that her arms had gone numb. The sleepiness in her body also cased a lot. anymore. She opened her eyes in a drowsy stupor and saw Jaydon sitting on the sofa opposite her, browsing a magazine. Joanna yawned and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Jay, why are you here?¡± When Jaydon heard her voice, he closed the magazine in his hand. ¡°I came to see you. When I saw you sleeping, I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± Joanna checked her watch drowsily. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s past 3:00 pm!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already slept for more than three hours?¡± Joanna ran her fingers through her hair and then stood up. To her surprise, as soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy and almost lost her bnce! ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jaydon quickly went forward to hold her arms to help steady her. Joanna took a long time to steady herself before the dark fog before her eyes gradually dissipated. Tm a little dizzy. Maybe I stood up too quickly!¡± Jaydon¡¯s heart ached as he held her shoulders. ¡°Look at you. You have such dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well against night?¡± ¡°It may be because I have low blood sugar. I¡¯ll be fine after a cup of coffee!¡± ¡°Your body is already so weak. You can¡¯t drink coffee anymore. Caffeine is something that stimtes your nerves. It¡¯s not good for your health to drink too much!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Jaydon¡¯s face became stern. ¡°No, you have to eat proper meals!¡± ¡°From tomorrow onward, move in with me. I¡¯ll take care of you myself!¡± Joanna pursed her lips and smiled, thinking that he was being too anxious. ¡°Jay, there¡¯s really no need¡­¡± ¡°Joann, I don¡¯t care how you lived in the past! From now on, you¡¯re my wife. I have the obligation to take good care of you! ¡°You can stay at my ce without worries. I won¡¯t touch you before we get married.¡± When she saw how serious Jaydon was, Joanna couldn¡¯t bear to reject his suggestion. Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. When she heard the phone ring, Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat! ¡°Your phone is ringing!¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I know,¡± Joanna said and looked at her cell phone. The call was from Andy! Needless to say, it must have something to do with Bruce Everett again. Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Joanna Haynes hesitated for a while but did not answer the call. When he saw this, Jaydon Grimm was curious. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering your phone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s a scam call.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Jaydon¡¯s eyes flickered but he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. ¡°Joann, do you have anything else to do this afternoon?¡± Joanna paused momentarily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting married next week! I think it¡¯s better to meet your father and tell him the good news!¡± When Joanna heard this, she kept quiet but a hint of mncholy appeared in her eyes. To be honest, her rtionship with her father was so strained that she didn¡¯t expect him to give his blessing, let alone attend her wedding. ¡°Joann, I know you are not willing to see him. But he¡¯s your father after all. It¡¯s better to inform him about something as important as marriage.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help giving a sigh. ¡°Alright!¡± After all, she was getting married. It was better to inform her father. As for whether he gave his blessings or not, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡°Then you can start packing up!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmmm!¡± Joanna went to the washroom to wash her face and tidy her hair. Thereafter, she gave Fantine a call. ¡°Hello, Fantine!¡± Fantine¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Miss Joanna, what can I do for you?¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds. Then she braced herself and asked, ¡°Is Dad still in the hospital?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Tell Dad that I¡¯ll go and visit him in the afternoon!¡± ¡°Oh, alright, Miss Joanna!¡± At four in the afternoon, the couple reached the hospital. Joanna and Jaydon brought fruits and various nutritional supplements to the hospital. In the ward, Shaun Haynesy quietly on the bed. Right now, half of his body could not move, and he could not speak legibly. He could onlyy on the bed all day long. Joanna walked softly to the bed. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here to visit you!¡± When Shaun heard the voice, he opened his eyes slightly and looked at Joanna. Then, he let out a deep breath and muttered something. However, no one knew what he was saying. ¡°Dad, Jay and I are getting married!¡± Jaydon walked forward with a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Haynes. On the 9th of this month, Joann and I will hold our wedding in Venturas! ¡°Today, we came here especially to tell you the good news.¡± When Shaun heard this, his eyes rotated slightly. He had mixed feelings inwardly, and his heart was filled with sorrow and resentment. Why was the heavens doing this to him? This unfilial daughter was indeed here to demand payback! If she had married Jaydon Grimm earlier, Roxy would not have ended up this way. And the Haynes family would not have fallen into such a state. ¡°Oof, oof, oof. Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Shaun mumbled incoherently for a long time. Jaydon and Joanna could not hear what he said clearly. The two of them looked at each other. ¡°Dad, what do you want to say?¡± Shaun¡¯s face became flushed. He raised his hand but could not utter a single word clearly. However, he seemed very agitated and did not seem to be giving his blessing. When she saw this, Fantine hurriedly went forward to calm him down. ¡°Mr. Haynes, don¡¯t be so agitated ¡°Miss Joanna and Mr. Grimm¡¯s marriage is joyous news! We should be happy for them.¡± She had served Shaun for so many years, so she naturally understood his thoughts the best. Sometimes, even if it was just a look from Shaun, she could understand what he was trying to say. Joanna looked at Fantine with a baffled expression. ¡°Fantine, what is Dad trying to say?¡± Fantine looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Oh, Mr. Haynes is happy for you! He¡¯s giving his blessing to you two for tying the knot!¡± Joanna subconsciously looked at her father wordlessly. He looked like he wanted to strangle her. He didn¡¯t look happy at all. ¡°Dad, your health isn¡¯t good, and it¡¯s not convenient for you to attend the wedding. I¡¯m now informing you up front as an expression of my respect for you.¡± ¡°Dad, rest and recover well. We¡¯ll leave first!¡± ¡°Oof, oof. Argh, argh¡­¡± Shaun was so anxious that he couldn¡¯t speak clearly. His eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. He still held a huge grudge against Joanna! This unfilial daughter was going to marry Jaydon Grimm in the end, but she was still entangled with Bruce Everett. She had ruined her younger sister¡¯s whole life and happiness. He simply could not give his blessings to this daughter. ¡°Jay, let¡¯s go!¡± Jaydon leaned over and shook Shaun¡¯s hand again. He said politely, ¡°Mr. Haynes, don¡¯t worry. I will treat Joann well!¡± When Shaun heard this, his turbid eyes turned ferociously to Jaydon. Then, he turned his head to the side as if he was angry. This unfilial daughter was so capable! up He wasn¡¯t worried that Joanna wouldn¡¯t have a good life at all. He only cared about Roxy, who was locked in the mental hospital, and Ryan Haynes, whose whereabouts were unknown! ¡°Fantine, please take good care of Dad. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Joanna!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go off first!¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Without saying anything else, the couple left the ward one after another. Back in the car, Jaydon frowned. He looked at Joanna with a somewhat worried expression. ¡°Joann, are you really not letting your father attend the wedding?¡± Joanna also looked sad. ¡°No need! It¡¯s also not convenient for him to attend the wedding in his current state.¡± ¡°Oh, alright! Then¡­e back to Venturas with me tomorrow!¡± Joanna was taken aback. ¡°Go back to Venturas?¡± Jaydon smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Marriage is such a major thing. You definitely have to meet my father and the rest of my family!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°Then get ready tonight. We¡¯ll leave first thing in the morning.¡± Joanna tried her best to squeeze out a smile. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. I got it.¡± Jaydon immediately started the car and said somewhat uneasily. ¡°By the way, there are many people in my family. I have many more brothers and sisters, and more elders. ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that some of them will say unpleasant things. If you don¡¯t like what they say, just ignore them!¡± Joanna was surprised when she heard that. Thereafter, she collected herself. The Grinum family was aplicated family. Other than Jaydon¡¯s more than a dozen siblings, he also had numerous paternal uncles and aunts, and maternal aunts! As for second wife and third wife and so on, there were at least five or six of them. In particr, when Joanna met Jaydon¡¯s family previously, his younger sister was very rude to her. Now that she heard him say this, the other family members were probably even more difficult to get along with. ¡°Jay. I¡¯m afraid I may not be able to handle it¡­¡± Joanna said nervously. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Joanna¡¯s skin tensed up. She was most terrified of dealing withplicated interpersonal rtionships. ¡°Will they not ept me?¡± Jaydon smiled. ¡°No. As long as I ept you, it doesn¡¯t matter whether the others ept you or not! ¡°Marriage is between the two of us. It has nothing to do with anyone else.¡± Joanna¡¯s head hurt even more when she heard that! From the looks of it, Jaydon had yet to obtain the approval of his family for their marriage. ¡­ Oh, okay then!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s have dinner! After dinner, we¡¯ll go to the movies. What do you want to eat?¡± Joanna gave a soft sigh. ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m a little tired. I want to go back early and rest.¡± ¡°Not eating dinner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry at all now. I just want to go back and have a good sleep.¡± As he looked at Joanna¡¯s tired appearance, Jaydon stroked her head with heartache. ¡°Alright then! Go back and have a good sleep. Rest well. You still have to go back to Venturas with me tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Got it.¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t say anything else. He turned the car around and sent Joanna home. Joanna finally reached home. By then, it was already 9 pm. Miranda was still waiting in the living room. When she saw Joanna return, she quickly came over to help Joanna with her bag. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmmm!¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Joanna shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°I made some macaroni and cheese earlier. If you¡¯re hungry, let me know. I¡¯ll heat up a te of macaroni and cheese for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap now,¡± Joanna said and walked straight to her room. ¡°Joann, aren¡¯t you going to take a shower?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it after I wake up!¡± Joanna said as she closed the door and fell heavily onto the bed. She was really too tired and felt physically and mentally exhausted. If she could, she really wanted to fall into bed and sleep for ten days and ten nights. Unfortunately, the moment she touched her bed, all vestiges of sleepiness vanished. ¡°I wonder how Bruce is doing now?¡± she thought. He was swift and decisive in the business arena and could y his way through thousands of miles. Many cunning business big shots could not withstand a single blow from him. However, his personality was sometimes like a child¡¯s. He would not stop until he achieved his goal. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. It¡¯s better to make an end of it quickly. There will be better women around him who will love him.¡± Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Joanna Haynes tossed and turned but was unable to fall asleep. She forced herself to stop thinking about Bruce Everett. She kept tossing until past 11 pm, but she was still not sleepy at all. Her body was clearly extremely exhausted, yet she could not sleep well when she had something on her mind. In particr, when she had to go to Venturas to meet Jaydon Grimm¡¯s family the next day, it made her feel even more uneasy. Rumble¡­ When Joanna heard her stomach rumble, she realized that she had not eaten for the entire day. Thereafter, Joanna went into the kitchen and prepared to make something to cat. Miranda heard themotion and quickly came out of her room. ¡°Joann, are you hungry?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± Miranda quickly took over what Joanna was doing. ¡°Take a rest. I¡¯ll make you some macaroni and cheese now.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Soon, a te of mouth¨Cwatering macaroni and cheese was served up. ¡°Joann, cat it while it¡¯s hot. This is your favorite macaroni and cheese.¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Thank you, Miranda!¡± Following that, Joanna picked up her spoon and started scooping the cheesy goodness into her mouth. Home¨Cbaked macaroni and cheese tasted so much better than othermercial varieties and had a better texture. It was definitely more tasty than those factory mass¨Cproduced versions. As Miranda watched Joanna scooping big mouthfuls of macaroni and cheese into her mouth by the side, she smiled with gratification. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. It¡¯s delicious. Miranda, your culinary skills are getting better and better,¡± Joanna gave her praise in between mouthfuls. Miranda was silent for a long time. Finally, she could not resist saying, ¡°Joann, marriage is not child¡¯s y. Have you really thought it through?¡± Joanna was taken aback and subconsciously stuffed a piece of bacon silently into her mouth. ¡°I watched you grow up. I, more than anyone else, want you to be happy.¡± Joanna smiled gently. ¡°I know.¡± Miranda took a deep breath and said cautiously, ¡°Mr. Grimm is a nice man! ¡°But I have a feeling that he¡¯s not suitable for you.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± Miranda took a deep breath and said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Grimm was born into that kind of family, and you¡¯re a simple person. You won¡¯t be able to deal with his family.¡± Joanna pondered for a while and put down the spoon in her hand. ¡°After we get married, we¡¯ll just live our own lives! We won¡¯t interact too much with his family.¡± ¡°Although that may be the case, with the way wealthy families operate, how can you two stay out of the fray unless hepletely cuts ties with his family? ¡°The Grimm family is tooplicated. As they say, chaos happens when there are too many people. Moreover, his siblings don¡¯t have the same mother. You won¡¯t have a peaceful life in the future.¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes darkened. Of course, she had thought of this. However, Jaydon was so good to her and had sacrificed so much for her. She felt that she should face this adversity with him. Miranda continued, ¡°Joann, you¡¯re also marrying for the second time, and you have three children with Mr. Everett,¡± ¡°Miranda, don¡¯t say anymore!¡± Miranda sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll say onest thing. The thing about marriage is, it doesn¡¯t matter who you marry. ¡°After the honeymoon period, you¡¯ll live the rest of your life dealing with the realities of life. In the early years, Mr. Everett did cause you a lot of harm. ¡°However, you have to understand him too! With that kind of family background, his personality will naturally be wed!! Coupled with the fact that he¡¯s young and impetuous, it¡¯s inevitable that he will do many wrong things. ¡°When a man is past 30, his thinking will be different. Mr. Everett has really changed a lot! In terms of being a yboy, which man doesn¡¯t cheat? Compared to other men. Mr. Everett is considered quite faithfull He has also separated from Miss Roxanne. He has also made up for it!¡± Before Miranda could finish, Joanna did not want to listen anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t mention him anymore!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I won¡¯t say anymore.¡± Joanna was not in the mood to eat the macaroni and cheese anymore. After hearing Miranda¡¯s words, her heart was in a mess and she could not figure out what to do. When she checked the time, it was already well past 11 pm. Her phone was on silent mode and she didn¡¯t dare to check her phone for a long time. Now, she took out her phone to take a look. True enough, there were many messages and one missed call! Bruce Everett was such an arrogant person. He had never sent such a crazy number of messages to one woman before! Beep! Beep! Beep! Right at this moment, Andy called again. Joanna hesitated for a moment before answering the call. ¡°Hello, Andy!¡± ¡°Thank goodness, Miss Haynes! You finally answered my call.¡± Joanna sighed in frustration. ¡°Andy, is Bruce awake? How is he?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett¡¯s condition is very bad! Pleasee to the hospital quickly.¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him now?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett seemed to have lost his soul. He didn¡¯t say a word for the entire day. If this continues, I¡¯m really worried that something will happen to him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He¡¯s so strong. What can possibly happen to him?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, you shoulde to the hospital to take a look at Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already sote now!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t wee and fetch you by car? Mr. Everett¡¯s condition is really very bad. I¡¯m worried that he will¡­¡± Andy stopped mid¨Csentence and did not dare to continue. ¡°He will what?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has an explosive temper. If his lungs really burst from rage, it will be troublesome.¡± Joanna frowned intensely when she heard that. Bruce¡¯s personality was indeed too stubborn! It might be better for her to take a look at him. ¡­ Alright! I¡¯ll go over now.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Thank you so much, Miss Haynes.¡± Joanna ended the phone call and changed her clothes. She took her car keys and prepared to go out. ¡°Joann, where are you going at this hour?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital to check on Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Oh, you should. Go ahead then! Be careful on the road!¡± Half an hourter, at Greyport Hospital. When Joanna arrived at the hospital, it was already past I am. Andy and the rest were still standing guard at the door of the ward. When they saw Joanna, they looked as if they had met their savior. ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s condition is not good. He vomited blood again at night!¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. ¡°Also, the doctor said¡­¡± Andy pulled a long face and was on the verge of tears. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said that Mr. Everett may develop stomach cancer!¡± ¡°Stomach cancer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If he continues to smoke and drink, he will develop stomach cancer in less than two years!¡± Joanna¡¯s face sank. She pushed open the door to the ward and walked in. As soon as she entered, she almost choked on the smoke. Bruce was leaning against the bed head gloomily and smoking. His handsome face was sullen and haggard, his eyes were bloodshot, and his chin was covered in stubble. There were already many cigarette butts on the floor! The entire ward felt like it was filled with cigarette smoke! Although the air cirction in the room was good, it could not keep up when Bruce kept chain¨Csmoking one cigarette after another. ¡°Bruce Everett, are you hell¨Cbent on torturing yourself to death? ¡°You just had surgery. How can you smoke like this?¡± Joanna immediately tried to stop him urgently. When Bruce saw Joanna, his bloodshot eyes misted up and he felt his nose turning stuffy and ufortable. This damn woman was finally willing toe and see him! ¡°I deserved it if I smoke myself to death. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She walked to the bed and snatched the cigarette from Bruce¡¯s hand. ¡°Andy, how can you let him smoke? ¡°He¡¯s so sick now. How can you let him do whatever he wants?¡± Andy knitted his brows tightly when he heard that. Bruce had such an irascible temperament. How could his subordinates dare to interfere with what he wanted to do? In the past, when Mrs. Margaret Everett was around, there was still someone who could control him. Now, Mrs. Margaret Everett was dead. Bruce was really alone now. No one could control him anymore. Bruce looked at Joanna with hostility and said with a hint of grievance, ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about me! Won¡¯t you feel happy when I die!¡± ¡°What good will it do me if you die? Don¡¯t forget there are still the kids!¡± ¡°Hah! You finally remembered the kids!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were extremely moist. If not for the fact that Andy was present, he would probably be so angry that he would cry. ¡°Don¡¯t get up. Lie still.¡± ¡°Why should I listen to you? Cough! Cough!¡± Bruce tried to sit up obstinately. Unfortunately, he had just undergone surgeryst night and his wound was so painful that he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Bruce Everett, what do I have to say before you will listen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless no matter what you say!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand why you have suddenly be so¡­ sentimental?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. He was really not in the mood to argue with Joanna! All these years, he had never failed in what he had set out to do. Yet, he had suffered defeat at the hands of his ex¨Cwife. If he had known that this day woulde, he wouldn¡¯t have done what he did back then. ¡°If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll go back.¡± Joanna¡­ Joanna looked at Bruce helplessly. This vile bastard really didn¡¯t know what was good for him. He should suffer a little! Chapter 385 Chapter 385 ¡°Don¡¯t go. Stay by my side.¡± Bruce said in a somewhat pleading tone. Joanna sighed but she did not really turn down his request. A the end of the day, he was still the father of her children. She still had to stay and take care of him, if only for the sake of her children. The next day, at six in the morning. Bruce was still asleep. Joanna quietly left the hospital. Today, she had to go to Venturas with Jaydon. She had to go back and pack. After leaving the hospital, Joanna rushed home. She took a shower and put on some light makeup. Then, she changed into a set of clean and appropriate clothes. Just as she was done, her phone rang. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s warm voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Joann, are you up?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m up!¡± ¡°Then shall I go over and pick you up now?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Sure!¡± Joanna ended the phone call and hurriedly blow¨Cdried her hair. As she hadn¡¯t slept the night before, the areas around her eyes were slightly darkened. She could only carefully apply some beauty balm cream. Half an hourter¡­ Ding! Ding! The doorbell rang Jaydon had arrived. ¡°Miranda, go get the door.¡± ¡°Alright, Miranda replied and quickly went to open the door. Outside the door, Jaydon was wearing a ck suit. He looked very dignified and formal. Miranda forced herself to smile and greeted him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Jay, you¡¯re here!¡± Joanna came down from the second floor and got ready to change her shoes. ¡°Joann! You are still not ready?¡± Jaydon said as he scrutinized Joanna. Joanna was wearing a Dior single¨Chued summer dress and carrying a matching champagne¨Ccolored shoulder bag. Her hair was hanging somewhat loosely, and her makeup was exquisite. Overall, Joanna looked fresh and elegant. This get¨Cup was the most appropriate for meeting parents. Im ready. We can set off at any time.¡± Joanna smiled and changed into her high heels. Jaydon hugged her waist and kissed her forehead gently. ¡°Why do you have such dark eye circles? Did you not sleep well. against night?¡± ¡°Oh, I was a little nervous, so I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes widened and she subconsciously avoided Jaydon¡¯s gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯ll take care of everything!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm¡­ Then let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna suddenly thought of something and said with a guilty expression, ¡°Oh, yes. I was in such a hurry that I didn¡¯t have time to prepare a gift. When Jaydon heard this, he smiled. There¡¯s no need to prepare anything!¡± ¡°How can I do that? After all, this is my first time visiting them. It¡¯s not good to go empty¨Chanded!¡± ¡°Ha! There¡¯s no need to be so particr. I¡¯ve already prepared it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Everything has been prepared. You just have to bring yourself there.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°Joann, be careful on the road.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. I know.¡± Greyport and Venturas were on opposite banks of the sea. Normally, people traveled back and forth by ferry. On the ferry, Joanna yawned a few times in a row. ¡°Are you very tired? Rest on my shoulder for a while.¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled in embarrassment. ¡°No need. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± Jaydon asked again considerately, ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I knew it. I brought you a sandwich,¡± Jaydon said, handing her a sandwich. ¡°Thank you.¡± An hourter, the ferry docked at the pier in the city of Venturas. ¡°Joann, time to disembark!¡± Joanna was already a little sleepy. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Orvin had already driven here and was waiting to pick them up. The car traveled for half an hour before stopping next to thewn of a luxurious mansion. The Grimm family¡¯s mansion was a preeminent vi in the city of Venturas. It upied more than 1.5 acres ofnd. The entire exterior was designed in the Ecostanian pce style and it looked very grand and luxurious. The security guards at the gate bowed respectfully and greeted the visitors. ¡°Good day, Mr. Jaydon!¡± ¡°Joann, let¡¯s get off!¡± Joanna smiled and got out of the car gracefully. There were many servants here. At a nce, there were multiple rows of servants standing there. They looked a little like servants of those Old World pces, standing at the entrance to wee the nobles. Joanna was used to big, ostentatious asions but she was still shocked by this kind of pomposity. The way the Everett family carried themselves was rather low¨Ckeypared to the extravagance here. Jaydon held Joanna¡¯s hand and whispered in her ear, ¡°There are more people in my family. You have to be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. I understand.¡± In the living room, many elders were already waiting in the living room because they had been informed in advance. Right in front was Jaydon¡¯s fourth uncle, Harold Grimm, and his wife. Jaydon began to introduce the elders one by one. ¡°Joann, this is my Fourth Uncle Harold, and this is my Fourth Aunt.¡± Joanna¡¯s face stiffened. She looked a little like a nervous primary school student meeting a teacher. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm, Mrs. Grimm.¡± Harold resembled Tim quite a fair bit. However, Harold¡¯s head was going bald a little and he appeared more stern. When Joanna greeted him, he only gave her an indifferent nce. In contrast, Jaydon¡¯s fourth aunt appeared very gentle. ¡°Hello, Ms. Haynes!¡± Jaydon continued with his introductions. ¡°Joann, this is Yvette and this is Yasmine. They are my aunts¡± ¡°Hello, Yvette! Hello, Yasmine!¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale as she greeted thedies cautiously. ¡°You¡¯re Joanna?¡± Yvette Grimm, Jaydon¡¯s second aunt, sized up Joanna with eyes that were filled with strong disdain. The Grimm family was a big, influential family, and a preeminent family in Venturas! Although Joanna was also the well¨Cborn daughter of a wealthy family, she was married before. In the eyes of the Grimm family¡¯s elders, this was absolutely uneptable. In particr, Joanna¡¯s reputation was not very good. She was considered fairly infamous in Venturas N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. and Greyport. Jaydon¡¯s third aunt, Yasmine Grimm, also sized Joanna up arrogantly. ¡°Wee, Ms. Haynes!¡± ¡°Our Grimm family has more family members and also more rules. If you want to marry into our Grimm family, you have to abide by our Grimm family¡¯s rules.¡± Joanna subconsciously frowned a little. They were flexing their muscles to intimidate her! Joann, this is my stepmother, Madam Genevieve!¡± Jaydon carried on with the introductions. After one round, just the elders alone already made up more than ten members. ¡°Please take a seat!¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Joanna sat down at the table somewhat nervously. More than ten pairs of eyes stared at her in unison like scanners. Moreover, most of their eyes were filled with aloofness and disdain. After everyone sat down, Yvette said with a pretentious smile, ¡°Jay, our Grimm family is a prestigious family after all. How can your wedding be so rushed?¡± Yasmine chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. At the end of the day, this is your first wedding. It¡¯s such a loss of face for the Grimm family when you rush through the preparations for this wedding.¡± ¡°Hah! My dear sister, you¡¯re thinking too much. Jay is marrying a woman who¡¯s marrying for the second time. Why are you still worried about the loss of face?¡± Yvette said to Yasmine. When Joanna heard this, her face turned pale at once. She felt dizzy. There were so many elders, and she was already confused. She could not tell which elder was which! ¡°Yasmine, your words are too unpleasant. Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t take offense. She¡¯s more outspoken.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t answer. She simply sat there quietly. At this point, it was better to speak less. The more she said, the more they would criticize. ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t child¡¯s y. I can¡¯t believe that Jay is suddenly getting married.¡± ¡°Here I was wondering which wealthy family¡¯s well¨Cborn daughter he had taken a fancy to. Who would have thought¡­¡± Jaydon¡¯s expression changed at once when he heard that! Just when the atmosphere became very strained, a beautifully dressed young girl ran down from upstairs. ¡°Jaydon, you¡¯re finally back. I missed you so much!¡± Grace Grimm ran over and hugged Jaydon excitedly. Jaydon and Grace were born of the same mother so they were on the best terms with each other. ¡°Jaydon, has your leg healed? I was so worried about you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s healed!¡± Thereafter, another man in a suit came down from upstairs. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Cassius Grimm!¡± Cassius carried himself in a more refined manner, and his actions were more gentlemanly. ¡°Joann, this is my eldest brother!¡± ¡°Hello, Cassius! Joanna stood up politely. ¡°Jaydon, are you really getting married?¡° Jaydon smiled and stroked Grace¡¯s head, ¡°Yes!¡± Grace scrutinized Joanna closely and her face was full of disdain. If Joanna had never married before, she would then be suitable for Jaydon. However, now, not only was Joanna remarrying, but she also had three children with another man. Grace really did not understand what Jaydon liked about this kind of second¨Chand woman. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 ¡°Jaydon, aren¡¯t you too flippant in your choice of girlfriend? ¡°This Ms. Haynes is a famous person! Are you sure you want to marry her?¡± Grace Grimm said bluntly. Jaydan Grimm¡¯s expression changed at once. Joanna also frowned and her nails subconsciously dug into her palm. ¡°Grace, how can you say that? This is your future second sister¨Cinw!¡± Grace gave a scornful sneer and replied arrogantly, ¡°Imph! I am not acquainted with any second sister¨C inw. Jaydon, your taste is getting worse.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he was downright furious. He said icily, ¡°Grace, if you continue to be so rude, I¡¯m going to get angry.¡± ¡°Jay, Grace is still young. Don¡¯t quibble with her on such trivial matters.¡± Jaydon was not in the mood to say anything else. He subconsciously looked at Joanna. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be angry. After all, she¡¯s just a child!¡± Joanna said and smiled at Jaydon. Let these people say whatever they want! Besides, she had heard worse things than that. Anyway, the person she was marrying was Jaydon Grimm, not his family. Moreover, in her view, she was only marrying Jaydon to repay him. As they were talking¡­ Tim Grimm came out of the room upstairs. Behind him was his new wife, a beautiful girl in her twenties. ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much. Dad¡¯sing down.¡± Jaydon adjusted his expression and went forward to greet the older man. ¡°Dad.¡± Tim seemed very happy to see Joanna. He patted Jaydon¡¯s shoulder affectionately. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re back!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Joanna also went forward to greet the older man politely. ¡°Hello, Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Join us for a meal!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Once Tim had spoken, no one dared to say anything else. In the Grimm family¡¯s dining hall, everyone sat around the long table. It felt like some kind of reunion party. Tim liked lively atmospheres. Usually, when he ate, he would have his whole family with him. The food was apportioned beforehand, and the servants would serve each te to everyone. As for Joanna, this was the first time she was eating at the same table with so many people. During the entire meal, she felt as if her back was drenched in sweat. After the meal, Tim summoned Jaydon and Joanna to the study. After all, his son was getting married. As a father, he naturally had to give his blessings. ¡°Jay, since you and Joanna are getting married, you have to get along well with each other in the future! This is a small gift 1 prepared for you. I wish you two a happy marriage.¡± As Tim spoke, he handed a bank card to his son. ¡°There are 20 million dors in this card¡¯s ount. Take it as my wedding gift to you two. Use it to invest or buy a house. Do whatever you want. This is my small token to you two.¡± No gift was as practical as money, so Tim chose to prepare some money for his son. Jaydon took the bank card. ¡°Thank you, Dad¡± Tim turned to look at Joanna and said happily, ¡°As for my daughter¨Cinw¨Cto¨Cbe, I have also prepared a gift for you.¡± With that, Tim gestured to the servant beside him as he smoked his cigar. The servant beside him immediately brought the gift box that had been prepared earlier to Joanna. ¡°This is Mr. Tim Grimm¡¯s wee gift for you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tensed up as she thanked the older man cautiously. ¡°Open it and take a look!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Joanna opened the gift box carefully. Inside the gift box was a diamond ne. The pendant was a huge blue sapphire. Upon seeing this, Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened abruptly. This was the Blue Enchantress that was auctioned offst year. Its value exceeded 10 million dors. Joanna did not expect Tim to be so generous to her when she had not even married into the Grimm family yet. ¡°Oh, thank you, Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯m already old. I may not be able to help much with your wedding! You guys can do whatever you want. If you need to prepare anything, just tell the butler to choose the best.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± After you get married, you have to settle your heart down. Get along well with each other.¡± ¡°I know!¡± It was rare for Jaydon to be so satisfied with his father¡¯s provision. Tim took another puff of his cigar. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Since you two are getting married,e home and stay with us. ¡°You¡¯ve been wandering outside for so long. It¡¯s time for you toe home. I¡¯m getting old. I hope to have you guys by my side.¡± Jaydon frowned when he heard that. ¡°Dad, I still want to make a name for myself outside.¡± Tim was taken aback, but he still sighed deeply. ¡°Alright! No matter what you do, I will always support you.¡± Anyway, he had many sons, so he did not need to count on Jaydon to be his sessor. Tim gave a few more simple instructions before leaving. Downstairs, everyone was indignant. ¡°Is Dad out of his mind? Jaydon married a second¨Chand woman. Not only did Dad not object, but he even prepared such an expensive gift for her.¡± Grace grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know what Jay is thinking either. There are so many decent youngdies from prestigious families. Why did he have to pick a piece of second¨Chand goods?¡± ¡°This woman Ms. Haynes is not as simple as she appears. I heard that her ex¨Chusband is Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Who cares who her ex¨Chusband is? If she wants to marry into our Grimm family, she has to abide by our Grimm family¡¯s rules.¡± In the study, Jaydon asked Joanna with a smile, ¡°Joann, what do you think?¡± He was worried that Joanna could not get used to it. Joanna smiled. ¡°Pretty good!¡± ¡°There are so many people in my family. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. After all, they¡¯re your elders. They can say whatever they want!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good as long as you¡¯re not angry!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get angry so easily!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go out!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Jaydon and Joanna returned to the living room again. ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t prepare any gifts for you. After all, we didn¡¯t know whether Jay was joking?¡± Joanna gave augh. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Yvette Grimm took off the ne on her neck resentfully and said perfunctorily, ¡°I¡¯ll give you this pearl ne!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so precious. It¡¯s better that you keep it!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, are you looking down on my gift?¡± ¡°Oh, no, no. I just don¡¯t want to snatch what others like! The things that you carry by your side must be Madam Yvette. It¡¯s not good to give this to me now!¡± Yvette was so angry that her expression changed at once. Beep! Beep! Beep! your favorites, Right at this moment, Jaydon¡¯s phone rang. He picked up his phone and saw that it was a call from Carmel Basil. Jaydon¡¯s expression changed at once. He immediately said, ¡°Joann, I have to take this call!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± ¡®Hello¡­¡± On the other end of the line, Carmel gave augh. ¡°Mr. Grimm, congrattions!¡± Jaydon frowned. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just miss you!¡± ¡°Why are you looking for me? If there¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m ending the call!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t end the call yet. I need to see you regarding some urgent matter!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I can only tell you when I meet you in person.¡± ¡°What on earth is it?¡± ¡°I told you. I¡¯ll tell you when I meet up with you.¡± Jaydon was even more flustered. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to meet up with you now. Don¡¯t call me during this period¡± ¡°Are you so heartless?¡± ¡°What on earth is the matter? If there¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m ending the call!¡± Jaydon sounded a little impatient. He was going to marry Joanna now. At this juncture, he did not want anyplications! ¡°Mr. Grimm, I think I¡¯m pregnant!¡± Boom! Jaydon felt as if he had been struck by lightning! ¡°What did you say? Say that again?¡± ¡°I said. I think I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s almost one month now!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he felt his heart turning cold. ¡°How is that possible? When we¡¯re together, I used contraceptive measures every time.¡± ¡°Even if you used a condom, it can¡¯t 100% prevent pregnancy! What do you think we should do now? Anyway, I¡¯m pregnant!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a sum of money. Look for a ce to abort the child.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t want to! I need to see you.¡± ¡°Tomorrow afternoon then. Don¡¯t call me during this period.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± After he ended the call, Jaydon¡¯s expression was extremely unsightly. This oue was¡­ How could Carmel Basil possibly be pregnant? ¡°Jay, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­ Nothing¡­ Jaydon braced himself and forced a smile, but inwardly, he felt so awful that it seemed like his heart had been scratched by a cat. When she saw his odd reaction, Joanna felt even more puzzled. ¡°What happened exactly?¡± ¡°Everything is fine, honest!¡± ¡°Is everything really fine?¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Er¡­ It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back first!¡± Joanna was surprised momentarily. Beforeing. Jaydon said that he had nned for them to stay here for a few days. Why did he suddenly decide to go back again? ¡°I¡¯ll go say goodbye to Dad!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± B Chapter 387 Chapter 387 ¡°Dad. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Tim Grimm was having his coffee. When he heard that his son was leaving so soon, he looked displeased. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you toe back. Stay for a few days before you leave!¡± Jaydon Grimm said in a grave voice, ¡°No, I still have to settle some matters in Greyport. After the wedding. Joann and I wille back to stay for a while.¡± Tim frowned slightly but he still consented. ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going¡± With that, Jaydon left the study. Thereafter, the couple bade farewell to the elders one by one After saying goodbye to everyone, Jaydon and Joanna left the Grimm family¡¯s vi and prepared to return to Greyport. On the way back, Jaydon¡¯s expression was clearly much more subdued, and he looked as if he was very restless and uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Jay? Did something happen?¡± Joanna could not help asking again. Jaydon came back to his senses and put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± The suspicion in Joanna¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°Jay, no matter what happens, you must let me know.¡± She was worried that Bruce Everett had caused trouble again. Jaydon bit his dry upper lip andforted Joanna with a smile. ¡°Indeed there¡¯s a small matter! However, you don¡¯t have to worry. I can handle it.¡± When she saw that he was unwilling to say more. Joanna tactfully shut up and did not continue asking. By the time they returned to Greyport, it was already past 10 pm. The car stopped at the entrance of the Ona ce neighborhood. Jaydon looked at Joanna affectionately ¡°Joann, let me send you to the door!¡± ¡°No need! It¡¯s already sote. You should hurry back and rest.¡± Jaydon did not insist anymore. ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°Goodbye¡± ¡°Good night!¡± Jaydon kissed Joanna on the cheek before driving off to his home. He had to settle the matter with Carmel Basil as soon as possible. It had not been easy for him and Joanna to get to where they were today. He could not afford to let anything go wrong again. The next day, Carmel arrived at Nephelene Manor early in the morning. In the past, she often came here to spend the night, so she was familiar with the ce. Jaydon had just woken up when the servant, Zena, came in to report to him. ¡°Mr. Grimm, Miss Basil is here.¡± Jaydon frowned when he heard that. He had told her yesterday he would meet up with her but he did not ask her toe to his house. To his dismay, she actually came to his house. ¡°Take her to the living room!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Jaydon hurriedly put on his clothes and went downstairs. In the living room. Carmel was still dressed provocatively and looked alluring as usual. She was wearing a spaghetti¨Cstrap dress and high heels. She had exquisite makeup on her face and was wearing a strong perfume. She did not look like a pregnant woman at all. ¡°Why did youe to my house?* ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­ I miss you so much!¡± Carmel pouted her tiny mouth and leaned close to Jaydon. Jaydon pushed away her attempt to embrace him in annoyance and subconsciously stared at her abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you? How are you pregnant when you look like that?¡± When Carmel heard this, she opened her bag and took out a test report. ¡°Let me show you the hospital¡¯s test report. It says it¡¯s almost a month now.¡± Jaydon took the pregnancy test report and took a look. It did show a pregnancy in the early stage. That¡¯s impossible. The child can¡¯t be mine!¡± Jaydon had always been very cautious about such things. He would always take safety precautions whenever he did it! When Carmel heard this, she pouted her red lips and said in an aggrieved manner, ¡°Mr. Grimm, you mustn¡¯t wrong me! My body and mind belong to you alone! ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, wait for the child to be born and do a paternity test. If the child isn¡¯t yours, I¡¯m willing to ept any punishment!¡± When he saw Carmel¡¯s confident look, Jaydon became even more furious. ¡°Did you tamper with the condom? Are you deliberately plotting against me?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, how can you say that? Condoms cannot 100% guard against pregnancy. This child is a gift from the heavens to us!¡± ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense. You must have tampered with it. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten pregnant so easily.¡± Jaydon was no fool. Although condoms were not 100% effective at preventing pregnancies, the efficacy could reach 99%. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Mr. Grimm, it¡¯s useless to say anything now. I¡¯m already pregnant. What do you think we should do now?¡± Carmel looked at Jaydon with a pitiful expression. There was a trace of hope in her heart whereby she fantasized that Jaydon would change his mind and marry her for the sake of the child. Obviously, this was just wishful thinking on her part! Without a second thought, Jaydon replied icily, ¡°Go and abort the child!¡± Although she had expected this oue, Carmel¡¯s heart still ached as if she had been pierced by a needle when she heard Jaydon say this without hesitation. ¡°No, this is our child.¡± ¡°Do you know that I¡¯m getting married soon? You can¡¯t keep this child.¡± Carmel also decided to risk it all. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you get married or not. I only want our child.¡± ¡°No!¡± Jaydon objected harshly. When she saw that he was so determined, Carmel swallowed her pride. She could only make a concession and continue to be his lover. As long as he agreed to let her keep the child, she was willing to ept this arrangement even if it meant hers would be an illegitimate child. ¡°Mr. Grimm, why don¡¯t¡­ I give birth to this child? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t affect your marriage. I just want a child for both of us¡­¡± Carmel hugged Jaydon tightly from behind as she spoke. Jaydon struggled for a while and pushed Carmel away viciously. ¡°Get away from me!¡± Carmel¡¯s high heel twisted and she fell onto the sofa. ¡°Argh! It hurts!¡± ¡°Name your price! How much do you want for the abortion?¡± Send Gift Chapter 388 Chapter 388 ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± Carmel Basil could not help weeping. Although she knew that Jaydon would never marry her, after being with him for so long, she still fantasized that he would have a trace of true love for her. ¡°Don¡¯t talk so much. I won¡¯t let you give birth to this child. If I had known that you were such a scheming woman, I wouldn¡¯t have touched you at all.¡± This sentence hurt Carmel¡¯s self¨Cesteem thoroughly. ¡°Alright! Since you insist on not having this child. I agree to abort it. ¡°However, you have to give me 20 million dors! And you have to guarantee that I¡¯ll be the female lead in all thepany¡¯s films.¡± Faced with Carmel¡¯s exorbitant demand, Jaydon could not help giving a sneer. ¡°Hah! Are you nuts?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm. With your worth, you should have no problem forking out 20 million dors. Anyway, if you don¡¯t give me the money, I¡¯ll give birth to the child. *After the child is born. I¡¯ll bring it to Mr. Tim Grimm. I don¡¯t believe that he won¡¯t acknowledge this grandchild!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he suddenly felt as if he had swallowed a fly. He had really misjudged the woman who used to be so obedient in front of him. She had been pretending all along. ¡°If you insist on giving birth, then it¡¯s up to you! I won¡¯t take responsibility anyway, and I won¡¯t give you a single cent for living expenses.¡± Carmel was so angry that her heart hurt. She began sobbing sadly. ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t you have any feelings for me and the child? I¡¯ve been with you for three years after all. Even if you raised a cat or dog, you should have some feelings for it. ¡°Don¡¯t push me too far. If you push me too far, I¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡± When Jaydon heard that, he let out a deep breath. He might be a yboy but he was not a ruthless, cold¨Chearted man. Although he had no love for Carmel, she had been with him for so long after all. He could not possibly not give her a single cent. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10 million aspensation. Go and abort the child immediately.¡± Carmel was stunned and cried even harder. ¡°Mr. Grimm, I don¡¯t want money. Can you let me give birth to the child? ¡°I swear I won¡¯t disrupt your marriage¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital now and get rid of the child. ¡°Carmel, you¡¯re still very young! There are still many opportunities to meet better men. Don¡¯t let a child ruin your whole life! Jaydon rejected Carmel¡¯s request firmly. ¡­ Alright! Since you don¡¯t want this child, I¡¯ll abort it! Transfer the money!¡± Jaydon frowned deeply. ¡°No, I want to go to the hospital with you personally.¡± ¡°What if I abort the child and you don¡¯t give me the money?¡± ¡°Am I that kind of person? Don¡¯t worry. The moment you get on the gynecological chair, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you immediately.¡± When Carmel heard this, she swallowed once resentfully. 10 million dors for a child wasn¡¯t really a bad deal to her. ¡°Let me think about it!¡± As the two were talking, the servant Zena came in again. ¡°What is it?¡± Zena nced at Carmel and said somewhat nervously, ¡°Mr. Grimm, Ms. Haynes is here!¡± When Jaydon heard this, his skin tensed up. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes is here. She¡¯s outside the entrance now.¡± Jaydon hurriedly looked out of the window. Sure enough, Joanna Haynes was standing in the courtyard. 1/3 11:59 Fortunately, people outside could not see the people inside the house through the window ss. ¡°Why did Joann suddenlye over? Go entertain her first.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Grium.¡± Joanna rarely took the initiative toe to his ce. Jaydon did not expect Joanna toe to his house in person today! If she saw Carmel Basil, the consequences would be unimaginable. ¡°Carmel, go into the room immediately, and don¡¯te out!¡± Jaydon said as he grabbed Carmel¡¯s arm and dragged her towards one of the side bedrooms. ¡°Mr. Grimm, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t talk so much nonsense.¡± Jaydon pushed her into the side bedroom and locked the door from outside. The moment he finished doing this, Zena led Joanna in. Jaydon subconsciously straightened his clothes and walked toward Joanna. ¡°Joann, why are you here?¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon and smiled gently. ¡°I saw that you looked troubledst night. I was afraid that something had happened to you, so I specially came to visit you today.¡± Jaydon¡¯s two eyes darkened and he smiled awkwardly. ¡°Oh, I caught a cold yesterday. I¡¯m much better after sleeping one night!¡± ¡°Why is this ce so messy?¡± ¡°Er¡­ I identally broke the ss just now!¡± Jaydon said as a guilty look shed across his eyes. When Joanna heard this, she looked at Jaydon even more suspiciously! She kept getting the feeling that his reaction was strange! Jaydon looked into her eyes and gave a hollowugh. ¡°Joann, I haven¡¯t eaten yet. I¡¯m a little hungry now. Let¡¯s go out for lunch!¡± ¡°¡­ Alright!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go upstairs and change.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Jaydon was afraid that Joanna would find out that Carmel was also here. He just wanted to take Joanna out of the house quickly. tter! A sound was heard from the side bedroom. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Joanna heard themotion and subconsciously walked toward the side bedroom. Right at this moment, Jaydon hurried out of the room. Although he said that he was changing, he only put on an outer jacket. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m done changing. We can go now.¡± Joanna was surprised. ¡­ Oh, alright!¡± Jaydon was afraid that Joanna wanted to investigate further. He quickly put his arm around her shoulder and they walked. toward the door together. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine!¡± After the couple left, Zena quickly took out the key and unlocked the door to the side bedroom. ¡°Miss Basil, are you alright?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Carmel was so angry that her face turned purple. She left in a huff. Jaydon drove away with Joanna. Along the way, Jaydon kept trying to make small talk to case the awkwardness, but Joanna could still see the anxiety in his eyes. Something thorny must have happened to Jaydon, but he didn¡¯t dare to tell her! The more he didn¡¯t tell her, the more uneasy Joanna felt. ¡°Jay, are you really alright?¡± ¡°Joann, you¡¯re thinking too much. What can possibly happen to me?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good if there¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± Joanna suddenly stopped mid¨Csentence. 11.506 She was really worried that Bruce had been stirring up trouble behind her back again! However, judging from Jaydon¡¯s reaction, it seemed to have nothing to do with Bruce. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just focus on being a bride!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± After their meal, the two of them still had to go to the hotel and prepare invitations and other things rted to the wedding. Although there were servants helping them, it was better that they prepared some of the detailed stuff personally. The two of them were busy the entire day. The matters rted to the wedding were basically all in order. In the evening¡­ Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang again and the call was from Bruce again. ¡°Jay, I have to take this call!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Go ahead!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± Joanna walked to the bathroom and answered the call. Bruce¡¯s sullen voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Joanna, where are you now?¡± Sen Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Joanna Haynes frowned and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something urgent?¡± Bruce Everett said icily. ¡°I want to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not free now. Let¡¯s do it another day!¡± ¡°No! Come at once! If you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± Other than threatening her, Bruce really had no better way to get Joanna toe and see him. ¡°Bruce, can you stop acting like this? If you continue to act like this, we can¡¯t even remain friends anymore.¡± With that, Joanna ended the phone call. She could not tolerate his foul habit of coercing her every time! She had already decided to marry Jaydon Grimm. No matter how difficult the road ahead was, she was duty¨Cbound not to turn back. At the hospital.. tter! After Joanna ended the phone call, Bruce mmed the phone on the floor viciously. Thereafter, he struggled to sit up from the bed. The more Joanna ignored him, the more reckless and agitated he became. Andy and the others heard themotion and hurriedly entered the ward to check. ¡°Mr. Everett, why are you up? Your wound hasn¡¯t healed yet. Lie down quickly. If your wound opens up¡­ Bruce¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°I want to be discharged immediately.¡± When Andy heard this, he got a big shock. ¡°Mr. Everett, you just had surgery yesterday. How can you be discharged so quickly That¡¯s right. What if something happens to your body?¡± Bruce¡¯s temper red up. He roared angrily, ¡°I said I want to be discharged at once. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. When Andy and Kody heard this, they did not dare to argue anymore and quickly went out to settle the discharge procedures. In the car¡­ Beep Beep! Beep! After Bruce left the hospital, he called Carmel Basil straightaway with a dour expression. ¡°Hello¡± ¡°Miss Basil, it¡¯s me, Bruce Everett!¡± Carmel¡¯s heart tensed up. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Miss Basil, how far have you gone with what I asked you to do?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett. I¡¯m already pregnant. However, I can¡¯t possibly give birth to this child.¡± I told you to announce your pregnancy at their wedding!¡± When Carmel heard this, she was a little afraid. ¡°Mr. Everett, if I really do this, my path to stardom will be ruined! That little bit of money you gave me can¡¯tst me for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Hmph¡® I can help you bear your losses. If you don¡¯t do as I say, you can forget about staying in the entertainment industry. in the future.¡± Carmel¡¯s heart felt suffocated. Only then did she feel a lingering fear. Whether it was Bruce Everett or Jaydon Grimm, they were all not people she could afford to offend. Alright! Let me think about it.¡± After thinking about it, Carmel decided to take a gamble. After ending the call, Bruce¡¯s expression was still terrifyingly ominous. ¡°Joanna Haynes, I will never let you marry Jaydon Grimm!¡± Gasp! ¡°Mr. Everett, your wound is bleeding¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Send me to the office.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Beep! Beep! Beep! Joanna¡¯s phone rang again. This time the call was from Andy. ¡°Hello, Andy. What¡¯s wrong now?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett has been discharged!¡± Joanna was shocked. ¡°What? He just had surgery yesterday. How can he be discharged today?¡± ¡°Exactly! We couldn¡¯t persuade him, but he insisted on being discharged.¡± Joanna¡¯s head hurt when she heard that. ¡°So where is he now?¡± ¡°He has already gone back to the office!¡± ¡°Does he want to die? How can he be so willful? Why didn¡¯t you guys stop him?¡± ¡°You know Mr. Everett¡¯s temper. How can we possibly stop him?¡± ¡°Let him be then! Just let him do whatever he wants!¡± ¡°But¡­..¡± Andy wanted to say something but hesitated. Joanna¡¯s heart was also in turmoil. Bruce had just undergone surgery yesterday, but he ran out of the hospital today. Based on his personality, he might go drinking again! This vile bastard was really good at making people worry. However, Joanna did not dare to care too much about Bruce. The more she cared about him, the more he would push his luck. After thinking about it, Joanna could only call her daughter. Other people might not be able to persuade Bruce, but sometimes, Lilia was able to do it. ¡°Hello, Lilia baby.¡± ¡°Mommy, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Hmm. Mommy is at home now!¡± ¡°Oh. Mommy, I miss you so much. When are youing to visit me?¡± ¡°Hmm. I will go and visit all of you when I am free! Lilia baby, can you call Daddy now and ask Daddy to rest and. recuperate obediently, please?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Daddy?¡± ¡°Daddy is sick, but he¡¯s disobedient and has already run out of the hospital!¡± ¡°Oh, got it. Mommy!¡± ¡°Good girl! Give Mommy a kiss!¡± ¡°Muak!¡± ¡°Mommy, are you really going to marry Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, baby?¡± ¡°Although I quite like Mr. Grimm, I still don¡¯t want Mommy to marry him!¡± Joanna was stumped. She didn¡¯t know how to exin it to her daughter. ¡°Baby, there are some things that you¡¯ll understand when you grow up! You¡¯re still too young now. You won¡¯t be able to understand if Mommy tells you such things now.¡± ¡°Mommy. I just want you and Daddy to be together.¡± ¡°Baby, even if Mommy and Daddy aren¡¯t together, we still love you. ¡°Can you quickly call Daddy now and ask him to return to the hospital obediently for treatment, please?¡± Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Lilia pouted and replied faintly, ¡°Tll call Daddy now.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Good girl.¡± After ending the call, Joanna Haynes couldn¡¯t help sighing. This was all she could do for now. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Beep! Beep! Beep! Lilia dialed Bruce Everett¡¯s number. In the office, Bruce sat on the leather chair. His face was terrifyingly ominous, but at the same time, it was ashen white. He had just undergone surgery yesterday. Although it was not a particrly major surgery, the scalpel was still used. It was very damaging to his overall well¨Cbeing. ¡°Hello, baby!¡± On the video call interface, Lilia leaned close to the screen, her big eyes filled with worry. ¡°Daddy, where are you now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression softened and revealed a trace of warmth. No matter how awful his mood was, as soon as he saw his daughter¡¯s adorable face, all the awfulness instantly diminished considerably. ¡°Daddy, did you not listen to the doctor? Did you secretly leave the hospital?¡± Lilia stared with her big eyes. Her tiny face revealed a sensible manner that was totally incongruous with her young age. Bruce¡¯s eyes darted around. He did not want his daughter to worry and feel disappointed. ¡°Er¡­ no!¡± ¡°Daddy is lying. Daddy is clearly not in the hospital. Daddy, I am very worried and I don¡¯t want Daddy to be sick.¡± Bruce let out a tired breath. ¡°My good baby, Daddy is fine.¡± ¡°Daddy, can you go back to the hospital obediently? Listen to the doctor and have your illness treated, Lilia said as her tiny mouth turned downward. She looked like she was about to cry. When he saw this. Bruce¡¯s heart almost melted. ¡°My good baby, don¡¯t cry. Daddy will go to the hospital now, okay?¡± When Lilia heard this, her puckered¨Cup face broke into a smile instantly. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Daddy must listen to the doctor obediently. When Daddy recovers, I will make a cake for Daddy to eat.¡± *Haha! Okay.¡± Bruce smiled dotingly. His chilly, malicious eyes instantly turned into two misty pools of hot springs. It had to be said that his daughter was his weakness, and she had brought him countless heartwarming moments of healing. ¡°Then when Daddy returns to the hospital, you have to give me a video call. You mustn¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a hand heart for Daddy. Muak!¡± The little girl smiled sweetly, pouted her tiny mouth, and blew Bruce a big kiss. ¡°Baby, let¡¯s end the video call. Daddy will go to the hospital now.¡± ¡°Bye, Daddy.¡± After talking to his daughter on the phone, Bruce¡¯s mood was lifted considerably. Now, the only thing that could make him feel kinship was his daughter. At Nephelene Manor, Jaydon Grimm called Carmel Basil repeatedly, but he couldn¡¯t get through. He had already agreed to give her 10 million dors to abort the child. However, now, Jaydon had suddenly lost contact with Carmel. This made him feel very uneasy and he could not sit still at all. Today was already the 5th of August. The wedding ceremony was only three days away. Carmel was like a time bomb that kept him on tenterhooks all the time. Jaydon was troubled, and Joanna was equally troubled. Thepany¡¯s matters were in a mess. With the withdrawal of a few major shareholders, the foundation of the Haynes Group had been shaken. She had pledged the bulk of her shares as coteral to the bank. If she could not redeem them in a short period of time, the Haynes Group might really have to change its ownership. The heavy pressure was like mountains crushing her, making it hard for her to breathe. As the news of Joanna and Jaydon¡¯s marriage spread, Jennie Garcia began scheming again. The next day, at the Everett Group¡¯s office. Bruce was working hard on the backlog that had umted during this period of time. Andy knocked on Bruce¡¯s office door and entered. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Garcia is here. She¡¯s waiting downstairs in the lobby.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Why is she here again? I don¡¯t have time to entertain her.¡± ¡°Miss Garcia said that she has something important to discuss with you. If she doesn¡¯t get to see you today, she won¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°How troublesome. Let her in then!¡± ¡°Sure. Andy replied and left the office. Fifteen minutester, Andy led Jennie Garcia to Bruce¡¯s office. Jennie was carrying arge insted food container in her hand and she walked to the desk with a beaming smile. ¡°Bruce, I heard that you were sick, so I specially made some soup for you!¡± Bruce did not even look up as he continued to flip through the documents in his hand. He replied perfunctorily. ¡°Thank you.¡± *Bruce, stop for a while. You have to drink this soup while it¡¯s hot. It will lose its nutrition if it gets cold.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Leave it there first!¡± Jennie looked worried. She attempted to go behind the desk and reduce the distance between her and Bruce. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re still sick. How can you torture your body like this?¡± Bruce became impatient. ¡°Jennie, is there anything else? If not, please get out!¡± When Jennie heard this, her pretty face instantly turned red. ¡°Bruce, do you hate me very much?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then why are you always so aloof to me? What is it about me that¡¯s bad?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing bad about you,¡± Bruce replied brusquely. He had totally no intention of flirting with her. Jennie Garcia was not his type at all, to begin with. In addition, he was feeling exasperated and did not want to say anything superfluous. When she saw Bruce¡¯s impatience. Jennie took a deep breath. ¡°Bruce, I know you¡¯re annoyed. But Ms. Haynes is already engaged. Why can¡¯t you let it go?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Who said I can¡¯t let it go?¡± ¡°Bruce, just let bygones be bygones! The weather is very good today. Why don¡¯t we go out for a cruise in the sea?¡± I¡¯m not in the mood!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Jennie tried to flirt coquettishly. Unfortunately, her actions made Bruce feel even more disgusted. ¡°I have to work now. Please leave!¡± *¡­ Bruce, I¡­ I really like you a lot. Can¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Jennie said. She could not care less about being reserved anymore and reached out to hug his arm. Jennie had always been confident in her charm. However, she simply could not conquer Bruce Everett. Nevertheless, she had always liked challenges with a high level of difficulty. The more unattainable a man was, the more she wanted him to kneel at the foot of her scarlet dress. ¡°Jennie, stop fooling around!¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes turned red¨Crimmed. She leaned her head on Bruce¡¯s arm on her own ord. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about me that makes your hate me so much?¡± Bruce¡¯s face clouded over at once. He pushed Jennie away brusquely and pressed the inte. In less than a minute, Andy pushed the door open and entered. ¡°Mr. Everett, what are your instructions?¡± ¡°Andy, see Miss Garcia out.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Everett.¡± Andy hurriedly stepped forward and made a respectful and polite gesture of invitation. ¡°Miss Garcia, please leave this ce.¡± Jennie was so angry that her heart hurt and her eyes turned even more red¨Crimmed. ¡°Bruce¡­ Are you really so heartless? ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you some soup out of goodwill. Why are you treating me like this?¡± ¡°Take this soup out too. Don¡¯t bring anything again in the future!¡± Bruce added icily. He was in no mood to drink the soup Jennie made. Andy then picked up the insted food container. ¡°Miss Garcia, let me see you out!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Send G Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Jennie Garcia was rudely subbed again and left resentfully. At the secretary¡¯s desk, Mark watched as Jennie¡¯s svelte back profile left. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. He could not help clicking his tongue. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s good to be rich and good¨Clooking! Rich, beautiful women keep throwing themselves at him one after another. Tsk! ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Miss Garcia is so beautiful and has such a hot figure, yet Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t like het.¡± ¡°We probably won¡¯t be able to experience the joy Mr. Everett gets to enjoy in our lifetime!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Otherwise, why do all men want to be rich!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Is that Princess Martha still calling Mr. Everett?¡± Andy¡¯s face sank when he heard that. He replied vaguely, ¡°Yeah. Every single day.¡± ¡°Did you report it to Mr. Everett?¡± Mark continued to gossip. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s for sure¡­ Andy said as he took a sip of coffee in annoyance. After Princess Martha was dumped, she called Bruce every day. Unfortunately, he never answered her calls. Princess Martha had no choice but to call Andy and send him messages. Andy had to pacify her and replied to every message diligently. Thus, theymunicated back and forth. Eventually, Andy fell in love with Princess Martha. However, the disparity between their backgrounds was too great. He also knew that it was impossible for him to end up with Princess Martha, so he could only try his best tofort her. In the blink of an eye, it was already the 8th of August. Jaydon Grimm and Joanna Haynes were going to hold their wedding the next day. At the Hilbert Hotel in Venturas, Joanna had already checked into this hotel one day in advance, She didn¡¯t have many friends in Greyport, so she didn¡¯t invite that many people to the wedding. Cora, Luna, and Tatiana also stayed with Joanna in the hotel together with Miranda, Tracy, and Kelly. There were less than ten people on the bride¡¯s side. At night¡­. Beep Beep! Beep! Jaydon was still worried and gave Joanna a call. ¡°Hello?¡± Jaydon¡¯s gentle voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Joann, what are you doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying on the wedding gown and Cora and the rest are trying on the bridesmaids¡® dresses!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he smiled dotingly. ¡°I miss you so much! I really want to go to the hotel to see you now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? We will be husband and wife tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s true. I¡¯m so excited just thinking about it!¡± ¡°Rest early today. We¡¯ll probably be very busy tomorrow!¡± Joanna reminded Jaydon gently. ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Got it. You should rest early too.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Good night.¡± Joanna did not have a house in Venturas, so she was preparing to set off for her wedding from a hotel the next day. The bridal car would being to the entrance of the hotel to pick up the bride. However, this did not affect the wedding¡¯s progression or the wedding protocols. On Jaydon¡¯s side, there were many guests attending the wedding, and there was also a special emcee to be a host for the wedding. The next day, Joanna woke up early in the morning. The makeup artist and stylist began work on Joanna¡¯s makeover. Cora, Luna, and the others had also changed into the bridesmaids¡® dresses. As there were no elders present, Miranda stood in for the elder on the bride¡¯s side. 1/9 11.200 At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, more than ten bridal cars set off in a majestic convoy for the hotel. There was a joyousmotion outside the hotel. Jaydon brought more than ten groomsmen and they headed for the hotel room together. ¡°We¡¯re here for the bride!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, we have to break the door down!¡± The groomsmen were causing a ruckus! The emcee directed the groomsmen as they livened up the atmosphere. There weren¡¯t many bridesmaids on Joanna¡¯s side, so the bridegroom wasn¡¯t really given a hard time. The room door was opened fairly quickly. ¡°Joann, I love you!¡± Jaydon handed a bouquet of flowers to Joanna. Joanna smiled and took the bouquet. ¡°I love you too.¡± Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the two of them kissed lightly. Jaydon then carried Joanna up with both arms. Thereafter, he walked toward the bridal car. The groomsmen and bridesmaids all set off their firecrackers and scattered flower petals. Although the scene was not particrly lively, it was heartwarming enough. The bridal car made onep around the city of Venturas before heading for the church. At St. John¡¯s Church, almost all the guests had arrived. The wedding decorations gave the venue a very sacred and heartwarming atmosphere. There were more than tenrge flower wreaths at the entrance, forming a beautiful archway. There was also a long red carpet on the ground. Both sides of the carpeted aisle were filled with seated guests. ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Jaydon Grimm actually married a woman who has married before! Yet he still held a wedding with such great fanfare. It¡¯s reallyughable.¡± ¡°What do you know? This is true love! In the face of true love, all difficulties are not difficulties.¡± ¡°The point is, it¡¯s fine if she¡¯s marrying for the second time, but she still has three children with her ex¨C husband. Moreover, I heard that her reputation in Greyport is very bad. These two are simply not compatible at all.¡± ¡°How are they notpatible? Although the bride is marrying for the second time, she¡¯s very beautiful. You can¡¯t tell that she has given birth before at all.¡± ¡°Hmph! So what if she¡¯s beautiful? Second¨Chand goods are second¨Chand goods! Doesn¡¯t Jaydon Grimm find her shameful?¡± ¡°Shut up! Today is their big day. It won¡¯t be good if they hear you.¡± Some of the richdies were gossiping with each other secretly. Most of Jaydon¡¯s brothers and sisters from the Grimm family did not attend. However, it was better that those people did not attend. Even if they did, they would not be here to send their heartfelt blessings. ¡°The bridal car is here! The bridal car is here!¡± ¡°Wow! The bride is so beautiful. No wonder Jaydon Grimm was so bewitched that he lost his soul.¡± The guests could not help gossiping again. Send Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Comment Joanna Haynes was wearing a wedding gown and linked arms with Jaydon Grimm. They passed through the flower archway and walked into the church step by step. In terms of appearance, the two of them were really a match made in heaven. They were a good¨C looking couple and were very pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful Joanna was, there was no hiding the fact that she was married before! At the wedding, very few people genuinely offered their blessings. Some people were even guessing how long their marriage wouldst! Inside the church, the priest, decked out in sacred wedding vestment, began officiating the wedding ceremony for the couple. ¡°Mr. Jaydon Grimm, do you take Miss Joanna Haynes to be your wife? Do you promise to love her and to honor her for all the days of your life, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health¡­¡± Jaydon smiled and said solemnly, ¡°I do!¡± ¡°Miss Joanna Haynes, do you take Mr. Jaydon Grimm to be your husband?¡± Joanna raised her head to look at Jaydon. ¡°I do!¡± ¡°You may exchange rings. With the exchange of wedding rings, you two will officially be husband and wife!¡± Jaydon looked deep into Joanna¡¯s eyes. He took the ring and prepared to put it on Joanna¡¯s ring finger. Halfway through the ceremony, a sharp and angry voice rang out suddenly! ¡°I object to their marriage!¡± Bang! The doors of the church were pushed open abruptly and Carmel Basil barged in aggressively. Everyone got a shock and turned to look at Carmel. When Jaydon saw this, his skin tensed up! His worst fears hade true. ¡°Carmel Basil, stop making a scene!¡± Carmel looked at Jaydon icily. ¡°I¡¯m not making a scene. You two can¡¯t get married. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant with your child. You have to take responsibility!¡± Boom! When everyone present heard this, they all raised their eyebrows and were so shocked that their jaws dropped! Joanna was also shocked. She was bbergasted as she looked at Carmel. For the past few days, Jaydon had appeared uneasy and troubled. She had already guessed that something thorny must have happened. Joanna had assumed that it was rted to Bruce Everett all this while. She did not expect it to be connected to Carmel Basil. Carmel walked up to Joanna. ¡°Ms. Haynes, I¡¯m now pregnant with Mr. Grimm¡¯s child. I don¡¯t object to your marriage. But Mr. Grimm must give me and the child an answer.¡± Joanna was dumbstruck. She could not recover from her shock for a long time. ¡°Joann, I¡­ Let me exin¡­¡± Jaydon instinctively tried to exin. However, the truth was right in front of Joanna. Any exnation would appear weak. ¡°Oh, my goodness. Isn¡¯t this the superstar Carmel Basil?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that Jaydon Grimm single¨Chandedly groomed her until she became famous. She was also his secret lover.¡± ¡°Gosh! There¡¯s going to be a good show to watch now! This is even more exciting than filming a movie!¡± ¡°Tsk! Tsk! I didn¡¯te to today¡¯s wedding in vain. I can gawk at all this drama to my heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°Carmel, leave this ce at one. Stop messing around!¡± Jaydon tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re getting married today. What about me and the child? ¡°This is our child. Can you bear to abandon the child? Jay, I¡¯ve been with you for so long. You can¡¯t abandon us like this!¡± After saying this, Carmel turned her attention to Joarma again. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You broke up my rtionship with Jay. If it weren¡¯t for you, Jay wouldn¡¯t have abandoned me and my child Carmel Basil certainly lived up to her reputation as an award¨Cwinning actress in the Best Actress Category. Her acting skills. were superb! She cried bitterly at the wedding and portrayed herself as a victim who had been abandoned very vividly. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Joanna inhaled a breath of cold air. She never expected to be assaulted head¨Con by such a matter. ¡°Get out of here at once¡± Tm not leaving I want to seek justice for my child today My baby, it is this vixen here who caused us to be abandoned¡± ¡°Jay. I think you should take care of your private matters! Joanna felt a chill run down her spine and pulled off the veil on her head! Joann. I can exin¡± Jay, my heart is in turmoil. I want to be alone¡± ¡°Joann, this is honestly an ident I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not human.¡­.¡± In the crowd, a man in ck quietly raised a gun and aimed it at Joanna! Jaydon¡¯s eyes flickered. Joann, watch out!¡± Bang! The man in ck held up a gun and fired at Joanna without warning! Jaydon reacted quickly and spun around abruptly, shielding Joanna with his body! ¡°Argh¡± Jaydon was shot in the back! ¡°Argh¡® Help! The guests instantly panicked! Jaydon¡¯s back began bleeding profusely! Joanna was shocked ¡°Jay, Jay When he saw that hus shot missed the target, the gunman turned around and ran out. Arge number of bodyguards instantly surrounded Joanna and Jaydon Joann. I do love you I truly love you!¡± ¡°I know You don¡¯t have to say so much. Call an ambnce quickly!* ¡°Mr. Grimm. Mr Grimm, how are you?¡± Carmel was also terrified! She wasn¡¯t the only one who was frightened. Everyone present was also terrified. Nobody expected a criminal tounch an attack here. Soon, Jaydon was carried into an ambnce. The bright red blood stained his white suit until blotches of red appeared all over. Joanna¡¯s hands and face were covered in blood, and her wedding gown was also stained with blood. ¡°Jay, you must hang in there Jay, we¡¯ll be at the hospital soon. You must hold on! I won¡¯t allow anything to happen to you. We still have to get married!¡± ¡°Joann Jaydon kept panting from his mouth and nose. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I know you love me. Sob¡­ Send Gift Comment Chapter 393 Chapter 393 The wedding venue was in turmoil, and all the guests fled in fear. The security guards also hurriedly tried to maintain order. Some people called the police, while others hurriedly drove. away. ¡°Drive faster! Faster!¡± Jaydon Grimm was bleeding more and more profusely. Joanna Haynes was so frightened that her mind was aplete. nk. ¡°Jay, you must hold on!¡± Jaydon could not help gasping for air. His eyelids felt so heavy that he could not open his eyes. His face gradually turned pale. ¡°Joann¡­ I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll hate me¡­¡± He was genuinely worried that he had hurt Joanna. He kept wanting to exin desperately. Joanna¡¯s tears kept falling non¨Cstop. She pressed her blood¨Cstained hand tightly on Jaydon¡¯s cheek. ¡°No, I can¡¯t wait to love you. Why would I hate you? Jay, you¡¯re so silly! ¡°Jay, you have to hold on. I won¡¯t allow anything to happen to you.¡± Jaydon smiled bitterly and said weakly, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t hate me, I¡¯ll be at ease¡­ Joann, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to give you happiness in this life. In the next life, I¡¯ll definitely¡­ I¡¯ll definitely¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Jaydon¡¯s eyelids closed and his head lolled sideways before he lost consciousness. ¡°Jay! Jay!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly widened as she threw herself into Jaydon¡¯s arms and shook his body. ¡°Jay, wake up. You must pull through.¡± The ambnce whizzed through the traffic without stopping for a moment. Less than ten minutester, the ambnce arrived at the hospital. ¡°Someone¡¯s been shot! Doctor, save him quickly!¡± The bodyguards carried Jaydon who was covered in blood and rushed into the hospital. When the doctors and nurses saw this, they were also badly shaken. After all, in this society, it was rare for people to be shot by a gun. Soon, Jaydon was sent to the emergency room. Joanna followed him all the way. The white gown she wore was already covered in blood. She sank down on the bench. outside the emergency room as if all her muscles and bones had been extracted. She was about to have a rpse. The depression that had troubled her for many years made her extremely dispirited. Now that she had suffered such a devastating impact, her entire body could not help trembling, and she could not say a word. ¡°Mr. Jaydon, you must pull through!¡± Orvin and the others were also very anxious. Soon after this, Tim Grimm and his family also rushed over. ¡°How¡¯s Jay?¡± Orvin hurriedly went forward. ¡°Mr. Grimm, they are trying to save Mr. Jaydon in the emergency room!¡± Tim¡¯s face turned ominous and he said icily, ¡°Have they caught the gunman?¡± ¡°No! The criminal came prepared. After firing the shot, he fled. Someone was outside to pick him up.¡± When Tim heard this, his expression became even more ominous. It never urred to him that someone would dare to shoot at his son on his turf. ¡°No matter which gang he¡¯s from, dig him out for me.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Grimm!¡± Cora, Miranda, and the others also followed Joanna closely and rushed to the hospital. ¡°Joann, are you alright?¡± When Miranda saw Joanna¡¯s demeanor, her heart was in her mouth instantly. She quickly took out antidepressant medicine from her bag and handed it to Joanna. ¡°Joann, take the medicine quickly!¡± Joanna took the medicine with trembling hands and swallowed the pill with difficulty. If she didn¡¯t take the medicine, she wouldn¡¯t be able to control her emotions at all. Grace Grimm¡¯s face clouded over. She stepped forward and gave Joanna a vicious p, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you slut. If Jaydon didn¡¯t try to save you, he wouldn¡¯t have been shot. ¡°You jinx. I really don¡¯t understand why Jaydon could fall for a woman like you.¡± When Miranda saw this, she hurriedly stood in front of Joanna to shield her. ¡°Miss Grimm, please calm down! ¡°The most important thing now is to save Mr. Jaydon.¡± ¡°Hmph! If anything happens to my second brother, you have to pay with your life.¡± ¡°Stop arguing!¡± Tim berated with an ominous expression. The criminal who opened fire at the wedding was obviously not from Venturas¡® local mafia gangs. Tim was involved in both legitimate businesses in civil society and underworld activities. No gang would dare to cause trouble like this. It was obvious that the criminal was here for Joanna. Joanna sat on the bench in a daze. She couldn¡¯t even cry anymore. She really did not understand who she had offended. Why did he have to try to kill her time and again? If Jaydon really died because of her, she would definitely apany him to theherworld. Living would be meaningless to her then. Although there was no real love between her and Jaydon, her rtionship with him had already gone beyond love. Three hourster, the indication lights outside the emergency room finally went out, and the doctor walked out. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my son?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Joanna also stood up shakily as if she had been given electric shocks. ¡°The bullet has been removed. We have to keep him under observation in the intensive care unit for a few days. Mr. Grimm¡¯s condition is very perilous. The bullet missed his heart by two millimeters!¡± Tim gasped and said gravely, ¡°No matter what it takes, you must save my son.¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best to save Mr. Jaydon. However, Mr. Grimm, you still have to be mentally prepared to ept the worst oue.¡± ¡°No. Nothing must happen to my son. No matter what happens, you must save his life.¡± ¡°We will!¡± The doctor looked nervous. ¡°Jay¡­ Jay¡­¡± Joanna choked as tears streamed down her face. ¡°How dare this fellow strike on the Grimm family¡¯s turf. You have to locate this criminal no matter what it takes.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Grimm!¡± Soon, the media also received the news and published special reports on this matter. ¡°Shooting incident at Venturas. Groom at the wedding was shot.¡± ¡°The police are on high alert after this incident and are sparing no effort to track down the perpetrators.¡± As soon as this news was publicized, the people in both Venturas and Greyport were in an uproar. ¡°Goodness! Who shot him? Who did the Haynes Group¡¯s CEO offend? Why did something happen again?¡± ¡°It must be rted to the earlier explosion incident. I heard that Joanna Haynes¡¯s younger stepbrother was responsible for the earlier explosion!¡± ¡°Huh? That Ryan Haynes hasn¡¯t been caught yet?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s been so long. The police are too useless!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that he fled overseas? Howe he is back again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just conjecture at the moment. After all, Miss Haynes¡¯s younger stepbrother has a criminal record. This incident must be rted to him again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really 100 terrifying!¡± The people in both cities began to gossip and became nosy parkers relishing the spectacle surrounding this incident. Even though the Grimm family deliberately tried to suppress this matter, the inte news was too technologically advanced now and could not be suppressed at all. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Soon, Bruce Everett heard the news as well. When he heard that someone had fired a shot at the wedding, he was also terribly shocked. ¡°Someone fired a shot at the wedding? Is Joanna okay?¡± Andy reported. ¡°I heard that Jaydon Grimum took a bullet for Miss Haynes. Miss Haynes is fine now. Jaydon Grimm is seriously injured and is still in the hospital undergoing treatment! ¡°It was said that the bullet was two millimeters away from piercing his heart. He¡¯s not out of danger yet. Even if he wakes up, he¡¯ll probably remain in a vegetative state in the future.¡± Bruce gasped when he heard that. Initially, he thought that no one loved Joanna more than him. Now, it seemed that Jaydon Grimm really loved Joanna more than Bruce. If he were in Jaydon¡¯s shoes, he probably wouldn¡¯t have instinctively taken a bullet for Joanna in such an urgent situation. ¡°Then how is Joanna now? Is she very sad?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes has been keeping watch at the hospital. She is definitely not in good spirits.¡± ¡°I understand. You can go!¡± ¡°Alright. Andy answered and turned to leave. After taking two steps, he turned around again. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± ¡°What else is there?¡± ¡°Er¡­ Princess Martha is still calling you on the phone. She maye over next week to look for you in Greyport!¡± Tsk! So annoying. Just ignore her. ¡°Don¡¯t reply to her messages and don¡¯t respond to her anymore.¡± That¡¯s not a good idea. is it?¡± ¡°Just do whatever I tell you to do! Do you understand Bruce¡¯s face clouded over at once. Some women simply didn¡¯t know what was good for them. When a man was clearly ignoring them, why did they insist on pestering him relentlessly? ¡°I understand!¡± Andy did not dare to say anything else and left in a hurry. At the Marhall Hospital in Venturas. In the blink of an eye, the sky had turned darkpletely. Joanna was still sitting outside the door of the intensive care unit. She was not eating or drinking. More than ten hours had passed since the incident. Roxanne looked back and smiled. Although Zachary was not as powerful as Bruce, the Garcia family was also one of the top ten wealthy families in Greyport. It was not a bad choice being Zachary¡¯s lover. ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Haynes, eat something! Otherwise, your body won¡¯t be able to hold on.¡± Cora also N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. persuaded her. Joanna shook her head dejectedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not hungry!¡± ¡°Joann, you should at least eat a little. You haven¡¯t eaten anything for a day. If you copse, Mr. Grimm will be even more worried if he finds out!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, you have to more or less eat something for Mr. Jaydon¡¯s sake. From the looks of it. Mr. Jaydon won¡¯t be out of the hospital for quite a while. Even if you have to keep watch over Mr. Jaydon, you have to keep up your strength.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart felt so stifled that she couldn¡¯t eat anything. ¡°I really don¡¯t have the appetite to eat anything. Just leave the items here. ¡°Cora, go back with Luna. All of you go back.¡± Joann, how can I leave when you¡¯re like this? Let them go back. I¡¯ll stay here and take care of you, Miranda said with heartache. Joanna did not reject Miranda¡¯s offer after hearing her words. ¡°Miss Haynes, take care of yourself. We¡¯ll go back first!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Orvin also came over to persuade Joanna. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please leave the hospital now. Don¡¯t keep watch anymore ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave. I have to wait for Jay to wake up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to stay in the hospital anyway. I¡¯ll inform you when Mr. Jaydon wakes up!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave no matter what all of you say. I want to keep watch over Jay¡­¡± When Grace Grimmm heard this, she got even angrier. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you slut. It¡¯s all your fault that Jaydon ended up like this. If anything happens to Jaydon, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Joanna did not say anything. She simply waited nkly at the entrance of the intensive care unit. Yvette Grimm was also anxious and angry. ¡°That¡¯s right. She is really a jinx. She hasn¡¯t even married into our family yet, but she has already caused Jay to end up like this! ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of trouble she will cause if she marries into our family. Jay is really blind. There are so many decent youngdies from prestigious families, but he had to choose a piece of second¨C hand goods.¡± Yvette rolled her eyes viciously as she spoke. Joanna was totally unmoved when she heard that. She would just let them say what they wanted. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to defend herself. Miranda¡¯s heart ached as she squeezed Joanna¡¯s shoulders. However, she did not dare to refute the aggressive members of the Grimm family. It was just as she had expected. These people from the Grimm family were not easy to get along with. In her heart, she would rather Joanna and Bruce remarry than see Joanna marry Jaydon. Whenever arge family like this was involved, with so many aunts and sisters¨Cinw, it would never be easy to get along well with them. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. All of you can go!¡± Tim Grimm was also annoyed by the noise and ordered the others to leave. ¡°Dad, then we¡¯ll go off first!¡± ¡°Tim, you¡¯re not in good health. You don¡¯t have to keep watch either!¡± Tim¡¯s turbid eyes darkened. ¡°No, I want to wait for Jay to wake up! As a father, I have to watch over my son.¡± In the blink of an eye, Jaydon had stayed in the intensive care unit for two days. Joanna had also been keeping watch outside the door for two days. Other than Miranda staying back to apany her, everyone else had gone back. Tim was also advanced in years and did not continue to keep watch over Jaydon eventually. However, he came to the hospital to visit every day. ¡°Doctor, how is Jay? Has he regained consciousness?¡± ¡°Not yet!¡± ¡°Can I¡­ go in and see him?¡± ¡°Not yet, for now.¡± Send Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Comment When Joanna Haynes heard this, she stumbled and almost lost her bnce. Miranda hurriedly supported her. ¡°Joann, how are you?¡± ¡­ I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little dizzy¡± ¡°Look at you. How can you take it if you carry on like this? Before Mr. Jaydon wakes up, you won¡¯t be able to take it anymore.¡± Joanna tried her best to support her body and said groggily, ¡°Miranda, I¡¯m really fine!¡± ¡°Come, quickly lean here and rest for a while! Drink some milk first to replenish your strength.¡± Joanna did not refuse. She opened her mouth and drank a few mouthfuls of milk. Over the past two days, she had not drunk a single drop of water. She had also lost a lot of weight, and her originally thin body had be visibly thinner. Joanna drank a ss of milk and leaned weakly against the bench with her eyes closed for a rest. Beep! Beep! Beep! Miranda¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello! Who is this?¡± Bruce Everett¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, this is Bruce Everett.¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett. Hello. Bruce frowned and asked in a low voice, ¡°How¡¯s Joanna?¡± Miranda sighed heavily. ¡°Joann is in a bad state now. She seems to have lost her soul.¡± Bruce¡¯s heart ached vaguely when he heard that. However, now was not the time to be jealous. ¡°Get her to answer the phone!¡± ¡°Oh, okay Miranda quickly handed the phone to Joanna. Joann, Mr. Everett¡¯s on the line.¡± Over the past few days. Bruce had called Joanna countless times but not a single call got through. In the end, he had no choice but to call Miranda. Joanna held the phone. ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s me!¡± Bruce¡¯s voice sounded a little leaden. Joanna didn¡¯t say anything. She simply held the phone in a daze. Bruce suddenly did not know what to say. The two of them remained silent for almost a minute. ¡°Er¡­ How¡¯s Jaydon Grimm?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached at once, and tears fell down uncontrobly again. ¡± I¡¯m also very worried when something like this happens. When you stay in Venturas, you have to be careful!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Joanna replied indifferently and ended the call immediately. ¡°Hello? Hello¡­¡± Bruce called out a few times. Unfortunately, the call had already been terminated. On the fifth day. Jaydon was still in critical condition. He was still warded in the intensive care unit every day. As his injuries were too serious, he remained in aa all the while. However, Joanna could go in and see him now! Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Joanna changed into a sterile hospital gown before walking into the intensive care unit. On the hospital bed, various instruments and tubes covered Jaydon¡¯s body as hey lifelessly on the hospital bed. Joanna felt a lump in her throat and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Jay, can you wake up, please?¡± 1. Joanna gently stroked Jaydon¡¯s head and looked at his pale and pallid face. Her heart ached terribly. ¡°Jay, you said that you would protect me for the rest of your life and love me for the rest of your life! You can¡¯t abandon me. We still have to spend the rest of our lives together. ¡°Actually, I already knew about you and Carmel Basil. I won¡¯t me you. Can you wake up? As long as you wake up, we can pretend that nothing happened.¡± As Joanna spoke endlessly, she kept praying that Jaydon would wake up. Ten minutester, the doctor came in. ¡°Ms. Haynes, visiting hours are over. You have to leave at once.¡± Joanna did not dare to stay any longer and could only follow the doctor out of the intensive care unit. As soon as she walked out, Joanna could not hold on anymore. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Everything turned ck before Joanna¡¯s eyes and she toppled forward! ¡°Joann, Joann¡­ Someone,e quickly!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She fainted!¡± The doctor examined her. ¡°She¡¯s suffering from hypoglycemia. Quickly send her to the nearest ward. Give her two glucose. injections!¡± Joanna was suffering from serious hypoglycemia, to begin with. For the past few days, she had barely eaten anything. There was no way her body could hold on at all! Joanna was sent to the ward and the doctor gave her the glucose injections. Joanna did not know how long she was unconscious. She suddenly woke up from her dream. ¡°Jay¡­ Jay¡­ ¡°Joann, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally awake. Sob, sob!¡± Joanna opened her eyes groggily. What greeted her eyes was Miranda¡¯s anxious expression, as well as Davian and Irvin¡¯s adorable faces. ¡°Davian! Irvin! Why are you guys here?¡± ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally awake. Sob, sob!, Daddy sent us here.¡± Upon hearing this. Joanna struggled to sit up. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re very weak now. You must not get up.¡± Davian said through his tears, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy is fine. Where¡¯s Lilia?¡± ¡°Lilia is sick. Daddy was afraid that there would be germs in the hospital, so he didn¡¯t let Liliae here.¡± ¡°Then where¡¯s Daddy?¡± ¡°Daddy is waiting downstairs!¡± After all, Bruce had to avoid arousing suspicion now, so he didn¡¯te up and only let the children come up. ¡°Jay¡­ Is Jay awake?¡± ¡°Not yet. Mr. Jaydon is still in the intensive care unit.¡± Davian potted. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with Mr. Grimm? Daddy said that Mr. Grimm is going to die. Is that true?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart felt a sharp pang of pain. ¡°¡­ Mr. Grimm is hurt!¡± Irvin said through his tears, ¡°Mommy, can you not marry Mr. Grimm?¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart could not help aching again! ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t cry. You still have us and Daddy. We¡¯re truly one family.¡± ¡°Mommy, can youe back with us?¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, Mr. Grimm was so good to all of you in the past. Now that he¡¯s hurt, how can Mommy leave?¡± Irvin replied, ¡°Mr. Grimm is very good to us, and we like Mr. Grimm very much! But Daddy treats us even better. We only want Mr. Grimm to be our friend.¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, you guys go back with Daddy first! When Mr. Grimm recovers, we¡¯ll go back and visit you guys.¡± ¡°Mommy, do you think that Mr. Grimm is more important than us now?¡± Send Gift Chapter 396 Chapter 396 When she heard this, Joanna Haynes felt even more terrible. During this period, she had indeed neglected the children¡¯s feelings. However, sometimes one had no choice but to resign. oneself to fate in life. It was not always possible to do as one pleased. ¡°My babies, why do you think in this way? ¡°No matter what happens, all of you are the most important people to Mommy.¡± As she spoke. Joanna hugged her two sons tightly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Grimm, Mommy definitely wouldn¡¯t havested until now! And Mommy wouldn¡¯t have been able to raise all of you properly, so we must learn to be grateful!¡± The children were young. They might not understand when Joanna told them these things. Seven years ago, after her divorce from Bruce Everett, that was the most difficult period of her life. Depression coupled with pregnancy difficulties caused her to break down and almostmit suicide several times. This was particrly true in theter stages of her pregnancy. No one could leave her unattended. It was Jaydon Grimm who took care of her during that time, encouraging her, and spurring her on. On the eve of her delivery, she slipped in the bathroom and affected the unborn baby¡¯s condition, resulting in massive bleeding. It was Jaydon who rushed her to the hospital and that enabled the child to be saved. If not for Jaydon, Joanna would not havested until now. One must know when to be grateful and remember the good deeds of others. Therefore, even if Jaydon was a yboy, even if he had a woman outside, Joanna was still willing to marry him. It was not because of love, but because of gratitude. When he saw his Mommy weeping non¨Cstop, Davian stretched out his tiny hand and gently wiped her tears for her. ¡°Mommy, I can understand you. Don¡¯t cry anymore, okay? ¡°Irvin, you mustn¡¯t say such things to hurt Mommy. Mr. Grimm was so good to us and Mommy. He¡¯s hurt now. Mommy should stay and take care of him.¡± When Irvin heard this, he lowered his head in shame. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy won¡¯t be angry with you. All of you will always be Mommy¡¯s good babies.¡± Davian had always been surprisingly mature despite his young age whereas Irvin worshiped Bruce Everett more. ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore! Everything will get better in the future.¡± Miranda also wiped her tears and ¡°When Mr. Grimm recovers. Mommy will definitely¡­¡± As Joanna spoke, her heart ached again. It wasn¡¯t that she was unwilling to take care of the children, but Bruce had forcefully taken the children Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. away from her. If she wanted to take care of the children, she had to get Bruce¡¯s approval. The nanny knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Ms. Haynes, it¡¯s time for Mr. Davian and Mr. Irvin to go back.¡± Joanna wiped her tears and looked at the children with a pained but kindly expression. ¡°You guys go back first! Mommy is worried if you stay here.¡± After all, someone had been secretly trying to kill her. If the children stayed for too long, they might be in danger. Davian hugged Joanna¡¯s neck and kissed her. ¡°Mommy, then we¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Be good when you go back. Listen to Daddy. Study hard and take good care of Lilia.¡± ¡°I know, Mommy!¡± The two little fellows kissed Joanna¡¯s face again before leaving very reluctantly. At the parking lot, Bruce was sitting in the car and smoking one cigarette after another. At this moment, he really wanted to go up and see Joanna. However, he was afraid of bumping into the Grimm family members. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm. Let¡¯s go!¡± The two little fellows got into the car, and the driver started the car and drove out of the parking lot. ¡°How¡¯s Mommy now?¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy is very sad.¡± When Bruce heard this, a hint of disappointment appeared on his handsome face. There was an indescribable feeling in his heart. In the ward, Joanna had recovered some of her strength and immediately got off the bed. She intended to go and see Jaydon. When she saw this, Miranda hurriedly went forward to dissuade her. ¡°Joann, your body is still so weak. Rest more. You haven¡¯t slept for two to three days. If this continues, you won¡¯t be able to take it. Joanna took a deep breath and insisted on walking toward the door of the ward. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to keep watch over Jay!¡± Outside the intensive care unit, Joanna kept watch as usual.. Through the monitoring screen, she could see Jaydon¡¯s situation. ¡°Jay, you must wake up! Dear heavens, you must give Jay your blessing. As long as he cane round, I¡¯m willing to exchange my life for his¡­¡± Joanna prayed ardently every day, hoping that a miracle could happen. She already owed Jaydon too much. If she owed him her life this time, she would live in pain forever. In the Grimm family¡¯s vi, after Jaydon met with such a major incident, over the past few days, some Grimm family members rejoiced while others wept. His half¨Cbrothers were even looking forward to his death. After all, they could get a bigger share of the family assets with one less person. Tim Grimm, on the other hand, was heartbroken. He seemed to have aged a lot overnight. Jaydon was his favorite child. He really could not ept the tragedy of an elderly man like himself sending his young son off on his final journey. In the study. Tim sat on an antique regal armchair. His face was full of wrinkles, making him look even more vicious and imposing. Carmel Basil stood opposite the desk and looked at Tim anxiously. After Jaydon met with a mishap, she was thoroughly terrified and fled back to Greyport overnight. Today. Tim ordered someone to forcefully bring her to the Grimm family¡¯s residence. ¡°Miss Basil, is the child in your belly really Jay¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­¡± Carmel replied fearfully. ¡°Give birth to the child!¡± Tim smoked his cigar and frowned with a sinister expression. ¡°Huh?¡± Carmel was utterly shocked. ¡°I want you to give birth to the child!¡± Tim blew out a mouthful of smoke and repeated Now, his son¡¯s fate was unknown. No matter what happened, he had to leave a descendant for his son. Carmel¡¯s eyes darted around and she gasped surreptitiously. Most people in the entertainment industry were pragmatic and valued money above all else. Although she liked Jaydon, he might die now. Even if he didn¡¯t die, he would probably remain in a vegetative state. Carmel was still in the prime of her youth. Although she felt sad, she still had a long life ahead of her and could look for another man. If she really gave birth to this child now, her life would be ruined. Moreover, the Grimm family¡¯s interpersonal rtionships were tooplicated. Most of the family members were quite cold¨Cblooded and tyrannical. It was very likely that after she gave birth to the child, the Grimm family would only acknowledge the child and not the mother. Carmel might not get any benefits. ¡°Mr. Grimm, L¡­ I can give birth to this child, but I¡¯m just worried that I can¡¯t afford to raise it¡­¡± Before she could finish, Tim¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What a joke. How can our Grimm family not be able to raise a child?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. What I mean is I have to put the rest of my life in order before I can provide a good life for the child!¡± Carmel stammered as her eyes darted around uneasily. It was fine if they wanted her to give birth to this child, but the Grimm family had to give her enough money! Otherwise, she would not be so stupid as to give birth to this child. ¡°Just give birth to the child. You don¡¯t have to raise it yourself.¡± Chapter 397 Chapter 397 ¡°This is¡­¡± After hearing this, Carmel hesitated even more. She had to take the opportunity to get somepensation. Otherwise, who knew what would happen to her after the child was born? ¡°Mr. Grimm, although I¡¯m pregnant with Jay¡¯s child, I still have to live! Besides, if I really give birth to this child out of wedlock, what will I live on for the rest of my life? ¡°Therefore, I won¡¯t give birth to this child unless you can ensure that I can live afortable life for the rest of my life.¡± Tim frowned and his tone sounded quite displeased. ¡°Don¡¯t bargain with me! When the child is born, the Grimm family will not treat you badly.¡± Carmel was still not rest assured. She liked to talk about things openly. She didn¡¯t like this kind of way of painting a big picture. Now Tim said that they would not mistreat her. But who knew what would happen after the child was born? ¡°Then it¡¯s better to make it clear now, right? As you know, it¡¯s very difficult to survive in the entertainment industry. If I give birth to this child, I¡¯ll lose my job. Who willpensate for this?¡± The more Tim listened, the more irritated he became. These women only cared about money. If she did not mention money, the Grimm family would definitely not let her be short of money because they were such a wealthy family. However, she kept asking for money by all means and didn¡¯t actually care about Jaydon at all, which was really repulsive. ¡°Wait till thebor first! *During this period of time, you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere. You must stay here and wait for delivery.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t think you should make me do that!¡± Timpletely lost his patience. He stubbed out the cigar in the ashtray and said to the bodyguard beside him, ¡°Keep her under guard. If anything happens to the child, she doesn¡¯t need to be kept alive anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Grimm!¡± the bodyguard said and went forward to snatch her arm. ¡°Miss Basil, pleasee with me.¡± Carmel¡¯s arm was in pain when the bodyguard snatched her like that. She cked out and almost lost her bnce. ¡°Mr. Grimm, I¡¯m willing to give birth to this child, but you can¡¯t restrict my personal freedom! ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± Two bodyguards grabbed her under the armpits and dragged her out. In the Marhall Hospital. After Tim finished dealing with Carmel, he came to visit his son as usual. ¡°Doctor, what are the chances of my son waking up?¡± The doctor¡¯s expression was quite serious as he said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­ it¡¯s about a 10% chance.¡± When Tim heard this, he could not help but take another deep breath as his eyes turned red. Joanna listened from the side. Her already bloodshot eyes turned even redder. She could no longer shed another tear because she had cried too much and her eyes were all swollen. ¡°Ms. Haynes, if my son doesn¡¯t wake up¡­¡± Before Tun could finish, Joanna replied sadly, ¡°Mr. Grimm, don¡¯t worry. If Jay doesn¡¯t wake up, I¡¯ll die with him.¡± Tim was stunned. He looked up at Joanna. Although she looked haggard, her eyes still looked firm and calm, filled with tenderness and unyieldingness at the same time. And that made her contradictory and special. No wonder his son loved her so much. If Tim was thirty years younger, he would probably fall for such a woman too. ¡°Alright, you have to keep your word! If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll help you myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Grimm!¡± ¡°If Jay bes a vegetable, you¡¯re not allowed to marry anyone else, and you have to take care of him for the rest of your life. I know!¡± Joanna replied in despair. Jaydon became like this cause of her. If Jaydon hadn¡¯t taken the bullet for her, she would probably be the one who was lying here now. ¡°Good luck!¡± Tim patted Joanna¡¯s shoulder and left the hospital. After Tim left, Miranda sighed. ¡°The Grimm family is too bossy. How can he threaten you like this? ¡°Even if Mr. Grimm really can¡¯t wake up, they can¡¯t just drag you down for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Miranda, please stop talking. I can¡¯t think straight right now and I need some space to think.¡± Miranda frowned and said, feeling bad for Joanna, ¡°Alright! Just sit here and have a rest. I¡¯ll go out and N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. buy you something to eat.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna sat weakly on the chair. Her head was in a mess right now, and she felt dizzy and confused. Beep, beep, beep! Her phone rang again. Joanna took out her phone and looked at it silently. It was Ethan. ¡°Hello¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s deep and anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Haynes, is this a good time?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Ethan sighed deeply. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have called you at this time. However, thepany¡¯s in trouble again.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°What happened to thepany again?¡± ¡°The bank president is now urging us to repay the debt. He said that the Haynes Group¡¯s share price has fallen drastically and there¡¯s a risk of delisting. If we don¡¯t repay the debt, we just have to forcefully auction the mortgaged shares.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna suddenly stood up. Unfortunately, she had hypoglycemia. After she suddenly stood up, she cked out. She could no longer listen to what Ethan was saying. After two to three minutes, she could finally see things clearly. ¡°Hello? Hello, Miss Haynes, are you still listening?¡± Noticing that Joanna did not respond for a long time, Ethan thought that it was because his phone didn¡¯t get a signal. Joanna paused for a moment and did not want Ethan to know about her condition. ¡°The signal was bad just again.¡± now. Say it Send Gift Comment Chapter 398 Chapter 398 ¡°The bank has the right to auction off the Haynes Group mortgage shares under the mortgage agreement. If we don¡¯t find a way to raise money now, thepany¡¯s shares will be auctioned off¡± Joanna heard it clearly now. Her heart sank and her mind went nk! The impact of this shooting incident was very serious and the ynes Group¡¯s shares fell again. In order to reduce risk, the bank naturally had to cut losses in time. ¡°I got it¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll hang up first. Miss Haynes, please think of a way to raise money.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say a thing and hung up the phone weakly. Coincidentally, Miranda came back after buying some food. Seeing that Joanna was in a daze, she hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Something happened to thepany!¡± Joanna said as she pushed her hands into her hair. The Haynes Group was already like a candle in the wind right now. Now, it was pushed to the center of the storm. It was very likely that the Haynes Group would bepletely destroyed. Especially at this time, Joanna really did not know where else she could raise so much money! 600 million dors! With thepany¡¯s current stock value, even if Joanna sold all her shares, she would not be able to raise 600 million dors. Miranda¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What happened to thepany?¡± ¡°In short, it¡¯s a very tricky matter. The Haynes Group is very likely to go bankrupt. ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Miranda was also frightened! Joanna did not speak and looked lost and helpless, which was heartbreaking to watch. Miranda¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Joann, how much do you need? I still have tens of thousands of dors here. Just take it first!¡± Joanna smiled bitterly and leaned her head weakly on Miranda¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No need for that. Thank you, Miranda.¡± Tens of thousands of dors was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket for Joanna! To Miranda, this was the money she had saved up for most of her life. How could Joanna bear to use it? Now that Jaydon¡¯s life was in danger, no one would help her. Seeing that Joanna couldn¡¯t be more depressed, Miranda suddenly thought of something and said timidly, ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t¡­ why don¡¯t we ask Mr. Everett for help? ¡°He¡¯s so rich, he¡¯ll definitely help you.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Joannaughed bitterly again. Bruce was indeed rich. However, it was not so easy to get money from him. Moreover, 600 million dors was a lot of money, and Bruce might not help her. Even if he was willing to help, he would probably make a lot of harsh requests. *How would you know if you don¡¯t try? Mr. Everett still has feelings for you. You¡¯re his children¡¯s mother. If you ask him to help you ger through this, he¡¯ll definitely say yes.¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be so stubborn. Give it a try! It¡¯s best if he¡¯s willing to help you. Even if he doesn¡¯t help you, it¡¯s no big deal to Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ask.¡± ¡°Stop saying that!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened sadly. This time, the Haynes Group was really about to go bankrupt! The only thing that pained Joanna was that her grandfather¡¯s life¡¯s work was about to be ruined by her. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I overestimated myself. I shouldn¡¯t havee back to Greyport, let alone inherit my inheritance from Grandpa.¡± Joanna mumbled, ming herself. When Miranda heard this, she felt bad for Joanna even more. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t say that! Even if you don¡¯t inherit your grandfather¡¯s inheritance, others might not be able to manage the Haynes Group well. ¡°Since your grandfather trusted you with the Haynes Group, he must have his reasons. Don¡¯t me yourself. ¡°Life will go on!¡± That was true. Shaun was at best mediocre and he was not cut out for managing the business. Derick was a gambling dandy. If he got control of the Haynes Group, there would be no way out for the Ryan was even worse and was not entrepreneurial material. ¡°Miranda, I¡¯m so tired. I really want to sleep!¡± ¡°Then go to the ward and sleep for a while. I¡¯ll keep an eye on Mr. Grimum for you. If he wakes up, I¡¯ll call you immediately.¡± Actually, they both knew very well that Jaydon would not wake up so easily. ¡­Alright! Joanna stood up weakly and staggered towards the ward. She was really too exhausted! The heavy pressure was suffocating her. After returning to the ward, Joanna didn¡¯t even take off her shoes. Shey down on the bed and curled up. In less than a minute, she had already fallen asleep. In Greyport. At the Haynes Group.¡± The higher¨Cups were in a state of panic. Even Caleb was extremely uneasy. ¡°Something so big has happened to thepany. Why hasn¡¯t Miss Haynese back yet?¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t raise the money, the courts will have to seal thepany.¡± ¡°What should we do with it?¡± ¡°Oh, it just so happens at such a bad time. Miss Haynes is really unlucky to be involved in such a terrible matter!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Bad things just keeping to Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Now that such a big thing has happened to Mr. Grimm, Miss Haynes haspletely lost her backer. This time, the Haynes Group will probably really go bankrupt!¡± ¡°What should we do if thepany goes bankrupt? Shall we find another job now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. There¡¯s always a way out. There might be another way. No matter what, Miss Haynes is Mr. Everett¡¯s ex¨Cwife. Mr. Everett might help Miss Haynes tide over the crisis.¡± Send Gift Chapter 399 Chapter 399 The employees of thepany were also in a state of panic as if it was the end of the world. Joanna was still taking care of Jaydon and had not returned. ¡°The Haynes Group¡¯s shares have fallen so much that its market value has decreased greatly. Our bank has to stop the losses. in time.¡± Joanna¡¯s hand that was holding the phone trembled helplessly. ¡°Then can you give me some time¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. We can at most wait until the end of next month.¡± After saying that, the bank president hung up the phone. After the call, Joanna felt even more despair. In a month¡¯s time, she could not raise 600 million dors. Beep beep beep. Just as she hung up, the phone buzzed crazily again. ¡°Hello, Ethan.¡± On the other end of the line, Ethan said in a heavy voice, ¡°Miss Haynes, when are youing back? ¡°Thepany is in a mess now. Many employees are asking to resign. ¡°Also, our partners are requesting to terminate our contracts. Pleasee back quickly. Thepany really can¡¯t hold on Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. anymore.¡± ¡°¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll make time to go back in the next few days!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try tofort our business partners again.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up. Joanna leaned against the hospital bed weakly and tiredly. The fact that the Haynes Group was about to go bankrupt made everyone panic. Even if she sold all her properties, she wouldn¡¯t be able to raise 600 million dors. Joanna stayed in the hospital for another three days. Jaydon had been lying in the intensive care unit for twelve days. Today, after repeated examinations, the doctor confirmed that his life was no longer in danger and that his physical indicators were stable. He was finally transferred from the intensive care unit to a normal ward. However, he was still unconscious and had not woken up. In the ward. Jaydon was wearing an oxygen mask and lying quietly on the hospital bed. More than half of the various instruments inserted into his body were gone. In front of the bed, Joanna held Jaydon¡¯s hand and looked at his pale face gently and sadly. ¡°Jay, I have to go back to Greyport. ¡°Wait for me! I¡¯lle back to apany you after I¡¯m done with the affairs of thepany. Jaydon was lying there quietly without any response. Outside the ward. When Tin heard that his son¡¯s life was out of danger, he rushed over to visit him. And Joanna had to inform him that she needed to go back to Greyport. ¡°Mr. Grimm, something happened in mypany. I need to go back. After I¡¯m done with the affairs of thepany, I¡¯lle back to apany Jay.¡± Joanna said softly, her haggard face tinted with fatigue. Tim nced at Joanna and heaved a sigh. He had also heard the news of the Haynes Group¡¯s ident. Seeing that Joanna had been staying at the hospital for the past few days, Tim did not want to make things too difficult for her ¡°Okay, go! You don¡¯t have to be here!¡± 16.777 ¡°Then I¡¯ll go now!¡± Joanna lowered her head and walked out of the hospital with heavy footsteps. The next day. In Greyport. At the Haynes Group. Joanna went to thepany. As soon as she walked into thepany, she saw arge group of business partners in the lobby. ¡°Miss Haynes is here!¡± When the business partners saw Joanna, they all surrounded her. ¡°Miss Haynes, what do you think we should do about our supply? This has already been dyed for two weeks.¡± *If we can¡¯t get the supply, we can only go through legal procedures and ask the Haynes Group to take responsibility.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re all small businesses. We can¡¯t afford to lose money!¡± ¡°Everyone, please calm down. the Haynes Group will not go bankrupt¡­¡± ¡°Now that the bank has enforced it, don¡¯t lie to us.¡± Some of the business partners were indignant, while others looked miserable. All of them surrounded her as if they were afraid that Joanna would escape. ¡°Everyone, calm down. Even if the Haynes Group really goes bankrupt, we won¡¯t owe you a single cent. ¡°We¡¯re here to solve the problem, not to make a fuss.¡± When the business partners heard this, they fell silent. ¡°I promise you that I will give you an exnation at the end of next month. ¡°All of you go back first. Give me a little more time.¡± Ethan also stepped forward to persuade everyone. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you keep pressing on like this, you won¡¯t be able to solve the problem. You¡¯ll only make things worse! ¡°Furthermore, the Haynes Group has worked with you for so long. We still have some credibility. A big After a while, they finally persuaded the business partners to leave. Joanna returned to her office and sat in her chair in frustration. Her mind was nk. She was really at the end of her rope. ¡°Miss Haynes, what should we do now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Caleb has returned to Antlen today. He¡¯s also preparing to sell his shares at a low price!¡± Joanna was stunned and became even more frustrated However, this was human nature. When the sky was about to fall, the first thing people would think of was to protect themselves! Seeing that Joanna was silent, Ethan thought for a while and said tentatively, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try borrowing money from Mr. Everett? ¡°As long as we can repay the bank¡¯s loan and redeem the shares, everything will be back on track.¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows and looked at Ethan sorrowfully. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone will lend us such arge sum of money.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯vee this far, it¡¯s thest resort. Miss Haynes, if we don¡¯t give it a try, how will we know that we can¡¯t borrow the money? ¡°What if Mr. Everett is willing to help you unconditionally?¡± Hearing this, Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. Indeed, only Bruce could borrow her 600 million dors at once. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t you give it a try? If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll think of another way.¡± Alright! You should go now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ethan replied and turned around to leave. ¡± Joanna took a deep breath. After hesitating for a while, she braced herself and called Bruce. Beep beep beep! The call was quickly picked up, and Bruce¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Joanna!¡± ¡°I know! What can I do for you?¡± ¡°¡­ Are you busy?¡± ¡°What is it? Just tell me!¡± ¡°I want to see you.¡± ¡°Sure! Where are you now? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Tm at thepany now. Why don¡¯t youe to mypany?¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be at yourpany in half an hour.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± After hanging up. Joanna felt even more uneasy. Half an hourter. Bruce arrived at the Haynes Group on time. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I have an appointment with Joanna.¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Haynes is in the office now. I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything and just strode towards Joanna¡¯s office. He was very familiar with this ce and did not need anyone to lead the way. ¡°Oh my god, why is Mr. Everett here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s really amazing!¡± ¡°Do you think Mr. Everett will help Miss Haynes?¡± Send Gift Chapter 400 Chapter 400 12:07 ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. If Mr. Everett is willing to help, ourpany will definitely be able to survive this!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so!¡± At the office. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is here!¡± Luna pushed open the office door. Her voice was filled with excitement. Joanna also subconsciously stood up from her chair! Then, Bruce walked in. As usual, he was wearing a nice suit and looked fabulous. He always looked so noble and elegant. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re here¡­ Joanna didn¡¯t know what to say now and could not help but feel nervous. Bruce sized up Joanna and felt a dull pain in his chest. It had only been half a month since theyst met, but she was so much thinner that she looked like she could be blown away by the wind. Her delicate face was as pale as paper and her almond eyes also looked dull and lifeless. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Bruce tried to keep his voice calm. When Joanna heard this, her eyes darkened and she didn¡¯t know how to tell Bruce that she wanted to borrow money. Actually, even if she didn¡¯t say anything, Bruce had already figured it out. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to help Joanna get through this crisis! The problem was that he would not help her for no reason. ¡°L¡­ Joanna stammered, not knowing how to say it directly.. Bruce took a few steps forward and said gently, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to be so hesitant.¡± Joanna heaved a sigh and braced herself. ¡°Can I borrow some money from you?¡± When Bruce heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°How much money do you want?¡± Joanna bit her lower lip. Her heart was pounding and she was breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°Say it!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡­600 million dors!¡± After Joanna finished speaking, she lowered her head weakly as if she had no strength left. Other than asking Bruce for help, she really had no other choice. Bruce was stunned for a moment and then looked at Joanna with aplicated expression. ¡°How are you going to pay back so much money?¡± Indeed, 600 million dors was not a small sum. Ordinary people would probably not be able to make so much money in a few lifetimes. Moreover, Bruce had signed a betting agreement with Joanna. To a certain extent, he was already her creditor. Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely pay you back. For now, I have to get through this crisis.¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Joarma, it¡¯s not that I look down on you, but the truth is right in front of me. ¡°If you could ein 600 million dors, you wouldn¡¯t have to borrow money from me, let alone be in debt to the bank. ¡°Also, you have signed a betting agreement with me. Now that half of the time has passed, do you think you canplete the betting agreement?¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even more desperate, her eyes filled with frustration and helplessness. If thepany did not have so many idents and could maintain normal operations, it was not impossible toplete the betting agreement in three years. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned! Ever since she took office, the Haynes Group had been suppressed by her peers several times, and she had been schemed against by bad people behind her back. With the current situation, the betting agreement could not bepleted at all. ¡°Even if I help you now, you won¡¯t be able toplete the betting agreement. At that time, you¡¯ll still have nothing! 1/2 12.071 ¡°What¡¯s the point of me helping you now?¡± Joanna found it hard to breathe and felt terrible right now. Although Bruce¡¯s words were unpleasant, it was also the truth. She had overestimated herself. It was not that easy to survive in the business world, especially when there were too many despicable people plotting behind her back. It was impossible for her to do business properly. ¡°I really have no way out now. Please help me!¡± Joanna¡¯s tone carried a hint of helplessness and sadness. Bruceughed. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t help you, but I¡¯m a businessman. You have to give me a reason to help you.¡± Joanna¡¯s mind was all messed up, and she was on the verge of copse. She really didn¡¯t have much to say. After a while. Bruce took a few steps forward and stared into Joanna¡¯s eyes. He said bluntly, ¡°Joanna, I can help you! ¡°However, I have one condition.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± A glimmer of hope appeared in Joanna¡¯s eyes. ¡°The condition is that we remarry.¡± He knew Joanna too well. She would note back to him if he did not take some special measures. After hearing this, Joanna froze and looked at Bruce in surprise. Jaydon was still lying in the intensive care unit. How could he take advantage of her like this? And how could she turn her back on Jaydon and go back to Bruce? ¡°Bruce, stop fooling around. You know it¡¯s impossible!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not messing with you. This is the only condition. ¡°If we remarry, you¡¯ll be my wife. I should help you no matter what. Otherwise, I really wouldn¡¯t be so generous.¡± Joanna choked. ¡°Other than this condition. I¡¯ll agree to anything else!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I want. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ Joanna¡¯s dry lips trembled. ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna help me, just forget it!¡± She was really in despair! In any case, the worst¨Ccase scenario was death! If Jaydon couldn¡¯t make it, she didn¡¯t want to live anymore. Her only regret was that she could not bring the Haynes Group to greater heights. Instead, she destroyed her grandfather¡¯s life¡¯s work. S Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Comment Seeing that Joanna had given up, Bruce thought for a while and held her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t wanna remarry me. You have to be my lover for five years. ¡°Five yearster, I¡¯ll give you back your freedom. Is that enough?¡± When Joanna heard this, she raised her eyes slightly and stared at Bruce bleakly. ¡°No¡­ no way¡­ Bruce smiled bitterly. ¡°Haha, if you don¡¯t agree to this condition, then there¡¯s really nothing I can do. ¡°I still have something on. I gotta run now.¡± With that, Bruce turned around and walked towards the office door. He knew that Joanna had no other options. She would definitely agree. Seeing that Bruce was about to leave, Joanna panicked even more. ¡°¡­ Let me think about it!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give you a week to think about it. Call me when you make up your mind.¡± With that, Bruce left without looking back. Joanna sat on the chair in a daze, overwhelmed by extreme pain and helplessness. Jaydon was still lying in the hospital. If Joanna went back to Bruce, how sad and disappointed would Jaydon be when he woke up? Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The bank had already sent someone to give the final notice and the gate of the Haynes Group was sealed. If she couldn¡¯t raise enough money, the Haynes Group would really be auctioned off. After thinking for three days, Joanna finally made up her mind and agreed to Bruce¡¯s request. However, five years was too long. She could only ept one year at most. A year would pass very quickly. After a year, Jaydon might recover. At that time, she would tell Jaydon about her difficulties in person. Beep beep beep. Bruce quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Joanna choked. I¡¯ve thought about it. ¡°Five years is too long. I want to cut it short.¡± Bruce listened and clicked his tongue. ¡°Then how long do you want?¡± Joanna trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Four years?¡± Bruce asked. There was nothing but silence. ¡°Three years?¡± Joanna held her breath. ¡°One year at most!¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not help but sneer. ¡°One year is too short. At least three years. 200 million dors a year is a great deal.¡± ¡°No, two years at most. Bruce, don¡¯t push it!¡± Joanna¡¯s voice suddenly became agitated ¡°Alright, two years it is!¡± Bruce smiled slightly and did not continue to push it. He was confident that he could make Joanna fall in love with him again in two years. ¡°Then tell me! What do you want me to do for these two years?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°During these two years, you have to stay by my side as my personal secretary. You have to be on call 24/7. ¡°In addition to fulfilling your obligations as my family, you have to take care of me and the children.¡± Okay!¡± In order to prevent your from going back on you wondd, we need to sign a forinal contract¡± ¡°Alright Joanna answered sadly She had nothing to lose now If she could keep the Haynes Group, she could only bite the buller and agreel ¡°Alright, the contract will be sent to yourpany tomorr Joanna took a deep breath ¡°Not tonight¡± ¡°Why¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°I have to make a trip to Venturas¡± Bruce¡¯s eves rkened This dammed woman was still thinking about Jaydon Jay is still in the hospital I have to go back and give him an exnation¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll give you one day. It you exceed the time limit, I won¡¯t help you anymore¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m hanging up Bruce hung up after saying that After hanging up. Joanna felt like she was going through hell. This world had been so hard on her. There were too many things that you couldn¡¯t do as you pleased and you jus The next day Joanna went to Venturas early in the morning. At this point, she had no other choice. In the Marhall Hospital. ¡°Ms. Haynes is here?¡± The nursing workers were taking care of Jaydon. Joanna walked into the ward and looked at Jaydon. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Jaydon was just lying on the hospital bed silently. ¡°Please give me and Jay some time alone.¡± ¡°Alright, the nursing workers replied and turned to leave the ward. Joanna walked to the bed and could no longer control the grievance in her heart. She buried her head in Jaydon¡¯s arms and sobbed. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve really let you down! ¡°God bless you. I hope you recover soon. ¡°I guess I can only repay what I owe you in my next life. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m in so much pain, so much pain¡­¡± Jaydon was just lying there quietly, unconscious. ept your ¡°Wait for me for two years. After two years, 1 will return to your side and take care of you! ¡°No matter what you be, you¡¯re still my husband.¡± After saying that, Joanna¡¯s heart ached even more. How did she end up like this? It was so unfair. Why was she put in a dilemma time and time again? Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Naturally, Joana could not tell the Grimm family about this She did not intend to tell anyone that no matter what method she used, she would definitely cut ties with Bruce as long as she endure the next two years. Facing Tim, Joanna heaved a sigh. She lowered her head and exined in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Grimm, mypany is facing at very troublesome problem. In the future, I mighte less often. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t me me!¡± Tim sized up Joanna and did not ask too much. ¡°It¡¯s all up to you! ¡°Jay has nursing workers liere. It doesn¡¯t matter if youe or not.¡± Although Tim loved his son deeply, he was also a magnanimous person. He would not make things difficult for a girl. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! ¡°When I get through the difficulties of thepany, I will definitelye and repay the debt I owe Jay¡± After Joanna finished speaking, she bowed to Tim. In Greyport At the Haynes Group. Bruce handed the contract to Joanna. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± ¡°Then sign the contract!¡± Joanna took the contract and nced at it. The contract was in line with Bruce¡¯s usual style of doing things. It was domineering and harsh. Bruce asked her to be his personal secretary and lover for the next two years. If she quit midway, she would have to unconditionally give up all her shares in the Haynes Group. ¡°I have one more request to make.¡± Bruce straightened his back ¡°Say it!¡± ¡°I want to go to Venturas once a week.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. When Bruce heard this, his face turned gloomy ¡°No.¡± Joanna sighed and said sadly, Jay is still lying on the hospital bed. I can¡¯t just abandon him like this. ¡°I want to see him every week. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just visit him and do nothing else.¡± After Joanna finished speaking, she stared into Bruce¡¯s eyes sadly. Her beautiful and pale face was filled with pleading Seeing thus, Bruce instantly felt bad. After pondering for a while, he finally agreed. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll give you a day off every week. You can do whatever you want. Is that okay?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened She did not ask for anything else and signed the contract. ¡°After signing it, the contract will take effect¡± As Bruce spoke, an unfathomable smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°When will you give me the money?¡± Bruce held her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ill settle the repayment as soon as possible¡± As he spoke, Bruce wrapped his arms around Joana and pulled her into his embrace He lowered his head and kissed Joanna¡¯s face gently. Joanna felt cold all over and subconsciously pushed him away. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. ¡°Why not? Are you disobeying me so soon! Don¡¯t forget about your duty¡± Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She said in a low voice. ¡°Wait till thepany¡¯s matter is resolved, okay? Looking at her weak and helpless appearance, Bruce felt even worse and only wanted to hug her tightly. ¡°Then can I hug you?¡± Bruce walked forward again and hugged her tightly. Joanna was delicate and tender and when Bruce held her in his arms, it was like she would break if he used too much strength. Bruce greedily sniffed the fragrance of her hair and rubbed his hands on her back. ¡°Joann, with me around, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything¡± Bruce was confident enough to make Joanna fall in love with him again in two years. As long as she was willing to love him again, everything was worth it. Soot Bruce redeemed the Haynes Group shares. As soon as this news was released, all the employees of the Haynes Group were shocked. Everyone was discussing. ¡°See, I told you Mr. Everett would definitely help!¡± ¡°Well, Mr. Everett is really badass. He saved the Haynes Group so easily.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes is the one who¡¯s awesome. She convinced Mr. Everett to fork out so much money to help the Haynes Group tide over the crisis. That¡¯s 600 million dors. How did Miss Haynes convince Mr. Everett?¡± One of the employeesughed teasingly and said in a low voice, ¡°I think this so¨Ccalled persuasion actually happened in the bedroom.¡± ¡°However, no matter what, Miss Haynes¡¯s charm is also her asset.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Now that we have Mr. Everett as our backer, we can live in peace.¡± ¡°Hey, Caleb sent a message in the group chat.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Caleb sent an announcement in the group chat. [Tomorrow morning, at nine o¡¯clock, there will be an important meeting at thepany. All senior management personnel must be present.] ¡°Needless to say, it¡¯s definitely good news!¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s good news, it should be announced by Miss Haynes! What does this have to do with Caleb?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? He¡¯s the secondrgest shareholder of thepany. It¡¯s only right for him to announce it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± The next day. At 8:30 o¡¯clock in the morning, the higher¨Cups of thepany appeared one after another in the conference room! At 8:55 o¡¯clock in the morning, Joanna and Caleb also arrived at thepany. Dressed in a suit, Caleb stood on the podium with a smile on his face. ¡°As all of you might¡¯ve known, we¡¯re having this meeting today to announce some good news! ¡°We have two good news for the Haynes Group. *First of all, congrattions to the Haynes Group for oveing the crisis. Secondly, I¡¯m going to announce today that I¡¯m officially withdrawing from the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The higher¨Cups looked at each other in confusion as Joanna looked at Caleb in shock. Bad things kept happening to thepany recently! The directors withdrew one by one, which was undoubtedly a big blow to thepany. She had just borrowed 600 million dors to redeem the mortgaged shares and she did not expect Caleb to withdraw from thepany¡¯s shares again. If no one took over, the Haynes Group would still face bankruptcy. Seeing everyone¡¯s shocked expressions, Caleb smiled andforted them. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry. Someone more suitable than me will take over my shares.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Caleb, why didn¡¯t you discuss such a big matter with me first?¡± ¡°Oh. Miss Haynes, it¡¯s the same if I tell you now! ¡°I realized that I¡¯m not suitable for the rules in the domestic business world! I¡¯ve already decided to shift my focus overseas. Tll be handing over my work in the next few days. A new director will take over my work.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a little more at case. This was not too bad. At least, Caleb had already found his sessor and Joanna did not need to worry about raising money. However, she did not know the background of the new shareholder. ¡°Who¡¯s the new shareholder?¡± ¡°Haha, everyone knows the new shareholder before! He has arrived at ourpany. Let¡¯s wee the new shareholder with a round of apuse!¡± As Caleb spoke, he looked at the door of the conference room and apuded enthusiastically. The rest of the higher¨Cups also looked at each other and could not help but look at the door of the conference room. They all knew him before? Who was it this time? The Haynes Group was currently at the center of the storm. Who would take over at this time? Send Gift Chapter 403 Chapter 403 ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wee Mr. Everett with a round of apuse.¡± Everyone was even more dumbfounded! As the door of the conference room was pushed open, Bruce walked in. He was wearing a nice suit and his hair was styled neatly. The moment he walked in, the originally noisy conference room immediately fell silent. Caleb had a ttering smile on his face. ¡°My shares have already been bought by Mr. Everett. From now on, Mr. Everett will be your new shareholder.¡± The higher¨Cups came back to their senses after a good while. They could not wrap their heads around it for a long time. ¡°What? In that case, Mr. Everett will be the Haynes Group¡¯srgest shareholder after this?¡± Bruce nced at everyone and a smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°That¡¯s right. From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯ll officially take over the Haynes Group! I hope everyone can work together to make the Haynes Group better.¡± Ethan was the first to apud. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Wee, Mr. Everett!¡± Everyone came back to their senses and apuded as well. With a smile on his face, Bruce strode to the head of the table. With Caleb¡¯s shares and the shares pledged by Joanna, Bruce held 85% of the shares and became the absolute controller of the Haynes Group. Joanna gasped. She vaguely felt that she had fallen into a trap. This seemed to be a setup. Step by step, Bruce lured her into a trap. Then, she fell deep into it. Ethan continued to tter, ¡°Under Mr. Everett¡¯s leadership, the Haynes Group will definitely soar and rise to a higher level. ¡°Let us once again wee Mr. Everett with a round of apuse¡­ ¡°Woohoo!¡± Everyone followed and cheered. This scene hurt Joanna deeply. It made her feel as if she had fallen off a cliff. She stared at Bruce without blinking. She seemed to understand now. No wonder Ethan had repeatedly persuaded her to mortgage the shares in her hands. It seemed that he had long colluded with Bruce. All of this was Bruce¡¯s idea. It was Bruce who told Ethan to instigate her. And Caleb was also part of this. He was not a new investor at all. Instead, he was hired by Bruce. The person who really controlled the shares behind the scenes was Bruce. Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul also fell into his trap and withdrew from the Haynes Group. Boom! After understanding the situation, Joanna felt like her brain was about to explode and the world was spinning. Bruce¡¯s move was really decisive and ruthless. Not only did he buy the Haynes Group at the lowest price, but he also forced her to sign a contract to sell herself and be his lover for two years. To put it more bluntly, the item that could have been sold for 20 dors was bought by Bruce for only a few bucks. Moreover, she sold two years of her youth to him. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Joanna suddenlyughed. She was so dumb, so dumb that she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She was so stupid that she was sold and she was so grateful for it. ¡°Miss Haynes, we will be partners in the future. I hope we can work well together.¡± Bruce smiled From N?velDrama.Org. confidently and extended his hand to Joanna. Joanna¡¯s blood was rushing. She red at Bruce with a faint smile. ¡°Bruce, you nned all this, didn¡¯t you?¡± 12.15 The smile on Bruce¡¯s face froze. It seemed that she was not that stupid. Joanna had known him for so many years and should have guessed it. Bruce had always been ruthless and decisive in the business world. How could she outy him? However, Joanna did not expect that Bruce would actually scheme against her! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t say it like that!¡± ¡°Bruce, I really didn¡¯t expect you to plot against me like this! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so cold¨Cblooded,¡± Joanna said as tears streamed down her cheeks. Bruce stopped smiling and looked at Joanna, pursing his lips. ¡°You¡¯re making it sound so serious. Why would I plot against you? This is just business.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ Joanna could not help butugh coldly. Exactly! He was a businessman! Why would he not take the money when it was right in front of him? Ethan hurriedly went forward to exin, ¡°Miss Haynes, calm down. Today is¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re with Bruce, right?¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes darkened, but he did not deny it! Joanna¡¯s sharp gaze turned to Caleb. ¡°And you, you knew Bruce long ago, right?¡± Caleb shrugged in acquiescence. Caleb was indeed hired by Bruce. Back then, when he invested in the Haynes Group, Bruce was behind all this. ¡°Miss Haynes, calm down first. Let us exin this to you!¡± ¡°All of you, get out! Get out!¡± Joanna roared at the top of her lungs. She didn¡¯t want to listen to other people¡¯s exnations. She just wanted Bruce¡¯s exnation. The higher¨Cups did not dare to stay. They stood up and all left the conference room. Bruce took a few steps forward, and the smile on his facepletely disappeared. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be all riled up! Just listen to me.¡± Joanna swung her arm fiercely, refusing his approach. She roared miserably, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really vicious! How could you scheme against me like this?¡± Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Comment Bruce frowned. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t put it this way! I¡¯m just trying to help you!¡± ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯re so frightening. You¡¯re really vicious!¡± Joanna took a few steps back, her body trembling uncontrobly Bruce took a deep breath and tried his best to calm her down. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be so agitated. ¡°Ive told you. I don¡¯t want your assets. After two years, I¡¯ll transfer all the shares of the Haynes Group to you.¡± ¡°Stop lying, Bruce. I really have nothing to say to you!¡± Joanna said as she rushed to him like crazy and started punching Bruce. Bruce did not resist and let her punch him. All of this was indeed his n. Bruce deliberately withdrew from the Haynes Group and instigated Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul to withdraw as well. Then, he bought the shares in their hands at a low price behind Joanna¡¯s back. Then, he forced Joanna to mortgage shares in her hands. the After that, Bruce asked the bank president to forcefully auction off her mortgaged shares. Gradually, the Haynes Group was taken away from Joanna just like that. However, Bruce¡¯s motive for doing so was not really to covet Joanna¡¯s assets. From N?velDrama.Org. After all, the Everett family was such a prestigious family and did not care about the Haynes Group at all! The reason why he did this was topletely control Joanna. Only by taking over the Haynes Group would he be able to control Joanna. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Joanna was so angry that her mind went nk and she cked out. She staggered and almost fell. Bruce took a step forward and quickly held her. ¡°Joanna, you need to calm down. Things aren¡¯t as bad as you think! ¡°Im not as heartless as you think¡­¡± ¡°Let go of me! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bruce hugged her even tighter. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t think too badly of me. The reason I did this was just to keep you by my side. ¡°I really love you. We can start over. Let alone the Haynes Group, I can even give you the Everett Group.¡± Joanna did not believe him at all. She lowered her head and bit his arm fiercely. ¡°Uh¡­ Bruce couldn¡¯t help but frown when he felt the pain. However, he did not resist and just let Joanna bite him hard. ¡°Go ahead and bite me! As long as you can vent your anger, you can bite me however you want.¡± There was a faint taste of blood in Joanna¡¯s mouth. At the same time, her mind went nk and she suddenly cked out. She let go of him and groaned. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Because she was too agitated, she started nosebleeding. Seeing this, Bruce was shocked. ¡°Joanna, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away, grabbed her purse, and stumbled towards the washroom. She could not control her emotions now. She had to take the medicine immediately. Otherwise, she would really die of anger. Bang! Joanna mmed the washroom door shut and locked herself inside. Her nose was bleeding uncontrobly, and her white shirt was stained with blood. Joanna opened the purse with trembling hands and took out a few bottles of antidepressants. Unfortunately, her entire body was trembling violently and it took her a long time to finally open the medicine bottles. She couldn¡¯t see things clearly right now, which made it impossible for her to tell how many pills had been poured out. With some tap water, Joanna swallowed arge handful of medicine. Blood was dripping from her nose non¨Cstop. The sink and mirror were covered in blood. ¡°Joanna, open the door. Open the door quickly.¡± Bang! Bruce was pounding on the door crazily. ¡°Joanna, if you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯m going to smash it.¡± 1/0 Bruce hurriedly kicked the door open. The scene in the washroom stunned him. There was blood everywhere and the sink and the mirror were stained with blood. Scattered pills were all over the floor. Joanna¡¯s entire jaw was covered in blood. She was already unconscious and curled up on the ground. ¡°Joanna¡­¡± Bruce gasped and rushed forward to pick her up. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. How can you do this?¡± ¡°Oh my god, what happened to Miss Haynes? Why is she bleeding so much?¡± ¡°Cut the crap and get the car!¡± ¡°Okay¡± Bruce carried Joanna and hurriedly ran towards the underground parking lot. Take us to the hospital. Take us to the hospital right now.¡± Kody did not dare to hesitate. He hurriedly started the car and rushed to the hospital. In the car. Joanna lost consciousness and started foaming at the mouth. Her entire body convulsed. Bruce hugged her tightly. His heart was in his mouth and he was a little out of his wits. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ll be fine. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me. I didn¡¯t do this on purpose. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, there¡¯s a traffic jam ahead. What should we do about this?¡± Beep beep beep! There was a long line of cars in front, and the car couldn¡¯t drive over at all. Bruce felt cold all over his body. Without thinking, he opened the door and got out of the car with Joanna in his arms. Then, he ran all the way to the hospital. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll definitely be fine! ¡°You have to hold on. We¡¯ll be at the hospital soon.¡± Bruce carried Joanna in his arms and did not dare to stop for even half a second. + Send Gift Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Bruce carried her all the way through the traffic. After running for more than 20 minutes, they finally arrived at the hospital. ¡°Doctor,e out quickly¡­¡± When the doctors and nurses saw that it was Bruce, they were shocked and hurriedly greeted him. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Hurry up and save her.¡± As the doctor checked on Joanna¡¯s condition, he instructed the nurses, ¡°Hurry up and prepare a wheeled stretcher!¡± Soon, Joanna was sent to the emergency room. Bruce took a deep breath and fell onto a chair in the corridor. After running for so long, he was already drenched in sweat and his limbs were weak. The doctor examined Joanna and found that she had arge amount of unknown drugs in her stomach. No matter what drug it was, this dosage was enough to kill her. *Hurry up and turn on the equipment. Prepare to pump the patient¡¯s stomach!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± An hourter, the door of the emergency room finally opened. Bruce felt uneasy. When he saw the door of the emergency room open, he suddenly rushed to the doctor and asked, ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± The doctor quicklyforted him. ¡°We have just pumped the patient¡¯s stomach and she hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Don¡¯t worry, the patient¡¯s life is not in danger.¡± ¡°Oh, great!¡± Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°However, the patient¡¯s hypoglycemia is quite serious. She¡¯s severely malnourished. Also, the patient¡¯s blood contains significant amounts of drugs such as sertraline and paroxetine. ¡°These drugs can make patients dependent, and taking too much can cause serious seque. Given the patient¡¯s current condition, she can no longer take antidepressants.¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart sank. ¡°How long has she been taking it?¡± ¡°ording to the blood test, the patient has been taking it for at least seven to eight years. If she continues to take it, it will cause brain damage or even put her life in danger.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± He knew that Joanna had depression, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so serious. Andy and Ethan also rushed to the hospital. ¡°How¡¯s Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett?¡± Bruce did not say anything and looked quite sullen. Seeing that he was upset, Andy and the others were all afraid and did not dare to ask further. On the hospital bed. Joanna had yet to wake up. Her face was pasty and her pale lips were dry. Her wrist, which was way too skinny, looked like it. could break with a single touch. Looking at Joanna, Bruce¡¯s heart was broken. In just a few years, the radiant and energetic girl had be so fragile and weak. Joanna, I really love you. Why can¡¯t you just believe me? ¡°Am I that despicable in your heart?¡± Bruce caressed her hair over and over again, his eyes bloodshot. Outside the ward. Miranda also rushed over. She was so worried that she wanted to barge into the ward. ¡°Where¡¯s From N?velDrama.Org. Joann? How is she?¡± Andy stopped her. ¡°Mr. Everett is inside now. You¡¯d better not go in and disturb him.¡± When Miranda heard this, she was so anxious that she was about to cry. ¡°What exactly is going on? Why is Joann suddenly hospitalized?¡± Andy sighed. ¡°This is between Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes. We can¡¯t interfere.¡± In the blink of an eye, ten hours had passed. Joanna was unconscious for more than ten hours before she finally woke up. Bruce had been staying with her by the bed. When he saw her eyshes trembling slightly, he immediately went forward to check Joanna, you¡¯re awake?¡± Joanna opened her eyes in a daze. Her head was spinning and she couldn¡¯t tell if it was reality or a dream. Joanna Bruce said gently and held her hand tightly. Joanna was in a daze for a while and gradually regained consciousness. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Bruce¡¯s anxious face Instantly, she recalled everything that had happened. *¡­ Go away, I don¡¯t want to see you¡­¡± Joanna, please let me exin!¡± Joanna struggled to get up and scolded him weakly and miserably, ¡°Get lost. There¡¯s nothing for you to exin. Hurry up and get out of my sight. I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. He did not know what else to say. In this situation, no matter what he said, Joanna would not believe him. ¡°Joanna, have a good rest first. When you recover, I¡¯ll exin it to you.¡± ¡°Piss of Don¡¯t touch me! Bruce, I hate you, I hate you¡­¡± Joanna gasped when she finished speaking. She pulled off the IV drip on her wrist and struggled to lift the nket. ¡°Where are you going? You¡¯re sick now. Lie down.¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away with all her might and got out of bed barefooted. ¡°Leave me alone. Get lost! I don¡¯t want to see you. I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Bruce held his breath and frowned. Joanna was so agitated now. Obviously, no matter what he said, she wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°Joanna, hurry up and lie down! Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯ve signed a contract!¡± When Joanna heard this, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and roared furiously, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re a monster. That contract doesn¡¯t count. I won¡¯t fulfill that contract¡­¡± Bruce grabbed her shoulders and pressed her back onto the bed. ¡°The contract has already taken effect. If you don¡¯t fulfill it, I will apply to the court to freeze all the assets under your name! ¡°At the same time, I¡¯ll separate the Haynes Group¡¯s shares!¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t go too far!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were burning with anger. If looks could kill, he would be burned to ashes! ¡°I won¡¯t agree even if 1 die!¡± Bruce felt miserable when he heard that.. But now, he could only endure it. If hepromised, all his previous efforts would be in vain. ¡°Alright! If you die, I won¡¯t have anything to worry about. The Haynes Group will also be doomed. All the assets under your name will belong to me.¡± When Joanna heard this, she flew into a rage. Her eyes turned red as she gripped his tie tightly. Half of her body was hanging in the air. ¡°Bruce, why are you doing this to me? Why?¡± Bruce tried Ins best to press down the pain in his heart and smiled coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m a monster? Monsters are all vicious.¡± When Joanna heard this, she lost all of her strength and fell back onto the bed. He was veryfortable with it. He was indeed a monster. No, he was much more terrifying than a monster. The man Joanna loved deeply in the past was actually such a ruthless scumbag. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Joannaughed. Cold tears streamed down her cheeks and flowed into her hair. She really regretted it. She should not have loved him. Such a man was not worthy of her love. Even though her love for him was already gone, 2/3 12:16 when she thought about it, the sadness in her heart still could not be contained. ¡°Joanna, what are youughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯mughing at myself for being so silly. Because I deserve it and I have iting¡± Bruce frowned and felt like he was about to cry. However, there were some things that he had to do. Send Gift Chapter 406 Chapter 406 If he wanted to control Joanna, he had to control the Haynes Group. ¡°You can say whatever you want. Now that things havee to this, I have nothing to say!¡± Joanna gritted her teeth and pounced on him like a lunatic. ¡°Bruce, I won¡¯t let you off even if I die! I¡¯ll definitely make you regret it. I¡¯ll definitely make you regret it!¡± Bruce stood still. ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to say such harsh words! ¡°If you really want to take revenge on me, have some rest and recover first. Two years is enough for you to think of a way to take revenge. ¡°If you really have it in you, I¡¯ll be very gratified.¡± ¡°Bastard, go to hell!¡± Joanna took a deep breath, picked up the ss of water on the bedside table, and smashed it on Bruce¡¯s head! Bruce¡¯s head was smashed open, and blood flowed down his eyebrows. ¡°Joanna, you knew what kind of person I was from the beginning. If you want to me someone, you can only me yourself for being too stupid. ¡°This is a lesson for you to see clearly that the world of capital is where the strong prey on the weak. Even if you don¡¯t fall into my hands, you¡¯ll fall into the hands of others.¡± The ss in Joanna¡¯s hand shattered on the ground, and the broken pieces pierced her hand until it was dripping with blood. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop talking. Get lost!¡± Bruce narrowed his eyes. He took a step forward and said sinisterly, ¡°I¡¯m your creditor now. You can tell me to get lost. But you have to return my money or fulfill the contract.¡± Joanna gasped. Bruce had really set her up and did not give her any chance to resist or catch her breath. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll bring you to hell with me.¡± As she spoke, Joanna raised the broken ss cup and wanted to smash it at his head. Bruce did not dare to let her have her way this time. He grabbed her wrist and pressed her heavily onto the hospital bed. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t anger me anymore. ¡°You know what I¡¯m like. If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll use even crueler methods against you.¡± Joanna held her breath and stared fiercely at him! ¡°What? Do you want to kill me? Fine! Kill me then!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯ll make you experience something worse than death. ¡°And you¡¯ll end up in a mental hospital.¡± Boom! Joanna¡¯s entire body went limp. The killing intent in her eyes turned into grief and indignation. Indeed, as long as he said it, he would definitely do it.. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. If she was really sent to a mental hospital, even if she wasn¡¯t crazy, she would still be tortured into a psychopath. Thinking about how Roxanne looked in the mental hospital, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but shudder.. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re so ruthless. Oh¡­¡± Bruce let go of her hand and said in a softer tone, ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re too tired. You have to rest well. ¡°Tll get the doctor to give you a shot of tranquilizer!¡± Then, he pressed the pager. The doctor soon arrived. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Give her a shot of tranquilizer!¡± The doctor hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Joanna screamed in horror. Four nurses stepped forward and held her down firmly. The doctor quickly took out a syringe and gave her a shot of tranquilizer. A few secondster. Joanna lost consciousness and fell asleep again. ¡°Mr. Everell, let me treat your wound!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. All of you can leave now.¡± ¡°But the wound on your head is still bleeding. You might need some stitches. If you don¡¯t treat it in time, it will be very troublesome if you get infected!¡± Bruce did not say anything. The doctor hurriedly went forward and took out some gauze and disinfectant. Then, he stitched the wound up. After getting his wound attended to, Bruce returned to the ward. On the hospital bed. Joanna was in a deep sleep. Bruce stopped pretending to be indifferent and looked at her sorrowfully, his fingers caressing her hair. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re too tired. If you continue like acting this, you really won¡¯t be able to hold on. ¡°I have to take all the pressure off you and adjust your life.¡± Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± Miranda walked in with a heavy expression and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, let me take care of Joann!¡± ¡°No need for that. I¡¯ll take care of her!¡± ¡°But¡­ Joann is emotionally unstable now. If you stay here, you¡¯ll only agitate her even more! If Joann wakes upter and sees you here, she¡¯ll probably¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I said there¡¯s no need. Get out!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Bruce became grim. ¡°No buts. I¡¯m telling you to get out!¡± Miranda¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Joanna, feeling bad for her. ¡°Alright then! Mr. Everett, if you need anything, just call me. I¡¯ll be right outside!¡± She really wanted to stay here and take care of Joanna. Unfortunately, with Bruce¡¯s temper, who would dare to disobey him? How could Miranda dare to go against Bruce? She had no choice but to leave the ward. ¡°Joanna, I must change your personality this time! I can¡¯t let you continue being so willful! ¡°In the future, we still have to be together. If I don¡¯t tame you, how can we live happily together? ¡°For our future, for the children, I have no choice but to do this!¡± Bruce whispered into Joanna¡¯s ear. Send Gift Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Eight hourster? Atst! Joanna finally woke up. When she opened her eyes groggily, she saw Bruce¡¯steful face. Bruce sat at the head of the bed and asked in a neutral tone, ¡°Joanna, are you awake?¡± Joanna took a deep breath as she wriggled into a sitting position. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to kill you¡­.. Bruce frowned slightly and said in amanding voice, ¡°Are you still unwilling to be obedient?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll have to keep putting you to sleep!¡± ¡°You bastard. You and I will die together!¡± ng! ng! ng! Joanna lifted the nket and pounced on him like a madman. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still not behaving.¡± Bruce frowned and pressed the pager again. ¡°Doctor, doctor!¡± Shortly, the doctor pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Mr. Everett, how can I be of service to you?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened, and he said fiercely. ¡°The patient is too agitated and aggressive. Give her another dose of tranquilizer immediately!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± The doctor replied and quickly went to prepare the tranquilizer. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw that Bruce was serious. She was as frightened as a bird in a cage. ¡°No, no, don¡¯te over. I have to leave this ce. I need to call the police!¡± ¡°Someonee, someonee¡­. Unfortunately, this hospital was run by Bruce. This floor was part of the VIP area. Ordinary patients did not appear on this floor. Even if she screamed her lungs out, no one woulde to save her. Bruce made an order, Three minutester! The nurse took a tranquilizer. As usual, the four nurses held her down firmly and gave her a tranquilizer. In less than five seconds! Joanna felt weak and fell asleep again. The doctor watched Joanna fall asleep. He frowned and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, you can¡¯t inject the tranquilizer too often! Furthermore, the patient¡¯s body is too weak¡­.¡± ¡°I know. This is thest time,¡± Bruce replied solemnly. He had to tame her and not be soft¨Chearted! Otherwise, she would have turned the world upside down again. Another five hours went by. Joanna woke up in a daze again! This time the dosage was rtively small. She only fell asleep for about four to five hours before waking up. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Joanna took a few breaths and rolled her eyes. Her head was dizzy. She looked around and saw that the surroundings were still were same cold white color. She was still in the hospital. The pent¨Cup anger in her heart erupted like a volcano! However, she was afraid to rerelease it. Bruce¡¯s tactics were vicious and despicable. If she continued to cause trouble, he would surely inject her with tranquilizer again. ..¡°Joanna did not answer! Bruce¡¯s voice softened a little. ¡°Are you still going to make a fuss?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes andy down calmly. Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Be obedient and cat, okay?¡± ¡°I got someone to buy your favorite oatmeal. You haven¡¯t eaten for two days. Eat something!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned from fear to anger. All kinds ofplicated emotions flowed through them, and her voice was hoarse. ¡°Bruce, I hate you so much!¡± ¡°Alright. Hate me all you want. You must finish your dinner, then continue to hate me.¡± ¡°Here, have this.¡± Bruce scooped a spoonful of oatmeal and blew on it gently before bringing it to her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not eating. Take it away!¡± Joanna raised her hand and pped away the oatmeal in Bruce¡¯s hand! Bruce frowned. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re still unwilling to behave. If you continue like this, I will only take extreme measures!¡± ¡°Doctor¡­.¡± ¡°No, please, don¡¯t give me another tranquilizer!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes. ¡°Then are you willing to behave and eat?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and copsed weakly on the bed. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have an appetite now. I can¡¯t eat anything. Can you let me sit and recoup for a moment?¡± She didn¡¯t have the strength to resist anymore. She could only pretend to give in to prevent him from giving her more tranquilizer. ¡°No. You haven¡¯t eaten for two days. If this continues, your body won¡¯t be able to take it!¡± ¡°Andy, go buy another bowl of oatmeal!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± Quickly! Andy bought another bowl of century eggs and lean meat oatmeal! ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯ve bought the oatmeal!¡± ¡°Mm, just leave it there!¡± Andy left the ward! Bruce opened the oatmeal and brought it to Joanna! She had calmed down. Her arm was no match for her thighs. She was like a fish on a chopping board. There was no room. for resistance. She could only be at Bruce¡¯s mercy. ¡°Are you still going to make a fuss?¡± Joanna was in a daze, like a doll. She did not cry, make a fuss, or speak. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question.¡± ¡°¡­ Joanna continued to remain silent! ¡°If you continue like this, I¡¯ll have to send you to a mental hospital for treatment.¡± ¡°You can go and stay there for a year and a half. I believe you¡¯ll be able to figure things out.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes looked forlornly at Bruce. There was supervision 24 hours a day at the mental hospital. Not to mention she wouldn¡¯t be free to step out. Even if she wanted to die, it would be impossible. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You know that tears don¡¯t work on me.¡± ¡°Open your mouth and eat!¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t eat!¡± ¡°Even if you can¡¯t eat, you have to force yourself. Hurry up!¡± Joanna had no choice but to open her mouth and eat it. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Joanna choked and kept coughing. She was out of breath. Bruce quickly stopped and helped blow her back. ¡°Did you choke?¡± Joanna coughed a few times and fell weakly onto the bed with a frown. Seeing how ufortable she was, Bruce¡¯s heart ached. He put the oatmeal aside. She couldn¡¯t eat and only relied on glucose and nutrient solutions to support her. In the blink of an eye. Another two days went by. Joanna still couldn¡¯t eat, and her emotions were on the verge of copse. No matter what Bruce said to her, there was no reaction. At first, Bruce still wanted to hold on, just like an eagle that would only obey after its arrogance was simmered down. Unfortunately, he looked at Joanna¡¯s haggard and weak state and couldn¡¯t take it. Miranda was even more anxious. Her heart ached so much that she couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°Joann won¡¯t make it if she continues like this. Boohoo!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed, and he sighed helplessly. He had no choice but to call the butler. Beep beep beep. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Butler, bring the young Masters and Miss to the hospital!¡± ¡°Will do.¡± There was no way to cheer Joanna up now. He could only ce his hopes on the children. He hung up. Half an hourter, the butler brought Davian, Irvin, and Lilia to the hospital. ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong? Why did you bring us to the hospital?¡± The children still did not know what had happened. They looked at Bruce innocently and curiously! Bruce bent down and rubbed Davian and Irvin¡¯s heads. ¡°Baby, Mommy is sick!¡± ¡°Daddy brought you here because I hope you can be by Mommy¡¯s side andfort her, okay?¡± ¡°Is Mommy sick again? Is it serious?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ isn¡¯t in a good mood. Can you make her happy?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Go in!¡± The two little guys did not say anything else and hurriedly walked toward the ward. In the ward. Joanna was still lying lifeless, like a soulless doll. She was disheartened and had nothing left to live for. The two little guys pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Mommy.¡± Looking at their haggard and weak mommy on the bed, the two little guys immediately cried. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why are you sick again?¡± The two little guys ran to the head of Joanna¡¯s bed and stood in front crying! Joanna did not seem to hear him and was unconcerned. ¡°Mominy, open your eyes and look at me. It¡¯s Davian!¡± Davian was sobbing as he shook Joanna¡¯s arm. Irvin was also frightened. He looked at Bruce with red circles under his eyes. ¡°Daddy, what happened to Mommy?¡± Bruce did not say anything. He ced Lilia on the bed. ¡°Mommy, open your eyes and look at us! It¡¯s Lilia.¡± Lilia threw herself into Joanna¡¯s arms. She started crying as she spoke. ¡°Mommy, Mommy, wake up!¡± No matter how much the children cried, Joanna did not open. her eyes. Seeing his mommy not react had little Irvin sobbing. ¡°Sob sob sob. Daddy, is Mommy going to die?¡± When Davian heard this, his face fell, and he pped Irvin¡¯s head. ¡°Shut up. Mommy won¡¯t die. Mommy is just too tired and fell asleep When Lilia heard Irvin¡¯s words, she cried harder and kept shaking Joanna. ¡°Mommy, open your eyes! It¡¯s your precious Lilia. Mommy, don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡± The three little children cried their hearts out. Bruce¡¯s heart also exploded in pain. If Joanna died, he didn¡¯t know what would happen to the children. ¡°Mommy, boo boo boo¡­¡± The little ones¡® cries rose and fell. Joanna¡¯s eyes were still closed. She did not respond at all. Davian cried and suddenly looked at Bruce angrily. ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong with Mommy? Why is she so sick?¡± Bruce frowned and could not say a word. ¡°Daddy, did you bully Mommy again? Why would she be so sick?¡± ¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath! Davian looked at Bruce angrily. ¡°You big bad man. You must have bullied Mommy again.¡± Irvin rashly advised his brother, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t me Daddy!¡± Bruce sighed helplessly. Seeing the children chattering and crying made him distraught. His n was useless. ¡°You should all go back!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not leaving. We¡¯re staying to take care of Mommy.¡± ¡°You guys need to go back. When Mommy is better, you cane back and see her.¡± Davian¡¯s eyes widened stubbornly. ¡°No, we¡¯re not leaving.¡± Bruce was running out of patience. He opened the door and shouted, ¡°Butler, quicklye and take the young Masters and Miss back home!¡± When the butler heard this, he hurriedly entered the ward with the nanny. ¡°Young Masters, Miss, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I want to be with Mommy. I want to take care of Mommy.¡± ¡°Hurry up and take them away.¡± Bruce frowned and shouted. The butler and nanny did not hesitate. They hurriedly carried and pulled the little fellows away. After the children lef Bruce was furious. He stomped his feet and walked to the head of the bed. ¡°Joanna, what do you want? Get up.¡± Bruce grabbed her shoulders as he spoke and forced her to sit up. Joanna sat crookedly like a snake whose spine had been pulled out. Bruce¡¯s eyes turned red as he shook her shoulders in exasperation. ¡°Joanna, can you not be like this? Haven¡¯t you always been the strong one? Why have you been so easily defeated?¡± ¡°Pull yourself together. Didn¡¯t you want to take revenge on me? Get up and take your revenge on me! How can you have your revenge like this?¡± Joanna¡¯s head swayed as Bruce swayed. Bruce angrily let go, and Joannay back on the bed softly! ¡°I¡¯m so fucking annoyed!¡± Bruce cursed himself. He was highly frustrated. He got up and left the room to smoke. After Bruce left. Joanna¡¯s eyes suddenly opened¡­ An unfathomable gloominess appeared in her beautiful eyes! She did that to take revenge on him. A dark thought suddenly shed through her mind. Revenge on a man. The best way was to pretend to be in love with him. Let him believe it. Let him sink so deep that he couldn¡¯t extricate himself. Then, she would tell him the truth in desperation andpletely disappear from his world. Bruce seemed cold and arrogant! He had a strong desire for control and was overly paranoid about love. A man with such a character was easily hurt by love. He loved her! Then why didn¡¯t she pretend to love him? Wait until he was deeply involved. Then leave him and let him live in pain forever. 20 minutester! After smoking two cigarettes, Bruce returned to the ward with resentment. When he arrived at the ward, he realized Joanna had opened her eyes. Although Joanna still looked frail, she had regained a trace of vitality. ¡°Joanna¡­ Bruce rushed to the bed to inspect her. As he approached, Joanna frowned and coughed. ¡°Ahem¡­¡­¡± Bruce subconsciously took two steps back. ¡°Do I smell like smoke?¡± Joanna blinked weakly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so thirsty. I want to drink water!¡± Joanna took the initiative to talk to Bruce, which made him feel ttered. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll get some water now¡± ¡°Do you want something hot or cold? Or do you want a drink?¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll pour you a ss of warm water!¡± After saying that, Bruce hurriedly went to pour water. He walked to the water dispenser and filled half a cup with hot water, then the other half with cold water. He took a sip and felt that the temperature was just right. Then, he hurriedly handed it to Joanna. ¡°Here¡¯s the water.¡± As Bruce spoke, he helped Joanna up. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you!¡± Joanna leaned weakly in his arms and gently drank water. This action was quite ordinary. However, Bruce¡¯s heart was pounding non¨Cstop.. He enjoyed the feeling of Joanna leaning into his arms. He liked the feel of her relying on him even more. ¡°Drink slowly, don¡¯t choke, Bruce reminded her gently as if feeding a child water. Joanna took a few more sips and stopped. ¡°Cough cough.¡± Bruce frowned and said dotingly, ¡°Look, I told you to slow down, but you didn¡¯t listen. You drank so quickly. Did you choke?¡± Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Joanna did not say anything. There was an unfathomable gentleness in her eyes as she nced at him. This nce made Bruce even more confused. It had been a long time since she looked at him like this. ¡°Is it enough? Do you want more?¡± Joanna shook her head slightly. ¡°Enough¡± ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with tenderness. Joanna¡¯s heart trembled. She raised her head and looked into Bruce¡¯s ryes. It seemed that this approach was doable! From the look in his eyes, she could tell that he was eager to get her affection. Since that was the case, why would she resist? She would use this chance to make him love her even more! ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry!¡± When Bruce heard this, he immediately asked, ¡°Then what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll get my assistant to buy it. Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said, ¡°¡­I want to eat cake! My mouth is very bitter. I want to eat something sweet.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get my assistant to buy it immediately. What else do you want to eat? I¡¯ll get my assistant to buy it too.¡± Joanna shook her head sadly. ¡°No need. I only want to eat some cake.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get Kody to buy it.¡± With that, Bruce left the ward. Outside the ward. Andy, Kody, and more than ten bodyguards perked up and waited for Bruce¡¯s instructions. ¡°Kody, go to Sk right now and get a cake.¡± Kody did not hesitate. ¡°Mr. Everett, what vor do you want?¡± ¡°Buy one of each vor. Also, go to Honeymoon Dessert and buy some sweet treats.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett, Kody replied, hurriedly leaving the hospital to buy the cake and sweet treats. Forty minutester! Kody and a bodyguard walked into the ward with more than ten cakes of various sizes and more than ten kinds of sweet treats in their hands! ¡°Mr. Everett, I¡¯ve bought the cake and sweet treats.¡± ¡°Put them down!¡± Bruce unfolded the dining table and ced the cakes and desserts individually without hesitation. The table was filled with cakes and desserts of all vors. Sk¡¯s was the most high¨Cend cake shop. A small cake would cost at least over 200 dors. Of course! There was a reason why it was expensive. Every vor was made to perfection. Joanna took a look and frowned. ¡°Why did you buy so many? How will I finish them?¡± Bruce smiled dotingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what vor you wanted to eat, so I bought them all for you to try!¡± When Joapna heard that, she could not help but click her tongue. ¡°This will be such a waste!¡± ¡°As long as you want to eat, it¡¯s not a waste.¡± With that, Bruce cut a small piece of strawberry¨Cvored cake and eagerly handed it to Joanna as a memory shed across his mind. ¡°Here, want to try this strawberry vor? I remember you used to like strawberries!¡° Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered, and she opened her mouth slightly! The sweet, sticky, and delicate cream exploded in her mouth, and her initially bitter tongue was filled with sweet satisfaction! ¡°Is it good?¡± Mm!¡± Bruce cut another small piece of a different vored cake. ¡°Try this mousse cake. This shop has the most famous mousse cake.¡± Joanna took another small bite and tasted it slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want something sweet? This macaroon is quite sweet.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I also got Kody to buy sweet treats and milk. You¡¯re very weak now. You must nourish yourself well.¡± Bruce was nagging and trying to please her! He had lived a long life, but this was the first time he had been pleasant to others. Joanna did not say anything and epted each of his disys of affection. In the blink of an eye. Joanna had been in the hospital for a week. After a thorough examination, the doctor carried out the discharge procedures. ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes can be discharged!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Is there anything else I should be watchful for?¡± The doctor gave a few more cautious instructions. ¡°When you go back, you have to recover well. Also, the antidepressant must be stopped.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Got it.¡± In the ward. She had already packed her things, awaiting to be discharged at any time. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Come home with me. Bruce looked at Joanna with a longing gaze. ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Joanna nodded slightly. Bruce was a little excited when she was willing to go home with him. He took a few steps forward and picked her up horizontally. Joanna¡¯s cheeks burned. ¡°You don¡¯t have to carry me. I can walk by myself.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve just recovered. It¡¯ll be worrying if you fall and bump into something.¡± Hearing this. Joanna did not refuse anymore. She let him carry her to the underground parking lot. Andy and Kody could not help but click their tongues. ¡°Wow, wow, wow. Mr. Everett is too good to Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Haynes must have saved the gxy in her previous life to be so lucky in this life.¡± Andy sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t judge what we see on the surface. Many things are going on behind the scenes that we can¡¯t see.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes and Mr. Everett are back together again. What about Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Will the Grimm family agree?¡± Andy smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s not something we should worry about. Let¡¯s do our thing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Sherane Bay Vi. The servants had already arranged a wee party at home. The entire vi was filled with flowers. Davian and Irvin were already waiting on thewn. ¡°Wee home, Mommy!¡± ¡°Wee home, Mr. Everett. Wee home, Mrs. Everett.¡± ¡­Joanna frowned. The two little guys rushed over. ¡°Mommy, have you recovered?¡± Joanna squatted down gently. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Mommy, will you leave again? Are you staying with us?¡± Joanna nced at Bruce and then nodded at the children. ¡°Yes! Mommy will stay and take care of you.¡± When the children heard this, they were overjoyed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. We can finally be with Mommy.¡± ¡°Mommy, we love you so much!¡± The little ones surrounded Joanna and chattered happily like little birds. At night! Bruce walked into Joanna¡¯s room. Joanna had already washed up and was lying quietly on the bed. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Bruce looked at her guiltily. He wasn¡¯t sure. Did she agree to sleep with him? Joanna looked back and smiled gently. She reached out and hooked her arms around his neck. Then, she stretched her neck and offered Bruce a goodnight kiss. Bruce¡¯s body stiffened as he looked at Joanna in disbelief. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to kiss him. ¡°Joann, um¡­ are you okay?¡± Joannaughed. ¡°What in the world could happen?¡± Bruce¡¯s heart was pounding. Facing Joanna, he couldn¡¯t control his impulse. Now that she took the initiative to light the fire, he could not restrain himself. However, his rationality told him he could not force himself on her. ¡°You hate me so much. Why are you¡­.¡± Joannaughed. ¡°I¡¯m fulfilling my contractual obligations!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that after being your lover for two years, you would return the Haynes Group to me? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Joanna¡¯s beautiful eyes looked at Bruce without moving Bruce¡¯s heart turned cold. He was overthinking this. Joanna was only gentle to him because she wanted the Haynes Group back. Subsequently, Bruce no longer felt any psychological burden. He kissed her passionately. Then, he asked her to push him onto the bed. ¡°Joann. I love you. I truly missed you¡­.¡± ¡°Can you be gentler?¡± It was a long and charming night. Perhaps he had restrained himself for too long. Bruce was iparably greedy. If not for her body being too weak, he could have been even greedier. The next day. Joanna had slept past ten o¡¯clock before waking up. She had just woken up and felt her limbs ache. This bastard¡¯s stamina was always so shocking. She didn¡¯t know how much she would have been tortured if she hadn¡¯t refusedst night. ¡°Where is Bruce?¡± The servant replied respectfully, ¡°Mr. Everett has returned to thepany.¡± ¡°Where are the children?¡± ¡°The kids are in school.¡± Joanna suddenly felt empty. ¡°Mrs. Everett, breakfast has been prepared for you.¡± Joanna ale some oatmeal and lost her appetite. Her heart was in a mess! She didn¡¯t know if it would be right to do this. However, when he thought of what Bruce had done to her, she could not forgive him. She couldn¡¯t beat him in a head¨Con fight. This was the only way she could do it! Gentle knives were not often the most lethal weapon. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Look, are you awake?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± ¡°Meet me for lunch. I¡¯ll be home at about one o¡¯clock.¡± Joanna was stunned. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll just eat something for lunch. It¡¯ll be too much trouble for you to run back and forth. Let¡¯s eat together tonight!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re going to have lunch. ¡°Alright then!¡± Send Gift Comment After hanging up. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 After hanging up. Joanna was in a daze for a moment. She did not let go of the phone for a long time. *Bruce, for the rest of your life¡­ I will let you live in pain and repentance. Everything you took from me, I will make you pay tenfold or a hundredfold.¡± The days ahead would be even more painful. What she had to do next was pretend to fall in love with Bruce and let him drown in her passion. Once he was immersed entirely, she would leave him in the most brutal way. As long as it would make him suffer for the rest of his life, anything would be worth it. An hourter! Bruce drove back. During this period, he did not return to thepany as much. Today, he was in a rare good mood. He arrived at thepany early in the morning to deal with the backlog of work. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± The servants greeted in unison. ¡°Mm¨Chmm!¡± Bruce rarely responded to greetings but was in a good mood today. He walked into the living room. A strong smell of onion oil wafted over. It was the smell of spaghetti. ¡°Mmm, it smells so good!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t even have time to change his clothes and walked straight to the kitchen. ¡°Joann, what are you doing?¡± In the kitchen, Joanna was wearing a white casual outfit. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she had a blue and white checkered apron around her chest. After hearing Bruce¡¯s voice, she turned around and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m making you spaghetti.¡± Her face was beautiful and gentle. Her sweat caused a few strands of hair to stick together on her temples. She looked like a good wife and mother who washed her husband¡¯s hands and cooked soup. Bruce¡¯s heart was instantly filled with warmth. This was precisely what he had hoped for. ¡­Did you make this for me?¡± Bruce slowly walked forward and gently hugged her from behind. ¡°Of course! Who else could it be made for if it wasn¡¯t for you?¡± ¡°Hehe, thank you, wife.¡± Bruce smiled and kissed her on the side of her face. ¡°Stop fooling around. Hurry up and wash your hands. It¡¯ll be done soon.¡± ¡°Mm, okay!¡± Joanna brought a bowl of spaghetti to the dining table. There were also hash browns and two dishes of colew, After washing his hands, Bruce looked at the food on the table and smiled. ¡°Why are you suddenly so good to me? You thought of making me spaghetti?¡± Joanna smiled gently and took off her apron. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? I made it special for you!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Bruce couldn¡¯t help butugh awkwardly. Joanna had always been cold to him. Suddenly she was so gentle to him, and he was not used to it. But no matter what, he was still delighted. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot! It won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold.¡± Bruce walked to the dining table and picked up his tableware to eat. The spaghetti was as delicious as ever. They were apanied by colew, which was refreshing and delicious. Although they were all ordinary dishes, they tasted better than all the usual delicacies. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s incredibly delicious. This is the best spaghetti I¡¯ve ever eaten.¡± Joanna sat beside him. She rested her chin on her elbow and looked at him gently. ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll make it for you every day in the future.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Bruce ate the food with relish. Halfway through his meal, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Joann, pack your luggage.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Next week, I¡¯m going to Escostan on a business trip. I might be gone for more than ten days. Get ready toe with me.¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°Huh? We¡¯re going to be gone for that long?¡± Bruce raised his eyes slightly and looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m worried about the children. What will happen if we¡¯re gone for such a long time?¡± ¡°The children will be under the care of the butler and servants. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds before squeezing out a smile. ¡°¡­Alright then!¡± Bruce continued to eat his noodles in silence. asionally, he would look up at Joanna, feeling exceptionally satisfied. After eating the spaghetti. Bruce rested for another 20 minutes. He looked at the time. It was almost two o¡¯clock. So, he put on his suit and prepared to go out. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m going back to work.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t tire yourself out. I¡¯ll wait for you for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°You too. Have a good rest. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Goodbye. Bruce, reluctant to leave, kissed her and then hurriedly drove back to work. After Bruce left! Joanna¡¯s expression suddenly darkened, and a trace of coldness appeared under her eyes. ¡°Bruce, just you wait! I¡¯ll definitely make you suffer.¡± 3:30 PM! Joanna was in a daze when she suddenly heard a cheerful voice. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re back.¡± The children got out of the car and ran happily into Joanna¡¯s room! Joanna instantly snapped out of her absent¨Cminded state. ¡°Babies. Are you done with school?¡± ¡°Yes. We missed Mommy so much!¡± Davian and Irvin pounced into Joanna¡¯s arms one after another. The nanny also walked in with Lilia. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m done with school too¡­¡± Lilia was in kindergarten 1, one year behind her two brothers. The two boys were in kindergarten 2. The two little fellows¡® noses were very sharp. They sniffed. ¡°What smells so good?¡± ¡°Mommy, did you make dumplings!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great. We were thinking of Mommy¡¯s dumplings.¡± ¡°Mominy has already wrapped them. I¡¯ll cook them for you now,¡± Thank you, Mommy.¡± The servant hurriedly went forward. ¡°Mrs. Everett, I¡¯ll cook!¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s better to cook for the children myself.¡± Even though more than 20 servants were serving the Everett family, Joanna still wanted to cook herself and make food for her children. Joanna smiled and took Lilia from the nanny¡¯s arms. She walked towards the kitchen. ¡°Baby, are you happy at school?!¡± 2/4 12.05 Lilia nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very happy. I know many children!¡± Lilia looked like a cute little princess in a beautiful id skirt with ace cover¨Cup. She could not walk yet and needed the servants to carry her to kindergarten every day. Joanna kissed her daughter¡¯s cheek, but her eyes could not help but turn red. Fifteen minutester! Joanna cooked the dumplings and scooped three bowls for the children. She let them simmer on the dining table. The children couldn¡¯t wait to eat them. ¡°Don¡¯t fight with me. This bowl is mine.¡± ¡°I want this bowl. This bowl has so much more.¡± Seeing this, Joanna quickly stopped them ¡°Stop fighting. There¡¯s more in the pot. Eat slowly.¡± The three little children sat at the dining table and ate the dumplings with relish on the side. Their favorite dishes were the dumplings and sweet potato croquettes, specially made by their mommy. Although the Everett family¡¯s chefs knew how to cook delicious meals, they couldn¡¯t make the food their mommy made. The children finished eating the dumplings and were satisfied. Irvin patted his round belly and burped. ¡°Mommy, the weather is nice today. Can you fly a kite with us?¡± ¡°Okay! But you have to finish your homework first.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± There was nothing much to do in kindergarten. They just wrote a few words and did some handicrafts. The children finished their homework in less than half an hour. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯ve done our homework! Can we fly a kite now?¡± After checking their homework, Joanna agreed to the children¡¯s request. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, that¡¯s great. We can fly kites now.¡± Then, Davian got his Iron Man kite, and Irvin took his Goku kite. Lilia did not know how to walk. She could only watch from the side as her brothers released him. On thewn! Joanna happily flew kites with her children. ¡°Mommy, fly higher, fly higher.¡± ¡°Davian, don¡¯t hold my hand so tightly. Let go a little!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. That¡¯s it.¡± It was a sunny day, and the weather was good. The Everett family¡¯swn was huge. It was as big as two football fields. Flying a kite was not a problem. 5:30 PM! Bruce was back. Before he got out of the car, he saw Joanna happily flying a kite on thewn with their two children. Looking at this heartwarming scene, he felt extremelyforted! This was precisely the kind of life he wanted. A home, a wife he loved, and lovely children. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re flying our kites. It¡¯s fun. Come and y with us.¡± Bruce walked over and picked up his daughter! ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y!¡± Bruce smiled andforted his daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. Daddy will treat your leg. Soon, you will fly a kite with your brothers. Joanna smiled gently. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Why so early?¡± Joanna asked as she handed the kite to Davian. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Send Gift Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Comment In the past, Bruce was a workaholic who woulde backte every day. But now, he felt a sense of homesickness. ¡°I couldn¡¯t work with the thought of you at home alone with the kids, so I decided toe back and stay with you!¡± Joanna smiled and did not say anything. The two little guys were still happily flying their kites! ¡°Slow down, don¡¯t fall!¡± ¡°Oh no, the kites are tangled together!¡± Davian shouted at Irvin in discontent, ¡°I already told you to move over a little, but you just had to squeeze through Irvin giggled. ¡°Watch my Goku fight Iron Man.¡± ¡°Move away from me. If you get any closer, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± At night. It was rare for this family of five to gather together for a meal. The three little fellows were still excited and kept chattering non¨Cstop. As they ate, they shook their heads happily. Joanna pulled a long face and started lecturing the children. ¡°Don¡¯t talk when you¡¯re eating! You can¡¯t keep talking when you¡¯re eating ¡°Got it. Mommy Davian quickly shut up and ate obediently. Irvinughed heartlessly. ¡°We¡¯re happy! Mommy and Daddy will always be by our side. We¡¯re so happy.¡± Lilia chimed in with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m happy too! I hope Daddy and Mommy can stay with us forever and never be separated.¡± ¡°¡­ Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt an inexplicable pain. Seeing her mommy¡¯s silence, Lilia suddenly looked at her worriedly. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯ll be with us forever, right?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t sneak away again, will you?¡± ¡°¡­No!¡± Joanna smiled gently and rubbed Lilia¡¯s head lovingly. Bruce watched quietly, his eyes filled with nostalgia. He would stop at nothing to ensure his family was reunited; it would be worth it. After dinner. The children went back to their rooms to sleep. Joanna and Bruce finished washing up and got ready for bed. Bruce couldn¡¯t help but try to goof around. Joanna¡¯s entire body was aching. She really couldn¡¯t do it anymore. ¡°No, I¡¯m too tired today. We just did itst night!¡± Bruce smiled evilly and turned off the lights. ¡°That wasst night. Today is a new day.¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really want to¡­¡± Joanna wanted to refuse, but it was toote¡­ After the fierce battle! Bruce hugged Joanna and fell into a deep sleep. He had been working tirelessly for the past few days and was exhausted. Joanna felt weak all over. She was tired and sleepy, and her limbs were extremely sore. Unfortunately, she could not fall asleep. She could only stare at the ceiling in a daze. Her move was like killing 1,000 enemies and sacrificing 800 of her own. If Bruce lived in painter, she would probably suffer too. However, she would not let him feel good while she was in pain. The next day! Bruce woke up early in the morning and was incredibly energetic. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m going to work!¡± Joanna turned around and got up. ¡°Hmm, what time is it?¡± ¡®Go back to sleep. It¡¯s only 8:30.¡± Joanna rubbed her sleepy eyes and got out of bed. ¡°I also want to go to thepany to take a look. I haven¡¯t been back for many days!¡± Bruce smiled suggestively. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about thepany. I¡¯ll get someone to take care of the Haynes Group.¡± ¡°But, there are still Porash and Greene Town jobs. I have to arrange them.¡± *Hehe, don¡¯t work there anymore. You won¡¯t be able to earn much money anyway. Your current mission is to stay by my side. A hint of shrewdness appeared in Bruce¡¯s eyes. When Joanna heard this, she could not help but frown. ¡°If I don¡¯t go to work, I¡¯ll be very bored. I don¡¯t want to stay home every day and be a housewife.¡± Bruce rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± ¡°How about this? Come back to thepany with me and be my personal secretary¡± ¡­Joanna was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea, is it?¡± ¡°Why not? You were initially going to be my personal secretary. I wanted you to rest at home for a bit, but since you find it boring, you might as well go to thepany with me!¡± Joanna wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, she agreed. ¡°Alright! As long as I don¡¯t stay at home.¡± ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll change my clothes.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Joanna hurriedly got up to freshen up. After changing her clothes, she followed Bruce to thepany. The Everett Group! As Bruce stepped through thepany¡¯s door, his expression instantly became grave and cold, like a general about to go to war. Joanna followed behind him. Feeling the gazes from all directions, she felt a little ufortable! Fortunately, she quickly got into the elevator and did not need to be stared at anymore. In the office! Bruce¡¯s office was huge and upied an entire floor. ¡°Bruce, what can I do?¡± ¡°Yes, just sit beside me. I¡¯ll let you know if I need you to do anything.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re bored, there are entertainment facilities there. You can y golf and watch movies.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Joanna sat down on the sofa! Opposite her was Bruce¡¯s workstation! There was a long sandalwood desk with aputer and various documents on it. Bruce sat down and began to work. He had back¨Cto¨Cback phone calls! Bruce used three kinds ofnguages andmunicated non¨Cstop with the person on the other end of the phone. He was swamped! Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. As long as he came to work, countless jobs would await him. ¡°Mr. Everett, this is a Korean document!¡± ¡°Yes, leave it for now. I¡¯ll call their presidentter.¡± ¡°This is the order from Melta. It needs your signature!¡± DA ¡°I got it!¡± Special assistants would knock on the door almost every 20 minutes ande in to deliver documents or report for their appointments. Joanna watched from the side and listened to Bruce on the phone with someone else. She suddenly understood that Bruce¡¯s way of thinking and handling work was different from others. No wonder he was sessfull He was knowledgeable, and his mentality was superb. He was quite a brilliant individual. Maybe! She could learn from him by staying by his side. When it came to business, she couldn¡¯tpare to him. She was too far behind. Joanna flipped through a magazine. She looked like she was casually reading a magazine while quietly listening to how Brucemunicated with his clients and how he handled his work. Outside the office. Andy, Mark, and the others could not help but discuss them again. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Miss Haynes came to thepany with Mr. Everett¡­ ¡°Are they nning to make it public?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve always been a couple. Now that Mr. Grimm is experiencing hardships, Miss Haynes must return to Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°I must say, Miss Haynes is quite scheming and heartless.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Everyone wants a good life. If it were us, we would also want to rely on a big tree to enjoy the shade.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get to work! If Mr. Everett hears us, we won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± In the blink of an eye, it was already past eleven. In the office. Bruce held her forehead with a displeased expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ¡°Sigh, there are so many documents. I¡¯m dizzy from reading them!¡± Bruce said as he rubbed his temples. Joanna put down the magazine in her hand and walked up to him. ¡°Then let me give you a massage!¡± ¡°Mm, okay!¡± Joanna began to massage his temples gently. The massagested less than two minutes! Bruce touched her hand and pulled her into his arms! ¡°You better stop rubbing. I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Bruce smirked. ¡°It¡¯s too satisfying. It¡¯s making me want to¡­¡± As he spoke, his restless hands began to roam over her body. ¡°Stop fooling around. We¡¯re in the office. What if someone sees us? It¡¯ll be embarrassing.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll continue at home tonight!¡± ¡°You are trouble!¡± Joanna felt frustrated! Bruce stopped teasing her. ¡°Hehe, have you packed your luggage?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I want to go to Venturas tomorrow!¡± When Bruce heard this, the smile on his face immediately turned cold. still worried about Jaydon. She was st ¡°You promised to give me a day off every week. I can do whatever I want.¡± ¡­ Yes, go ahead! I¡¯ll keep my word. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll be back early tomorrow¡± Bruce smiled, but deep down, he felt extremely ufortable. Jaydon was in a vegetative state. But he was still too jealous and wanted to remove Jaydon from Joanna¡¯s heart altogether. He was the only man allowed to be in her heart. She could not have another man. Send Gift Chapter 412 Chapter 412 ¡°It¡¯s noon. Let¡¯s go have lunch!* ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce turned off theputer and left the office with Joanna. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine!* Bruce thought for a few seconds. ¡°Then let¡¯s have a simple meal at a nearby restaurant!¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Anything is fine.¡± There were also a few high¨Cend restaurants near thepany. Bruce took her to a Frayn restaurant she often went to During lunch. Bruce looked up at her from time to time. Joanna ate her food gently and flipped her hair from time to time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Bruce put a small piece of steak into his mouth. There was a strange light in his eyes. ¡°I still like the way you look when you have long hair. Let your hair grow¡­.. In the past, Joanna¡¯s long hair reached her waist. It was ck and soft. She looked pure and beautiful, like a girl straight out of aic. Her hair had never grown to that length again. As soon as the ends exceeded her shoulders, they would be trimmed to their original length. Although still beautiful, she was no longer as wless as she used to be. Joanna put down the knife and fork in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t I look good like this?¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly and said dotingly. ¡°Well, I prefer the older style!¡± Joanna listened and looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°If I never look like I did before, will you still like me?¡± ¡­Of course, I will! No matter what you look like, I will like it.¡± ¡°What if I be ugly one day?¡± ¡°I told you, no matter what you look like, I will appreciate it.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Joanna smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Joanna used a knife and fork to cut the food on her te but had no appetite. ¡°People change! Many things can¡¯t return to their past states, nor can they look their original appearance.¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds and put down the knife and fork in his hand. ¡°Joann, as long as we want to, everything can return to how it was before.¡± Joanna subconsciously retracted her hand. ¡°Are you done eating?¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Bruce immediately stood up and called the waiter to pay the bill. The two of them reached the parking lot. Joanna suddenly thought of something. ¡°I won¡¯t be going to the office with you. I want to go shopping¡± When Bruce heard this, he raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Go shopping?¡± From his memory, Joanna rarely went shopping. Joannaughed. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re going to Escostan for a business trip. I want to buy a few clothes.¡± Bruce replied without hesitation, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get Kody and the others to apany you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my credit card. Did you bring yours?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± After that! Bruce gave his ck card to Joanna and asked Kody and four bodyguards to apany Joanna on her shopping spree. ¡°Buy whatever you want.¡± Joanna took the card and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°If 1 overspend, you be angry, right?¡± When Bruce heard this, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Hehe, no way! Buy whatever you want!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving!¡± Joanna took Bruce¡¯s card and got into another car. Kody drove Joanna to Greyport¡¯s most upscale shopping mall Joanna strolled ahead with four bodyguards following behind her. Joanna entered the Hermes shop and chose a few sets of clothes, shoes, and bags. Then, she went to another high¨Cend luxury store and bought clothes and shoes for the children. Joanna had spent more than a million dors in just over two hours. In the past, she didn¡¯t like to use Bruce¡¯s money. Even when they divorced, she didn¡¯t ask for alimony. But now, she was suddenly over it! Why not? If she didn¡¯t use it, another woman would. After shopping, Joanna entered a salon. Tony the hairstylist, greeted her enthusiastically. ¡°Hello, what kind of hairstyle do you want to do?¡± Joanna flipped through a magazine and pointed at one of the hairstyles. ¡°Let¡¯s cut it like this!¡± Tony, the hairstylist, took a look. ¡°Is it this style?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I think you should choose something else. This hairstyle doesn¡¯t suit the shape of your face¡­¡± ¡°I like this hairstyle. Just cut it this way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna chose the most expensive stylist and quickly cut her hair. It was simr to the photo she picked. It was like a bob, and the end of the longest hair reached her car. It looked less delicate and bold. She didn¡¯t like how Bruce liked her other hairstyle, nor did she want to cater to it. After cutting her hair, she returned to Sherane Bay Vi. It was already past six in the evening. Bruce had already gotten off work and returned home. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna changed her shoes, and the bodyguards behind her carried the bags into the house. ¡°Wow, why did you buy so many things?¡± Bruce said. When he looked up, he realized that Joanna had cut her hair. Moreover, the cut was short, almost as long as his hair. Immediately, Bruce frowned and felt a chill in his heart. In the afternoon, he had just said he wanted her to have long hair, and she cut it. It was evident that she was silently opposing him. Joanna deliberately looked nonchnt. ¡°Yes! I bought a few sets of clothes. I also bought a few sets of clothes for the children.¡± Bruce frowned slightly. ¡°Why did you cut your hair?¡± Joanna pretended to be stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡­Nothing!¡± Bruce sucked in a breath of cold air, and a hint of displeasure appeared on his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would like me no matter how I looked?¡± After Joanna finished speaking, she deliberately spun around in front of him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t I look good?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna chuckled and ignored him. ¡°Baby, Mommy bought you new clothes. Come over and try them on¡± Davian and Irvin heard the shouts and ran out of the bedroom. ¡°Wow, so beautiful!¡± ¡°Mommy, why is your hair cut so short?¡± Joanna said casually as she put the children¡¯s clothes on. ¡°It¡¯s easy to take care of short hair!¡± At night! Bruce¡¯s heart burned with anger, and he was not in the mood to do anything else. ¡°I¡¯m going to Venturas tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce replied and turned around to sleep. The next day! Joanna woke up early in the morning. After washing up, she took Tatiana and a few bodyguards to Venturas. At Marhall Hospital. When Orvin saw Joanna, he hurriedly approached to greet her. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°How¡¯s Jay?¡± Orvin frowned. ¡°Mr. Grimm is still the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see him!¡± Joanna hurriedly pushed open the ward door as she spoke and walked in. In the ward! Jaydon was still lying quietly on the hospital bed with various pieces of equipment inserted into his body. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m here to see you!¡± Joanna walked to the bed and gently held Jaydon¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for so long. Are you not going to wake up?¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t react at all. If not for the various instruments attached to him, he would have looked like he was sleeping. soundly. Joanna was sorrowful. She stayed by Jaydon¡¯s bed and rambled on. After a while, Grace pushed open the door and walked in. As soon as she entered and saw Joanna, she immediately cursed, ¡°You bitch, you still have the nerve toe and see my brother. Get lost. You¡¯re not allowed to see my brother.¡± ¡°Ms. Grace, please calm down!¡± Grace wasted no time and pushed Joanna, ¡°I can¡¯t calm down. My brother is still lying here. In the blink Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. of an eye, you threw yourself into another man¡¯s arms. Do you have any decency?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, but she did not refute. The affair between her and Bruce had already spread like wildfire. The media took turns to broadcast the news, and the Grimm family all knew about it. ¡°You have nothing to say, do you? My brother is lying here. How can you even face him?¡± When the bodyguards heard her voice, they hurriedly came in to stop her. ¡°Ms. Grace, please don¡¯t touch me here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and looked guiltily at Grace, ¡°Grace, I know I¡¯ve let Jay down. You can hit me and scold me if you want!* ¡°One day, I will pay for my wrongdoings. I will return everything I owe him.¡± Grace didn¡¯t care, ¡°Hmph, get lost. Don¡¯te here again, or I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, let¡¯s go now!¡± Joanna turned around and looked at Jaydon. ¡°Jay, I¡¯ll go now. I might not have time to visit you next week¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get lost. Stop talking so much nonsense!¡± Joanna took another deep look at Jaydon before turning around and leaving the ward. From now on, Jaydon would only be one man in her heart. She and Bruce could never have any real feelings for each other. It would be impossible. After seeing Jaydon, Joanna walked out of the hospital in a daze. The weather outside was a little hot, and she felt dizzy under the sun. Joanna sat by the flower bed, feeling uneasy and illusory. The bodyguard saw her and hurriedly went to persuade her. ¡°Miss Haynes, let¡¯s hurry back to Greyport! It¡¯s toote to go back. Mr. Everett will be worried!¡± ¡°I want to sit and bask in the sun for a bit¡­.¡± Beep! Beep! The phone in Joanna¡¯s pocket rang. She looked at it and saw that it was Bruce calling. ¡°Hey!¡± Bruce¡¯s cold voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°You¡¯re not back yet?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m about to head back.¡± ¡°Where are you now? How long will it take for you to return?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the docks now. I¡¯ll be back in about an hour or so!¡± Bruce thought for a moment. ¡°Do you want me to pick you up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll go straight back.¡± ¡°Okay, then! Be careful.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± She hung up! Joanna sighed deeply again. She turned around and looked in the direction of the hospital. She silently said goodbye to Jaydon in her heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna got into the car and hurried to the dock with the bodyguards. In the car. Joanna was still worried, so she called Cora. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Cora, how are things at Greene Town?¡± Cora replied. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you for the time being. I might not have time toe over for a while. Call me if you need anything¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Haynes!¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 413 Chapter 413 After calling Cora, Joanna called Michael. Now, she did not have time to visit Mossbourne. She had to leave the work to them. Sherane Bay Vi. After returning to Greyport! It was past four in the afternoon. ¡°Mommy!¡± When Joanna got back, the children happily surrounded her. In the past few days, the happiest people were none other than the three little fellows. They surrounded Joanna every day and chattered endlessly. ¡°You guys are out of school¡­¡± Davian nodded. ¡°Tomorrow is the weekend, so ss ended very early today!¡± ¡°Have you done your homework?¡± Davian and Irvin waved their textbooks proudly. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Joanna smiled gently and praised the children, ¡°Awesome!¡± Irvin blinked his ck eyes. ¡°Mommy, shall we go riding together?¡± ¡°Mommy is a little tired. Can you go by yourselves?¡± ¡°Mommy,e with us! Riding is fun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I know Mommy will like it. Daddy has raised many horses. It¡¯s very fun.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡­Alright!¡± Seeing how excited the children were, Joanna couldn¡¯t take rejecting them. It was also good to spend time with her children now that she had time. Joanna followed the children and went to the racecourse. More than ten horses were on the ranch, each worth 200 thousand dors! Davian and Irvin changed into their horse¨Criding gear and asked the horse trainer to bring them out of the horse pen. The two little fellows rode around the horse ranch in circles. The boys were still too young and couldn¡¯t ride alone. They needed a special horse master to lead them! ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°Mm! Hahaha¡­¡± The little boys rode around excitedly! At five o¡¯clock. Bruce returned home! ¡°Where are the children?¡± The servant replied respectfully, ¡°The children went to the racecourse with Madam!¡± When Bruce heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. Then, he drove the car towards the horse ranch in the backyard. This was his private horse ranch. Usually, he would ride a horse around when he had nothing to do! The horses he raised were different from those in the countryside. Every horse was an internationally awarded foal! Of course! Riding and raising horses were costly hobbies. Ordinary people could not bear such a huge expense. The horse trainer greeted him respectfully, ¡°Mr. Everett!¡± Lilia was very excited to see Bruce. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re here too?¡± ¡°Look. my brothers are so cool!¡± Joanna looked back at Bruce. ¡°Are you off work?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Was it a hard day?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°It was alright¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try riding?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanna was stunned. Riding was a high¨Cend sport, but Joanna was not interested. Seeing Joanna¡¯s hesitation, Bruce smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s try it together!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ride?¡± Tll take you with me.¡± Joanna still shook her head and refused. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Come on. It¡¯s fun riding. It¡¯s also rxing.¡± There was special horse riding gear for both men and women! Bruce dragged Joanna to change her clothes. Joanna refused again and again. ¡°I really won¡¯t!¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll take you.¡± After changing his clothes, Bruce got on the horse first and pulled Joanna onto the horse. ¡°Giddyup!¡± Bruce lightly flicked the horsewhip. The horse spread its four hooves and trotted steadily! Joanna¡¯s heart tightened as she grabbed the reins of his horse tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Rx.¡± Bruce hugged her from behind. ¡°¡­Joanna was still a little afraid. Bruce smiled andforted her. ¡°I¡¯m here. What are you afraid of?¡± Joanna replied nervously, Tm afraid of falling!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You won¡¯t fall. Even if you fall, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± ¡°Hyah¡­¡± ¡± The horse was very docile. It circled the pasture a few times. Gradually, Joanna¡¯s nervous heart calmed down. ¡°Giddyup!¡± After rxing. Bruce whipped the horse. He immediately started sprinting! ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fun when the horses run¡± The horse ran faster and faster. Even though Bruce was carrying her, she was still extremely nervous. ¡°Bruce, please stop. I¡¯m really scared! Ah!¡± The horse ran a few rounds in a row! He finally stopped. Joanna was so frightened that her face turned pale and her heart was thumping! ¡°Hehe, why are you so timid?¡± Joanna caught her breath and red at him. ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you angry?¡± Joanna said nothing. It was alright. She was a little afraid during the first two rounds but got used to itter. Davian and Irvin were pping and cheering at the side. Their daddy¡¯s equestrian skillspletely overpowered them. ¡°Daddy is so awesome, Mommy. Daddy is amazing at riding horses.¡± ¡°When we grow up, we¡¯ll be as good as Daddy.¡± ¡°Daddy, I want to ride a horse too!¡± ¡°Okay, when Lilia¡¯s leg recovers, should Daddy call you to ride?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, Daddy.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± They sat in the chauffeur¨Cdriven carriage and got ready to return! The Everett family¡¯s house was massive. If they took a car to the house, it would still take a few minutes! The three little kids were excited and chattered non¨Cstop! Seeing this, Joanna felt an indescribable feeling in her heart! It had been long since she had seen the children so happy! ¡°Babies. Daddy and Mommy are going to Escostan on a business trip tomorrow. We might not be back for more than ten days.¡± ¡°Be good at home, understand?¡± The three little kids eximed, ¡°Ah! Why¡¯re you going on a business trip for so long?¡± ¡°Yes! When Daddyes back. I¡¯ll bring you a gift.¡± ¡°Yay. Daddy, can you go alone? I want Mommy to stay.¡± ¡°No, Mommy has to go with Daddy.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, alright!¡± At night, Bruce returned to the room. ¡°Have you packed everything?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all packed.¡± ¡°What did you pack?¡± ¡°What did I pack? Just some clothes and daily necessities.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring too many things. It¡¯s too troublesome.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring much!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower!¡± Bruce then opened Joanna¡¯s luggage! In her suitcase, there were a few clothes and some daily necessities. However, in thepartment of the box, he found her antidepressants. After showering, Joanna dried her hair and was about to take her medicine. Bruce walked over. ¡°The doctor said that you can¡¯t take these medicines anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine!¡± ¡°You must follow his instructions. You have to stop taking this medication.¡± *¡­* Joanna looked up at Bruce and began to feel frustrated. Depressed people had low moods. The somber mood would not go away if they did not take medicine. you ¡°Bruce, can you not worry so much?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your health!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to taking them.¡± ¡°When I say no, I mean not¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned cold as he snatched the medicine from her. Joanna¡¯s expression darkened as she turned around. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 She had been taking antidepressants for many years. She was not used to being off them. At night, Joanna tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Without the help of medicine, her insomnia worsened. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Bruce stretched his arm and gently wrapped it around her waist. Joanna did not say anything. She began to feel anxious. ¡°How can I help?¡± Joanna replied angrily, ¡°What can you do?¡± ¡°Coupling is the best sleeping pill!¡± ¡°Forget it! Hurry up and sleep!¡± Bruce smiled mysteriously. ¡°We can only sleep peacefully if we sleep together.¡± As he spoke. Bruce rolled over¡­ ¡°Bruce, you have to wake up early tomorrow. Don¡¯t torture mel¡± Joanna was very annoyed and didn¡¯t want to deal with his pestering. Unfortunately, Bruce ignored her and nted a deep kiss on her lips. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s reallyte. Don¡¯t¡­¡± Bruce didn¡¯t care, but his actions became even gentler. In the past, when he was with her, he was always full of aggression, as if he wanted to swallow her whole. But now, with a hint of deliberate ttery, he constantly observed her reaction. He would immediately adjust his strength if she showed the slightest bit of difort. An hourter¡­ Joanna was exhausted. Before Bruce was done, she had already fallen into a deep sleep. The next day! It was past eight in the morning. ¡°Littlezybones, it¡¯s time to get up.¡± Bruce leaned against the headboard and kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead. Joanna was woken up. When she opened her sleepy eyes, Bruce had already changed his clothes. ¡°Hurry up and get up. You can sleep on the ne.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already 8:30.¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and yawned a few times. She flipped over and lifted the nket, preparing to get out of bed. However, her entire body was sore and weak. She could not help but hammer her waist a few times. ¡®Hurry up, or we won¡¯t be able to catch the ne.¡± Seeing herzy look, Bruce lifted her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Joanna was still a little resistant. She quickly pushed him away and entered the bathroom. After washing up. She changed her clothes and put on some light makeup. It was already nine o¡¯clock. Bruce had already prepared everything and was waiting for Joanna. ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m on my way.¡± Joanna picked up her bag and hurried out of the courtyard. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Everell. The servants stood in the courtyard and greeted her respectfully. ¡°Have you arranged the children¡¯s daily routine?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s already been arranged.¡± ¡°Oh, okay then!¡± The luggage was already prepared. The servants and bodyguards carried the luggage. They got into the car and wtowards the airport. From N?velDrama.Org. In the car. Joanna asked casually, ¡°Where¡¯s the first stop?¡± Bruce frowned slightly. The first stop is Itona!¡± ¡°liona?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she did not ask further. The Everett family¡¯s business was international, and she did not know what industries were in Itona. Forty minutester. Several cars arrived at the airport. Apart from Bruce and Joanna, there were more people this time. There were more than ten bodyguards and assistants, so they booked a private ne. After registering their boarding passes, the group boarded the ne through the VIP passage. This was a small luxury passenger ne. It was also divided into luxury cabins and ordinary cabins. Bruce and Joanna were alone in the luxurious first ss. The bodyguards and assistants were in business ss. The ne slowly took off and soon rose above the white clouds. Joanna was a little calm! She looked at the rolling white clouds outside the window. The ne flew for 14 hours and finally arrived in Itona. The first stop was Reeyal. The assistant had already checked them into the hotel. So, they drove straight to the hotel. ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes, we¡¯ve arrived at the hotel Bruce put down the magazine in his hand. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get out of the car!¡± After nearly 20 hours of traveling, Joanna was already exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m so tired!¡± ¡°Go to the room and rest first. I¡¯m going out to meet a client!¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Joanna followed the assistant to the guest room. It was a typical Ecostanian¨Cstyle pce hotel built over 100 years ago. From the outside, it looked like a building from the previous century. It gave off a heavy historical feeling. However, the interior was quite luxurious and had strong decor. As soon as she walked in, it was as if she had entered the world of the aristocrats from the previous century. Even the paintings hanging on the wall and the curtains were all antiques. Joanna looked at the murals on the wall and admired the style and furnishings in the room. Every part of the room was very exquisite. She could admire and explore many things in the room. It was past two in the afternoon! Bruce came back from his meeting. Joanna was about to take a nap. She was a little surprised to see him back so early. ¡°Did the meeting go well?¡± Bruce took a sip of water and replied casually, ¡°Yes, it went quite smoothly!¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you weren¡¯ting back until tonight!¡± Bruce chuckled and urged, ¡°Get up. Let¡¯s go out!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go to eat?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just eat at the hotel. Bruce pursed his thin lips, and a hint of mystery appeared on his handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s so boring to eat in a hotel. We have to eat the local specialties.¡± ¡°Are you inviting your business partners?¡± Bruce shook his head. ¡°No, just the two of us.¡± Joanna was stunned! However, she didn¡¯t make too much of it. She changed her clothes and left the hotel with Bruce. This was not Greyport, so no one knew them. They were not worried about the media secretly taking photos of them. Of course! The bodyguards still followed from afar in case of any idents. Bruce and Joanna walked arm in arm through the streets of Reeyal. It was refreshing to experience the local culture. After dinner! Bruce took her to the most famous local scenic arena. Looking at the magnificent building in front of her, Joanna was a little stunned. ¡°Is this an arena?¡± ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a tour!¡± ¡­Joanna was stunned again! On second thought, since she was already here, she had to admire the local tourist attractions. The arena was a medieval building with a robust historical aura. It was an incredible sight. As soon as she walked in, she tried to imagine what had happened in thest century. After a round of shopping! Joanna was amazed. Although she had been to Reeyal before, this was her first time visiting a famous scenic spot. ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°Yes, a little.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go back! It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s not safe here at night.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The two returned to the hotel and had a sumptuous dinner in the hotel¡¯s restaurant! When they returned to the room, it was already past nine in the evening. Joanna had been out since two o¡¯clock, and her feet had never stopped moving. She was so tired that she could not take it anymore. She sat on the bed and kept pounding her calves. Bruce saw this, smiled gently, and teased, ¡°Do your feet hurt?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been walking the entire day. It is painful!¡± ¡°Come, I¡¯ll rub them for you.¡± As Bruce spoke, he pulled Joanna¡¯s leg over and delicately massaged her feet and calves. Hisrge hands were strong and warm. It was a prettyfortable massage. ¡°¡­Joanna rolled her eyes. She was not used to it. She was still used to Bruce¡¯s cold and bossy side. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s so rxing!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be morefortable in a hot bath!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go fill the bathtub for you. I just finished taking a bath, so I¡¯ll give you a good massage.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡­ I¡¯ll do it myself?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? Rest. I¡¯ll go get some water for you.¡± As he spoke, Bruce got up and walked to the bathroom. Joanna was a little dazed and could not return to her senses for a while. 15:48 This damned bastard actually had a likable side to him that was willing to be submissive. Ten minutester! Bruce filled the water and shouted from the bathroom. ¡°The water is ready. You cane over now.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Joanna entered the bathroom. It was a huge and luxurious bath. Half of the basin was already filled with water, and ayer of rose petals was scattered on it. ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t peek at you.¡± Joanna took a deep breath and was toozy to say anything else. In any case, he couldn¡¯t stop looking at her. He took off his coat and soaked in the warm bath. Send Gift N Chapter 415 N Chapter 415 The temperature of the water in the bathtub was very soothing. After soaking for a while, the day¡¯s fatigue dissipated. Perhaps because she was too tired that night. Joanna quickly fell asleep. The next day. ¡°Baby, wake up!¡± Joanna stretchedzily and said, ¡°Yes, I want to sleep a little longer.¡± Bruce smiled gently and pinched her nose. ¡°What azybones. Then sleep a little longer. I¡¯ll go out for a bit.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna turned around and fell asleep again. 12 PM! Bruce was back on time, and Joanna was already dressed up! Bruce had gone out to discuss business for the past few days and did not bring her along. She did not even know who he had met. ¡°Do you still have business to handle this afternoon?¡± Bruce loosened his tie, removed his suit, and took a casual sweater from the wardrobe. ¡°No need. We¡¯re done discussing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°If we have time in the afternoon, let¡¯s go shopping in the Piana zal¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After lunch. Bruce took Joanna to Piana za. This was also a famous scenic spot. It was very unique. It was a delightful view and was very romantic and beautiful. It was suitable for couples to hang out. After shopping, Bruce took her to the nearbymercial street. At night, the two of them went to the local bar again. The local bar was different from the one in Greyport. It was a bar where people could leisurely order a ss of wine and listen to music for the day. For the entire afternoon! Joanna was even more exhausted than yesterday! After returning to the hotel, she took a quick shower. She was so tired she could not do anything. The fact that she had to deal with Bruce¡¯s ¡°torture¡± made her so exhausted her bones and head hurt. She did not even have the chance to take a break before she fell asleep. Bruce went out to have work meetings in the morning for five consecutive days and then would take her out to hang out in the afternoon. Joanna grew up abroad but did not have many opportunities to travel. When she was a girl, she was busy with her studies. When she was young, she was busy with her marriage. Then, she became busy earning money. Now, after shopping for a few days in a row, she felt she had spent more time than she had in her life. ¡°We have to pack tonight. We should move on to our next destination tomorrow.¡± When Joanna heard this, she casually asked, ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Bruce flipped through the itinerary. ¡°Next stop, Men!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Bruce walked over and put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulders. He smiled dotingly. ¡°There¡¯s an International Fashion Week in Men next week. The organizers gave me tickets.¡± ¡°We can go to the catwalk and look at thetest fashion and bags!¡± 1/4 When Joanna heard this, there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes! 15:49 1 Are you here for work or pleasure? Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a smile ¡°Working and traveling won¡¯t hurt anybody!¡± Tvee here to look at the local culture. But also to understand mypetitors territory. I will be invincible to mypetitors especially when discussing coborations with my partners for the future He had already visited all these scenic spots! This time, he was especially acting as a tour guide for Joanna! The next day, the group set off for Men. Men After checking into the hotel. Like in Reeyal. Bruce went out for work discussions in the morning and apanied Joanna to tour the city in the afternoon The most famous local attractions had all been visited, and they had also watched a few fashion shows! At night Joanna couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She had a feeling that Bruce wasn¡¯t here to talk about work.. ¡°Bruce, where to next?¡± ¡°Vinezo, Landia, and Richmoren.¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes darkened. These were all tourist attractions. ¡°It¡¯s the seventh day today. There are only three days left. Can we go to so many ces?¡± Bruce shrugged ¡°If we don¡¯t have enough time, we can stay for a few more days!¡± Joanna¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Bruce, I feel you¡¯re here to y and not to talk about work!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unhappy?¡± Joanna was astonished. ¡°No, I just think we should go back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a week. Why do you want to go back so early?¡± ¡°The kids are home alone. I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Hehe, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Just as they were talking! From N?velDrama.Org. Beep beep beep Joanna¡¯s phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was a call from the children ¡°Hey, baby!¡± Liha pouted on the other end of the line and said sweetly, ¡°Mommy, Daddy, when are youing back?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice softened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve missed you so much. You¡¯ve been gone for so long!¡± ¡°Daddy and Mommy miss you so much. Just wait patiently for a few more days. Daddy and Mommy will be back soon.¡± Lilia saw the hotel through the video and was excited. ¡°Wow, this hotel is so beautiful!¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy, when will you take us to travel with you?¡± Joanna sualed ¡°When you guys have a vacation. Mommy will bring you out to travel, okay?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Kisses, Mommy!¡± Lilia pouted and kissed the screen. ¡°I want to kiss Mommy too!¡± Davian and Irvin also came to the screen. Slurp! Slurpl ¡°Kisses to Daddy!¡± ¡°Hmph Davian turned his little face away arrogantly. Bruce was so hurt that his heart choked. ¡°This brat deserves a beating¡± ¡°Be good at home and take good care of your sister.¡± ¡°We got it!¡± *Sleep early!¡± ¡°Okay, bye, Daddy and Mommy.¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± After hanging up, Joanna looked mncholic. ¡°Look, the children are urging us to go back.¡± ¡°I rarely travel. Let¡¯s shop for a few more days!¡± Bruce knew the best way to treat depression was to rx and heal naturally. Three days at most!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Come with me for dinner.¡± Joanna was helpless. She changed her clothes and went to the street with him. At the entrance of the street. Joanna was buying coffee. Andy walked up anxiously and whispered, ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Bruce was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Um, Princess Martha wants to see you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everett frowned! He had not contacted Princess Martha for three to four months. He felt it was over between them. ¡°How did she know I was here?¡± ¡°Princess Martha happened to be in Men too. When she saw my Facebook post, she guessed you were also in Men.¡± When Bruce heard this, his face instantly darkened. ¡°Who asked you to post on Facebook?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mr. Everett!¡± As he spoke. Princess Martha appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Bruce, long time no see!¡± Bruce turned around, and his expression immediately changed¡­Long time no see.¡± ¡°p!¡± Princess Martha charged forward and gave Bruce a tight p. Princess Martha cursed angrily in Antlenish, ¡°How dare you treat me like this? I¡¯ve called you so many times. Why didn¡¯t you answer my call?¡± ¡°Do you know how heartbroken I¡¯ve been? How sad I¡¯ve been?¡± I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s over between us¡­¡± ¡°Heh, you think it¡¯s over just because you say so? You yed with my feelings. You promised to marry me, and now it¡¯s over just because you say so!¡± Joanna happened toe back with coffee. Upon seeing Joanna, Princess Martha was even more exasperated. ¡°Who is she?¡± Bruce stopped Joaruta froming closer. ¡°If there¡¯s anything,e at me!¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t even think about leaving Men!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ Jo¨¢nna felt nervous. ¡°Who are you? Bruce is mine. You¡¯re the one who ruined our rtionship.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstood¡­¡± Joanna exined in Antlenish. ¡°Shut up, you bitch!¡± Princess Martha rushed up and wanted to beat Joanna up! Bruce became anxious. ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! A dozen big men in ck swooped to the front. ¡°Mr. Everell¡­¡± Timi, of course, threatened to kill them. It was all about saving face. A strong dragon could not suppress a local snake. Bruce brought more than ten bodyguards. It was a pity that this was a 3/4 15:49 foreign country. After all, he was looking forward to a brawl. Princess Martha had already met a new boyfriend in Itona. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to cause trouble¡± ¡°Okay, what do you want now?¡± ¡°I want you to apologize.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have hurt you. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°That simple?¡± ¡°What else do you want?¡± Working it out at night is difficult, so let¡¯s hash it out first. ¡°Looks like we can¡¯t leave!¡± People from both sides started fighting. Both parties were taken to the local police station! Send Gift Chapter 416 Chapter 416 hapter 416 Bruce found a local associate to bail out his group of people. ¡°I won¡¯t let this I¡¯ll make you pay.¡± 1. go. ¡°You bastard and you bitch. I¡¯ll punish you.¡± After leaving the police station, Princess Martha was still moring. She was like a shrew, not the slightest bit gentle and noble in front of the public! Joanna still had lingering fear when they got into the car and returned to the hotel. ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s hurry back home! Cancel the rest of the trip!¡± Bruce put his arm around her shoulder. ¡°Why?¡± Joanna frowned slightly. ¡°Now that things have turned out like this, ending it will be even more difficult if we cause unnecessary trouble again.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll settle it!¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving here tomorrow. We¡¯re going to Vinezo.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go!¡± ¡°How can we not go? We still have to meet the partners over there. I¡¯ve already made an appointment. When Joanna heard this, she still panicked. The next day. Early in the morning, everyone rushed to their next destination. Vinezo. However, because of Princess Martha, the rest of the trip was also affected. No matter how beautiful the scenery was, Joanna had no intention of touring at all. She had a feeling that something was going to happen. Bruce could onlyfort her as much as possible because she was so anxious. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t worry. This ce is very far from Men¡­¡± Before he could finish, Joanna interrupted him. ¡°Bruce, I want to return home as early as possible!¡± Bruce was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is everything okay?¡± Joanna frowned and said worriedly. ¡°The two of us are overseas. What if something happens to us? What will happen to the children?¡± ¡°Heh, what can happen?¡± ¡°There are so many things that can happen. I feel very uneasy.¡± Seeing that Joanna was angry, Bruce quicklypromised. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. We¡¯ll go back if you say so. ¡°Then pack your bags! We¡¯ll leave here tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna was still a little uneasy. Women were very vengeful. Princess Martha could chase them here if she were determined to take revenge. The next day Joanna got up early in the morning. After washing up, Bruce was still asleep. Joanna could only shake him awake. ¡°Wake up. It¡¯s time to get up.¡± Bruce yawned. ¡°So early? What¡¯s the hurry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s already seven o¡¯clock. Hurry up and get up. We still have to rush to the airport.¡± ¡°Sigh. I have to hand it to you.¡± Bruce reluctantly got out of bed and was dragged to the bathroom by Joanna, who urged him to wash up. After everyone was done. It was already 8:30 in the morning. The driver drove them to the airport. Unexpectedly, halfway there, they met a few foreigners in local police uniforms. A tall, burly white man raised his hand to signal the driver to stop. He said in the local Itonanguage. ¡°Get out of the car quickly. There will be a routine inspection. We suspect you have dangerous items in your car.¡± ¡°All of you, get out of the car and take out your passports¡­¡± Bruce replied in Antlenish. ¡°We need to call ourwyer!¡± ¡°Shut up and get out of the car.¡± A few police officers stopped the car and urged everyone to get out. Bruce sized up the police officers and suspected that they were fake. ¡°We suspect you¡¯re dangerous felons. Please get into our car and follow us to the police station.¡± ¡°We have to call the embassy!¡± ¡°No.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce gently patted her arm, indicating she did not need to be nervous. The security overseas was very chaotic. Some robbers disguised themselves as police officers to rob foreigners. This was because they knew the foreigners were wealthy and did not want to cause trouble. Bruce slowly got out of the car while giving Darcy a look. A few bodyguards got out of the car one after another, followed by Joanna. ¡°We¡¯re going to search you. Stand against the wall with your head in your hands.¡± One man bellowed and took the lead in searching Joanna¡¯s body. Bruce¡¯s eyes shed. He waved his fist and was caught off guard as he smashed it at the man¡¯s face. ¡°Pili!¡± The police officer took a punch, and blood instantly spurted out of his nose. ¡°How dare you hit a police officer, you¡­¡± The police officer was exasperated and swung his fist at Bruce. Bruce¡¯s figure shed, and in an imaginary state, be heavily struck the man¡¯s face again. When the others saw this, they also cursed and attacked! Bruce also joined the chaotic battle! Joanna¡¯s heart was in her throat. ¡°Bruce, be careful.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. A small man did not dare to join the chaotic battle. When he saw Joanna standing at the side, he immediately walked towards Joanna with bared fangs and brandished ws. Joanna swiftly dodged him, picked up the bag in her hand, and ruthlessly smashed it on the short police officer¡¯s head. Fortunately, she had practiced some self¨Cdefense skills and could deal with it. Seeing that he could not subdue Joanna, the short police officer pulled out a machete from his back. As he cursed, he shed at Joanna with a ferocious gaze. ¡°Joanna, be careful Bruce hurriedly rushed forward to save her. ¡°Pang!¡± The machete fell, and Bruce blocked it with his arm. His left arm was shed. At the same time, Bruce raised his leg and kicked the short man 10 feet away. Joanna gasped. ¡°Bruce, your arm is bleeding¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Bruce stood in front of her and stopped fighting. There was no need for him to join the fight. The bodyguards couldpletely deal with it! Soon, the police officers couldn¡¯t take it anymore and were beaten until they covered their heads and fled. Bruce¡¯s bodyguards were all very good at fighting. It was not a problem for them to fight ten people alone. Bruce himself had been trained in martial arts for many years. Dealing with a few hooligans was not a problem for him. ¡°Mr. Everett, how did you know they weren¡¯t real police officers?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t have guns. Their clothes didn¡¯t fit. How could they be real police officers?¡± In the end, everyone was eager to return home after all the havoc. It was better not to cause trouble if it wasn¡¯t his territory. The group boarded the ne under the protection of the embassy. On the ne! Joanna looked at Bruce¡¯s arm worriedly. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Bruce smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s alright! It doesn¡¯t hurt very much. ¡°Look at you. You love to cause trouble¡­¡± Bruce rubbed Joanna¡¯s head with his other hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a few days.¡± Joanna¡¯s pupils constricted, and a faint cirdle of red light appeared. Bruce had taken the stabbing for her from the bottom of his heart. However, she could no longer be moved easily by his actions. The ne flew for ten hours. Finally, theynded smoothly at Greyport Airport. ¡°Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes! Time to get off the ne.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bruce and Joanna had just exited the airport gateway. Davian and Irvin were already waving at them happily. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, we¡¯re here, we¡¯re here.¡± The housekeeper and nanny brought the children to pick them up. Upon seeing the children, Joanna¡¯s heart¡¯s gloom was swept away. ¡°Davian. Irvin. Why are you here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to pick you up!¡± ¡°What about Lilia?¡± Irvin giggled. ¡°Lilia is at home. She didn¡¯te!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Irvin looked at Bruce¡¯s bandaged arm; he looked injured. ¡°Daddy, what happened to your arm?¡± Joanna patted Irvin¡¯s head. ¡°Daddy¡¯s arm is hurt.¡± ¡°Is it serious? Wow, it looks like it hurts!¡± Bruce snorted. ¡°Alright, hurry up and go! Don¡¯t whisper.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just concerned about Daddy.¡± Bruce rubbed Irvin¡¯s head and smiled reluctantly. His youngest son was clever and knew how to tter him. He waspletely different from Davian¡¯s personality. Sherane Bay Vi! ¡°Lilia. Daddy and Mommy are back.¡± ¡°Daddy, Mominy. Cough, cough¡­¡± Lilia was watching cartoons. Her eyes lit up when she saw her parents return, and she greeted them like she did every day. However, she looked sluggish. Joanna handed a gift to Lilia. ¡°This is a gift for you, Lilia!¡± ¡°Thank you, Daddy and Mommy¡± Lilia got a limited edition doll and squeezed out a smile. ¡°Baby, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a little dizzy,¡± Lilia said. She couldn¡¯t help but cough twice again. Her big eyes revealed a trace of fatigue. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Seeing this, Joanna quickly reached out and touched her daughter¡¯s forehead. The temperature was not very high. It did not seem like she was having a high fever. However, Lilia had always been sick. Thus her body¡¯s immune system was weak. ¡°Mommy will take you to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow.¡± When Lilia heard this, her little face turned pale. She shook her head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. Joanna squatted down and gently touched her daughter¡¯s face. ¡°My darling, we¡¯re just going for a checkup. It¡¯s best if your body is fine.¡± ¡°Oh. alright!¡± Lilia pouted and reluctantly agreed. Although the Everett family had a family doctor, some medical equipment was unavable. Thus, they had to go to the hospital for a checkup. The family doctor has taken care of Bruce¡¯s wound in the lounge. ¡®Mr. Everett, you should take good care of this wound,¡± said the doctor. ¡°Take your medicine and change the dressing every day.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going first. I¡¯lle back tomorrow to change your dressing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bruce replied casually as he smoked. The family doctor packed up his medical kit and left the lounge. Then, Joanna walked in. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m bringing Lilia to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. When Bruce heard this, his face stiffened. ¡°Yes, okay. I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow.¡± ¡°No need. Aren¡¯t you going back to the office for a meeting tomorrow? I can go with the servant.¡± ¡°Can you do it alone?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°I have always been bringing Lilia to the hospital alone.¡± When Bruce heard this, he smiled awkwardly and said. ¡°Then rest early. At night. In the bedroom. Bruce started to be naughty again. ¡°Honey¡­¡± Joanna rejected him in frustration. ¡°Your arm is injured now. Could you just be good? You¡¯ve lost so much blood. Take good care of yourself.¡± ¡°No, I want a kiss!¡± ¡°Stop fooling around. We¡¯ll talk about it when you¡¯re better.¡± Bruce snorted and continued to pester her. ¡°I injured my arm, not there.¡± ¡°I have to hand it to you. We can¡¯t do it tonight. Go to bed early. I still have to go to the hospital tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I still have to visit Dad tomorrow. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve visited him. I¡¯m still quite worried.¡± Bruce was stunned for a moment, then said dully, ¡°Alright! Can I at least get a kiss?¡± Joanna had no choice but to turn over again. She leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. ¡°That¡¯s inore like it.¡± ¡°Hurry up and sleep! Don¡¯t think about those things anymore.¡± ¡°Okay. I shall not torment you anymore. Is that okay?¡± After saying that, Bruce obedientlyy back down. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. Joanna turned over again and looked at him, who was sleeping soundly. Her face suddenly darkened. ¡°Bruce Everett, don¡¯t think that just because you took a stab for me, it can remove the hatred in my heart.¡± ¡°Compared to the hurt you gave me, this is nothing. Joanna, you can¡¯t be soft¨Chearted, absolutely not!¡± ¡°Everything has to go ording to n. You can¡¯t give up halfway. Bruce Everett, I¡¯ll let you live in pain forever.¡± The next day. Joanna woke up early in the morning. She had to go to the hospital today. She did not sleep wellst night. Bruce woke up too. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the time. ¡°Why are you up so carly?¡± While changing. Joanna replied, Tm taking Lilia to the hospital. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to go with you?¡± ¡°No need. You have to go back to the office for a meetingter. I¡¯ll go with the servant.¡± Bruce nodded. ¡°Alright, be careful. Call me when you reach the hospital. I¡¯ll pick you up after the meeting.¡± ¡°Alright, will do.¡± Joanna changed her clothes, left the bedroom, and went to Lilia¡¯s room. Lilia hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Joanna called Lilia¡¯s name for a good while before she finally woke her up.¡± Just like yesterday, she looked listless. ¡°Let¡¯s go, baby.¡± As Joanna spoke, she carried her daughter up. Even though her daughter was already five years old, she only weighed about 30 pounds. It was not difficult to carry her. Hospital! At nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Joanna arrived at the children¡¯s hospital with Lilia. Because she had already made an appointment in advance, there was no need to queue anymore. ¡°Doctor, could you please examine my daughter again? She seems to be unwell.¡± After all, Lilia had leukemia before. This illness had a high chance of rpsing- After a brief inquiry, the doctor examined the condition again and said. ¡°We still need to perform a CT scan and conduct another blood test.¡± ¡°Alright, okay.¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to draw blood¡­ Lilia had her blood drawn countless times. She was most afraid of injections. ¡°Baby Lilia is the strongest. Mommy will carry you, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll only know if she¡¯s fully cured after we conduct a blood test!¡± Joanna keptforting Lilia. It was not easy for her to coax her daughter. The nurse drew two tubes of her blood and brought her to the CT room for various tests. After the examination, Joanna asked the nurse, ¡°How long will it take for the results to be out?¡± ¡°The other test results could be collected in an hour. The results of the blood test would only be out tomorrow.¡± Joanna had also expected this. It was always like this in the past. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± When it was almost noon. Bruce called and asked, ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with these tests. We¡¯ll have to wait till tomorrow for the blood test results.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m relieved¡­¡± They left the children¡¯s hospital. Joanna called Fantine again. Beep beep beep! ¡°Hello, Miss Joann.¡± ¡°Is Dad in the hospital now?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Haynes is here.¡± Joanna paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go over to see himter. Tell Dad.¡± 2/5 14.405 Chapter 417 ¡°Okay.¡± After the call. Joanna prepared to go to the sanatorium to see Shaun Haynes! ¡°Lilia, follow Auntie Lilian home first. Mommy will go and see Grandpa.¡± When Lilia heard this, she also mored to go. ¡°Mommy, I want to go too.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Joanna had no choice but to bring Lilia and the servant to the sanatorium. One o¡¯clock in the afternoon! Joanna arrived at the sanatorium.. Shaun had lived here for almost a year. In the ward. Joanna pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Daddy. I¡¯m here to see you!¡± Shaun is now critically ill. His previously slightly overweight and fairplexioned body is now emaciated and frail, giving off a sense of a waning twilight of life. Joanna¡¯s heart ached. She could no longer hate her father. ¡°Dad¡­¡± When Shaun heard her voice, he opened his eyes shakily. He nced at Joanna and said a few words. However, Joanna didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t as emotionally agitated as before. His turbid eyes revealed endless vicissitudes and destion. ¡°What¡¯s Daddy talking about?¡± ¡°Sir¡¯s consciousness isn¡¯t clear now. I don¡¯t know what he wants to say.¡± Lilia greeted obediently, ¡°Hello, Grandpa!¡± When Shaun heard this, his turbid eyes turned to look at Lilia. The hostility in his eyes disappeared a little. His trembling hand reached out to Lilia. Seeing this, Lilia subconsciously shrank into Joanna¡¯s arms. After all, she was still young and timid. Shaun¡¯s current appearance was indeed a little scary. ¡°Lilian, carry Lilia out first.¡± ¡°Okay. Miss Haynes, let me carry you.¡± Lilian took Lilia from Joanna¡¯s arms and left the ward. ¡°Dad, how have you been?¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± Shaun¡¯s voice, barely audible, managed to utter a word quietly. Upon hearing this, Joanna felt even more sorrow in her heart. Looking at her father in such a state, she couldn¡¯t bear it. Shaun forced out another word. ¡°Roxy¡­¡± Even though he didn¡¯t say it very clearly, Joanna still understood. She knew that her father was still worried about Roxanne. After all, no one else could take care of Roxanne. Joanna sighed and held Shaun¡¯s hand. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take good care of Roxanne.¡± Upon hearing those words. His muddy eyes rolled, and tears fell. He nodded with all his might. ¡°Fantine, take good care of Dad. I¡¯ll visit him another day.¡± ¡°The doctor said that Mr. Haynes may not have much time left. Miss Haynes, please visit the doctor more often.¡± ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°Also, Miss Roxanne has always been Mr. Haynes¡¯s sore spot. Miss Haynes, if you have the ability, please take care of Miss Roxanne.¡± ¡°I will!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, take care. ¡°Liljan, Lilian¡­¡± ¡°Okay, where¡¯s Lilian?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she go to the ward with you?¡± ¡°She just carried Lilia out!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see her!¡± ¡°Hurry up and find them!¡± B Send Gift Comment wwe Chapter 418 Chapter 418 ¡°Lilia, Lilia, Lilian, Lilian¡­¡± Joanna shouted in panic. Unfortunately, no one answered. Kody panicked and said anxiously, ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll call Lilian now.¡± As he spoke, Kody quickly took out his phone and called Lilian. Beep, beep, beep! The phone rang for a long time until an automated voice sounded. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is not avable. Please try againter¡­¡± He called three times in a row, but no one answered. Joanna¡¯s face turned pale as she asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? Did you get through?¡± ¡°Lilian¡¯s call hasn¡¯t been answered!¡± The first rule to follow when working in the Everett family was that the phone had to be turned on 24 hours a day. Moreover, Lilian had worked with the Everett family for seven to eight years. She was a senior nutritionist and a childcare teacher, earning a high sry and a senior position. It was impossible for her not to answer the phone on a working day. ¡°Oh no, something might have happened.¡± ¡°Hurry to the security room and check the surveince footage. See if Lilian left the hospital with Miss Lilia.¡± ¡°You guys, go look over there again.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Joanna held her breath and almost lost her bnce. She had been too careless! She knew that someone had always wanted her dead, so she shouldn¡¯t have let her guard down. Although she had brought bodyguards with her this time, not many people were allowed to enter the sanatorium¡¯s ward. Therefore, the bodyguards could only wait outside, which gave the criminals an opportunity. If anything happened to Lilia, she would never forgive herself for the rest of her life. ¡°Lilia, Lilia, where are you? It¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault¡­¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, this is not the time to be sad. Finding Miss Lilia is the priority now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry to the surveince room and see if Miss Lilia has been taken out of the hospital.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Soon. The group of them arrived at the surveince room. ¡°Miss Lilia is missing. Hurry up and pull out all the surveince cameras!¡± The security guard in the surveince room was originally dozing off when a few burly men barged in. He was so frightened that he did not dare to say anything and hurriedly checked the surveince cameras. Kody moved the mouse to check the location of Lilian. ¡°Here, here. it¡¯s Lilian.¡± In the surveince footage, Lilian carried Lilia out of the ward. Then, she walked out of the corridor. Unexpectedly, just as she reached the fire escape, a man wearing a mask and a cap suddenly rushed out. The masked man wrapped his arm around Lilian¡¯s neck and dragged her into the fire escape. With a scream, the surveince footage returned to normal. After everyone saw that scene, their hearts tightened. ¡°Hurry up and check the fire escape.¡± ¡°Quick, quick, quick!¡± The two bodyguards left the surveince room and immediately ran towards the fire escape. Joanna snapped back to reality and took a sharp breath, feeling a chilling sensation that seemed to freeze her whole body. She hurriedly followed him to the fire escape. In the fire escape. ¡°Hurry up and look for them. They should be nearby.¡± ¡°Here, here!¡± A bodyguard opened the trash can in the corridor and found Lilian inside. At this time, Lilian was still unconscious, and Lilia was still missing. ¡°Lilian, Lilian!¡± ¡°Get her out!¡± The two bodyguards worked together to carry Lilian out of the trash can. Kody reached out to check if she was still breathing. ¡°She¡¯s unconscious. Hurry up and call the doctor!¡± As he spoke, Kody extended his thumb and forcefully pressed Lilian¡¯s philtrum, exerting pressure for a while. ¡°Ugh¡­ Lilian muttered and woke up from the pain. ¡°Lilian, where¡¯s Miss Lilia?¡± Joanna hurriedly bent down to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Lilia, Lilia!¡± Lilian blinked. Her mind went nk. She could not remember what had just happened! She only remembered being dragged into this ce and strangled till unconscious. ¡°Miss Haynes, I don¡¯t know. I was dragged here and then knocked unconscious¡­¡± As Lilian spoke, her head tilted and fainted again. ¡°Miss Haynes, hurry up and call the police! Miss Lilia must have been kidnapped.¡± Joanna shook her head violently. ¡°We can¡¯t call the police. What if it¡¯s a kidnapping? Once we call the police, what if the robbers kill the hostage?¡± Then hurry up and call Mr. Everett.¡± As he spoke, Joanna¡¯s phone vibrated. Buzz, buzz, buzz. Bruce video called. Joanna calmed down and answered the call while trembling. ¡°Hello.¡± As soon as the video call connected, Bruce saw Joanna¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡± ¡°Bruce.¡± Joanna¡¯s breathing was obstructed. She was so nervous that she could not speak. On the other end of the video call, Bruce panicked when he saw Joanna like this. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°Bruce, Lilia. Lilia is gone!¡± Joanna said mournfully as tears burst out of her eyes. Boom! Bruce¡¯s mind exploded, and every hair on his body stood on end. His daughter and Joanna were the women he loved the most, and he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of anything happening to his daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Tell me slowly. What¡¯s going on?¡± Joanna choked and med herself. Her vision turned ck as she fell forward weakly. ¡°Miss Haynes, Miss Haynes!¡± Kody hurriedly supported her so that she did not fall to the ground. Joanna, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Twenty minutester. Bruce rushed as fast as he could to the hospital. ¡°Where¡¯s Joanna.¡± Kody replied uneasily, ¡°Miss Haynes fainted. She¡¯s in the emergency room now.¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed as he flew into a rage. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°Lilian was knocked unconscious by a criminal. Then, Miss Lilia went missing!¡± ¡°A bunch of frash. Why can¡¯t you guys handle such simple tasks? If Miss Lilia can¡¯t be found, I¡¯ll make all of you pay with your lives!¡± Bruce shouted. His expression was terrifying, like a tyrant. On the hospital bed, Joanna woke up after being unconscious for a while. ¡°Lilia, Lilia¡­¡± Seeing this, Bruce quickly went forward. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re awake?¡± Joanna took a few deep breaths and broke down into tears. ¡°Bruce, Lilia is missing, Lilia is missing!¡± ¡°I know. I already know. You have to remain calm.¡± It¡¯s all my fault! It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Joanna burst into tears. Bruce hugged her tightly andforted her. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look for her. If she was kidnapped, it must be for money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Before the kidnappers get the money, they definitely won¡¯t hurt Lilia. The kidnappers will call soon¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, she cried even harder. Tears streamed down her face, and she was so desperate that she could not speak. If Lilia was kidnapped, with the Everett family¡¯s financial resources, no matter how much ransom was asked, they could afford it. But she worried that Ryan had abducted Lilia. The situation would be different. Ryan hated her to the core. He might very well take revenge on her by hurting Lilia. In the next hour, Bruce and Joanna looked like it was the end of the world. Every second seemed to pass in endless darkness. Finally, Bruce¡¯s phone rang. Beep, beep, beep! Bruce held his breath and quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello!¡± On the other end of the phone, a distorted voice from a voice changer said. ¡°Hello there, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce gasped. This voice was very familiar to him. Just like the kidnapper who abducted Princess Martha before, it was the same kind of voice changer. ¡°Who are you, exactly?¡± ¡°Do you have my daughter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s smart!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt my daughter. How much do you want? I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want money this time. I want people.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Who do you want?¡± ¡°I want¡­ Joanna.¡± Bruce subconsciously, nced at Joanna. Joanna had already heard everything. She hurriedly snatched the phone away. ¡°Hello, who are you? Please do not hurt my daughter. What do you want me to do? I¡¯ll agree to everything.¡± On the other end of the phone, a malicious voice sounded. ¡°I want you dead!¡± When Joanna heard that, her heart skipped a beat. No need for further spection. The person who kidnapped Lilia must be Ryan. Previously, she had always thought that he had hidden overseas. She did not expect him to still be in Greyport. ¡°As soon as you die, I¡¯ll send your daughter over.¡± 0 Joanna took a deep breath and tried her best to calm down. ¡°Alright, I promise you. However, I want to make sure that my daughter is still alive. Let me hear my daughter¡¯s voice. Let my daughter talk to me.¡± ¡°Mommy, cough, cough, um¡­¡± ¡°Lilia, don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy will save you.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Lilia¡¯s crying stopped abruptly. It was obvious that she had been carried away. Joanna tried her best to calm herself down. ¡°What do you want me to do to make you let my daughter go?¡± The person on the other end of the line was silent for a few seconds before he suddenlyughed maniacally, ¡°Jump down from the Emporium Building. I¡¯ll let your daughter go once you are dead.¡± When Bruce heard this, his face turned pale. He snatched the phone back. ¡°Who are you? Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Do you know the consequences of your actions?¡± ¡°I can give you money. What do you want? I can give you anything. As long as you let my daughter and Joanna go.¡± The kidnapperughed even more maniacally. ¡°I only want Joanna dead. Only one of them can live.¡± ¡°As long as Joanna jumps down from the Emporium Building. I¡¯ll immediately let your daughter go. Otherwise, you will see your daughter¡¯s corpse! I¡¯ll give you one day to consider.¡± As the kidnapper spoke, he hung up. ¡°Wait! Wait¡± Bruce called out a few times. But the call had already ended. Joanna calmed down, and her eyes revealed a calmness as though she had epted her death. As long as her daughter could return safely, she would give up her life for her. Bruce had guessed Joanna¡¯s n. He immediately went forward and hugged her. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be stupid. Even if you die. the kidnapper might not let Lilia off¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°In this situation, we can only call the police.¡± Joanna shook her head sadly. ¡°We can¡¯t call the police. What if the kidnapper hurt Lilia?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll discreetly call the police. With the help of the authorities, we¡¯ll catch the kidnapper.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression was unfocused as she stopped Bruce. ¡°No, we can¡¯t call the police.¡± ¡°If the police cause too muchmotion, the kidnappers might find out. It will surely be detrimental to Lilia. The kidnappers¡® motive is not for mary gain. We must not provoke them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t jump off a building, can you?¡± ¡°For Lilia, I¡¯m willing!¡± Bruce grabbed her arm and shook it hard. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be silly ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to do that. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°What else can I do? Lilia is already sick, and this will terrify her¡­ Joanna said, her voice choked with tears. She felt as if her heart was being torn apart. Her daughter was currently ill. Her life was extremely fragile. If she experienced further distress and abuse, there would be a possibility that she might not be able to withstand it even before the kidnappers took any action. Bruce pondered for a few seconds and frowned. ¡°Joanna, let me tell you the truth. The kidnapper is Ryan.¡± Joanna¡¯s reaction remained calm, even without Bruce saying anything. She knew deep down that the kidnapper must be Ryan. ¡°I know I know it¡¯s him. No one wants me dead more than he does.¡± *Don¡¯t be anxious. When he calls again, confront him directly.¡± ¡°Confront him? What difference would it make? He already wants me dead. Even if I confront him directly, that won¡¯t change his mind.¡± Bruce sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your father to persuade him?¡± ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°No, Dad is so sick now. He can¡¯t be agitated anymore. Besides, he can¡¯t talk now. Even if he goes to persuade Ryan, it won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go ahead and wait for him to call again. We¡¯ll discuss it with him and see if there are other conditions. In short, I 1/3 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 can¡¯t watch you do something stupid.¡± Joanna did not say anything. This was the only thing she could do now. After waiting for the entire night, the call did note again. Bruce and Joanna hadn¡¯t slept the entire night, their eyes red from exhaustion. For the whole night, they remained on edge, feeling as if it were doomsday. Morning came. Beep, beep, beep. The phone finally rang again. The two of them reached for the phone at the same time. ¡°Hello!¡± On the other end of the phone, the voice from the voice changer said, ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t made up your mind yet!¡± Joanna asked bluntly, ¡°Ryan, is that you?¡± The other end of the phone suddenly fell silent. Joanna took a deep breath and said calmly. ¡°I know it¡¯s you. Please, don¡¯t hurt Lilia.¡± ¡°If you hate me, you cane at me. Lilia is just a child. She¡¯s innocent. Please do not hurt her. No matter what, you¡¯re her biological uncle.¡± When Ryan heard this, he was furious. ¡°Shut up. Are you done talking?¡± ¡°Ryan, can we talk calmly? Even if I die, many things can¡¯t be resolved.¡± ¡°What do you want? Or what do you want me to do? You can tell me.¡± Knowing his identity had been exposed, Ryan turned off the voice changer and shouted directly into the phone, ¡°Joanna Haynes, you¡¯re not worthy of negotiating with me. I only want you to die immediately. Only one of you can live. Either she dies, or you die. You choose!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes sank as her brain forced herself to calm down. The more critical the situation, the more she could not lose her rationality. ¡°Ryan, since you hate me so much. Wouldn¡¯t it satisfy you even more if you killed me personally? Wouldn¡¯t it relieve your hatred more?¡± ¡°I want to exchange my life for my daughter¡¯s.¡± ¡°You told me to kill myself. What if you broke your promise after I died?¡± ¡°Return my daughter to me. I¡¯ll be your hostage. Do whatever you want with me.¡± When Bruce heard this, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Joanna, are you crazy?¡± On the other end of the phone, Ryan pondered over a minute. ¡°How is it? If I die in your hands, you will be able to relieve the hatred in your heart. If Imit suicide, how can you experience the pleasure of revenge?¡± ¡°Haha. Ryan Haynesughed darkly. This suggestion was risky. However, she was right! Only by killing her personally and torturing her to extreme pain. He could then relieve the hatred. in his heart. ¡°Your suggestion is excellent. I agree!¡± ¡°Okay, where are you now? I¡¯lle to find you.¡± ¡°But make sure my daughter is safe!¡± ¡°Wait for my call. I¡¯ll let you know.¡± With that, Ryan hung up the phone. Bruce¡¯s eyes turned red as he roared angrily, ¡°Joanna, are you crazy? I won¡¯t allow you to go.¡± ¡°Bruce. As long as I can get my daughter back, I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°No, I should be the one going. I can¡¯t lose you, let alone see you die¡­¡± ¡°He hates me. What¡¯s the point of you going?¡± Joanna, I definitely won¡¯t let you go. Ryan is crazy. Going to him is purely courting death.¡± 10:37 Joanna sighed sadly. ¡°What can I do if I don¡¯t go? Lilia is in his hands. I can¡¯t just watch him kill Lilia.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was speechless and distraught! At this moment, he suddenly felt the sorrow of being wealthy. If he were just an ordinary person, his children, and family wouldn¡¯t have be targets of the kidnappers ¡°Joanna, no matter what, no matter what you say, I will never let you go.¡± Even if he lost his daughter, he could not lose Joanna. Although he loved his daughter very much, he loved Joanna even more. ¡°I only hope that God will bless Lilia and keep her safe.¡± In the suburbs. It was an abandoned sewer. This ce was deserted and uninhabited! ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± ¡°Stop crying. If you continue crying, I¡¯ll strangle you.¡± Lilia¡¯s face was covered in mud, and her dress was dirty. She sat on the ground, resembling a dirty little puppy. One of the kidnappers said frustratedly, ¡°Boss, just strangle her to end it all. That crying child is getting on my nerves.¡± ¡°Even if she¡¯s dead, we can still use her corpse to lure her mother over.¡± Another kidnapper retorted, ¡°Are you crazy? This is Bruce Everett¡¯s daughter. Let me tell you. We should demand a hefty Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ransom from him.¡± Ryan nced at Lilia gloomily and could not suppress the anger in his heart. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Lilia was so scared that her entire body trembled as she cried. ¡°Let¡¯s just strangle her to death. She cried all night. Her cries are frustrating me.¡± Ryan took a deep puff of his cigarette. His face was filled with murderous intent. Lilia and Joanna looked simr. She was like a chip of the old block of Joanna. Just looking at her reminded him of Joanna. As soon as the thought of Joanna crossed his mind, an uncontroble surge of anger and pain overwhelmed him. His hand immediately mped down on Lilia¡¯s neck. Lilia could not breathe. Her face was pale, and her hands struggled weakly a few times. She squeezed out a raspy voice from her throat. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± When Ryan heard this, he held his breath and subconsciously stopped. ¡°Boss, she¡¯s just a kid. Besides, she is a gold mine. She¡¯s worth a lot more than that Princess Martha.¡± ¡°We should think of a way to extort more money from Bruce Everett.¡± ¡°We need money right now. Demanding a higher ransom is what matters.¡± ¡°Take her aside. Her crying is messing up my mind.¡± ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± ¡°Boss, do something!¡± Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Comment Beep, beep, beep! Ryan called again. Bruce and Joanna both rushed to answer the call. Bruce answered the call hastily. ¡°Hello¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Ryan said gloomily, ¡°Joanna,e to Newcan Ind alone! Don¡¯t y any tricks, or your daughter will die a horrible death.¡± Joanna¡¯s voice sank. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go alone!¡± ¡°If I find out that you and Bruce are ying any tricks behind the scenes. I¡¯ll chop your daughter into pieces and feed her to the dogs.¡± ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t hurt Lilia. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Crack! Ryan sneered and hung up. After hanging up. Bruce¡¯s malicious eyes darkened. ¡°Joanna, I won¡¯t allow you to go. If somebody has got to go, it would be 1. me. Joanna¡¯s expression was a little unfocused. ¡°Bruce, this is a personal grudge between me and Ryan. Let me settle it alone.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you go alone to meet your death. Kody, keep an eye on her. Don¡¯t let her leave Sherane Bay Vi.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Without waiting for the bodyguards toe forward, Joanna rushed to the coffee table and grabbed the fruit knife on the fruit te. Then, she pointed the sharp de at her neck. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t push me any further. If you do this again, I¡¯ll kill myself right now.¡± Bruce was stunned by her unexpected actions. He tried his best to calm her down. ¡°Joanna put the knife down first¡­¡± Hiss! Seeing Bruce approaching her, Joanna cut her wrist. Bright red blood flowed down her wrist in an instant. ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were fierce as she stopped him from approaching. Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened. ¡°Joanna, are you crazy? Hurry up and put down the knife.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te any closer. If you do, I¡¯ll kill myself right here.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with determination and ruthlessness. The fruit knife deepened on her wrist, and blood flowed more profusely. Bruce was frightened. He did not dare to take another step, and his breathing quickened. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be rash. I won¡¯t stop you anymore. Put down the knife first.¡± ¡°Joanna. I can¡¯t live without you. You stay, I¡¯ll go.¡± Joanna red at Bruce fiercely. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and mania. ¡°Give me the car key!¡± ¡°Joanna¡­¡± Bruce looked at her helplessly. ¡°Give me the car key right now, Bruce. Don¡¯t push me any further,¡± Joanna raised the knife, threatening to make another cut. Bruce didn¡¯t dare to hesitate any longer and immediately took a few steps back. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll give you the car key. Don¡¯t do anything stupid. I beg you, don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°Give me the key right now. Come on.¡± ¡°Okay, I will get you the car key.¡± Panicked, Bruce hurried to the basket and grabbed the car key. He shook them in front of Joanna. ¡°Here, take the car key!¡± As long as she reached out to take the key, he would take the opportunity to snatch the knife from her hand. Joanna had guessed Bruce¡¯s intentions. Her expression became even more anxious. ¡°Put the car keys on the table. Hurry up!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t dare provoke her, fearing she would harm herself further. He ced the car keys on the coffee table, Joanna grabbed the car key and rushed out of the house. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer. Stand back.¡± Seeing this, the bodyguards did not dare to stop her and could only stand rooted to the ground in a daze. Joanna rushed into the garage, pressed the unlock button, and got into a Mercedes¨CBenz. Afterward, she tore off a cleaning cloth from the car and wrapped it around her bleeding wrist. Bruce chased after her and banged on the car window with all his might. ¡°Joanna, Joanna¡­¡± Buzz! Joanna started the car and drove out of the garage. It only took a minute for Joanne to drive from the garage to the gate. ¡°Open the gate now!¡± ¡­The security guard guarding the gate was stunned. ¡°Open the gate!¡± Joanna screamed. ¡°Oh, oh.¡± The security guard quickly opened the gate. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Joanna stepped on the elerator, and the car drove out of the courtyard of Sherane Bay Vi. The car went out of sight as it drove away along the driveway. ¡°Mr. Everett, what should we do? Should we drive and follow Mrs. Everett?¡± Bruce took a deep breath. His heart was beating even faster. Joanna¡¯s personality was too intense. He did not dare to restrict her anymore. Moreover, Ryan was extremely crazy. If he knew Joanna was being followed, he might kill both the mother and daughter. ¡°Mr. Everett, why don¡¯t we call the police!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything. He grabbed the car key and drove away from Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna drove to Newcan Ind. Newcan Ind is located on the outskirts of Greyport and is formed by hundreds of small inds. It is also the most underdeveloped area of Greyport, surrounded by endless mountains and fishing ports. The seafront docks are filled with numerous fishing boats. Many residents make a living by selling seafood. It would take more than three hours to drive here from the city. Joanna was worried about Lilia. She drove so quickly that it only took two hours to reach Newcan Ind. After the car stopped, Joanna held the phone and waited anxiously for Ryan¡¯s call. She waited for about twenty minutes. The phone finally rang. Joanna immediately picked up the call. ¡°Ryan, I¡¯ve arrived at Newcan Ind. Where are you?¡± On the other end of the phone, Ryan smiled darkly. ¡°What a loving mother¨Cdaughter rtionship. You have quite the guts for your daughter.¡± Joanna was not interested in wasting time speaking with him. With great effort to remain calm, she said. ¡°I¡¯m here now. Please spare my daughter!¡± ¡°Where the hell are you? How am I supposed to meet you?¡± ¡°Wait where you are. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up!¡± Surrounded by small inds, one can observe the environment where she is located with a pair of binocrs. After confirming that she came alone, Ryan finally heaved a sigh of relief. After hanging up. Joanna got out of the car. She stood on the dock and looked around. There were fishermen selling seafood everywhere. On the sea, many small fishing boats were floating around. The fishermen stood on the fishing boat and enthusiastically hawked to passersby. ¡°Do you want to buy lobsters? They¡¯re so fresh and cheap!¡± ¡°There are also groupers and crabs. They¡¯re all freshly caught. Come and buy some!¡± Joanna was not in the mood to care about these people. She just stared at the peopleing and going in front Ther uneasily! She waited for another ten minutes or so. A middle¨Caged man with dark skin approached Joanna. ¡°You¡¯re Joanna Haynes, right?¡± Joanna turned around and saw a man dressed as a fisherman standing behind her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Joanna Haynes!¡± ¡°Come with me!¡± Joanna held her breath and hurriedly followed the fisherman, 4 The fisherman brought Joanna to a rtively quiet dock and pointed at the small boat on the sea, ¡°Get on the boat!¡± On the sea surface, there is a simple fishing boat moored. With the fluctuation of the sea breeze, the boat sways back and forth. It seems like it could sink with the next wave that hits it. Joanna took a deep breath and made a bold decision. She knew that once she boarded that small boat, there was a high chance she would never return. The fishermen also got on the boat and rowed out of the fishing port. Joanna¡¯s heart was beating wildly. There were many buildings and many inds here that had been abandoned. Ryan must be hiding on one of the inds. In the middle of the sea, a motorboat roared over. A young man wearing sunsses said gloomily, ¡°Get on!¡°¨C Joanna hesitated for a moment before boarding the motorboat. The person driving the motorboat drifted away like an arrow leaving the bow. He drew an are on the sea and drove the motorboat away! Only the motorboat was moving on the vast sea surface! Soon. The motorboat stopped on the shore of a small ind. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ind!¡± Joanna calmed himself down, got off the motorboat, and went ashore. She looked around. This was a deserted ind with a few dpidated houses. In the past, this was also a small fishing vige with more than ten families living on the ind. However, one day, a family on the ind contracted an unknown disease. Everyone on the ind was infected within a few days, and all the fishermen died. This ind was abandoned and became a haunted ind. Even tourists did not dare toe to this ind. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Joanna was forcefully pushed from behind and nearly fell to the ground. The ind was overgrown with weeds, making it difficult to walk. After walking for more than ten minutes, she finally arrived at an abandoned house. ¡°Boss, they¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re quite bold.¡± ¡°Ryan, where¡¯s my daughter?¡± Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Comment Ryan was wearing a pair of tattered jeans and a dirty T¨Cshirt. The youth who used to be bright and clean had now be an unkempt and unshaven bandit. ¡°Ryan, where is my daughter? I beg you, let me see my daughter!¡± ¡°Click!¡± Ryan smiled darkly and loaded the gun. Then, he pressed it against Joanna¡¯s head. ¡°When you die, I will let you see your daughter.¡± Joanna¡¯s face was pale, and her chest heaved violently. ¡°Where is my daughter? Let me take a look at my daughter, I beg you! Don¡¯t hurt her¡­¡± ¡°Kneel and beg me!¡± When Joanna heard this, she knelt without hesitation. ¡°I beg you, let me see my daughter. She¡¯s your niece. Don¡¯t hurt her, I beg you.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Ryan chuckled. His face darkened as he kicked Joanna¡¯s chest. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna screamed miserably and fell heavily to the ground. Immediately after. Ryan stepped forward and kicked her a few more times! ¡°Ahhh!¡± Joanna¡¯s entire body curled up in pain. Her bones were about to break from the kick, and she lay on the ground, unable to get up. Ryan looked smugly at Joanna and said, ¡°Joanna, didn¡¯t expect you to end up like this, did you?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth. You and your daughter can forget about leaving this ce.¡± ¡°Bring the little bastard here.¡± A fat kidnapper came out of the house with Lilia in his hand. He carried Lilia over as if he was carrying a puppy. Then, he threw her heavily at Joanna. ¡°Lilia!¡± Joanna screamed. Enduring the immense pain all over her body, she stepped forward and caught her daughter. Lilia had already been tortured beyond recognition. Her original skin color could no longer be seen on her small face. She was already on the verge of death. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Lilia, Lilia!¡± Joanna was heartbroken. She hugged her daughter tightly in her arms andforted her. ¡°Lilia, don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy is here!¡± Ryan delivered a fierce kick, saying. ¡°I¡¯ll kill your daughter first, and then I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll make you watch with your eyes how she dies, how miserable her death will be. I¡¯ll make you suffer torment before sending you to the afterlife¡­¡± ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t, please don¡¯t. Lilia is just a child. If you have any resentment, you direct it at me. ¡°Haha, you know fear too!¡± Joanna spat out blood and fell to the ground again. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Ryan, I beg you, don¡¯t hurt Lilia.¡± Ryan looked at Joanna gloomily and said fiercely, ¡°Joanna, you shouldn¡¯t have returned to Greyport. You caused the Haynes family to be so miserable. I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡± Joanna was in so much pain that her entire body was covered in a cold sweat. He looked at Ryan weakly. ¡°Ryan, I never wanted to harm anyone!¡± ¡°Things hade to this point. It¡¯s not what I wanted at all.¡± ¡°I went to the hospital to see Dad the day before yesterday. He¡¯s worried about you. He doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡± When Ryan heard this, his eyes instantly turned red! He hadn¡¯t seen his father since he started fleeing. Especially after his Dad was hospitalized, he never bothered to visit him even once. In the past, he treated his Dad¡¯s pride and glory like his own. But now, seeing himself in this state, he couldn¡¯t bear to face his Dad anymore. Seeing a slight change in his expression, Joanna quickly continued to appeal to their family bond. Though it might not work, she had to give it a try. ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t make another mistakel¡± ¡°We¡¯re biological siblings, and you¡¯re also Lilia¡¯s biological uncle! If you let Lilia go, you can do whatever you want to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also heartbroken that the Haynes family ended like this! But ever since I was young, I¡¯ve always tried my best to integrate into the family.¡± 10.371 ¡°But the family doesn¡¯t ept me and keeps excluding me¡­¡± ¦§ Ryan suddenly waved his hand. ¡°Shut up and stop spouting nonsense. I won¡¯t listen to your nonsense. You reap sow. Today, I¡¯ll avenge my mother and sister.¡± Joanna endured the pain and continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± *If you were me, what would you do? Also, I¡¯ve never taken the initiative to harm anyone in the Haynes family.¡± what you ¡°All this time, your mother couldn¡¯t tolerate me and forced me to a dead end! Her imprisonment was caused by herself.¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Ryan kicked her again! *Shut the fuck up! If you say another word, I will shoot you!¡± Ryan understood his mother¡¯s character very well. Ingrid had only herself to me for going to jail. She had harmed Joanna time and time again, but in the end, she ended up in jail. However, the problem was that Ingrid was his mother after all. Therefore, even if it was his mother¡¯s mistake, he med everything on Joanna. There was also Roxanne. If not for Joanna¡¯s appearance, Roxanne would have married Bruce long ago. He would not have ended up like this. ¡°I¡¯ll shoot you right now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ept it if you beat me to death. Please, let Lilia go If Lilia dies, Bruce won¡¯t let you off.¡± When a kidnapper heard this, he went forward and persuaded, ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t we keep them alive and extort a ransom from Bruce?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything else. I want you to return everything you took from the Haynes family.¡± Joanna looked at Ryan sadly. ¡°The Haynes Group shares are now all under Bruce¡¯s name. If I die, all of the Haynes family¡¯s assets will fall into Bruce¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Can you bear to see Grandfather¡¯s hard work and foundation destroyed just like that?¡± ¡°Boss, let¡¯s keep them alive first. The most important thing now is to make money!¡± Ryan took a deep breath. ¡°Lock them up first!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The two kidnappers carried Joanna and dragged the mother and daughter pair back to the house. ¡°Lilia! Lilia, how are you?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Lilia opened her eyes weakly. She could not help but tremble. Joanna could not help but cry. ¡°It will be fine. Mommy will save you.¡± Beep, beep, beep. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s me.¡± Bruce¡¯s affection turned cold. ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t hurt my wife and daughter. What do you want? Just tell me.¡± ¡°If you harm them, 1, Bruce Everett, will devote all my energy in the next life to deal with you and your family.¡± Ryan sneered ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± I¡¯ll let you hear something!¡± Roxanne¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Ryan, is that you? It¡¯s me, Roxanne!¡± Boom! Hearing his sister¡¯s voice, Ryan¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°Ryan, don¡¯t do anything stupid! I¡¯m with Daddy now. Daddy can¡¯t hold on any longer. Daddy is very worried about you. He¡¯s even more worried about Joanna and Lilia.¡° ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them. Please don¡¯t hurt her. We¡¯re a family. We have to deal with this calmly.¡± ¡°Daddy, hurry up and persuade Ryan. Tell him not to hurt Joanna, especially Bruce¡¯s daughter.¡± Through the phone, Shaun¡¯s whimpering voice could be heard. ¡°Ryan, Ryan¡­¡± 2/3 10:37 Unfortunately, half of Shaun¡¯s body was paralyzed, and his words were unclear. However, one could tell that he was anxious. ¡°Ryan, I advise you to let Joatma and my daughter off. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t call the police, let alone pursue the matter with you. I only beg you to let Joanna and my child go¡­¡± ¡°How much money do you want? Just name the amount, and I will transfer it directly to you. I won¡¯t seek any form of revenge afterward! Furthermore, I will take good care of your father and Roxanne for the rest of their lives!¡± ¡°Bruce, stop talking nonsense!¡± ¡°Ryan, listen to me. You¡¯ve always been the most obedient child. How could you do such a thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Joanna, let alone the child. If you do this, Daddy will be very disappointed.¡± ¡°Rick, hurry up and persuade your brother.¡± As Roxanne spoke, she quickly handed the phone to Derick. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t mess around!¡± Derick also said perfunctorily. In his heart, he hoped that Ryan could kill Joanna. But now, his entire family was in Bruce¡¯s hands, so he didn¡¯t dare to be rash. ¡°Ryan, did you hear that? Do not hurt Joanna and my daughter. If anything happens to them, I will make the Haynes family disappearpletely from Greyport.¡± ¡°I, Bruce Everett, will do as I say! Let the two of them go back. You can name your conditions.¡± Send Gift Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Comment Before he could finish, Ryan had already hung up. ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± Bruce furrowed his brows tightly, and his voice was hoarse. Tears flowed down Shaun¡¯s face. He whimpered. ¡°Ryan¡­¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t worry. Ryan might just be trying to intimidate Joanna Roxanne looked at Bruce and comforted him stiffly. She had stayed in a mental hospital for nearly a year and almost became a lunatic. Today, Bruce had taken her out of the mental hospital. She would never go back. ¡°Bruce, why don¡¯t we wait a little longer? Ryan will call again.¡± ¡°Ryan¡­ Shaun¡¯s trembling hands cried out. He closed his eyes and fainted. ¡°Daddy, Daddy¡­ Hurry up and call the doctor. Daddy is sick.¡± Derick raised his eyebrows and went to call the doctor in a panic. Bruce calmed down and called the police station. At this moment, he could only rely on the police. ¡°Hello, is this the police station? I want to make a report. My family has been kidnapped¡­¡± After calling the police, he instructed Andy to check the location where the phone call was made. At the same time, he mobilized all his bodyguards and flew the helicopter to the ind near Newcan Ind to search. Newcan Ind. Joanna and Lilia Haynes were locked in a dpidated house. The house was dark and damp, which emitted a strong moldy smell. Lilia couldn¡¯t stop trembling. She was dehydrated. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m so thirsty¡­¡± Joanna touched Lilia Haynes¡¯s head and felt that it was burning. Lilia was having a high fever and was already in a daze. ¡°Lilia, bear with it a little longer. Mommy will find water for you!¡± The windows in the house were nailed shut, and the door was locked. Joanna looked around, but there was no water or food. Helpless, Joanna could only knock on the door anxiously. ¡°Open the door, open the door. Someone is here!¡± After shouting for about five to six minutes, a sound was heard outside the door. ¡°What are you shouting for?¡± A short and fat kidnapper opened the door fiercely. ¡°Brother, my daughter is having a fever. Can you give me a bottle of water? Please!¡± The short and fat robber red at her and said fiercely. ¡°Why are you so troublesome? You¡¯re about to lose your life. There¡¯s no need to be drinking water?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not enough fresh water on this ind for us to drink. Why would I share it with you?¡± ¡°I beg you. My daughter is dehydrated. Please spare me some water!¡± Joana¡¯s eyes were filled with eagerness as she begged. The short and fat kidnapper sized up Joanna, and an evil thought surfaced in his eyes. She looked very disheveled now but was even more alluring. ¡°Sure! Let me have a good time, and I¡¯ll give you water.¡± As he spoke, he had already walked forward and started touching Joanna. Joanna panicked and took a step back in fear. ¡°Get away. What are you trying to do?¡± Seeing that she was flustered and weak, the short and fat kidnapper couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and pounced over with a smile! ¡°Ah! Let go. ¡°You still want to resist? Now that you¡¯re here. Behave yourself.¡± Joanna was pushed to the ground. Her ribs were almost broken! The short and fat kidnapper, who was as heavy as a water tank, pressed her down and moved closer to her neck. Joanna¡¯s wrist was injured, and she did not have the strength to push him away! Out of desperation, Joanna opened her arms and raised her knee hard. The robber was caught off guard and was hit in the 1/3 10:37 crotch. He fell to the side. Joanna quickly got up, picked up the brick on the ground, and threw it at the kidnapper¡¯s head. ¡°Ugh!¡± The short and fat kidnapper cried out in pain and tried to resist. ¡°Bang, bang!¡± Joanna hit him a few more times as if she had gone crazy. Joanna only stopped when the kidnapper stopped moving. The short and fat kidnapper¡¯s head had already been smashed open. Dark red blood was flowing out.. Joanna was flustered, and the brick in her hand fell. From the looks of it, this kidnapper had been smashed to death. ¡°What happened?¡± The other kidnapper, Albert, heard themotion and walked towards the house. After hearing this, Joanna quickly calmed down, picked up the brick, and hid behind the door. As Albert entered the house, Joanna raised the brick and smashed it on his head. Bang! Albert reacted quickly and dodged to the side. The brick hit his shoulder. Instantly, Albert was enraged. ¡°You bitch, how dare you ambush mel¡± As he spoke, Albert kicked Joanna¡¯s chest heavily. At the same time, he pulled out a machete from his back. Seeing the short and fat kidnapper lying in a pool of blood, Albert eximed. ¡°Fatty, Fatty!¡± ¡°You ugly woman, how dare you kill my brother? I think you¡¯re tired of living.¡± ¡°Whoosh!¡± Albert brandished his machete and shed at Joanna. Joanna could not care less and fought with him with all her might. She had practiced self¨Cdefense, and her reaction was still quite agile. In the chaos, the two of them fell to the ground together. The machete happened to pierce into Albert¡¯s heart. At the same time, Joanna spat out blood and almost fainted! Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I killed someone. I killed someone¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s mind went nk, and she panted heavily for a while. Although she acted in self¨Cdefense, she still killed someone. She was mentally weak at the moment. Lilia was also frightened by what had happened. Her big eyes were wide open. ¡°Lilia, don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Joanna was covered in blood. She quickly carried Lilia and rushed out of the house before Ryan returned. There were only these two kidnappers and Ryan on the ind. Since these two kidnappers were dead, Ryan was the only one keeping them. This is a deserted ind, and it¡¯s not veryrge. It won¡¯t take more than half an hour to walk around the entire ind. She had to take a boat or a speedboat to leave that ind. Lilia couldn¡¯t stop trembling. ¡°Mommy!¡± Joanna hugged Lilia tightly and found the kidnapper¡¯s unfinished bottle of mineral water. ¡°Lilia, there¡¯s water!¡± Lilia drank the remaining water in the bottle in one go. Her dry throat finally felt relieved. Joanna dared not dy further and hastily carried Lilia into this dpidated house. After looking around, there was nowhere to hide. On the other side, Ryan hung up the phone and rode the motorboat back to the deserted ind in anger. Joanna heard themotion and knew that Ryan had returned. In a moment of desperation, she happened to see a dpidated chicken coop at the side. She could only hug Lilia and hide in the chicken coop. At the same time, Ryan entered the courtyard. ¡°Albert, Fatty.¡± He called out a few times, but there was no response. Ryan¡¯s heart tightened, and he hurriedly came in to check, Inside the house, his two subordinates had already fallen into a pool of blood! Joanna and Lilia were also nowhere to be 10:37 found. ¡°Fuck, two pieces of trash!¡± Ryan became vignt. He pulled out his pistol and left the courtyard in a frenzy. Ryan no longer hesitated and decided to kill Joanna and her daughter! ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Joanna quickly covered Lilia¡¯s mouth and looked at Ryan nervously through the gap. Seeing him walk towards the chicken coop step by step with a gun in his hand, Joanna¡¯s heart beat wildly like a drum. Fortunately, Ryan only took a nce before turning around and leaving the courtyard to look for the shore! After all, if they wanted to leave the deserted ind, they could only leave by boat. Send Gift Comment Seeing Ryan gone. Joanna heave a sigh of relief! Chapter 423 Chapter 423 She had to contact someone as soon as possible and seek help. Her phone had been confiscated. If she wanted to call the police, she had to get her phone back. Ryan came to the beach and looked around but still did not find Joanna. However, he was sure that Joanna could not leave this ind. She must be hiding somewhere. Thinking of this, Ryan turned back. He nned to search the few dpidated houses again. As long as he searched carefully, he would find them. ¡°This ind is so small. Ryan will return!¡± Joanna thought for a moment. She could not just sit there and wait for death. ¡°Lilia, lie here and don¡¯t make a sound.¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m scared! What are you going to do?¡± Lilia cried in fear when he saw that her mommy was going out. Joannaforted her daughter gently. ¡°Be good. Hide here and don¡¯t make a sound. Mommy will lure the bad guys away.¡± ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Be good, don¡¯t move.¡± Joannaforted her daughter and climbed out of the chicken coop! She knew that Ryan would find them soon! The only way to save herself now was to strike first. Joanna picked up the machete, found a few bricks, and hid behind the door. He was just waiting for Ryan toe back and catch him off guard. Ten minutester. Footsteps came from outside the courtyard. Joanna¡¯s heart was in her throat too. She knew Ryan was back. And he had a gun in his hand. Ryan had just walked into the courtyard. Joanna rushed out and shed at his neck with the machete. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Ryan Haynes was shed in the back. Ryan came back to his senses and fired at Joanna Joanna could not dodge in time and could only take the risk and pounce over! The bullet grazed her hair and missed. Joanna shed him again. Bang! Bang! Two more shots missed, and the two of them grappled. After all, she was a woman, and her strength was notparable to Ryan¡¯s. She fell heavily to the ground and was strangled by Ryan, almost fainting Joanna¡¯s neck was being choked, and she couldn¡¯t resist. She could only fumble around, and by chance, her hand seemed to touch a wooden stick, perhaps a leg of a stool. Joanna grabbed the leg of the stool and knocked it hard on Ryan¡¯s head! The iron nail on the leg of the stool pierced into Ryan¡¯s eyeball! ¡°Ah!¡± Ryan was in so much pain that he almost fainted on the spot. Blood flowed out of his eye socket, and Joanna heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Pfft!¡± Joanna shed at him again. At this moment, there was a buzzing sound in the sky. A few helicopters were flying over. Bang! A gunshot rang out. Ryan was killed on the spot by police officers! Despite seeing Ryan falling. Joanna¡¯s heart was still beating wildly. ¡°Joanna, Lilia¡­ Bruce got off the helicopter and rushed towards Joanna in panic. 10:38 Arge number of police officers also followed them onto the deserted ind! ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s alright! It¡¯s alright now!¡± Bruce hugged Joanna tightly, still in shock. Joanna¡¯s breathing quickened, and tears rolled down her face uncontrobly. It had been 24 hours since she was kidnapped, and her heart had been hanging in the air. When Lilia saw Bruce, she started crying too. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± ¡°Be good. It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay!¡± Joanna blinked. After confirming the situation was safe, her vision turned ck, and she fainted. Soon! Joanna Haynes went to the police station to record her statement. Because she was kidnapped, she was acquitted due to self¨Cdefense. ¡°Now reporting a breaking news update: The explosion and shooting cases have been solved, and the culprits have been shot. dead by the police.¡± ¡°This main culprit is the second son of the Haynes family.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. After the case was solved, the Greyport people were shocked! ¡°Oh my god, this is too crazy. He actually kidnapped his sister and niece.¡± ¡°A person of such deserves to die. Fortunately, he was caught! Otherwise, who knows what kind of disaster would have happened¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The Haynes family is a mess. A bunch of strange things happened.¡± ¡°The eldest son is a yboy, and the second son is a vicious criminal. These four siblings are troublesome.¡± ¡°Have you heard? The second daughter of the Haynes family has already left the mental hospital. Where do you think she will go?¡± On TV! The media reported it one after another! In the hospital. Shaun was already terminally ill and delirious. He kept muttering, ¡°Ryan¡­¡± Roxanne Haynes continuously reassured her father, saying, ¡°Dad, you need to take care of yourself first and not worry too much. Ryan will be fine.¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± ¡°Sister has been rescued. She and her daughter are fine. They¡¯re very safe!¡± Shaun¡¯s cloudy eyes darkened. ¡°What about Ryan?¡± ¡°Ryan, he¡­ As Roxanne spoke, tears rolled down her face. She did not dare to tell her father that her brother had been killed on the spot. However, from her expression, it was already evident that Ryan was unlikely to have a positive oue. Although Ryan deserved to be shot multiple times for his crimes, he was still his son. Now that his son is dead, how can he ept such an oue? Moreover, Ryan was the son that he was proudest of ¡°Cough cough¡­ Cough cough¡­ Shaun was so agitated that he started trembling. Roxanne stopped her crying. She hurriedly shouted, ¡°Daddy, Daddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Doctor, doctor, please save my father.¡± The doctor and nurse rushed over to check on Shaun¡¯s condition. ¡°The patient¡¯s condition is critical. Hurry up and send him to the emergency room!¡± Roxanne cried sadly. ¡°Daddy, you will be fine!¡± Then, Shaun was pushed into the emergency room. Roxanne and Derick waited anxiously outside the emergency room. An hourter. The ergergency room door opened and the doctor came out with a look of regret. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes. Im sorry. We tried our best, but Mr. Haynes couldn¡¯t be saved. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. My father won¡¯t die. My father definitely won¡¯t die.¡± Roxanne broke down and cried loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We tried our best. My condolences.¡± ¡°No, please save my father. My father won¡¯t die like this.¡± Roxanne shook the doctor¡¯s arm frantically! Derick gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Roxy, stop crying. Daddy and brother were both killed by Joannal ¡°This damn bitch ruined our family. We can¡¯t let her have an easy time.¡± ¡°Daddy, Brother, Mommy! It¡¯s all my fault for being useless!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. It¡¯s all that slut Joanna¡¯s fault!¡± Soon Joanna had also received the news. She rushed down to the hospital despite being in pain. ¡°Roxanne. Daddy, how is he?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes were already red and swollen from crying. She said sadly, ¡°Daddy is dead!¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna held her breath and almost lost her bnce. Although she didn¡¯t have much affection for her father, he was still her father. How could she not feel sad? ¡°Joanna, are you satisfied now? Daddy is dead, and so is my brother. The Haynes family¡¯s family was destroyed because of you.¡± ¡­ Joanna Haynes felt dizzy, and her mind went nk! Roxanne held her breath and hid the deep hatred in her eyes! Drops of tears fell from her eyes. Although she hated Joanna and wanted to kill her immediately, However, she knew well that she could not defeat Joanna Haynes now. It was highly likely that she would be sent to the mental hospital again. ¡°Rick, don¡¯t say that about me. I¡¯m a victim too. It¡¯s Ryan who did something wrong and went astray!¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t me it on sister. Sister, don¡¯t me yourself too much!¡± ¡°Roxy, are you crazy? How dare you speak up for her?¡± Derick was exasperated! He did not understand why Roxanne would speak up for Joanna. Now that two people in their family have died, the me should be ced on Joanna. They should unite and join forces to confront that despicable person, Joanna Haynes! ¡°Rick, you can¡¯t say that about your sister! You can¡¯t just look at one side of the picture. This is their retribution!¡± ¡°Sister, from now on, only the three of us are left in our family. We must love and help each other!¡± ¡°Although Daddy has passed away, we have to stay strong! Let¡¯s make Dad¡¯s funeral a glorious one!¡± ¡°Roxy!¡± Joanna wanted to say something but hesitated, not knowing what to say. Although she didn¡¯t believe Roxanne¡¯s words to be sincere, her father¡¯s passing still left her heartbroken. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with Daddy¡¯s funeral first!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bruce hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder andforted her gently. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be too sad. Your father¡¯s death wasn¡¯t because of you.¡± ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have tofort me!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll send you to the ward.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to spend time with Daddy. I take a longer look at Daddy¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not stop her. Then I¡¯ll apany you!¡± Joanna did not say anything. Bruce also had a stern expression. He had been looking at Joanna gently. Roxanne watched from the side, and her heart ached even more. If it wasn¡¯t for Joanna, the woman beside Bruce would be her. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll make sure you die a horrible death. I won¡¯t let you have it easy.¡± Chapter 424 Chapter 424 ¡°Host everything today. I take it back bit by bit ¡°Roxy, where are you going to live from now on?¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes darkened as she replied weakly. Tll continue staying at home! ¡°Can you do it alone?¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Bruce did not want to add to their anxiety ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go take a look at Lilia¡± ¡°Lilia is in shock. The doctor said that she needs a psychiatrist for psychological counseling¡± ¡°Okay¡± Children¡¯s hospital. Lilia! ¡°Daddy, Mommy¡­ Liliay weakly on the hospital bed. She is now psychologically affected. Every night, she couldn¡¯t help but have nightmares. She was so scared that she would shout and scream the whole day. She could not have anyone leave her side. ¡°Lilia, it¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault for not protecting you properly!¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t burden yourself with excessive guilt. You have done well.¡± ¡°Thank God for not taking you and Lilia away from me. I can¡¯t imagine what I would be like if I lost you.¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes darkened, and she kept silent. Joanna, promise me you won¡¯t do such stupid things again!¡± ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t allow you to leave my sight! Wherever you go, I will apany you. I am no longer afraid to endure such fear.¡± Send Gift Comment Ten dayster. Joanna, Roxanne, and Derick held Shaun¡¯s funeral. Although Ryan was killed by the police, Roxanne and Derick still arranged a tombstone for him and buried him hastily. Elizabeth Cemetery! It was drizzling, and the weather had plummeted. The temperature was only about eight degrees. For the southern region, this was a very low temperature. In addition to Joanna and her siblings, some of Shaun¡¯s friends and acquaintances attended the funeral. Shaun¡¯s ashes had already been buried. In front of the tombstone, Joanna was dressed in ck with a white hat on her head. She looked sad as she bowed deeply three times. ¡°Father, have a safe journey!¡± Roxanne and Derick were dressed simrly, and Roxanne was crying inconsbly. She said, ¡°Dad, I hope you can rest in peace in the realm beyond!¡± There were wreaths and various offerings arranged clearly in front of the tombstone. After the funeral ended, the guests left one after another. Joanna left the cemetery with a heavy heart. They had just walked out of the cemetery. Arge group of reporters rushed over like a tide. ¡°Miss Haynes, how are you feeling right now?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, regarding Ryan Haynes¡¯s kidnapping of you and your daughter, can you tell us how it happened?¡± ¡°May I ask if you and Mr. Everett have remarried? Have you and Mr. Grimm broken uppletely? Has Mr. Grimm passed the critical period?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. Im sorry, I won¡¯t be interviewed.¡± ¡°Make way!¡± Arge number of bodyguards quickly surrounded Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, please say a few words!¡± Click! Click! The reporters frantically snapped photos of her. Joanna was extremely flustered. Under the escort of her bodyguards, she hurriedly walked toward the parking lot. Today, Bruce attended the funeral. But he did not stand with Joanna nor as a son¨Cinw. He came simply as a regr guest to pay his respects. After Joanna left. Roxanne and Derick also walked out of the cemetery. Reporters swarmed towards Roxanne when they saw her, and one of them quickly asked, ¡°Miss Roxanne, would you be willing to ept an interview?¡± ¡°May I ask how you feel right now? Can you say a few words?¡± Roxanne gasped and said with a dark expression, ¡°Noments!¡± ¡°Please say something! I heard that you¡¯ve been in a mental hospital for ten months. Have you recovered?¡± ¡°What do you think about your sister getting back with Mr. Everett? Will you give them your blessings? Are you still in love with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Theard that you¡¯ve removed your uterus and won¡¯t be able to conceive anymore. Is that true?¡± The reporters¡® words were sharp like knives. The questions they raised were harsh and aimed at Roxanne¡¯s sore spot. Roxanne¡¯s face turned pale, and her lips trembled. She could barely control her emotions. Derick quickly blocked the cameras and shielded her behind him. ¡°Everyone, step back. Don¡¯t ask such boring questions¡± ¡°Roxy, let¡¯s go Although the two had assistants around them, they could not withstand the reporters¡® bombardment and could only escape. Arge group of reporters chased after them. Everyone wanted to interview them. Even if they could take a few photos, it would be enough to cause a sensation in the city. Because of the kidnapping case, Joanna was ced at the center of attention. Recently, everyone has been reporting on this matter. In the parking lot. The bodyguard opened the door of the Rolls¨CRoyce and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Haynes, please get in.¡± Joanna got into the car with a dark expression. She was in a bad mood. In the car. Bruce was already waiting in the car. When he saw Joanna entering, he quickly handed her a cup of hot water and a hot towel. ¡°Are you cold? Have a cup of hot water!¡± Joanna took the hot towel and wiped the rain from her face and neck. Her face was pale, and her eyes were extremely red. She looked frail and tired. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s heart ached. ¡°My condolences! The dead can¡¯t be revived. It¡¯s useless to be sad.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything, but her heart felt very ufortable. Although her father had never doted on her or given her fatherly love, he was still her biological father. As long as her father is alive, she still has a father. However, now that her father was dead, she would be an orphan. Seeing her sorrowful expression, Bruce stretched out his arm and gently hugged her shoulder! Joanna closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder tiredly. The car slowly drove out of the cemetery. Sherane Bay Vi! When they got home, the servants were already at the door with a brazier and pomelo water. Joanna was stunned. The butler, Gael, quickly exined, ¡°After all,ing back from the cemetery, one is bound to be affected by negative energy. Stepping over a brazier and sprinkling some pomelo water could help to ward off the negative energy.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, but she did not object. She stepped over the brazier, and the servants sprinkled the pomelo water on her. Simrly, Bruce stepped over the brazier and sprinkled some pomelo water on himself. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. You must be tired.¡± ¡°Quickly take a hot shower and rest!¡± ¡°Okay, Joanna responded faintly.. She changed her clothes and took a shower. Then, shey on the bed to rest. Perhaps because she was too tired, she fell into a deep sleep after lying down for a while. In a daze, she began to have nightmares. While dreaming, she saw the badly mutted Ryan and the other two kidnappers. She then saw her father lying on the hospital bed, ring at her with turbid and fierce eyes. They took turns tearing her apart and strangling her! ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna was having a nightmare. She gritted her teeth and trembled all over. Unfortunately, her mind was exceptionally clear, but she could not wake up no Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. matter what After struggling for a long time, Joanna still could not wake up. Fortunately, Bruce was right beside her. When he realized that something was wrong with Joanna, he quickly reached out. and patted her Joanna, what¡¯s wrong? Wake up!¡± ¡°Wake up. Are you having a nightmare? Bruce shook her a few more times. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna woke up from her nightmare. Her heart was pounding, and she was still in fear. ¡°That¡¯s scary!¡± Joanna subconsciously shrank into Bruce¡¯s arms and panted uncontrobly. Bruce quicklyforted her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡± Joanna broke out in a cold sweat as if she had just returned from the underworld. ¡°I just dreamed of my father and Ryan¡­ Joanna gasped, still in a state of terror. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a nightmare. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Joanna shrank even more in his arms. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m so scared! Hold me tight.¡± Hearing this. Bruce tightened his arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here! Sleep in peace!¡± drive It¡¯s unclear whether it was a psychological effect or if she had encountered something unclean. As soon as Joanna falls asleep, she unconsciously dreams of Ryan¡¯s grimacing face and her father¡¯s gaze as he lies in the hospital bed. The next day! Joanna inexplicably had a high fever. She had no strength left in her body and was in a daze. Joann. why do you feel so hot? Are you running a fever?¡± Bruce Everett became even more concerned. Joanna was in a daze and did not react. She looked like a lifeless puppet. ¡°Lilian, call the doctor over.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Soon. The family doctor rushed over. He measured Joanna¡¯s temperature and looked at her tongue. After a round of examination! The doctor nced at the thermometer. ¡°38.5 degrees. Miss Haynes has a fever and cold.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably just a slight chill, nothing too serious. Take some cold medicine and let her sweat it out. She¡¯ll be fine afterward.¡± Then, the family doctor prescribed cold medicine. ¡°Take two pills at a time for this and three for this! This is the medicine for three days. We will monitor for the time being.¡± After giving instructions, the doctor administered a fever¨Creducing injection to Joanna. ¡°Mr. Everett, there¡¯s no need to worry. It¡¯s just amon cold, and she will recover soon,¡± assured the doctor. Bruce was relieved to hear that. Joanna took the fever medicine and fell asleep again. It was strange In the next few days, Joanna was still the same. She had nightmares every day. In the past, she rarely had nightmares. However, since she returned from the cemetery, Joanna seems gued by something, experiencing continuous bouts of fever. Not only is Joanna in this condition, but Lilia¡¯s situation is even more severe. She has been staying in the hospital all this ume. Bruce has been shuttling between home and the hospital, leaving little time for his work at the company. Five consecutive days went by. 10.381 Despite taking so many cold medicines, Joanna¡¯s symptoms show no signs of improvement. Instead, they seem to be getting worse. Send Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Lilia¡¯s condition was also severe. She was infected with pneumonia and kept coughing. On the sixth day. Joanna¡¯s high fever would not subside. It has even be more severe than before. The family doctor was also very puzzled. Judging from Joanna¡¯s symptoms, it was an ordinary cold. However, the medicine. she took did not work at all. Bruce finally lost his temper. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t you treat an ordinary cold!¡± The family doctor exined, but Bruce did not listen at all. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, we should go to the hospital¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkens significantly, and seeing Joanna¡¯s condition worsening, he can no longer afford to dy any further. Joanna, get up and change. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Joanna is also suffering greatly from her illness. Every day, the persistent fever leaves her feeling mentally and physically drained, in a state of lethargy and difort that has reached its peak. Marhall Hospital. Bruce sent Joanna to the hospital. The results of the doctor¡¯s examination were still that of amon cold. Joanna was treated in the hospital for another three days, but the effect was minimal. Her fever was still very high. ¡°What are you all doing? You can¡¯t even treat an ordinary cold? How did you get your doctor¡¯s license?¡± The chief physician¡¯s expression bes solemn as he says, ¡°Mr. Everett, although amon cold is usually a minor issue, there are exceptions. Miss Haynes¡® symptoms are unique¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste time exining all this to me. Can you cure her or not?¡± Bruce¡¯s face turns dark, showing his frustration. The doctors were so scared that they did not even dare to breathe. Mr. Everett had a bad temper. He might fire all of them in the heat of the moment. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯ll immediately adjust the new treatment n! Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll treat Miss Haynes as soon as possible.¡± The entire department became nervous. Gather together and work on a new treatment n. However, no matter how they treated her, there was no improvement. Joanna and Lilia were sick all the time. Bruce¡¯s mood was equally bad! After careful consideration, the butler, Gael, said solemnly, ¡°Mr. Everett. Looking at Miss Haynes¡¯s condition, it doesn¡¯t seem like just a cold¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°If it¡¯s not a cold, then what is it?¡± Gael pondered for a moment. ¡°Have you offended anything unclean?¡± ¡°Offended what?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t understand what he meant.. ¡°I meant offending any evil spirits.¡± Bruce was stunned, and his eyes moved slightly. He never believed in such things! However, Margaret believed in this. So, from a young age and under the influence of his grandmother, he has heard and seen many simr things. Moreover, the wealthier a person was, the more they believed in superstition. These things are all interconnected and not unexinable using scientific principles. After all, there are many aspects of maic fields that even scientists have not fully understood. ¡°Say what you want to say!¡± Gael said bluntly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we consult Miss Hayne¡¯s symptoms from Mr. Lewis?¡± Bruce frowned slightly when he heard that. 10 18 §¤ Mr. Lewis was the famous geomancer of Greyport and a distinguished guest of Margaret. Almost all the respected people in Greyport have some connection with him. In the past, whenever anything happened to the Everett family, Margaret would look for Mr. Lewis for advice. However, since Margaret passed away, the Everett family never invited Mr. Lewis again. After all, Bruce did not believe in these things. After thinking for a while, Bruce nodded. ¡°Alright, get him toe and take a look!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett! I¡¯ll make an appointment now.¡± Many people were seeking Mr. Lewis for advice every day. They had to make appointments many days in advance. In the ward. Joanna started convulsing again. Her throat made a dreamy sound. Seeing this, Bruce quickly walked up to her and shook her awake. ¡°Joanna, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare again?¡± Joanna gasped and struggled to sit up. Her entire body was drenched in cold sweat. She did have a nightmare just now! From N?velDrama.Org. Nightmares were like this. Even if they were woken up, if they immediately fell asleep, they would be haunted by nightmares again. Therefore, Joanna insisted on sitting up and not letting herself fall asleep. ¡°Bruce, how¡¯s Lilia? Is she better?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened as he replied vaguely, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s much better now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± As they were talking, the door was pushed open! Davian and Irvin walked in. ¡°Mommy, is your cold better?¡± Seeing this. Joanna immediately stopped her sons. ¡°Yes, just stand there and don¡¯te closer. Mommy¡¯s cold is contagious. It would be bad if I passed it to you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not afraid!¡± the two little boys said together in unison. ¡°Be good and listen to me. If you catch a cold, you need to get an injection.¡± When the two little boys heard this, they obediently stood still and dared not approach the bed again. ¡°Daddy, when will Mommy and sister recover?¡± ¡°Very soon. You guys can leave first.¡± Bruce¡¯s face was fierce. ¡°Okay!¡± The two little boys reluctantly left the ward again. Joanna struggled to get out of bed. Bruce quickly stopped her. ¡°Hurry up and lie down. Why are you getting up?¡± *I¡¯ve been lying down for more than ten days. I feel ufortable all over. I want to walk!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll hold you!¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! There was a knock on the door! ¡°Come in.¡± A servant pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Roxanne is here.¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked displeased. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s here to see Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Let her go back.¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Forget it. Since I¡¯m already here, I should meet her.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll excuse myself first!¡± Bruce did not want to have any more interactions with Roxanne. ¡°Okay¡± Bruce then lefi! Not long after, a servant came in with Roxanne. ¡°Roxy, why are you here?¡± Joanna forced herself to stay awake! Roxanne blinked her big innocent eyes and quickly walked to the head of the bed. ¡°Sister, I heard you were sick, so I came to see you¡± ¡°Tin fine.¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes turned red as she said with a pained expression. ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine at all. Look at how thin you¡¯ve be. You have to take good care of yourself!¡± ¡°¡­Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She did not know what to say! Faced with Roxanne¡¯s deliberate goodwill, she is still hesitant to ept it. ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ve prayed for an amulet for you. It¡¯ll be better if you keep it by your side.¡± As Roxanne spoke, she opened her bag and took out an amulet. She handed it to Joanna with a harmless expression. Joanna took it. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°By the way, are you staying at the old residence now?¡± Roxanne lowered her head weakly. ¡°Yes, Dad and Mom are gone. I¡¯m the only one left in the house.¡± ¡°Where are the servants?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all afraid. They¡¯ve already left the Haynes family,¡± Roxanne said. Her eyes were even redder, and she looked pitiful. ¡°Then take care of yourself alone. If you can¡¯t, hire a few more workers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roxanne bit her lower lip and looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated. Joanna sighed. ¡°Is there no money?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about hiring workers! I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± When Roxanne heard this, she quickly shook her head. ¡°No need, there¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony with me. After all, we¡¯re biological sisters. You could tell me if you are having difficulties. If I can help you. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Roxanne hade this far. Although Joanna did not pity her, she still felt a little guilty. No matter what the reason was, it was all because of her. Now that her father was dead, she would help if she could. ¡°Sister, L¡­ Roxanne hesitated, looking embarrassed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just say what you want to say!¡± ¡°Sister, I want to stay by your side and care for you!¡± After Roxanne finished speaking, she quickly exined nervously, ¡°This way, I will have someone to apany me and save significant expenses. Oh, sister, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I have no ulterior motives or other intentions ¡°I just want to stay by your side. On the one hand, I want to take care of you. On the other hand¡­ I want to salvage myself¡± Joanna, ¡°.¡± I don¡¯t know how to refuse! Seeing that Joanna did not say anything. Roxanne looked even more pitiful. ¡°Sister, I go back to an empty room every day. I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m alone, and no one talks to me!¡± ¡°Rick is a guy. There are many things that I can¡¯t say to him. Sister, can you promise me?¡± As Roxanne spoke, she looked at Joanna with tears, like a docile deer. Joanna looked conflicted. ¡°Roxy, I can understand how you feel, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you afraid of Bruce? No, afraid that brother¨Cinw won¡¯t agree?¡± ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already realized my mistake. I¡¯ve changed! Other than Rick, you¡¯re the only family I have now.¡± Roxanne started sobbing ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll ask him about it.¡± ¡°Yes, sister, you¡¯re so kind. I knew you wouldn¡¯t stay angry at me. I was wrong in the past. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past!¡± Joanna said gently and looked at Roxanne calmly. She might have no bad intentions! As long as Roxanne truly repented and was willing to treat her as an elder sister, she would also treat Roxanne as her younger sister. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Thank you, sister. As long as you forgive me, I¡¯ll be happy!¡± ¡°From now on. I will be obedient and be a good sister,¡± Roxanne said sincerely. She held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly as if holding onto a life¨Csaving float. ¡°Roxy, you don¡¯t have to do this!¡± Roxanne said gratefully, ¡°Sister. I¡¯m just too happy. Thinking about what I¡¯ve done, I regret it. Really I am.¡± Joannaforted her gently. ¡°The past is the past. Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Let¡¯s live well in the future!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Roxanne nodded heavily. ¡°Sister,e and eat an orange.¡± As Roxanne spoke, she quickly peeled an orange and eagerly brought it to Joanna¡¯s mouth. ¡°This orange is sweet. You have a fever now, so you need to replenish your vitamins.¡± Joanna was stunned. She wanted to refuse, but when she saw Roxanne¡¯s eager gaze, she epted the peeled orange. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Sister, is it sweet?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite sweet.¡± Seeing Joanna eating the orange, Roxanne smiled brightly like a flower, and there was a glimmer of light in her eyes. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart tightened for some reason. Shy did not dare to look into her eyes. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go back first today. I¡¯lle and see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Roxanne stood up and was about to leave when she said worriedly, ¡°Sister, you must persuade Bruce to let me stay by your and take care of you.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving. Roxanne looked back every three steps, her eyes filled with reluctance. She left the ward. Roxanne¡¯s innocent and weak expression suddenly darkened, and her eyes burned with killing intent. ¡°Daddy, Ryan, your spirits in heaven must bless me. Please bless me to avenge you.¡± Six o¡¯clock in the evening. Bruce came to the hospital again. At the door of the ward, Joanna told Bruce about Roxanne. ¡°Bruce, Roxanne has no one to rely on now. It¡¯s very pitiful¡°. Bruce rolled his eyes and looked at Joanna in confusion. ¡°So?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want her by my side so I can look after her. When Bruce heard this, he was furious. ¡°Joanna, are you crazy? Don¡¯t you know what kind of person she is? ¡°How many more times do you want to be harmed by her? Why haven¡¯t you learned your lesson?¡± At the mere thought of being deceived by Roxanne for so many years, he harbored an extreme hatred in his heart. If it weren¡¯t for saving Joanna, he would never want to see Roxanne again in his entire life, let alone bring her out of the mental hospital. Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with mncholy. ¡°She¡¯s changed now. I don¡¯t think she will harm me again in the future.¡± Without waiting for Joanna to finish, Bruce began to mock and ridicule her. ¡°A leopard never changes its spots. Don¡¯t be deceived by her appearance. Her thoughts are not that simple. ¡°Even I was fooled by her for so many years. You can imagine what a scheming woman she is.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve already promised to bring her over to care for me.¡± ¡°No, bringing her to your side is tantamount to inviting a wolf into my house. I won¡¯t agree to it!¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ Joanna was still trying to convince him. Bruce¡¯s expression was dark and ugly. He refused without any exnation. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. I can promise anything else, but this is not eptable.¡± ¡°If you want to care for her, I can hire two servants. But she can¡¯t stay by our side.¡± Bruce rejected her bluntly without any leeway. Joanna wanted to say something else, but Bruce did not want to listen anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t mention Roxanne anymore. Rest well. The most important thing is to take care of your body¡± ¡°Sigh Joanna sighed deeply The next day Roxanne arrived at the hospital again. However, before she could enter the ward, she was blocked by Bruce. ¡°Roxanne.¡± Bruce stood in the corridor coldly, exuding a coldness that kept people at a distance When she saw Bruce, Roxanne panicked and said, ¡°Bruce, long time no see¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s malicious eyes stared straight at her. ¡°Roxanne, what tricks are you up to now¡± When Roxanne heard this, she hurriedly exined. ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I want to take care of Joanna. I don¡¯t have any other intentions. I can swear to the heavens that I don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward Joanna¡­¡± Bruce was not interested in listening to her exnation. ¡°Don¡¯te to the hospital again in the future, and don¡¯t appear before my sight! ¡°Otherwise, if I can get you out of the mental hospital, I can send you back¡± When Roxanne heard this, she took a cold breath and was so frightened that she was incoherent. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m here to deliver soup to Joanna. ¡°Joanna¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. I¡¯m worried. I want to treat Joanna better and do something for her.¡± ¡°Roxanne, if you want to do something, stay away from Joanna! ¡°If youe to the hospital to pester Joanna again, don¡¯t me me for being nasty.¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ I know you hate me. I realized my mistake! ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I have let down your love and hurt your heart. I dare not ask for your forgiveness, nor will I Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. harbor any other improper thoughts. Please, Bruce, I beg you¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bruce was feeling impatient. ¡°Roxanne, stop talking. ¡°There has never been love between you and me. Where did the hatrede from? ¡°Leave the hospital now. Don¡¯t let me see you again.¡± ¡°Bruce..¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was cold. He signaled at the bodyguards beside him. ¡°Get her out immediately!¡± When the two bodyguards heard this, they immediately went forward. ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± Immediately, two bodyguards walked forward and gestured Roxanne expressionlessly. ¡°Miss Roxanne, please leave immediately¡± Roxanne¡¯s face turned pale, but she was still unwilling. ¡°Bruce, let me see Joanna! I want to see my sister. I don¡¯t have any ill intentions. I beg you¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne, please!¡± The two bodyguards stretched out their arms and invited her out forcefully. ¡°From now on, she¡¯s not allowed to step into the ward, let alone appear in front of Joanna¡° The row of bodyguards replied respectfully, ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett After Roxanne left. Bruce flicked the hem of his suit in disgust. It was as if he had been tainted with dirt after exchanging a few words with Roxanne After Roxanne was chased out of the hospital, her expression immediately changed. Her eyes suddenly narrowed into ant are, and her sharp nails dug into her flesh. ¡°Joanna, Bruce, just wait. I won¡¯t let this go! ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re so heartless to me. I won¡¯t let you off either, don¡¯t even think about getting back together.¡± In the ward. ¡°Cough, cough ¡°Joanna was still seriously ill and had no strength in her body ¡°Sigh, how did it get so severe? It¡¯s been so many days, and there¡¯s no sign of improvement Bruce felt tremendous stress and frequently reached out to touch Joanna¡¯s forehead. Her forehead was not particrly hot. But the symptoms of the cold were particrly severe. Joanna leaned against the bed, not even wanting to say a word. Seeing her struggling for breath, Bruce could only find something to say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem burdened with heavy thoughts.¡± Joanna shook her head sadly. ¡°Nothing!¡± ¡°If you have anything to say, just tell me. Don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as she replied weakly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She was still worried about Jaydon. It had been almost a month since shest saw him. She had never visited him in Venturas. She wondered what Jaydon had be and if he had gotten better. Bruce gently held Joanna¡¯s hand, and judging from her expression, he briefly guessed her thoughts. ¡°Take care of yourself first. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. Once you recover, there will be time to worry about others.¡± Joanna could not help but cough. Seeing this, Bruce quickly brought a cup of warm water. ¡°Come, drink some water!¡± After Joanna finished drinking the water, her dry throat felt much better. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Roxannee over these two days?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s noting. ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a troublemaker, stirring up trouble wherever she goes. Even if shees over, she harbors ill intentions and has ulterior motives.¡± ¡°Did you say something to her?¡± ¡°No! What can I tell her!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed. He did not even blink when he lied. Send Gift Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Comment Joanna Haynes took a deep breath and did not ask further. To be honest, she didn¡¯t really want to get too close to Roxanne Haynes. It was just that Roxanne kept begging her pitifully so she could not bear to reject her. ¡°Is Lilia¡¯s pneumonia cured?¡± ¡°Child pneumonia is very difficult to deal with. It wouldn¡¯t be cured so quickly. It will take at least half a month for her to recoverpletely.¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even more worried. ¡°I want to see Lilia!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce Everett called over the doctors and nurses to help Joanna change into a surgical gown and put on an istion mask! He only brought her to Lilia¡¯s ward after all the protective work was done. In the children¡¯s ward. Lilia had been hospitalized for many days and was now lying weakly on the bed. ¡°Lilia, mommy is here to see you!¡± Lilia opened her eyes weakly when she heard the voice. She immediately called out, ¡°Mommy, daddy!¡± ¡°Are you still not feeling well?¡± Lilia¡¯srge pearl¨Clike eyes blinked as she said in a cute voice, ¡°I just feel dizzy and I don¡¯t have any strength.¡± ¡°Rest well. You¡¯ll regain your strength when you have recovered.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce turned to the nurse and said, ¡°Watch Lilia carefully. Report to me immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett!¡± The nurse replied respectfully. Joanna¡¯s heart ached when she saw how sick her daughter was. She would give anything to hug Lilia now. However, she had also caught a serious cold. She was afraid of infecting Lilia so she held herself back. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll send you back to the ward.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After returning to the ward. Joanna was extremely sleepy again. She fell asleep again right after shey on the bed. She had just slept for a little more than ten minutes. She was stuck in a nightmare. Her entire body kept twitching and she could not wake up no matter what. Fortunately, Bruce had been standing guard at her side and immediately woke her up. ¡°Joanna, wake up quickly.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna screamed and opened her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have another nightmare?¡± Joanna was drenched in sweat. She threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms in a panic and said in fear, ¡°Bruce, I, I want to leave the hospital.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna felt chills all over and could not help but tremble. She replied, ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I just don¡¯t want to stay in the hospital. I just dreamed of something especially terrifying again.¡± Thinking back about the nightmare, it was really too terrifying. The hospital¡¯s dark energy was too heavypared to other ces so the nightmares were much more intense. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! The nightmares are all not real¡± ¡°I want to be discharged. I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore.¡± ¡°Okay, alright. I¡¯ll get someone to settle the discharge procedures now. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Joanna hugged Bruce tightly and shivered in his arms. 10:38 It felt as though she was really trapped by something. As long as she closed her eyes, all kinds of horrifying scenes would flood her mind. ¡°Andy, go and settle the discharge procedures.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce brought Joanna out of the hospital. Back home. Bruce immediately called the butler over and asked, ¡°Gael, what¡¯s the date of the appointment I asked you to arrange with Mr. Lewis?¡± ¡°Ive already made an appointment and Mr. Lewis cane over tomorrow.¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Serve him well tomorrow. Make sure he is satisfied.¡± ¡°You can rest assured, Mr. Everett!¡± The next day Bruce sent a driver to pick up Mr. Lewis. At around nine in the morning. The driver drove Mr. Lewis over. Mr. Lewis was a man who was shorter than 5.3 feet. It was said that when he was in Pedrana, he suddenly obtained some divine power one day and became a spirit medium. This phenomenon was also circted in many areas in the North. However, within the country, this was This phenomenon was verymon in the countryside in the early years. Usually, an ordinary person would suddenly receive the guidance of some spirits and be the messenger of the spirits to the people. However, it was difficult to distinguish if this phenomenon had really happened to a person and it was something that could certainly not be exined scientifically. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Lewis has arrived.¡± Mr. Lewis was wearing pure white cotton clothes and pure cotton cloth shoes. He was also carrying a canvas bag with a trigram printed on it. Although he was not tall, he still had a sage¨Clike aura. ¡°Hello! Long time no see.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Mr. Lewis greeted as he shook hands with Bruce. ¡°Let¡¯s have some coffee first!¡± ¡°Gael has already told me the situation!¡± ¡°Oh, then how do you think we should resolve this?¡± It was rare for Bruce to be so polite to someone. ¡°Let me take a look inside the house first.¡± As he spoke, Mr. Lewis took out something that looked like an eight trigram mirror and shone it around the room. In the room! Joanna was still lying weakly on the bed. At that moment, Mr. Lewis went in to take a look around the room! When he came out, his expression did not look optimistic. He said, ¡°Mr. Everett, the situation is not very From N?velDrama.Org. good.¡± Bruce was also inexplicably nervous as he asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes is haunted by resentment which is why she has nightmares every night.¡± ¡°So what do we do now?¡± ¡°This thing has too much resentment. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to get¡­¡± Mr. Lewis¡® face was solemn as he spoke, Bruce did not understand the professional jargon he was speaking. He only instructed anxiously, ¡°Mr. Lewis, don¡¯t worry and just do it. Money is not a problem.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get it done.¡± ¡°Prepare these things first.¡± Mr. Lewis instructed as he made a long list. ¡°Gael, go and prepare the things immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Mr. Lewis set up a formation, drew talismans, and offered sacrifices for the entire day. Joanna did not believe in such things either. However, Mr. Lewis was very famous. Many of his clients were rich people and celebrities. She had been sick for so long that she had no choice but to believe it. Needless to say! It was quite strange. After Mr. Lewis finished his ritual, Joanna really felt much better! That night, she did not have a nightmare. Seeing that she looked a little better and was sleeping soundly, Bruce asked. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°I feel much better today.¡± ¡°Damn, this Mr. Lewis is really something. Joanna smiled. She also felt that it was very magical! Previously, she had not been able to recover from her fever. She had seen all kinds of Eastern and Western medicine. Ordinary treatment methods could not cure her no matter what, and she kept having nightmares. Ever since Mr. Lewis finished his ritual, she stopped having nightmares anymore. She seemed to be much more rxed. ¡°Lilia has almost recovered as well. We have to take her to Gaprington for surgery as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Bruce, I want to take a visit to Venturas.¡± ¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed when he heard that. ¡°I was thinking that I haven¡¯t been to Venturas for a long time. I¡¯m still worried.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°No need!¡± Bruce frowned and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you going alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring a few more people.¡± ¡°Now that Ryan Haynes is dead, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll encounter that kind of problem again.¡± Bruce took a deep breath but did not stop her anymore. ¡°I sure hope so!¡± The next day. Joanna packed up and prepared to go to Venturas to visit Jaydon Grimm. Unexpectedly, as soon as she walked out of the door of Sherane Bay Vi, she saw Roxanne standing right outside the door. ¡°Stop the car,¡± Joanna instructed before quickly getting out of the car. ¡°Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Roxy, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Joanna frowned and asked, ¡°Waiting for me?¡± ¡°Bruce doesn¡¯t allow me to see you so I have no choice but to wait here.¡± ¡°How long have you been waiting?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here every day. I have no other way of meeting you except waiting outside here,¡± Roxanne cried. Chapter 427 ¡°Roxy¡­ ¡°Joanna, I don¡¯t dare to be alone at home. I¡¯m really scared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry now, I want to¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, are you still mad at me? You must still be angry with me. Otherwise, why are you not willing to talk to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me that you would persuade Bruce? Joanna, are you lying to me? Or are you worried that I will have bad intentions?¡± ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Joanna, please forgive me. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll go and die now.¡± As Roxanne spoke, she dropped to her knees in front of Joanna. ¡°Roxy, get up quickly. I¡¯ve really forgiven you.¡± ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll talk to Bruce.¡± ¡°Joanna, he won¡¯t listen to you! Bruce said that if I see you again, he¡¯ll send me to a mental hospital.¡± ¡°Joanna. I don¡¯t have a mental illness now. Please, I beg you. Please save me. Please don¡¯t let Bruce send me to a mental hospital.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get up. Don¡¯t worry! He won¡¯t do that with me around.¡± ¡°Boohoo, Joanna, I treated you like that in the past, but you¡¯re still willing to forgive me. I¡¯m really touched.¡± ¡°Get up first!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call Bruce now!¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 428 Chapter 428 ¡°No, if you call Bruce, he definitely won¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°If he gets angry, he might even send me to the mental hospital again¡± Roxanne cried pitifully and helplessly. Joanna could not help but frown. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Roxanne hesitated for a few seconds before saying, ¡°From now on. I want to stay by your side.¡± As she spoke, Roxanne threw herself into Joanna¡¯s arms and sobbed like a child, ¡°Joanna, boohoo¡­ Other than you, no one will care about me anymore!¡± Joanna froze. She was really powerless against Roxanne¡¯s pestering requests. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disturb your life at all. Just treat me as a servant, as though I¡¯m invisible. ¡°I¡¯m just too lonely. Every day when Ie home and look at the empty walls, I feel really afraid. ¡°I really don¡¯t know who else to go to except you.¡± Joanna patted her shoulderfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t cry now. I¡¯ll take care of you. If you¡¯re willing to stay by my side, I¡¯ll settle everything for you. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m going to Venturas now, and I might not be able to bring you there. Go home first¡­¡± When Roxanne heard this, she immediately interrupted Joanna, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go wherever you go. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you anymore.¡± ¡°Alright. Then get in the car.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you so much, Joanna.¡± Roxanne followed Joanna into the car as they traveled to Venturas together. Along the way, Roxanne acted like a homeless child who had suddenly found a home. She acted pitifully and cautiously. Seeing her like this, Joanna felt especially upset. Venturas. Marhall Hospital. ¡°Joanna. I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Just stay in the car.¡± ¡°I know Mr. Grimm after all. It¡¯s only right for me toe and see him as well.¡± When Joanna heard her words, she did not refuse anymore and simply said, ¡°Alright then.¡± Joanna and Roxanne got out of the car and hurried to the hospital ward. At the door of the ward, Orvin and a few bodyguards were standing guard. Joanna went straight over and greeted Orvin, ¡°Orvin, I¡¯m here to visit Jay!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, what are you doing here?¡± Joanna¡¯s face was filled with worry as she asked, ¡°I came to see how Jay is doing. Is he better?¡± A strange expression appeared on Orvin¡¯s face as he replied, ¡°Mr. Grimm is awake!¡± Joanna was overjoyed. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll go in and see him.¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, please wait for a moment. I¡¯d better go in and notify him of your visit!¡± Orvin said with a solemn expression. There was something strange about his expression. Joanna was stunned. The joy on her face immediately froze. In the past, when she came to see Jay, no one had ever stopped her. She guessed that Jay probably knew about her rtionship with Bruce and did not want to see her. However, things were really not like what others had said. She really had her reasons. Three minutester, Joanna waited uneasily at the door of the ward just as Orvin walked out again. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you cane in now, but you have to go in alone.¡± Just as Orvin said that, he blocked Roxanne from going into the ward. 1/3 10:46 Oh, alright. Roxy, just wait outside firstf ¡°I will, Joanna.¡± Joanna did not say anything else but hurried into the ward. In the ward. Jaydon had indeed already woken up and he was not in any more danger. He had almost recuperated fully and would be able to be discharged in another half a month. Joanna walked in front of the bed. When she saw Jaydon¡¯s slightly pale face, she could not hold back her tears. She took a few quick steps and threw herself at the head of the bed. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry! Thank god you¡¯re finally awake. Boohoo¡­¡± Joanna cried as she spoke. She felt especially dejected and emotional. She had too many things to say to him, but at this point, she did not know what else to say. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Jaydon¡¯s eyes were a little empty, and his voice was a little hoarse. He paused a little before questioning, ¡°Who are you? Do we know each other?¡± Boom! Joanna was still crying sadly but when she heard Jaydon¡¯s questions, it was as though a bomb had gone off in her head. She stared at Jaydon in shock. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m Joanna Haynes! Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes?¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes were still nk. He was looking at Joanna with an unfamiliar gaze. Joanna became even more agitated when he didn¡¯t seem to recognize her. She held his arm tightly and tried to ask again. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t you remember me? It¡¯s me. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry. I really am sorry.¡± ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t cry. I really do not remember who you are.¡± ¡°Jay, can you not scare me please? 1¡­¡± Joanna threw herself against the headboard and cried loudly. ¡°Miss. I¡¯m really sorry. I really don¡¯t know you,¡± Jaydon said and pressed the pager on the bed. In less than a minute, two medical staffs pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°I really don¡¯t know this youngdy. Please let her leave.¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m Joanna Haynes! How can you not recognize me?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart hurt so much that it felt like it was being cut by a knife. Tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. The medical staff looked at Joanna calmly and exined, ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mr. Grimm¡¯s brain nerves were damaged and he has lost his memories!¡± ¡°He lost his memories?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Grimm woke up a few days ago, but his memory hasn¡¯t recovered yet.¡± Joanna cried and asked in fear, ¡°Then when will Jay recover his memory?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm¡¯s cerebral nerve damage is very serious. There might be a possibility that he is not able to recover his memory for the rest of his life, or he might recover his memory after a while. We are not able toe to a conclusion at the moment.¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± Joanna had mixed feelings and did not know what to say. ¡°Ms. Haynes, Mr. Tim has said that since Mr. Grimm has lost his memories, you don¡¯t have to visit Mr. Grimm anymore.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart sank. She looked at Jaydon sadly and painfully. Jaydon looked at her with extremely unfamiliar eyes and simply stated, ¡°Miss, we may have known each other before, but ! don¡¯t remember anything now. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about the past anymore. You can leave too.¡± ¡°Jay, you really don¡¯t remember me? I¡¯m your¡­ fianc¨¦e!¡± Joanna said and couldn¡¯t help but cry again. Perhaps, she was not worthy of being his fianc¨¦e now. Or perhaps, he hated her so much that he pretended to have lost his memories. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please leave the hospital. Mr. Grimm has yet to recover from his brain damage. He can¡¯t be agitated!¡± ? 10:471 ¡°Mr. Grimm recovers his memories one day, he will definitely look for you himself. On the other hand, if he does not recover his memories, don¡¯t disturb his life again.¡± Orvin said coldly, When Joanna heard this, she felt even more ashamed. Orvin must have misunderstood that she had taken the initiative to return to Bruce¡¯s side. ¡°Jay, I¡¯ll take my leave first then?¡± Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Send Gift Comment Jaydon didn¡¯t react at all even after hearing her words. He didn¡¯t even look at her again. ¡°Jay, take care!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, this way please.¡± Joanna held back her sadness and walked out of the ward reluctantly. ¡°Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna sniffled. There was an indescribable sadness and destion on her face. Back in the car. Joanna was still drowning in sadness. She did not want to believe that Jaydon had lost his memories. She would rather believe that he could not forgive her and was unwilling to see her again. Roxanne took out two tissues and handed them to Joanna. ¡°Joanna, stop crying. It won¡¯t be good if your eyes got hurt from crying!¡± Joanna took the tissue and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m sad now so I just want to let it all out.¡± Roxanne looked around before she asked. ¡°Is it because of Mr. Grimm?¡± 1 heard from outside that the doctor said that Mr. Grimm had lost his memories. Is that true?¡± Joanna held her tears back and replied mncholically, ¡°It¡¯s true! He doesn¡¯t recognize me anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just as well anyway! Now that you are together with Mr. Everett, you won¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart ached even more. Jaydon had done so much for her, and she owed him too much. If it weren¡¯t for Bruce, she would have really been willing to spend the rest of her lifepensating Jaydon. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else. My heart is in a mess now so I just want to calm down!¡± Joanna stated as she leaned against the car seat and closed her eyes. When Roxanne saw this, she kept her mouth shut as asked. However, she could not help but sneer in her heart. Jaydon was Joanna¡¯s number one knight in shining armour. Him losing his memories was equivalent to Joanna losing her biggest protector. After Joanna had left! ¡°Mr. Grimm, it¡¯s time to take your medicine.¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes darkened as he cried out, ¡°Everyone, get out!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm¡­¡± ¡°I said get out!¡± ¡°Okay, alright!¡± The medical staff¡¯s did not dare to say anything else and quickly left the ward. After everyone in the ward left, Jaydon¡¯s face twisted into a painful expression. ¡°Joann, I don¡¯t know why you suddenly chose to return to Bruce, but I believe that you must have your difficulties. I also believe that you won¡¯t leave me when I¡¯m in danger.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ll definitely be heartbroken and you won¡¯t be able to face me! You¡¯ll probably even feel sorry for me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you sad, and I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult position. I¡¯m doing this to protect you for thest time.¡± After muttering to himself, Jaydon took a deep breath and his eyes turned red. He knew that with Bruce around, Joanna would not truly fall in love with him. He would rather choose to be her knight in shining armour forever. If he had not pretended to have lost his memories, Joanna would not be able to face him because of her guilt. His family would also put endless pressure on her. This was not the oue he had wanted to see. He had known Joanna since he was young and his feelings for her had long surpassed love. He was more like her family and her guardian. An hour and a halfter. Joanna returned to Greyport. 10:47 Joanna, are you sure you want to take me home?¡± Joanna looked at Roxanne sadly but replied firmly, ¡°Yes!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face turned pale. She said worriedly, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that Bruce will be unhappy!¡± When Joanna heard this, a strange smile appeared on her face as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t!¡± She was doing that precisely to make Bruce unhappy. She was going to do everything he didn¡¯t want her to do. Of course, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go against him openly. She was not nning to fight fire with fire but instead slice his heart slowly and gently. Since Roxanne was obviously scheming to stick to her to ruin her rtionship with Bruce, she naturally had to go with the flow. Roxanne was still acting innocent as she put on an innocent expression and spoke. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m still worried! Bruce hates me so much so he¡¯ll definitely be mad¡­¡± Joanna patted Roxanne¡¯s head gently and reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He won¡¯t be angry with me around.¡± Joanna, you¡¯re so nice to me!¡± While they spoke, the car had already driven into Sherane Bay Vi. The security guard at the gate opened the door and greeted respectfully, ¡°Hello, Ms. Haynes.¡± ¡°Silly girl, get off the car.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± When the bodyguard saw Roxanne, his expression changed in fear. He hurriedly went forward to stop her. ¡°Ms. Haynes, she can¡¯t go in.¡± Hearing this, Joanna frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has orders that Miss Roxanne is not allowed to enter the Everett family!¡± Joanna smiled and exined, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll talk to Bruce myself. I¡¯ll take responsibility if anything were to happen. You guys don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± The bodyguard was in a dilemma. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll call Bruceter. Just go do your thing!¡± ¡°Oh, alright then!¡± Joanna got out of the car and smiled at Roxanne as she said, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Roxanne still had a timid look on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s go ¡°Alright.¡± in then!¡± Roxanne got out of the car and looked around at everything that was once familiar to her. She wished she could immediately tear Joanna into pieces and burn her bones to ashes. Everything here should have belonged to her instead. She was supposed to be the queen of this ce, but now, all of this was snatched away by Joanna. She wasn¡¯t convinced and neither was she willing to give up. She vowed to take back everything that belonged to her. 6pm in the evening. Bruce had returned home on time. He had been in a bad mood all day and had been very unhappy. He knew Joanna had always cared about Jaydon. However, when he thought of this, he felt as if he had swallowed a fly. ¡°Are you off work?¡± ¡°Yes, why are you back so early today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll be worried!¡± Bruce took off his suit and hugged softly. Although he was unhappy, he tried his best to control his emotions. ¡°Dinner is ready. We can eat now.¡± ¡°You must be in a good mood to cook dinner personally today.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. A strange smile appeared on Joanna¡¯s lips as she denied, ¡°I¡¯m not the one who cooked today!¡± 10:471 Bruce snorted in disappointment as he said, ¡°I knew it. I knew you wouldn¡¯t be so nice to mel ¡°However, the dishes are all your favorites,¡± Joanna said as she smiled mysteriously. Then I¡¯m going to try it!¡± Joanna, Bruce.¡± Bruce heard the voice and turned around immediately. ¡°Roxanne, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Bruce, it was Joanna who brought me here¡­¡± Joanna looked at Bruce indifferently and said casually, ¡°I brought her in!¡± When Bruce heard this, he was so angry that his heart tensed as he questioned, ¡°Joanna, are you crazy? How could you bring her back?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my sister after all. She¡¯s homeless now and since dad has passed away, it¡¯s only right for me to take care of her, I want Roxy to live with us in the future.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was so angry that his lungs almost exploded. He had been in a rtionship with Roxanne for six years. Although the two of them did not have sleep with each other, no one in Greyport would think that their rtionship was pure. Send Gift Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Comment ¡°Joanna, do you have a brain?¡± ¡°Can you discuss this with me before you make decisions?¡± any ¡°Is there a need to discuss this?¡± Joanna purposely looked puzzled. Bruce took a deep breath. He was pissed off. ¡°Roxanne, leave. If you dare to appear in front of me again, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± When Roxanne heard this, he was so frightened that his face turned pale. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll leave right now¡­¡± ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t go.¡± As he spoke, Joanna stared coldly at Bruce. ¡°If you chase her away, I¡¯ll leave with her.¡± Bruce was so angry that he frowned. His handsome face was gloomy. He really couldn¡¯t understand what Joanna was thinking. Neither could he make out what she wanted to do. Roxanne such a scheming person had repeatedly harmed her. How could she keep a scourge by her side? Joanna, what are you thinking? Do you even have a brain? ¡°What will people think if she lives with us?¡± Joanna looked indifferent. ¡°Why should we care what others think? *Besides, there are many people ndering and spreading rumors. I don¡¯t even care anymore.¡± Bruce was exasperated. ¡°No, we can¡¯t let her stay here.¡± ¡°If you chase Roxy away, I¡¯ll go with her.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Joanna, do you have to make me angry?¡± ¡°If she lived here, people would think I have two lovers.¡± When Joanna heard this, she sneered and retorted, ¡°If I don¡¯t mind, what would you do?¡± Bruce felt stifled. If people were to discover that he had been involved with both Joanna and Roxanne simultaneously, they would undoubtedly perceive his private life as chaotic andplicated. He had always loved Joanna only. His past rtionship with Roxanne was merely a result of a misunderstanding. He had treated Roxanne as his savior. If he had known from the beginning that it was Joanna who saved him, he wouldn¡¯t have liked Roxanne. Bruce suppressed the anger in his heart and held her arms. ¡°Joanna, what exactly do you want to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything. Dad has passed away and Roxy is sick. As her sister, I should take care of her.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was even more furious. ¡°If you want to take care of her, we can give her money and hire someone else to take care of her. There¡¯s no need to let her into our lives.¡± ¡°There are already so many people in our lives. Adding Roxy into it wouldn¡¯t do no harm¡­ ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t even mind. Why are you so angry?¡± ¡°L¡­ ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t agree. She can¡¯t live with us.¡± Seeing that Bruce and Joanna were arguing more and more fiercely, Roxanne carefully interrupted, ¡°Joanna, I think I should leave. Don¡¯t argue because of me.¡± ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t leave. I promised our father to take care of you. ¡°Bruce, Roxy is just a girl. She has no one else now. Let her stay with us,¡± Joanna pleaded. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that something will happen between us again?¡± Bruce asked coldly in exasperation. Joanna looked at Bruce indifferently. ¡°Nope!¡± She couldn¡¯t wait for Bruce and Roxanne to get back together! If they got back together, she would be able to get rid of Bruce. 1/2 10:47 ¡°Joanna, you are crazy! Aren¡¯t you worried that she¡¯ll hurt the children?¡± ¡°Bruce, you and my sister¡¯s children are like my children. Why would I do anything to hurt them? ¡°I just want to have a ce to stay. I don¡¯t ask for anything else.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Roxanne was so scared that her entire body trembled and she couldn¡¯t help but cry. Joanna nced at Bruce coldly. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be so mean. You¡¯ll scare Roxy.¡± Then she said, ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t chase you away. If you have to leave, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Good, good! Joanna, you have guts.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯ve signed a contract. I¡¯m now ordering you to strictly fulfill your obligations under the contract. You¡¯re only my lover. You have no right to make decisions for the family.¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Bruce coldly. ¡°Alright! Since you¡¯ve said so, chase her away!¡± Joanna said and walked coldly to the bedroom. Seeing this, Bruce felt his heart was about to explode. It was really difficult to coax Joanna when she was angry. Sometimes, The was really afraid of her. ¡°Joanna, listen to me. That¡¯s not what I meant. Seeing that she was really angry, Bruce hurriedly chased after her. ¡°You¡¯ve already said that I¡¯m only your lover. I have no voice in the family. What else can I say? Sir!¡± Joanna was almost mocking him. ¡°You know perfectly well that¡¯s not what I meant. I just don¡¯t want her to live with us. ¡°Of course, if you insist on letting her stay, then okay. But she can¡¯t stay in Sherane Bay Vi.¡± Send Gift Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Then where do you want her to live?¡± Bruce frowned and said unwillingly, ¡°Let her stay in the front pavilion!¡± Joanna¡¯s expression changed. ¡°That¡¯s where the servants live. How can you let Roxy stay with the servants?¡± ¡°If she wants to stay, she can only stay with the servants. Living with us is absolutely impossible.¡± Joanna choked and looked at Roxanne helplessly. ¡°Roxy¡­¡± Roxanne quickly added, ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s okay. This way, I can see you every day. I don¡¯t mind living with the servants. They¡¯ll keep mepany.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was still ugly. ¡°Roxanne, I¡¯m warning you. If you dare to have any ill intentions, I won¡¯t pull any punches. You¡¯ll pay a heavy price.¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t worry. I just want to stay with my sister. I don¡¯t mean anything else! ¡°I just want to see her every day.¡± Bruce had no time to listen to her. ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Then he said to Lilian, ¡°Go prepare a room for her.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett, Lilian replied upon hearing the order. Then she turned to Roxanne and said, ¡°Miss Roxanne, please follow me.¡± Joanna was worried that Roxanne would be angry, so sheforted her worriedly, ¡°Roxy, go with Lilian! Stay here for the time being and we¡¯ll make arrangementster.¡± ¡°Roxanne, don¡¯t worry! This is more than enough for me.¡± ¡°I am sorry, Roxy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, sister. I¡¯ll be fine, seriously.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Roxanne,¡± Lilian said. Roxanne and Lilian left. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. He said angrily, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and said nothing! ¡°Just wait and see. Roxanne will definitely not behave herself. When something happens in the future, don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t regret it.¡± Bruce gritted his teeth. He was so angry that he could not speak. ¡°Now, can we have dinner?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite anymore. Enjoy yourself,¡± Bruce said and went upstairs angrily. In the front pavilion. ¡°Miss Roxanne, this way please.¡± Lilian brought Roxanne to the servants¡® dormitory. The front pavilion of Sherane Bay Vi was the ce where the servants lived. There were many servants in the Everett family, and most of them lived here. Lilian took out her key and opened one of the rooms. ¡°This will be your room from now on. Let me know if you need. anything. Roxanne walked in and looked around the room. It looked a bit crowded. Although it was also very clean, it was for servants after all. So it was small and simple. Roxanne had grown up in a rich family. She had never stayed in such a small room. ¡°Thank you!¡± Roxanne squeezed out a fake smile. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lilian smiled politely and then she left the room, leaving Roxanne alone. Roxanne sat on the bed with resentment in her heart. She was supposed to be the hostess of this ce and enjoy everything here. 10:471 But now, she had to stay in the servant¡¯s room. How could she be willing to reconcile? Joanna, Bruce, just you wait. One day, I will take back everything that belongs to me.¡± She thought. At night. When Joanna returned to the room, Bruce had already fallen asleep angrily. Seeing this, Joanna did not care too much. Shey down beside him and prepared to sleep. ¡°Joanna, go to Gaprington next month for Lilia¡¯s surgery.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Go to sleep!¡± Bruce was furious. How could he fall asleep? He turned over and dragged Joanna over. ¡°Ah, can you be gentler?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Joanna, you¡¯ve really made me too angry today. I have to punish you.¡± Bruce said angrily and bit her Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. shoulder. ¡°Ah. it hurts!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t suffer, you won¡¯t learn¡­¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he began the abuse. Joanna knew that he was angry, so she did not dare to resist and let him do whatever he wanted. In the front pavilion, when the servants saw that Roxanne had also moved in, they were all shocked. ¡°Oh my god, why is Miss Roxanne living here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t know what Miss Haynes is thinking. She actually agreed to Miss Roxanne moving into the Everett family. That is too risky!¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne and Mr. Everett have been in a rtionship for six years. If they live together, they might have an affair again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Miss Roxanne looks pure, but she¡¯s actually very dirty. She must have slept with countless men.¡± ¡°Stop talking. It¡¯s none of our business anyway.¡± Regarding the matter of Roxanne moving into the Everett family, the servants could not help but discuss it. The next day. Joanna had been tortured badlyst night. When she woke up in the morning, her body was about to fall apart. She went downstairs. Roxanne was already standing in the living room and greeting her. ¡°Good morning, Joanna!¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± Davian and Irvin Haynes also came out of their rooms. When they saw Roxanne, they were also shocked. ¡°Mommy, why is this bad woman in our house?¡± Irvin said angrily, ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s a badass. She almost killed Mommy. Get her out of our house.¡± When Joanna heard this, her expression changed. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t be so rude. She¡¯s your aunt.¡± ¡°Hiph, she isn¡¯t!¡± ¡°This bad woman is not worthy of being our aunt. Mommy, chase her away. We don¡¯t want to see her.¡± Roxanne stood there in embaressement. Joanna quickly walked down the stairs and patted her shoulder gently tofort her. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t take offense. The children are still young. They don¡¯t know what they are saying.¡± Roxanne smiled and tried her best to put on a harmless expression. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t take it personally. They are just kids.¡± ¡°Sit down and have breakfast!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The two little guys ran straight into the dining room to eat breakfast, paying no more attention to Roxanne. Bruce went downstairs. After ncing at Roxanne from the corner of his eye, his expression became even worse. 10:47 Good morning. Daddy!¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± Bruce replied in a muffled voice and walked out with his long legs. Irvin ttered his daddy. ¡°Daddy, aren¡¯t you going to eat breakfast? There¡¯s your favorite foie gras sandwich!¡± Tll skip it!¡± Bruce replied resentfully and strode away. He didn¡¯t even want to look at Roxanne, let alone eat at the same table as her. Joanna had been tortured badlyst night. She was angry at Bruce and could not be bothered to care if he had breakfast. She just took care of the children and quickly ate breakfast. ¡°Hurry up and eat. After that, we¡¯ll go to kindergarten. ¡°Okay!¡± The two little guys each ate a foie gras sandwich, drank a ss of milk, and ate half an orange. ¡°We¡¯re full!¡± ¡°Did you bring your bag?¡± ¡°Yup! We¡¯re all ready to go.¡± ¡°Young gentlemen, this way please!¡± The driver called out to Davian and Irvin. Joanna also sent the two little guys to the car and waved goodbye to them. ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± ¡°Bye, baby.¡± Bang! The driver closed the door and drove away. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t care about them. They won¡¯t be rude to you once they get to know you better.¡± Roxanne smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Did you sleep wellst night? Are you used to your room?¡± Joanna asked with concern. ¡°Yup. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good! If you need anything, let me know. I¡¯ll do my best to help you. You¡¯re living there only for now. I¡¯ll get you a new ce as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Thank you, Joanna. You are so nice to me.¡± ¡°Silly girl!¡± As the two of them spoke, they walked towards the dining room. ¡°Let me do it!¡± Roxanne proposed to do the dishes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just leave it to the servants.¡± ¡°But I have to do something. I¡¯ll feel embarrassed if I just idle around.¡± Joanna was taken aback, but she couldn¡¯t find any suitable work for Roxanne. Their household was already well¨Cstaffed, with all tasks efficiently managed. There simply wasn¡¯t a role for Roxanne to fulfill. ¡°How about¡­ arranging flowers! Don¡¯t you know how to arrange flowers?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± The garden was filled with all kinds of flowers. Other than that, there was also a greenhouse filled with all kinds of precious flowers. Joanna cut some flowers with Roxanne and began to put them in vases. Roxanne quickly inserted a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Joanna, how does it look?¡± ¡°Nicel¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ce it in your room? I believe it will bring you joy.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chapter¨C432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter¨C432 Joanna had to admit that Roxanne¡¯s floristry was outstanding. The vase was very beautiful, looking like a fine art. ¡°It¡¯s fabulous!¡± Joanna could not help but praise again. ¡°Joanna, are you interested in learning more about floristry? I can teach you!¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! I¡¯m not interested in these things.¡± ¡°I understand. You are someone who aplishes great things. Your focus lies solely in business,¡± Roxanne acknowledged. ¡°Am I? Nah Joanna said and sighed deeply. Inparison, Roxanne had a much happier childhood than her. Shaun and Ingrid had spent a lot of money on training Roxanne into ady. No one really paid attention to Joanna, on the other hand. So she had never forged an interest in art. She spent all her time studying in her teenage years andter when she became an adult, she focused on making money. Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already one in the afternoon! A car horn sounded outside the door. ¡°Who¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Would it be Bruce?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out and check it out!¡± When Joanna and Roxanne went to the yard, they saw two little boys running over happily. ¡°Mommy, w finished school!¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°Why did ss end so early today?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is the weekend. So we had only half day of ss.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Davian said before entering the house to change his clothes, ¡°Mommy, the weather is so good today. We want to go riding a horse!¡± Irvin was even more excited as he said, ¡°We have no homework this week. We can have fun. ¡°We have to practice riding. Mommy, go with us!¡± The two young ones had recently discovered the thrill of horseback riding and found it immensely captivating. Whenever they had free time, they would eagerly head out to practice their newfound skill. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Roxy,e with us!¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°Okay, so now, go change your clothes.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The two little guys quickly ran back to their room to change their clothes. Fifteen minutester. Joanna and Roxanne and the children arrived at the racecourse. The two little fellows changed into their knight uniforms excitedly and asked the horse trainer to bring the horses out of the stable. After a period of training, the two little fellows could already ride on their own. ¡°Roxy, do you want to try?¡± When Roxanne heard this, her eyes lit up. ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to ride a horse?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t ridden for a long time. I¡¯ve forgotten how to ride it!¡± 1/5 10:471 That¡¯s good. You can practice today.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Joanna.¡± Soon! Roxanne chose a horse. Under the guidance of the horse trainer, she circled the horse farm, looking especially excited. ¡°Joanna, aren¡¯t you going to have a try?¡± Joanna smiled and shook her head. She had no interest in riding. Some time ago. Brice took her on a horse and galloped wildly. She was freaked out. ¡°Then I¡¯ll enjoy myself.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± Roxanne let go of the horse¡¯s reins and squeezed the horse¡¯s stomach. The horse spread its four hooves and ran around the horse farm. Joanna sat at the side and watched in boredom. Her mind was wandering! Just as she was in a daze, she suddenly heard a scream. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanna was shocked and quickly went to check where was the sound from. Holy shit! Davian was lying on the horse¡¯s back and shouting in panic. The two horse trainers had already ridden to chase after Davian¡¯s horse. Joanna¡¯s heart instantly rose to her throat when she saw this. ¡°Davian!¡± Davian¡¯s horse lost control and started galloping around the racecourse. ¡°Davian, hold tight to the reins!¡± ¡°Mr. Davian!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Davian cried out and then fell off the horse¡¯s back. ¡°Davian!¡± Joanna panicked and quickly ran towards Davian. Davian fell to the ground and rolled a few times. Fortunately, the grass was soft and he did not hit her head. ¡°Ah! I think my hand is broken. It hurts.¡± Davian cried in pain. ¡°Tll bring you to the hospital¡­¡± Joanna and the two horse trainers were terrified and hurriedly sent Davian to the hospital. Beep! When Joanna arrived at the hospital, she hurriedly called Bruce. Bruce was in a meeting. When he heard Joanna¡¯s phone ring, he quickly picked it up. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Bruce,e to the hospital quickly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Davian identally fell off his horse and fractured his arm.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Come to the hospital quickly.¡± ¡°Alright, Lunderstand!¡± Bruce did not care about the meeting. He gave his secretary an order and left conference room. Twenty minutester, Bruce arrived at the hospital in a hurry. At Marhall Hospital. ¡°Where¡¯s Davian?¡± ¡°Davian¡¯s hand is fractured. He¡¯s in the ward now.¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How did this happen?¡± 10-4 Joanna¡¯s face was also pale. She said in a worried voice, ¡°The horse suddenly lost control and ran around the field.Then Davian fell down.¡± ¡°These horses are professionally trained. How could they lose control for no reason? ¡°Who did they go to the racecourse with? ¡°Did Roxanne go as well?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed. He was the first to suspect Roxanne. ¡°No, Roxy wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± As he spoke, the doctor walked out of the ward. The two of them could not be bothered to argue and hurriedly went up to ask, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s Davian?¡± ¡°Mr. Davian¡¯s left arm is fractured. It¡¯s already fixed. He has to rest well for the time being.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two of them hurriedly entered the ward. ¡°Davian!¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy!¡± ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± ¡°Yes, it hurts!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Roxanne must leave. She must be behind this!¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be so suspicious. I was there when Davian got hurt! Why didn¡¯t you suspect ¡°Joanna, are you serious?¡± that i it was me?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, alright, stop using others! This has nothing to do with Roxy!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Do you think she will tell you tantly that she wanted to harm someone? Would she do it in front of you? She must have done it somewhere we can¡¯t see.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and ignored him. Bruce also red at Joanna angrily! ¡°Since we are in the hospital today. Let¡¯s go take a look at Lilia.¡± In the children¡¯s ward! ¡°Lilia!¡± ¡°Mommy, Daddy, Davian.¡± ¡°Feeling better today?¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m much better now. The doctor said that I can be discharged in a few days.¡± ¡°Davian, what happened to you?¡± ¡°I fell off my horse and broke my hand!¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yea, I am fine, Lilia.¡± ¡°Mommy, why is she here?¡± Lilia looked terrified when she saw Roxanne. ¡°She¡¯s your au¨ª.¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m scared!¡± ¡°Why? You are safe.¡± Roxanne¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯d better go out first.¡± ¡°Yea. Why don¡¯t you wait at the door?¡± At the door of the ward, Bruce asked, ¡°Roxanne, was it you?¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t nder me! I am not crazy. Why would I hurt Davian?¡± ¡°Why are you panicking? I was just asking!!¡± ¡°Bruce, I know you hate me. And I don¡¯t dare to ask for your forgiveness. But it wasn¡¯t me this time.¡± ¡°Since you know that I hate you, you should get lost. 10-475 ¡°If you are smart enough, you should go and tell Joarma that you want to leave!¡± Bruce¡­ Roxanne¡¯s eyes widened! ¡°Crack!¡± Joanna came out of the ward, only to see Roxanne standing there in terror, her eyes red. Bruce looked gloomy. ¡°Roxy? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I am fine!¡± ¡°Bruce, did you say something to Roxy?¡± ¡°No!¡± Bruce looked innocent. His rtionship with Joanna had finally eased a little. He did not want it to be ruined again. ¡°Then let¡¯s go back!¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go back!¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Got it, Mommy!¡± In the car. The atmosphere was extremely strange. Roxanne sat in the passenger seat, while Bruce and Joanna in the back! ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as painful as before!¡± ¡°Why would you fall off a horse suddenly?¡± ¡°Bruce, what do you mean by that? I told you it was an ident. ¡°Do you understand what an ident is? Were you listening to me?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I be worried about my son?¡± Joanna decided to ignore him. Send Gift Comment Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Bruce¡¯s face clouded with a somber expression as he lit a cigarette and took a deep, contemtive drag. ¡°Hey, can you not smoke in the car? It¡¯s really irritating and makes it hard to breathe.¡± Bruce cast an irritated nce and rolled his eyes in response. Though he was tempted to unleash his anger, he managed to control it and then put out the cigarette. He thought. ¡°This damn woman never knows when to stop!¡°. She was fearless now. She even dared to order him to do things. It was all because she knew that he was under her control because of love. She must have been spoiled. She wouldn¡¯t dare to act like this before. After Bruce obediently extinguished the cigarette, Joanna paid no more attention to him. She lowered her head and looked at Davian, feeling sorry for him as she uttered, ¡°I am afraid you can¡¯t ride horses for a while. Do you hear me? It was so dangerous!¡± Davian replied stubbornly, ¡°No, I like riding horses.¡± ¡°Look at your arm. It¡¯s broken! How are you going to ride horses again?¡± Davian did not answer. He looked up at Bruce. ¡°Daddy, have you ever fallen off your horse when you first learned to ride?¡± Bruce straightened his back and said disdainfully, ¡°Heh, will your father be as useless as you?¡± ¡°Useless thing. You¡¯re as stupid as your mommy.¡± Bruce vented his anger on his son. Davian didn¡¯t expect this answer. His little face, which was like a bun, was tense. He regretted having asked his daddy this question. Joanna red at him angrily. Bruce¡¯s words had killed the conversation and made the atmosphere in the car more tense. Joanna hugged his son. ignoring Bruce. For a moment, nobody spoke in the car. Bruce also realized that he was too mean just now. He tried to ease the atmosphere by saying, ¡°What are we eating tonight?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She did not want to talk to him. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± Bruce poked Joanna with his elbow, Joanna replied angrily, ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not a chef. I¡¯ll eat whatever the servant does!¡± Bruce was rejected. ¡°You¡¯re really terrible. Is this how you treat me as a¡­¡± He wanted to say ¡°lover¡± but he didn¡¯t dare to. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. I¡¯m very annoyed now.¡± Joanna¡¯s face was also gloomy. She knew very well how to be his lover. She needed to please Bruce making him stuck in love. However, she just couldn¡¯t talk to him calmly. She couldn¡¯t even pretend. ¡°What about spaghetti? You haven¡¯t cooked it for a while. Why don¡¯t we have spaghetti today!¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the boss. Of course, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like this, okay?¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re making me very angry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you like to get angry! A gentleman would never get mad for such a small matter. It isn¡¯t worth it. ¡°You¡¯re not the emperor. Why acting like one?¡± Joanna retorted bluntly. Bruce was stunned! This was the first time someone had dissed him so bluntly. If it was someone else, he would let the person regret what they said. But he was slowly getting used to Joanna¡¯s cold words. Roxanne said timidly, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t say that about Bruce! ¡°Bruce is under a lot of pressure at work. It¡¯s inevitable that he has a temper¡­¡± Bruce did not appreciate her kindness at all. Before she could finish, she said, ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m talking to Joanna. Who are you to interrupt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face turned pale and she quickly shut her mouth. Things were different now. She was no longer his lover. No matter what she said, he would only find it annoying. They went back to Sherane Bay Vi. Roxanne also got out of the car and carefully followed Joanna. She quickly helped Davian. ¡°Joanna, let me do it!¡± Bruce looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°I told you not to appear in front of me!¡± ¡°You can meet Joanna when I¡¯m not at home. When I am at home, you should go back to the servants¡® dormitory.¡± ¡°I got it, Bruce.¡± Roxanne¡¯s little face turned pale as she answered submissively. ¡°Also, don¡¯t call me Bruce. It¡¯s better to call me Mr. Everett ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± After saying that, Bruce grabbed Joanna¡¯s shoulder and walked into the house. Joanna couldn¡¯t stand his heartless behavior. ¡°Bruce, do you have to treat Roxy like this?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°She has no one to rely on now. We should help her¡­¡± Bruce was annoyed. ¡°Why should I help her? ¡°Joanna, stop acting like an angel. She doesn¡¯t deserve your sympathy. She is tasting her own medicine right now. ¡°Also, being kind to your enemy is the same as being cruel to yourself. In the 21st century, those who made mistakes will be punished. ¡°Have you forgotten the pain she had caused you? Be careful of one day she will hurt you again. By that time, you will regret what you are doing today.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was burning with anger when she heard his speech. ¡°Alright! I¡¯m acting like an angel. I forgot the pain she caused me. I¡¯ll regret it one day. But so what? I do what I feel like to do!¡± Send Gift Chapter 434 Chapter 434 GAD Comment ¡°Are you angry? Bravo! That¡¯s perfect! ¡°Do you know the biggest difference between humans and animals?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Humans have sympathy, but animals don¡¯t. Roxanne is my half¨Csister. Even if I don¡¯t like her, I can¡¯t watch her die or live in pain. ¡°By forgiving others, you are also forgiving yourself. I don¡¯t care how she will treat me. It doesn¡¯t affect how fam treating her now. And I will not change the way I treat people for others¡® mistakes.¡± ¡°So stop saying I am acting like an angel. I¡¯m just sick of scheming¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Bruce was stunned. It took him a moment toe back to his senses. He liked Joanna for her tenacious and unique personality. ¡°Nice! I like your personality.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was extremely speechless. ¡°Bruce, I now realize that you¡¯re really sick, seriously sick.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Yes, I¡¯m sick and you have medicine. We¡¯re a perfect match.¡± Joanna was at a loss for words. Roxanne returned to the servants¡® dormitory. Beep! Her phone rang. Roxanne nced at the caller ID and picked up the call with a dark expression. ¡°Hello¡­¡± A deep and hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Upon hearing this, Roxanne let out a scornfulugh. ¡°Oh, please! Gaining their trust isn¡¯t a piece of cake. Nothing significant has truly changed. Just sit tight and be patient!¡± There was a pause of more than ten seconds on the other end of the line before the person finally spoke up. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you another two weeks. Once this task is sessfullypleted, you¡¯ll be rewarded ordingly.¡± Roxanne smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Even if I don¡¯t get any benefits, I will still do it.¡± ¡°I hope we work well together!¡± ¡°Of course, we will.¡± The call finished. A trace of ruthlessness appeared in Roxanne¡¯s eyes. ¡°To ruin you guys, I¡¯ll do anything. Bruce, I¡¯ll destroy you! ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret your choice.¡± the Everett Group was now investing in a new real estate development project. This project was a huge investment. If it seeded, Bruce would be the most wealthy man in the country. Naturally, many people were watching such a good project. Regardless of the factors, Bruce was confident to win. For hispetitors, to get this project, they had to destroy Bruce, although it would be a very dangerous approach. The fastest way now was to collect evidence of Bruce¡¯s crimes and bribery. Everyone had a stain, especially those who worked in the business world. No one would be innocent. Even Bruce wouldn¡¯t get away with a detailed investigation. Being at the top inevitably invited him enemies. It was not impossible to destroy him as long as they had enough evidence. In the living room. Seeing that Bruce and Joanna were back, Irvin ran over to wee them. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, Davin!¡± ¡°Hey, Irvin!¡± Seeing that Davian¡¯s arm was splinted, Irvin felt deeply sorry for him. ¡°Davin, does your arm still hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It hurts a little.¡± ¡°Irvin, be careful, don¡¯t touch my arm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I will be careful!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Seeing that Bruce¡¯s face was dark, Irvin ttered him again. ¡°Wow, Daddy, you¡¯re so handsome today!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyelids sank. He nced at him and said, ¡°Leave me alone. Don¡¯t bother me.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Irvin ran away width his tongue hanging out. Bruce had never been patient with his two sons. Of course! This was the way he got along with them. Deep inside, he loved his sons very much, although the way he expressed his love was a bit different from that of ordinary people. ¡°Joanna. I¡¯m hungry. Go cook the spaghetti.¡± Joanna snorted. ¡°Got it, your majesty!¡± Bruce burst outughing. Joanna¡¯s expression was obviously very unfriendly, but he liked it when she scold him. The more she scolded him, the happier he was. Joanna went upstairs to change her clothes and then went into the kitchen. There were three chefs in the Everett family, all of which were top five¨Cstar chefs. However, Bruce liked to eat the food that Joanna made. He liked both roasted turkey and dumplings. Twenty minutester. Joanna brought the spaghetti out from the kitchen. ¡°Here you go!¡± ¡°Hmm, where are the tableware?¡± Bruce sat at the dining table, looking like an emperor who needn¡¯t do anything by himself. Joanna took a deep breath and stuffed the fork into his hand. ¡°Shall I feed you?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m not a cripple.¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, time to eat.¡± ¡°Oh, on my way.¡± The family of four sat around the dining table and began to eat. Joanna and the children ate the dishes made by the chef, while Bruce ate the spaghetti made by Joanna. ¡°Davian, can you use the fork? Let me feed you.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just use a spoon!¡± Determined on eating by himself, Davian picked up a spoon and started eating. ¡°Have some sea cucumbers. It¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Mommy, can I have some too?¡± Irvin asked. ¡°Alright, here you go.¡± Joanna put a piece of sea cucumber into Irvin¡¯s te. Seeing this, Bruce said, ¡°Honey, can I have some too?¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 435 Chapter 435 ¡°Can¡¯t you help yourself?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t reach it!¡± Joanna was speechless. She could only pick up another piece of sea cucumber and put it to Bruce¡¯s bowl. ¡°Thank you, honey!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Bruce Everett, watch yournguage. I¡¯m not your honey.¡± Bruce snorted. ¡°Can you stop calling me by my full name in the future? It sounds like we are strangers.¡± ¡°So what do you want me to call you? Boss? Or Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you always call me Bruce in the past? Why do you have to add my surname when you call me now?¡± Joanna fiddled with the food in her bowl and didn¡¯t bother herself to answer his question. She called him by his full name because she didn¡¯t want to be too close to him. Bruce frowned slightly and ordered, ¡°In the future, you have to call me Hubby!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ Joanna rolled her eyes in disgust. She no longer loved him. How could she possibly call him Hubby? Seeing that she didn¡¯t like the idea, Bruce was extremely angry. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°s!¡± Joanna sighed deeply, not knowing what to say. ww Irvin looked at Bruce and Joanna sneakily and blinked his dark eyes. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, when are you going to remarry?¡± He was good at reading people¡¯s expressions and he knew how to tter his daddy. Naturally, he had to help his daddy. Joanna was stunned. ¡°Davian, do you also want to see Daddy and Mommy¡¯s wedding?¡± Davian was stunned for two seconds before saying, ¡°That¡¯s right. We weren¡¯t present when Daddy and Mommy got married for the first time. When Daddy and Mommy get married again, we have to celebrate!¡± Davian didn¡¯t like Bruce at the beginning. However, after spending some time together, he realized that other than making his beloved mommy angry, his daddy was quite qualified in other aspects. When Bruce heard this, he smiled praisingly at the two boys for the first time. Joanna¡¯s face darkened and she said sternly, ¡°Shut up and eat! If you speak more nonsense, I will be angry.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The two little guys didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. Bruce did not dare to joke anymore either. The three of them started eating. After dinner! Joanna returned to the bedroom and prepared to take a shower before sleeping. Beep! The phone rang. ¡°Hey, Cora!¡± Cora¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes¡­¡± Coca paused and hesitated! Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to Greene Town again?¡± ¡°Oh, no, no. Everything¡¯s fine here at Greene Town.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the matter?¡± Joanna was still a little flustered. She hadn¡¯t been to Mossbourne for nearly two months. She didn¡¯t know the situation of the factory and Cora stuttered for a while. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡­ I¡¯m getting married. ¡°That¡¯s why I called you to inform you. Oh, don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t affect my work.¡± ¡°Married?¡± Joanna was stunned. Cora had never had a boyfriend. It was quite sudden for her to get married so suddenly. Joanna asked with concern. ¡°Marry whom?¡± ¡°Brother Trumpet.¡± ¡°Brother Trumpet?¡± Joanna was even more surprised. ¡°Yes, on the fifth of next month, we¡¯re going to get the marriage license. Then, we¡¯ll treat our rtives and friends to a meal and hold a simple wedding. May 1 take a week off next month for my honeymoon?¡± Joanna reacted and hurriedly sent her blessings. ¡°You¡¯re married to Brother Trumpet. Congrattions! ¡°That¡¯s quite sudden. I never expected it. However, congrattions. Cora smiled shyly and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m not young anymore. Since I¡¯ve met the right person, I want to get married as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Then congrattions! Enjoy your honeymoon.¡± ¡°Yup. By the way, Miss Haynes, are youing to our wedding?¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t answer you now. I¡¯ll check my schedule and tell youter.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Joanna didn¡¯t want to go, but Bruce was a domineering bastard. He might not let her go. ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Okay, bye.¡± The call ended. Joanna was still a little surprised that Cora was getting married so soon. But in fact, Cora and Brother Trumpet had known each other for quite a while. She had worked with Trumpet for a mediapany a year ago. Cora had been promoted to vice president for almost eight months, during which time, she had been staying with Brother Trumpet. So it was normal for them to get married. However, no one even knew that they were dating. So their suddenly getting married was still surprising. ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Cora!¡± ¡°Why is she calling? I hear something about marriage on the phone. Who¡¯s getting married?¡± *Cora and Brother Trumpet. Bruce, I want to go to their wedding next month!¡± Bruce raised an eyebrow. ¡°Brother Trumpet? The influencer?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him.¡± Bruce snorted. ¡°Interesting!¡± ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°I am being happy for them!¡± ¡°Can I go to their wedding?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and looked straight at Joanna. ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°Two days at most!¡± Bruce frowned and looked reluctant. ¡°So you¡¯ll be absent from me for two days? ¡°How are you going to make it up to me?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that she almost choked. ¡°Bruce, are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Joanna, are you kidding me? I am your boss now. Please, you¡¯re very expensive! ¡°After two years, you¡¯ll have to take billions of dors from me. In other words, each of your days costs hundreds of thousands of dors. I¡¯m not that generous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m speechless!¡± Joanna was so angry that she had nothing to say. ¡°What? Are you angry?¡± Joanna thought. ¡°How could I not be angry?¡± ¡°How about this? If you behave well and make me happy, I might agree to let you go.¡± Tm sorry, I won¡¯t!¡± Then it¡¯s not negotiable.¡± ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t gol¡± Joannay on the bed angrily, toozy to take a shower. ¡°Are you really angry?¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really boring. Can you stop annoying me?¡± ¡°Hehe, why don¡¯t you call me something nice? That should be okay, right?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you want to hear?¡± ¡°What do you think is nice?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes resentfully. She knew he just wanted to hear her call him Hubby. Although she hated to do so, Joanna still called out, ¡°Hubby! Is that enough?¡± When Bruce heard this, he snickered in his heart. However, he looked indifferent. ¡°Who asked you to call me this?¡± ¡°So what do you want to hear?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Call me Daddy!¡± Puff! Joanna instantly widened her eyes and looked at Bruce as if she was looking at a monster. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 This bastard actually took advantage of her ethically. Moreover, her father had only passed away less than two months ago, and she was still immersed in sorrow. Looking at Joanna¡¯s reddened eyes, Bruce realized that his joke had gone too far. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly changed the topic. ¡°I was just joking with you!¡± Joanna did not find it funny at all. ¡°Bruce, do you think this joke is funny?¡± ¡°I was really joking with you. Okay. You can go to the wedding.¡± Bruce quickly tried to make up for the situation. Joanna felt a lump in her throat. Her eyes could not help but turn red. She knew her father had never loved her. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. But before her father died, she at least had a family. Now, both of her parents were gone. Bruce felt very guilty in his heart. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Arrogant as he was, it was rare for him to apologize. Joanna closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t want any more arguments. Bruce apologized to her by himself! She shouldn¡¯t expect more. Otherwise, she would be more disappointed. That night, Bruce tried his best to please her. He was much more gentle and considerate in bed. The next day. Joanna got up early in the morning and prepared to send the children to school. Although she did not have to do it herself, she wanted to spend as much time with the children as possible. ¡°Put your things on. I will send you to the car.¡± She only needed to send the children to the garage. ¡°Davian doesn¡¯t go to school. Can I stay at home too?¡± Seeing that Davian had taken a leave from school, Irvin refused to go to kindergarten as well. Joanna¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Davian¡¯s arm was broken so he had to stay at home. You have no reason not to go to school.¡± Irvin pouted again. ¡°Can I take leave too? Mommy, I don¡¯t want to go to kindergarten.¡± ¡°You have to go to school. Be a good boy.¡± ¡°Mommy, just one day off. Irvin tried to wheedle. While he was making a fuss and refusing to go to school, Bruce came downstairs. ¡°Daddy¡¯sing down!¡± Bruce pulled a long face and looked down at Irvin. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Upon seeing Bruce, Irvin instantly became obedient. ¡°No, nothing! Good morning, Daddy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for kindergarten. Don¡¯t bete!¡± ¡°Oh, okay, I got it, Daddy.¡± Irvin picked up his bag and ran away as if he was on steroids. He knew how terrifying Bruce was when he got angry. Just thinking of it made him feel scared. Joanna was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t know what to say. She tried to persuade Irvin but in vain. However, Bruce persuaded him within just one sentence. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m going back to the office.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have it at thepany!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce put on his suit and stole a nce at Joanna¡¯s expression. Although he had tried his best to please herst night, he still felt a little uneasy. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry anymore.¡± Joanna pouted. ¡°I am not. Just leave!¡± ¡°Then give me a kiss.¡± Joanna raised her head slightly. Bruce lowered his head and kissed her. ¡°Alright! See you.¡± After Bruce left, Joanna helped Davian have breakfast. Roxanne only dared toe in after seeing Bruce¡¯s car leave. ¡°Rory!¡± ¡°Good morning. Joanna!¡± ¡°Sit down. Have breakfast with us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve had it with the servants.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a little bit sorry for Roxanne. She poured her a ss of fruit juice, ¡°Have a try. It¡¯s freshly made cherry juice.¡± Roxanne took the juice and sat down at the dining table. ¡°Joanna, how long has it been since you went to thepany?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been there in a while. Why?¡± Roxanne rolled her eyes. ¡°Nothing. I was just asking. ¡°I was thinking I should find a job, but I don¡¯t know what I can do yet. After saying that, Roxanne deliberately revealed a trace of worry. ¡°Looking for a job?¡± Joanna looked at Roxanne in disbelief. Ever since graduation. Roxanne had been working hard to marry into a rich family. She had not worked a single day. Why did she suddenly want to find a job? ¡°Yup. Dad is gone now. I have to support myself. I don¡¯t want to be your burden forever. ¡°So I want to find a job before I am old so as to support myself and to kill the boredom.¡± When Joanna heard this, she agreed. ¡°That¡¯s nice. So have you thought of what to do?¡± ¡°Nope yet. But I guess I¡¯d better do financial management. You know, that was my major in college.¡± When Joanna heard this, she subconsciously frowned. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a job in this field. Although Roxanne graduated from a prestigious university, she had no working experience, which financial management required. Moreover, she would have to start from the basics. The higher¨Cups were all elites who had been v time! ¡°Joanna, is it hard to find such a job? ¡°I can start from the basics, Roxanne said as she stared at Joanna. who had worked for a long Actually, the purpose of her words was equivalent to telling Joanna that she wanted to work at the Everett Group. She hoped that Joanna would persuade Bruce as she knew once Joanna brought it up, Bruce wouldn¡¯t say no. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll see if I can help you.¡± Joanna looked at Roxanne thoughtfully. When Roxanne heard this, she was instantly delighted. ¡°Thank you, Joanna.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Have some juice!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Roxanne picked up the juice and took a sip. Davian watched coldly from the dining table. He did not like Roxanne at all. After drinking the fruit juice, Roxanne took the initiative to help the servants clean up the cutlery. Davian looked at Joanna with a serious expression. ¡°Mommy, I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Yes? What do you want to say? Tell me.¡± ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t you afraid she will do bad things?¡± Joanna was stunned. She looked at her son in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Mommy, have you heard the story of the farmer and the snake?¡± Joanna was even more confused. ¡°Yup. But why are you suddenly asking this?¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t like Roxanne,¡± Davian said coldly. ¡°She is your aunt. Have some respect.¡± 2/3 11:45 Davian continued with a serious expression, ¡°Mommy, I feel that she¡¯s using you. ¡°Hmph, I feel that she still has feelings for Daddy! She might even want to be our stepmother.¡± Joanna smiled gently. ¡°Davian, you¡¯re thinking too much!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking too much. Daddy¡­ is an outstanding man no matter what! It¡¯s normal for women to like him. Especially at scheming woman like her.¡± Davian said with a straight face. Joanna couldn¡¯t help butugh when she heard that. She rubbed her son¡¯s head and said, ¡°My baby boy, don¡¯t worry about us. I promise it will be alright. ¡°You just need to take care of yourself. Don¡¯t forget to take your medicer!¡± Seeing that his mother did not take him seriously at all, Davian looked at Joanna with a more serious expression. ¡°Mommy, are you really not worried that she will snatch Daddy away? She was Daddy¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend!¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Joannaughed helplessly, but her heart was filled with bitterness. She was with Bruce because they had signed a two¨Cyear contract. She would leave Bruce two yearster. And who he would be with after that had nothing to do with her. However, the children did not know about the contract. They thought that they had really gotten back together, so the three little fellows were very happy for them. ¡°Alright. I get what you¡¯re worried about. I will be careful.¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy. You have to be very careful. You must leave her no chance to get in between you and Daddy. We don¡¯t want a stepmother, especially not a vicious one like her.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Joanna smiled. However, deep inside, she felt a bit upset. She didn¡¯t know how was she going to tell the children the truth. She did not know if they would ept it two yearster. In the blink of an eye, a day had passed. At around six in the evening, Bruce returned. While eating, Joanna mentioned that Roxanne was looking for a job. ¡°Bruce, Roxy is looking for a job.¡± ¡°What trick is she ying time?¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned cold as he asked without raising his head. ¡°Tricks? She just wants to make a living.¡± Bruce put down his tableware and raised his eyebrows at Joanna. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Anyway, why don¡¯t you arrange a job for her?¡± Upon hearing this request, Bruce could not help but pout in displeasure. Roxanne just wanted to marry into a rich family. How could she focus on work? Even if she wanted to work hard, he would never let such a person be ¡°Can you help with it?¡± Joanna asked again. part of hispany. Send Gift Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Comment Bruce sneered in his heart. ¡°Sure! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange it.¡± Joanna reminded her again, ¡°Yes, if you can, find her an easy job. One that has room for promotion. ¡°She had no working experience. It can count as some sort of training.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The next day. After Bruce went to work, Roxanne couldn¡¯t wait toe over and ask Joanna about the job. ¡°Joanna, how is it? Have you found me a job?¡± Joanna took a sip of juice. ¡°Roxy, I¡¯ve already spoken to Bruce. He promised to arrange it for you.¡± ¡°Really? Roxanne¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Sure!¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Thank you, Joanna. Oh my god! I can work. I wish to build us a career just like you did.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Joanna sighed. She was indeed very hardworking and did a good job. If Bruce hadn¡¯t undermined her efforts and constantly hindered her progress, the Haynes Group could have thrived under her leadership. Unfortunately, this despicable Bruce had brought her down from her position as a strong and influential female leader. Joanna was a little annoyed and kept shaking the graphite in her hand. Roxanne looked at her curiously and asked, ¡°Joanna, what are you doing now?¡± ¡°Oh, I am making some flour with graphite.¡± Roxanne was puzzled. ¡°Flour? Why bother to do that? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just buy some?¡± ¡°Homemade flour tastes better. Bruce has a bad stomach.¡± ¡°You are so nice to him.¡± Roxanne braced herself to praise Joanna but her heart was filled with hatred. This could have been her thing to do. Bruce should have belonged to her. However, all of this was snatched away by Joanna. Roxanne hid the disappointment and hatred on her face and forced a smile. ¡°Joanna, let me help you!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you. You fill the wheat! I¡¯ll push the grindstone. It¡¯ll be faster.¡± Since she insisted, Joanna could only agree. ¡°Alright then!¡± Joanna stopped what she was doing and filled up some wheat. Roxanne helped turn the grindstone. She didn¡¯t understand why would Joanna do this. However, hand¨Cground flour did taste better. In the evening! After Bruce got off work, Joanna made him some noodles with freshly ground flour. Ever since Joanna moved to Sherane Bay Vi, he went home on time every day and stopped eating outside. ¡°Off work?¡± ¡°Yup¡­¡± ¡°Wash your hands. Dinner is ready¡± ¡°Did you cook today?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy made you handmade noodles today. She even made dumplings and pancakes for us.¡± Davian and Irvin sat around the dining table with eager expressions. ¡°Moreover, the flour was hand¨Cgrounded by Mommy. It¡¯s especially delicious.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was a little ttered. ¡°Wow, why are you so good today? You actually took the initiative to make me spaghetti, and you even grind the flour yourself? ¡®Did the sun rise from the west?¡± Joanna served the noodles and was toozy to argue with him. ¡°Bruce, did you find a job for Roxy?¡± When Bruce heard this, the smile on his face immediately disappeared. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re so good to me just to let me arrange a job for her?¡± ¡°Have you done it?¡± ¡°Yup! It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to my friend. Zachary has opened a new nightclub recently. She can work as the PR representative manager.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna was shocked. Her expression was a little ugly. The PR representative manager? What does it do? ¡°Besides, Zachary¡¯s nightclubs? How can Roxy work in a nightclub?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a nightclub, but there are many types of jobs in nightclubs. No everyone has to show up in front of people. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on this job. It pays well. It¡¯s also very challenging. If it weren¡¯t for me, my friend wouldn¡¯t have hired her.¡± Joanna frowned and was still a little dissatisfied. ¡°I mean, I wanted you to arrange a job for her at the Everett Group.¡± When Bruce heard this, he sneered. ¡°The Everett Group? That¡¯s not going to work. There¡¯s no suitable job for her.¡± ¡°The Everett Group is so big. There are so many departments. Can¡¯t you find her a ce?¡± Bruce shrugged and said arrogantly, ¡°The employees and management of the Everett Group are all the best elites. Even the interns are top students who graduated from famous universities. ¡°Roxanne doesn¡¯t meet the requirement.¡± ¡°Can you get her another job? If not¡­ just let her work in the Haynes Group!¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more impossible. She is not going to work for either the Everett Group or the Haynes Group.¡± Bruce rejected decisively! Roxanne¡¯s reputation was not good now. Everyone in Greyport knew that she was in a mental hospital. No be willing to hire such a person. ¡°Can¡¯t she even work for the Haynes Group?¡± Joanna was a little angry. ¡°No, she can work for the Garcia Group or she¡¯ll find a job herself.¡± Joanna frowned and didn¡¯t say anything else. The next morning. After Bruce went to work, Roxanne hurried over to ask about her job. ¡°Joanna, how¡¯s it? Did Bruce agree?¡± Joanna hesitated. ¡°He¡¯s gotten a job for you, but¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s expression changed and she quickly asked, ¡°But what? Joanna, I can endure hardships. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a hard job. I¡¯ll try my best to do it well.¡± ¡°I am d then! ¡°So, how do you think of working at the Garcia Group? ¡°Bruce has already spoken to the president from the Garcia Group. He will take care of you. The sry won¡¯t be low. Your position will be the PR representative manager When Roxanne heard this, her face turned pale. ¡°The Garcia Group?¡± Her n was to enter the Everett Group. To collect evidence of Bruce¡¯s crimes, she had to enter the Everett Group. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Joanna, Bruce doesn¡¯t trust me, right?¡± 9/4 Bruce happened to return this time. He heard Roxanne¡¯s voice. Before Joanna could speak, Bruce answered. ¡°This is the only job I can find for you. ¡°The Everett Group doesn¡¯t have a suitable position for you currently!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face paled. ¡°Thank you. Mr. Everett. I¡¯ll think about it!¡± ¡°Think about it carefully. Opportunities don¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett,¡± Roxanne answered disappointedly and left the room. Joanna couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t act like this!¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean. You were embarrassing her.¡± ¡°Being nice to her is unnecessary!¡± ¡°Forget what I said. I¡¯m going to Mossbourne tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going with me?¡± Joanna was shocked! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No, but what¡¯s the point? I¡¯m going to attend Cora¡¯s wedding¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bruce¡¯s face darkened again. ¡°I knew. So what? Can I go there with you?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. You can if you want to!¡± But no one would wee him! At Greene Town! A few luxury cars drove over one after another. Twenty to thirty bodyguards got out of the cars and stood in two lines. Cora was pleasantly surprised to see Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, I didn¡¯t expect you to reallye!¡± ¡°Congrattions. I wish you guys enjoy your life.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Then, Cora saw Bruce and her face turned pale. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ ¡°Cora, this is for you.¡± Cora lowered her voice and asked nervously, ¡°Thank you, Miss Haynes. And Mr. Everett, what brings you here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here to watch your wedding!¡± Cora was shocked. She thought that Bruce came to make things different for her. Instantly, she felt ttered! Brother Trumpet was also in disbelief. He hurriedly went forward and greeted, ¡°Wee, wee!¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Faced with Brother Trumpet¡¯s enthusiasm, Bruce shook hands with him. The wedding was held in a vi area by the sea. They rented on a greenwn. The venue was also very grand. Thousands of candy¨Ccolored balloons formed a door, and rows of white stools were put in order for the guests. There was a huge billboard with Brother Trumpet and Cora¡¯s wedding photos on it. After all, Brother Trumpet was a famous influencer. Many influencers attend the wedding. Of course, some of them wanted to catch attention. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes, the seats I¡¯ve arranged for you are over there. I¡¯ll bring you there!¡± Cora greeted them personally. Joanna smiled. ¡°Today is your wedding. You don¡¯t have to mind about us. We¡¯ll help ourselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll bring you and Mr. Everett over.¡± Cora was wearing a wedding dress and the veil was very long. It was not convenient for her to move. Joanna hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Cora, it¡¯s okay! We can do it.¡± Brother Trumpet said enthusiastically, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Brother Trumpet brought Bruce and Joanna to the front row of the stage. Bruce¡¯s sudden appearance put the venue in an uproar. Everyone looked over. All the seats in the front row were empty! For safety¡¯s sake, the bodyguards had formed a wall around the entire front row, preventing other guests from approaching them. Joanna and Bruce took their seats. The guests in the back row could not help but whisper to each other, ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that Bruce?¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s him!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Greyport¡¯s richest man is actually attending Brother Trumpet¡¯s wedding. I didn¡¯t expect Brother Trumpet to know Bruce. This is too dope.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Miss Haynes is on good terms with the bride. Mr. Everett apanied Miss Haynes to the wedding.¡± ¡°Wow, wow, wow. Bruce is actually so handsome. He¡¯s even more handsome than in the media reports. The woman beside him is his ex¨Cwife. Looks like they¡¯re really going to remarry. They don¡¯t mind being seen appearing together now!¡± ¡°There is nothing surprising about that. I didn¡¯t expect to see Bruce today. We should take some photos.¡± Crack! Crack! The guests raised their phones and took photos of Bruce and Joanna. ¡°No photos!¡± Bruce¡¯s bodyguards wanted to stop them. Bruce waved his hand to the bodyguard, however. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett. The bodyguard returned to his original position. Today, Bruce was in a rare good mood, so he didn¡¯t mind being recorded. He even wished that people would take more photos of him and Joanna. The wedding was about to begin! The wedding symphony slowly began to y, and colorful petals and paper were scattered everywhere. The daughter of Brother Trumpet was wearing a princess dress and carrying a flower Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. basket. She was holding hands with a little kid in a suit and leading the way. Brother Trumpet and Cora walked slowly up the carpet, arm in arm, all the way to the center of the stage. Looking at this warm and romantic scene, Bruce was touched. He subconsciously held Joanna¡¯s hand! Joanna¡¯s eyes could not help but turn red, and she almost cried. She recalled the scene when she was about to get married to Jaydon. Jaydon took a bullet for her and fell in front of her. Every time she thought of this scene, her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. She felt guilty towards Jaydon. So she could not help but cry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce noticed her emotions. ¡°Nothing!¡± Joanna replied nkly. Bruce was still immersed in the wedding atmosphere. He fantasized about holding a wedding with Joanna. He would make sure it would be particrly grand and unforgettable. ¡°Arc you touched to see them get married?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she replied coldly, ¡°No!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bruce turned around and looked at Joanna. Her side profile was beautiful. Under the sunlight, her skin was so fair that it was almost transparent. However, there was an unconceble sadness in her expression. Bruce blinked and guessed that she might be thinking about Jaydon again. ¡°Did you think of something unhappy?¡± Joanna did not answer. The mncholy on her face deepened. Bruce¡¯s jealousy red up upon seeing this, and his expression instantly turned gloomy. He loved her so much that he¡¯d made a big concession for her. But she was still thinking about another man. That hurt his pride greatly. ¡°Are you thinking of Jaydon again?¡± Joanna became even more silent. She neither exined nor denied it. This made Bruce even angrier, but he had to control it. The two of them fell silent. On the stage. The priest was speaking. ¡°Do you take Cora for yourwful wedded wife, to live together after God¡¯s ordinance, in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor,fort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?¡± ¡°I do¡­ Brother Trumpet looked at Cora affectionately. Below the stage. Bruce was originally very infected, but now, he felt that it was very annoying. He did not want to stay any longer. Then, he stood up and strode out with a dark expression! Seeing this, the bodyguards also followed him! The seats in the front row were immediately emptied! ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did Mr. Everett suddenly leave?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe there¡¯s something urgent! After all, he has to take care of such a bigpany. He must be very busy.¡± Joanna was stunned for a moment. Then she got up and chased after him! The wedding venue was also suddenly interrupted. Brother Trumpet and Cora looked at each other, not knowing what had happened. Joanna quickly apologized to Cora. ¡°Cora, I¡¯m sorry. I have to go now. I wish you two a happy marriage and a happy life.¡± With that, Joanna hurriedly chased after Bruce. Bruce had already gotten into the car with a cold expression. His entire body exuded a gloomy murderous aura. Joanna chased slowly and finally caught up to the car, panting. If it was in the past, she would not have bothered with him. However, it was different now. He was her boss. No one could resist his temper, especially since most of the Haynes Group¡¯s shares had fallen into his hands. He was holding onto her lifeline. So, no matter what, she had to tolerate him for two years. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. Joanna sighed slightly. ¡°Why are you so easily angry?¡± ¡°Am I angry? Hehe, I¡¯m very happy!¡± Bruce¡¯s face was extremely dark. This was how he was. He liked to say the opposite things and make people guess his thoughts. Joanna pouted and said humbly, ¡°You¡¯re clearly angry. Who offended you?¡± ¡®No one. I just found the ce too crowded and wanted to go back carly,¡± Bruce said as he lit a cigarette with a dark. expression and took a deep puff. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Joanna choked on the smoke and could not help but cough. Her body was very weak now, and she could not smoke second¨Chand at all. In Joanna¡¯s presence, Bruce made a conscious effort to refrain from smoking. Even if he had the urge to smoke, he would only take a few puffs before disposing of the cigarette. But now, he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Mr. Everett, do you mean go back to Greyport or go somewhere else?¡± Kody asked. ¡°Greyport!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kody replied, and then he started the car. Joanna had no choice but to open the window a little. ¡°Bruce, I want to take a look at the factory in Porash. ¡°I haven¡¯t been to thepany for a long time. Since we¡¯re in Mossbourne today, I think I should drop by.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Can I go alone?¡± ¡°No!¡± Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Send Gift Comment Joanna was pissed off, but she had nothing to say. Along the way, the two of them ignored each other. The atmosphere in the car was extremely tense. As Kody drove, his heart was pounding, and his palms were sweating due to nervousness, Having been by Bruce¡¯s side for over ten years, he had be familiar with his personality. He knew that the quieter Mr. Everett became, the angrier he was. A storm was brewing, ready to unleash its fury. In Sherane Bay Vil As Bruce and Joanna headed to Mossbourne, Roxanne saw an opportunity to take action. She believed it was the perfect. moment to make her move. She had lived here before and was very familiar with it. ¡°There must be many secrets in Bruce¡¯s study.¡± She thought. Roxanne looked around. There was no one around the study. She also knew the password to Bruce¡¯s study. Roxanne entered the password, opened the door to Bruce¡¯s study, and walked in. The study was impably organized, with threeputers neatly arranged on the desk along with an assortment of documents and a projector. Roxanne went straight to his desk! Bruce had been busy with the Park and Sea project recently. The project in question was at Green Bay, Porash, where the local municipality had proposed the construction of arge amusement park. Thend nearby had also be a hot topic for real estate tenders! Bruce was also a contender in the bidding process. If everything went ording to n, this piece of land would ultimately end up in his hand. Of course, other than the Everett Group¡¯s own strength, there might be other factors. For instance, tactics such as bribery and moneyundering. Roxanne rummaged through it but found no useful evidence. She thought. ¡°Why is there no clue at all? Could it be that he ced all the information in the company? ¡°If so, it¡¯ll be hard to get them.¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart was in a mess. As she was searching, Lilian pushed the door open and walked in. Every day at this time, she woulde to tidy up the room. ¡°Miss Roxanne, what brings you here?¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart tightened as she stammered, ¡°Uh, um, nothing. I was just helping to clean up!¡°, Upon hearing that, Lilian¡¯s suspicion deepened, and she wore a stern expression. ¡°You are not permitted to enter Mr. Everett¡¯s study without permission. Leave immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go out now,¡± Roxanne said. She fled the study. Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out of the door, Irvin¡¯s toy car hit her leg. Bang!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Roxanne cried out in pain. Although it was just a toy car, it was very powerful. Her leg was instantly bruised and she almost fell to the ground. ¡°Irvin¡­¡± Irvin drifted elegantly and looked at Roxanne coldly. ¡°You bad woman, leave our house quickly. We don¡¯t wee you.¡± When Roxanne heard this, she tried her best to calm down. ¡°Irvin, I¡¯m your aunt. How can you be so mean to me?¡± ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re not my aunt!¡± Irvin was disdainful. Then, he drove away in the toy car. Seeing this, Roxanne was pissed off. Irvin drove the toy car around the corridor on the second floor. Then, he drove the toy car to the staircase and tried to drive it down the stairs. Seeing this, Roxanne had a bad idea. If she shouted, Irvin might be frightened and lose control of the car. Then he would probably fall down the stairs. Roxanne¡¯s eyes darkened. Suddenly, she saw the surveince camera in the corner. So she gave up the idea. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°You little bastard, just you wait.¡± She thought. Roxanne regained herposure and limped down the second floor! In the evening. Bruce and Joanna returned to Sherane Bay Vi. As soon as the car stopped, Bruce got out of the car first. He ignored Joanna and walked straight into the house. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re back?¡± When she saw Roxanne, Joanna stopped in her tracks. ¡°Roxy, have you considered the job? ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll ask him to arrange another one for you.¡± Although Joanna didn¡¯t agree with Roxanne being PR representative manager, it was a promising job. Coca used to be in this position before she was promoted to vice president, and her ability to work was outstanding. ¡°Joanna, I think I¡¯d better go take a look first!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. If you really can¡¯t adapt, don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°Got it, Joanna!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go up ¡°Uh¨Cuh first.¡± The next day! Roxanne got up early in the morning, packed up, and prepared to go to the Garcia Group. Beep! Before going, Roxanne called Zachary. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hello, is it Mr. Garcia?¡± On the other end of the line, azy male voice said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s me. You are?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett introduced me to be the PR representative manager in your club.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Roxanne, right?¡± ¡°Yuo!¡± ¡°Come to mypany in the afternoon!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At the Garcia Group. Roxanne, dressed in a decent suit and wearing exquisite makeup, came to Zachary¡¯s office. ¡°Pleasee in!¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Garcia.¡± Zachary looked up and his eyes lit up when he saw her. After all, Roxanne was a real beauty, and Zachary was a famous yboy. In particr, Roxanne used to be Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend. Although her reputation was a little bad now, he did not care about this at all. ¡°Miss Roxanne, long time no see!¡± Roxanne rolled her eyes and looked a little embarrassed.. She was Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend. Naturally, she had met Zachary before. However, they did not have much interaction. Although Zachary was interested in her, she was Bruce¡¯s girlfriend after all. He did not dare to do anything. Things were different now. ¡°Are you applying for the position of PR representative manager?¡± Zachary got up and poured her a ss of red wine. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Tsk isk, what a pity!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face turned red! Hearing his teasing, she felt even more upset. In the past, she was a socialite that everyone envied, but now, she had nothing. ¡°I can¡¯t drink!¡± ¡°Socializing is important for this position. If you don¡¯t know how to drink, how can you be qualified for this job?¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d better get going. After saying that, Roxanne turned around and wanted to leave! She didn¡¯t want to do this job in the first ce. She came over just because of Bruce! She was d that Zachary found her unqualified. ¡°Miss Roxanne, please wait!¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, is there anything else?¡± ¡°PR representative Manager is not suitable for you, but there is one more suitable for you!¡± Zachary smiled at Roxanne. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Are you interested in being my personal secretary?¡± Roxanne was stunned. She looked up at Zachary. Zachary¡¯s eyes were flirty. Seeing this, Roxanne instantly understood! Zachary was interested in her. Roxanne was quick¨Cwitted and quickly tensed up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I can do that!¡± ¡°You can think about it. When you made up your mind, call me. I¡¯ll pay you the way you want.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Roxanne smiled and took the business card from him. ¡°Goodbye!¡± Roxanne was quite good at ying hard to get. After all, in the past, Ingrid had taught her countless lessons about manipting men. If not for Joanna¡¯s existence, these tricks of hers would work very well on Bruce! But it wouldn¡¯t work in front of love. She walked out of the Garcia Group! Roxanne looked back and smiled. Although Zachary was not as powerful as Bruce, the Garcia family was also one of the top ten wealthy families, It was not a bad choice being Zachary¡¯s lover. ¡°Roxy, how is i ¡°Oh, I am afraid I can¡¯t do the job¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If it doesn¡¯t fit, I¡¯ll ask Bruce to find you another job. There must be a right job.¡± ¡°Thank you, Joanna ¡°Mr. Everett is back.¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll go back to the dormitory.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Roxanne didn¡¯t dare to go through the front door for fear of running into Bruce. She hurriedly went out through the side door! ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Bruce responded with an ¡°mm¡°. For the past two days, his expression had been very ugly because he was jealous. I made you spaghetti today¡­¡± ¡°I have had dinner¡± Bruce took off his clothes and went upstairs. Joanna was shocked. In the past, he never had enough of the spaghetti she cooked. Today, she took the initiative to cook it, but he refused to eat it. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Ignore him. He must be crazy!¡± ¡°Wash your hands and get ready for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Davian and Irvin did not dare to say anything more! They had noticed that for the past two days, Bruce had been cold and mad. They finished dinner. Joanna took a shower. Put on a facial mask and went back to lie on the bed, preparing to sleep. Bruce didn¡¯t torment her these two days as he was mad at her. He deliberately turned his back to her when he slept. The next day, as usual, seeing Joanna lying on the bed, Bruce turned his back on her. The mattress made a hugemotion. Joanna nced at him and could not be bothered to coax her. It had been two days! He refused to talk to her even though she took the initiative to talk to him. That was good. It waste in the night.. Bruce turned around heavily and deliberately made a huge noise. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I turn over?¡± Joanna could only roll her eyes. ¡°This damn jerk is impossible to please,¡± she thought, frustrated by hisplicated and irritable nature. ¡°No one can seem to handle him.¡± Send Gift Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Comment ¡°Bruce, what are you trying to do? Are you going to let me sleep?¡± ¡°I just like to turn around. Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room!¡± Joanna said as she lifted the nket and left the bedroom. When Bruce saw this, he was pissed off. This damn woman would never give in, let alone coax him.. ¡°Good! Good! You have guts!¡± Bruce was so angry that he couldn¡¯t sleep. For the entire night, he was hoping that she would suddenlye back and apologize to him. Unfortunately, Joanna did note back until midnight. He couldn¡¯t help but fell asleep in a daze. The next day. Ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Roxanne looked at Zachary¡¯s business card and decided to call him. The phone rang a few times before Zacharyzily picked up the call. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Garcia. I¡¯m Roxanne.¡± On the other end of the phone, Zachary was sleeping with a girl in his arms. When he heard Roxanne¡¯s voice, he instantly lost his sleepiness and pushed the girl in his arms away. ¡°Oh, Ms. Haynes, have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯m willing to be your personal secretary. ¡°However, I have two conditions.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Roxanne pondered for a few seconds and deliberately pretentiously, ¡°First, I don¡¯t work after eight in the night.¡± When Zachary heard this, he agreed without hesitation. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Secondly, I won¡¯t apany you to socialize with clients. I¡¯m only responsible for your daily work.¡± Zachary smiled. ¡°Hehe! What else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all. If you agree, I¡¯ll work in yourpany. If you don¡¯t agree, just forget what I said.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Zachary agreed readily. Seeing that Zachary agreed so readily, Roxanne knew that he did have feelings for her. Since that was the case, she had to seize the opportunity. She had to keep him in suspense and not let him seed too easily. Otherwise, he would look down on her. ¡°So when can I start working?¡± ¡°Come over in the afternoon to go through the procedures!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± In the afternoon. At the personnel department of the Garcia Group. Roxannepleted the entry procedures and became Zachary¡¯s private secretary. At the office. Roxanne had changed into a professional skirt, a white shirt, and a tight ck suit. Her exquisite face was covered in light makeup, and her hair was tied into a neat bun. She was beautiful to begin with and had a good figure. Even though she was wearing work clothes, she looked elegant and noble. Zachary¡¯s eyes were like a scanner as he admired Roxanne greedily. ¡°Ms. Haynes, this is your work pass. Good luck.¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, what exactly shall I do? I have to tell you I don¡¯t have any work experience.¡± Zachary smiled. ¡°The job is very simple. You do whatever I ask you to do, such as making coffee and delivering documents.¡± 1/2 ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Zachary¡¯s smile became even more evil as he stared at her with burning eyes. Roxanne subconsciously lowered her eyes. ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯ll go out now then.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Roxanne smiled and left the office. As soon as she walked out of the office, she bumped into Jennie. However, the two of them were not too familiar with each other so they did not greet each other. Roxanne went straight to the secretary¡¯s desk. Jennie thought that she had seen it wrongly. She turned around and looked at Roxanne a few times. ¡°Zachary, who is that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Zachary sat in his office chair and looked at his sister with a smile. Jennie was in disbelief. ¡°Was the woman who just went out Roxanne?¡± ¡°Yeah! What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Jennie heard this, her eyes instantly widened. ¡°Zachary, why is she here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my personal secretary now,¡± ¡°What?¡± Jennie was even more surprised! Zachary did not have the time to talk to his sister. ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, you can go out.¡± ¡°Zachary, how could you let her be your personal secretary?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°She was once in a mental hospital, and she¡¯s Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend. Now that the Haynes family is in chaos and her reputation is a mess. How dare you hire her?¡± Zachary didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Jennie blinked and could note back to her senses for a long time. ¡°Zachary, are you interested in her?¡± ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re so nosy. Hurry up and leave.¡± Jennie rolled her eyes and plopped down in a chair next to the desk. She replied with displeasure, ¡°Hmph, why would I go out? No way!¡± ¡°Mydy, who made you so angry again?¡± ¡°Nobody. I¡¯m being angry.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m annoyed!¡± Jennie pouted. She wasn¡¯t happy at all. Upon hearing this, Zachary set aside the document he was holding and looked at his sister with a gentle smile. ¡°If there¡¯s something on your mind, feel free to tell me.¡± ¡°Why should I? You can¡¯t help anyway.¡± ¡°Is it because of Bruce again?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Jennie rolled her eyes and frowned. Seeing this, Zachary smiled helplessly. He knew what his sister was thinking. His sister had always had a crush on Bruce since she was young. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, after so many years, she never made it to be with Bruce. Now that Bruce and Joanna had suddenly gotten back together, she had even less chance. ¡°Jennie, there are plenty of eligible bachelors in Greyport. Why must it be Bruce?¡± ¡°I like him!¡± ¡°Well! What can I say?¡± Jennie looked at her brother in frustration. ¡°Zachary, can¡¯t you think of a way for me? Can you bear to see me being unrequited like this? ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. How am I inferior to that Joanna?¡± ¡°Who said you¡¯re inferior? You are the best.¡± Then why doesn¡¯t Bruce like me?¡± Zachary smiled awkwardly. ¡°How would I know? Every man looks at women differently. ¡°If I were Bruce, I would definitely choose you. I definitely wouldn¡¯t like Joanna.¡± Jennie¡¯s anger intensified upon hearing this. ¡°Bruce ispletely blind! The Haynes sisters must have cast some sort of spell on him, especially Joanna. I can¡¯t for the life of me make out what he sees in her.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help you with this!¡± Jennie pouted and said coquettishly, ¡°Hmph, Zacharyr, can¡¯t you help me think of a way to tear them apart! ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll tell Dad that you want to date this lunatic Roxanne and ask Dad to chase her away. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about dating her.¡± Zachary chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I didn¡¯t say I wanted to date her.¡± Realizing that Zachary wasn¡¯t buying into her threat, Jennie switched tactics and adopted a cutesy demeanor. ¡°Zachary, please help me out! You¡¯re so close to Bruce. I¡¯m sure you can find a way to y matchmaker for us,¡± she pleaded. Zachary had no choice. ¡°Then how do you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Help me ask him out and create an opportunity for us.¡± ¡°Bruce is very busy now¡­¡± ¡°My good brother, how will you know if you don¡¯t try? Will you help me ask him out?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you ask him out yourself?¡± When Jennie heard this, her expression became even more disappointed. ¡°Bruce doesn¡¯t even answer my call, let alone hang out with me.¡± Send Gift Chapter 441 Chapter 441 ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll ask him out but the rest is on you.¡± Jennie was overjoyed. ¡°Yes, yes, as long as you asks him out.¡± Zachary had no choice but to take out his phone and call Bruce. Beep! Bruce was busy at thepany. The Everett Group was currently preparing to develop Green Bay and invest billions of dors in the construction of Porash¡¯srgest 5A amusement park. They were about to get the file issued by the government, therefore, Bruce was under great pressure. ¡°Hey¡­ ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s me, Zachary.¡± Bruceughed. ¡°I know. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. Can¡¯t I call you for no reason?¡± ¡°What is it? Hurry up and say it. I¡¯m busy!¡± ¡°The person you introduced has officially started working today. Look, I handled it for you!¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°Hehe, is that what you want to tell me?¡± Jennie listened from the side and kept gesturing to her brother to get down to business. ¡°Yeah, how are you going to thank me?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Zachary waved his hand at his sister, indicating that she must be patient. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we drank together. How about treating me to a drink!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Bruce frowned. He had been very busy recently, and he had already decided to quit drinking. ¡°Let¡¯s have a private party. There are a few new models in mypany. All of them are very hot.¡± Bruce snorted. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°You, you¡¯re almost bing your wife¡¯s ve now. There are so many beautiful girls out there, why do you have to be so devoted to only one person?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything and just smiled! Although he had been angry with Joanna for the past few days, he wouldn¡¯t make such mistakes. It wasn¡¯t easy for him and Joanna to get closer. He did not want to destroy it. ¡°Answer me quickly. Are youing or not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really busy. I don¡¯t have time!¡± ¡°Come on. I¡¯ve helped you so much. You have to treat me to a drink!¡± ¡°I will, butter when I am free.¡± Jennie was even more disappointed when she heard that Bruce refused the invitation. Zachary snorted and could not help but say, ¡°You¡¯re a busy person. It would take ages for you to be avable. ¡°Alright then, I know I am not important to you. You won¡¯t drink with me anyway.¡± Zachary provoked him on purpose! Bruce could not refute her. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯m afraid of you. ¡°Then wait for me at the old ce tonight, I¡¯ll treat you to a drink!¡± When Zachary and Jennie heard this, they instantly became happy. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! See you tonight!¡± ¡°Yes. See you!¡± ¡°Okay, bye for now.¡± At Sherane Bay Vi. It was past nine in the evening. Bruce was not back yet. It started to rain. Joanna looked at the time. It was already half past nine! Usually, at this time, he should have returned long ago. Joanna decided not to wait for him any longer. She was ready to take a shower and sleep!. Lilian rushed out of the room Lilia and said nervously, ¡°Miss Haynes, bad news. Miss Lilia is having a fever again.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart tightened. She hurriedly went check on Lilia. In the children¡¯s room. Liliay on the bed, looking groggy. ¡°Lilia, how are you?¡± Joanna touched her daughter¡¯s sick head. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Lilia opened her eyes dispiritedly. Her forehead was burning and her face was red. From N?velDrama.Org. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. She quickly touched her daughter¡¯s body. It was also very hot as well. Theboratory report from Lilia showed that her telets ratio was very low. The doctor said that she might have a leukemia attack. And having a fever would make her immunity even weaker. ¡°Lilia, I will take you to the hospital now,¡± Joanna said and wanted to pick up her daughter. Rumble! Crack! It began to rain heavily outside, and muffled thunder rumbled. Lightning tore through the night sky one after another, and strong light shone into the house! ¡°Mommy. I¡¯m scared!¡± Lilia was most afraid of thunder. Every time there was thunder, she would tremble in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Mommy is here.¡± ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Daddy? I miss Daddy!¡± Most daughters would feel safe with their father by their side. Lilia was no exception. She kept looking for Bruce. ¡°Let me call him now. He might be dining with business partners.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna took her phone and called Bruce! At Dynasty Nightclub. In a luxurious private room, the lights were dim. Bruce was surrounded by all kinds of beautiful and enchanting girls, who tried to curry favor with him. Buzz! Bruce felt the phone vibrate and his heart tightened. He guessed that it might be Joanna calling him. He took out his phone and saw that it was indeed Joanna. Seeing Bruce¡¯s serious expression. Zachary could not help but tease again, ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s rare for us to have fun together. No one is allowed to answer the phone. You must enjoy tonight!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Bruceughed dryly, pressed the phone silently, and then stuffed it back into his pocket. This damn woman finally called him! But he refused to answer the call. He wanted her to be anxious. ¡°Come, go on. Drink!¡± The two beauties who were hugging her left and right also started to persuade her to drink with a charming smile. ¡°Mr. Everett, you should often in the future!¡± 2/4 That¡¯s right. We all miss you!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is a perfect husband. It was hard to get him out. Serve him well.¡± Zachary teased. It was as if Bruce being a devoted man was such a strange and funny thing. After all, almost all the rich men in Greyport were yboys. Almost all of them had countless lovers. Bruce was an exception. ¡°Mr. Everett, it would be a pity if a sessful man like you doesn¡¯t have some female friends!¡± On Joanna¡¯s side. Bruce didn¡¯t answer the phone. She was even more anxious, feeling a little uneasy. Lilia blinked heavily and asked weakly, ¡°Mommy, when will Daddy be back?¡± ¡°Good girl, let¡¯s not wait for Daddy. I will take you to the hospital first!¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s thunder outside. I¡¯m so scared! I want Daddy to apany me.¡± Joanna frowned and called Bruce again. Beep! The phone in Bruce¡¯s pocket vibrated again! Bruce nced at the phone. It was still Joanna calling! ¡°Bruce, why do you keep holding the phone? I already said that we are not going home until we¡¯re drunk tonight. Hand it to me. You¡¯re not allowed to answer it!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Before Bruce could react, the phone was snatched away by Zachary! ¡°Don¡¯t spoil women, or they would go too far! ¡°You have to be cold to her some time so she can¡¯t leave you!¡± Zachary smiled cheekily and said his opinion of women. Bruce couldn¡¯t be reached. Joanna immediately sent him a message saying, ¡°Bruce, where are you? Why aren¡¯t you home yet? Lilia is sick! Come back and take Lilia to the hospital!¡± Joanna sent Bruce a few messages and made a few consecutive calls. Unfortunately, Bruce¡¯s phone number was taken away by Zachary. He did not see the messages. Coupled with the fact that he was angry with her, he decided to make her anxious. As the door to the private room was pushed open, a group of stunning women could be seen enjoying drinks with Bruce. Jennie strutted into the room, dressed to the nines in a morous outfit with shoulder straps, exuding charm and allure. ¡°Zachary!¡± she called out with a hint of excitement in her voice. ¡°Jennie, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually having drinks with some friends next door. I noticed that this private room was upied, so I thought I¡¯de over and see what was going on!¡± This private room was reserved by Zachary and was not open to other customers. ¡°You came at just the right time. Bruce is here today as well. Let¡¯s have a great time together. We won¡¯t leave until we¡¯repletely drunk,¡± Zachary said with a mischievous grin, giving his sister a yful look. ¡°Bruce, long time no see. How are you doing?¡± Jennie said as she came to his side and sat down happily. Seeing this, the girls beside Bruce quickly got up. Bruce smiled at Jennie. ¡°Long time no see! Jennie, you are more stunning now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Bruce. Don¡¯t tease me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Zachary poured two sses of wine and handed one to Jennie. ¡°Come, Jennie, have a drink with Bruce!¡± ¡°Bruce, enjoy tonight.¡± Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Jennie hurriedly stopped her Zachary. ¡°Zachary, Bruce¡¯s stomach isn¡¯t good. He can¡¯t drink so much!¡± When Zachary heard this, he smiled teasingly. ¡°Bruce, look, Jennie cares so much about you. She has never cared so much about me although I am her brother.¡± ¡°Zachary, what are you talking about?¡± Jennie pouted. Bruce was also a little tipsy. He subconsciously looked at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s already past ten. I should go home.¡± He didn¡¯t really want to drink with Jennie. He knew that Jennie liked him. He didn¡¯t want to give her any chance to flirt. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve just arrived. Why are you leaving?¡± Jennie looked disappointed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Jennie just arrived. If you leave, it¡¯ll be too disappointing! You can¡¯t leave. You promised to stay up all night tonight!¡± The siblings tried to persuade him not to go back. Beep! Couldn¡¯t get through to Bruce, Joanna called Andy. Andy quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Andy, is Bruce still in thepany?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has already gotten off work and left thepany a long time ago.¡± ¡°Then where did he go? Did he go out to socialize?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± After hanging up. Joanna called the driver. ¡°Hello, Kody!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the World Trade Center!¡± ¡°What about Bruce?¡± ¡°Uh, Mr. Everett has an appointment with a client¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Tell me the truth. Lilia is sick. I need to see him right now.¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett is in Mr. Garcia¡¯s nightclub.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± After hanging up, Joanna¡¯s face became extremely dark. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Daddy? I want Daddy.¡± ¡°Good girl, I will take you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No, I want to see Daddy¡­¡± ¡°Baby girl, listen to me, I will send you to the hospital and your Daddy will go straight to the hospital ¡°No, no, Lwant Daddy. Boohoo!¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna carried Lilia out of the door. She nned to go to the nightclub for Bruce before going to the hospital together. ¡°Go to Dynasty Nightclub!¡± *Alright!¡± Half an hourter. Joanna arrived at Dynasty Nightclub. Lilia, wait in the car. I¡¯ll go get Daddy.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna got out of the car and walked into Dynasty nightclub. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for Mr. Garcia. He invited me here,¡± Joanna lied to the waiter. ¡°Oh, this way please!¡± Ten minutester! ¡°Bang!¡± The door of the private room was pushed open heavily! Joanna walked in with a gloomy expression! In the private room! Bruce was already a little drunk, and his stomach was starting to hurt. Jennie was sticking to his side, applying a hot towel to his face. Suddenly, the private room was shocked. Everyone looked at Joanna. Looking at the scene before her, Joanna felt an indescribable disgust. ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t you promise me that you wouldn¡¯t drink anymore?¡± Bruce was originally slumped on the sofa. When he saw Joanna, he was first shocked. Then, he slumped back onto the sofa! ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Come back with me immediately. Joanna¡¯s tone was very unpleasant. ¡°Heh¡­ Bruce sneered! He definitely could not give in to her in front of everyone! Otherwise, how was he going to face people in the future? ¡°We¡¯re just drinking with Bruce. Joanna, please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Since you are here,e, join us.¡± Joanna shook her arm ruthlessly and said mercilessly, ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t do this!¡± Zachary looked embarrassed. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll ask you again. Are youing back with me?¡± Bruce choked in anger and looked at Joanna sinisterly. If she persuaded him gently, he would definitely follow her back. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be so rude It¡¯s rare for Bruce toe out and rx. Don¡¯t be so strict!¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to him. Shut up!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Jennie sneered. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I won¡¯t speak!* ¡°Joanna,e and have a drink!¡± Zachary handed her a ss of wine. ¡°Bang!¡± Joanna suddenly waved her hand, and the wine ss fell to the ground! ¡°Bruce, you always go back on your word!¡± Joanna said as she swept all the wine on the table to the ground. The group of girls retreated to the back in fear! ¡°Bruce, why don¡¯t you go back? Otherwise, your wife will punish you!¡± Zachary mocked. Bruce fel embarrassed. He was already angry. Due to the alcohol, he stood up and pped Joanna. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like this?¡± Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Having received a p, Joanna stared at Bruce coldly. After hitting Joanna, Bruce felt his palm slightly numb. He was instantly sober. He couldn¡¯t believe that he hit Joanna again. The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point. The girls huddled in a corner in fear. Jennie couldn¡¯t help but smirk, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She was eager for a little drama to unfold and couldn¡¯t wait to see them fighting. Half a minuteter! Joanna took a deep breath, her anger reaching its boiling point. With all her strength, she unleashed a powerful p across Bruce¡¯s face, the sound reverberating in the room. ¡°p!¡± Bruce also got a heavy p. Bruce was stunned for a moment. He stared at Joanna in disbelief, his eyes almost spitting fire. Seeing this, everyone covered their mouths. Mr. Everett was actually pped in public by his ex¨Cwife. Mr. Everett¡¯s bad temper was famous throughout the city. He had always been the one who hit others, and no one had ever dared to hit him back. Bruce¡¯s anger boiled within him, fueling his desire for revenge. He couldn¡¯t let Joanna get away with humiliating him like this. At that moment, all his love and care for her seemed to dissipate, reced byCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. a seething rage that consumed him. This damn woman actually dared to fight back! ¡°p!¡± Bruce hit her again. Joanna immediately pped him back. ¡°p!¡± This made Brucepletely crazy! ¡°Bruce,e on. You can¡¯t resort to violence against a woman, Zachary urged, his words dripping with hypocrisy. However, he remained rooted in ce, showing no real intention of intervening to stop the fight. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ve really misunderstood Bruce. Bruce is only here to drink. There is nothing else. As women, we have to understand¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were burning with anger. ¡°Shut up!¡± Jennie was embarrassed. ¡°Joanna, did you not take your medicine today? Are you crazy?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m not your ve. You can¡¯t hit me or scold me at will!¡± Bruce was so angry that his heart ached. He was indeed furious just now. Bruce¡¯s face twisted with anger and humiliation as Joanna¡¯s actions and words struck at the core of his pride. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be like this! Joanna, stop fooling around. It¡¯s all my fault. I shoudn¡¯t have invited Bruce out for a drink! ¡°I¡¯ll apologize on behalf of Bruce¡­¡± Joanna looked at Zachary aggressively. ¡°All of you, get out! This is between me and Bruce. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Everyone looked at each other! ¡°Bruce, calm down. Just go home with Joanna! Joanna, calm down. Don¡¯t be angry!¡± Zachary felt powerless. ¡°Get out!¡± Joanna instantly went crazy. She waved her hand and chased everyone away like a lunatic! ¡°Okay, guys. Leave!¡± *Bruce, take care, we are leaving!¡± Zachary and Jennie did not dare to persuade them anymore. They left the private room with the group of beauties. After everyone left, Joanna mmed the door shut and locked it. Seeing this, Bruce felt a little uneasy. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Bang Joanna picked up a bottle of wine on the table and smashed it on the table. Her arm was bleeding after being cut the ss shards. ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t you want to fight? Come, only one of us can get out alive today!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she stared fiercely at Bruce. The blood on her hands dripped down! Bruce raised his eyebrows and his aura weakened a little. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to lower myself to your level. Stop messing around.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s messing with you? I told you, if you dare to hit me again. I¡¯ll kill you. Joanna said angrily. She rushed forward and stabbed him with the broken wine bottle in her hand. She had been on the verge of death a few times. She didn¡¯t care about life anymore. Bruce¡¯s eyes widened in shock as Joanna¡¯s fierce strike narrowly missed him. He quickly stepped back. The broken ss almost brushed past his neck! If he had not dodged just now, the broken wine bottle would have pierced his neck. ¡°Joanna, are you fucking serious? Are you crazy?¡± The murderous intent in Joanna¡¯s eyes increased instead of decreasing. She had been enduring it for a long time, and it made herpletely explode. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Let¡¯s end everything today!¡± ¡°Swish!¡± Joanna seemed to have gone crazy as she raised the bottle and stabbed him. Bruce was really afraid. He knew that Joanna meant it this time. All these years, he had gone too far. She probably had the intention to kill him long ago. With the bottle dangerously close to piercing his body, Bruce¡¯s instincts kicked in. Without thinking, he swiftly turned around and sprinted, maneuvering around the table to confront his assant. It was not that he could not defeat Joanna, but he was really frightened. He was afraid that Joanna would hurt herself. ¡°Alright, you won, okay? If you kill me, you¡¯ll go to jail too. If both of us are gone, what will happen to the children?¡± Bruce scurried to the other end of the table and tried to reason with her. ¡°Your hand is bleeding. Put the bottle down first!¡± Joanna roared shrilly, ¡°One of us has to die today. What have I done to make you treat me like this¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s scream reverberated through the room, a culmination of pent¨Cup frustration and anguish. The weight of oppression finally lifted, and a torrent of tears mixed with blood streamed down her face, a visible manifestation of her pain and anguish. ¡°Bruce, I am killing you!!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and said timidly, ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll die, alright?¡± While she was losing her mind, Bruce jumped onto the table and rolled to the opposite of Joanna like a top. Then, he grabbed her arm firmly and snatched the broken wine bottle from her hand. ¡°Let go of me! Bruce, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Bruce twisted her hands and hugged her tightly. ¡°Alright, alright, alright, I¡¯ll let you kill me! Your hand is bleeding now. We¡¯re in the hospital now.¡± ¡°Can you kill me after your hand is bandaged?¡± ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯ll kill you right now.¡± Joanna resisted with all her might. Outside the private room. Zachary and Jennie looked worried. ¡°Oh my god, Zachary, will someone die inside?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and stop them.¡± ¡°What are you worrying about? Don¡¯t worry!¡± The ss shards on the floor of the private room froze! ¡°Are you feeling better? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital!¡± After saying that, Bruce forcefully carried her up. Joanna¡¯s arm was dripping with blood. Under the dim light, it was especially terrifying. Bruce was terrified. He carried her out of the private room in a hurry. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and go to the hospital!¡± The bodyguards were terrified, witnessing Mr. Everett¡¯s battered state, with injuries and scratches adorning his face. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Send Gift Comment 2 Bruce carried Joanna and hurried out of the Dynasty nightclub. ¡°Where¡¯s the car?¡± ¡°The car¡¯s outside!¡± Drive it over. Let¡¯s go to the hospital now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Bruce, let go of me!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Joanna, stop fooling around! It was iny fault, okay? I¡¯ll send you to the hospital now.¡± Bruce¡¯s sense of urgency surged as he swiftly lifted Joanna into his arms and raced towards the underground parking lot, not wanting to waste a single moment. As soon as he reached the parking lot, he saw a Mercedes¨CBenz nanny van. It was the car Joanna came with. He was in such a drunken state that Bruce couldn¡¯t remember which car he took. He carried Joanna into the van. In the car! Lilian was holding Lilia and waiting for Joanna. When he saw Bruce, Lilia was overjoyed. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Hearing this, Bruce was stunned. ¡°Lilia, why are you here?¡± Lilian looked nervous. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Lilia has a high fever and has been moring to see you. She refused to go to the hospital no matter what, so Mrs. Everett could only bring her over.¡± Bruce frowned when he heard that! No wonder Joanna seemed to have gone crazy today. It turned out that Lilia was sick again! ¡°Hurry up and go to the hospital!¡± Joanna lost too much blood and her brain was in aa. She leaned weakly in Bruce¡¯s arms. Lilia was also frightened when she saw her mommy bleeding so much. ¡°Mommy, why is your hand bleeding?¡± Bruce hurriedly covered Joanna with her clothes to shield Lilia from seeing her injuries. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart. Mommy is fine. Don¡¯t be scared. Daddy is here to take care of her. ¡°Drive!¡± The started the car and drove towards the hospital. Fifteen minutester! The car sped to the hospital! ¡°Doctor!¡± ¡°Lilian, take Lilia to the internal medicine department first!¡± ¡°Yes, I got it. Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce carried Joanna Jowards the surgical building. ¡°Doctor, please stop her bleeding.¡± After the doctors and nurses heard this, they also rushed out. Along the way, Bruce carefully wrapped Joanna¡¯s injured hand with a white shirt. The once pristine shirt was now stained with vivid red, serving as a stark reminder of the severity of Joanna¡¯s injuries. ¡°How did Miss Haynes get hurt? Hurry up and send her to the emergency room.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Soon, Joanna was sent to the emergency room. There were five or six cuts on her fingers and arge wound on her arm. There were a lot of ss shards inside! The doctor examined it and said with a serious expression, ¡°We have to clean the wound quickly and she will have several stitches! ¡°How did this happen? ¡°Go get the anesthesia ready.¡± Chapter Bruce watched from the side, feeling extremely sorry. Soon! The doctor gave Joanna anesthesia and cleaned her wound. Then, he began to stitch her wounds. Because it was not a major surgery, Bruce watched from the beginning to the end. Joanna¡¯s arm had twelve stitches, and the other wound had seven. Bruce stood at the side and watched. His scalp went numb! He had never known that Joanna was so terrifying when she was angry. ¡°Doctor, how is it?¡± The stitches are done! The wound can¡¯t touch water for a week. The dressing has to be changed every day.¡± ¡°Oh, got it!¡± Joanna had already woken up, but she was still in a daze. ¡°Joanna, does it hurt?¡± Bruce asked with heartache. Looking at the huge centipede¨Cshaped wound on her arm, Bruce¡¯s heart ached. Some time ago, the scar on her wrist had not healed, and now she got new wounds. Bruce¡¯s heart sank as Lilian approached with Lilia in her arms. Lilia¡¯s tearful voice broke through his thoughts, ¡°Daddy, what happened to Mommy? Why is she hurt?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s fine now! ¡°She will be fine soon!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Lilian, how¡¯s Lilia¡¯s condition? What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor gave her a blood test. Now we have to wait for the results!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± In the ward! After Joanna¡¯s wounds were stitched up, she was taken back to the ward as she was still under the effect of anesthesia. Because she had lost too much blood, Joanna had been in a semi¨Cconscious state. Coupled with the effect of the anesthetic. she was a little dispirited. In front of the hospital bed, Bruce apologized sincerely, ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong!¡± Joanna¡¯s lips were so pale that there was no trace of blood. Shey on the hospital bed without reaction! ¡°I was really wrong! I won¡¯t do it again. Can you forgive me this time?¡± Joanna ignored him, her eyes closed. ¡°I won¡¯t drink anymore. If I drink again, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Bruce said, but he didn¡¯t know how to continue. He had already made simr oath with Joanna previously. However, he broke his promises shortly after. Therefore, it was useless to say any more oaths now. any Seeing that she was ignoring him, Bruce felt even worse. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be like this. Can you say something to me? I¡¯m begging you!¡± No matter what he said, Joanna remained indifferent, as if he was an air person. This time, she would neverpromise again! Lilia also helped to plead for mercy. ¡°Mommy, Daddy has already apologized to you. Can you forgive him? ¡°Mommy, I beg you, please forgive Daddy! Joanna was still unmoved! Bruce had used their child as leverage, manipting her with money, and resorting to hical tactics to control¡¯her. She had really had enough! If she took a step back now, she would lose herself again. would lead to eternal damnation. The doctor came over to change the dressing again. The prescription was ready. ¡°Mr. Everett. The patient has lost too much blood and will be staying in the hospital for two days.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Joanna, do you want some water?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Drink some water!¡± Bruce eagerly poured a ss of water. Lilian couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Mr. Everett, you didn¡¯t sleepst night. Let me take care of Mrs. Everett.¡± Andy also rushed over overnight. ¡°That¡¯s right! You have an appointment with some politicians tomorrow. You have to rest tonight¡± ¡°Cancel tomorrow¡¯s meeting and all activities,¡± Bruce suddenly said. ¡°Mr. Everett, canceling your appointments with the municipal government officials tomorrow could have serious consequences. Are you sure about this decision?¡± ¡°I said cancel them all. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell them there¡¯s an emergency and put them off to next week.¡± Bruce did not say anything! Andy didn¡¯t dare to say anything else and quickly went out to make a call. ¡°Dame! Mr. Everett is too willful. Those are appointments with politicians from Porash. How am I going to tell them?¡± Andy thought. ¡°Shite! That¡¯s too willful!¡± Mark was taken aback by the news. ¡°Did you say Mr. Everett¡¯s schedule for today has been canceled?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think he got into a fight with Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Oh my god, how did this happen?¡± ¡°How would I know? Hurry up and clean up this mess. Don¡¯t let the politicians get angry.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± In the next two days, Bruce had been guarding Joanna. He was like a child who had done something wrong. Joanna was indifferent to him. On the third day. Roxanne went to the hospital to pick Joanna up. ¡°Joanna, are you alright?¡± Bruce replied coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes is ready for discharge. However, she will require regr dressing changes after her discharge.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Come, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away with a cold expression and walked out of the room with the assistance of Roxanne. Sherane Bay Vi! The three children were in Sherane Bay Vi, and she had signed a contract with him. Otherwise, she really did not want toe back here! ¡°Mominy, you¡¯re back? Why haven¡¯t you been back for the past two days? I heard that you¡¯re injured. Are you alright?¡± Where¡¯s Lilia? Is he still in the hospital?¡± Davian and Irvin looked concerned. Joanna let out a sigh. ¡°Lilia¡¯s pneumonia is quite severe. The doctors said she¡¯ll need to stay in the hospital for another week.¡± ¡°I am fine. Go to y!¡± ¡°Mommy, your arm is so badly injured. How can you be fine?¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± Nope!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Roxanne¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Joanna, I need to go to work now. Call me if anything happens. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about me. Good luck!¡± ¡°Okay, see youter then!¡± Joanna automatically ignored Bruce¡¯s presence. No matter what he said to her, she refused to reply! For two consecutive days, Joanna did not speak a single word to him! Bruce couldn¡¯t stand it. Before they had a divorce. He often ignored her. Now that Joanna had used cold violence on him, he finally learnt how much it hurt. ¡°Joanna, what are you mad about? Or how do you want me to apologize? You can tell me! ¡°Can you not give me the cold shoulder like this?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Joanna remained cold, ignoring him. She focused on her own life and treated him with indifference as if he were simply air. ¡°Joanna, if you continue like this. I¡¯ll really be angry!¡± Bruce was furious. He pressed her down in the bed. He loved conquering her in bed. However, this time, Joanna did not resist. She was like a soulless doll. ¡°Joanna, I am now your creditor. I order you to speak to me. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to break the contract, and don¡¯t fight me head¨Con!¡± Joanna closed her eyes. She did not resist or struggle! Bruce, couldn¡¯t bear to torture her, felt dejected! ¡°Alright! You won. Do whatever you want! ¡°Joanna, let me tell you one more time. Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t be able to live if I leave you! ¡°Even without you, I am still me, unyielding and unafraid,¡± Bruce dered, his voice filled with growing agitation. In a final burst of anger, he forcefully mmed the door behind him and stormed off. Since she was ignoring him, he would let her be. In any case, he had work to do. In the past, when he was unhappy, he would bury himself in work. During this time, he could deal with the work. Sometimes, it was a good approach to solve things coldly. It was no big deal. Another three days passed! The two of them continued to ignore each other. ¡°Beep!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, how¡¯s the progress?¡± ¡°Bruce isn¡¯t in the mood to work now. I think we can take advantage of the situation.¡± hapter Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Anxious and resentful voices came from the other end of the phone. ¡°The Green Bay project is about to be implemented. We are running out of time. You have to find the evidence of his bribery as soon as possible. ¡°Otherwise, it won¡¯t be so easy to take him down after the project ispletely implemented.¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll settle it as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡± With that, the other person hung up. After hanging up! Roxanne was also very annoyed. She had sessfully entered the Everett family now. However, Bruce did not give her any chance to approach him. She could not catch any traces of Bruce¡¯s crimes. Moreover, there were surveince cameras everywhere in the house. It was almost impossible for her to y any tricks. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the eavesdropping device in the study capture any useful information? It¡¯s been so many days¡± Roxanne hammered the pillow a few times. The Everett Group was in the process of nning an investment in a real estate project located in Green Bay, Porash. The project aimed to develop thergest sea¨Cview vimunity in Porash. At the same time, an amusement parkparable to Disnend would be built nearby, called Dreand. Recently, Bruce had been upied with handling various contracts and obtaining necessary approvals for the project. Given the scale of the project, it was inevitable to establish connections and cultivate rtionships with political figures and local partners. In the business world, there were many unspoken rules when it came to building rtionships. No one could stay out of trouble. Bruce was no exception! His fight with Joanna during this period of time had disturbed him greatly. In the next few days, Bruce put all his energy into work. He came backte every day. Joanna focused on taking care of the children every day, having no intention of making peace. In the evening, at the restaurant! The servants prepared dinner. Joanna asked Davian and Irvin to cat. Irvin looked at the table full of dishes and muttered, ¡°Mommy, Daddy hasn¡¯t eaten with us for a few days. Aren¡¯t we waiting for Daddy today?¡± When Joanna heard this, her expression turned stiff. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for Daddy. I don¡¯t know what time Daddy will get off work. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat. After eating, go to bed early.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Davian and Irvin picked up their bowls and ate silently. At the dining table, the atmosphere was also very oppressive. Joanna did not speak, and Lilia and Bruce were not around. They felt that the food was no longer tasty. In the past, the family of five ate together. Although Daddy loved to scold them, he got used to it. Now, he was not used to not being able to hear his daddy¡¯s scolding! After the children finished eating, Bruce finally returned. ¡°Daddy, are you off work?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Bruce replied coldly. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± With that, Bruce went straight into the study with a gloomy expression! Ten o¡¯clock at night! The two little guys stood under the covers, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. ¡°Davin, did Daddy and Mommy have a conflict again?¡± Davian sighed faintly. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s obvious. Look at Daddy¡¯s face.¡± Irvin got up and said worriedly. ¡°Then what should we do? Daddy and Mommy won¡¯t be separated again, right?¡± Davian frowned when he heard that. ¡°If Daddy and Mommy are separated, we¡¯ll have single¨Cparent again.¡± ¡°Daddy is rude sometimes, but he¡¯s quite qualified in other aspects. Davian, we have to think of a way to matchmake Daddy and Mommy. We can¡¯t let them be separated again! ¡°That bad woman Roxanne is eyeing Daddy covetously. If she snatches Daddy away, she would be our stepmother. ¡°I don¡¯t want that bad woman to be our stepmother!¡± Davian also became worried. ¡°Yes, we should think of a way to matchmake Daddy and Mommy! ¡°How are we going to do it? I think they¡¯ve been in a cold war. They¡¯re ignoring each other!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll find a way to make them reconcile.¡± Irvin tilted his head and asked worriedly, ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Hmm, we have to think about it carefully! ¡°The main thing now is that Mommy is ignoring Daddy, not that Daddy is ignoring Mommy. So, we have to start with Mommy first. ¡°As long as Mommy forgives Daddy, Daddy will definitely be fine.¡± ¡°But how should we coax Mommy?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Why don¡¯t we apologize to Mommy in Daddy¡¯s name and ask for Mommy¡¯s forgiveness? As long as Mommy is happy. everything will be finel¡± ¡°No way! Mommy hates Daddy the most. If an apology was useful, Daddy would have apologized long ago.¡± ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it!¡± Davian and Irvin were worried sick for the sake of their daddy and mommy. They thought about it for the entire night but could not think of a solution. The next day. The servants prepared breakfast. As usual, Joanna woke up early in the morning and called the children for breakfast. Although she did not have to do everything herself, she still wanted to take care of the children as much as she could as a mother. ¡°Davian, Irvin, hurry ande over for breakfast.¡± The two little guys dawdled over. ¡°Mommy, did you change the dressing on your arm?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ve already changed it.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± As they were talking, Bruce strode down the stairs. As usual, he was wearing a suit and looked noble and elegant. However, his face was as dark as ice and exuded a murderous aura. When he passed by the dining room, the two little guys greeted in unison, ¡°Good morning, Daddy.¡± ¡°Morning!¡± Bruce replied. Without even looking at Joanna, he passed through the dining room and walked out. Simrly, Joanna did not give him a second nce. She treated him like air. The two little guys looked at each other and exchanged nces. ¡°Mommy, can you make spaghetti for us this afternoon?¡± Joanna was stunned! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Davian and Irvin¡¯s favorite food were dumplings and pancakes. They didn¡¯t really like spaghetti. ¡°Why do you want to eat spaghetti today?¡± ¡°We just want it.¡± ¡°Alriglu! I will make it for you after school.¡± 2/3 10:53 D Okay, okay.¡± Are you full, boys?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°Hurry up and go to school. I have to go to the hospital to check on Liliater.¡± ¡°Oh, bye, Mommy.¡± ¡°Goodbye, my babies!¡± Joannasquatted down and kissed Davian and Irvin on the checks. Then, the two little guys followed the driver to the car. Joanna also packed up and rushed to the hospital to see her daughter. No matter what, she had to go to the hospital to apany her daughter every day. It was past ten in the morning. Joanna drove to the children¡¯s hospital. Lilia had been in the hospital for almost a week. ¡°Doctor, how is Lilia¡¯s condition?¡± The doctor flipped through Lilia¡¯s medical record and said with a serious expression. ¡°She is having bad anemia. She has hematopoietic stem cell disorder. Pulmonary inmmation is serious as well. She still needs to stay in the hospital for a period of time. ¡°If there¡¯s still no improvement, we might have to consider a bone marrow transnt.¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. Although the doctor didn¡¯t say that Lilia¡¯s leukemia would rpse, it was very likely the case. ¡°Now, we have to treat her lung infection first. Otherwise, it will cause other illnesses.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand!¡± Joanna replied gloomily. Then, she left the doctor¡¯s office and entered Lilia¡¯s ward.. Lilian and two professional caregivers in the hospital. When they saw Joannaing over, they hurriedly came forward. ¡°Hello. Mrs. Everett.¡± Joanna¡¯s brows sank. She hated this title. However, she was toozy to correct them. ¡°Lilia. I am here to see you!¡± Liliay on the hospital bed. Her big eyes flickered as she called out in a childish voice, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Joanna looked at her daughter, feeling sorry for her. Lilia had been sick since she was born and had suffered a lot. Joanna wished she could take it for her. ¡°Yes, a little!¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt even more upset. She gently rubbed her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I just want chocte.¡± ¡°Be good. When you recover, I will buy you a lot of choctes,¡± Joanna said gently. Lilia loved chocte the most. Unfortunately, because of her health, she could not eat too much chocte. Send Gift Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Lilia blinked her big eyes and looked at Joanna in disappointment. ¡°Mommy, why isn¡¯t Daddy here with you?¡± ¡°Your Daddy went to work!¡± When Lilia heard this, she sighed sadly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you and Daddy reconciled yet?¡± Joanna was stunned and did not know how to answer. She knew that the children yearned for her and Bruce to remarry the most. However, she hated Bruce to the core. Seeing that Joanna was silent, Lilia pouted and asked again, ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t youing with Daddy? I really want to see both of you at the same time.¡± Hearing this, Joanna took a deep breath and smiled softly. ¡°Good girl. Rest well and be patient. I promise you that Daddy and I wille together next time, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy, don¡¯t lie! Let¡¯s pinky swear.¡± s Lilia spoke, she stretched out her small hand. Joanna smiled lovingly and held her daughter¡¯s hand with her little finger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± ¡°Mommy, when can I go home? I want to go home. I miss going to kindergarten and seeing my friends. It¡¯s been such a long time.¡± Joanna lowered her head and rubbed he rdaughter¡¯s head gently. ¡°Soon. When your pneumonia is cured you can go to kindergarten.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes. Her long eyshes were like the buzzing wings of a butterfly. She was extremely beautiful. Unfortunately, such a beautiful child had to endure the torture of illness every day. Joanna stayed by her daughter¡¯s side in the hospital until the afternoon. ncing at the clock, she realized it was already three in the afternoon. ¡°Your brothers are about to finish school. Lilia, be good. I wille back tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay, goodbye, Mommy.¡± Lilia was very obedient and not clingy at all. ¡°Goodbye, Lilia!¡± Joanna smiled and gently patted her daughter¡¯s head. She longed to give her a kiss, but due to Lilia¡¯s weakened immune system, any bacteria could potentially cause an infection. Therefore, Joanna refrained from kissing her.. She went back to Sherane Bay Vi It was already 3:30 pm! Davian and Irvin had also returned from school! Joanna¡¯s arm injury might not have healedpletely, but it was still rtively easy to make spaghetti! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Since the children wanted to eat it, she would definitely do it. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Are you hungry? I will make youspaghetti.¡± Davian shook his head. I¡¯m not hungry yet. Mommy, can you cookter?¡± ¡°Yes, sure!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go practice riding now.¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned. ¡°Davian, your arm hasn¡¯t fully healed yet. The splint is still on. How can you ride a horse again?¡± ¡°What if you fall down again? Stay away from horses for the time being.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. My arm is much better now. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°No! Be a good boy. Go finish your homework.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Davian replied in upset and turned to return to his room. ¡°Irvin, you¡¯re not allowed to ride during this period of time either. You have to stay with your brother.¡± ¡°Mommy, my arm is fine. Why can¡¯t I ride a horse?¡± Joanna squatted down and looked at his son calmly. ¡°When Davian sees you riding a horse, he will also want to ride. ¡°In order for him to recover as soon as possible, can you do this?¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll go back to my room to watch cartoons!¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± The two young children had recently learned how to ride horses, and they were filled with excitement. They had been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to ride, as they had been prohibited from doing so for a while. They went back to their room! The two little fellows started plotting to matchmake again! ¡°Why isn¡¯t Daddy back yet?¡± ¡°Daddy is usuallying homete these days, so he might not be able to have Mommy¡¯s spaghetti on time.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Davian rolled his eyes. ¡°We should learn how to make spaghetti. When Daddyes back, we¡¯ll make it for Daddy and tell him that Mommy made it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a good ideal¡± ¡°Unfortunately, my hand hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. You¡¯ll have to do it.¡± When Irvin heard this, his eyes widened. ¡°Huh? I am afraid I¡¯ll mess it up. You know, I am clumsy.¡± Davian looked at her brother solemnly. ¡°Then do you still want Daddy and Mommy to reconcile?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± ¡°Then we have to take action. ¡°Making spaghetti is very simple. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that my arm hasn¡¯t recovered, I would have made it.¡± Irvin was provoked and said with a bitter expression, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid it will taste bad¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Mommy will teach us well, and we¡¯ll be able to make delicious spaghetti just like her.¡± Davian replied confidently, his eyes shining with determination. ¡°Look, Daddy loves to eat Mommy¡¯s spaghetti! After Daddy gets off work, you will make some spaghetti for Daddy. ¡°Then tell him that Mommy did it. Daddy will definitely be very happy.¡± Irvin looked hesitated. ¡°What about Mommy?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s coax Daddy first. We¡¯ll think of a way to deal with Mommyter.¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll try my best!¡± Seeing that Irvin had agreed, Davian was also excited. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll get Mommy to teach us how to make spaghetti.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The two little guys hit it off and slipped out of the room to find their mommy. Joanna was engrossed in reviewing the documents sent by Cora on herputer. Despite not being physically present at thepany, she made sure to stay updated by thoroughly examining the reports provided by Cora and Michael each day. Then, she would have a meeting with thepany¡¯s executives via video call. Therefore, although she was not going to thepany, she was still very clear about thepany¡¯s situation. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re hungry. You can make us spaghetti now.¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Joanna closed theputer with a smile, got up, and walked to the kitchen. The kitchen was located on the first floor, at the easternmost part of the mansion. It would take about five or six minutes to reach there. After Joanna entered the kitchen, the two little guys followed her in eagerly. ¡°Momuny, can you show us how to make spaghetti?¡± Davian and Irvin eagerly gathered around Joanna, their eyes fixed on her every move. They were determined not to miss a single step, afraid that it would affect the taste of their homemade spaghetti. When Joanna heard this, swas shocked. ¡°Why would you want to learn how to make spaghetti for no reason?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Irvin subconsciously looked at his brother. Davian hurriedly replied, ¡°After we learn how to make it, we can make it ourselves if we want to eat it in the futuref ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We should learn it! Don¡¯t you always say we should grow up to be considerate boys?¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled and agreed. ¡°Hehe, sure!¡± The children were already six years old. They should start learning to cook. When she was six years old, she could already cook some simple dishes. ¡°Okay, first of all, cut some tomatoes. Then, pour some olive oil into the pot and mix the tomatoes with sauce.¡± Joanna introduced the steps one by one. It was really easy to cook spaghetti. Therefore, after Joanna said it once, the children remembered it. *After the sauce is ready, cook the noodles, After the noodles are cooked, fish them out and mix the sauce on them.¡± ¡°Oh, looks like it¡¯s quite simple!¡± ¡°Yes, make sure to control the heat properly. Don¡¯t let the tomatoes burn,¡± Joanna advised as she demonstrated the cooking process to her son. ¡°Let me try, Irvin volunteered. Joanna patiently instructed her son, guiding him through the basic steps. Before long, Irvin grasped the fundamentals Time passed quickly. It was already ten o¡¯clock at night! Joanna went back to the room to sleep. For the past few days, Bruce did not sleep in the bedroom. She felt rxed, and she slept earlier. At about 10:30, a beam of headlights shone from outside the courtyard. Irvin¡¯s son got up. ¡°Davian, Daddy is back.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah! I heard Daddy¡¯s car.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to make spaghetti!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The two young boys made their way to the kitchen, tiptoeing quietly. Fortunately, the Everett household was quite spacious, and Bruce rarely ventured into the kitchen, so they felt confident that they wouldn¡¯t be discovered. When they reached the kitchen, Davian started the fire and helped to cook. Irvin, on the other hand, followed the steps taught by his mommy and began to make the sauce. He soon made a bowl of spaghetti. It was very simple to begin with. But he had to make sure it was not too salty! Send Gift Comment Chapter 447 Chapter 447 The chef and servant on duty saw that the kitchen lights were on and quickly came in to check. ¡°Oh, gentlemen, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing. We are just trying to cook.¡± ¡°Are you hungry? If you¡¯re hungry, tell us. What do you want to eat? We¡¯ll cook it. If you identally scald yourself, your parents will be mad at us. the chef said and quickly wanted to take over. ¡°Young gentleman, do you want to eat spaghetti?¡± Just go to sleep. We¡¯re almost done!¡± The chef and servants were shocked when they saw the spaghetti they made. Irvin carefully carried the spaghetti and left the kitchen. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s ready. Hurry up and send them to Daddy that Mommy made it for him.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Irvin carried the spaghetti up to the second floor happily! ¡°Bang!¡± Davian knocked on the study room door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s me, Irvin.¡± ¡°Come in!¡± ¡°sh!¡± The study door was pushed open. Irvin carried the spaghetti and walked in obsequiously. ¡°Daddy, are you hungry? Mommy made supper for you!¡± Bruce was stunned. This damn woman wished she could kill him. Why did she think of making his favorite spaghetti? ¡°Daddy, eat it while it¡¯s hot. It won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold! Oh, Mommy instructed me to do this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Bruce subconsciously touched the tip of his nose and looked atthe spaghetti in shock. From the outside, they looked exactly the same. ¡°That¡¯s right. Daddy, try it!¡± Irvin smiled slyly. Her little face, which was like a milk bun, revealed a trace of cunning. Bruce believed him and really thought that Joanna had made it for him. Then, he straightened his back and said with disdain, ¡°Leave it!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Daddy, eat¡± ¡°Alright, you can leave first!¡± Bruce said coldly. Actually, there was already a trace of joy in his heart, but his face was still stinky. He would not lose his prestige in front of his son. Seeing his daddy¡¯s nonchnt expression, Irvin thought that his ttery had failed. ¡°Oh!¡± After leaving the study, Davian hurriedly asked, ¡°How is it? Is Daddy happy?¡± Irvin¡¯s handsome face tensed up and he sighed heavily. ¡°Sigh, Daddy¡¯s reaction is very cold. He doesn¡¯t seem to be very happy!¡± ¡°Davian, do you think this will work?¡± Davian¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. ¡°Is Daddy unhappy?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Daddy might really be angry.¡± In the study. After his son left, Bruce could not help but smile. He could not help but tease, ¡°Heh, women really don¡¯t mean what they say! 10.531 ¡°She regrets for being mean to him now.¡± Bruce stirred the spaghetti. Swith his fork and smelled it. It was still a familiar smell! It had been a few days since hest ate spaghetti made by Joanna. He really missed it. Then, he couldn¡¯t wait to take a big bite! As soon as he ate it, he frowned slightly. He felt that the taste was a little different from before. It was obvious that the sauce was thicker. And there seemed to be too much salt. However, on second thought, it was normall It was possible that Joanna was still angry and deliberately added another spoonful of salt! ¡°Hehe, woman!¡± Bruce thought. Bruce shook his head and smiled awkwardly. He guessed that Joanna couldn¡¯t wait to reconcile. ¡°Hmph, since you¡¯ve lowered your head. I have to put on airs. I¡¯ll let you know that I¡¯m not an easy man to coax. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still dare to mess with me like this in the future¡­¡± Bruce really thought that it was Joanna¡¯s cook. So after being gloomy for days, he felt much brighter. After eating the spaghetti, Bruce moved a little. He looked at his watch. It was almost midnight. He was thinking wether to sleep in the bedroom today. *No, no. If I take the initiative to go back to the room, she would think that I am apologizing. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait for her to beg me to go back.¡± Bruce automatically imagined Joanna begging for his forgiveness pitifully. Then, he returned to the guest room to slept there. Davian and Irvin had been staring at him sneakily. ¡°How is it? Did Daddy go back to Mommy¡¯s room?¡± ¡°No, Daddy seems to have gone back to the guest room to sleep.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Davian was also uncertain! ¡°I told you, it won¡¯t work!¡± ¡°Come, let¡¯s go into the study and see if Daddy has eaten it!¡± ¡°Okay.. ¡°If Daddy ate them, it proves that this method is definitely working. If Daddy didn¡¯t eat it, it means we failed and. We¡¯ll think of another way!¡± The two little fellows crept into the study! Bruce finieshe the spegetti The bowa was still on the desk! Someone would clean up tomorrow, so it was impossible for him to wash the dishes himself. ¡°Look, Daddy finished the noodles!¡± Seeing this, Davian giggled. ¡°Haha, this proves that it¡¯s definitely useful!¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Daddy go back to the bedroom to sleep?¡± ¡°He is shy. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± The two little guys finally rxed and tiptoed back to their room to sleep. The next day! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. At 7:30 A.M. Joanna woke up early in the morning. The servants had also prepared breakfast. The two little guys had been busy for most of the nightst night, so they stayed in bed today. ¡°Davian, Irvin, it¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up and get up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these two little guys? It¡¯s already sote. Why aren¡¯t they getting up?¡± Joanna frowned and went straight to Davian and Irvin¡¯s rooms. Chapter 4-47 The two little guys were still lying on the bed, sleeping soundly. ¡°Hurry up and get up, you twozy pigs. What¡¯s going on today? It¡¯s already half past seven, why aren¡¯t you getting up?¡± ¡°Ohl¡± The two little guys were woken up. They yawned sleepily, looking like they were not sleepy enough. Joanna picked up the two little guys and urged them to brush their teeth and wash their faces. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday!¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat breakfast. Don¡¯t beteter.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± After the two little guys washed up, they sat at the dining table and ate breakfast with listless expressions! While eating breakfast, Bruce walked out of the room. When he passed by the dining room, he subconsciously slowed down. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Daddy, do you want to have breakfast together?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed as he subconsciously walked towards the dining table. He thought to himself, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll give this damn woman a chance to show off. Otherwise, she¡¯ll think that I¡¯m still angry.¡± Bruce deliberately pulled a long face and sat at the dining table, waiting for Joanna to take the initiative to say sorry. Then, he could take advantage of the situation. Seeing that Bruce had sat down for breakfast today, Joanna frowned and stood up to walk to the side! ¡°You two, hurry up and eat. After you¡¯re done, hurry up and go to school. After saying this, Joanna went upstairs without looking back. Bruce frowned as he watched Joanna leave. This damn woman! Last night, she cooked for him but this moreing, she was ignoring him again. On second thought, it was also possible that she was probablyvshy. No matter what, he was not in the mood to eat breakfast. Then, he got up resentfully and prepared to go to work. ¡°Bye, Daddy!¡± Bruce and the children left. Joanna then came down from upstairs and prepared to go to the hospital. Coincidentally, Roxanne came over again. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m going to work too!¡± ¡°Yes, are you used to working at the Garcia Group?¡± Joanna asked with concern. Roxanne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s quite good. Joannna, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t like, let me know.¡± ¡°I got it!¡± After packing up, Joanna also drove to the hospital to apany his daughter. At 8:30 AM. At The Garcia Group. Roxanne had already been working for a week. He had not done much during this week. It was mainly to help Zachary make coffee and senddocuments. ¡°The Garcia Group, here¡¯s your coffee.¡± Roxanne Haynes made the coffee as usual and brought it to Zachary ¡°Leave it!¡± Roxanne was about to ce the coffee on the table when Zachary asually raised his hand. Immediately, a cup of hot coffee was spilled, and the hot coffee sshed on Zachary Garcia. 10.53F Roxanne was terrified and quickly apologized. ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Send Gift Comment Zachary smiled ambiguously. ¡°It¡¯s okay, did you get scalded?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Let me see. Your hand is already red!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine!¡± Zachary immediately stood up and took the opportunity to walk around Roxanne¡¯s shoulder with one hand and hold her hand with the other to check! ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯m really fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, if there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Roxanne looked reserved and nervous. She pushed Zachary¡¯s hand away and ran out of the office. Zachary smiled even more suggestively as he watched Roxanne escape. He had a reputation as a notorious yboy in Greyport, and he prided himself on his ability to woo women. Compared to him, both Bruce and Jaydon were amateurs in the art of seduction. He knew all the tricks and techniques to make a woman fall for him, and he enjoyed the thrill of the chase. No woman could escape his hands. He had affairs with all his secretaries but never got himself into trouble. ¡°Hehe, nice. I must take you down within a month.¡± He thought to himself. As Roxanne left the office, she couldn¡¯t help but nce back at the office, a peculiar expression flickering in her eyes. The best hunters would appear in the form of prey. Zachary wanted to woo her, and she also wanted to get Zachary However, Roxanne understood that things that came too easily were often not cherished as much. If she wanted a man to truly fall in love with her, she needed to maintain an air of mystery and keep him in suspense. He would only cherish her more after putting a lot of effort into chasing her. Ingrid had been teaching her these methods since she was young. However, there were exceptions to everything, such as Bruce! In the past, she used the same trick on Bruce. At first, it was very useful. However,ter on, Bruce actually lost interest in her! This unforeseen turn of events caught Roxanne off guard, but it served as a valuable lesson for her. She knew she couldn¡¯t afford to make the same mistake again. Now that she was dealing with Zachary. Failure was not an option. In the blink of an eye, a day had passed. In the evening! Bruce came back early that day. At 6:30 pm, they had dinner as usual. The two little guys were already impatiently sitting around the dining table. Bruce also sat down. Seeing that Brace was downstairs, Joanna decided not to go downstairs. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll go call Mommy for dinner!¡± Irvin was smart. He quickly ran upstairs to call Mommy. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°I am not hungry. You guys eat!¡± ¡°Mommy,e down and eat with us!¡± ¡°Hurry up and go down! I have something to deal with. Go have dinner.¡± Irvin couldn¡¯t convince her mommy. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Back downstairs! ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy?¡± ¡°She said she is not hungry and ask us to eat first. We don¡¯t have to wait for her.¡± ¡°Phew!¡± Bruce took a deep breath. He was so angry that his heart ached. This damn woman was pissing him off. Ever since he was young, he had been the controller. He never failed to handle anyone or anything. However, when it came to Joanna, he failed again and again. This sense of defeat and loss really drove him crazy. ¡°Daddy, why don¡¯t we cat first¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce was so angry that he couldn¡¯t eat anymore. He stood up and left the dining table. ¡°Davian, what should we do? It seems like both Daddy and Mommy are unwilling topromise,¡± Irvin pondered. ¡°Sigh, let¡¯s think of a way to persuade Mommy first,¡± Davian muttered. ¡°Yes¡­¡± At 10 p.m. Irvin carefully prepared another te of spaghetti and carried it to the study. ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s me, Irvin!¡± *Come in!¡± Irvin pushed open the door and walked in. Bruce frowned. ¡°It¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± Irvin swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said carefully, ¡°Oh, Mommy was afraid that you would be hungry, so she specially made this for you.¡± As he spoke, Irvin presented the spaghetti to Bruce as if he was presenting a treasure. Bruce frowned, not knowing what was going on. Was she trying to coax him? Usually, he was used to treating others this way. Now that others were treating him like this, he was really not used to it. ¡°Daddy, you didn¡¯t even eat dinner. Mommy was afraid that you would be hungry, so she specially made spaghetti for you! Look, she cares about you so much.¡± Bruce held his breath and stared at Irvin suspiciously. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t she send it over herself?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­¡± Irvin stammered, not knowing how to answer. ¡°Go out!¡± ¡°Oh, oh. Dad, hurry up and eat while it¡¯s still hot. I¡¯ll go back now,¡± Irvin said, pretending to be in a hurry, He quickly ced the te of spaghetti in front of his father and dashed away before Bruce could say anything else. Looking at the steaming te of spaghetti, Bruce felt a mix of emotions. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Joanna was thinking and what her intentions were. The uncertainty gnawed at him, leaving him perplexed and uneasy. Was she asking for peate? Or¡­ was she treating him as a creditor and doing her duty? ¡°Gulp!¡± Bruce hadn¡¯t eaten at night, so he was still very hungry. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to think too much about it and sat down to eat. In the room. The two little fellows were still nning. ¡°How about we write a love letter to Mommy in Daddy¡¯s name?¡± Irvin suggested. ¡°Huh? Daddy¡¯s handwriting is so beautiful. How can we imitate it?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? We can print it!¡± When Davian heard this, he pondered for a moment before speaking with a hint of concern. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, but do you know how to write a love letter?¡± ¡°We can copy it online and then print it with Daddy¡¯s name on it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Let¡¯s do it!¡± The two little fellows did as they said! They searched for love letters and jokes online, pieced them together and wrote a love letter, and printed it. In the end, they drew a big heart on it with a red pen and wrote Bruce¡¯s name on it. ¡°Let¡¯s stick this love letter in Mommy¡¯s room. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be thrilled to wake up and find Daddy¡¯s heartfelt message, Irvin suggested with a mischievous grin. ¡°Hehe! As long as Mommy is happy, she will definitely forgive Daddy. Then everything will be fine.¡± The two little guys printed the love letter and stuffed it into Joanna¡¯s room obediently. The next day! Joanna woke up. She was about to open the door when she saw an envelope on the door. ¡°What is this?¡± Joanna was suspicious. She bent down and picked it up! The envelope was very beautiful, and there was a big heart drawn on it! She opened it and saw that it was a love letter. ¡°My dearest wife, I missed you so muchst night! ¡°My dearest wife, I take full responsibility for my actions. I sincerely apologize to you. Please find it in your heart to forgive your devoted husband. I promise that I will never upset you again. You are the only one I love with all my heart. You are my angel¡­¡± The love letters were filled with yful and lighthearted pickup lines and jokes. Joanna waspletely speechless. Moreover, this love letter was printed. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. However, Joanna didn¡¯t doubt him. After all, Bruce was capable of doing anything. However, she did not expect him to use such a disgusting method. ¡°Davian, how do you think Mommy will react when she sees the love letter?¡± ¡°Women like to hear sweet words. We prised her so well. She must be happy. And she will forgive Daddy. ¡°We¡¯ll look for more sweet words online today. We have to make Mommy be immersed in love.¡± ¡°Haha! Good n!¡± ¡°From now on, let¡¯s write love letters to Mommy every day in Daddy¡¯s name, and we¡¯ll make spaghetti for Daddy under Mommy¡¯s name.¡± ¡°They will eventually forgive each other, there¡¯s no doubt. We¡¯re geniuses!¡± For the next three days, the two little guys were extremely busy. They wrote more letters and sent them to Joanna¡¯s room. And Irvin cooked spaghetti for Bruce every day. On the fourth day, Bruce couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Joanna, I think we need to talk!¡± ¡°Yup. I feel the same.¡± Joanna also looked at Bruce angrily! ¡°You go first¡± ¡°You go first!¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± ¡°Heh, I should be the one asking you that. What the hell are you doing?¡± Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Bruce frowned slightly and stared at Joanna¡¯s eyes with aplicated gaze. He wished he could see through her mind. Since she loved him, why did she have to keep messing around with him? She only needed to take one step toward him, and he would take the rest ny¨Cnine steps. Unfortunately, she was always distant from him. She treated him nicely but coldly at the same time. He really had no idea of what she wanted. ¡°Stop writing those things to me. No matter how many letters you write, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was filled with anger and resentment as she waved the love letter in her hand. Bruce did not understand what she was saying. He took two steps forward and trapped her in the circle of his arms. ¡°Joanna, you clearly love me. Can you stop ying hard to get?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Before she could finish, Bruce held his breath and lowered his head to kiss her forcefully. ¡°You really need a lesson.¡± ¡°Ah! Let go¡­¡± ¡°p!¡± Joanna raised her hand and pped Bruce. Bruce¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. He was about to go crazy from the torture. Then, he nailed her arm to the wall. ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡± Joanna stared at him fiercely. Bruce took a few deep breaths and forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart. ¡°Joanna, can you stop messing around? I¡¯m really tired. Can we just enjoy our life? Let bygones be bygones! ¡°I¡¯ve been humbled enough in front of you just to get you back. What else do you want me to do? Can¡¯t you feel my love? Shall I take out my heart so you¡¯ll see how much I love you?¡± Bruce was really tired. His eyes were filled with fatigue and grievance. Joanna sneered coldly, feeling even more puzzled. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re really interesting. Am I messing around? What have I done? ¡°Get me back? Hehe, you¡¯re really kind. Should I be grateful to you?¡± Bruce felt a lump in his throat. He didn¡¯t know what to say. She had got a much sharper tongue, not giving him any face at all. ¡°You set trap after trap for me to fall into. You took the Haynes Group for granted, forced me to sign a binding contract, and now you¡¯re pretending to love me? Don¡¯t you find it ironic?¡± Bruce choked and pursed his thin lips! He admitted that what he did was a little too much. He shouldn¡¯t have yed too many tricks on her. To him, any problem that could be solved with money was not a problem. If the Haynes Group went bankrupt, he could invest in it. Tens of millions of dors was nothing to him. As long as she loved him and was willing to remarry him, he would share everything with her. He didn¡¯t understand why she cared about the Haynes Group so much. It didn¡¯t make sense to him. ¡°Furthermore, I am not your punching bag, not someone you can hit or scold whenever you please. Bruce, you have no concept of respect. You are arrogantly assuming that everyone is your servant. I simply cannot tolerate your behavior any longer.¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart ached again. His tone softened as he reached out to hug her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have hit you that day. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. If there¡¯s anything that bothers you in the future, please don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. ¡°Or what do you want me to do? Just tell me directly. You have to give me time to slowly change, okay? Can you stop being cold?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I have nothing more to say to you!¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t write such boring things again.¡± With that, Joanna pushed him away and threw the love letters to him. Bruce frowned. When he looked at them, he waspletely speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t write them.¡± ¡°Who else could have done it?¡± Joanna frowned. Bruce¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°I really didn¡¯t write them! Besides, who would print a love letter?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she quickly understood. This must have been done by Davian and Irvin.. In the corner of the living room, the two little guys were peeping at their daddy and mommy arguing, their butts sticking out. Irvin looked nervous. ¡°Oh no! Daddy and Mommy seem to have found out. What should we do?¡± Davian¡¯s expression was also solemn. He did not know how to end this. When Bruce and Joanna heard the noise, they subconsciously turned around and saw the two little guys sneaking around. ¡°Boys,e here.¡± Seeing that they had been discovered, the two little fellows did not dare to hide anymore and could only dawdle over. ¡°Daddy, Mommy¡­¡± Joanna looked at the two little guys solemnly. ¡°What exactly is going on? Did you write these letters?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even angrier. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± Davian pursed his lips and said hesitantly, ¡°We¡­ just want Daddy and Mommy to reconcile.¡± Bruce and Joanna were shocked when they heard that. They looked at the two little guys in disbelief. Davian and Irvin lowered their heads timidly. ¡°Mommy, we don¡¯t want you and Daddy to be separated. We are afraid of losing you. That¡¯s why we wrote you letters and cooked Daddy spaghetti. ¡°What? You guys made the spaghetti?¡± Bruce was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s right. We just want you guys to stop being mad at each other.¡± The two little fellows¡® eyes were filled with tears. Joanna felt a lump in her throat. Irvin sniffled and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, can you stop fighting? ¡°We really want us to live together forever. Mommy, Daddy, Davian, Lilia, and me.¡± When Bruce and Joanna heard this, their hearts ached. Joanna took a deep breath and squatted down to gently wipe away Irvin¡¯s tears. ¡°Stop crying. Go back to sleep!¡± ¡°Joanna, do you see that? Even if it¡¯s for the sake of the children, can you stop being angry?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes stung. She felt indescribably ufortable! The children were indeed her weakness! For the sake of the children, it didn¡¯t matter how much she sacrificed. However, the wound in her heart was too heavy. She really could notpletely forgive Bruce. ¡°Can you?¡± The three of them asked in unison as they looked at Joanna expectantly. ¡°I am not fighting with your Daddy! We were just discussing a problem. No matter what, we will always love you.¡± Joanna smiled and conforted them against her will. ¡°We don¡¯t believe you!¡± The two little guys pouted. They weren¡¯t so easy to fool. ¡°Then can you guys hug?¡± Joanna sighed slightly and subconsciously nced at Bruce. Bruce¡¯s eyes were also extremely red as he looked at the three of them warmly. Then, the two of them hugged gently. Joanna only wanted to put on an act, but Bruce tightened her arms, making her bones ache. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Daddy and Mommy are finally back together. We¡¯re finally relieved.¡± Then hurry up and go back to sleep!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The two little guys smiled through their tears and returned to their rooms in satisfaction. After the children left, Joanna punched Bruce¡¯s chest. ¡°You can let go now.¡± Bruce loosened his grip slightly and looked into Joanna¡¯s eyes gently and passionately. ¡°Look, the children are more sensible than you.¡± ¡°Bruce, in front of the children. We¡¯ll try our best to look intimate. For the rest of the time, we¡¯ll do as¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bruce lost control of himself. He bent down and picked her up domineeringly. Then, he walked towards the room. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? Put me down¡± Joanna was shocked and panicked as she tried to resist. Unfortunately, his arms were like steel pincers, trapping her in his embrace. He carried her back to the bedroom. Bruce hugged her and they fell heavily into the soft bed. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re driving me crazy. I have to collect some interest today.¡± Joanna panicked and hit him with all her might. ¡°Ahly You¡¯re crazy. Calm down¡­¡± His strong and passionate kiss shut her up. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but love you. ¡°Joanna, you won¡¯t be able to escape for the rest of your life. You¡¯re mine. You have no choice but to love me. ¡°Say you love me, say it.¡± ¡°Ah! No, Bruce, you bastard¡­¡± Because he had suppressed it for too long, he was especially excited. The room was aze with passion. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Comment The servants also returned to their rooms consciously, not daring to disturb them. Other than the master bedroom, the entire mansion seemed to be quiet. Roxanne quietly came to the living room and saw that the study door was open and the light inside was still on. Seeing this, Roxanne¡¯s heart was beating fast. Thest time she entered Bruce¡¯s study, she found nothing. Later, she never had a chance to go in again. But now, looking around, there was no one. Roxanne sneaked into the study. After searching around. Roxanne saw a stack of documents on the desk. She picked it up and was instantly delighted. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s the addendum to the Green Bay Property contract!¡± Bruce was flipping through the contract¡¯s addendum. As he argued with Joanna, he did not have the time to put it back in the safe. Roxanne hurriedly took out her phone and took pictures of the ten¨Cpage contract. Then, she quietly sorted out the contract and slipped out of the study. ¡°With this document, I can learn more inside information!¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to ruin your reputation this time. Roxanne said viciously. Because the study was bugged, she recorded snippets of the phone conversation between Bruce and Porash. Although there was no conclusive evidence yet, judging from their conversation, it could determine that Bruce had signs of bribery. The next day. Joanna was still sleeping when Bruce woke up. The soft hair covered half of her beautiful face. She looked like a small and fluffy cat. She was exhausted. No woman could withstand Bruce¡¯s strength and frenzy. Every time after having sex with him, it was as if all her energy had been drained. Her entire body was limp and weak. She had to sleep for a long time before she could recover. Looking at Joanna, who was still sleeping soundly, Bruce was satisfied. He gently kissed her forehead again and again. It was broad daylight, but he did not want to get up. Beep, beep, beep! His private phone rang. Bruce was afraid of waking Joanna, so he quickly muted the phone. Then, he picked up the phone and left the bedroom. ¡°Hello!¡± Andy¡¯s anxious and careful voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s already half past nine. Are you still not at thepany?¡± Bruce was stunned. Only then did he remember that he had an important meeting today. In addition to thepany¡¯s top management, the partners would alsoe to the Everett Group for a meeting ¡°Please greet them first. I¡¯ll go to thepany now!¡± ¡°Okay, well noted.¡± Bruce hung up the phone and hurriedly returned to his bedroom to change his clothes. He washed up briefly and went to the office. In the conference room of the Everett Group. All the executives had arrived. More than ten partners and shareholders had been waiting for more than 20 minutes. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mr. Everett here yet?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t take us seriously. There are so many people waiting for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. His time management is bad. He said the meeting would start at nine o¡¯clock, but it was already past ten o¡¯clock. There¡¯s still no sign of him.¡± The business partners couldn¡¯t help but comin. They were all well¨Cknown businessmen in Greyport. Many of them were from Bruce¡¯s father¡¯s generation. Now being suppressed by a junior, it was inevitable that there would be resentment. In addition, Bruce had a bad temper and never took these old fellows seriously. It was conceivable that he had made many enemies. These people did not dare confront Bruce head¨Con on the surface, but many people wanted his downfall behind his back. Andy wasforting everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s a traffic jam on the way. Mr. Everett will be here soon. Please calm down.¡± ¡°Traffic jam? Can¡¯t he leave earlier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if there¡¯s a traffic jam, it¡¯s impossible to be stuck for nearly two hours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and urge him again. Please be patient and wait.¡± Andy left the office, looking like he was going crazy. Mark also looked anxious. ¡°Andy, what¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t Mr. Everett here yet?¡± ¡°How would I know? I called Mr. Everett, and it took me a long time to get through¡± ¡°Hurry up and rush him again. These old fellows are about to flip out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Andy quickly called Bruce. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, where are you? The partners are already angry and are moring to leave!¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost there! Please hold them off a little longer. Tell them I¡¯m downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the conference room. The shareholders could not sit still anymore. ¡°How can this happen? Mr. Everett is almost two hours ¡°I feel that Mr. Everett is deliberately leaving us here. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m not attending the meeting anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving too!¡± ¡°Dear directors, Mr. Everett is already downstairs. Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two hours. Even if he¡¯s the president of the country, he can¡¯t keep us waiting.¡± More than ten shareholders stood up one after another and were about to leave. The next second, Bruce pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte!¡± Bruce rushed over. Seeing that Bruce had arrived, the originally indignant partners instantly smiled again. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Everyone is quite worried. We thought something had happened to Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he walked toward the front of the conference table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re officially starting the meeting now.¡± More than ten business partners and shareholders nced at each other before taking their seats. They only dared toin in private. In front of Bruce, they didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to everyone about the Green Bay project.¡± ¡°This project will take at least 15 years to develop, and the investment is rtively huge. Everyone can voice out their opinions.¡± A business partner quickly ttered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any opinions. We¡¯ll listen to Mr. Everett. We¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Everett says.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We all have to rely on Mr. Everett to make us rich!¡± The others were also ttered. Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna slept until 11 o¡¯clock before waking up in a daze. She had never had the habit of sleeping in unless Bruce had been having sex with her the night before. ¡°Oh no, why did I sleep sote?¡± Joanna hurriedly got up. Her waist and legs were so sore. After leaving the room, the servants greeted her with a smile, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes¡­¡± Joanna replied vaguely. ¡°Madam, the breakfast is ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll skip the breakfast. I still have to look at Lilia¡¯s medical report today. It¡¯s almost noon now. I can¡¯t be Joanna went rushing to the hospital after a simple wash. Half an hourter. Children¡¯s hospital. In the ward, Lilia was already waiting anxiously. Usually, her mommy woulde to apany her at around nine Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. o¡¯clock. However, it was almost noon, and Mommy was still not there. When it was almost noon, Joanna finally arrived, panting. ¡°Lilia. I¡¯mte.¡± ¡°Mommy, why did youe sote today?¡± ¡°Oh. Mommy slepttest night.¡± Lilia nced at her mommy and saw bruises on Joanna¡¯s fair neck. She could not help but turn pale. ¡°Mommy, why are there so many purple marks on your neck?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna subconsciously touched her neck. Needless to say, it must have been left by Bruce. The bloody bastard loved this the most. She had left in a hurry and forgot to wear a silk scarf. ¡°Mommy, does it hurt?¡± Joanna replied embarrassedly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Mommy, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted toe and see me with Daddy? ¡°Where¡¯s Daddy? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she smiled gently. ¡°Daddy is busy.¡± As she spoke, the doctor pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Dr. yton!¡± Lilia greeted him sweetly. Jordan also smiled kindly and came to the bed to tease Lilia. Then, he looked at Joanna seriously. ¡°Miss Haynes, please follow me to the office. I want to talk to you about Lilia¡¯s condition.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart tightened. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Lilia, Mommy will be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lilia nodded obediently. Jordan brought Joanna to the office. ¡°Miss Haynes, I have bad news for you. You have to calm down and be mentally prepared.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank. She sucked in a breath of cold air. ¡°Tell me. I can take it!¡± Jordan adjusted his sses and frowned. ¡°The test results for Lilia are out. The results are not ideal¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at the doctor uneasily. ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± ¡°Lilia¡¯s leukemia has rpsed. She might need a second round of chemotherapy and a second bone marrow transnt.¡± Comment The servants also returned to their rooms consciously, not daring to disturb them. Other than the master bedroom, the entire mansion seemed to be quiet. Roxanne quietly came to the living room and saw that the study door was open and the light inside was still on. Seeing this, Roxanne¡¯s heart was beating fast. Thest time she entered Bruce¡¯s study, she found nothing. Later, she never had a chance to go in again. But now, looking around, there was no one. Roxanne sneaked into the study. After searching around. Roxanne saw a stack of documents on the desk. She picked it up and was instantly delighted. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s the addendum to the Green Bay Property contract!¡± Bruce was flipping through the contract¡¯s addendum. As he argued with Joanna, he did not have the time to put it back in the safe. Roxanne hurriedly took out her phone and took pictures of the ten¨Cpage contract. Then, she quietly sorted out the contract and slipped out of the study. ¡°With this document, I can learn more inside information!¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to ruin your reputation this time. Roxanne said viciously. Because the study was bugged, she recorded snippets of the phone conversation between Bruce and Porash. Although there was no conclusive evidence yet, judging from their conversation, it could determine that Bruce had signs of bribery. The next day. Joanna was still sleeping when Bruce woke up. The soft hair covered half of her beautiful face. She looked like a small and fluffy cat. She was exhausted. No woman could withstand Bruce¡¯s strength and frenzy. Every time after having sex with him, it was as if all her energy had been drained. Her entire body was limp and weak. She had to sleep for a long time before she could recover. Looking at Joanna, who was still sleeping soundly, Bruce was satisfied. He gently kissed her forehead again and again. It was broad daylight, but he did not want to get up. Beep, beep, beep! His private phone rang. Bruce was afraid of waking Joanna, so he quickly muted the phone. Then, he picked up the phone and left the bedroom. ¡°Hello!¡± Andy¡¯s anxious and careful voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s already half past nine. Are you still not at thepany?¡± Bruce was stunned. Only then did he remember that he had an important meeting today. In addition to thepany¡¯s top management, the partners would alsoe to the Everett Group for a meeting ¡°Please greet them first. I¡¯ll go to thepany now!¡± ¡°Okay, well noted.¡± Bruce hung up the phone and hurriedly returned to his bedroom to change his clothes. He washed up briefly and went to the office. In the conference room of the Everett Group. All the executives had arrived. More than ten partners and shareholders had been waiting for more than 20 minutes. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mr. Everett here yet?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t take us seriously. There are so many people waiting for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. His time management is bad. He said the meeting would start at nine o¡¯clock, but it was already past ten o¡¯clock. There¡¯s still no sign of him.¡± The business partners couldn¡¯t help but They were all well¨Cknown businessmen in Greyport. Many of them were from Bruce¡¯s father¡¯s generation. Now being suppressed by a junior, it was inevitable that there would be resentment. In addition, Bruce had a bad temper and never took these old fellows seriously. It was conceivable that he had made many enemies. These people did not dare confront Bruce head¨Con on the surface, but many people wanted his downfall behind his back. Andy wasforting everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s a traffic jam on the way. Mr. Everett will be here soon. Please calm down.¡± ¡°Traffic jam? Can¡¯t he leave earlier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if there¡¯s a traffic jam, it¡¯s impossible to be stuck for nearly two hours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and urge him again. Please be patient and wait.¡± Andy left the office, looking like he was going crazy. Mark also looked anxious. ¡°Andy, what¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t Mr. Everett here yet?¡± ¡°How would I know? I called Mr. Everett, and it took me a long time to get through¡± ¡°Hurry up and rush him again. These old fellows are about to flip out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Andy quickly called Bruce. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, where are you? The partners are already angry and are moring to leave!¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost there! Please hold them off a little longer. Tell them I¡¯m downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the conference room. The shareholders could not sit still anymore. ¡°How can this happen? Mr. Everett is almost two hours late for such an important meeting.¡± ¡°I feel that Mr. Everett is deliberately leaving us here. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m not attending the meeting anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving too!¡± ¡°Dear directors, Mr. Everett is already downstairs. Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two hours. Even if he¡¯s the president of the country, he can¡¯t keep us waiting.¡± More than ten shareholders stood up one after another and were about to leave. The next second, Bruce pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte!¡± Bruce rushed over. Seeing that Bruce had arrived, the originally indignant partners instantly smiled again. ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Everyone is quite worried. We thought something had happened to Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he walked toward the front of the conference table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re officially starting the meeting now.¡± More than ten business partners and shareholders nced at each other before taking their seats. They only dared toin in private. In front of Bruce, they didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to everyone about the Green Bay project.¡± ¡°This project will take at least 15 years to develop, and the investment is rtively huge. Everyone can voice out their opinions.¡± A business partner quickly ttered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any opinions. We¡¯ll listen to Mr. Everett. We¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Everett says.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We all have to rely on Mr. Everett to make us rich!¡± The others were also ttered. Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna slept until 11 o¡¯clock before waking up in a daze. She had never had the habit of sleeping in unless Bruce had been having sex with her the night before. ¡°Oh no, why did I sleep sote?¡± Joanna hurriedly got up. Her waist and legs were so sore. After leaving the room, the servants greeted her with a smile, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes¡­¡± Joanna replied vaguely. ¡°Madam, the breakfast is ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll skip the breakfast. I still have to look at Lilia¡¯s medical report today. It¡¯s almost noon now. I can¡¯t be late.¡± Joanna went rushing to the hospital after a simple wash. Half an hourter. Children¡¯s hospital. In the ward, Lilia was already waiting anxiously. Usually, her mommy woulde to apany her at around nine o¡¯clock. However, it was almost noon, and Mommy was still not there. When it was almost noon, Joanna finally arrived, panting. ¡°Lilia. I¡¯mte.¡± ¡°Mommy, why did youe sote today?¡± ¡°Oh. Mommy slepttest night.¡± Lilia nced at her mommy and saw bruises on Joanna¡¯s fair neck. She could not help but turn pale. ¡°Mommy, why are there so many purple marks on your neck?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joanna subconsciously touched her neck. Needless to say, it must have been left by Bruce. The bloody bastard loved this the most. She had left in a hurry and forgot to wear a silk scarf. ¡°Mommy, does it hurt?¡± Joanna replied embarrassedly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Mommy, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted toe and see me with Daddy? ¡°Where¡¯s Daddy? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she smiled gently. ¡°Daddy is busy.¡± As she spoke, the doctor pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Dr. yton!¡± Lilia greeted him sweetly. Jordan also smiled kindly and came to the bed to tease Lilia. Then, he looked at Joanna seriously. ¡°Miss Haynes, please follow me to the office. I want to talk to you about Lilia¡¯s condition.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart tightened. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Lilia, Mommy will be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lilia nodded obediently. Jordan brought Joanna to the office. ¡°Miss Haynes, I have bad news for you. You have to calm down and be mentally prepared.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank. She sucked in a breath of cold air. ¡°Tell me. I can take it!¡± Jordan adjusted his sses and frowned. ¡°The test results for Lilia are out. The results are not ideal¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at the doctor uneasily. ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± ¡°Lilia¡¯s leukemia has rpsed. She might need a second round of chemotherapy and a second bone marrow transnt.¡± Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Comment Boom! Joanna¡¯s vision darkened, and she almost lost her bnce. The doctor paused before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s still early now. The chances of recovery are still rtively high. Hurry up and discuss with Mr. Everett to confirm the treatment n.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Joanna lost all her strength, and she could not function well. She almost missed what the doctor said next. After leaving the doctor¡¯s office, Joanna sat helplessly on a chair in the corridor. She could not recover for a long time. After more than twenty minutes, Joanna¡¯s chaotic heart finally calmed down a little. She took out her phone with trembling hands and dialed Bruce¡¯s number. Beep, beep, beep. Bruce was still in a meeting. When he saw it was Joanna calling, his eyes darkened, and he said to everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m going to take a call.¡± After speaking, he picked up the phone and walked straight out of the office. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was trembling. Bruce took a deep breath and asked gently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna gasped and said nothing, tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Bruce asked gently. Joanna tried to calm herself down and said sadly, ¡°Bruce,e to the hospital now!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything and just sobbed silently. Bruce¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling. Tm in a meeting now. I¡¯ll go over immediately after the meeting.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± In the conference room. Some shareholders startedining again. ¡°Why did Mr. Everett go out again?¡± ¡°Whose call is so important? He left us here again.¡± A short and chubby shareholder teased resentfully, ¡°Stopining. Who asked him to be the shareholder who owns most of the shares? We can only listen to him.¡± ¡°Sigh. This is bad.¡± As they were talking, Bruce returned. His expression was much gloomier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, where was the discussion just now?¡± Bruce sat back on the main seat and asked with a frown. The secretary quickly reminded him, ¡°Oh, we were just talking about financing!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Everyone can continue to voice out their opinions.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, this is how I see financing¡­¡± A few higher¨Cups expressed their opinions one after another. Bruce, on the other hand, was distracted. The meeting that was supposed tost three hours ended half an hour earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today¡¯s meeting. If anyone has any different opinions, you can go back and write a proposal and submit 1. it. ¡°Goodbye, everyone.¡± As soon as the meeting ended, Bruce left thepany and rushed to the hospital. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Mr. Everett? He waste, and now he¡¯s in a hurry to end the meeting.¡± ¡°Who knows? Mr. Everett has always been going his way. Nobody dares to say anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett is no different from a ruthless king! It¡¯s infuriating to work with him.¡± 10.555 ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Some shareholders were not happy with Bruce to start with Now, they were even more resentful. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Half an hourter. Bruce rushed to the children¡¯s hospital. At the door of the ward, Joanna was waiting for him. ¡°Jesanna, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. When she saw Bruce, her tears flowed uncontrobly. ¡°Bruce, the test results for Lilia are out.¡± Looking at Joanna¡¯s sorrowful expression, Bruce¡¯s heart turned cold. He tried his best tofort her. ¡°Tell me! I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°The doctor said that Lilia¡¯s leukemia has rpsed. She might have to undergo another chemotherapy and bone marrow transnt.¡± After saying that, Joanna could not help buit cry. When Bruce heard this, he took a few consecutive deep breaths. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. What did the doctor say?¡± Joama¡¯s thin shoulders trembled as she sobbed. She could not say a word. Bruce took a step forward and held her tightly in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried. Medicine is so advanced now. There won¡¯t be any problems. ¡°If Lilia¡¯s illness could be curedst time, it will be cured this time.¡± When Joanna heard this, she cried even harder. The leukemia her daughter hadst time almost killed her! The second rpse was even more dangerous. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just another bone marrow transnt? I can do it!¡± Bruceforted her gently. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she leaned into his arms. Although she hated Bruce to the core, she was extremely grateful for it. He was also a very qualified father. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Our daughter will be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll protect you guys.¡± Joanna sobbed so hard that she didn¡¯t know what to say. She just leaned into his arms and cried. Why was God so unfair? Why did her daughter suffer so much? ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look at Lilia.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± In the ward. Lilia was still lying on the hospital bed, surrounded by Barbie dolls and cute plush toys. It didn¡¯t look like a ward but like a princess¡¯s castle. ¡°My baby Lilial¡± Bruce pushed open the door and entered. When Lilia saw her daddy, her eyes instantly lit up. She said sweetly, ¡°Daddy, Lilia misses you so much!¡± ¡°Yes, Daddy misses baby Lilia too.¡± Bruce came to the bed and gently bent down to hug his daughter. ¡°Haha!¡± Lughed and hugged his daddy¡¯s neck tightly. Bruce rubbed his daughter¡¯s neck. His face was filled with a gentle and loving smile, but his eyes were extremely red. ¡°Mommy, Daddy is so handsome today.¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Suddenly, Lilia saw her mommy¡¯s red eyes, and her face turned pale. ¡°Mommy, are you crying? Why are your eyes so red?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy didn¡¯t cry!¡± Joanna forced a smile. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t hold back her sobs at all. Joanna quickly turned her head away. She did not want her daughter to see her cry. She was even more worried that her daughter would be afraid when she knew her illness had rpsed. Lilia looked at Bruce and asked innocently, ¡°Daddy, why is Mommy crying? Did Daddy make Mommy angry again?¡± ¡°Maybe because Daddy is too handsome. Mommy cried with joy.¡± Bruce¡¯s heart felt like being cut by a knife, but le still joked gently. ¡°Haha!¡± Lilia was instantly amused. Soon, the treatment n for Lilia was finalized. The first step was to receive chemotherapy. Once her condition was under control, they could proceed with a bone marrow transnt. Because of the chemotherapy, Lilia¡¯s long hair had to be shaved again. On the day of shaving. Davian and Irvin also came to the hospital. When the two little guys learned that their sister was having chemotherapy again, they cried so much. When they arrived at the hospital, the two little guys dared not cry anymore. ¡°Lilia, we¡¯re here to see you.¡± ¡°Brothers, I miss you guys so much.¡± ¡°We missed you too!¡± Davian and Irvin came to the bed with forced smiles and looked at their sister with heartache. Bruce took a deep breath and looked at his daughter with a smile. ¡°Baby Lilia, we¡¯re going to y a game today!¡± ¡°What game?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s shave our heads and y the little elf, okay?¡± Bruce tried his best to speak in a humorous tone. When Lilia heard this, her big eyes instantly dimmed, and the smile on her face disappeared. She said nothing. She had been sick since she was young and had undergone many surgeries, big and small. Before the last chemotherapy, her hair had been shaved off. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, am I going to have surgery again?¡± Lilia¡¯s voice was soft. Her timid appearance made Bruce and Joanna¡¯s hearts ache even more. Bruce gently stroked his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°My baby, the doctor wants to perform a small surgery on Lilia! After the surgery. Lilia will recover very quickly.¡± Lilia closed her eyes and said, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, Lilia doesn¡¯t want to shave. Without hair, I can¡¯t y the role of a little princess.¡± As Lilia spoke, her tears fell, and her small hands tightly protected the ponytail on her head. Davian held his sister¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Lilia, I¡¯ll shave my head with you!¡± Irvin said, ¡°Yes, I will shave my head with you. After shaving, the three of us will be bald together.¡± Bruce also squatted down gently and looked at Lilia with a smile. ¡°Daddy will also shave my head with you, okay? When the timees, we¡¯ll grow hair together. Let¡¯s see whose hair grows first.¡± Chapter 452 Chapter 452 The three of them took turnsforting Lilia. ¡°Okay.¡± Lilia nodded gently and finally agreed to shave her head. Soon, the nurse took a hair shaver and shaved all of Davian¡¯s hair. Then, she shaved Irvin¡¯s hair as well. ¡°It¡¯s so rxing without hair. It¡¯s so cool!¡± Davian and Irvin rubbed their bald heads and kept teasing their sister. ¡°It¡¯s my turn. Shave my hair too!¡± ¡°Okay. Mr. Everett!¡± After a while, Bruce, Davian, and Irvin¡¯s hair were all shaved. Their heads were smooth. ¡°Haha, Daddy and brothers are like three eggs!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll shave our heads with you. That way, you won¡¯t have to worry about beingughed at!¡± ¡°Come on, Lilia. You¡¯ll recover. After you recover, I¡¯ll take you to ride a horse, make cookies, and pick up seashells by the sea.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal!¡± When the nurse saw this, her eyes could not help but turn red. She gently shaved Lilia¡¯s head. Joanna watched from the side. She bit her lips tightly and held back her tears. Bruce hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulders and smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Lilia will survive.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna nodded sadly. ¡°How is it? Am I ugly?¡± Bruce teased and touched his bald head. Joanna nced at him and smiled with tears in her eyes. ¡°Have you been handsome before?¡± Baldness was the standard for testing handsome men. Even though Bruce had shaved all his hair, it still couldn¡¯t hide hispelling handsomeness. He even looked more manly. In less than ten minutes, Lilia¡¯s soft hair was also shaved. Bruce took out his phone and said to the nurse, ¡°Miss, please take a family photo for us!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The nurse quickly took the phone. Joanna hugged Lilia, Davian, and Irvin. Bruce opened his arms and hugged the four of them. The nurse took a family photo of them. ¡°The patient has to undergo all kinds of tests tomorrow. She can¡¯t drink water or eat anything, and Mr. Everett needs a checkup too!¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Previously, Bruce had already transnted bone marrow to Lilia once. Only his bone marrow matched Lilia¡¯s, but more than a year had passed, and he still had to check his body¡¯s indicators. ¡°Bruce, thank you!¡± Joanna sincerely thanked Bruce for his contribution. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? This is our daughter. I¡¯m willing to pay any price.¡± Joanna was extremely touched when she heard that. d Last time, Bruce wanted to transnt the bone marrow to Lilia. However, Margaret obstructed him. In the end, Bruce insisted on having the bone marrow transnt. This time, no one stopped him. Bruce was even more straightforward in transnting his bone marrow to Lilia. Soon, the various checkups werepleted. Lilia¡¯s first cycle of chemotherapy had officially begun. After chemotherapy. Lilia¡¯splications were severe. She couldn¡¯t eat anything, and her entire body was in pain. She vomited countless times every day, and it was ufortable. Bruce also left all his work and apanied his daughter with Joanna in the hospital. For a whole week, neither of them left the hospital. Bruce had not been to thepany for so many days, and the shareholders and partners were in an uproar. 10.535 ¡°What¡¯s going on with Mr. Everett? It¡¯s a few billion¨Cdor¡¯s business. He can put it down just like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The total investment of Green Bay is more than a billion¨Cdor. How can he drop such a big business just like that?¡± ¡°This is too willful. If anything goes wrong with this project, we¡¯re all gone.¡± ¡°I heard that Mr. Everett¡¯s daughter is sick. She¡¯s very sick. Mr. Everett is apanying her daughter in the hospital every day.¡± When the other shareholder heard this, heined even more unhappily, ¡°Not to mention that his daughter is sick, even if his mother is sick, he can¡¯t leave the business alone. The Green Bay project is at a critical moment now. How can he let his guard down?¡± ¡°Haha. He¡¯s a loving father. What can we do?¡± The shareholders and partners were full of grievances and resentment. As for Roxanne, she was also looking for evidence of Bruce¡¯s crime. Sherane Bay Vi. Since Bruce and Joanna were not at home, Roxanne had easier ess. On this day, she sneaked into Bruce¡¯s study again. After another search, Roxanne found a stack of transfer records and receipts for various luxury goods under his desk. These documents all showed that they were traded overseas. They should be the evidence that he had bribed someone overseas. ¡°That¡¯s great. With this document and the previous evidence, Bruce will be jailed.¡± ¡°Bruce, just wait. I¡¯ll send you to prison myself.¡± Roxanne quickly kept the receipts and hurriedly left the Sherane Bay Vi. Of course, she couldn¡¯t take down Bruce alone. However, she had support from Bruce¡¯s archenemy, the Yanice Group. The Yanice Group had always been the Everett Group¡¯s biggestpetitor. Unfortunately, they had always been suppressed by the Everett Group. In business, there was no way to suppress Bruce. They could only y dirty tricks behind his back to drag Bruce down. The evidence in Roxanne¡¯s hands, as well as the evidence collected by the croup, were handed over to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Soon, the Independent Commission Against Corruption applied for an investigation order. At the hospital. In the ward, Bruce was apanying Joanna and Lilia. Suddenly, arge group of police officers barged into the ward. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re from the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Someone reported the Everett Group for illegal financing and bribery. We need you toe with us to be investigated!¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°I want to call mywyer over.¡± ¡°You can hire awyer, but you must go to the public office with us now. This is an investigation order!¡± a police officer said and handed an investigation order to Bruce. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna was instantly shocked. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Bruceforted Joanna before leaving with the people from the Independent Commission Against Corruption. As soon as Bruce was taken away, the news was released. ¡°The Everett Group president was taken away by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Bruce is suspected of moneyundering and illegal financing!¡± ¡°Someone reported Bruce for moneyundering and bribery.¡± In less than three hours, the matter of Bruce being investigated had already be a trending topic. I was clear that someone was adding fuel to the fire. Independent Commission Against Corruption. ¡°Someone reported you for illegal financing and moneyundering!¡± Im not answering any questions without mywyer.¡± Bruce crossed his arms and looked calm. After all, this was not the first time he had dealt with these people. ¡°You have the right to remain silent, but your every word will be used against you in a court ofw.¡± Bruce had his hands crossed and did not say a word. No matter how the agents asked, he did not say a word. Soon. 24 hours passed. Bruce was also detained for 24 hours by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Due to insufficient evidence and thewyer¡¯s mediation, the Independent Commission Against Corruption had no choice but to release him. As he left, the young director of the Independent Commission Against Corruption said coldly, ¡°Bruce, if youmit a financial crime, I will arrest you personally!¡± Bruce smiled and left. Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna was so anxious that she did not sleep the entire night. ¡°Bruce, how is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it.¡± The Independent Commission Against Corruption even dared to investigate the chief governor, let alone an ordinary person! Dealing with Independent Commission Against Corruption was troublesome if they were investigating someone. ¡°Bruce, did youmit those crimes?¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes narrowed slightly. He did not answer her question directly. ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s not what you expected!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason I don¡¯t want you to go into the business world. There are a lot of unspoken rules you don¡¯t understand.¡± Joanna was silent. Her eyes flickered as she looked at Bruce in disappointment. ¡°If I go to jail one day, you don¡¯t have to do anything. Just go overseas. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged everything overseas. It¡¯s enough for you and the children to live the rest of your lives carefreely.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart instantly turned cold. ¡°Bruce, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean anything. I¡¯m just going to prepare for the worst. ¡°I won¡¯t fall so easily. Many people want me to fail and die! But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let these people have their way.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart was in turmoil! She had paid attention to him in the past and only saw that he was busy. Send Gift Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Those who lived in the mostpetitive ces could only make themselves stronger. If they took a step back, they would have no foothold. Looking at the faint fatigue hidden in Bruce¡¯s eyes, Joanna¡¯s heart suddenly softened. ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you¡­¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes lit up. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t want to part with me?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°How could you still be in the mood to joke at such a critical moment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking! Since things havee to this point, what else can I do? I¡¯ll deal with whateveres my way!¡± Bruce curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Then¡­ Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Joanna was a little afraid that something would happen to Bruce. A person in a high position was liable to be targeted. Bruce was already the richest man in Greyport at such a young age. Behind his back, there were many people who envied him and were jealous of him. There were countless people who wanted to knock him down. ¡°Yes, it would be best if you could make me a bowl of spaghetti.¡± When Joanna heard this, she hurriedly nodded. ¡°Alright, wait for me. I¡¯ll cook it immediately.¡± ¡°Honey, I love you!¡± Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a smile, his eyes filled with love. Joanna was stunned. She did not darken her face this time but went straight into the kitchen. Cooking spaghetti was very simple and it could be done in less than 15 minutes. While cooking the spaghetti, Joanna was distracted from time to time. Even though she hated Bruce, he was still the father of the children. She really didn¡¯t want anything to happen to him. Soon, a bowl of steaming hot spaghetti was ready. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Joanna walked out with the spaghetti. ¡°It¡¯s ready. Enjoy!¡± Bruce was sitting on a chair in the dining room staring nkly. He knitted his brows as if he was thinking about something. ¡°The spaghetti is ready!¡± Joanna repeated softly. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and put on a rxed expression. Then, he picked up tableware and began to eat spaghetti with relish: ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°I really hope I can eat the spaghetti cooked by my wife every day in the future.¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna watched him eating spaghetti with aplicated expression. On second thought, there was actually no need to worry too much! The Everett Group had the strongest legal team. No matter how difficult thewsuit was, it would not be a big problem. ¡°Are you full? If not, I can cook you more.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m full.¡± The two of them looked at each other for more than ten seconds. Joanna felt as if a ma had hit her heart and quickly retracted her gaze. ¡°Change your clothes and rest. I still have to go to the hospital!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The two of them didn¡¯t say anything else. They got into the car and rushed to the hospital. Along the way, the two of them did not talk much. It was just that Bruce¡¯s hand kept holding Joanna¡¯s hand. Although Bruce was released, he was restricted from leaving the country until the case was investigated. At the children¡¯s hospital, the two of them entered the ward one after another. ¡°Baby Lilia, Daddy and Mommy are here to see you.¡± On the hospital bed, Lilia had an oxygen tube inserted into her nose. Her little face was so pale that there was no trace of blood. ¡°Daddy, where have you been for the past two days? Why aren¡¯t you here with me?¡± Lilia had alreadypleted the first round of chemotherapy. She was so thin that she was nothing but skin and bones. Bruce came to the bed and looked at his daughter gently. ¡°Isn¡¯t Daddy here now?¡± Lilia blinked weakly and looked at him, saying in a childish voice, ¡°Daddy, can you apany me every day in the future?¡± ¡°Dr. yton, how long will it take for Lilia to undergo the second chemotherapy?¡± ¡°ording to the current recovery progress, there¡¯s still two weeks before the second chemotherapy.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. ¡°No matter what method you use, please must cure Lilia.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best.¡± At the nurses¡® station, the two nurses could not help but discuss. ¡°Hey, I heard that Mr. Everett was taken away by the Independent Commission Against Corruption for investigation the day before yesterday. I didn¡¯t expect him toe out so quickly.¡± ¡°Have you seen the news these two days? I heard that the illegal financing of the Everett Group is more than 2 billion dors. There¡¯s also suspected moneyundering.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also something about the Green Bay project. I heard that the bribery in that project alone is more than 200 million dors. If these charges are true, Mr. Everett will probably go to jail.¡± ¡°s, these are all groundless rumors. There¡¯s no concrete evidence yet. Besides, don¡¯t you know who Mr. Everett is? He¡¯s very powerful. Even if he reallymitted a financial crime, he¡¯ll probably settle it quickly.¡± ¡°Which top tycoon like him has a clean background? That¡¯s why the rich people will be richer and richer while the poor people will be poorer and poorer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. We, ordinary people, should live our lives standing on solid ground!¡± ¡°However, Mr. Everett really dotes on his daughter. His daughter really has a lucky fate. She is lucky enough to be Mr. Everett¡¯s daughter.¡± The other nurse pursed her lips. ¡°She¡¯s just a sick girl. What¡¯s to envy? This is all karma for capitalists who have done too many bad things.¡± Send Gift Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Beep, beep, beep! Bruce¡¯s phone rang. It was Andy¡¯s call. ¡°I¡¯ll take the call.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce took the phone and left the ward. ¡°Hello, Andy!¡± On the other end of the phone, Andy¡¯s anxious voice sounded. ¡°Mr. Everett, the board of directors is comining and quarreling loudly. The shareholders and partners are in a panic and want you toe to thepany as soon as possible to give an exnation.¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°Got it. Inform all the shareholders and higher¨Cups to have a meeting at 8 a.m. Tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Okay. By the way, there is a lot of negative news about the Everett Group on the Inte now! I think we have to quickly think of a way to suppress the negative news and salvage our image!¡± Bruce replied impatiently. ¡°Do you still need me to tell you to do it?¡± Andy panicked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it immediately.¡± Soon, the negative news online was basically suppressed. After all, this was not gossip, so the Everett Group naturally took it very seriously. Therefore, in less than a day, all the trending topics about Bruce were removed. All the posts about the Everett Group were restricted by the website. After all, the Everett Group had not fallen yet! The major websites did not dare to offend Bruce openly. The next day, Bruce went to thepany for a meeting early in the morning. Joanna also stayed in the hospital the whole night and did not back to the Sherane Bay Vi. Beep, beep, beep.. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Joanna¡¯s phone rang. She took out her phone and saw that it was Roxanne. ¡°Hello, Roxy. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Joanna, is Lilia feeling better?¡± Roxanne asked with concern. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s undergoing treatment.¡± ¡°Joanna, let me tell you something. I¡¯m preparing to move out of Sherane Bay Vi today!¡± When Joanna heard this, she asked in concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not used to living there?¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s because Sherane Bay Vi is far away from where I work. I found an apartment near my ¡°It¡¯ll be more convenient to go to and from work in the future if I move there. I don¡¯t have to spend so much time on the way anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, okay! Call me if you need anything,¡± Joanna agreed without hesitation. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it then!¡± Roxanne smiled coldly and hung up the phone. She cheekily sneaked into the Everett family to find evidence of Bruce¡¯s crime. Now that she had achieved her goal, of course, she couldn¡¯t wait to move out. Otherwise, if Bruce found out that she was ying tricks behind his back, she wouldn¡¯t know how she would die. Roxanne simply packed her luggage and moved out of Sherane Bay Vi. Then, she directly moved into the mansion that Zachary had rented for her. During the time she and Zachary had joined hands with each of them having their own ulterior motives, they had already broken through the line between men and women and made love together. At the Cove Vi, Zachary took Roxanne to visit the ce he had found for her. ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied with this ce?¡± I was a small viplex. It was not a top¨Cnotch residence, but it was still a high¨Cend residence. Roxanne looked around at the decoration of the vi and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not bad!¡± Zachary hugged Roxanne¡¯s shoulder and kissed her cherry lips vaguely. ¡°Stay here for now, I¡¯ll get you a bigger ce in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you follow me, I¡¯ll make you have a good life.¡± Roxanne smiled and hooked her arms around his neck. ¡°Mr. Garcia, you have a lot of business dealings with Mr. Everett, right?¡± Zachary was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re good friends. You should know a lot about him, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Zachary was even more confused. He looked at Roxanne in confusion. Roxanne blinked slyly and asked bluntly, ¡°Mr. Garcia, are you interested in the Green Bay project?¡± When Zachary heard this, he looked at Roxanne in confusion and asked jealously, ¡°Why? Are you still thinking about Bruce?¡± Roxanne¡¯s gaze froze and she said sinisterly, ¡°Hmph, I indeed can¡¯t forget him! He abandoned me. I will definitely make him regret it.¡± Zachary¡¯s frown deepened! Roxanne loosened her hug on his neck and continued, ¡°There are many people watching the Green Bay project. It¡¯s such a big cake. Don¡¯t you want a piece?¡± Zacharyughed awkwardly. ¡°Heh, stop fooling around! I¡¯m not interested.¡± The Green Bay project was the Everett Group¡¯s main project in recent years! Back then. Bruce had alsoe to him and persuaded him to invest.. However, he had no interest in real estate and tourism, so he did not invest. Moreover, it was difficult to apply for approval for projects near the sea. The projects near the sea required huge investments, but the return was slow. So, he directly rejected it. Now, the Green Bay project had already started and all kinds of approvals had been approved. It was already a mature investment project. As long as one could invest at this time, one did not have to worry about not earning money. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Roxanne smiled strangely and said proudly, ¡°Bruce is now being reported for bribery, illegal financing, and moneyundering. If these charges are confirmed, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Green Bay is really a big cake. I think you should seize the opportunity. Otherwise, if you miss this opportunity, you won¡¯t be able to find such a good investment project!¡± Zachary chuckled when he heard that. ¡°Do you think Mr. Everett will still let me invest?¡± ¡°Why not? ¡°As long as Bruce is sent to jail, the Green Bay project will be short of funds. If you take action in time, you will naturally be able to get a piece of this cake.¡± ¡°Hehe, you actually want to send your ex¨Cboyfriend to jail? Indeed, women are the most vicious!¡± When Roxanne heard this, her face instantly turned angry from embarrassment. ¡°He was heartless to me first. He can¡¯t me me for being heartlesster. ¡°It¡¯s just one crucial step away from sending him to jail. He can forget about making aeback in this life.¡± Zachary asked with interest, ¡°What is that step?¡± Send Gift Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Roxanne smiled with a gloomy expression. ¡°It is the evidence that can give Bruce a fatal blow. I believe you can do it.¡± Zachary chuckled, wearing a pensive expression on his face. Although what Roxanne said seemed like a far¨Cfetched story, upon closer reflection, it seemed to make sense. He and Bruce were both rich second¨Cgeneration heirs. However, their reputations were prized. Although Bruce was a rich second¨Cgeneration heir, he was very capable. In just ten years, he pushed the Everett Group into Greyport¡¯s leadingpany. As for Zachary, he had to rely on his family¡¯s help. Although he had invested in many projects, there were only a few that had actually been profitable. It was human nature to experience feelings of jealousy. Despite outwardly appearing friendly and close to Bruce, deep down he harbored jealousy. ¡°How about it? Do you want to join forces with the Yanice Group topletely divide the Everett Group?¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s not as easy as you say.¡± ¡°If we rely on our strength alone, we definitely won¡¯t be able to take down Bruce. Coupled with the Yanice Group, I think there¡¯s no problem at all.¡± When Zachary heard this, his mind began to waver. He pinched Roxanne¡¯s slender waist and cunningly tilted her chin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of telling me this?¡± Roxanne smiled. ¡°Afraid of what?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell Bruce? He¡¯s my best friend.¡± Then Roxanne replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. ¡°In business, there are only eternal interests and no eternal friends. Even if you didn¡¯t make a move, he would have been targeted long ago. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t eat this cake, someone else will. ¡°Moreover, if any of the charges against Bruce are proven, he¡¯s likely to end up behind bars for a long time.¡± After hearing that, Zachary asked. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Naturally, give him a fatal blow. You know that.¡± Roxanne smirked and reached for his zipper. It was true. He and Bruce were good friends and had many opportunities to meet. Bruce was the same as other men. When they gathered together, it was inevitable that they would brag about some business rules. As long as Zachary put a listening device on his body and deliberately induced Bruce to talk about sensitive topics, he would naturally be able to catch a lot of evidence against Bruce. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister. I have to deal with you first.¡± As Zachary spoke, he could not wait to carry Roxanne horizontally. And then he threw her heavily onto the bed. ¡°Hey,e on! Can¡¯t you wait? Let¡¯s get to the point first.¡± Zacharyughed and then replied, ¡°This is the point.¡± At the same time, Bruce was at the Everett Group. There was a meeting in the conference room. All the executives and shareholders were in an uproar as they kept asking questions. ¡°Mr. Everett, what should we do? You have to give us an exnation so that we can be at ease.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now the Everett Group is being targeted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. This is a serious problem. If we don¡¯t deal with it properly, we won¡¯t be able to meet again in the future.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve invested so much money. It won¡¯t go down the drain, right?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. His hawk¨Clike eyes looked around at everyone. ¡°If anyone is afraid, he can withdraw from the Green Bay project now.¡± Uh¡­ When the shareholders heard this, they exchanged nces and could not make up their minds. The Green Bay project was already ready for construction. And it was about to bear fruit. It was not worth it to withdraw. now. However, Bruce was now being targeted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. If he really failed, they would be implicated too. ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting. Those who want to withdraw from the board can go through the procedures in the afternoon.¡± After Bruce finished speaking coldly, he left the shareholders behind and directly left the office. Andy nced downstairs and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, there are arge number of reporters waiting downstairs.¡± ¡°Disperse them.¡± Bruce replied. ¡°The security guards have already tried to disperse them, but it¡¯s useless.¡± After hearing that, Bruce didn¡¯t say anything else. He took the elevator down and walked towards the parking lot surrounded by arge number of bodyguards. As soon as he appeared, arge group of reporters carrying cameras and microphones swarmed over. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Will the Green Bay project be able to proceed normally?¡± ¡°I heard that your daughter has leukemia and needs a second bone marrow transnt. Is that true?¡± Arge number of bodyguards stepped forward and stopped the reporters. ¡°Move aside. Mr. Everett does not give interviews.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, can you say something?¡± The reporters chased after Bruce like flies that could not be swatted away. If it was in the past, the reporters would only dare to secretly take photos and not openly follow Bruce like today. But now, they obviously had someone backing them up behind the scenes. That was why they dared to stand up against the Everett Group so boldly. Seeing the reporters pushing each other, the bodyguards were also annoyed. ¡°If you guys continue like this, we won¡¯t be polite anymore.¡± ¡°Oh. The Everett Group got physical!¡± ¡°Bruce¡¯s bodyguards hit someone.¡± A few reporters cried out as they fell to the ground and started shouting. The sound of camera shutters clicking filled the air. And the cameras were frantically filming the chaotic situation. As long as they edited itter and reported it, it would really be like a gang fight. When the bodyguards saw this situation, they looked at each other, perplexed. They did not make a move at all just now. They only stopped the reporters and did not let them get close. Unexpectedly, these journalists were feigning injuries. One after another, they fell to the ground and imed they had been assaulted. Bruce¡¯s face darkened. He was furious. He just wanted to rush up and really beat up the unreasonable reporters. Andy and Mark stood beside Bruce and stopped him. ¡°Mr. Everett, this group of reporters was probably instructed by someone. You should leave quickly. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Hearing that, Bruce didn¡¯t say anything else and got into the car. ¡°Mr. Everett, please say something! Did you bribe Porash¡¯s politicians?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get close!¡± Then Bruce was in the car. Bruce was still furious. ¡°Damn it. Investigate the background of these reporters immediately. Find out who¡¯s behind this.¡± After saying that, Bruce loosened his tie resentfully with a gloomy expression. He had never been scammed by reporters like this before. ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce leaned against the car seat and frowned. 10.00 Recalling what had happened recently, Bruce realized that he must have been targeted. Send Gift Chapter 456 Chapter 456 There¡¯s probably no one else but Yanice Group who dares to provoke Bruce in this manner. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The Everett Group is the leading powerhouse in Greyport, with Yanice Grouping in second. Their primary businesses revolve around real estate development and mineral energy. Marcus Yanice, the president of Yanice Group who belongs to the same generation as Bruce¡¯s father, is approaching his sixties. The two families have always been fierce rivals, and their rtionship has never been amicable. Over a decade ago, Bruce and Marcus¡¯s eldest son, Marlowe, engaged in cutthroatpetition in the business world. In the end, Bruce emerged victorious, while Marlowe was sentenced to nine years in prison for illegal financing. Last year, Marlowe was released from prison, and it was only a matter of time before he sought retribution from Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, Marlowe, the vice president of Yanice Group, was released from prisonst year. Could he be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes?¡± Andy asked, his expression grave. Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and a hint of menace shed in his piercing eyes. ¡°It¡¯s highly possible. Keep an eye on him, see what tricks he¡¯s up to! If he dares to y dirty, we must be prepared beforehand.¡± ¡°Got it. Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce exhaled a plume of smoke, his face growing even more fearsome amidst the swirling haze. Marlowe was arrogant and domineering, bordering on madness. He had spent nine years in prison, not directly at the hands of Bruce, but indirectly due to his actions. If Marlowe didn¡¯t seek revenge against Bruce upon his release, it would be a surprise indeed. Twenty minutester, the car pulled up directly at the children¡¯s hospital. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the hospital, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Hmmm!¡± Bruce stepped out of the car, shook off the scent of smoke from his body, and walked straight into the ward. Inside the ward, Joanna sat beside Lilia, carefully feeding her some liquid food. ¡°Sweetheart, are you still feeling ufortable?¡± ¡°Mmm, not as ufortable as before.¡± ¡°Then take one more bite, okay?¡± ¡°Mama, I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°Come on, just one more bite. You need to eat a little more.¡± Joanna scooped up a spoonful of nutritious supplement and held it near Lilia¡¯s mouth. ¡°Okay!¡± Lilia reluctantly opened her mouth and swallowed the supplement. ¡°Mama, I really can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°Alright, if you get hungryter, we¡¯ll eat again.¡± Joanna quickly grabbed a few tissues and wiped the drool from her daughter¡¯s mouth. Lilia had been vomiting for the past few days and hardly had any appetite. So even if she managed to eat a little, Joanna was pleased. With a click, the ward door swung open. Bruce entered, holding an adorable toy panda in his arms and wearing a tender expression. ¡°Little Lilia, Daddy¡¯s here!¡± As soon as she saw her father, Lilia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Look what Daddy brought for you.¡± Bruce presented the trendiest panda stuffed toy in front of Lilia. Lilia epted the doll with delight, her little face beaming like a sunflower. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so cute! Thank you, Daddy.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Mmm, I love it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. When you¡¯re feeling better, Daddy will take you to the zoo to see real pandas.¡± Bruce yed with the toy panda, constantly entertaining his daughter. He transformedpletely into a tender and loving father, a stark contrast to his stern and domineering presence during meetings. Joanna watched from the side, a trace of worry crossing her eyes. Although she hadn¡¯t been following the news about the Everett Group closelytely, with information spreading rapidly online, she hade across some reports. ¡°Bruce, how did the meeting go today?¡± ¡°Pretty well!¡± Bruce smiled calmly. Joanna¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°I¡¯m still a bit concerned about you.¡± ¡°No need to worry, I can handle it.¡± ¡°Day after tomorrow, Lilia will undergo her second round of chemotherapy. If the treatment goes well, the doctors said she might need a bone marrow transnt next month. You need to be prepared.¡± Bruce didn¡¯t even raise his head, continuing to amuse his daughter. ¡°Hmm, I know.¡± Joanna sniffed and caught a whiff of the strong scent of smoke emanating from him, causing her brows to furrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you quit smoking? Why are you smoking again?¡± ¡°You can smell it?¡± Bruce had intended to quit smoking. But when the pressure became overwhelming, he still needed to smoke to relieve stress. ¡°Don¡¯t smoke during this period. You also need to take care of your health.¡± Bruce looked up, gazing affectionately at Joanna. ¡°Understood, my love!¡± Joanna¡¯s frown deepened upon hearing his words. She hated it when he randomly called her ¡°my love.¡± Especially in bed, he would nibble on her car and repeatedly call her ¡°my love.¡± During their most passionate moments, he would even make her call him ¡°my sweetheart.¡± However, seeing that he was currently in trouble, Joanna didn¡¯t want to argue with him too much The next day. Bruce arrived at thepany early in the morning for a meeting. He needed to wrap up his work by noon, as he nned to apany his daughter to the hospital in the afternoon. At the office, Mark and Andy wore grave expressions as they reported, ¡°Mr. Everett, our assumptions were correct. It appears that Yanice Group is indeed behind this incident. ¡°Marlowe is likely fanning the mes of public opinion from behind the scenes. ¡°And the anonymous person who submitted evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption is highly likely to be him!¡± Bruce sat back in his luxurious leather chair, his eyes filled with disdain and a touch of menace. ¡°Hmph, this Marlowe really never changes his ways!¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± Bruce let out a cold snort. ¡°We¡¯ll y by his own rules. Let him stumble into the same pit he dug for us. ¡°During this time, gather evidence of Yanice Group¡¯s wrongdoing. And make sure we control the narrative. Double¨Ccheck thepany¡¯s financial records and tax filings, ensuring there are no loopholes for them to exploit.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°In addition, circte some false news. Let it be known that the Everett Group might be giving up on the Green Bay project. ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°You may leave.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After Andy and Mark left, Bruce leaned back in his chair, a dark cloud hanging over his face as he lit a cigarette. At the moment, Bruce couldn¡¯t spare the energy to retaliate. He had to set a trap, shifting the focus of attention to the Green Bay project. He needed some time to pass until Lilia¡¯s condition stabilized. Only then would he have the capacity to deal with them. properly. Online, a new wave of reports emerged. ¡°The Everett Group Assaults Journalists, Leaving Two Reporters Seriously Injured with Severe Concussions.¡± ¡°Bruce May Face Intentional Harm Charges!¡± The two injured journalists are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. The Everett Group¡¯s actions have sparked outrage among the entire city of Greyport¡­¡± The inte was buzzing with news about the Everett Group¡¯s bodyguards assaulting journalists. Although Andy attempted to suppress the websites, the scandal of the journalist assault was publicly reported by mainstream media outlets, making it impossible to contain. The footage depicted journalists and bodyguards shoving and pushing each other, unequivocally showing an assault had taken ce. Various websites and tforms started sharing the official news reports, making it impossible to suppress the story. ¡°Mr. Everett, the two journalists have filed awsuit against our Everett Group. We received the court summons today.¡± further. Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°Resolve it as quickly as possible. We must prevent the situation from escting any ¡°Will do.¡± Soon, Andy located the two journalists, intending to negotiate a private settlement with them. The journalists agreed to a private settlement on the surface. Little did they know that the next day, the recordings of Andy¡¯s negotiation with them were leaked. This caused an even greater uproar online. Seizing the opportunity, the two journalists fueled public outrage. ¡°We don¡¯t want moncy; we want justice. ¡°We demand justice! Bruce ordered his bodyguards to attack us and even tried to bribe us! ¡°The Everett Group is an unscrupulous corporation, using its wealth and power to engage in illegal fundraising and disregard human life!¡± The two journalists stirred up a storm with their actions. The scandal created a sensation throughout Greyport. Although it had only been a short time, the negative impact was severe, attracting the attention of relevant authorities. ¡°Damn it!¡± As Bruce watched the videos the journalists posted online, fury consumed him. ¡°How could you two mess up such a simple task?!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, the two journalists had agreed to a private settlement, but they unexpectedly went back on their word.¡± This is like a repugnant odor that permeates the air, not harmful but extremely revolting. He had intended to smooth things over with some money, but instead, he found himself caught in a trap and relentlessly torn apart. It was like poking a small hole in the bottom of a boat. If left unchecked, that small hole would transform into arge one, causing endless trouble. ¡°Mr. Everett, may I ask if you instructed the bodyguards to assault the journalists?¡± Send Gift Chapter 457 Chapter 457 ¡°Why did Mr. Everett instruct his bodyguards to beat up the reporters? Does the Everett Group have some unspeakable secrets?¡± ¡°Will Mr. Everett personallye out to apologize?¡± Every day, the reporters would wait outside the building of the Everett Group. If they couldn¡¯t catch Bruce, they would approach other senior executives and shareholders of the company. These shareholders and executives were also annoyed by the reporters. However, no matter how they tried to shoo them away, they couldn¡¯t easily offend them. These reporters were like a swarm of flies. In the conference room. Bruce continued to hold meetings with the senior executives. One shareholder wearing a frustrated expressionined, ¡°Mr. Everett, the incident with the reporters has had a very negative impact, and we are also suffering from it. How can we deal with this if it continues?¡± ¡°Yeah! Those reporters camp outside the building every day, and it¡¯s giving me heart problems.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ Mr. Everett, you should apologize in person! That way, the two reporters might stop causing trouble.¡± The shareholders were all feeling helpless and wanted to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s face grew even darker. ¡°Leave it to the legal department to handle.¡± In any case, he would not apologize. The bodyguards didn¡¯t actually assault those two reporters, who were merely there with an aim to cause trouble. In fact, there was a higher possibility that Marlowe was behind all this. If so, he couldn¡¯tpromise even a little bit. ¡°Mr. Everett, I heard that you¡¯re nning to withdraw from the Green Bay project? ¡°Did the funding run out? If there are any issues, you must inform us in a timely manner!¡± ¡°No, how is that possible? The Green Bay project is progressing smoothly. The workers are mostly in ce, and construction can begin soon.¡± Bruce intentionally showed a skeptical expression. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good then!¡± The restless shareholders became slightly reassured. After the meeting ended, Bruce left thepany and headed to the hospital. As soon as he stepped outside, arge group of reporters swarmed around him. ¡°Mr. Everett, you finally came out! What do you have to say about the incident with the reporters? How do you n to resolve it?¡± ¡°Will you personally apologize?¡± Facing the media cameras, Bruce paused, an unusual sight, and calmly smiled. ¡°The Everett Group has already issued atwyer¡¯s letter. We will thoroughly investigate the act of extortion by those two journalists!¡± He had initially hoped to settle the matter quickly, but it had escted further than expected. He could only resort to legal procedures and make the issue public. It was at the Yanice Group. Over the past few days, Marlowe¡¯s face darkened with a malicious grin as he saw the increasing online news coverage about Bruce. ¡°Bruce, this is only the beginning. I will meticulously settle our ounts. These nine years I spent in prison will not be in vain! I will make you fall from grace and pay a hundred times the price.¡± Roxanne sat provocatively by his side, adding, ¡°President Yanice, the Everett Group is already under investigation by relevant departments. I believe retribution wille soon! ¡°The show is finally starting. When the timees, I will present a big gift to Bruce. I won¡¯t let him retaliate! ¡°Haha, a delightful cooperation! ¡°President Yanice, once the Everett Group copses, remember the promise you made to me won¡¯t be broken!¡± Marlowe smirked maliciously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I always keep my word.¡± ¡°And what is this ¡°big gift¡® you mentioned?¡± Roxanne neered, ¡°I¡¯ve brought another ally on board! ith his assistance, we can deliver a fatal blow to Bruce when the crucial moment arrives, ensuring he has no mea ¡°I¡¯m bing more and more interested What exactly is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my trump card. But it¡¯s not the righ she willingly sat on Marlowe¡¯sp to reveal it yet! Roxanne finished speaking giving a suggestive erile as Marlowe, who was particr about e nliness, frowned and unceremoniously pushed Rozanne away ¡°Don¡¯t y these games with me I¡¯m not interested i Roxanne¡¯s face turned awkward, and she stood up submissively ¡°TI leave this matter to you. When Bruce ends up in prison, rest assured, the Haynes Group will be yours! ¡°And your mother. I will find a way to get her out as soon as possible!¡± Thank you. President Yanice!¡± Marlowe smirked, enjoying his cigar. Although he had no interest in Roxanne, he was indeed intrigued by the trump card she mentioned Yanice Group had arge team ofwyers. Despite his nine¨Cyear sentence, considering the severity of his crimes, he could have received the death penalty. In the end, with the legal team¡¯s maneuvering, he was sentenced to only nine years. As for Ingrid, she had received a 15¨Cyear sentence. By pulling some strings, she might be released earlier. Back to the children¡¯s hospital. ¡°Lilia is going through the second round of chemotherapy today!¡± ¡°Lilia, you can do it! Mommy, Daddy, and your brothers are all here for you.¡± Bruce. Joanna, along with Davian and Irvin, encouraged Lilia. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Yes¡® With Daddy. Mommy, and brothers, I¡¯m not afraid at all.¡± Soon, the doctor began the second round of chemotherapy, injecting various medications into her frail body. Lilia grew even weaker, her face pale without a trace of color. Outside the ward, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°My poor baby, why is fate so cruel to you? Why must you endure such torment?¡± Bruce gently embraced Joanna andforted her tenderly, ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. Lilia will definitely recover.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad! I¡¯ve already pushed my body to the limit, and it won¡¯t help if 1 worsen my condition¡± ¡°Hum Joanna silently shed tears. ¡°Lilia, are you feeling ufortable?¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin, don¡¯t touch your sister. She¡¯s still very weak.¡± ¡°Yes, mom¡± Lilia, when you get better, big brother will buy you choctes. ¡°Bruce, take Davian and Irvin back!¡± The two little ones refused to leave ¡°Mommy, we want to stay and apany our sister¡± Joanna gently said. Tasten to me. You two should Hurry and go back! ¡°If you stay here, it will disturb your sister¡¯s rest. When she¡¯s a little better, you cane and keep her ¡°Oh, alright ¡°Kody, take Davian and Irvin back¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett¡± ¡°Young fellow.c with me!¡± ¡°L, we¡¯re leaving for now. When you get better, I wille to see you¡± The next day, Bruce remained at the hospital mistead of going to thepany In the conference room. meone asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Mi verett didn¡¯te to thepany again today¡± ¡°Yeah! Recently, Mr. Everett only shows up in the morning and is nowhere to be seen in the afternoon¡± ¡°s, do you thank Mr. Everett ns to withdraw from the Green Bay project No way! So much investment has already been made. It¡¯s unlikely he would withdraw casily.¡± ¡°It feels like Mr. Everett¡¯s mind is no longer focused on work, and he has lost his former invincibility in the business world!¡± ¡°And there¡¯s the issue of assaulting people, I wonder how it will be resolved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about minor issues like that. Mr. Everett won¡¯t be defeated so easily.¡± ¡°I heard that Yanice Group is also eyeing the Green Bay project!¡± ¡°Yanice Group?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Wow, now things are getting interesting! The vice president of Yanice Group has been at odds with Mr. Everett for ten years. I bet thepetition between them will be fierce.¡± It was at the hospital. *Bruce, take a rest! Lilia has fallen asleep. You should go back to work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother that, I want to personally stay with Lilia. I feel more at ease that way.¡± ¡°I can handle things here alone; you don¡¯t need to stay.¡± ¡°How can I leave? Lilia needs me right now, and I will stay here with her.¡± ¡°Joanna¡¯s body trembled. ¡°Joanna, once Lilia recovers, let¡¯s get remarried, shall we?¡± Upon hearing this. Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly wrinkled. Remarrying? She had never thought about such a thing! ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t bring up these matters. Right now, I just want to focus on curing Lilia¡¯s illness. I don¡¯t want to think too much about anything else.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. But I just want to tell you one thing: I truly love you, and you love the children. I like the idea of being a family with you and Mia. ¡°I am willing to spend the rest of my life making up for the pain I caused you in the past! Joanna, so let me unravel the knots. in your heart and walk back into your life? I¡¯m giving you a chance, will you give me a chance?¡± ¡°Bruce, please stop talking.¡± ¡°Starting over isn¡¯t as difficult as you think! You just need to take one step, and I¡¯ll walk the rest of the way with you. Can you do that?¡± Send Gift Chapter 458 Chapter 458 ¡°Enough, stop talking. I don¡¯t want to hear it anymore, and I don¡¯t have the mood to think about these things.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes dimmedpletely. Because of the contract, she had to stay by his side. But deep in her heart, she still couldn¡¯t ept Bruce. Or perhaps, she couldn¡¯t truly ept any man, including Jaydon Her heart had been sealed off, and she no longer held any hope for love. Bruce choked up, his eyes filled with endless disappointment. He had been too impatient. But then he rationalized it to himself. There was still more than a year left on the contract, no need to rush. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I was just joking with you, no need to be so nervous.¡± Bruce concealed the disappointment in his eyes and gently patted Joanna¡¯s shoulder. Joanna¡¯s eyes sank, and she changed the topic. ¡°Lilia is waking up soon. I¡¯ll go prepare something for her to eat.¡± After speaking, Joanna walked out somewhat uneasily. At this moment, she really needed to calm down. At night, in Sherane Bay Vi. Lilia had already undergone the second round of chemotherapy and was recovering fairly well. Since Joanna needed to go back and get some personal belongings, they returned to Sherane Bay Vi¡­ Naturally. Bruce followed along. Rarely having private space, Bruce certainly wouldn¡¯t let it go and persistently badged her. After it was all over, seeing that Bruce had fallen asleep, Joanna gently lifted the nket and opened the bedside table. She took out a small pill bottle from inside. Every time they slept with others, no matter how tired she was, she never forgot to take birth control pills. Joanna poured out a pill and was about to take it when Bruce suddenly rolled over and woke up. ¡°What are you taking? Seeing Joanna secretly taking the pill, he thought she was taking antidepressants again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just go back to sleep!¡± Bruce instantly lost his drowsiness, sat up in one go, and said, ¡°Bring it here and let me see. Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Don¡¯t take antidepressants anymore. ¡°Those pills can really mess up your mental state if you take them too often.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an antidepressant.¡± Joanna spoke and directly swallowed the pill. Seeing this, Bruce frowned. ¡°Then what kind of pill are you taking?¡± Impatiently, Joanna looked at Bruce and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter again? ¡°Let me see it.¡± Joanna held the pill bottle and instinctively moved back. Unfortunately, Bruce snatched the pill bottle away. ¡°Birth control pill?¡± As he read the name on the medication, Bruce¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, his face turning dark and unpleasant. ¡°Why are you taking this?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and coldly looked at Bruce. ¡°For contraception, of course!¡± This damur Bruce never wanted to wear a condom. If she didn¡¯t take birth control pills, she would end up pregnant by him again in no time. Bruce stared at Joanna with a grim expression and said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to take birth control pills anymore. ¡°If I find out you¡¯re taking them again, you will know the consequences.¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m just your contract lover now, and I need to protect my body.¡± ¡°What? Are you afraid of getting pregnant?¡± Hearing this, Joanna rolled her eyes in resentment. Of course she was afraid. Last year, she had already had an abortion for him. Now she had to be extra careful and not let that happen again, So, every time after they made love, she would secretly take birth control pills. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Joanna tried to snatch the pill bottle back. Bruce¡¯s face darkened, and he ordered, ¡°Joanna, 1 want you to have another child for me!¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Let me tell you, it¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. Do you know how many women want to have ¡°Then go find them to have your children! Since you can afford it, you can have as many as you want. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After speaking. Joanna sneered and added indifferently, ¡°I won¡¯t have any more children, especially not with you.¡± my children?¡± Bruce was infuriated, gasping for breath, he said with gritted teeth, ¡°We already have three children. What¡¯s the harm in having one more?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you said it yourself. We already have three children, which is more than enough. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t have another child for you. Get over it.¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re despicable!¡± Bruce seethed with anger and, directly pressing her down, and started another round of frenzied invasion. Then, heunched a new round of crazy invasion. The more she feared getting pregnant, the more he insisted on impregnating her. When she gave birth to another child for him, he wondered how she could run. So thinking, he tried harder, hoping ideally to have twins or triplets¡­. The next day. Joanna¡¯s whole body felt weak, and her limbs were sore to the extreme. She had originally nned to wake up at seven but ended up sleeping until ten¨Cthirty before reluctantly getting up. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s already ten¨Cthirty. I need to hurry to the hospital.¡± Joanna dragged her exhausted and weak body, hastily washed up, and then drove to the hospital. On the way, she suddenly remembered that she had promised to buy Portuguese egg tarts for Lilia. There was no choice but to drive to Skyluxe Shopping Center again. The things sold here, whether edible or usable, were all top of the line. Of course, the prices were outrageously high. After buying the egg tarts, Joanna hurriedly made her way to the underground parking garage. Little did she know, as soon as she reached the underground parking garage, someone suddenly called out, ¡°Ms. Haynes!¡± Joanna was momentarily startled and instinctively turned her head for a nce. Next to her car, there was a Ferrari, and standing beside it was a man in his thirties, wearing a well¨C fitted white suit. He was quite tall, at least 6 feet. His facial features were deep and three¨Cdimensional, with slightly blue¨Ctinted pupils, resembling light¨C colored contact lenses. He appeared to be of mixed Chinese¨CEuropean heritage. His hair was neatly groomed, and he held a cigar in his mouth, with a mischievous smile on his face. ¡°You are¡­¡± Joanna felt a sense of familiarity but couldn¡¯t recall his name. Marlowe put on a gentlemanly demeanor, raised his eyebrows slightly, and smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? We have met before.¡± Joanna looked at Marlowe¡¯s trademark smile and suddenly remembered. He was Marlowe, the son of the president of Yanice Group. They had indeed met before. Her grandfather had taken her to visit the Yanice family. But it had been more than ten years since theyst saw each other, and her memory of him had completely faded. ¡°Oh, you are President Yanice, the young executive of Yanice Group.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me! Great wits have short memories. I thought Ms. Haynes had forgotten about me,¡± Marlowe said with a smile. ¡°How could that be? It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been so long since west met, and I couldn¡¯t recognize you all of a sudden.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a surprise to meet you here today, Ms. Haynes. What did you buy?¡± Marlowe, as if he knew her well, struck up at conversation with gusto. ¡°Oh, I bought some egg tarts for my daughter,¡± Joanna casually replied. ¡°Oh, you got a child, Ms. Haynes? And yet your figure is still so well¨Cmaintained!¡± Chapter 459 Chapter 459 As Joanna listened to Marlowe¡¯s frivolous banter, her face instinctively darkened. She despised men with frivolous behavior. Especially when they were only acquaintances that were not close at all. ¡°After all these years, Ms. Haynes is still so beautiful. It seems like nothing has changed on you.¡± Joanna felt a lump in her throat, not knowing how to respond. Tatiana, who was beside her, reminded her, ¡°Miss Haynes, we should go. It¡¯s gettingtel Every time Joanna went out, she would go with Tatiana. In addition to that, Bruce had also arranged four bodyguards to apany her at all times. However, she had chosen not to bring the bodyguards with her this time since it would be too showy. ¡°We rarely have a chance to meet each other; how about we chat for a bit?¡± ¡°Thanks, but I have something else to do. I need to go now,¡± Joanna politely declined and walked directly to the parking shed with Tatiana. Marlowe kept badgering her, and he casually handed her a business card. ¡°This is my contact information. Let¡¯s keep in touch!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Joanna replied casually and took the business card without much thought. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to leave me your business card, Ms. Haynes? Maybe we¡¯ll meet each other frequently in the future.¡± Joanna nced at the gold¨Cstamped business card and said apathetically, ¡°Sorry, I just ran out of business cards!¡± Marlowe seemed unable to sense her refusal and smiled ambiguously. ¡°That¡¯s okay. We can exchange Messenger and stay in touch anytime.¡± Joanna frowned. She didn¡¯t really like adding unfamiliar people on Messenger, especially considering that Marlowe and Bruce were archenemies. Moreover, Bruce had a vtile temperament and loved to be jealous. If he found it out, he would probably get mad again. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. My phone is out of battery, and I¡¯m in a hurry now, so I have to go.¡± Saying that, Joanna opened the car door and got in. ¡°You have to do that to me?¡± Tatiana started the car directly and said coldly, ¡°Sorry, please make way.¡± Marlowe smiled resentfully and said, ¡°Bye, we will meet again.¡± Tatiana stepped on the elerator and drove away. ¡°What a strange encounter. How did I run into him?¡± Joanna furrowed her brows, looking quite annoyed. It was nearly noon! She needed to hurry to the hospital; otherwise, Lilia would be worried. As he watched Joanna¡¯s car driving away, an eerie smile appeared at the corner of Marlowe¡¯s eyes. His assistant joked, ¡°Pr¨¦sident Yanice, I heard that Bruce still loves his ex¨Cwife and wants to remarry her! ¡°But for some reason, she has been rejecting him.¡± Marlowe¡¯s eyebrows raised even higher when he heard that. ¡°Heh, I didn¡¯t expect Bruce to be such a spoony, actually wanting to go back to his ex.¡± When he was in prison, Bruce and Joanna hadn¡¯t been married yet! Unexpectedly, after his release, they had broken up and reconciled several times. ¡°Yeah! His daughter has leukemia, and he personally donated bone marrow to her. I heard he¡¯s going to donate again.¡± ¡°Interesting! Neither have I expected Bruce to be such a loving father.¡± Saying that, Marlowe sneered coldly, and his pupils shed with a wicked light. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to take everything from you. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Anything you like, I will snatch away. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t snatch it, I will destroy it all.¡± It was at the hospital. At noon, Joanna hurriedly arrived at the hospital. Lilia, Mommy¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Mommy, why did youe sote?¡± ¡°Oh, I went to buy the egg tarts for you. There was traffic on the way. I¡¯m sorry, my sweetheart.¡± ¡°Wow, you bought egg tarts for me?¡± ¡°Yes! You wanted to eat Portuguese egg tarts, right? Mommy bought them specially for you.¡± Lilia¡¯s eyes lit up as she said sweetly. ¡°Thank you, Mommy.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with endless tenderness. She quickly opened the box and took out the egg tarts. ¡°Wow, they smell so good!¡± Lilia greedily sniffed them. Since she had recently undergone chemotherapy, there were many things she couldn¡¯t eat. So, just smelling the aroma made. her happy. ¡°You can only eat a little bit. When you get better, you can eat as much as you want.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy, I know.¡± Joanna took a spoon and picked the softest part of the egg tart, gently took a bite, and brought it to her daughter¡¯s mouth. Lilia couldn¡¯t eat too much, so Joanna wanted her to taste the vor. It was 2 PM in the afternoon. ¡°Bang!¡± The door of the ward was pushed open, and Bruce walked in. Joanna was taken aback. ¡°Did you finish work so early?¡± ¡°Um!¡± Bruce walked into the hospital room, took off his suit, and sat exhaustedly on the couch. ¡°Daddy!¡± Lilia called out in a sweet voice. ¡°Good girl!¡± Bruce would usually y around with his daughter. But today, he was exceptionally tired, so he leaned back on the couch, supporting his head with his hand. Seeing this, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have a headache!¡± Bruce said, rubbing his temples with his hand. He had been in meetings all morning, and his head felt like it was about to explode. ¡°Do you want to take a painkiller?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to take medication. It can be addictive if I take it too often.¡± ¡°Then let me massage it for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna walked over and gently massaged his temples. In less than two minutes, Bruce changed his position and rested his head on herp. S Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Smelling the faint fresh fragrance on Joanna¡¯s body and feeling her gentle fingertips, Bruce felt incredibly rxed. Joanna massaged him for less than ten minutes, and Bruce began to emit a faint snoring sound. He had actually fallen asleep. Seeing Bruce asleep, Joanna let out a sigh and continued to massage his head. Normally, he was always energetic, rarely showing signs of fatigue. Now, he was sleeping so soundly, indicating that he was truly under a lot of pressure. The incident with the reporter, although it had been rified and the Everett Group had released the actual surveince video, it had still caused a considerable negative impact. Even the police chief personally called him, advising him to handle the aftermath without drawing too much attention. And the Independent Commission Against Corruption hadunched a thorough investigation. They had alreadye to thepany to collect financial records and various registered contracts. The situation in Greyport was stormy, and the impact of public opinion was even greater in Mossbourne. If he couldn¡¯t handle the aftermath properly. Bruce could really end up in a bad situation. Currently, he was like a high¨Cspeed train. If it derailed, the consequences would be unimaginable. Bruce slept for half an hour before suddenly jolting awake. ¡°Why did I fall asleep?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, it¡¯s okay to sleep!¡± Bruce yawned and rubbed his eyes while still half¨Casleep. ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± ¡°Just half an hour.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Get up quickly. My legs are numb.¡± Joanna said, frowning as she pushed his head off herp. His head was as heavy as a giant hammer, and it was getting difficult to bear it on her legs. Bruce stood up and stretched his limbs. ¡°Ah, that nap was reallyfortable. It¡¯s more effective than sleeping for several hours at night.¡± ¡°Lilia, my good girl! Here I am!¡± ¡°Shh, Lilia is also asleep. Don¡¯t wake her up.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Bruce immediately quieted down, lowering his head to check on his daughter. ¡°I wish our daughter would get better soon.¡± Just as Bruce was feeling emotional, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took out his phone and saw that it was from Zachary, ¡°I¡¯ll go out to take the call!¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± Joanna replied casually. Bruce took the call and left the hospital room. ¡°Hello, Zachary, what¡¯s up?¡± On the other end of the line, Zachary chuckled, ¡°Ah Bruce, what¡¯s been going ontely? I¡¯ve been calling you, but you never answered.¡± ¡°Oh, is there something going on? I¡¯ve been busytely!¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re so busy, it¡¯s not easy to reach you these days.¡± Zachary teased over the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Just spill it!¡± Zachary changed his teasing tone and asked with concern, ¡°I heard that your daughter is sick. Is she getting better now?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s still undergoing treatment.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. With the medical advancements nowadays, she¡¯ll definitely get better.¡± Bruce furrowed his brow. ¡°I hope so.¡± 10.000 By the way, I know a pediatric expert who specializes in treating leukemia. Do you want me to introduce you to him?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Melta pediatrician. How about I arrange an appointment for you. I¡¯ll give you his contact information.¡± ¡°Just tell me over the phone, and I¡¯ll check his background.¡± After all, he knew only the top pediatricians, and he didn¡¯t bother with the lesser¨Cknown ones. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll introduce you to one of the best pediatric experts. Even if it doesn¡¯t help, it won¡¯t do any harm.¡± ¡°By the way, it¡¯s been a while since west met. I really miss you.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Bruce chuckled dryly. ¡°Why would you miss me? I¡¯m not a woman.¡± ¡°Come on. We¡¯re the best of buddies. You know, brotherhood always outweigh womankind. ¡°Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense.¡± Zachary spoke primly. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to my club tonight? Let¡¯s have a party.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Bruce hesitated. At this moment, he didn¡¯t really want to go to a nightclub. Especially after thest time he went to a nightclub, Joanna was very angry. If he met Zachary again, he would probably be persuaded to drink again. Perhaps sensing Bruce¡¯s hesitation. Zachary quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We won¡¯t drink tonight, and there won¡¯t be any women. I¡¯ll only drink coffee you. Is that alright?¡± ¡°Emm, okay then.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, when did you be a henpeck? If this gets out, you will beughed at.¡± ¡°Enough, let¡¯s not talk about that. See you tonight.¡± ¡°Yeah, see you tonight, don¡¯t stand me up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Bruce finished speaking and hung up the phone. Back in the hospital room, Joanna was still taking care of Lilia. As she saw him return, she asked subconsciously, ¡°Whose call was it?¡± ¡°Oh, it was Zachary.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes rolled, and her face instantly darkened. ¡°He just called me and said he knows a Melta pediatrician who specializes in treating leukemia. He is going to introduced him to me.¡± Send Gift Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Joanna hesitated, ¡°A Melta pediatrician?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s an authority in the field of leukemia treatment. I want to meet him and seek some information. ¡°If it¡¯s true, it would be great to have him help treat Lilia.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t object. It was in the evening, a little past eight. Bruce went to Zachary¡¯s club as nned. They were inside a VIP private room. ¡°Mr. Garcia, Mr. Everett has arrived.¡± A server led Bruce into the private room. Zachary promptly rose to his feet and greeted him. ¡°Bruce, what an honor seeing you here. You¡¯ve been so engaged.¡± Bruce smiled faintly and replied, ¡°I have been quite busytely, and I couldn¡¯t find the time.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know you¡¯re a busy man. I won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Come, have a cup of coffee. I knew you were visiting here, so I brought some good coffee beans from home!¡± Zachary said as he personally brewed the coffee. Bruce sat down on the sofa and asked directly, ¡°Is that Melta doctor you mentioned reliable?¡± ¡°Oh, that doctor¡¯s name is Miles. Here¡¯s his business card. You can contact him right now.¡± Zachary paused for a moment and took out a business card from his bag, handing it to Bruce. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to him on the phone and briefly mentioned your daughter¡¯s condition. You can talk to him in detail to see if there are any better treatment options.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Zachary chuckled drily and then casually poured a drink on the coffee table. Suddenly, he remembered that Bruce didn¡¯t drink, so he quickly poured a cup of coffee instead. ¡°Drinking coffee is not very exciting. How about a ss of wine?¡± Bruce epted the coffee cup and smiled, ¡°No, if I drink alcohol, I¡¯ll end up quarreling with my wife when I go back.¡± Zachary teased. ¡°Wow, look what be of Mr. Everett. I never expected you to be the first among us to get married and the first to be tied down by a woman.¡± Bruce took a sip of coffee and smiled lightly. Among the trust fund babies of Greyport, he was indeed the first to get married. But now, he had be a wealthy and sessful man, his influence hadpletely surpassing that of his parents¡® generation. Yet, after his grandmother passed away, since he had no family left, he felt even more lonely and longed for a family. The two of them exchanged teasing remarks with each other. Suddenly, Zachary changed the subject, pretending to be nonchnt, and asked, ¡°By the way, I heard that you¡¯re close to several officials in Porash. It was quite difficult to get approval for the Green Bay project, but you managed to do it. I guess these officials helped you a lot behind the scenes. Can you introduce me to them? Give me some pointers?¡± Bruce paused for a moment and said, ¡°With such a widework you¡¯ve got, do you still need me to introduce you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you seriously. I¡¯m also nning to invest in a project in Porash, and the approval documents may be difficult to get. That¡¯s why I came here specifically to learn from you.¡± Zachary said with a slightly guilty look in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Once the project is approved, I¡¯ll give you a 10% stake.¡± As Bruce heard it, he furrowed his brow, deeming that Zachary was acting strange today. Although they had been good friends since childhood and had always been close, Zachary had always been envious of him. and never sought his advice. Moreover, their business philosophies werepletely different. ¡°Zachary, you seem strange today,¡± Bruce said, tilting his head and looking at him intently. Zachary felt even more uneasy but tried to appear calm. ¡°What¡¯s strange? I¡¯m just the same as usual. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve invested in several projects before, and while I made some small profits, there hasn¡¯t been much significant gain. So, I¡¯m thinking of trying my luck in Mossbourne, Zachary exined. ¡°What kind of project do you n to do in Porash?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°A nightclub, of course. As you know, running a nightclub requires the support of local officials,¡± Zachary replied. Actually, I invited you here today mainly to learn from you and explore the possibilities,¡± he continued. Bruce didn¡¯t ask further but simply replied, ¡°Well, if you need it, I can introduce you to those officials. But as for the rest, you¡¯ll have to figure it out yourself)¡± Seeing Bruce falling into the trap, Zachary immediately asked, ¡°So, can you tell me about their preferences? I want to be prepared and cater to their tastes!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned slightly grim, and he didn¡¯t answer. Private connections in business world are often kept secret, especially when dealing with officials. He couldn¡¯t afford any leaks or slip¨Cups, which could lead to trouble. ¡°It¡¯s nothing out of the ordinary, you know. No need to ask me,¡± Bruce replied vaguely. ¡°I know that dealing with people requires some sacrifices. I understand that these officials won¡¯t easily ept money from strangers, Zachary said dismissively. ¡°How did you bribe them? Tell me, I want to learn it.¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned stern. He stated, ¡°Mossbourne isn¡¯t as corrupt as you think now. It¡¯s not a big problem for anyone to run business there, if he does business properly and does not vite thew.¡± Hearing that, Zachary pursed his lips and said disdainfully, ¡°Come on! When dealing with people, no matter where you go, you have to build rtionships there. And if you don¡¯t, don¡¯t expect your business to run well.¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned livid, and his tone gradually became impatient. ¡°Alright, alright, I don¡¯t argue with you. It¡¯s gettingte, and I should go back.¡± With that, Bruce stood up to leave. After so many years in the business world, he learned to stay alert all the time. Even with the people he trusted the most, he maintained a certain level of caution. He would help with introductions, but the details of his interactions with others, except for himself, would not be disclosed. to anyone. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been half an hour, why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you that if you need anything, I can introduce you! The rest is up to you!¡± ¡°Come on, Bruce, I really need the information.¡± Zachary persisted, trying to steer the conversation towards sensitive topics. Unfortunately, Bruce refused to reveal a single word. ¡°Mr. Garcia, in the business world, there are unwritten rules. You know them too, there¡¯s no need for me to teach you!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Bruce, if you don¡¯t want to tell me about it, just say it. Don¡¯t be so hypocritical,¡± Zachary said dejectedly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, it¡¯s just that I really can¡¯t! Alright, I really have to go now,¡± Bruce shrugged and made a helpless expression. ¡°My wife is very strict with me; she only allowed me to stay out for an hour.¡± Seeing that Bruce insisted on leaving, Zachary was a little frustrated. ¡°Who can believe it? Mr. Everett, the Mr. Everett, is a henpecked husband! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°With your current status, you can have as many women as you want. Why do you have to limit yourself to one woman! By the way, it¡¯s only nine o¡¯clock now. Let¡¯s chat for a while more!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t. I have to go back to the hospital for my daughter.¡± Despite Zachary¡¯s attempts to make him stay, Bruce insisted on leaving. Send Gift Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Comment Zachary seethed with anger after Bruce¡¯s departure. It took him much effort to finally convince Bruce out, but he couldn¡¯t extract any information from him. At Roxanne¡¯s residence, the atmosphere was sultry as shey on the bed, having already taken a shower and dressed in seductive sleepwear, eagerly awaiting Zachary¡¯s return. ¡°Darling, you¡¯re finally back,¡± she purred. ¡°Mmm¡­ Zachary appeared frustrated. Roxanne wrapped her arm around his neck, offering a seductive kiss. ¡°So, how did it go? Did you manage to get anything. out of him?¡± ¡°Forget it. Bruce is extremely cautious. No matter how hard I tried to lead him, he refused to reveal anything.¡± Zachary replied, annoyance etching his face. Upon hearing this, Roxanne¡¯s pupils contracted momentarily. She knew that Bruce¡¯s defenses were imprable, and expecting Zachary to extract information from him was futile. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget it! Bruce is too clever to be outsmarted easily. If our first attempt fails, there will always be a second chance. I don¡¯t believe he can stay vignt forever.¡± Roxanne sneered coldly. ¡°Hmph, even Homer sometimes nods. I don¡¯t think he can stay alert all the time.¡± ¡°Darling, I believe in you! I¡¯m confident that you can do it! I¡¯ll ensure Bruce loses everything and ends up with nothing.¡± As Zachary listened, a chilling sensation ran down his spine. ¡°Would you do the same to me?¡± he asked. ¡°Howe? As long as you remain faithful to me, I¡¯ll faithfully stand by your side,¡± Roxanne replied, adopting a coquettish expression. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve already spoken to the Vice President of Yanice Group, and he¡¯s eager to coborate with you.¡± She continued, ¡°Once Yanice Group and Garcia Group join forces, we can surely bring Bruce down from his high pedestal. Then, we can im a piece of the Everett Group¡¯s empire for ourselves.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is set up, and we¡¯re just waiting for Bruce to fall into our trap,¡± she added, a sinister smile gracing her lips. Zachary listened, but deep down, something felt amiss. He and Bruce had grown up together and harbored no grudges. His actions now were purely driven by envy. Bruce had always outshone him, excelling in every aspect since their youth. And they had been constantlypared to each other. He had lived his life in the shadow of the shining Bruce.¡± How could he not be jealous? ¡°Forget about him for now. Let¡¯s not spoil this wonderful night¡­¡± It was around 10:30 PM, at the children¡¯s hospital. Bruce didn¡¯t go home but went straight to the hospital. The door of the ward creaked open, disturbing Joanna, who was about to sleep on the apanying bed. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Mmm¡± ¡°How did it go? What did the doctor say?¡± she inquired. ¡°Zachary gave me a business card and said he discussed Lilia¡¯s condition with the doctor. I will call the doctor tomorrow and see if he has any better suggestions,¡± Bruce replied, handing Joanna the doctor¡¯s business card. ¡°Miles?¡± Joanna looked at the card and furrowed her brows. Having spent several years in Melta, she had obtained some knowledge of it, but she had never heard of this doctored named Miles before. ¡°Is he reliable? I¡¯ve never heard of him,¡± she wondered. Bruce furrowed his brow. ¡°Zachary rmended him, so he should be trustworthy. I¡¯ll call tomorrow and verify his expertise. If he truly possesses exceptional medical skills, we will invite him to Greyport and seek his assistance for Lilia. Il he¡¯s just a quack, then forget it.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t probe further and simply replied, ¡°Okay, that will do.¡± ¡°It¡¯ste. You should get some rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you!¡± Bruce said, taking off his coat and preparing to squeeze onto the apanying bed with her. Though they were in a hospital, they upied a VIP ward, so the apanying bed was spacious enough for two people to sleepfortably. ¡°Let go of your hand. Don¡¯t be silly! What if Lilia wakes up?¡± Joanna said, gently pushing away his hand to haft his fidgeting. ¡°I just want to hold you like this, nothing more,¡± Bruce whispered. ¡°You think I¡¯ll believe you? You always say that. But it¡¯s always a lie, ¡°Joanna retorted. ¡°No, really, I¡¯m tired too! Let¡¯s just sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow,¡± Bruce said, tightly embracing Joanna. The two of them had just done itst night, so Bruce didn¡¯t do anything that night. After lying down for a while, he soon drifted into a deep sleep. However, Joanna couldn¡¯t sleep. Whenever shey beside him, her heart inexplicably became restless. In the middle of the night, Lilia groggily woke up. ¡°Mommy, I want some water!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ming!¡± Joanna quickly got up to fetch water for her daughter. Although there were numerous nurses avable to assist, Joanna insisted on personally taking care of her daughter most of the time. Joanna handed Lilia some water. ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°Mmm, I¡¯m done!¡± Lilia replied. ¡°Then go back to sleep quickly!¡± Joanna gently rubbed her daughter¡¯s head. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, I can¡¯t sleep! I had a scary dream just now. I dreamt that I went to heaven!¡± ¡°Mommy, isn¡¯t heaven very far away? If I goes to heaven, will I be able to see daddy and mommy again?¡± Lilia blinked her innocent eyes, looking at Joanna. Joanna¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Silly child, you¡¯re still so young! It¡¯s still too early for you to go to heaven.¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Lilia smiled sweetly and spoke in a babyish voice, ¡°Mommy, if I really go to heaven, please don¡¯t be sad, and tell Daddy don¡¯t be sad too! ¡°In my next life, I¡¯ll be your child again! I¡¯ll be a little angel in heaven, watching over Daddy and Mommy.¡± Tears welled up in Joanna¡¯s eyes as she listened to Lilia¡¯s words. ¡°Darling, you will be fine. You won¡¯t leave Mommy. ¡°Our family will stay together for a long, long time!¡± Lilia¡¯s eyes brightened ¡°Mommy, does that mean you and Daddy will get remarried? When I¡¯m cured, will our family reunite and never be separated again?¡± After speaking, Lilia looked at her mother expectantly. ¡°Sure.¡± Joanna nodded solemnly, assuring her daughter. ¡°It¡¯s a promise. Mommy won¡¯t cheat me. When I¡¯m cured, Mommy will remarry Daddy¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy doesn¡¯t cheat Lilia.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s pinky promise.¡± Lilia extended her tiny finger immediately. Joanna hesitated for a moment but eventually linked her pinky with her daughter¡¯s. ¡°Now go to sleep, shall we?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± The next day, at Garcia Group. Upon learning that her Zachary was with Roxanne, Jennie looked at Zachary with disdain. ¡°Zachary, have you lost your mind? You actually got involved with that woman¨CRoxanne?¡± Zachary gave a faint smile. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Is it against thew?¡± ¡°Hmph, Zachary, you know about her shady past, don¡¯t you? I can see that your taste is deteriorating,¡± Jennie remarked. ¡°She¡¯s been with so many men, and you¡¯re not disgusted?¡± she continued. Zachary frowned, displeased. ¡°Jennie, don¡¯t speak ill of her anymore. If you do, there will be consequences.¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes widened. She had never seen her Zachary so protective of a woman before. ¡°Zachary, are you really falling in love with her?¡± Jennie asked. Zachary shrugged indifferently. ¡°That¡¯s my business. I don¡¯t need to exin myself to you.¡± ¡°Zachary, she can¡¯t have children. Her uterus has been removed. Furthermore, she¡¯s spent time in a mental hospital, Jennie revealed. ¡°Dad and Grandpa will never ept her into our family. Please, don¡¯t y with fire¡­¡± Zachary Garcia replied impatiently, ¡°Enough, stop being so long¨Cwinded. Get out now.¡± ¡°By the way, have you seen Bruce recently?¡± Jennie asked. ¡°You promised to help me pursue him, but it¡¯s been days, and there¡¯s been no progress!¡± Jennie¡¯s displeasure was evident as she looked at her Zachary Zachary¡¯s head throbbed. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The fact that his sister was infatuated with Bruce while Roxanne wanted him to deal with Bruce caught him in the middle. ¡°Look at yourself. How can you still say that to me? Bruce is married and has children. Can¡¯t you find someone else? Why must you go after him?¡± Zachary attempted to reason with her. Jennie stubbornly pouted. ¡°I just like him!¡± ¡°Jennie, listen to me. Bruce is not the right match for you. It¡¯s better to redirect your feelings elsewhere and find someone who is single, rather than pursuing someone who is already married,¡± Zachary advised. ¡°Zachary, they haven¡¯t remarried yet! Why can¡¯t I pursue him? ¡°Besides, even if they were to get divorced, I still have the right to like him, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jennie defiantly stated. Zachary sighed bitterly. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so special about him.¡± ¡°Please, dear brother, just help me¡­ ¡°I really can¡¯t!¡± Just as they were talking, Roxanne entered the room, holding a stack of documents. ¡°Mr. Garcia, here are today¡¯s documents!¡± Upon seeing her, Jennie red at her and eximed. ¡°Seriously, can¡¯t you knock before entering?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t you cherish any thought about marry Zachary! Our family will never ept a woman like you as a member.¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, perhaps you¡¯ve misunderstood. I never had any intention of entering your Garcia family.¡± ¡°Not having that intention is for the best because¡­ you¡¯re not worthy!¡± Roxanne didn¡¯t respond, her face turned cold and stern. If it weren¡¯t for her ident and Joanna¡¯s intervention, she would have be a distinguished member of the Everett family by now. She wouldn¡¯t even think about marring into the Garcia family. Zachary showed a trace of annoyance. ¡°Jennie, please leave. Don¡¯t be so rude to her.¡± He was still quite fond of Roxanne. After all, he had been with many women before, and therefore he didn¡¯t attach much importance to certain matters, such as her inability to have children. With his wealth, having children would be a piece of cake. He could easily find another woman to bear his children. ¡°Hmph!¡± Jennie coldly snorted and arrogantly walked out of the office. ¡°If Zachary won¡¯t help me, then I¡¯ll find a way myself!¡± she thought to herself. ¡°Either way, I will definitely win over Bruce. You have to be mine for the rest of my life, and I won¡¯t let any other woman steal you away.¡± Send Gift Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Comment Time flew, and it was already early November. Tomorrow would be the children¡¯s birthday, and this year, they nned to celebrate in the hospital to apany Lilia. Inside the ward, after the doctor finished examining Lilia and seeing that her condition had stabilized, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Bruce and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, Lilia¡¯s recovery is progressing well. We can schedule the transntation surgery for next week. ¡°If the transntation is sessful without anyplications, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues.¡± Bruce and Joanna listened with mixed emotions. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Thank you. Dr. yton! When Lilia recovers, I will take her to visit you The doctor¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Mr. Everett, please rest assured; we will do our utmost to treat her.¡± ¡°On Monday next week, Mr. Everett will undergo various tests to prepare for the surgery.¡± ¡°Okay, I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The next day, people gathered inside the hospital ward. The ward was adorned with an extra touch of reverie and warmth. Colorful balloons, flowers, and various decorations that children adore adorned every corner. Nurses and doctors joined in to celebrate the birthday party. Servants delivered a five¨Ctiered cake and various exquisite pastries, imported fruits, and more. ¡°Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you¡­¡± A group of people gathered around Lilia¡¯s bed, singing the birthday song. Instead of wearing her regr hospital gowns, Lilia donned a beautiful princess dress,plete with a wig and a crystal crown adorning her head. After the song concluded, Davian and Irvin, clutching arge bouquet of sunflowers, presented it to their little sister. ¡°Lilia. happy birthday!¡± Lilia beamed, sweetly replying, ¡°Thank you! Happy birthday to you too, Davian, Irvin.¡± Joanna smiled, presenting the carefully prepared gifts, one by one, to her children. ¡°These are the gifts Mommy prepared for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mommy.¡± Lilia received her favorite Barbie doll, while Davian and Irvin were thrilled to receive Transformers and Iron Man action figures. As the three were only small kids, the gifts for them were not extravagantly expensive items, but they contained deep. affections. Once the three little ones received their gifts from Mommy, they turned their expectant gazes to Daddy. ¡°Daddy, what gift did you prepare?¡± ¡°Haha. Bruce smiled faintly and had his assistant bring an exquisitely wrapped box. The exquisiteness and elegance of the box gave away that it contained something valuable. ¡°Wow, what¡¯s this?¡± The three little ones were particrly excited, their eyes fixated on the delicate box. To their disappointment, Bruce didn¡¯t hand the gifts to the children. Instead, he passed it to Joanna and said affectionately. ¡°Darling, this is for you¡± Joanna was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s not my birthday, why are you giving me a gift?¡± Bruce contemted Joanna, his voice gentle as he said, ¡°Today is not only the birthday of our children, but also the anniversary of your suffering. Of course I should give you a gift. ¡°Thank you for giving me three precious children¡± Joanna listened, pausing for a few seconds before slowly epting the box. The box was elegantly wrapped, and she presumed it contained jewelry, possibly pearls. ¡°Mommy, open it and see what¡¯s inside!¡± The three little ones urged eagerly. Seeing their expectant eyes, Joanna had no choice but to open the box. To her surprise, insidey a yellow diamond ne apanied by matching earrings and a ring. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s expression didn¡¯t show joy but rather a tinge of mncholy. He had already given her a set of blue diamond jewelry and a pink diamond ring. She really did not want to ept such a precious thing. Bruce and Joanna overheard the admiring whispers from the doctors and nurses around them. ¡°Wow, Mr. Everett is so generous to Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°This yellow diamond set must be worth millions. He¡¯s truly extravagant.¡± ¡°Amazing. I really envy Miss Haynes. She must have umted good karma in her past life¡­ Two young nurses couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Even if she couldn¡¯t possess such a precious yellow diamond set, being able to witness it with her own eyes was awe¨Cinspiring. Bruce smiled indulgently. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too precious. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± Joanna collected herself and hurriedly returned the box to Bruce. She had no intention of reconciling with him, she knew she couldn¡¯t ept such an expensive gift. Bruce frowned at her refusal. ¡°This is for you, and you deserve it.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too valuable. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°Why are you being so estranged from me?¡± Joanna¡¯s cheeks flushed, and her heart raced. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just¡­¡± Irvin grinned, attempting to persuade her. ¡°Mommy, just ept it! The yellow diamond ne and earrings will look stunning on you.¡± ¡°Yes. Mommy will look incredibly beautiful wearing this jewelry set. Mommy, just put it on to show us.¡± Lilia chimed in! Joanna frowned. It wasn¡¯t that she disliked it; she simply couldn¡¯t ept it. epting such an expensive gift would feel as if she were epting his love. ¡°Mommy, put it on!¡± Bruce took the diamond and said, ¡°Let me put it on for you.¡± Joanna froze, finding herself unable to refuse. Bruce gently put it around her neck. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so beautiful! This diamond ne makes Mommy even more radiant.¡± ¡°Mommy looks like a fairy who descended to earth. When I grow up, I hope I will be as beautiful as Mommy.¡± Joanna¡¯s face colored slightly. She had thought about refusing, but seeing the children¡¯s joyful faces, she silently epted it. ¡°Daddy, what gift did you prepare for us?¡± ¡°Of course, I did!¡± Bruce smiled faintly, handing three contracts to the three little ones. The three little ones looked puzzled. They had expected toys or pretty clothes from Daddy, never anticipating that he would give them a folder. ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s this?¡± Joanna also looked confused. It didn¡¯t seem like a gift at all. ¡°Bruce, what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the City Trust Fund!¡± ¡°What?¡± The three little ones didn¡¯t understand what it was and looked bewildered. From N?velDrama.Org. Joanna, too, was startled. She looked at Bruce in astonishment. The people around them couldn¡¯t help but cover their mouths in surprise. The City Trust Fund was internationally renowned, specializing in managing the assets and legacies of the wealthy. Some affluent individuals worried that their children would squander their inheritance after their passing. Therefore, they would annually invest a sum of money in the foundation or deposit a substantial amount. The dedicated trust fund would then manage the funds. In the event of bankruptcy or financial difficulties, the beneficiaries could receive a monthly ie from the foundation, ensuring they would never face deprivation in their lifetime. When Joanna¡¯s mother passed away, she entrusted all her assets to the City Trust Fund, resulting in Joanna receiving a monthly sum of money from the foundation all these years. As Joanna absentmindedly opened the folder, however, she was even more astonished. Send Gift Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Bruce had taken the initiative to establish trust funds worth more than 2 billion dors for each of his kids. This meant that his kids would be financially secure no matter what happened to the Everett Group. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you think the kids are too young for this?¡± Joanna asked with a voice filled with concern. Bruce pursed his lips and said calmly. ¡°You never know what happens tomorrow. In case something happens to me in the future, I want to make sure that both my kids and you enjoy financial security.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were welled up with tears. Bruce was so considerate that he had thought about everything. The kids, still confused about the situation, eagerly asked. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s it?¡± Joanna pondered for a moment, then leaned down to affectionately pat her son¡¯s head. ¡°This shows the immense love your Daddy has for you. You should treat your Daddy well.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The three little kids¡® eyes blinked in confusion. Irvin, as a clever boy, quickly showered his father with ttery. ¡°Thank you, Daddy. I promise to treat you well. I¡¯ll give you delicious food. I¡¯ll buy you anything that you want.¡± Lilia echod, I¡¯ll treat Daddy well too!¡± ¡°Good girl!¡± Bruce nodded approvingly. ¡°Now, let¡¯s make a wish and cut the cake!¡± Before them stood a magnificent five¨Ctiered birthday cake adorned with more than ten candles. The little ones gathered around the cake and blew out the candles together. Davian sped his hands together, closed his eyes, and earnestly made a wish. ¡°I hope Lilia recovers from her illness quickly ¡°I hope Daddy and Mommy can remarry soon.¡± ¡°I hope our family will always stay together!¡± The three little ones made their wishes one by one. Joanna patted their heads affectionately. ¡°Wishes won¡¯te true if spoken. You¡¯d better make your wish silently.¡± ¡°With a sincere heart, wishes cane true. I want to say my wish out loud because I fear the gods might not hear it otherwise. So, I¡¯m going to express my wish loudly.¡± Irvin spoke with a devout expression. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s cut the cake!¡± The three little ones each held a knife, trying to make a cut on the cake. Since the cake was too big, the kids just made a cut symbolically, and then the servants came to cut the cake and distribute the slices. ¡°This piece is for Mommy, and this one is for Daddy!¡± ¡°Help yourself. Let¡¯s enjoy the cake together.¡± Joanna smiled and said to everyone. ¡°Thank you!¡± The doctors and nurses each took a slice of cake. The birthday party ended. The doctors and nurses left with red envelopes and exquisite gifts. Bruce, Joanna, and their two older children, Davian and Irvin, prepared to return home. Lilia¡¯s condition had stabilized, and now the care of a nurse was enough for her and there was no need for Joanna to stay at the hospital. At the Sherane Bay Vi. By the time they arrived home, it was already past ten in the evening, and the two little ones had fallen asleep in the car. The servants carried Davian and Irvin to their respective rooms for a good night¡¯s sleep, while Bruce and Joanna made their way to their own bedroom. After washing up, Bruce stepped onto the balcony, lighting a cigarette with an air of restlessness. Seeing this, Joanna silently approached. ¡°The surgery is scheduled for next week. Take good care of yourself during these days, don¡¯t stay upte, and cut down on smoking.¡± ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Bruce extinguished the cigarette upon hearing her words. I¡¯ve told you countless times to quit smoking, but you never truly do,¡± remarked Joanna. ¡°Joanna, I love you!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes suddenly grew profound, revealing a touch of mncholy. In these past few days, before retiring to bed each night. Bruce would gaze deeply into Joanna¡¯s eyes and said with a deep voice, ¡°I love you.¡± Joanna sensed a sense of uneasiness, feeling that something serious was about to unfold. Women are known to be strong from the outside but tender in heart. A man who haspletely taken over her physically has also won her heart over. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve been acting strangelytely. Is there something you¡¯re keeping from me?¡± Joanna stared at him with a questioning gaze. Bruce shrugged his shoulders. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t believe him and continued to scrutinize him suspiciously. ¡°Really?¡± Trust me. There¡¯s really nothing¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything, you must tell me.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mm. I understand. Let¡¯s go to bed!¡± Bruce interrupted before she could say more. He bent down, lifted her up by holding her back, and gently ced her on the soft mattress of the bed. The next day. Bruce had just woken up when his phone started ringing. The cellphone beeped. ncing at the screen, he saw that it was a call from Zachary. Bruce casually answered the call, ¡°Hello, why are you calling so early?¡± On the other end of the line, Zachary¡¯s voice came through with anxiety. ¡°Bruce, you mentioned before that you would introduce me to some influential officials in Porash. When can you make that happen?¡± Bruce furrowed his brow upon hearing this. ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely! My daughter is having surgery, so it¡¯ll have to wait for a while.¡± Just spare some time to help me out. I¡¯m really in a hurry.¡± Bruce replied impatiently, ¡°I really don¡¯t have the time right now! How about this, I¡¯ll make arrangements for you. I can have the other shareholders in mypany help introduce you!¡± ¡°Alright, I guess that works.¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s consider it settled. I¡¯ll get everything arranged and give you a call!¡± Bruce said, ready to hang up the call. ¡°No, no, no. Don¡¯t hang up so quickly. I haven¡¯t finished talking!¡± Send Gift Chapter 466 Chapter 466 ¡°What else do you need?¡± Bruce asked impatiently. Zachary smiled awkwardly and said with some embarrassment, ¡°There are some financial issues in my company. I want yourpany¡¯s financial director to help me verify the financial statements.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry! It won¡¯t take long, just one day. Yourpany¡¯s financial director is a top elite in the industry. I feel more at case having him verify the statements.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel at ease if someone else verified them!¡± Bruce became even more annoyed. But since they were good friends, he reluctantly agreed to this small favor. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll talk to the financial director.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Thanks.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± Bruce finished speaking and ended the call abruptly. ¡°Whose call was it?¡± Joanna, who had finished washing up, asked curiously. Lately, she had been inexplicably worried about Bruce, especially considering the aftermath of the investigations made by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. ¡°It¡¯s no one important, just Zachary calling!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. Bruce lifted the nket, sat up straight, and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to thepany to organize the uing work. I won¡¯t go to the hospital today. Let Lilia know, and I¡¯ll visit her tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it!¡± Bruce stretchedzily and got up to freshen up. Ten minutester¡­ Bruce put on a well¨Cironed shirt and a neatly tailored suit, ready to head out. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Go!¡± Joanna replied, disapproving of his teasing. Bruce leaned over and kissed Joanna on the lips. ¡°Baby, tell me you love me!¡± ¡°Here you go again. Can¡¯t you stop bothering me?¡± ¡°I want to hear it! And remember, we¡¯re still bound by our contract. If I ask you to say it, you have to say it,¡± Bruce said with a smirk as he affectionately held her waist. Joanna had no choice but to take a deep breath and respond casually, ¡°Fine, I love you, okay?¡± Bruce chuckled and said with loving voice, ¡°Baby, I love you too!¡± Upon heard this, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but feel goosebumps all over her body. This damn guy could be so cheesy, it was almost unbearable. Unfortunately, she had no other option but to endure it. After Bruce left, Joanna rolled her eyes in annoyance. ¡°I really hate this.¡± It was all just a y, but she couldn¡¯t help but get caught up in the drama. Sometimes, that is just how people are! When you get used to something, you really get used to it. When a man says ¡°I love you¡± every day, even if he doesn¡¯t mean it, those words will gradually be ingrained into your subconsciousness. At the Everett Group, as soon as Bruce¡¯s car arrived at thepany and he stepped out of the car. Out of nowhere, Jennie materialized. ¡°Bruce!¡± Bruce turned his head and saw Jennie. Jennie must have been waiting in the underground parking lot for a long time. When she saw his car, she suddenly jumped out. Jennie, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I waited here specifically for you!¡± Jennie pouted, looking alluring. Bruce¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°You waited for me? Is there something important?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Ie to see you if there¡¯s nothing important?¡± Bruce furrowed his brows, feeling a hint of annoyance rising within him. He had already chosen Joanna and naturally had no interest in other women! But Jennie kept clinging to him like this, which really annoyed him. Moreover, she was his good friend¡¯s younger sister. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? If there¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll go to thepany first!¡± Bruce said as he walked towards the elevator. Jennie hurriedly followed, jogging to catch up. ¡°Hey, Bruce, I have something important to discuss with you!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to ask you if you introduced Roxanne to my brother¡¯spany.¡± Jennie had no other topic but to pick up one casually. ¡°That¡¯s true; what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jennie pouted and replied, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ve caused a lot of trouble for our Garcia family!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jennie sneered, ¡°That Roxanne is not well¨Cbehaved at all. Now, she¡¯s doing everything she can to get close to my brother!¡± Bruce¡¯s sight shifted, and his expression became unreadable. It was not surprising for Roxanne to be attractive. After all, she managed to keep attracting him for six years. And Zachary was a yboy. It was also understandable that they hit it off! ¡°Moreover, my brother seems to really like her and doesn¡¯t mind her past at all!¡± Jennie continued. ¡°That¡¯s your brother¡¯s business. Besides, Zachary is an adult. He¡¯ll make his own choices.¡± Jennie persisted, ¡°I came here today to ask you to persuade my brother not to take Roxanne too seriously.¡± ¡°She used to be your girlfriend. How can she be my brother¡¯s girlfriend? Bruce, you have to scold my brother and make him realize the absurdity!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you with that! I have a meeting to attend now, and I don¡¯t have time to chat anymore. You¡¯d better go back first. Bruce didn¡¯t want to be talking with her anymore and ask her to leave directly. ¡°Hey, Bruce, wait for me¡­¡± Send Gift Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Comment Bruce had already stepped into his private elevator, and the bodyguard intercepted Jennie. ¡°Mr. Everett is about to attend a meeting. Miss Garcia, please stop following us!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Jennie snorted coldly and angrily went away. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll make you cry and beg me some day.¡± Inside the conference room at Everett Group, Bruce was conducting a meeting with the directors and executives as usual. ¡°There are three main points for today¡¯s meeting,¡± Bruce announced. ¡°First, the Green Bay project has officiallymenced, and we need to prioritize advertising and promotion before the pre¨Csale phase!¡± The directors, who were concerned that the Green Bay project might be dyed, finally breathed a sigh of relief. With the project now officially underway, their embezzled funds wouldn¡¯t go to waste. Bruce surveyed the room with a somber expression and continued, ¡°Second, there will be changes in the personnel department. Some members of the management team will be leaving thepany, so those involved should be prepared for the handover.¡± Ever since Marlowe¡¯s release from prison, he had been working against the Everett Group in every means either by spending a significant amount of money to poach talent from thepany or by bribing high¨Clevel executives to obtain insider information. Several high¨Clevel managers had already resigned, and they possessed crucial information about the Everett Group¡¯s operations. It was imperative to ensure a smooth handover and adjust thepany¡¯s management structure. Vice President Tommy reported. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Everett. The handover work and management adjustments have already been arranged.¡± Bruce nodded and continued. ¡°The third point is that I won¡¯t being to thepany for a while. Everyone should focus on their own tasks, and if there¡¯s anything, direct it to Tommy. If anything significant arises, Tommy will inform me.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Does anyone have any other matters to discuss?¡± ¡°No! As long as the Green Bay project can officially begin, we will be at ease,¡± the directors smiled with content. ¡°Then today¡¯s meeting is over.¡± ¡°Tommy,e to my office for a moment,¡± Bruce said, striding out of the conference room. He had something to discuss with Tommy. It was in the office. ¡°Tommy, how about the matter that I asked to deal with?¡± Tommy handed a stack of documents to Bruce and said solemnly, ¡°These are internal documents from the Yanice Group. Additionally, here is evidence of their shellpany getting listed. If we submit this to the relevant authorities, it will definitely cause significant trouble to the Yanice Group.¡± Yes, yes. Keep these for now. They mighte in handy in the future!¡± ¡®Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡®I might take a half¨Cmonth vacation for the next period. Keep a close eye on those cunning guys for me,¡± Bruce said, with his eyes flicking a hint of coldness. The cunning foxes he referred to were the directors of thepany. These individuals had grown bolder and were secretly colluding with the Yanice Group! Since they wanted to y both sides, he would do as they wished and seize this opportunity to kick them out of thepany. ¡®Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you may leave now.¡± ¡®Okay.¡± Tommy respectfully responded and left the office. At the secretary¡¯s desk. Andy and Mark sat with cups of coffee, wearing serious expressions. ¡®Mr. Everett might be in big trouble this time.¡± ¡®Why do you say that?¡± Mark wondered, taking a sip of his coffee. ¡°I heard that severalpanies are preparing to file a joint appeal, using Mr. Everett of engaging in monopolistic practices that are causing small businesses hard to operate.¡± ¡°And also, some key officials in the city government have been reassigned. The new officials are strict when ites to cracking down on business monopolies. The Everett Group might truly be in trouble.¡± Mark raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°So what? The Everett Group is involved in a wide range of industries. If one business. doesn¡¯t work out, we can always switch to another.¡± ¡°Well, I believe Mr. Everett will handle it!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± ¡°The Everett Group is currently facing many problems. Look, Mr. Everett is even shifting the investment focus to the Mossbourne.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, is that Princess Martha still making harassing phone calls?¡± Upon hearing this. Andy instinctively put down his coffee cup. ¡°Uh, why do you ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious. It¡¯s been over half a year now, and issues between Martha and Mr. Everett have finally Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. been settled.¡± Andy furrowed his brow and remained silent. Although Princess Martha hadn¡¯t been making calls or sending messages, there was a period when she bombarded them. with curses and threats. She even sent several messagesst month. All these indicate that she hadn¡¯tpletely let the past go. However, due to theplexity of their international rtionship, she didn¡¯t dare seek revenge in person recklessly. Mark couldn¡¯t help but tease with augh, ¡°Who would have thought that after going around in circles, Mr. Everett would finally be defeated by Miss Haynes¡­¡± Before he finished his words, Bruce suddenly appeared in front of them, and had caught their conversation. Upon seeing Mr. Everett, Mark almost spewed his coffee and turned pale. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Andy¡¯s heart also beat more quickly, and almost knocked over his coffee cup in his hand. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± They hadn¡¯t expected Mr. Everett to appear like this. In the past, he used to call the server directly and rarely came to the secretary¡¯s desk himself. Everett¡¯s face darkened, and though he was in anger, he restrained himself from releasing his anger. ¡°Focus on your work during working hours. Don¡¯t gossip.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Everett furrowed his eyebrows slightly and didn¡¯t say anything more. He strode past them. ¡°Oh, you scared me! My heart is still throbbing.¡± ¡°Well, have you noticed? Mr. Everett¡¯s temper seems to have improved.¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s definitely much better than before, but still quite intimidating!¡± Andy patted his chest to calm himself down. They had worked for Bruce for seven or eight years and knew his temperament very well. In the past, if they had said something like this, Mr. Everett would immediately fire them. Even if he didn¡¯t fire them, he would still be infuriated. But today, he simply med them in a few words and left, which was quite unexpected. Send Gift Comment Chapter 468 Chapter 468 In the blink of an eye, it was Monday. It was time for Lilia¡¯s second bone marrow transnt. In the ward, the father and daughter had undergone full¨Cbody disinfection andpleted all the necessary examinations. They were now preparing to enter the operating room. There was nervousness on Lilia¡¯s pale face. What she feared the most was entering the cold operating room! Bruce,ying on the other hospital bed, gently held his daughter¡¯s small hand. ¡°Lilia, my baby, don¡¯t be afraid. Daddy will be by your side the whole time.¡± ¡°Yeah, Lilia isn¡¯t scared.¡± Lilia blinked her eyes, attempting to encourage herself, but deep inside, fear still gripped her. Joanna approached andforted her daughter. ¡°Sweetie, be brave. Mommy is here to cheer for you.¡± ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened, and turned around to Bruce. ¡°Bruce,e on.¡± Bruceughed andforted Joanna instead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our daughter and I will be fine.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes welled up with tears for a moment, and there was lingering unease in her heart. ¡°When you recover, I¡¯ll make spaghetti for you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll look forward to eating spaghetti.¡± Bruce smiled to her. Soon, the nurses wheeled Bruce and Lilia into the operating room. Joanna prayed outside, hoping that both her husband and daughter would have a smooth and safe operation. ¡°Bruce, Lilia, may heaven bless you!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry too much. Dr. yton is highly skilled, and everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m just nervous!¡± Time passed away minute by minute, and each minute felt like an eternity for Joanna. She suddenly realized that, everything else was secondary to heath in our life. A few hourster, the lights in the operating room finally dimmed, and Dr. yton stepped out. Seeing this. Joanna rushed over, and anxiously asked, ¡°Dr. yton, how did it go?¡± ¡°The operation was very sessful. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, thank goodness.¡± Shortly after, Bruce was the first to be wheeled out, followed by Lilia. The nurses wheeled them back to the hospital room with a wheeled stretcher. After getting to the room, the nurses worked together to transfer Bruce onto the bed. Joanna stepped up to check on him and asked with concern, ¡°Bruce, how do you feel?¡± Due to the full¨Cbody anesthesia for the bone marrow treatment, although he was now awake, Bruce couldn¡¯t move. Other than being conscious, all his other nerves were paralyzed. Im so thirsty. I want some water!¡± ¡°No, the doctor said you can¡¯t drink water yet. Drinking water now would cause choking.¡± Because of the anesthesia, Bruce Everett¡¯s lips were dry and ufortable. He felt a sense of weakness throughout his body. It made him acutely aware of his paralysis. No matter how much he willed his body to move, his nerves simply wouldn¡¯t respond ¡°Joanna, I feel so ufortable.¡± Observing his restlessness and anxiety, Joanna quickly reassured him, ¡°The effects of the anesthesia From N?velDrama.Org. will wear off soon. Don¡¯t be so restless. Rest quietly! Everything will be fine when you wake up.¡± After that, Joanna hurriedly went to check on Lilia. If adults were feeling so ufortable, it would be even worse for a child. As she was about to leave, Bruce became even more flustered. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go far. I¡¯m just going to check on Lilia, and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened, and a mistyyer of tears appeared in his eyes, making him look like a child feeling wronged. ¡°Thene back quickly, I feel anxious when I can¡¯t see you!¡± Unable to move, this feeling pushed him to the brink of copse. Despite domineering and cold personality create an impression of invincibility of him on the outside, his inner side was remarkably fragile andcked security. After all, he had lost both his parents and had no siblings. Over the years, he had wrapped his fragile heart in valor. Exined in the terms in psychology, this kind of personality of him was a reflex of extremely self¨Cprotection. Joanna was stunned and looked deeply into Bruce¡¯s eyes. It was the first time he had revealed such vulnerability in front of her, like a restless and anxious child, even more so than Lilia. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Joanna reassured him, and she quickly went to check on Lilia. Lilia hadn¡¯t fully regained consciousness yet. Shey on the hospital bed, connected to a venttor and heart monitor, in a drowsy state. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart ached, and she gently touched her daughter. ¡°My dear, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± The nurse quickly reassured her, ¡°Miss Hayness, don¡¯t worry too much. The operation was sessful. As long as there¡¯s no rejection, Lilia will recover soon.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Joanna nodded. However, her worries now centered more on Bruce. He had already donated bone marrow twice to his daughter, and they imed it wouldn¡¯t affect his health. But could that really be true? Each surgery depleted his life force. A single surgery was equivalent to releasing the vitality in his body. ¡°You take good care of Lilia. I¡¯ll go see Bruce.¡± The nurses replied in a professional manner, ¡°Got it!¡± After ensuring Lilia¡¯s well¨Cbeing, Joanna quickly returned to be by Bruce¡¯s side. At this moment, Bruce needed her more than Lilia did. Send Chapter 469 Chapter 469 ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Why did it take you so long?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Please, I only went to check on Lilia. It didn¡¯t even take five minutes.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes reddened, and he looked at Joanna with painful expression, as if he were an abandoned orphan. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s body went weak for no apparent reason. She held his hand and said, ¡°Alright, rest well. I¡¯ll be here with you.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Time flew. Bruce had spent five days in the hospital. His recovery was progressing well, and he could already walk with assistance. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s recovery is going well. He can be discharged the day after tomorrow. However, Lilia needs to stay in the hospital for further observation.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand,¡± Bruce, supported by Joanna, paced back and forth in the room. Just as they were conversing, the hospital room door swung open, and a group of police officers in uniforms barged in. Bruce and Joanna were shocked. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± One officer shed his badge and said solemnly, ¡°Mr. Everett, we are from the Independent Commission Against Corruption. There is a major economic case, the investigation of which requires your cooperation.¡± Joanna, even more worried, pleaded, ¡°Officer, could you please show some mercy? He¡¯s still in the hospital and underwent surgery not long ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this case is with significant social influence, and he must fully cooperate with the investigation.¡± ¡°Officer, please, he can¡¯t leave the hospital right now. He just had surgery.¡± Joanna tried to buy some time. She knew Bruce must have been keeping something from her, and she wanted to find out what it was. After hearing this, one officer approached and confirmed that Bruce had indeed just undergone surgery. ¡°Officer, please consult with our senior officer first. Mr. Everett has just had surgery,¡± the officer suggested. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll make a call¡­¡± As the officers entered the hospital, the bodyguards quickly notified thewyer toe. Soon. Bruce¡¯s personalwyer arrived. ¡°I am thewyer of Mr. Everett. ording to thew, patients are not allowed for interrogation during their hospital stay¡­ Bruce¡¯swyer began using his legal expertise to prevent the officers from taking Bruce away. Helpless. Officer ordered, ¡°Keep an eye on him at all times. Monitor him 24/7. As soon as he¡¯s discharged, bring him to the police station!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Anyone not involved, please leave.¡± ¡°Bruce, Bruce¡­ Joanna wanted to inquire about the situation but was stopped by the officers. ¡°From now on, nobody is allowed near the hospital room.¡± ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Joanna anxiously paced back and forth. Bruce stayed in the hospital for another three days. On the day when he was discharged, Bruce was taken away by the police after all. ¡°Mr. Everett, you have been reported for illegal acquisition of bids. You are also suspected of bribery and illegal financing.¡± ¡°This is an arrest warrant. You are now officially under arrest!¡± Bruce remained silent and followed the police to go outside. ¡°Bruce, Bruce¡­¡± Joanna followed him, her face filled with panic. Bruce gave her a faint smile and said calmly, ¡°Joanna, take good care of Lilia. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Bruce¡­ Joanna hesitated, not knowing what to say, and simply looked at him with teary eyes. 1/3 10:38 D ¡°Get into the carl¡± Joanna followed Bruce out of the hospital and watched him get into the police car. ¡°Andy, what exactly has happened to Bruce?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. Mr. Everett was framed by others. Now Patrick has already brought the team over. Don¡¯t be too anxious.¡± ¡°If anything happens, inform me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I sec.¡± Soon, the news of Bruce Everett being taken away by the police was reported by the media. ¡°Bruce Everett was taken away by Independent Commission Against Corruption again. Someone is using Bruce Everett of illegal financing and bribery!¡± ¡°The President of the Everett Group, is about to face life imprisonment.¡± Once the news was reported, the entire Greyport was stirred. ¡°Oh my god, Bruce Everett was taken away by the prosecutors again. I think the Everett Group is really going to be over this time!¡± ¡°How could this happen? He has always been handling with people from both the good side and the bad side!¡± ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t know yet, right? The old chief governor has stepped down, and the new chief governor intends to deal with these oligarchs!¡± ¡°The Everett Group has been the richest in Greyport for many years. It¡¯s natural that he will be investigated!¡± ¡°Wow, if it¡¯s like this, Bruce Everett probably can¡¯t be released this time.¡± ¡°Which one of the rich has a clean background? It¡¯s just unlucky of him to have been reported.¡± There was a lot of discussion online about this issue. At the hospital, Lilia had not seen his daddy for many days and did not know what had happened. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Daddy?¡± ¡°Bruce, he¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She did not know how to exin it to Lilia ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Daddy for a few days. Where did he go?¡± ¡°Daddy is overseas on a business trip. He might not be back after a long time.¡± Lilia asked innocently, ¡°How long?¡± Joanna could onlyfort her daughter. ¡°Dear, your Daddy will definitelye and see you as soon as hees back.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Lilia looked disappointed and helpless. ¡°Miss Haynes, Lilia is recovering very well. She can basically be discharged.¡± ¡°After she¡¯s discharged from the hospital, take her to return to the hospital for a checkup every week!¡± ¡°Okay, I see!¡± ¡°Lilia, you can be discharged!¡± Lilia was very happy to hear that. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. I can finally be discharged. Mommy, will Daddy come and pick me up?¡± ¡°Daddy isn¡¯t back yet. Your brothers wille back to pick you up!¡± ¡°Davian, Irvin}¡± ¡°Lilia!¡± Davian asked solemnly, ¡°Mommy, is Daddy being arrested?¡± ¡°How? I saw on TV that Daddy is a bad man!¡± ¡°Mommy, when will Daddy return home?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°No matter what happens, he¡¯ll always be your daddy.¡± ¡°Lilia has just recovered. Don¡¯t tell her about Daddy! ¡°What if Lilia asks?¡± ¡°Just say that Daddy has gone to overseas on a business trip!¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± It was at Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°It¡¯s great. Home is still the mostfortable ce in the world. It¡¯s just unfortunate that Daddy isn¡¯t home.¡± ¡°Lilia, eat this. This is your favorite food.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Thank you, Davian.¡± ¡°Lilia, you haven¡¯t gone to kindergarten for almost half a year. Do you miss your friends?¡± Chapter 470 Chapter 470 ¡°Of course I do!¡± After returning home, Lilia became particrly excited and chatted non¨Cstop about how she wanted to go to kindergarten and how much she missed her teacher. Davian and Irvin wore forced smiles. They already knew something had happened to their father. Although they didn¡¯t. know the specifics, they were aware that it was something serious. However, in front of their little sister, they didn¡¯t dare show it! ¡°Mommy, when can I go to kindergarten?¡± Joanna lovingly stroked her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°Darling, you can go to kindergarten as soon as you fully recover from your illness.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Mommy, Christmas ising soon. Will Daddye back?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes filled with worry. It had been nine days since Bruce was taken away. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, a day for family reunions. ¡°Yes, he wille back, Joanna answered, trying to reassure her daughter. Lilia blinked her big eyes and coquettishly suggested, ¡°Mommy, can I make a video call to Daddy?¡± ¡°Daddy is busy with work and might not have time to answer your call,¡± Joanna replied, trying to manage her daughter¡¯s expectations. ¡°He¡¯ll be back soon after he¡¯s done with work.¡± ¡°Oh- Lilia buried her head in her food again. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Davian and Irvin were also fiddling with the food in their bowls. Their faces were filled with worry and they didn¡¯t have an appetite. Seeing this, Joanna urged them. ¡°Hurry up and eat. You need to go to bed early after dinner.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± The children quickly finished a few bites and obediently went back to their rooms to sleep. As the children went to bed, Joanna¡¯s mind started to wander. She had been preupied with taking care of Lilia at the hospital and hadn¡¯t had a chance to visit Bruce in the detention center. Tomorrow, he would be eligible for bail, and she had to go pick him up. The next day, Joanna arrived at the detention center early in the morning. Bruce¡¯swyer had already arranged for his release on bail. He couldn¡¯t leave the country during the appeal period and had to be avable for questioning by the police at any time. As he stepped out of the gates of the detention center, Bruce spotted Joanna waiting outside. Their eyes met, and a mixture of sadness and longing filled their gaze. They had not seen each other for more than ten days! Bruce appeared unchanged, except noticeably thinner. They silently locked eyes for almost a minute before Joanna snapped back to reality. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Bruce agreed, and they both got into the car. Bruce settled himselfzily in the seat, crossing his legs as if he had just returned from a short trip. Joanna sat beside him, and an ufortable silence settled between them as they drove. Halfway through the journey, unable to contain herself any longer, Joanna broke the silence. ¡°Bruce, how are you? Are you doing okay in there?¡± Bruce raised an eyebrow, his gaze filled withplex emotions. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Thewyer will handle everything.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m really worried,¡± Joanna admitted, her concern evident in her voice. ¡°Worried about what? Worried that I¡¯ll go to jail?¡± Bruce smirked, his eyes yfully fixed on Joanna. His ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Joanna straightened up, trying to maintain a serious demeanor. ¡°Can you stop fooling around? It¡¯s not the time for jokes. Why are you in such a lighthearted mood?¡± ¡°Really, don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Bruce persisted, not letting up on his yful tone. ¡°Stop it!¡± Joanna tried to push away his hand, feeling a mix of emotions. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you miss me. Just answer me, Bruce insisted, his eyes searching hers. Joanna¡¯s eyes darted around, and she evasively replied, ¡°The children miss you a lot.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Joanna didn¡¯t speak, but her teary eyes spoke volumes. At a time like this, this damned man¡¯s mind was still filled with such thoughts. Secing Joanna¡¯s tears, Bruce¡¯sughter subsided. ¡°Why are you crying? I¡¯m not dead. Why do you make that expression? Cry when I¡¯m dead!¡± he said, his tone tinged with a mix of yfulness and vulnerability. The moment Joanna heard that, she covered his mouth reflexively. ¡°No, you can¡¯t say such a word?¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid I¡¯ll die?¡± Joanna stared at him fixedly, her tears kept running down. Regardless of whether he was the children¡¯s father, she didn¡¯t want him to die, even if he were just an ordinary friend. ¡°Don¡¯t say such a grave word. It¡¯s not as serious as you make it sound.¡± Joanna pleaded, her voice choked with emotion. ¡°Oh, then why are you crying?¡± Bruce raised her chin, a more serious expression on his face. ¡°I got something in my eye. Is that okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still pretending. You¡¯re clearly worried about me but refuse to admit it,¡± Bruce remarked, his hand wrapping around her as he pulled her into a passionate kiss. ¡°Ah¡­ Don¡¯t mess around¡­¡± Joanna instinctively tried to avoid him, but her resistance faded as they embraced. Bruce bit her lip gently. ¡°Joanna, I want you to remember me, remember this feeling.¡± Joanna stopped struggling and melted into his arms, seeking sce in their connection. ¡°Bruce, please don¡¯t get into any trouble, okay?¡± Bruce put away his previous frivolity, and a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes as he gently stroked her back. The gravity of the situation seemed to have surpassed his expectations. He might indeed end up in jail, but he didn¡¯t know the duration of his potential sentence. Thankfully, he had made preparations for the children and Joanna, ensuring their financial security even if he were incarcerated. Sherane Bay Vi, 40 minutester, they were home. When they got out of the car, Joanna subconsciously reminded Bruce, ¡°I told my daughter that you went overseas for a business trip. Don¡¯t let it slipter.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± At the entrance of the vi, the servants were expecting Bruce. Lilia¡¯s stroller was pushed onto thewn, allowing her to enjoy the warmth of the sun. Seeing her daughter, Bruce¡¯s mood immediately lifted. ¡°Lilia, Daddy is back.¡± Lilia turned her head and saw her father. Her excitement knew no bounds as she tried to jump out of her stroller. ¡°Daddy, I missed you so much. You finally came back.¡± Bruce quickly approached thewn. ¡°Mhm, let Daddy see if my baby is all better now.¡± As he spoke, Bruce lifted Lilia with care by her armpits, raising her into the air. Lilia giggled joyfully. After her surgery, she had made a remarkable recovery and had be stronger. ¡°Give Daddy a kiss!¡± ¡°Kisses, kisses!¡± Lilia nted several kisses on her father¡¯s face. *Daddy, are you still going on a business trip?¡± Bruce smiled indulgently. ¡°Not for now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Lilia eximed. ¡°Christmas ising soon. I want to prepare a gift for Daddy.¡± Bruce was momentarily taken aback. Time had flown by so quickly. Before they knew it, Christmas had arrived once again. After Christmas. New Year¡¯s Day would soon follow. However, he didn¡¯t know if he would be able to spend New Year¡¯s Day with the children and Joanna at home. ¡°Mhm, when it¡¯s Christmas. Daddy will take you to the amusement park. How about that?¡± ¡°Great! And Davin and Irvin and Mommy wille too,¡± Lilia eximed, thrilled by the idea. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll go together as a family.¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± Lilia vigorously eagerly, her eyes sparkling with joy. Even though Daddy loved her, he barely had the time to stay with her, let alone taking her to an amusement park, and therefore it was a rare treat. Send Gift Comment Chapter 471 Chapter 471 ¡°Mom, did you hear that? Dad is taking us to the amusement park.¡± Seeing how happy her daughter was, Joanna had mixed feelings. She didn¡¯t dare to imagine how sad the kids would be if Bruce went to jail. While they were talking. Davian and Irvin returned from kindergarten. The boys were stunned when they saw their father standing in the courtyard. They thought they must be seeing things. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Davian and Irvin said in unison and ran toward Bruce. Then, they hugged Bruce¡¯s legs from both sides. Bruce looked nkly at them, feeling ttered. These two brats never treated him so warmly. Compared to the other two kids, Davian was more reluctant to get close to him. But now, he actually took the initiative to hug his leg! ¡°You two brats, let go of me.¡± ¡°No, we won¡¯t.¡± The kids refused to loosen their grips as if their dad would disappear if they let go of him, their eyes turning red. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Bruce looked at Joanna in a daze. Joanna¡¯s eyes also turned red. ¡°The kids are happy to see you.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m so d that they finally start caring about their dad. Good! I didn¡¯t raise them for nothing.¡± Bruce smiled faintly as he patted his sons¡® heads. He then bent down and picked them up. The two boys were already more than six years old and both were very strong. Bruce had a hard time holding them at the same time. ¡°Gosh, the two brats are really heavy!¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re back. We¡¯re relieved now.¡± ¡°Wee home, Dad. We won¡¯t be naughty anymore!¡± After they finished speaking, the boys kissed Bruce on the cheek from both sides. Bruce could not stay calm anymore and tears sprang to his eyes. Joanna had given birth to such cute and sensible children for him. He no longer had any regrets in his life. ¡°Bruce,e on. Put them down. You still have an injury on your lower back.¡± ¡°Go y on yourselves.¡± Bruce ced the boys on the ground with a chuckle and gave each of them a kick. He was just ying with the kids and didn¡¯t exert any strength, so it didn¡¯t hurt at all. ¡°Joanna, didn¡¯t you say that you would make spaghetti for me when I returned? Now that I¡¯m back, shouldn¡¯t you make it for me?¡± Joanna took a deep breath andughed. ¡°Yes. As long as you want to eat it, I can make it for you every day.¡± Bruce was moved. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m hungry now!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make it for you now.¡± When the three kids heard that their mom was going to cook, their eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Mom, we want to eat dumplings. Can you make dumplings for us?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Joanna would not reject the children¡¯s request, of course. ¡°That¡¯s great! We will have dumplings! Mom, you have to make more. I can eat three tes of dumplings.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Joanna squatted down and gave their faces a gentle squeeze. ¡°Okay. Mom will go cook right now.¡± As she spoke, she looked at Bruce. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen now. Stay here with the children.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Dad, will you still¡­ go on a business trip?¡± Davian asked carefully. In fact, he wanted to ask if his dad would be arrested by the police. However, he could not put it straight in front of his sister. Well, Dad won¡¯t be going on business trips for the time being. During this period of time, I will spend more time, apanying you guys. You can tell me anything you want. I will fulfill your wishes one by one.¡± When Irvin heard this, he jumped up excitedly. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great! ¡°Dad, can you take us riding?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She looked at Bruce and said sternly, ¡°Bruce, your injury hasn¡¯t recovered yet! Davian, Irvin, your dad has just undergone surgery and hasn¡¯t recovered yet. He can¡¯t ride a horse¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been so many days since the surgery. I no longer have any problems with my lower back,¡± Bruce said, looking at Joanna with an ambiguous smile. Joanna blushed. ¡°That won¡¯t do either. It¡¯ll be too bad if you get injured again.¡± ¡°Well, Dad, can you teach us how to ride a horse? You can just watch from the side and don¡¯t have to ride a horse yourself.¡± ¡°Rx. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go outside to y with the children for a while.¡± ¡°The dinner is almost ready. Why don¡¯t you go after we¡¯re done with eating?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± While Bruce was building blocks and ying games with the kids in the living room, Joanna went to the kitchen. She took out the ingredients from the fridge one by one and prepared to make dumplings. The fridge in the Everett family¡¯s house was very big and she could find any ingredients she needed inside. The servants saw that and hurried over. ¡°Madam, do you need help?¡± ¡°No need. You guys may leave now. I can handle it myself.¡± ¡°Okay. Madam, please let us know if you need anything.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Joanna replied. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She wanted to personally cook a meal for Bruce and the children and did not want anyone to help. Send Gift Comment Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Joanna began to knead the dough a whileter. After it was done, she put the chicken breast, green onions, ginger, and mushrooms into the meat grinder and minced them. When the dumpling filling was ready, she added various seasonings to it and mixed them up. After that, she began to make dumplings. Bruce also liked dumplings, so she specially made some more this time. An hourter, the fragrance of the dumplings came out of the pot and the spaghetti was also ready. Joanna used a tray to carry the food into the dining room. After cing it on the table, she shouted at her husband and kids. ¡°The dinner is ready. Come on, go wash your hands.¡± When Davian and Irvin heard this, they ran over excitedly. ¡°Wow!That¡¯s great. We¡¯ll have dumplings!¡± Bruce also walked over with Lilia in his arms. Looking at the dumplings, he couldn¡¯t help swallowing hard. ¡°I want dumplings too!¡± Joanna pretended to be in a dilemma. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to eat spaghetti?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But I also want to try dumplings.¡± Joanna smiled gently and filled a te of dumplings for him. Bruce sat down by the diner table with the kids and began to enjoy his meal. ¡°Well, no wonder the children love dumplings so much. They are really delicious!¡± Hearing his deliberatepliments, Joanna rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t make it look like it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve ever had dumplings I made.¡± Bruce smiled ambiguously. ¡°It¡¯s especially delicious today. I want to eat three tes too.¡± ¡°Stop it. I didn¡¯t make so many of them.¡± After Bruce finished the food on his te, he used his spoon to scoop a dumpling from Irvin¡¯s. Irvin pouted and protested, ¡°This is mine. Dad, don¡¯t snatch it from me.¡± ¡°Dad, you can have mine.¡± Lilia immediately pushed her te to her dad. ¡°Unlike the two brats, my daughter cares about me the most.¡± ¡°Dad, you can have mine!¡± When Davian and Irvin heard this, they quickly pushed their dumplings to Bruce. Bruce smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Dad is just joking with you.¡± Joanna was happy to see Bruce interact with the kids at the dining table. It was great that the Everett family became lively again. The servants looked at them outside the dining room, dumbfounded. ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Mr. Everett is particr about food. I didn¡¯t expect him to like spaghetti and dumplings so much. ¡°We can cook the two staples more often for him in the future,¡± a chef said. The other chef rolled his eyes. ¡°Forget it! Mr. Everett likes them because they were made by Mrs. Everett. He won¡¯t want us to make them for him. ¡°Believe it or not, he will definitely be picky again when we cook the same food for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± It was already 10 o¡¯clock at night. After washing up. Bruce and Joanna were ready to go to bed. ¡°Come on, go to sleep.¡± ¡°It has been a long time since ourst intimacy. Don¡¯t you want me? I miss you so much that I¡¯m going crazy.¡± Bruce came over and pulled Joanna into his arms. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a bit. ¡°Stop fooling around. Can you be a little bit more serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I miss you so much that I can¡¯t sleep every night.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already 30 years old. Can you not be so flirty?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t people be in love at 30?¡± With that, Bruce nted a kiss on her lips. 1/2 11:021 Joanna did not push him away. This was the first time she had been so rxed when he kissed her. In the past, whenever he touched her, she would instinctively resist fiercely. However, it only made Bruce want to conquer her even more. He wouldn¡¯t stop suppressing her until she gave in helplessly every time. Therefore, Joanna had never really enjoyed their intimacy. Now, she was very rxed. Bruce was no longer as domineering and crazy as before. For the first time, Joanna experienced the pleasure of being a woman. The next day, Bruce woke up early in the morning. He had been out of the office for many days and had to go back to take a look. Joanna turned over and woke up. Seeing that Bruce was changing his clothes, she asked drowsily, ¡°Are you going to the office now?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Bruce¡¯s face was gloomy as he spoke. Without him around, those old foxes would probably turn thepany upside down. Joanna sat up quickly. ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. After hesitating for a few seconds, he eventually agreed. ¡°Well, alright.¡± Joanna hurriedly got up to wash up. The two of them came to their daughter¡¯s room and said goodbye to her. ¡°Lilia, Dad and Mom are going to the office. Be good at home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lilia was very considerate. She never pestered them when they were going to work. Bruce and Joanna reached the Everett Group¡¯s office building at 8:30 a.m. As they expected, a bunch of reporters were already waiting outside. As soon as the two of them appeared, the reporters rushed over. ¡°Mr. Everett, may I ask if you¡¯re on bail pending trial? Are you still under investigation?¡± ¡°Will you be leaving Greyport for a while?¡± ¡°Will the Everett Group still operate as usual?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, if you really go to jail, who will be your sessor to be in charge of the Everett Group?¡± ¡°Get out of the way. Mr. Everett won¡¯t ept the interview.¡± The bodyguards stopped the reporters. ¡°Miss Haynes, may I ask if you¡¯ve remarried Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Have you thought about how Mr. Grimm would feel when he knew that you got back together with Mr. Everett? Are you still in contact with Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Does Mr. Grimm know that you¡¯ve remarried Mr. Everett?¡± The reporters¡® questions were getting more and more tricky and mean. Send Gift Comment Chapter 473 Chapter 473 ¡°Back off. Don¡¯t get close.¡± The bodyguards formed a human wall to keep the reporters from approaching Bruce. Bruce wrapped his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder and quickly walked toward the elevator. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna was most afraid of the reporters bombing her with questions and couldn¡¯t wait to leave. The elevator went straight to the floor where the conference room was. ¡°Wait outside. I¡¯ll attend a meeting. Come in when I ask you to do so.¡± Bruce looked at Joanna meaningfully. Joanna smoothed his tie and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The shareholders and executives were talking about Bruce in the conference room. ¡°Mr. Everett was released on bail yesterday. He shoulde to the office today, right?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is already at the office. I just saw his car outside.¡± ¡°So much happened recently. Mr. Everett¡¯s detention caused quite a stir. Countless reporters are waiting downstairs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I wonder how the Everett Group will keep going if Mr. Everett¡­¡± A shareholder paused for a while before he continued hesitantly, ¡°What if Mr. Everett really goes to jail? Who will take over the Everett Group? Well, it¡¯s just at hypothesis.¡± *Whoever has the most shares will take over,¡± another major shareholder blurted out. Everyone discussed uneasily as if Bruce was doomed to go to jail. While they were talking, the door of the conference room was pushed open. Bruce appeared in front of everyone with a gloomy face and scanned around coldly. The originally noisy conference room instantly fell silent. Everyone sat upright in a hurry. Bruce walked in and calmly sat down at the head of the table. ¡°What were you talking about just now? Continue.¡± After hesitating for a while, the others smiled awkwardly and greeted him, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since west met. I miss you guys very much.¡± ¡°Yes, we miss you as well.¡± ¡°A lot of things that happened recently have had a negative impact on ourpany. I believe everyone knows about it. ¡°What do you think about this? Just say it. We can discuss it together and figure out a solution.¡± Bruce crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked around at everyone. When the others heard this, they felt a chill run down their spines, and no one dared to speak first. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a lively discussion just now? Why are you silent when I¡¯m asking you to speak whatever you want?¡± ¡°Uh, Mr. Everett, thepany is indeed in trouble recently. But I believe that under your leadership, we can get rid of the negative impacts soon,¡± a small shareholder ttered. Everyone knew what had happened to thepany recently and they thought Bruce might really be in big trouble. However, before the final oue came, they had to count on him. ¡°Thew is fair, and the legal officers of the Everett Group are professional. We will definitely get those who spread rumors. to be punished.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Those who spread rumors must be severely punished. Whoever dares to defame the Everett Group or Mr. Everett must be held legally ountable.¡± Seeing someone take the lead, everyone started to tter Bruce. Bruce¡¯s face grew even gloomier when he heard that. ¡°We¡¯re holding a meeting today to discuss thepany¡¯s operation. ¡°If I really have to leave thepany one day, I want it can operate normally.¡± Everyone echoed, ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Twant to hear your suggestions and opinions. Don¡¯t answer me perfunctorily or try to pass the buck to the others!¡± Bruce reprimanded them coldly. Amanager mustered his courage and suggested, ¡°Mr. Everett, I think you¡¯d better note to the office for the time being. ¡°There are so many reporters waiting downstairs. If you show up, it will probably attract their attention again. This will affect the Everett Group badly.¡± Another manager also plucked up and echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Those reporters love to make groundless usations and spread rumors. ¡°Mr. Everett, you may stay at home for the time being and preside over the meeting remotely, or you may choose an acting director to manage thepany on behalf of you for a while.¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked at the manager thoughtfully. If he left thepany, the power would fall into the hands. of the secondrgest shareholder, Liam Miller. The shareholders didn¡¯t dare to cause trouble with Bruce around, but if he left, someone might take the Everett Group from him and thepany¡¯s assets might be divided up. Apany asrge as the Everett Group naturally had many shareholders other than Bruce. The second major shareholder Liam was nearly 50 years old and was Bruce¡¯s biological uncle. However, the two of them had long been estranged and were not like a family at all. Although Liam only had 8% of thepany¡¯s shares, he was already the secondrgest shareholder. If Bruce really went to prison, other shareholders would naturally select him as the new chairman. Bruce scanned around with a faint smile, an insidious look shing across his eyes. ¡°Well, I have something important to announce to you guys today.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Everyone looked at him expectantly. Bruce snapped his fingers at his assistant. ¡°Let Miss Haynes in.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett.¡± The assistant hurried out. Joanna, who was waiting outside the conference room, had heard what Bruce said, so she followed the assistant in. She came over today for no other reason than to see how Bruce would hold the board meeting. She had a lot to learn from him at work. When Joanna walked in, everyone turned to her in unison and eyed her from head to toe. Bruce stood up, pulled Joanna to the stage, and said to the crowd, ¡°During my absence, Joanna will temporarily rece me as the Everett Group¡¯s executive director and assume all my other duties.¡± Hearing that, everyone froze on the spot, their eyes wide open in shock. Joanna was stunned as well. She looked at Bruce, her eyes full of surprise and panic. Bruce gave her an affirmative smile, not looking like he was joking at all. ¡°Well¡­¡± The face of Liam who was sitting below the stage stiffened and aplicated look shed across his cloudy, gloomy eyes. Bruce actually handed the Everett Group to an outsider than to his uncle! He could not understand or ept this. No one expected Bruce to suddenly make such a decision. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡­ you must be kidding!¡± Everyone¡¯s expectant gaze instantly turned into contempt for Joanna. They admitted that Joanna was not an ordinary woman. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get the men who were as brilliant as Bruce and Jaydon so obsessed with her. But It was not because she was outstanding at work. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t even run a smallpany like the Haynes Group well. How could she manage such a hugepany like the Everett Group? ¡°I¡¯m not joking. If I¡¯m no longer around, Miss Haynes will be your chairman and take over my work.¡± Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Comment ¡°I will temporarily transfer all my authority to Miss Haynes.¡± Everyone looked at each other, their eyes popping out in shock. Liam¡¯s face darkened at Bruce¡¯s words. He was so angry that he felt like he was about to explode. Over the years, he had been doing his best to assist his nephew until he became the richest man in this city. He didn¡¯t believe Bruce¡¯s business would have developed so smoothly without his effort. Because of this, he took it for granted that Bruce would leave thepany to him during his absence. However, things didn¡¯t go as he expected. Obviously, Bruce did not trust him. At this critical moment, he would rather give the power in his hand to an outsider than give it to his biological uncle. Liam felt disappointed to the extreme and hated Bruce even more. Bruce looked at Joanna with a smile and said solemnly, ¡°Miss Haynes, from today onwards, you will officially join the Everett Group. ¡°During this period of time, I¡¯ll hand over all my work to you. You have to familiarize yourself with the management model of the Everett Group as soon as possible.¡± Joanna took a deep breath and whispered, ¡°Bruce, stop joking around!¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting. ¡°Starting tomorrow, Miss Haynes will be your new president.¡± ¡°Huh? Well¡­¡± Everyone smacked their lips, not knowing what to do. Bruce wrapped his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder and left the conference room. When they reached his office, Joanna couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. ¡°Bruce, are you crazy?¡± Bruce smiled calmly. ¡°No.¡± Joanna scratched her head anxiously. ¡°You¡­ I was not prepared at all when you suddenly announced your decision. How can you hand over such a hugepany like the Everett Group to me?¡± Bruce grabbed her shoulders andughed mockingly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you afraid?¡± ¡°You should think it over before you made such a decision!¡± Joannained, as anxious as if she was being roasted on fire. The Everett Group had a total market value of hundreds of billions. It had dozens of shareholders and none of them were easy to deal with. She really didn¡¯t have the confidence to manage thepany well. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been very confident? Didn¡¯t you say that I limited your ability at work? ¡°I¡¯m giving you the chance to fulfill your potential. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Joanna let out a long sigh and said anxiously, ¡°I¡­ I really can¡¯t do it. Come on, leave the job to someone else.¡± The management of the Everett Group was 100 times moreplicated than that of the Haynes Group. A smallpany already made her feel mentally and physically exhausted, let alone the Everett Group. There was no way she could handle it. ¡°Why? I believe in you. You can do it.¡± Bruce looked at Joanna firmly. He had a foreboding that he would not be able to get away this time and might really be imprisoned for Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. a few years. At this critical moment, he would not feel at ease handing thepany over to anyone. Right now, the only person he trusted was Joanna. Only by handing the Everett Group over to her could he ensure that it would fall into someone else¡¯s hands. ¡°I really can¡¯t. I¡¯m not capable enough toplete such a tough mission.¡± ¡°Joanna, give yourself some confidence. I¡¯ll support you from behind. You can ask me anytime if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to do anything other than pass on the message to me.¡± When Joanna heard this, she grew even more nervous. She looked at Bruce in horror and asked, ¡°Wh¨C What do you mean by that? Where are you going after you hand thepany over to me?¡± Bruce paused for a few seconds and then looked at Joanna seriously. ¡°Listen to me. I might really go to jail. ¡°The shareholders of thepany might not be on my side. If I really go to jail, they will definitely show their true colors and cause trouble.¡± Joanna was terrified. She held Bruce¡¯s arm tightly and stammered, ¡°But, L..I really can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do. During this period of time, I¡¯ll hand over my work to you. Ask me if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to support you and I¡¯ll also teach you how to deal with those people.¡± ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t be like this!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms and hugged him tightly. She did not want anything to happen to Bruce. She did not want him to go to jail. ¡°For our kids and for me, you have to be strong!¡± ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t let anything happen to you. The children need you¡­¡± Tears sprang to Bruce¡¯s eyes. He lowered his head and nted a kiss on Joanna¡¯s lips. It took him a long time to let go of her. When Bruce raised his head, his eyes were filled with tears and his voice became hoarse. ¡°In this world, I don¡¯t trust anyone except you. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Even if I go to prison. I¡¯ll be out soon. Are you willing to wait for me?¡± Tears streamed down Joanna¡¯s face. She never expected that Bruce would go to jail one day. Seeing that she was crying, Bruce smiled with tears in his eyes, wiped her tears away with his hand, and said. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t cry. Seeing you cry makes me feel even worse.¡± Send Gift Chapter 475 Chapter 475 ¡°Bruce, can you tell me what you did?¡± Joanna looked at Bruce and asked between sobs. Bruce¡¯s heart ached even more and tears welled up again. No one could keep clean in the dirty business world, let alone stay out of trouble. The punishment for his crime might be severe or light. He could be sentenced to death or be considered not to havemitted a vicious crime. It was up to how thewyer would fight for it. It would be best if he could be out of the hook after paying some fine. If it couldn¡¯t be solved by money, he would ask thewyer to help him get a lesser charge so that he could be released from jail a few years earlier. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me anymore. It¡¯s not good for you to know too much.¡± Joanna sniffed and punched him twice. ¡°Bruce, you bastard! Why do you always make me cry?¡± ¡°Stop crying. This is not the time to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be in jail for a few years at most. I¡¯ll be out soon. ¡°Be good when I¡¯m not around.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t answer and cried even more bitterly. Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly and joked around with her, ¡°If I¡¯m only sentenced to three or five years, you have to wait for me and can¡¯t have an ambiguous rtionship with any other man. ¡°Of course, if I¡¯m sentenced to more than 10 years, you don¡¯t have to wait for me. Find a good man for yourself and marry him. But you have to leave my property to our children. I¡¯ll be pissed off if you give my money to another guy.¡± When Joanna heard this, she punched his chest angrily. ¡°You bastard! what are you talking about? No one wants your stinky money!¡± As Joanna spoke, tears streamed down her face. Bruce chuckled and continued to tease her, ¡°You¡¯ve been hating me. Now I got what I deserved and might have to spend the rest of my life in prison. You should be happy, right?¡± ¡°Why are you still in the mood to tease me at this moment?¡± ¡°What can I do? It¡¯s toote to regret now.¡± Joanna threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly, crying. At this moment, she really could not bear to part with him. All the hatred she had for him in the past vanished in an instant. She did not want to and she wouldn¡¯t hate him anymore. Bruce raised her chin and looked into her eyes affectionately. ¡°Come on, stop crying. Even if I went to jail, I might be able to do something. ¡°If you have any problems that you can¡¯t solve, you can ask me. I¡¯ll leave all my most capable assistants and bodyguards to you. Indeed, even if he was put into jail, he might not lose control of the Everett Group. Joanna was just his spokesperson in the Of course, this spokesperson had to be someone he trusted the most. So far, the only person he could trust was Joanna. Although Liam was his uncle and had helped him a lot in business, Bruce knew that he had long Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. wanted to rece him and control the Everett Group. Therefore, he would rather hand thepany over to Joanna than to Liam. Everyone in the conference room was in an uproar. ¡°Do you guys think Mr. Everett is crazy? It¡¯s unbelievable that he handed thepany to his ex¨Cwife!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡®s right! His ex¨Cwife is just a little girl. What¡¯s so great about her? How could he appoint her as the Everett Group¡¯s president?¡± ¡°Yes. That woman got everything she had by sleeping with men. If she were in charge of thepany, it would definitely be ruined.¡± The major shareholders patted their chests and stomped their feet as theyined. They were so worried that their teeth began to hurt. The vice president Tommy immediatelyforted everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. When Mr. Everett inherited the Everett Group, he was only 20 years old. Everyone thought he couldn¡¯t run thepany well. ¡°But what happenedter? Not only did Mr. Everett manage the Everett Group very well, but he was also more enterprising than the previous chairman. ¡°So, it¡¯s very likely that Miss Haynes can do a good job as well. Since Mr. Everett personally chose her, there must be something special about her. We should just do our part.¡± ¡°Hmph! Mr. Everett is doing this for his own benefit, not for the future of the Everett Group.¡± ¡°How can you put it that way? Mr. Everett is thergest shareholder of the Everett Group. He has the right to hand thepany over to anyone! ¡°If you have any objections, you can quit from the Everett Group.¡± His words rendered everyone speechless. Bruce owned 51% of thepany. Of course, he had the right to give his shares to anyone. A few shareholders left the office resentfully. These people were all supporters of Liam, so they were naturally dissatisfied with Bruce¡¯s arrangements. The reporters were still waiting outside the office building. When they saw someoneing out, they immediately rushed. over. ¡°Hello! We saw Mr. Everette to work just now. Is he in a good mood?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Please say something. Will Mr. Everett resign because of the incident?¡± A small shareholder could not hold back his anger anymore and said indignantly, ¡°Hmph! The Everett Group already has a new president!¡± His words instantly caused an uproar. ¡°May I ask who it is? Is it the vice president Liam Miller?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t tell you more at the moment.¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 476 Chapter 476 The reporters were interviewing when they saw Liam and his assistant walk out of thepany. They swarmed towards Liam again. ¡°Mr. Miller, may I have a word with you?¡± Dozens of microphones were handed over, and more than ten bodyguards stepped forward to stop them. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered and could not resist the reporters¡® madness. ¡°Mr. Miller, it¡¯s heard that Mr. Everett voluntarily resigned from the president¡¯s position. What do you think about this?¡± ¡°Will Mr. Everett pass the position to you?¡± ¡°Did Mr. Everett pass the president¡¯s position to his ex¨Cwife? Is that true? The reporters bombarded him with questions. Liam¡¯s face was dark and he did not say a word. Surrounded by bodyguards, he finally passed through the crowd and made his way into the car! Reporters who were broadcasting live were even vying to be the first to report thetest news. ¡°The Everett Group¡¯s president Bruce Everett resigned voluntarily and will face 20 years in prison.¡± ¡°Bruce Everett¡¯s ex¨Cwife may be the biggest winner and will sessfully take over the Everett Group¡¯s assets worthy of billions of dors.¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes was crowned as the strongest ex¨Cwife of the contemporary era. Even after the divorce, she still dominated her ex¨Chusband¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°A dramatic reversales. Mr. Everett and his ex¨Cwife get remarried.¡± The inte was filled with news about Bruce and Joanna remarrying. The poprity of their remarriage overshadowed the hot topic of Bruce¡¯s arrest. People in front of the television were even more excited. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that they will get back together. Look, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°After all, they have three children. It¡¯s normal for them to remarry.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right. I hope that they can remarry. At the very least, give the children aplete family.¡± Jaydon¡¯s fan girls were even more indignant. ¡°Are you kidding me? Joanna actually remarried Bruce? Then what about Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm even took a bullet for her. I didn¡¯t expect that he would still be dumped.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know who Mr. Grimm¡¯spetitor is? That¡¯s Bruce Everett. It¡¯s not embarrassing to lose to him! Besides, they¡¯re already husband and wife. It¡¯s normal for them to remarry now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Mr. Grimm was infatuated because, in the end, he paid the Wrong The Garcia Group was also focusing on this news. amount.¡± Looking at the reports, they were all about Bruce and Joanna remarrying. Roxanne was angry and hateful, and her entire face turned green. Moreover, Bruce handed over the billions of dors of asset in the Everett Group to Joanna so hastily. ¡°All of this should belong to me, but it was snatched away by Joanna Haynes. ¡°Bruce Everett, I promise you will regret it. This is only the beginning. I will ruin your reputation and leave you with nothing.¡± Zachary looked at Roxanne¡¯s vicious expression and felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°Rox, why don¡¯t we forget about it? It¡¯s not that easy to take down Bruce¡­¡± When Roxanne heard this, she instantly flew into a rage. ¡°No way! That¡¯s impossible. I won¡¯t let him go.¡± ¡°At this point, it¡¯s toote for you to regret it. Don¡¯t forget it¡¯s you who personally handed the evidence of his bribery to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. ¡°Hahaha, Bruce would never have thought that it was his bro who stabbed him in the back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡­ Zachary frowned deeply. He vaguely regretted doing so. Roxanne¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as she stared into his eyes enchantingly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you regretting it?¡± Zachary¡¯s gaze wavered as he said anxiously, ¡­ No, Bruce will be bailed out. He might not be sentenced. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll take revenge¡­¡± Roxanne sneered and interrupted him. ¡°Greyport is in the antitrust system. The Everett Group has always liked to monopolize the industry. It¡¯s normal for them to be suppressed! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The second wave of punishment will arrive very soon. Didn¡¯t you gather evidence of his monopoly on the x microchips? As long as you hand this evidence over, he will soon face the consequences of their actions. ¡°Moreover, the Yanice Group has already joined forces with hundreds of small and medium¨Csized enterprises to sue the Everett Group for illegal financing.¡± When Zachary heard this, his head was in a mess and he could only hear a buzzing sound. ¡°Rox, listen to me. Bruce and 1 are buddies after all. I think it would be disloyal of me to hit him when he¡¯s down.¡± Roxanne sneered and said mockingly, ¡°Hmph, do you know the biggest difference between you and Bruce Everett?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Roxanne tapped his chest and mocked him contemptuously. ¡°You are indecisive and soft¨Chearted. If you were Bruce, he would hit his buddy without hesitation! ¡°So, he¡¯s more sessful than you. He¡¯s more daring than you! You deserve to be defeated by him for the rest of your life¡­¡± Roxanne deliberately used these insulting words to stimte his nerves! When Zachary heard this, he was indeed infuriated. He grabbed her hand fiercely and said fiercely, ¡°So what? You still followed me.¡± After saying that, Zachary pushed Roxanne onto the sofa. He and Bruce were born at the same starting line. Why was Bruce so much ahead of him? He was extremely unconvinced and jealous! Bruce could live well, but not better than him. Bruce could be more excellent than him, but not by much. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be friends. This was human nature. Seeing that Zachary was angry, Roxanne immediately put on a charming expression and hooked his cor coquettishly. ¡°Darling, this is a critical moment. If you don¡¯t want to live in his shadow, you have to defeat him. ¡°As long as we hand over the evidence, we can definitely give a heavy blow to him. He will never rise again for the rest of his life!¡± Zachary took two deep breaths and stared nkly at Roxanne, not a wording from his mouth. He began to hesitate again. Seeing that he had a lot on his mind. Roxanne smiled charmingly. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a good day now. Don¡¯t let others affect our mood!¡± Upon hearing of this, Zachary quit thinking about these terrible things. He hugged Roxanne and walked to the lounge beside the office. After a hot battle, Zachary was so tired that he copsed to the side. Roxanne nced at him in disdain, and her heart was filled with despise. Although Zachary was a yboy, he had yed with too many women, so his body had long been overdrawn. He could not satisfy Roxanne at all. Roxanne was purely using him against Bruce. Roxanne got up and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. She turned on the tap and washed away the traces he left behind in disgust. ¡°Hmph, what a waste of a man. A loser. ¡°So obsessed with that thing. How disgusting!¡± After cursing in her heart, Roxanne fiercely rubbed her body. Other than hating Bruce, she also missed Gavin. She missed the satisfaction and the joy that he brought her. Unfortunately, Gavin was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She could no longer find a lover who understood her as well as Gavin. Chapter 477 Chapter 477 After showering, Roxanne wrapped her hair in a towel and came out in a bathrobe. The spacious and luxurious office became a paradise for the two of them. Most of the time, employees rarely came in to disturb them, so she could freely wear a few clothes that didn¡¯t cover her body. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Unexpectedly, this time, as soon as she walked out of the bathroom, she bumped into Jennie. Jennie entered her brother¡¯s office without knocking. Now that she saw Roxanne in a bathrobe, she immediately imagined what she had just done with her brother in the office. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± Jennie cried out. He looked like she wanted to shoot Roxanne to death. Seeing this, Roxanne was not to be outdone and sneered, ¡°He¡¯s inside!¡± ¡°Roxanne, you¡¯re really shameless. Doing such a thing in my brother¡¯s office in broad daylight¡­.. Before Jennie could finish scolding, Roxanne sneered. ¡°If you want to me someone, me your brother. You shouldn¡¯t me me. ¡°Your brother¡¯s the boss. No matter what he wants to do, the only thing I can do is obey his orders.¡± When Jennie heard this, she was so angry that her face turned red. She pointed at Roxanne¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°Roxanne Haynes, you will never be my future sister¨Cinw even though my brother is ying with you. ¡°You¡¯re a bitch. Don¡¯t get cocky. Roxanne could not help but retort, ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m still better than you! You want to be a whore, but no one wants you!¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, I heard from your brother that you like Bruce a lot, right? What a pity. You¡¯re just daydreaming.¡± When Jennie heard this, she gritted her teeth even more angrily. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Seeing that Jennie could not beat her in scolding, Roxanne became even more arrogant. ¡°Do you want me to teach you how to please Bruce?¡± Jennie chuckled. ¡°You? Wake up! If you really know how, you wouldn¡¯t have been dumped by him!¡± ¡°Hmph. no matter what, I was once Bruce¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I¡¯ve dated him for six years. I know his preferences better than anyone.¡± Jennie ruthlessly responded, ¡°Since you know him so well, why aren¡¯t you Mrs. Everett now? ¡°Why didn¡¯t Bruce marry you? And why did he marry your sister?¡± This sentence did pierce Roxanne¡¯s heart. If it weren¡¯t for Joanna, she would already be Mrs. Everett. Damn it, Joanna stole everything that originally belonged to her. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to hear it. I don¡¯t have to waste my time!¡± Roxanne snorted arrogantly and turned to walk. towards the lounge. ¡°Bah, you slut!¡± Jennie was extremely irritated. She sat on Zachary¡¯s office chair, her heart filled with indignation. ¡°Don¡¯t be smug. I¡¯ll get my brother to dump you sooner orter!¡± After cursing, Jennie suddenly saw a stack of documents on the desk. Theputer was also dormant and did not lock up. ¡°What is this?¡± There was a pile of messy documents on the table and a CD! She casually flipped through the document. It was the Everett Group¡¯s internal management information and financial statements! ¡°Why does my brother have financial statements for the Everett Group?¡± Jennie casually flipped through it again. There were also private photos of Bruce with many other people. One of them was a political figure from Greyport. However, this political figure had already copsed some time ago. He had been stripped of all his duties and sentenced to life imprisonment! She hurriedly flipped through a few more photos. They were all revtions regarding Bruce and the Everett Group. After reading these documents, Jennie waspletely shocked. ¡°Oh my god, why did Zachary collect so much evidence of the Everett Group¡¯s crimes? Could it be¡­ that he is the one who wants Bruce to go to jail?¡± Thinking of this, Jennie¡¯s entire body turned cold. She flipped through it again in disbelief. 11:14 Just as she was engrossed in watching, she suddenly heard Zachary¡¯s voice. ¡°Jennie, what are you doing?¡± Jennie shuddered and stood up abruptly. She raised the evidence in her hand and questioned her brother, ¡°What are these?¡± Zachary¡¯s face darkened and he immediately went forward to snatch it. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to take a fancy to my things. Don¡¯t enter my office in the future. Put it down and get out right now!¡± ¡°Tell me, are you the one who frames up the Everett Group privately? Is that right?¡± Zachary frowned. ¡°Nonsense! Get out quickly. This has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°So what are these things? Why are you collecting these things? What exactly do you want to do?¡± Jennie questioned her brother relentlessly. ¡°Jennie, this is not what it looks like.¡± ¡°Stop lying. I¡¯m not a child!¡± ¡°You and Bruce have been good friends since you were young. How can you stab him in the back? ¡°Besides, you know that I like Bruce. How could you set him up? ¡°Please destroy this evidence. You can¡¯t go against Bruce. I won¡¯t allow you to do this!¡± As she spoke, Jennie took the evidence from the table and started to run away. ¡°Put it down!¡± Zachary quickly chased after her. When Jennie had already run to the office door and was about to pull it open, Zachary caught her up and pped his sister without any exnation. There was a crisp sound. ¡°You pped me? How could you p me?¡± ¡°Jennie, Bruce is not a good man. He is not suitable for you, and he will not love you. Why are you so stubborn?¡± Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Comment There are so many good men in Greyport. You have so many better choices. Why do you have to love Bruce?¡± Tears streamed down Jennie¡¯s face as she looked at her brother in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re so horrible. How could you do that? ¡°I can¡¯t see you do it. I¡¯m going to tell Bruce¡­¡± Seeing this, Zachary panicked. ¡°Jennie! Put it down quickly and stop causing trouble!¡± Bruce wasn¡¯t in prison yet. If he found out the truth, the consequences would be unimaginably terrible. Seeing that Jennie was about to run out, Roxanne picked up the vase beside her and smashed it hard on the back of Jennie¡¯s head. ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°Ahhh¨CJennie groaned. Her vision turned nk, and then she fell heavily to the ground. Dark red blood instantly flowed from the back of her head. Seeing his sister get hurt, Zachary was instantly frightened out of his wits. ¡°Jennie, Jennie!¡± ¡°Roxanne, she¡¯s my sister. How could you hit her so hard?¡± Roxanne looked innocent. ¡°If I don¡¯t do anything to her, she¡¯ll ruin our n! If she spreads our secret, Bruce won¡¯t let us off!¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t hit my sister so hard!¡± Zachary felt frightened, but when he saw the blood on the ground, he was even more at a loss. ¡°Someone, please call an ambnce!¡± He said loud again, ¡°Call an ambnce!¡± Roxanne stood at the side indifferently. Anyway, she had been to a mental hospital before! Even if she was caught by the police, she is free from criminal responsibility because she had a history of mental illness. Even if she killed someone, the police could only send her to a mental hospital. Soon Jennie was sent to the hospital. The back of her head was seriously injured and she was sent straight to the operating room. The doctors had been trying their best to resuscitate her! Jennie¡¯s parents rushed to the hospital after receiving the news. ¡°Dad, Mom¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did she get injured?¡± Zachary was flustered. He did not dare to say that it was Roxanne to me. He replied in a timid voice, ¡°Jennie¡­ When she was going down the stairs, she identally bumped into¡­¡± ¡°How could she be so careless?¡± ¡°God bless Jennie!¡± After more than four hours, the door of the operating room finally opened. The doctor walked out. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient? Is it serious?¡± ¡°The patient was bleeding internally. Now that the umted blood has been cleared, there is still some clotted blood that needs to be slowly absorbed.¡± ¡°How long will it take to wake up?¡± ¡°That depends on the patient¡¯s subsequent condition. If it¡¯s ideal, she can wake up in three to five days. The worse case is that it might take three to five months. We can¡¯te to a conclusion yet!¡± ¡°Oh my god, how did this happen? My Jennie!¡± Mrs. Everett pounded her chest and stamped her feet in pain. When Zachary heard this, he felt even more uneasy. On one hand, he was worried that his sister¡¯s life would really be in danger. On the other hand, he was worried that his sister would tell his parents the truth when she woke up. If his parents found out the truth, they would definitely not let him off. Fortunately, he did not know when Jennie would wake up. He still had time to do the remedy work. Bruce and Joanna stayed in thepany until 6 PM. Bruce carefully exined thepany¡¯s management model and handover work to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s stop here for today! It¡¯s time to go home!¡± ¡°Continue tomorrow. I¡¯ll take advantage of this time to arrange all of this stuff.¡± ¡°Bruce, I still feel uneasy. I really can¡¯t¡­¡± Stop saying that again. If I say you can do it, you definitely can. Give yourself some confidence. You¡¯re the best!¡± Joanna looked at Bruce helplessly. She wanted to refuse, but looking at his determined gaze, she knew that she could not shirk the responsibility. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. If we go backte, the children will be worried. Hurry up and go back!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna straightened her sore waist. She had been staring at theputer for the entire day and listening to Bruce¡¯s speaking. Her mind was in a mess and she could not figure it out. This was especially true for management concepts. For a moment, she really could not ept them. Bruce packed his things, turned off hisputer, and left the office with Joanna. ¡°Mr. Everett, there are still reporters waiting downstairs!¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°Damn it. It seems these reporters won¡¯t leave.¡± Joanna also frowned very tightly. She was most afraid of these reporters¡® bombarding questions. ¡°Andy, get some people to distract these reporters away.¡± ¡°Alright. Mr. Everett!¡± Andy replied and quickly went out to do his work. A momentter! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. A man and a woman dressed up as Bruce and Joanna. They deliberately wore caps, sunsses, and masks on their faces! Surrounded by bodyguards, they hurried out of thepany building. ¡°Mr. Everett is out. Go, go, go!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, may I have an interview with you?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, may I ask if the two of you are really remarried? Don¡¯t go! Please¡­¡± The reporters ran after the two of them, and the bodyguards surrounded them. No one could get closer. Send Gift Chapter 479 Chapter 479 ¡°Mr. Everett, please say something! Have you resigned as president¡­¡° The car was slowly driving out of the garage. The reporters followed it out of the parking lot. Even if they could only take at photo of the side profile of the person involved, this kind of news would still attract a lot of traffic. Andy came into the office and replied, ¡°Mr. Everett, the reporters have been lured away!¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°Honey, let¡¯s go!¡± Bruce smiled dotingly. Joanna tried to retort, but in the end, she held it in. Moreover, she was in a hurry to go home, not in the mood to argue with him. When they came out of the staff passageway, Bruce drove a backup car! Joanna got into the passenger seat. After she fastened her seatbelt, she could not help but massage her sore waist and neck. ¡°I¡¯m so tired!¡± After Bruce started the car, he nced at her. ¡°Are you tired? I¡¯ll give you a massage when we get back.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes and thought that he was just saying it casually and he didn¡¯t really mean it. A man like him, who had his hands full and his food open, was born to enjoy life. How could he wait on others? Bruce drove out of the underground garage, turned the steering wheel, and drove towards the suburbs. Joanna thought that he was worried about being tracked by the reporters, but after watching for a while, she clearly felt that something was wrong. He drove in the exact opposite direction of home. ¡°Bruce, where are you going?¡± Bruce grabbed the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a drive!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Where are you going for a drive?¡± ¡°The night view of Greyport is still charming. I really want to go and take a look today.¡± Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it in the future. But he didn¡¯t say this out loud. Half an hourter, Bruce drove to Harbor Bay. They had been to this ce before. It was called Lover¡¯s Bay! It was also part of the hairpin turn. Beside the road was the sea, and above it was the top of the Emerald Mountain! Not only could they see the sea and the mountains, but they could also see the dazzling lights of thousands of families. Bruce got out of the car and walked to a hill beside the road. He stood where he had stoodst time. He lit a cigarette and looked into the distance. His deep eyes were a little blurry. Joanna also got out of the car. It was almost December, and the weather was already a little cold. As Christmas wasing, various neon lights were very eye¨Ccatching. In Greyport, festivals like Christmas were still popr. Therefore, the atmosphere was quite intense. ¡°Look at this ce. It¡¯s quite beautiful!¡± Bruce blew out a smoke ring. Joanna subconsciously took two steps back, in fear of passive smoking. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold. Let¡¯s go back.¡± She no longer tried to persuade him to quit smoking! Since she couldn¡¯t make it anyway, she might as well let him be! ¡°Why don¡¯t you have any feelings at all?¡± Bruce tilted his head and looked at her, teasing her unhappily. Then, he took off his suit and draped it over Joanna¡¯s shoulders. Although he was not fat, he was too tall. His suit was draped over Joanna as if she was wearing a windbreaker. ¡°It¡¯s not cold now, is it?¡± Joanna tightened the suit. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Come on, take a walk with me!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna was a little reluctant. The couple held hands and strolled along the beach. They walked for about a few minutes without speaking to each other. But the atmosphere was peaceful, without a hint of awkwardness or oppression. It was like an ordinary old couple strolling after dinner. Bruce enjoyed this feeling of rxation. Even if he didn¡¯t say anything, he could feel satisfaction and warmth. They walked hand in hand for another five to six minutes. Joanna looked at her watch and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s really gettingte. It¡¯s already past seven. Let¡¯s go back quickly.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Can you walk around with me for more minutes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid the children will worry!¡± ¡°Then let them worry for a while! It¡¯s rare for us to have such a peaceful walk.¡± There was a hint of pleading in his eyes. Joanna had no choice but to continue walking with him. ¡°Joanna, do you think we can still walk like this fifty yearster?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. She had never thought so far ahead. Seeing that she was silent, Bruce asked again, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I¡¯m asking you a question.¡± Joanna sighed, not knowing what to say. She didn¡¯t talk much usually. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Now, although she didn¡¯t hate him that much. She still couldn¡¯t act cute and joke with him. The estrangement had notpletely dissipated! Bruce pursed his lips andined, ¡°Joanna, I realized that you¡¯re really quite boring. Sometimes, I¡¯m found it tedious to stay with you. ¡°It¡¯s like walking with you is dull as dishwater. There¡¯s no romance at all.¡± That was true. When he was with other women, they would rack their brains to please him. Even Princess Martha would think of ways to make him happy. Only when she was with Joanna, she was really a little depressed. Not to mention feeling pleased, it was already a blessing for him not to fly into a rage when staying with Joanna. Joanna narrowed her eyes and said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be with me. If you think I¡¯m bored, you can find another woman! I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Bruce choked in anger. Look, this damn woman was so unromantic. She didn¡¯t know what flirting was at all, let alone reading people¡¯s expressions. ¡°Then I really went to look for other women?¡± Bruce deliberately smiled teasingly, trying to trigger her jealousy. ¡°Go ahead! As long as you¡¯re happy, you can do whatever you want,¡± Joanna replied seriously. She did not look angry at all. Bruce was so angry that he could no longer hold it in. ¡°Hey, if I find another woman, are you really not angry?¡± Joanna thought for a few seconds and shook her head solemnly. If he really went to find someone new, she really wouldn¡¯t be angry, and there was nothing to be angry about. Some injuries would create an antibody in one¡¯s heart. It was just like how a person would fall ill when asionally getting a little bit of bacteria if they grew up in a sterile. environment. After being with bacteria for a long time, a symbiotic immunity would take form. She had been hurt too badly in the past and had long lost all hope in love. Now, naturally, no one could hurt her. ¡°Up to you! As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so heartless!¡± Hearing her answer, Bruce spat fiercely! This damn woman was really hardhearted. He had been trying to enter her heart but she was still as invulnerable as a rock. Joanna was not interested in ying emotional games with him. She just kept urging him. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Hurry up and go back. If we don¡¯t go back soon, the children will really be anxious.¡± As she spoke, Joanna was already walking ahead. Bruce slowly followed behind her, a lot of dissatisfaction growing in his heart. This boring woman really drove him crazy. Chapter 480 Chapter 480 What made him even crazier was that he had hopelessly fallen into it. Could this be what people meant by being cheap? The more she ignored him, the more irresistible he was. Seeing that the distance between the two of them was gradually increasing, Bruce chased after her close. He suggested indignantly. Joanna, can you.. be a little more like a woman in front of me?¡± Joanna stopped in her tracks and looked at Bruce in confusion. ¡°I mean, you can show more femininity. You always look so serious and cold like an iceberg. You¡¯ll dampen my enthusiasm!¡± Joanna¡¯s big watery eyes narrowed as she stared at him seriously. ¡°Alright! How to show my femininity?¡± ¡°Poof¡± Bruce was speechless when he heard that. She was a woman. How could she ask a man how to show her femininity? ¡°For example, when you speak, use a gentler and more coquettish voice. When you look at me, give me a more affectionate and affectionate gaze. That means your charming eyes are like silk, and you should cast more flirtatious nces. Do you understand? ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the way you look at me is like a beast? You look fierce as if you want to kill someone,¡± Bruce said dejectedly. Joanna waspletely stunned. Her brows furrowed into a knot. Habit was a second nature. The rtionship between her and Bruce was hard to exin in a few words. She really didn¡¯t know how to suddenly be gentle to him. ¡°When you look at Jaydon, your eyes are much gentler. In front of him, your posture is like a gentle and charming little Woman ¡°However, when looking at me, you are either fierce or grumpy! Am I inferior to him?¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes instantly darkened, and her already tight brows furrowed even tighter. It had been more than three months since she went to see Jaydon. Thinking of this, she wondered if his body had recovered. Although Jaydon said he had lost his memory, she felt that it was impossible. Perhaps, he simply didn¡¯t want to face the fact. ¡°Why do you keep silent again?¡± Bruce subconsciously put his arm around her shoulder. He seemed to have realized that he shouldn¡¯t have mentioned Jaydon. Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with worry as she walked forward silently. ¡°Are you thinking about him again?¡± ¡°Bruce, can you not be so annoying?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I am annoying?¡± ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to talk so much!¡± As she spoke, Joanna took off her suit and strode towards the car. She did not want to discuss anything about Jaydon with Bruce. Jaydon was more like a benefactor to her. She could do nothing to repay his kindness. Back in the car, Joanna¡¯s face was still tense. Seeing this, Bruce did not dare to mention anything else. Half an hourter, they arrived at Sherane Bay Vi. When they got home, it was already half past eight. The three little kids were ying around and waiting in the living room. When they saw their parents return, they immediately came up to them. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, why are you back sote?¡± ¡°We called you just now, but we couldn¡¯t get through!¡± When Joanna heard the kids¡®int, she exined gently, ¡°Babies, Daddy and Mommy are a little busy today in thepany, so we came backte. ¡°Have you all had a meal?¡± The three little fellows nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. We¡¯ve just finished it.¡± The Everett family¡¯s dinner time was usually at seven in the evening. Bruce used to work overtime often, so the children did not have to wait for him toe back for dinner. ¡°Lilia, how are you today? Are you feeling better?¡± Bruce lovingly carried his daughter. Lilia smiled sweetly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m much better now!¡± ¡°Mm.. From tomorrow onwards, Daddy and Mommy might have to stay longer at thepany for work. I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have much time to apany you! Let Lilian take care of you, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, alright!¡± Lilia¡¯s eyes lost bright suddenly. Seeing the disappointment in the children¡¯s eyes, Bruce smiled lovingly. ¡°Daddy will take you out for Christmas when Daddy is done with work!¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Bruce had to take advantage of the limited time to hand over his work to Joanna as soon as possible so that she could quickly familiarize herself with thepany¡¯s work model and management. Otherwise, when they were caught off guard, the consequences would be catastrophic. Back in the room, Joanna hastily showered andy down on the bed, already tired and unbearable! Looking at Joanna¡¯s exhausted expression, Bruce smiled gently. ¡°Are you tired? Do you want a massage?¡± ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re born to be served, not to serve others.¡± ¡°My technique is very good. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me! ¡°Hurry up and turn it over. I¡¯ll give you a massage!¡± Bruce said as he forcefully turned her around. Then, he began to massage her waist! His hands were soft and vigorous. When he pressed her body urately, every muscle he touched felt rxed. It was afortable experience. ¡°Feel better now?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not bad!¡± Joanna was a little resistant at first, but after a while, she waspletely convinced. Less than 20 minutester, Joanna fell asleep quietly. Under a lot of mental pressure, she had been too tired recently. It was a rare day for her to rx and she fell asleep.fortably. Seeing that she had fallen asleep, Bruce gently pulled the nket and tucked her in. He originally wanted to do something special, but now he could not bear to wake her up again. Send Gift Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Comment The next day, Joanna woke up early, feeling incrediblyfortable. She had never slept so well in such a long time without taking sleeping pills. Bruce had already awakened. He propped his head on his elbow, delightfully observing her peaceful sleeping form. ¡°Are you awake?¡± he asked. As soon as Joanna opened her eyes, she found Bruce staring at her intently. Startled, she quickly covered her head with the nket. ¡°Um¡­ why are you looking at me like that?¡± she eximed. ¡°Because you look beautiful!¡± Bruce said as he affectionately smiled. ¡°Come on, wake up! What time is it?¡± Joanna mumbled sleepily, stifling a yawn. She stretched her limbs, threw back the covers, and climbed out of bed. ¡°It¡¯s already eight o¡¯clock!¡± Bruce chimed. ¡°Ah! Why didn¡¯t you wake me up earlier?¡± Joanna eximed in surprise. Bruce shrugged and answered nonchntly, ¡°Why should I wake you up?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to have a meeting? If we¡¯rete, it would be embarrassing,¡± Joanna said. ¡°That¡¯s alright. We can let them wait for a bit!¡± Bruce replied. Joanna fell silent. ¡°Let¡¯s have some breakfast!¡± Bruce suggested. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna agreed. After freshening up and changing clothes, they headed to the dining hall for breakfast. ¡°Once we arrive at thepany today, no matter what they say, don¡¯t be afraid, and do not back down even a bit, Bruce said. Joanna was eating a sandwich when she heard those words, and her gaze became unsettled. Managing the Haynes Group was challenging enough with just Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul to contend with, giving her frequent headaches. But now, the Everett Group had more than 20 shareholders, not to mention numerous high¨Clevel executives, none of whom were easy to deal with. She felt utterly overwhelmed, wondering how she would navigate their tricky personalities and rein in those wily old foxes. ¡°Bruce, I¡­¡± Joanna stammered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce asked as he arched an eyebrow, his face disying a faint smile.. ¡°Do you trust me? I feel¡­ I really can¡¯t handle it,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Here you go again. With me around, you can do it,¡± Bruce chuckled. Half¨Cteasingly, he said reassuringly, ¡°Have some confidence in yourself. Show me the unruly and indomitable spirit you have in front of me! Why would you be afraid of those old geezers if you¡¯re not afraid of me?¡± Joanna listened and furrowed her brow, thinking, ¡°How can business matters be the same as emotions?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Bruce said. Half an hourter, the pair arrived at the Everett Group. The moment they step out of the car, arge group of journalists can be seen anxiously waiting outside. ¡°Mr. Everett, please share a few words!¡± they urged as they swam the pair. ¡°Is it true that you resigned as president?¡± they inquired, their curiosity burning. Having fallen into the trap yesterday, the reporters were even more determined today. Their thirst for information from Bruce was unquenchable. They would not give up until they achieved their goal. Contrary to his evasive attitude the previous day, Bruce now calmly faced the camera lenses of the journalists. ¡°Yes, I have officially passed on the position of president of the Everett Group to Ms. Haynes,¡± he revealed as he maintained aposed demeanor. ¡°Ms. Haynes is now the new president of the Everett Group. Feel free to interview her and ask any questions,¡± Bruce announced, his voice carrying a faint smile. With that, he smoothly pushed Joanna into the spotlight, directly in front of the eager reporters. Camera shes nearly blinded Joanna, and a sea of microphones thrust forward, each vying for her attention. ¡°Miss Haynes, can you confirm that you have taken over the Everett Group?¡± the reporters inquired, their voices filled with anticipation. ¡°Is it true that you and Mr. Everett are remarried?¡± they pressed, their curiosity peaked. ¡°Are you confident in managing the Everett Group?¡± they probed, eager for her response. ¡°Miss Haynes, do you still maintain contact with Mr. Grimm? Will he congratte you on your remarriage?¡± they bombarded her with questions, leaving Joanna Haynes overwhelmed. Faced with the relentless barrage of questions, Joanna felt her mind buzzing Feeling overwhelmed, Joanna silently cursed, ¡°Bruce, this damn brat! He enjoyedunching surprise attacks and never consulted me beforehand. Now, he even trusted me into the limelight without any warning.¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m very grateful to Mr. Everett for trusting me. I will do my best,¡± Joanna responded, her words stiff and formal. The relentless bursts of camera shes persisted. ¡°Thank you all for your concern. Regarding the takeover, it will take some time for things to settle. I will hold a press conference shortly to officially announce the details. For now, we need to proceed upstairs for a meeting.¡± Joanna said as she put on a brave face and delivered a few official statements. After that, the bodyguards swiftly stepped forward, preventing the reporters from continuing their relentless questioning. As the reporters had a rtively fruitful day, they did not bombard Joanna as intensely as they did the day before. Under the protection of the bodyguards, the two hurriedly entered the elevator. Frustrated and angry, Joanna pounded Bruce¡¯s arm several times as she silently cussed, ¡°Damn bastard! Can¡¯t he discuss things with me before thrusting me into the spotlight? I was not mentally prepared for this!¡± ¡°Bruce Everett, you damn bastard! Why did you push me in front of the reporters?¡± Joanna cursed, her voice seething with frustration. Bruce chuckled in a lighthearted tone and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you enjoy taking charge? I¡¯m merely helping you develop your adaptability skills!¡± Joanna Haynes grew even more furious when she heard that. She asked, ¡°You jerk! Why didn¡¯t you inform me beforehand? At least let me mentally prepare for this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping you build your ability to adapt to unexpected situations. There will be plenty of them in the future, so I want you to get ustomed to them as soon as possible. It¡¯s for your own good,¡± Bruce laughed as he exined, his voice filled with amusement. Joanna rolled her eyes fiercely, her frustration was evident. ¡°We are almost there. Stop fussing. Bruce reminded as he adjusted his expression, reverting to his usual icy and stern demeanor. Joanna also suppressed her annoyed expression, striving to maintain aposed and expressionless facade. Inside the conference room, panic ensued.. ¡°He¡¯s gone mad,pletely mad. Mr. Everett haspletely lost it.¡± Send Gift Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 482 Chapter 482 A few minority shareholders could not contain their dissatisfaction and started inciting others. ¡°Yesterday, I thought Mr. Everett was joking, but it turns out he actually handed over the position of president to his ex¨Cwifel¡± one of them eximed. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett even confirmed it in front of the media. It¡¯s absolutely reckless, another shareholder remarked. Another shareholder nced at Liam¡¯s face and cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Lurk, what should we do? The Everett Group is such arge enterprise with investments in no less than a hundredpanies. Now, with a woman in charge, is it safe?¡± ¡°Exactly, in terms of qualifications and capabilities, it would be more appropriate to entrust this position to Mr. Lurk. Mr. Everett¡¯s decision is simply a careless move. He is treating the future of the Everett Group as a joke!¡± one of the shareholders criticized. Several minority shareholders turned their gaze toward Liam in unison. ¡°Mr. Lurk, how about¡­ you talk to Mr. Everett about this?¡± one of them suggested. Liam sat with his hands folded, his originally kind and amiable face now dark and gloomy. Bruce, his nephew, had consistently shown a dismissive and apathetic attitude towards him, never valuing their rtionship. Attempting to convince Bruce to do something would undoubtedly result in an unfavorable oue. ¡°How could 1 persuade Bruce? He has never consulted me regarding his ns,¡± Liam sarcastically remarked. ¡°This is troublesome! Hundreds ofpanies are now preparing to file a jointwsuit against the Everett Group. If Mr. Everett goes through with this, we¡¯ll have to deal with this mess!¡± the shareholders lamented. A sharp¨Cminded director had an idea. ¡°How about this? When Mr. Everett arrivester, we all work together to oppose him handing over the position of president to Joanna Haynes!¡± the director proposed. ¡°Yes, yes! If we persist in our opposition, Mr. Everett definitely will not go against everyone¡¯s wishes. At that time, we can all rmend Mr. Lurk as the new president!¡± another shareholder added. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s agree on that. When the timees, we all speak up together, and nobody should back down,¡± the director said. ¡°Good, you speak up first, and we¡¯ll immediately follow suit!¡± one of the shareholders suggested. The sharp¨Cminded director became anxious upon hearing this. ¡°How can that work? If we¡¯re all supposed to speak up together, why should I be the first? Are you trying to use me as a scapegoat? If we¡¯re supposed to speak up together, nobody should try to avoid it¡­¡± the director said as he hurriedly refused. Just as they were discussing, the door to the conference room was pushed open. Andy walked in with a serious expression. ¡°Mr. Everett has arrived. Let¡¯s all remain quiet,¡± he informed. Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly straightened their postures, no longer daring to discuss or Joanna began to feel inexplicably nervous at the conference room entrance, her heart pounding rapidly. ¡°Bruce,¡± she whispered, her voice filled with unease, I¡¯m still a bit nervous. Will they give me a hard timeter?¡± Bruce chuckled and adjusted the cor of her shirt as he quietly encouraged her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said teasingly, ¡°if anyone gives you a hard time, just summon the courage you had when you confronted me before.¡± He leaned closer and added, ¡°You dared to challenge me, so why would you be afraid of them? Come on, show me a fierce look!¡± Joanna red at him. ¡°It¡¯s already such a critical moment, and you still have the mood to joke?¡± she retorted, her frustration. evident. ¡°Rx, Bruce said, his tone half¨Cjoking and half¨Cserious. ¡°No matter how formidable they are, can they be more formidable than me? Why would you be afraid of them if you dared to challenge even me?¡± He smiled mischievously and continued. ¡°If anyone gives you a hard time, just hit back fiercely. If you can¡¯t win in an argument¨Cresort to physical confrontation. There will always be a way, alright?¡± Joanna was speechless at his suggestion. ¡°Oh my, let¡¯s stop with the jokes!¡± she eximed, exasperated. ¡°What you¡¯re suggesting is just tantrums and acting out. I¡¯m not a shrew!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I believe in you!¡± Bruce said, his voice reassuring. ¡°You were fierce when you hit and bit me. If I did not even dare to fight back. Would they dare to fight you?¡± Joanna frowned, her face filled with exasperation. ¡°Can¡¯t you be serious? I¡¯m talking to you seriously. Why do you have to babble?¡± she questioned helplessly. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Who would dare to give you a hard time with me around?¡± Bruce said, his voice full of confidence. ¡°Even if they do, they¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯m dead! Let¡¯s see who dares to touch you as long as I¡¯m alive!¡± Despite his joking tone, his words had an underlying aura of dominance. Inside the conference room, silence reigned. The people present resembled courtiers awaiting the arrival of a monarch, each wearing a solemn expression. Bruce entered, his face sharply defined like a deck of cards, emanating a cold and intimidating aura that made people retreat. ¡°Good morning. Mr. Everett!¡± the shareholders greeted in unison. ¡°Good day, everyone!¡± Bruce said in amanding voice as he walked directly towards the president¡¯s seat. Joanna followed suit, but her confidence seemed somewhatcking. ¡­Hello, everyone!¡± she greeted, her voice slightly uncertain. The others were taken aback, their gazes turning unfriendly as they stared at Joanna silently. The Everett Group employed only the most exceptional individuals. The directors and managers within thepany were allpetent and aplished. However, they now found themselves confronted with an unexpected and challenging situation: they were required to answer to a notorious woman who was perceived as less qualified and experienced. Unquestionably, this sudden turn of events left every single one of them reluctant to embrace the new reality. Bruce took his seat in the president¡¯s position, with Liam, the secondrgest shareholder, sitting beside him. The seats in the boardroom were arranged in descending order, with the smallest shareholder sitting the furthest away from Bruce. ¡°Move back, make room for Miss Haynes!¡± Brucemanded in an authoritative voice, as he nced at Liam and motioned for him to give up his seat for Joanna. Bruce had never had much fondness for his uncle. Moreover, Liam had a significant connection to his father¡¯s death. Although no direct evidence proved Liam was the culprit, Bruce had always suspected his uncle¡¯s involvement. Seeing Bruce¡¯sck of regard for him, Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed, his anger ready to explode on the spot. However, he managed to restrain himself, standing up with a sullen expression and motioning for the thirdrgest shareholder to move back. As a result, more than twenty shareholders stood up and shifted their seats back. Seeing the vacant seat, Bruce¡¯s expression remained indifferent as he gestured for Joanna to sit. ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± he said, his voice calm but firm. Joanna felt a tightness in her scalp, feeling extremely awkward. Because of her, more than twenty people had given up their seats. But now she could not refuse to sit, so she reluctantly took the seat recently vacated by Liam. Bruce¡¯s face turned stern, and he said, ¡°Yesterday, I spoke about this matter, and I believe you all understand.¡± He paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Miss Haynes will now be the new president of the Everett Group. I hope you will cooperate well with Miss Haynes in the future. By the end of this month, I willplete the handover of all tasks. From now on, if you have anything to report, go directly to Miss Haynes.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone felt as if a fishbone was stuck in their throats. Liam nced at the sharp¨Cminded director, signaling him to take the lead in opposing Bruce¡¯s decision. Understanding the signal, the sharp¨Cminded director, Mr. Young, smiled and cautiously spoke up. ¡°Mr. Everett, can I interject?¡± he asked, his voice tentative. Bruce¡¯s eyes shed, and he immediately declined, his tone resolute. ¡°I have not finished yet. Later, I¡¯ll give you all time to express your opinions. I know everyone must have objections to my decision and concerns about Miss Haynes¡® abilities. I can vouch for her character, and she is absolutely capable of being the president of the Everett Group,¡± he said firmly. Send Gift Comment Chapter 483 Chapter 483 ¡°I also believe that the Everett Group can make further progress under Miss Haynes¡® leadership. I hope everyone will respect Miss Haynes just as they respect me. At the same time, I urge you all to cooperate with Miss Haynes¡® work fully,¡± Bruce said as he observed the shareholder¡¯s reactions. Seeing the disgruntled expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, it was evident that they were unwilling to consider Joanna Haynes as their leader. However, whether they liked it or not, once Bruce made a decision, he would not easilypromise. Bruce¡¯s tone shifted as he continued his speech, ¡°Of course, if anyone has doubts or questions Miss Haynes¡® abilities, they can leave the Everett Group today!¡± After speaking, Bruce¡¯s sharp gaze swept over the crowd one by one, exuding an unquestionable coldness. He wanted to make it clear that opposition would not be tolerated. The previously grumbling individuals suddenly became dejected, resembling mute statues. Bruce had made it clear that anyone who opposed Joanna Haynes would be kicked out of the Everett Group. Who would dare to speak up now? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve finished speaking,¡± Bruce said, his eyes ncing at Mr. Young. ¡°If anyone has any objections or opinions, please speak up now!¡± ¡°You,¡± he pointed at Mr. Young as he said, ¡°you wanted to express your opinion earlier. Now is the time.¡± Mr. Young¡¯s throat tightened, and he stammered, ¡°¡­Uh, well, I¡­ I have no objections. I fully support Mr. Everett¡¯s decision.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock! He was the one who had been most vehemently opposing the decision just now, rallying everyone to join the opposition. But now, as soon as the threat of expulsion from the Everett Group arose, he was the first to back down. Seeing that everyone remained silent, Liam could not sit still any longer. He said carefully, ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s not that I question your decision, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Bruce questioned as he raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Are you expressing dissatisfaction with me or with Miss Haynes? I¡¯m sorry if you have issues with me, N?velDrama.Org (C) content. but I can pass on my position to anyone I choose. If you have issues with Miss Haynes, I suggest you hold off for now. After all, she has not officially taken over yet,¡± Bruce remarked. Bruce¡¯s response was sharp and decisive, leaving no room for mercy orpromise. Liam¡¯s throat tightened, his face turning red with anger. He clenched his fists, struggling to find words to articte his thoughts. Bruce no longer bothered to look at him and turned his attention to Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, your appointment as the president of the Everett Group is an honor for thepany,¡± Bruce said, his voice filled with authority. Then, he announced, ¡°Let us apud Miss Haynes!¡± After speaking, Bruce led the apuse, pping his hands enthusiastically. The rest of the shareholders followed suit, pping their hands with forced smiles. Their apuse Bruce¡¯s words had been final, leaving no room for reversal. Any opposition now would be futile and would only lead to their expulsion. Even if the shareholders were resentful, they had to endure it. Bruce would not indulge any of them. They exchanged knowing nces, silently acknowledging the difficult path ahead. However, there were countermeasures to be taken. Once Joanna officially took over, these old foxes would find ways to make things difficult for her. When she could not bear it anymore, she would naturally step down. They had their ns to deal with the situation. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s your turn to give a speech!¡± Bruce said, gesturing for her to step forward. Joanna moistened her dry tongue and forced herself to appear calm. ¡°¡­Hello, everyone,¡± she greeted with a nervous smile. ¡°I want to thank Mr. Everett for his trust in me, and I hope we can cooperate well in the future. I will do my best to manage the Everett Group. For now, I am only temporarily assuming Mr. Everett¡¯s position. Once Mr. Everett has resolved his personal matters, he will continue in his role. After her speech, Joanna smiled slightly and took her seat, her heart pounding with anticipation. These words were purely to appease the shareholders. It would give them the illusion that Bruce would return soon. She was acting as a temporary recement and not permanently upying the position of the president of the Everett Group. She knew the delicate bnce she had to maintain. Bruce once again initiated the pping, his face full of appreciation. The others followed suit, apuding once more. Their apusecked genuine enthusiasm, but they had no choice but to join in. Joanna, despite her brief speech, felt an inexplicable sense of unease. She had never experienced this level of pressure during her time at the Haynes Group. ¡°Alright, does anyone have any questions orments?¡± Bruce asked, his gaze swept over the room with a semi¨Csmile. He maintained amanding presence, silently daring anyone to challenge him. ¡°Uh, congrattions, Miss Haynes,¡± one of the attendees said, his voiceced with insincerity. ¡°I hope the Everett Group will reach new heights under your leadership and achieve even greater sess.¡± ¡°Thank you, everyone!¡± Bruce said, rising from his seat. ¡°That concludes today¡¯s meeting. You are dismissed!¡± Afterward, he walked confidently toward the exit, expecting Joanna to follow. Once the pair had left the conference room, a sigh of disappointment filled the air. The shareholders had all nned to unite and oppose Bruce¡¯s decision, but now their ns had crumbled. They exchanged nces, silently acknowledging their shared defeat. ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to stand together and oppose him? Why has everyone be mute?¡± one of the attendees muttered, his frustration evident. ¡°Let¡¯s take it step by step! People will be judged by their abilities,¡± another attendee said, hist voice tinged with bitterness. ¡°If Mr. Everett insists on passing the position of president to his ex¨Cwife, let him face the consequences!¡± ¡°When she can no longer bear the weight of the position, she will naturally step down!¡± a third attendee chimed in, his tone filled with skepticism. ¡°That¡¯s right, let it be!¡± another attendee concurred, resignation evident in his voice. Although they could not unite and overturn Bruce¡¯s decision, they understood each other implicitly. They would not easily let Joanna lead them by the nose. These old foxes had their ways of dealing with the situation, silently scheming. Send Gift Chapter 484 Chapter 484 In the office, Joanna took a deep breath and exhaled, ¡°Bruce, did I overreact just now?¡± she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty and self¨Cdoubt. ¡°No! Your performance was excellent!¡± Bruce said, giving her a thumbs¨Cup, his eyes shining with admiration. ¡°Really? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± she pleaded. ¡°Why are you losing confidence now?¡± Bruce said, hooking his arm around her waist, drawing her closer. He looked at her affectionately and indulgently as he gently lifted her chin, his touch reassuring andforting. ¡°Last night, you deliberately pretended to be asleep and didn¡¯t do the assignment. Now you must make up for it!¡± Bruce said, his voice teasing, his hands yfully wandering. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. Joanna frowned and turned to the side, her frustration evident. ¡°Oh,e on, can you not be so childish? Seriously, can you act more maturely?¡± she asked, her tone a mixture of exasperation and longing for seriousness. ¡°How am I immature?¡± Bruce replied nonchntly, his gaze filled with tenderness and a hint of mncholy. He did not know when he would end up in jail! Once he was in prison, who knew when he would be released? With their limited time now, he did not want to be apart from her even for a moment! ¡°If you keep doing that, I¡¯ll get angry!¡± Joanna warned firmly, forcefully prying open his mischievous hands, her determination shining through. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce asked. Joanna blushed and scolded, ¡°It¡¯s daytime, and we¡¯re in the office. Can¡¯t you stop thinking about that kind of thing? If we really have to, can¡¯t it wait until we get home at night?¡± she implored, her voice tinged with embarrassment and a hint of yfulness. Bruce smiled at her words, his expression softening. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll listen to you, alright? Don¡¯t be mad, darling,¡± he reassured her, his voice warm and understanding. ¡°Can you not be so cheesy?¡± Joanna said, her tone exasperated. Bruce smiled helplessly, his eyes locked with hers. ¡°Let me be a little cheesy. I want to express all my my love. Darling, you and the children are my everything,¡± he confessed, his voice filled with sincerity and devotion. Bruce said, his eyes tinged with a hint of crimson, yet his expression remained void of disappointment or sadness. His emotions ran deep, hidden beneath his calm facade. Joanna felt a stir in her heart and gazed deeply into his eyes, captivated by theplexities hidden within. ¡°Though he has a hot temper and frequently flies off the handle, he is remarkably good at hiding his true feelings. Sometimes, even when he seems to be smiling, he might be extremely annoyed deep down. And when he gets angry, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean he is distraught. No one can read his true emotions from his face, not even me,¡± she silently murmured. ..Bruce Everett, why have you been acting strange these days?¡± she inquired, her curiosity piqued, her eyes searching for answers. Bruce smiled calmly, his gaze locked with hers. ¡°Joanna Haynes, can you say ¡®I love you¡® to me? I want to hear it,¡± he requested eagerly, his voiceced with hope and vulnerability. ¡°I¡­¡± Joanna hesitated, her lips trembling. But the words ¡°I love you¡± got stuck in her throat, and she could not bring herself to say them, her emotions swirling within her. Disappointed, Bruce sighed, his gaze dropping slightly. ¡°Is it really that difficult to say ¡®I love you?¡± he questioned softly, his vulnerability exposed. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you, is that okay?¡± she replied tentatively, her voice tinged with a mix of affection and uncertainty. Bruce rolled his eyes in extreme dissatisfaction, his determination unyielding. ¡°Not disliking me and loving me are twopletely different things! You can also say ¡®I don¡¯t dislike you¡® to a trash can! How does that convey love?¡± he argued. ¡°Oh, stop pressuring me. I really can¡¯t say it!¡± Joanna protested, her face flushed with embarrassment, her inner turmoil evident. Bruce persisted, refusing to let go of his desire. ¡°But you said it while we were in bed, right? Why can¡¯t you say it now?¡± he pressed, his voice insistent. Joanna listened, her face turning pale. ¡°This damn bastard, he can be so ruthless in bed. When he wants something, he always achieves his goal. If you don¡¯t cooperate with him, he¡¯ll never give up. Faced with no other choice, you can only¡­ yield. But in the current situation, those three words ¡®I love you,¡® I really can¡¯t say them,¡± shemented silently, her heart torn between her own emotions and his unspoken desires. Seeing Joanna¡¯s troubled expression, Bruce decided not to force her anymore. ¡°Alright then, if you do not want to say it, let us just focus on the handover of work,¡± he said, his voice. filled with understanding and a hint of disappointment. ¡°Come, let me y something,¡± Bruce said as he walked directly to the safe. He opened it, revealing numerous files and disk¨Clike objects. ¡°What is this?¡± Joanna asked, her curiosity piqued. ¡°These are all thepany¡¯s hard drives. They contain all the data and information of thepany. Take a good look at them when you go back! These arepany secrets, and besides you, no one else should have ess to them,¡± Bruce exined, his voice serious and authoritative. ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Joanna replied as she nodded. ¡°In the next few days, I will quicklyplete the handover of work with you to avoid any dys,¡± he assured her, his tone determined and focused. Upon hearing this, Joanna started feeling uneasy. ¡°Is it that urgent?¡± she asked, her voice tinged with concern and a hint of worry. Bruce frowned, his silence revealing the gravity of the situation, his mind filled with the weight of his impending fate. Indeed it was quite urgent! The period for filing an appeal for release on bail was three months, and he had about three months of freedom left. So, he needed to hand over the work as soon as possible. He wanted to spend a good Christmas with the children. Perhaps, by the time the new year arrived, he would lose his freedom! Bruce straightened up, no longer being casual, and began earnestly handing over the work, his focus unwavering as he navigated the intricacies of the transfer. In the blink of an eye, it was already noon, the passage of time reminding them of the pressing tasks at hand. Bruce checked the time on his watch, his gaze shifting from the ticking hands to Joanna. ¡°It is already noon. Let us go for lunch!¡± he said as he suggested. ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna replied in acknowledgment, her weariness evident in her voice and the slight rubbing of her tired eyes, her dedication to the task unwavering. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The two of them left the office, their footsteps echoing through the corridor. Andy approached them with a serious expression, interrupting their thoughts, and reported, ¡°Mr. Everett, I heard that Miss Garcia fell down the stairs. She is currently in the hospital!¡± ¡°Really? When did it happen?¡± Bruce replied in surprise. ¡°It happened a couple of days ago. I heard her injuries are severe, and she still has not regained consciousness,¡± Andy informed, his voiceced with worry and sympathy. Bruce pondered for a moment, weighing the situation in his mind. ¡°Let us visit her after lunch,¡± he said after a brief moment. ¡°Alright,¡± Joanna responded in agreement. Send Gift Chapter 485 Chapter 485 In the gloomy Greyport Hospital loomed, Jennie remained trapped in aa, her fragile existence confined to the sterile walls of the ICU ward. ¡°Doctor,¡± her family members anxiously implored, their voicesced with worry and desperation. ¡°Two days have passed, and yet Jennie shows no signs of awakening. What could be the reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! When will she open her eyes and return to us?¡± they pleaded, their voices. trembling with a mix of faith and fear. ¡°We beg Jesus to bless her with recovery.¡± These past two sleepless nights had tested Grayson and his wife, Mrs. Garcia, as a relentless worry engulfed their weary souls. Mrs. Garcia pondered, her mind lost in thebyrinth of unanswered questions. ¡°How could fate be so cruel as to have our daughter stumble down the stairs? Witnessing her in this condition¡­ it feels like an inexplicable tragedy,¡± she silentlymented. The doctor paused, inhaling a deep breath before delivering his words with sympathetic eyes. ¡°Mr. Garcia, Mrs. Garcia, the blood clot at the back of your daughter¡¯s head persists, defying our hopes for a swift resolution. We must patiently wait for itsplete dissipation, as it holds the key to her awakening,¡± he reported. ¡°Furthermore¡­¡± the doctor said as his voice trailed off, and a weighty silence filled the room. Grayson furrowed his brow, his voiceden with anticipation and anxiety. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Please tell us the truth,¡± Grayson anxiously asked. The doctor¡¯s brow furrowed even deeper as he delivered the unsettling news, shattering their fragile hopes. ¡°The injuries Miss Garcia sustained are inconsistent with injuries from a mere fall. There are indications of a deliberate strike, possibly by a blunt object. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Upon closer examination, we found traces of ceramic shards that caused thecerations. I urge you, Mr. Garcia, to report this to the police immediately,¡± he said, emphasizing the urgency of this issue. ¡°What?¡± Grayson and his wife gasped, their voices trembling with disbelief. They exchanged worried nces before shifting to look at their son. Mrs. Garcia¡¯s voice trembled with confusion and distress as she questioned, ¡°Zachary, what really happened to Jennie? You said she fell down the stairs, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zachary stumbled over his words, the weight of guilt bearing down on him, his forehead beaded with sweat. ¡°Well¡­ um¡­ you see,¡± he stammered. Stepping forward, Roxanne assumed control of the conversation, her voiceposed and steady. ¡°Allow me to exin. When Jennie lost her footing and fell down the stairs, she collided with a vase near the entrance, which resulted in a minor scratch,¡± she interjected, her words aiming to quell the growing storm. Mrs. Garcia¡¯s eyes widened at Roxanne¡¯s revtion. ¡°Why did you hide this information until now?¡± she asked, disappointment seeping into her tone. Roxanne calmly responded, her voice unwavering. ¡°Amidst the chaos of that day, we were overwhelmed with the urgency of rushing Jennie to the hospital. Hence, it slipped our minds to mention the incident involving the vase.¡± After all, she had already taken a life once before. Margaret met her untimely end ather hands. It was often said that criminals would experience their greatest fear when theymitted. their inaugural act of murder. However, with the passing of a second victim, their apprehension began to wane. The absence of consequences following Margaret¡¯s demise only emboldened Roxanne, further fueling her growing courage. Hearing this, Zachary hurriedly interjected, his voice tinged with nervousness. ¡°Yes. When Jennie fell down the stairs, she identally brushed against the vase, which fell on her head when shended on the ground. At that moment, I was so focused on attending to Jennie¡¯s injuries, and this caused me to overlook the shes caused by the shattered vase.¡± Ultimately, Jennie¡¯s injury was situated at the back of her head, presenting an enigma. Was it the consequence of a mere fall, or had someone struck her intentionally? Only the authorities could shed light on this lingering question. Mrs. Garcia¡¯s expression turned stern as she warned her son, ¡°Regardless of her circumstances, Jennie suffered her injuries at your office. If anything urs to her, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Zachary nodded earnestly, determination resonating in his voice. ¡°I understand. I will remain by Jennie¡¯s side until she makes a full recovery. Dad, Mom, you have endured so much these past two days. Please, go home and rest. I will handle everything here.¡± ¡°Honey, you haven¡¯t slept for two consecutive days. Let¡¯s head home and have a good rest. We should not tire ourselves out,¡± Grayson urged as he tenderly consoled his wife. Despite being a top¨Ctier tycoon, Grayson greatly respected and admired his wife. After being married for so long, there was no single scandalous news article about them. ¡°That¡¯s right! Jennie won¡¯t wake up for a while. Mom, it will be even more difficult if you fall ill too!¡± Zachary insisted as he tried to send his parents away as soon as possible. Mrs. Garcia, already weakened by her fragile health, had endured two sleepless nights, pushing her body to its limits. Letting out a weary sigh, she sighed in agreement. ¡°Fine! Your father and I will return and rest. If there¡¯s any news about Jennie, call and inform us!¡± Zachary nodded repeatedly as he replied, ¡°Yes, I will do that!¡± Grayson and Mrs. Garcia exchanged a few words, finding sce in each other¡¯s support as they reluctantly departed from the hospital. Once his parents were out of sight, Zachary could no longer keep up the facade. Agonizing, he clutched his head and desperately eximed, ¡°Sigh, what am I supposed to do? If Jennie awakens and reveals the truth to our parents, how will I handle it?¡± Witnessing his distress, Roxanne let out a cold snort, her skepticism evident. She rebuked, ¡°She hasn¡¯t even regained consciousness yet! How can you be so certain she¡¯ll wake up?¡± Those words ignited a fire within Zachary, causing his anger to erupt instantly. ¡°Roxanne, that¡¯s enough! What are you insinuating? Are you secretly hoping my sister won¡¯t wake up?¡± he eximed in fury. ¡°I never said that!¡± Roxanne retorted defensively. ¡°She¡¯s my sister! How dare you curse her like that?¡± Zachary questioned in a fury. Roxanne responded sarcastically, and her tone dripped with malice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one worried about her awakening and revealing the truth to your parents? I¡¯m simply ying along with your words! ¡°Besides, with just the two of you in the family, won¡¯t all the family assets fall into your hands if she doesn¡¯t wake up? Your parents dote on her so much. She¡¯s bound to im at significant share of your inheritance!¡± Unable to bear her words any longer, Zachary¡¯s hand rose abruptly, delivering a resounding p across Roxanne¡¯s cheek. Realization struck Zachary, his eyes wide with the realization of Roxanne¡¯s true malevolence. He angrily eximed, pointing his finger at Roxanne, ¡°How could I have been so blind to your true nature? Can money everpare to my sister¡¯s life? Get out of sight! This marks the end between us!¡± my Clutching her stinging cheek, Roxanne¡¯s eyes shed with a dangerous gleam. ¡°You think it ends here? Hmph, nothinges so easily.¡± Zachary¡¯s rage ignited, his bloodshot eyes filled with fury. ¡°What do you want, then? Money? How much? You are such an opportunist! I haven¡¯t settled the score with you for what you did to my sister! Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Those words drove Roxanne into a maddened frenzy. Seizing a nearby cup of scalding hot. water, she mmed it onto Zachary¡¯s head with a resounding bang. Zachary screamed in agony as the searing water scalded his skin. Blood trickled from the wound on his head. ¡°Ah¨Cow, have you lost your mind?¡± he cried out, his voice a mix of pain and disbelief. Never had he expected Roxanne to dare such extreme measures. With a chilling expression, Roxanne locked her gaze on him, her malevolence shining through. ¡°Zachary, if you dare to abandon me, I¡¯ll expose the incident where you stabbed me in the back! I know all of your secrets! We will go down together! If I can¡¯t live happily, I won¡¯t let you live happily, either. If you provoke me, I will fight tooth and nail to make you face the consequences.¡± Zachary¡¯s mind went nk as he listened, shocked and fixated on Roxanne¡¯s words. He had never fathomed that beneath her innocent appearance, like a fragile white rabbit, she harbored such sinister thoughts and schemes! No wonder Bruce had been determined to break up with her. He had previously believed Bruce had fallen out of love, but now, reflecting on it, the situation was far from that simple. Chapter 486 Chapter 486 ¡°Zachary, we¡¯re now in the same boat! If you let me down, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± Roxanne inched forward, her gaze piercing. ¡°What do I want? I absolutely refuse to let myself be dumped by a man for the second time!¡± Zachary was shocked by her gaze and subconsciously took two steps back. After nearly a minute, Zachary¡¯s eyes quickly shifted, and his tone softened as he spoke. ¡°Silly, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was just too impatient. I apologize to you!¡°, Now, he found himself caught in Roxanne¡¯s grip, and for the time being, he dared not confront her head¨Con. He couldn¡¯t risk a situation where everything would be destroyed if she decided to reveal the truth. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Roxanne smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°Are you giving up so easily?¡± ¡°I give up. Please don¡¯t be angry. From now on, I¡¯ll listen to you, alright?¡± Zachary was quite skilled in appeasing women, quickly wrapping his arm around her shoulder and offering his apology. ¡°That sounds right! As long as you don¡¯t do anything to hurt me, I still love you.¡± Roxanne promptly humbled herself. ¡°Oh, your head is bleeding. Let me have the doctor bandage it for you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± At the entrance of the hospital. Grayson and his wife had just left the hospital when they bumped into Bruce and Joanna. Bruce was the first to greet him. ¡°Mr. Garcia, Mrs. Garcia!¡± Seeing that it was Bruce, Grayson pushed his sses up in surprise. ¡°Bruce! Why are you here?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression turned serious as he said with concern, ¡°I heard that something happened to Jennie, so I came to see her!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°How is Jennie now?¡± Bruce asked with a frown. After all, their families had a long¨Cstanding rtionship; he and Zachary had been close friends since childhood. It was natural that he came to check on her when something happened to Jennie. Grayson looked anxious. He said worriedly, ¡°Jennie hasn¡¯t woken up yet. How could something like this happen!¡± Bruce sincerelyforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I just called the director and asked him to arrange the best doctor for Jennie!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. We¡¯ll go in and take a look at Jennie!¡± Chapter 486 ¡°Bye.¡± After saying goodbye, Grayson and his wife got into the car. Bruce and Joanna walked towards the ward. At the entrance of the ICU ward. Zachary, with his forehead bandaged, sat on the chair with a downcast and dispirited expression. Bruce shouted warmly, ¡°Zachary!¡± Zachary looked up and saw that it was Bruce. His face was filled with shock. ¡°Bruce, you, why are you here?¡± As he spoke, Zachary abruptly rose to his feet, casting an uneasy gaze at Bruce. He seemed to suspect that Bruce had arrived to hold him ountable for something! ¡°I heard that something happened to Jennie, so I came over.¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he gestured for his assistant to hand over the flowers and nutritional supplements. Seeing this, Zachary felt a little more at ease. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is!¡± Roxanne smiled at Joanna. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re here to see Miss Garcia too?¡± Joanna looked at Roxanne in surprise. ¡°Roxy, why are you here too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m now Mr. Garcia¡¯s personal secretary. Of course, I have to serve Mr. Garcia twenty¨Cfour hours a day.¡± ¡°Oh, are you tired?¡± Roxanne smiled sweetly. ¡°No! Mr. Garcia treats me very well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Joanna patted her shoulder gently. Roxanne looked at Bruce sweetly and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± Bruce did not seem to hear her. He only stared at Zachary¡¯s forehead. ¡°Zachary, what happened to your head?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I identally bumped into it!¡± Bruce stared at him with a half¨Csmile, his gaze seemingly mocking. ¡°Are you overworking yourself? Take care of your health as well. Don¡¯t exhaust yourself over Jennie and end up damaging your own well¨Cbeing.¡± Zachary did not dare to look into his eyes and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. That¡­ Jennie will definitely be fine.¡± ¡°Good. Anything you need help with? Just give me a call¡± ¡°Well, thank you foring to see Jennie. She¡¯ll be very happy!¡± When Bruce heard this, he paused slightly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave first! Call me if there¡¯s anything.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Joann, let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna also said goodbye to Roxanne. ¡°Roxy, I¡¯m leaving first. Call me if anything happens. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Got it¡­¡± Bruce hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder affectionately and left. As she watched their retreating figures, Roxanne¡¯s heart seemed to be pounded by a hammer a few times, and her eyes quickly formed an arc. Bruce should have belonged to her. Now, Bruce unexpectedly entrusted billions of dors to Joanna for management, which left Roxanne feeling extremely jealous and resentful. ¡°Bruce, Joanna, enjoy your moment of triumph while itsts. I won¡¯t allow you to go. unscathed,¡± Roxanne vowed, her nails sinking mercilessly into her skin as she harbored a deep and vengeful curse against them in her heart. Zachary sat on the stool. ¡°Ouch, it scared me. I thought Bruce was here to cause trouble.¡± Upon hearing that, Roxanne cast a gloomy and contemptuous nce at him. ¡°Hmm, such cowardice. You trembled like a mouse in the presence of Bruce. No wonder you¡¯ll never amount to anything compared to him!¡± Send Gift Chapter 487 Chapter 487 When Zachary heard this, he was so angry that his chest tightened. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Zachary took a deep breath, his frustration building up. As one of the most admired and envied scions of Greyport, who wouldn¡¯t show him respect upon meeting him? Zachary¡¯s patience grew thin as Roxanne continued to trample upon his pride. However, considering her earlier outburst, Zachary managed to restrain himself and held back his anger. Roxanne nced at Zachary¡¯s gloomy face and realized that her words had gone too far. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. I was just joking just now. Why are you so serious? ¡°So what if Bruce is powerful? His time will soone to an end!¡± Zachary pursed his lips and leaned against the stool in frustration. Seeing that he was still angry, Roxanne quickly sat on hisp again. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be angry! How about¡­ doing something enjoyable?¡± Roxanne said enticingly as she leaned into his shirt, attempting to flirt. Although she was unwilling to do that with him, she despised his weak body. After all, it was better than having nothing at all. Zachary was distraught. How could he be in the mood to think about that? He pushed Roxanne away. ¡°Roxanne¡­ I¨CI¡¯m not interested now!¡± Roxanne¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hmph, do you not love me anymore? ¡°You¡¯re always the one who takes the initiative, but now that I¡¯m making a move, you show no interest? What exactly do you mean by that?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m really¡­ Besides, we¡¯re in the hospital. What if someone sees us?¡± Zachary stammered, looking flustered! After seeing her outburst, Zachary knew her true color. He no longer had the mood for that. Roxanne red at him fiercely. ¡°I want it now!¡± As she spoke, Roxanne took off his clothes. Zachary remained unresponsive. He wore a disillusioned expression, seemingly disinterested, as he allowed her to fuss around without any reciprocation. After a while, Roxanne, feeling increasingly frustrated, became utterly disappointed as her attempts were met with indifference. ¡°Hmph, what a piece of trash!¡± Roxanne stood up with a dark expression. She tidied up her clothes and left in her high heels! After Roxanne left, Zachary slumped on a chair in the corridor. He sighed and was troubled about how to bring the situation to a close! He started to regret it! He shouldn¡¯t have messed around with Roxanne, let alone listened to her instigation and go against Bruce. It was useless to regret now. He couldn¡¯t get rid of her even if he wanted to. Meanwhile, Bruce and Joanna left the hospital together. In the car, Bruce¡¯s arm remained draped over Joanna¡¯s shoulder, his gaze filled with adoration as he couldn¡¯t seem to take his eyes off her. His gazing caused Joanna to feel a prickling sensation all over. ¡°Can you not look at me like that? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re looking at a monster!¡± ¡°Darling, I love looking at you like this! I¡¯ve always been watching you, imprinting your image deep into my heart.¡± Joanna was speechless, but she did not want to refute it! Every word he said to her now felt like he was giving hisst words. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She felt terrible, but she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°It¡¯s almost Christmas!¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s already the 20th today. It¡¯ll be Christmas in five days,¡± Bruce said as he subconsciously took out a cigarette from his pocket. Just as he was about to light it up, he remembered that Joanna hated him smoking, so he held it in. ¡°You can smoke if you want!¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not good for you to inhale second¨Chand smoke.¡± As Bruce spoke, he continued to gaze at Roxanne¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Hmm, why is no news yet?¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce teased, ¡°What do you think?¡± Joanna then red at him in frustration. ¡°We already have three children. We won¡¯t have any more!¡± ¡°Who says that? I want three more.¡± ¡°Three more? Do you think I¡¯m a physiological machine?¡± ¡°Even having just one would be fine! When Davian, Irvin, and Lilia were born, I wasn¡¯t by their side. I didn¡¯t even get to see them as babies, so there is still some regret!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. It¡¯s all in the past!¡± ¡°Do you still hate me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate you anymore.¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°Nonsense! You wanted me dead before, and now you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t hate me? How is that possible?¡± Joanna looked at him deeply. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Where are we taking the children for Christmas?¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell the children to bring them¡­¡± Bruce originally wanted to bring the children overseas! Now that he remembered that he was restricted from leaving the country, he could only y at Greyport! ¡°Uh, just take the children to Disnend and Ocean Park!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too. Kids love it!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled then. Take them to Disnend in the morning and Ocean Park in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Come on, these two parks are huge. We can¡¯t walk through them all in a day.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s move it forward by two days. We¡¯ll go to Disnend on the 24th and Ocean Park on the 25th. Is that okay? We have to arrange our work in the next two days quickly!¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯re at thepany. Get out of the car!¡± Send Gift B Comment Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Both of them had initially nned to return to the office and continue their work, but upon checking the time, they realized it was alreadyte. ¡°Forget it; it¡¯s already past four o¡¯clock. Let¡¯s call it a day and leave work early today!¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°Alright, go back early to apany the children.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Wait in the car. I¡¯ll go up to the office to get something. I can do it at home tonight.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna sat obediently in the car and waited. Bruce got out of the car and returned to thepany. At the office, Bruce opened the safe and took out a stack of documents and some hard drives. Then, he closed the safe. Twenty minutester, Bruce came out of thepany with a briefcase. ¡°Are you done with your things?¡± Bruce got into the car. ¡°Yes. If you have time tonight, take a good look at the documents inside.¡± ¡°Wow, so much?¡± Bruce snorted. ¡°This is only a part. I¡¯ll show you these simple things first.¡± When Joanna heard this, she immediately felt immense pressure. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Bruce got into the car and hugged her shoulder affectionately! Kody started the car and stepped on the elerator to drive out of the parking lot. Sherane Bay Vi! When the two of them returned home, the three kids were extremely excited. ¡°Wow, Daddy, Mommy, why are you back so early today?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not even five o¡¯clock yet!¡± Joanna smiled gently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys happy?¡± ¡°Of course. We thought that Daddy and Mommy would workte again.¡± Davian, filled with concern for Joanna, quickly ran over and took the bag from Joanna. ¡°Mommy, are you tired? Let me give you a shoulder massage!¡± Irvin also fawned over her. ¡°I¡¯ll get Mommy a ss of water!¡± Her two sons were so sensible and considerate. Joanna was especially gratified. ¡°Thank you.¡± Upon witnessing this. Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a slight frown. ¡°Oh, no one shows concern for me?¡± Davian pulled a long face and said seriously, ¡°Daddy is a man. You don¡¯t need to be taken care of! ¡°Me, Daddy, and Irvin, the three of us are men. We have to protect Mommy and Lilia.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re men. We must treat the girls better and be their heroes,¡± Irvin said. Although the children were right, Bruce felt jealous. His two sons only had Joanna in their hearts. Lilia loved Bruce the most. She said sweetly, ¡°Daddy, can I sing for you?¡± ¡°Lilia, you know how to cheer me up!¡± Bruce said as he lovingly picked up Lilia. ¡°You two brats, have you finished your homework?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± ¡°Did you practice piano?¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ve also attended tutoring sses.¡± The two little guys looked smug. Bruce raised an eyebrow, attempting to find fault with the two kids, but surprisingly, he couldn¡¯t find anything to criticize about them. ¡°Since you¡¯ve done it, then¡­ do fifty push¨Cups. Practice the boxing that Daddy taught you earlier. ¡°After that, practice judo.¡± The two little guys were dumbfounded. When Joanna heard this, she could not help but frown. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯ll tire them out if you let them learn so much at the same time. ¡°How can? I¡¯ve been training like this since I was young!¡± When Irvin heard this, she looked at him with admiration. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t Daddy¡¯s martial arts very powerful?¡± Bruce raised his head arrogantly. ¡°It¡¯s not very powerful!¡± Then, he corrected Irvin. ¡°It¡¯s special, extremely powerfull¡± ¡°Oh my, if Daddy meets Iron Man or Batman, who¡¯s better?¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s because they haven¡¯t encountered me. If they were to face me, I would turn them into a pile of scrap metal and bat specimens.¡± ¡°Wow, really?¡± The two little guys looked at their daddy in admiration. Joanna was on the verge of coughing up blood. ¡°Bruce, do you really have to be so¡­ confident?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that my absolute strength doesn¡¯t allow me to be humble.¡± Joanna was speechless. This arrogant bastard had always had an inted sense of self. ¡°When we grow up, we will be as outstanding as Daddy and surpass him.¡± Bruce smiled contemptuously at his two sons. ¡°You can be outstanding, but it¡¯s impossible for you to surpass Daddy.¡± ¡°Alright, then stop bragging. Hurry up and go upstairs to change.¡± Ms. Chain walked up with a smile. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett, dinner is ready!¡± ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. We can eat with Daddy and Mommy! Mommy, after dinner, can we go to Willows Harbor to y and watch the night scenery?¡± Irvin asked Joanna excitedly. Joanna frowned. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°I heard that there are Christmas lights installed there. It¡¯s especially beautiful at night! Mommy, bring us there!¡± Joanna nced at Bruce to see if he agreed. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Bruce smiled and agreed readily. ¡°Go if you want to!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go together after dinner!¡± Bruce waved his hand. ¡°I have some work to doter. Take the children with you.¡± Joanna was stunned for a moment before agreeing. ¡°That works too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. We can watch the night scenery tonight!¡± ¡°Then hurry up and wash your hands for dinner!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Davian and Irvin skipped off to wash their hands. The childminder also brought Lilia to wash her hands. After dinner, Davian and Irvin happily went upstairs to change their clothes. Lilian also helped Lilia change her clothes! After everything was settled. Joanna prepared to bring the children out. ¡°Daddy, We¡¯re going to see the night view!¡± ¡°Okay, be careful! Bring a few more bodyguards.¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Joanna replied and left with the children. Apanying them were the nanny and bodyguards. They all dressed in a very discreet manner. Masks, hats, and scarves were essential essories, ensuring their privacy and security. Not long after Joanna left, Roxanne came over. At the gate, When Ms. Chain heard the security guard¡¯s report, she hurriedly came out to wee her. ¡°Ms. Haynes, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for my sister!¡± ¡°Oh, what a coincidence. She took the children out.¡± ¡°Is that so? Did she say how long she¡¯ll be back?¡± Roxanne came up with an idea. ¡°That¡¯s not mentioned.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for her!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The servant opened the door and let Roxanne in. After all, Roxanne had lived there before, and Joanna allowed her toe over at any time. Send Gift Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Roxanne walked in and pretended to ask casually, ¡°What about Bruce? Didn¡¯t he go out with children?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett is in the study. He didn¡¯t go with Mrs. Everett!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she raised her eyebrows, and a sly look shed across her eyes. ¡°I see!¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, drink coffee.¡± ¡°Thank you. Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ll just wait for Joanna here.¡± ¡°Oh, alright then. Ms. Haynes, if you need something, just let me know.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ms. Chain didn¡¯t say anything else. After serving coffee, she left the living room. Roxanne walked around the living room and secretly made up her mind. Being familiar with the surroundings, Roxanne knew exactly where the cameras were ced. With Joanna not being at home, it was indeed a rare moment for her to take advantage of the situation. Ten minutester, Ms. Chain walked out of the pantry carrying a tray, heading towards the second floor. When Roxanne saw this, she immediately had an idea in her heart. She hurriedly went up to her. ¡°Ms. Chain, what is this?¡± ¡°Oh, this is Mr. Everett¡¯s calming coffee. He mentioned having a headache earlier, so I brewed a coffee for him!¡± ¡°Then hurry up and send it to him. Don¡¯t let him wait too long.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ms. Chain replied and left with the tray. Unexpectedly, when she passed by Roxanne, Roxanne deliberately stretched out her left leg and pretended to nudge Ms. Chain identally. Ms. Chain staggered, and a full cup of calming coffee spilled on Roxanne. Roxanne deliberately eximed and pretended to be scalded. ¡°Ah!¡± Seeing this. Ms. Chain panicked and hurriedly put down the tray to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Haynes. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll go change my clothes first!¡± Roxanne kept fanning the ce that was scalded. Ms. Chain frowned. ¡°Tll go get a set of Mrs. Everett¡¯s clothes for you!¡± ¡°Okay. Sorry to trouble you!¡± ¡°Then wait a moment. I¡¯ll go get the clothes.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After Ms. Chain finished speaking, she hurriedly ran to get her clothes. Roxanne nced around and saw that there was no one around. Immediately, Roxanne opened her bag and took out a small blue bottle. She then opened the bottle and poured the powder into the coffee. Five minutester, Ms. Chain came over with pajamas that Joanna rarely wore. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you should change your clothes first.¡± ¡°Ms. Chain, I¡¯m really sorry. Half of the coffee has been spilled!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just go pour another cup!¡± ¡°Alright! Thank you.¡± Half of the coffee spilled out, but luckily there was a bit extra brewed earlier. Bruce sat by theputer in the study, reading the information attentively. There was a knock on the door. *Come in.¡± Ms. Chain pushed the door open and walked in. She respectfully brought coffee to Bruce¡¯s desk. ¡°Sir, your coffee.¡± Bruce did not even raise his head as he replied indifferently, ¡°Okay, just leave it here!¡± Ms. Chain did not dare to say anything else. After putting down coffee, she hurriedly left the study. As Bruce flipped through the documents, he became increasingly frustrated. The contents of the files were giving him a headache. He simply closed the document and took a sip from his coffee. ¡°Hmm. The taste of today¡¯s coffee seems a bit different, Bruce pondered. Then he thought it might be because of the coffee beans. Therefore, he did not think too much and drank a few more mouthfuls. A momentter, Bruce felt dizzy, and his breathing quickened. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there something wrong with this coffee?¡± Bruce shook his head. Everything in front of him became a double image. The blood in his body flowed in reverse and burned as if it was boiling. ¡°Water, water¡­¡± Bruce staggered out of the room. He was about to explode and only wanted to drink a ss of ice water. As soon as Bruce walked out of the study, Roxanne weed him. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were blurry, and he couldn¡¯t see who it was at all. Due to their simr body shape and height, as well as Roxanne wearing Joanna¡¯s clothes, there was a moment of confusion where Bruce mistook Roxanne for Joanna. ¡°Joann, didn¡¯t you go out?¡± With a charming smile, Roxanne approached and gently held his arm, flirting. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Bruce?¡± Bruce could no longer control himself. He loosened his tiepletely and bent down to carry Roxanne into his room. In his room, Bruce threw her heavily onto the soft bed. ¡°Joann. I¡¯m so ufortable. It¡¯s so hot¡­¡± Bruce said as he impatiently tore her pajamas apart. Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but feel smug as she pandered. ¡°Joanna, eight years ago, you impersonated me and climbed into Bruce¡¯s bed. You stole everything from me. ¡°I will make you pay for what you did, Joanna. I won¡¯t let you get away with taking everything that should have been mine. Even if I can¡¯t regain what was lost, I will ensure that you don¡¯t derive any satisfaction from it.¡± Then Bruce kissed her passionately. Suddenly, he felt that something was wrong. He had never felt like this before. It was obvious that he was drugged. Moreover, he had experienced this feeling once before when he was with Roxanne. Bruce tried his best to control his consciousness and looked up at Roxanne. Upon closer inspection, the person on the bed appeared somewhat like Roxanne, but upon further scrutiny, there were resemnces to Joanna as well. Being biological sisters, it was natural for them to share some simrities in their appearance. Send Gift Chapter 490 Chapter 490 ¡°Are you Roxanne or Joanna?¡± Bruce shook his head hard, attempting to stay alert and clear¨Cheaded. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m Joanna¡­ Roxanne said charmingly and took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck. Bruce¡¯s forehead perspired, and his breath came out in hot puffs. His body felt like it was on the verge of exploding from the intense emotions. At this moment, he really wanted to simply ¡°conquer her¡± as long as she was a woman! ¡°No, Joann wouldn¡¯t be so proactive towards me¡­ Bruce bit the tip of his tongue. The immense pain woke him up for a moment. He saw that the woman on the bed was Roxanne. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Immediately, Bruce broke out in cold sweat and stood up angrily. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Bruce, it was me!* Bruce bit his tongue once again, jolting himself awake from the bed. Despite the potent effects, his strong willpower allowed him to retain a trace of rity amidst the haze of confusion. ¡°Get lost, get lost¡­ Roxanne¡¯s expression changed. She still tried to charm Bruce. ¡°Bruce, stop restraining yourself. I know you¡¯re feeling terrible.¡± ¡°Since Joanna isn¡¯t at home, let me help you! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell her, and she won¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Bruce, do you know? I¡¯ve always loved you. I¡¯ve always thought of you!¡± Roxanne said charmingly, wanting to jump into his armis. ¡°Get lost!¡± Bruce shouted like a beast about to copse. With his remaining consciousness, Bruce was determined not to touch Roxanne. He knew he couldn¡¯t let her seed in her deceitful ns. ¡°Bruce, why are you making yourself feel so ufortable?¡± Roxanne approached step by step. She knew that Bruce wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for long! Roxanne believed that if she could sleep with Bruce, she would be able to break up him and Joanna: ¡°Get out of here now, or I will shoot you dead!¡± Bruce shouted angrily as he reached into the drawer and pulled out a handgun. He aimed it directly at Roxanne¡¯s head. Seeing this, Roxanne was shocked. ¡°Ah! Bruce, don¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll leave now!¡± After saying that, Roxanne didn¡¯t dare to continue. She panicked and scrambled out of the room. However, Roxanne¡¯s clothes were already torn and in disarray, and her hair was disheveled. Her body was partially exposed, with the clothing unable to conceal her flesh. Downstairs, Joanna happened to be back with the children. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s so cold today!¡± Irvin¡¯s hands were trembling from the cold. ¡°That¡¯s right. Remember to wear more clothes next time. Quickly take a hot bath and go to bed early!¡± Due to the cold weather, Joanna returned early with her three children. After all, Lilia wasn¡¯t in good health, and she couldn¡¯t risk her getting chilled. To her surprise, as soon as she entered the house, she saw Roxanneing out of the room in disarray, her clothes in disarray, and her expression filled with panic. ¡°Roxy, what, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Seeing Joanna, Roxanne instantly shouted in panic, ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re finally back. Bruce just¡­ He just¡­ Boohoo¡­¡± After hearing this, Roxanne¡¯s mind exploded! When servants heard themotion, they also came out! They were all dumbfounded when they saw the scene in front of them! They thought that Bruce had sex with Roxanne. ¡°Emma, take the children away first!¡± ¡°Lilia, Irvin, Davian, follow me back to your room!¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Go back to your room!¡± Joanna shouted at the children! Then, she quickly rushed upstairs! ¡°Bruce, what exactly did you do to Roxy?¡± In the room. Bruce was bare¨Cchested and only wore a pair of shorts. Her gaze was filled with bewilderment, and the bed was inplete disarray. One could only imagine what had just happened. Joanna felt a momentary dizziness, and her vision went ck for a split second. She nearly lost her bnce and had to steady herself to regain herposure. ¡°Bruce, you damn bastard, how can you do this?¡± Bruce was stunned. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Joanna gave him a p! ¡°Joann, listen to me. It¡¯s not what you think! I didn¡¯t touch her. I was framed by her. Don¡¯t fall for her tricks.¡± Roxanne followed closely behind, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Boohoo, I really didn¡¯t mean for this. It was Bruce who insisted on pulling me in, and I couldn¡¯t break free. That¡¯s why he¡­ Joanna¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s anger reached its boiling point. ¡°Shut the hell up, Roxanne! You bitch! You never change!¡± Joanna, you have to believe me. I really didn¡¯t touch her!¡± ¡°If I was interested in her, I wouldn¡¯t have pursued you again!¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t bear to listen any longer. ¡°Bruce, you have truly disappointed me. You never change. ¡°You¡¯ve always been wavering between us. What exactly are you trying to do? You¡¯re absolutely disgusting!¡± ¡°Joann. I didn¡¯t. I really didn¡¯t!¡± Joanna gave him another tight p and ran away. She couldn¡¯t believe it. She had only been gone for less than two hours, and Bruce raped Roxy. She couldn¡¯t ept the reality of what he had done. She found it difficult toe to terms with the person he had be at that moment. B Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Comment ¡°Joann¡­ Joann¡­¡± Bruce chased a few steps. Unfortunately, the medicinal effects tortured him to the verge of copse. The blood in his entire body boiled as if he was about to explode! Bruce shook his head again and staggered into the bathroom. Then, he turned on the tap and washed his entire body with. cold water in an attempt to wake himself up! The cold water rushed from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. He could not suppress the restlessness and could only¡­ use his hands! The servants were all as silent as the grave. They could not believe the scene before them. ¡°Oh my god, did Mr. Everett really do that to Miss Roxanne?¡± ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s going on? Why is Mr. Everett always not content? He keeps thinking about Miss Roxanne when he is with Miss Joanna.¡± ¡°But when he is with Miss Roxanne, he is more concerned with Miss Joanna. Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that this isn¡¯t ancient times. Otherwise, both sisters might as well marry Mr. Everett together.¡± The butler also heard themotion and came over to check. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Hurry up and disperse!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The group of servants did not dare to say anything else and quickly dispersed. Joanna ran all the way out of Sherane Bay Vi and ran down the mountain along the greenery! Sherane Bay Vi had a mountain view. Usually, one had to drive up. It would take at least half an hour to reach the road at the bottom of the mountain by foot. The bodyguards chased after Joanna. ¡°Madam, Madam!¡± ¡°Don¡¯te over, don¡¯t follow me,¡± Joanna shouted hysterically at the bodyguards. The bodyguards were so frightened that they could only stop in their tracks, not daring to follow her anymore. Joanna only wanted to escape quickly. She turned around and ran away. The weather was cold that day, and it even began drizzling. The temperature dropped to about 41 degrees Fahrenheit! Joanna did not wear a coat or drive. She just ran aimlessly! At two in the morning! Ona ce. Joanna walked for nearly four hours, stopping in between, and finally arrived at Ona ce. Fortunately, she continued renting the house there. Otherwise, she did not know where else to go! ¡°Ding dong, ding dong!¡± Joanna was on the verge of copse. She leaned against the door and rang the doorbell. The doorbell rang a few times, and Miranda¡¯s sleepy voice came from inside. ¡°Who is it?¡± Then, Miranda looked at the surveince camera on the doorbell and was shocked. Outside the door was a disheveled Joanna. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Miranda did not hesitate and hurriedly opened the door. ¡°Joann, why are you back?¡± Joanna¡¯s face was as pale as paper, and her entire body was drenched. She staggered in and almost lost her bnce. Miranda panicked and quickly went forward to support her. ¡°Joann, how did you end up like this? Where did youe from?¡± Joanna¡¯s eptire body was about to freeze. Her dry white lips trembled uncontrobly. Along the way, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t get a taxi. It was just that she wanted to torture herself in that way. ¡°Come in quickly. It¡¯s so cold today. Why aren¡¯t you wearing your coat? Did you quarrel with Mr. Everett again?¡± Joanna did not say anything. She entered the house and staggered to the second floor. ¡°Have you eaten? Do you want me to cook something for you?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and said weakly, ¡°Miranda, I¡¯m very tired now. I want to sleep. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Let me be alone!¡± Miranda looked at Joanna with heartache. She wanted to ask more but did not dare to. She could only wipe her tears and say, ¡°Look, you¡¯ll freeze. I¡¯ll fill the bath with hot water for you. Take a hot bath! Otherwise, you¡¯ll catch a cold¡­¡± ¡°No need!¡± Joanna said as she summoned herst bit of strength and went up to the room on the second floor. ¡°Bang!¡± After returning to her room, Joanna locked the door from the inside. Then, she fell onto the bed without even taking off her clothes! She was exhausted and was about to copse. Other than sleeping, she did not want to do anything else, let alone think about. ill Outside the door, Miranda was heartbroken and helpless. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ll get you some medicine. You¡¯ll catch a cold like this!¡± Then, Miranda hurriedly made a cup of hot coffee and brought it to Joanna. Unfortunately, Joanna did not open the door, no matter how hard she knocked. On the other side! After Joanna had run away, there was no one else to look after Roxanne, and she hurriedly left Sherane Bay Vi. Outside of Sherane Bay Vi, Roxanne called a paparazzo calmly. Beep, beep, beep! ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, are you a reporter from The City Daily?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Roxanne lowered her voice and said into the phone, ¡°I have breaking news!¡± When the paparazzi heard that, he instantly became awake. ¡°What breaking news?¡± ¡°I found a woman in disheveled clothes near Sherane Bay Vi. She seems to have been raped by someone. She looks like Bruce Everett¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend!¡± When the paparazzi heard that, he was overjoyed. If the news was true, it would really be explosive news. ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. I¡¯m sure of what I saw. It¡¯s Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend, Roxanne Haynes! Hurry up and come over before she leaves!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be there soon. Please tell me the specific address¡­¡± In less than ten minutes, a few paparazzi rushed to the address given by Roxanne. Roxanne was already prepared. She deliberately messed up her hair and tore her clothes even more. Her arms wrapped tightly around her tattered clothes. as she squatted by the roadside and sobbed in a daze. ¡°Oh my god, is she really Bruce Everett¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend?¡± After the paparazzi confirmed that it was Roxanne, they were all shocked and went forward to interview her. ¡°Miss Roxanne, why are you here alone? Did you encounter some difficulties? Why don¡¯t I send you to the hospital¡­¡± Roxanne deliberately nced at the paparazzi in panic. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need! Don¡¯t take photos of me. Please, don¡¯t take photos of me in such a sorry state!¡± Roxanne cried as she curled up her body helplessly. Coupled with her disheveled appearance, she indeed looked like she had been raped. Seeing that, the paparazzi felt even more sympathetic. ¡°Miss Roxanne, don¡¯t be afraid. What is the problem? We can help you! Can you tell us what happened to you?¡± ¡°No¡­ No¡­ Please, don¡¯t take photos of me. Sob, sob.¡± Roxanne cried in grievance and begged helplessly. However, her heart was filled with smugness. She thought, ¡°Go ahead and take photos. Let it cause a sensation and let everyone think I was raped by Bruce.¡± Anyway, she was going all out. ¡°Hmph, Joanna, Bruce, I must break the two of you up! This time, I don¡¯t believe that Joanna will forgive you!¡± ¡°Miss Roxanne, why are you in such a state? Can you tell me what happened?¡± The paparazzi took photos of her expression from all angles as they gossiped. ¡°Waa¡­ Waa¡­ Roxanne sobbed and cried bitterly. Chapter 492 Chapter 492 ¡°Stop crying. Why don¡¯t I call the police for you? Have you been bullied?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call the police. Please don¡¯t call the police. Boohoo¡­ ¡°Then where did youe from?¡± Roxanne cried even harder. ¡°Stop asking. I beg you, stop asking!¡± A paparazzo blurted out. ¡°This is near Mount Lance. Oh my god, Miss Roxanne couldn¡¯t have been from Sherane Bay Vi, right?¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­ Roxanne paused for a moment before crying even more weakly and helplessly. She deliberately made people¡¯s imaginations run wild. Seeing that, the paparazzi were even more dumbfounded. Judging from her reaction, they could basically confirm that she ran from Sherane Bay Vi. Moreover, she was bullied by Bruce. ¡°Miss Roxanne, were you bullied by Mr. Everett? Do you need me to call the police?¡± One of the paparazzi even took off his coat and put it on Roxanne! ¡°Please, don¡¯t call the police. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to ruin my sister¡¯s rtionship with Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s send you to the hospital!¡± ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s really no need! I want to go back and take a hot shower now! Please, can you send me home?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The paparazzi quickly agreed. They were very happy to help her! Soon, Roxanne was personally sent home by the paparazzi. Of course, she collected a lot of information along the way. The next morning- Another wave of shocking news shocked the entire Greyport. [Miss Roxanne is so pitiful. She was from a wealthy family, but now her family has been destroyed, and she can¡¯t even escape the clutches of her ex.] [Satan of the century, Greyport noble suspected of ¡°bullying¡± his sister¨Cinw.] [The two sisters of a wealthy family fight over one husband.] [Mr. Everett still has feelings for her ex¨Cgirlfriend. While his current girlfriend is away, he extends his ws to his sister¨Cinw.] [The daughter of a wealthy family cried helplessly on the side of the road after being bullied.) All sorts of shocking headlines coupled with photos of Roxanne weeping in disheveled clothes instantly infuriated everyone. Greyport media was surprisingly fast. In order to grab the headlines, they had to be faster and more urate. The scandal exploded on the Inte the next morning. Bruce was already embroiled in all kinds ofwsuits. Now that such a huge scandal had appeared, one could imagine how angry theizens were. In particr, it was as if everyone wanted to seize that opportunity to attack him! The next day. Early in the morning. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After Zachary saw the news, he rushed to the vi he rented for Roxanne. In the room, Joanna was still sleeping soundly. Bang! Zachary suddenly pushed the door open. Roxanne was awakened and muttered unhappily, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zachary barged into the room. His eyes were red as he asked loudly, ¡°Rox, did Bruce really do that to you?¡± Although he was a little afraid of Roxanne¡¯s madness, she was his girlfriend. His dignity would never allow anyone to cheat on him! When Roxanne heard that, she snorted disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, what do you think?¡± When Zachary heard that, he thought that Roxanne had tacitly agreed. He was so angry that his organs began to hurt. When had he, Mr. Garcia, ever suffered such humiliation? His girlfriend had actually been raped by his good friend. ¡°Bruce Everett, this bastard. He knows you¡¯re my girlfriend now, but he still dares to do that to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with him right now!¡± Roxanne raised her eyebrows slightly. She got off the bed and stopped Zachary. ¡°Forget it! It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t slept with him before. What¡¯s wrong with one more time?¡± Zachary Garcia was shocked when he heard that. From the looks of it, she seemed to be very happy to be raped by Bruce! Not only was she not sad, but she was also showing oll ¡°Roxanne, are you still thinking about Bruce Everett? Do you want to rekindle your rtionship with him?¡± Roxanne rolled her eyes and smiled coldly! Of course, she wanted to! But she knew it was impossible. Therefore, since she couldn¡¯t get him, she would destroy him! ¡°Why? Are you furious? You have to know that I dated him for six years. What haven¡¯t we done in the past six years?¡± When Zachary heard that, he was even angrier. ¡°How is that the same? The past is the past, and the present is the present!¡± ¡°You¡¯re no longer his girlfriend. How can he treat you like this? Rox, let¡¯s call the police now and arrest this bastard Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call the police. This is embarrassing enough.¡± Roxanne looked dejected as if she had really been bullied! Actually, she knew very well in her heart! She was with Bruce Everett for so many years, and the two of them had never crossed the line! However, she would not let anyone know that secret. At Sherane Bay Vi. After Bruce showered in cold water for half the night, the butler called the doctor over. At five in the morning, the effect of the medicine finally subsided. After waking up. Bruce quickly called Joanna. Beep, beep, beep! ¡°The number you have dialed is unavable. Please try againter¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Bruce mmed the table heavily. Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Comment He had already made more than ten calls, but none of them went through without exception! Andy also called early in the morning. ¡°Mr. Everett, the news online is very unfavorable. It¡¯s all negative news about you!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth. He could guess what kind of false news was being spread about him on the Inte without even looking! ¡°Damn it! Get awyer to settle these things! I don¡¯t want to see any more scandals about Roxanne Haynes on the Inte.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett.¡± After hanging up, Bruce¡¯s expression was extremely gloomy. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Go and find out who colluded. with that bitch Roxanne Haynesst night to tamper with the coffee.¡± ¡°Also, those who let Roxanne in yesterday and those who had intimate contact with her are all fired!¡± ¡°Ah! Mr. Everett, we¡­ we¡¯re innocent!¡± Five servants, including Ms. Chain, had all greeted Roxanne the night before. Bruce was toozy to ask who colluded with Roxanne. Anyone who came into contact with Roxanne was fired. ¡°Please leave this ce immediately!¡± A few bodyguards stepped forward and chased them away coldly. Ms. Chain and the other servants were so frightened that they almost knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. ¡°Mr. Everett, please give me another chance. We really didn¡¯t collude with anyone. We are really wronged!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened as he waved his hand impatiently.. The bodyguard no longer hesitated and directly and forcefully chased them out of Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°Hurry up and leave. Stop making so much noise!¡± Ms. Chain, along with two servants and three guards, who came into contact with Roxanne the night before, were all fired. One had to know that even the servants of the Everett family earned a higher sry than white¨Ccor workers outside. Moreover, all kinds of benefits and bonuses were very generous. Ms. Chain and the others were crying. They were naturally unwilling to leave. After chasing Ms. Chain and the others away, Bruce was still so angry that his teeth hurt! Roxanne was really unafraid of death. She had challenged his bottom line time and time again! At first, on ount of their old rtionship, plus the fact that she was Joanna¡¯s younger sister, he did not want to be on bad. terms with her! But he really couldn¡¯t take it anymore! Beep, beep, beep! Bruce picked up the phone again and called Zachary The call was answered very quickly. ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°Zachary, it¡¯s me¡­¡± On the other end of the line, Zachary roared, ¡°Bruce, you still dare to call? Are you fucking human? I treat you as a brother, but you touched my girlfriend?¡± Bruce could not be bothered to exin to Zachary. He said coldly, ¡°Where is Roxanne Haynes?¡± ¡°You still dare to look for Rox? You know she¡¯s my girlfriend now, but you still dare to bully her like that? Do you even care about me? I don¡¯t have a friend like you. From today onwards, I¡¯m cutting ties with you. You¡¯re no longer my friend!¡± Bruce choked in anger. It seemed that he had no choice but to exin. ¡°Zachary, can you calm down?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything else from you now. I¡¯m not done with you! I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to find trouble with Rox again, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± ¡°m!¡± Zachary was so angry that he hung up the phone! Bruce was so angry that he gritted his teeth, and the veins on his temples bulged. Unexpectedly, he was tricked by Roxanne again! However, he would not tolerate it again! The most important thing was to rify the truth with Joanna as soon as possible! At Ona ce. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡°Who is it?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s me. Open the door!¡± Miranda looked through the peephole and was instantly furious. ¡°Bruce, why are you here?¡± ¡°Where is Joann?¡± ¡°Hmph, Joann isn¡¯t here!¡± ¡°Open the door. I know she is here.¡± Miranda had also seen the news and really thought Bruce and Roxanne slept. ¡°Why are you still looking for Joann? Scum like you don¡¯t deserve to be with Joann!¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. Open the door quickly!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Miranda directly mmed the door outside! Joanna had already instructed her not to open the door for Bruce. ¡°m open the door!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett!¡± The bodyguards began to use the chainsaw to force open the door. In less than five minutes, the door was forced open! Bruce walked in. ¡°You can¡¯t break into private property. Hurry up and get out. If you don¡¯t get out, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± Miranda was so frightened that she panicked. ¡°Joanna,e out!¡± ¡°Joann is not here!¡± Bruce went straight to the second floor. ¡°Joanna, if you don¡¯te out, I¡¯ll kick the door!¡± ¡°Bang bang!¡± Bruce kicked the door open! Joanna was shocked. ¡°Bruce, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m here to exin to you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything else from you. Hurry up and leave!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened, and his expression was indescribably ugly. ¡°Joanna, after going through so much, I thought you would trust me. I didn¡¯t expect the trust between us to be so fragile!¡± Joanna was unwilling to say anything more. ¡°Bruce, how can I believe you? I see the truth with my own eyes!¡± Send Gift Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Comment Bruce was angry and hateful. He suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips. He held her tightly in his arms. ¡°Ah! Let go!¡± Joanna hit him with all her might. Bruce bit her hard, then let go of her and shook her body fiercely. ¡°Joanna, do you not trust me that much?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna¡¯s body was about to fall apart. She looked at Bruce with dispirited eyes. Her gaze was filled with anger coldness. Actually, after a night, Joanna had already calmed down. Although Bruce was a bastard, he was not shameless enough to rape Roxanne at home. and However, that bastard was too domineering and did not give others a chance to breathe. Therefore, Joanna still had a lot of resentment towards him. ¡°Bruce, can you let go of me first? Let¡¯s talk properly!¡± Bruce took a deep breath and stared at Joanna angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you onest time. I didn¡¯t touch Roxanne Haynes. She sneaked into my house and drugged me!¡± ¡°I was druggedst night and mistook her for you! Fortunately, I retained a trace of consciousness at thest moment and didn¡¯t touch her!¡± ¡°She¡¯s framing me and deliberately trying to break us up! It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what kind of person she was in the past! I asked you not to interact with her, but you refused to listen! Can you not be so saintly? Can you not have too much. sympathy for Roxanne Haynes?¡± Joanna tried hard to shake off his control. She already believed what he said. On the other hand, Bruce was hot¨Ctempered and could not tolerate others maligning him. He thought that Joanna did not believe him and kept exining angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. I don¡¯t want to hear anymore!¡± Joanna was angered because that bastard had scratched her too painfully. Moreover, he had just bitten her. She was about to faint from the pain. ¡°You have to listen!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m interested in her, I¡¯ll die a horrible death. I¡¯ll have no descendants, and my entire family will die!¡± When Joanna heard that, she stared at him coldly! If she still did not forgive him, he would probably go crazy from anxiety! That damn bastard. It would be great if his temper was better. Bruce¡¯s eyes were red as if they were about to spew fire. ¡°Joanna, you still don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± ¡°I knew it. No matter what I say, you won¡¯t believe me! You have always thought that I¡¯m a bad person, right?¡± ¡°After so many things. I thought you would change your opinion and trust me a little. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± The more Bruce spoke, the more his heart ached. The more he spoke, the colder his heart became. The person he loved so deeply had never been willing to give him a trace of trust. Looking at his dejected and resentful expression, Joanna pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡°I believe you!¡± Suddenly, the air froze. Bruce¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. The originally intense anger instantly subsided! In the past, Joanna would definitely not listen to his exnation. No matter what he said, she would nail him to the execution rack and pin the title of the bad guy into him. ¡°What did you say? Say it again!¡± Bruce asked in disbelief. Joanna¡¯s eyes became much gentler. ¡°I said, I believe you!¡± When Bruce heard that, he was so excited that he almost jumped up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Now that I think about it, the reason Roxanne put so much effort to get in touch with me might not be simple!¡± As she spoke, Joanna sighed sadly. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect her to still be like this. She hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡± Upon hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Bruce instantly rxed his shoulders and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a damn woman. Then why did you run awayst night? Do you know that I¡¯ve been worried about you all night? Do you know I used my hand in the bathroom all night?!¡± As Bruce spoke, the anger in his eyes turned into a deep grievance. The drug that Roxanne had given him was too strong. How could it be extinguished by cold water? Joanna was not by his side to help him as the antidote. He felt so ufortable that he almost died. His hand hurt from exhaustion. Looking at his relieved expression, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Look at you. You even broke the door! How am I going to exin it to thendlord?¡± Bruce smiled in anger and hugged her tightly. ¡°At most, I¡¯ll buy this house!¡± As he spoke, Bruce looked around at theyout of the room in disdain. To be frank, he looked down on that sort of house. Seeing the sight, Miranda and Kelly also heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. As long as the misunderstanding is resolved, everyone will be happy!¡± ¡°This door doesn¡¯t matter. Help thendlord change a new door. At most, it¡¯ll cost a few thousand dors!¡± When Bruce heard that, he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll just let my assistant settle it!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home!¡± Joanna¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°You can go back first!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna looked around the room and said quietly, ¡°I have to stay and fix the door. Also, I need to pack my personal belongings. I don¡¯t think I¡¯lle back here anymore.¡± Bruce was overjoyed when he heard that. Did that mean that Joanna had really epted him? ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay and help you clean up.¡± ¡°No need! You should go back to work! These are my private belongings. I don¡¯t want others to interfere.¡± A trace of worry shed across Bruce¡¯s eyes. He was not sure if that was a stalling tactic. ¡°Then¡­ are you sure you¡¯re not angry? You¡¯re not thinking of running away with your luggage, are you?¡± In the past, after their divorce, she went missing for four years. He was really afraid. Joanna sighed at him. I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m not angry!¡± ¡°Then smile!¡± ¡°Come on, you¡¯re being childish.¡± ¡°How about a kiss?¡± Joanna was reesigned. In order to send him away quickly, she could only stand on her tiptoes and kiss his cheek. Bruce was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going first.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything else and kissed her forehead again. Only then did he leave in a hurry and rush to thepany. After Bruce left, Miranda still looked worried. ¡°Joann, Mr. Everett, is he okay?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Miranda, tell thendlord that from next month onwards, I¡¯ll stop renting this house.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Miranda, Kelly, and Tracy were dumbfounded. If she stopped renting the house, it meant that the three of them might lose their jobs. ¡°Alright then!¡± The frio¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. Joanna was the best employer they had ever had. They really didn¡¯t want to lose such an easy¨Cgoing boss. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miranda, Kelly, Tracy, you¡¯ve been with me for so long. I¡¯m very grateful to all of you!¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes were extremely red. ¡°Joann, you don¡¯t have to thank us. We should thank you for taking care of us for so long!¡± Indeed, even though there was nothing for them to do at the house, Joanna continued to rent the house and pay their sries! Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Moreover, Joanna was really easy to get along with. She did not put on any airs at all. Kelly and Tracy could not help but cry. ¡°Miss Haynes, we¡­ really can¡¯t bear to part with you!¡± Joanna was stunned for a moment and immediately understood. ¡°Oh, what I mean is, I¡¯m not renting the house here anymore. The three of you can move to the Everett family with me!¡± ¡°At that time, your sry will be paid ording to the Everett family¡¯s standard!¡± When the three of them heard that, they were instantly dumbfounded. They could not believe their cars. ¡°Miss Haynes, what did you just say?¡± Tm saying that you guys will work with the Everett family in the future and continue to take care of the children!¡± Kelly, who was the youngest, was instantly overjoyed. ¡°You scared me to death. Miss Haynes isn¡¯t going to fire us.¡± Tracy patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I was so scared just now!¡± When Joanna heard that, she smiled slightly. ¡°How can that be? I¡¯ll let you pack your things and go back with me to Sherane Bay Vi. Davian, Irvin, and Lilia miss you all very much.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! We¡¯ll go and pack now.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Go on.¡± The three of them happily packed their luggage. They originally thought they had been fired, but they did not expect to be asked to work at Sherane Bay Vi! To work in the Everett family, they would have to go through a lot of screening. They would also have to go through all kinds of strict training before they could be hired! Of course! The sry was also higher, so they were naturally happy! After Miranda and the others went downstairs, Joanna sat on the bed and couldn¡¯t help but take out her phone to call Roxanne. Beep, beep, beep! No one picked up the phone. Unwilling to give up, Joanna called a few times. Finally, on the sixth call, Roxanne answered. ¡°Hello, Roxy. Why aren¡¯t you answering your phone?¡± On the other end of the phone, Roxanne paused for a moment. Then, she said with a heartbroken voice, ¡°Joanna, why are you looking for me? Boohoo¡­¡± As she spoke, she deliberately sniffled a few times.. Joanna frowned. ¡°Roxy, where are you now?¡± ¡°Joanna, I don¡¯t have the face to see anyone now, let alone you!¡± Before she could finish, Joanna interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯m asking you where exactly are you now? I want to meet you now,¡± Joanna, don¡¯t look for me anymore. I really don¡¯t have the courage to live anymore! Don¡¯t resent Bruce. Bruce¡­ couldn¡¯t help but mistake me for you! ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t fight with you over Bruce! I won¡¯t make him take responsibility for me. Just pretend that nothing happened.¡± Roxanne deliberately fanned the mes pitifully and insisted that she had slept with Bruce. Joanna could not take it anymore and said bluntly, ¡°Roxanne, stop pretending!¡± ¡°Did Bruce really touch you?¡± On the other end of the phone, Roxanne¡¯s sobbing stopped abruptly, and a hint of nervousness appeared in her eyes. Joanna stopped being polite to her and asked coldly, ¡°Did you drug Bruce? He didn¡¯t touch you at all, right?¡± Roxanne inhaled a breath of cold air and remained silent! Unexpectedly, the n to sow discord did not seed! That made her grit her teeth in hatred. She originally thought that she wouldpletely destroy Joanna and Bruce¡¯s rtionship. ¡°Roxanne, I want to ask you, what exactly do you want? What is your motive for doing this?¡± Seeing that the matter had been exposed, Roxanne could not be bothered to pretend anymore. She mocked, ¡°What do you mean You were the one who reported the news online to the paparazzi, right?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was cold. Sherane Bay Vi was a top¨Cnotch luxury vi district. When she left the residencest night, she did not encounter any paparazzi along the way. How did Roxanne have to run into them? Needless to say, she must have taken the initiative to expose it! After all, it was not the first time she had done such a thing. Roxanne sneered. ¡°Hmph, so what if I did? Looks like you¡¯re not too stupid!¡± ¡°Roxanne, I¡¯m warning you! Don¡¯t y these tricks again. I want you to take the initiative to rify this matter with the media now. Otherwise¡­ Joanna paused! ¡°Otherwise, what?¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Roxanne, we¡¯re biological sisters. I don¡¯t want to be your enemy.¡± ¡°But if you insist on doing this, I really can¡¯t treat you as my sister anymore.¡± When Roxanne heard that, she felt a strong sense of disgust. She roared in exasperation, ¡°Heh, what a huge joke! If you really treated me as your sister, you wouldn¡¯t have snatched my man, let alone everything that belongs to me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that I am in my current state. Dad and Ryan¡¯s deaths are all thanks to you.¡± ¡°Joanna, just wait. I¡¯ll definitely take revenge! You ruined my family and ruined my life. Even if I die, I won¡¯t let you have an easy time!¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Roxanne, I advise you not to be stubborn!¡± ¡°Joanna, stop pretending to be a good person! I¡¯ll never forgive you for the rest of my life. Just wait. One day, I¡¯ll make you lose everything and wish you were dead!¡± Roxanne said fiercely and hung up. Chapter 496 Chapter 496 ¡°Hello, hello¡­¡± The call had already ended. Joanna¡¯s brows furrowed into a knot. It seemed that it was not so easy to repay evil with kindness. She had never wanted to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, they were the ones who could not leave her alone. At the Everett Group. Bruce had just arrived at thepany. Before the car could stop, arge group of reporters swarmed over! ¡°Bruce is here. Quick, quick, quick!¡± ¡°Oh my god, luckily, we didn¡¯t wait in vain. I thought he wouldn¡¯t dare to show up today!¡± The reporters scrambled to rush forward! ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Roxanne was bulliedst night. Was it you?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, can you tell us more? How are you feeling now? Will you be responsible for Miss Roxanne?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Bruce got out of the car with a dark expression. The reporters pushed and squeezed. Twenty bodyguards could not stop them at all. ¡°Don¡¯t get close. Mr. Everett will not be interviewed!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, are you still in love with Miss Roxanne?¡± ¡°Have you changed your mind again? Have you gotten back together with Miss Roxanne?¡± ¡°The day before yesterday, you said that you would pass the position of the Everett Group president to Miss Joanna. May I ask if you will change your mind now?¡± The reporters¡® questions were getting more and more difficult. A few of them were hired by the Yanice Group, and they were not afraid of offending Bruce. Faced with the reporters bombardment, Bruce¡¯s expression was ugly. However, he could not exin that matter rashly. The more he exined, the more it would make things worse. It would be easier for others to attack him with it. Just as there was no way out, a Ferrari sports car drove over! The car door opened. A pair of slender legs appeared behind the door. Then, Joanna got out of the car elegantly. She was wearing a fitting white dress with a camel¨Ccolored cashmere coat that reached her knees. Her exquisite face was slightly powdered. She looked elegant, beautiful, and dazzling. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Joanna!¡± Immediately, the reporters pounced on Joanna like they had discovered a new continent. When Bruce saw that, he panicked and hurriedly went forward with his bodyguards to save Joanna. ¡°I¡¯m warning you not to mess around!¡± Arge group of security guards also rushed over to maintain order. Under the protection of the bodyguards, Bruce forced his way in front of Joanna. ¡°Joanna, why are you here?¡± Joanna smiled and did not reply. *Miss Joanna, do you know what happenedst night?¡± Joanna smiled calmly at the media. ¡°I haven¡¯t had time to read the news.¡± ¡°Was Mr. Everett with Miss Roxannest night?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Someone took a photo of Miss Roxanne being suspected of being raped by someone. Someone said that it was done by Mr. Everett. What do you think about this?¡± When Joanna heard that, she pretended to be surprised and confused. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Last night, Bruce was with me and the children. I was by Bruce¡¯s side all night. How could he bully others?¡± ¡°As for Roxanne being bullied by Bruce, I think it¡¯s really a misunderstanding. We¡¯ve already called the police. I believe the police will arrest the offender as soon as possible!¡± Joanna said thest sentence very coldly. It directly confirmed that Roxanne had indeed been raped the night before, but the person who did it was not Bruce. Anyway, Roxanne did not care about her reputation and took the initiative to expose to the media that she had been raped. Joanna naturally had to fulfill her wish. As soon as she said that, it instantly caused an uproar! Even Bruce was shocked. He never expected that Joanna would stand up for him at that juncture. At that moment, regardless of whether Joanna¡¯s words were true, with her, his girlfriend, stepping forward to protect him, the negative impact on him would naturally be minimized. ¡°Thank you for your concern. If there¡¯s any progress in the case, we¡¯ll inform everyone officially!¡± ¡°Everyone, please stop. Don¡¯t affect ourpany¡¯s employees.¡± Bruce hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder and walked quickly into thepany under the escort of the bodyguards. In the elevator, Bruce tilted his head and stared at Joanna in disbelief. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Joanna stared at him awkwardly. Bruce raised his eyebrows and smiled teasingly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to speak up for me! In his impression, Joanna had always stood against him! Unexpectedly, she finally did not side with outsiders and knew to protect her boyfriend! ¡°Ive already called Roxanne, and she¡¯s already admitted it herself! She¡¯s indeed trying to take revenge on us!¡± ¡°Look, I told you that old habits die hard. A leopard can¡¯t change its spots! If you treat her well, she is not going to repay you. Do you regret it now that she has bitten you?¡± Bruce was a little afraid. He was just one step away from making an irreversible mistake! Fortunately, his willpower was strong enough. Even with such a powerful medicinal effect, he still maintained a trace of consciousness! Otherwise, the consequences would be irreparable! When Joanna heard that, she sighed deeply! Although she and Roxanne were not born from the same mother, they were still biological sisters! However, she never expected a sister not born from the same mother to be more cruel than a stranger. Therefore, she had already made up her mind. Even if she did not remarry Bruce, she would definitely not give birth to another man¡¯s child. Send Gift Comment Chapter 497 Chapter 497 At the conference room. Thepany¡¯s shareholders began to sigh and frown again Things have been really troublesome recently. Thewsuit hasn¡¯t been resolved yet, and now this is happening!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is still young! He doesn¡¯t take care of the big picture.¡± ¡°Great, now it¡¯s a bauble who¡¯s going to be the president of the Everett Group. This isplete nonsense. I think Mr. Everett purely wants the Everett Group to decline.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Haynes can¡¯t even handle her private life well. How can she handle her work?¡± A few small shareholders began toin again. Liam¡¯s expression was even more solemn, and his eyes revealed a sinister look. ¡°It¡¯s decided now. What else can we do? I don¡¯t think everyone should be so pessimistic. Maybe it¡¯s not as bad as everyone thinks.¡± ¡°Forget it! Anyway, I don¡¯t trust her¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking, Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes have already arrived at thepany!¡± When the small shareholders heard that, they hurriedly fell silent. They only dared toin in private. How could they dare to show it in front of Bruce? A minuteter, the conference room¡¯s door opened. Bruce and Joanna walked in one after another. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Everett! Good morning, Miss Haynes!¡± Bruce sat down at the president¡¯s position. His well¨Cdefined face was tense and meticulous, looking noble and cold. Joanna calmly sat down beside him. After the room waspletely silent. Bruce pursed his thin lips and said. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting!¡± ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is mainly about five things. First, the work I have on hand has beenpletely handed over to Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Starting next week, I will no longer be the Everett Group¡¯s president!¡± ¡°Secondly, there will be some changes in thepany¡¯s management. The secretary will send the list of specific changes to the chatter.¡± Everyone looked at each other, but they did not dare to express any objections. Bruce coughed lightly and looked at Joanna. ¡°Let Miss Haynes convey the remaining three points to everyone!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. As he spoke, Bruce handed the meeting notes that his secretary had printed to Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, please convey the remaining three points to everyone!¡± Joanna calmed herself down and took the notes. She nced at it and said, ¡°Mr. Everett just said two points. Next, I¡¯ll tell everyone about three more problems¡­¡± Liam couldn¡¯t take it anymore and interrupted Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett, I have a point to make!¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes and looked at Liam seriously. ¡°Mr. Miller, please speak.¡± Liam frowned Now that the news has blown up so much, it has already had a bad impact on the When a small shareholder heard that, he immediately echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if we are changing the president, we have to choose someone who knows the Everett Group¡¯s work culture.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I wish to be unpleasant, but I feel that Miss Haynes is too young. I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t bear such a heavy burden¡­¡± When Bruce heard that, his sinister eyes darkened. ¡°Are you questioning my ability or my judgment?¡± Seeing that Bruce had spoken, the small shareholder¡¯s heart trembled in fear. He hurriedly exined, ¡°No, no. How could I dare to question Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°I. I mean to say, after all, Miss Haynes doesn¡¯t know enough about the Everett Group¡¯s work culture! I¡¯m worried that such a heavy burden will crush Miss Haynes!¡± After hearing that, Bruce¡¯s face darkenedpletely. He said bluntly, ¡°I think you should worry about yourself first!¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of the board now. You can go through the relevant procedures this afternoon. Mr. Young was shocked when he heard that. ¡°Huh? Mr. Everett, I was giving a suggestion. You can¡¯t do this¡­¡± With a dark expression, Bruce snapped his fingers at Andy behind him. ¡°Andy, get the bodyguards to invite him out.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± Soon, a few bodyguards entered the conference room and grabbed Mr. Young by his arms. ¡°Please leave immediately!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ Mr. Miller, say something for me!¡± Seeing that, everyone was speechless. Mr. Everett had always been fast, ruthless, and urate. If small shareholders like them disobeyed, they would be forced to sell the shares in their hands and be kicked out of the board of directors. Bruce would not spoil any of them! ¡°Let¡¯s continue the meeting. Does anyone have any objections?¡± Everyone lowered their heads. Mr. Everett had just made an example out of them. Who would still dare to speak up at such a point? Even if they were dissatisfied, they should endure it first! They could bring it up after he leaves Seeing that no one dared to make a sound, Bruce¡¯s expression softened, and he gestured for Joanna to continue. He had to help Joanna clear the obstacles as much as possible! That was to ensure she could stand in the president¡¯s position firmly. Joanna calmed herself down and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. As long as everyone works together, I believe the Everett Group will reach a higher level.¡± ¡°The Azure Bay project has already begun. The nning and marketing n has been implemented!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read through all information of the Everett Group in the past 20 years!¡± ¡°Of course, if anyone has any objections, you can raise them now!¡± Another shareholder broke the silence and asked carefully, ¡°Then what ns does Miss Haynes have?¡± Joanna replied seriously, ¡°At present, thepany will maintain all the old management and business models. There won¡¯t be much change. Of course, there will be some small loopholes that will gradually be perfected! I also believe everyone here will cooperate well with each other¡¯s work.¡± A few shareholders asked a few more questions one after another, and Joanna answered smoothly! Then, Joanna talked about two other things. The meetingsted for more than an hour. Bruce folded his hands and listened attentively to Joanna¡¯s answers. Although the others had objections, they did not dare to be too arrogant. Joanna looked at the time. It was already ten o¡¯clock. Everything that needed to be said had been said. It was about time for the meeting to end. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°Oh, not for the time being!¡± ¡°Alright then! That¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting.¡± Chapter 498 Chapter 498 After the meeting, Bruce and Joanna walked out of the conference room first. ¡°Tk isk, she is really unafraid of us!¡± ¡°Sigh, she¡¯s just talking about everything in theory. It¡¯s not that easy to achieve what she said!¡± Liam replied angrily. ¡°Let them do whatever they want. They will regret it!¡± Bruce did not respect him as his nephew. Bruce deliberately kicked Mr. Young out of the board of directors despite knowing that Mr. Young was promoted by Liam. That was a p to his face in public! ¡°I think Mr. Everett has good taste. Miss Haynes¡¯s idea is quite unique. It might be a new start for the Everett Group¡­.¡± ¡°Heh, I hope so!¡± Bruce and Joanna returned to their private office. Joanna was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She was just pretending to be calm just now! She already had a premonition that those people would not let her sitfortably in the position of president! However, she was also forced to take over that hot potato by Bruce. Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled dotingly. ¡°You did great just now!¡± ¡°Alright, stop consoling me. Joanna frowned. She knew very well how much she was capable of Previously, when she managed the Haynes Group, just Mr. Roger, Mr. Paul, and the others had already given her a headache. Now, she was facing a group of old sly foxes. One could imagine how much pressure she was under! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll support you from behind! If you dare to charge forward bravely, I¡¯ll clean up the aftermath for you.¡± ¡°Bruce, do you really trust me that much?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll run away with your money?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and smiled at her foolishly. ¡°Haha, my money is for you to spend. You can spend as much as you want. Do you still need to run around with it?¡± ¡°Besides, even if you really take all my money, as long as you take good care of the children, I¡¯m willing! If I die, I¡¯ll leave all my assets to you!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. Her heart was in turmoil. ¡°What do you mean by that? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re saying yourst words. It makes me panic!¡± ¡°Haha, didn¡¯t you want me to die?¡± ¡°Who wants you dead? Can you stop saying such depressing things?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m sentenced to life imprisonment and have to stay in prison for the rest of my life, I might as well die!¡± When Joanna heard that, her heart ached even more, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Can you stop saying such depressing words?¡± ¡°Alright, alrigh, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore!¡± Coincidentally, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Bang, bang!¡± ¡°Come in!¡± Andy walked in with a stack of documents. ¡°Mr. Everett, these are the documents and schedule for the next few days!¡± ¡°Leave it here!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Andy respectfully ced the document on the desk. Bruce sat in the leather swivel chair and pushed all the documents before Joanna. Joanna was stunned. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the new president. Of course, you¡¯ll be handling these documents and contracts.¡± 10:28 D Chiapter 498 Joanna stared at him in disbelief. Come on, she was only the spokesperson for Bruce In other words, the Everett Group¡¯s actual controller was still Bruce. Joanna only took on the title of president. Seeing her hesitation, Bruce raised his eyebrows and urged, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and work! Do you want to ck off?¡± Joanna pouted and carried a stack of documents to the small desk. Fortunately, those documents were not a problem for her! She had been the Haynes Group¡¯s chairman, so she took over rtively quickly. Dealing with those miniature problems was not diflicult. They were just a little more troublesome. After all, many things. had to be read seriously one by one. After reading them, she had to make annotations too. Joanna concentrated and worked hard. On the other side, Bruce sat leisurely on a leather swivel chair with his legs crossed. He was tasting coffee and scrolling through his phone with relish! An hourter, Joanna finally finished dealing with the stack of documents. Her eyes were dry from it! She rubbed her sore neck and looked up at Bruce. That damn man was really carefree! With her working for him as aborer, hepletely gave up on work! ¡°Hey, are you asleep?¡± ¡°Hmph, no!¡± ¡°Not yet? You just snored!¡± Bruce rubbed his eyes and yawned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna looked at him speechlessly! The situation was urgent, yet he wasn¡¯t anxious at all. ¡°Is there something you don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done all this work. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Me?¡± A gloating smile appeared on Bruce¡¯s handsome face. ¡°My job now is to supervise you!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. When Joanna heard that, she was even more speechless, but she had no rebuttal.. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me. Let me sleep for a while more. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night,¡± Bruce said as hezily lay on the swivel chair. He even turned the chair into massage mode and enjoyed the massage comfortably! Seeing that. Joanna sighed helplessly and could only continue to review the documents. She had no choice. Bruce was embroiled in awsuit! She knew that he was actually under a lot of pressure. It was better for her to do what she could for him! Send Gif Chapter 499 Chapter 499 The next day, Roxanne got dressed and prepared to go out to look for Marlowe. Now that that had happened, Zachary probably couldn¡¯t be relied on anymore. She had to cozy up to Marlowe. Roxanne drove out of the vi. Unexpectedly, after driving for a distance, the car was forced to stop by two ck cars! Roxanne¡¯s heart tightened. She had a vague feeling that something was wrong! Unfortunately, those two cars blocked her car from in front and behind. Soon, four to five men in ck got out of the car and walked toward her aggressively! When Roxanne saw that, she felt even more uneasy. She hurriedly took out her phone and wanted to call the police. However, it was already toote. Four or five men in ck walked quickly to the front of the car. One of the men in ck. held a window¨Cbusting hammer and smashed open her window without any exnation! Then, he reached out and opened the car door. ¡°Ah!¡± Roxanne was so frightened that her face turned pale as she shouted in horror. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Without another word, the men in ck dragged her out of the car. ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± ¡°Help! Someone¡¯s kidnapping me!¡± The man in ck moved very quickly and stuffed her into the ck car. Then, the two cars drove away. The entire process took less than three minutes! ¡°What are you? What do you want to do? Do you want money?¡± The two men in ck in the backseat sandwiched her between them. One of them took out a blue medicine bottle from his pocket. Then, he grabbed her chin and poured all the powder into Roxanne¡¯s mouth! Roxanne was so scared that she kept screaming, ¡°Cough! Cough! No!¡± ¡°What exactly did you feed me? Let go of me. Where are you taking me?¡± A full bottle of medicine was forcefully poured into Roxanne¡¯s mouth! ¡°Uh, cough, cough, no!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± A man in ck took out a stun baton and knocked her out. Roxanne¡¯s vision went ck and she lost consciousness. When Roxanne woke up again, she felt like she was about to explode! She was groggy as if she was dreaming! ¡°What is this ce? What exactly is this ce?¡± There were a few men in ck standing in front of her. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Don¡¯t you like this medicine very much? Then I¡¯ll let you have a good taste of it.¡± Roxanne looked around in horror. That was actually a cruise ship. On the cruise ship, there seemed to be a party going on! The atmosphere was very insane. The group of men and women were unbearable to look at. ¡°Let me go. Let me go.¡° ¡°What exactly do you want to do? How much money do you want? You can tell me. I can give you the money. I beg you not to hurt me!¡± One of the men in ck gave her an ambiguous smile. ¡°Miss Roxanne, rx. We won¡¯t hurt you. On the contrary, we¡¯ll bring you pleasure!¡± As he spoke, seven or eight fat and strong men waved their hands. ¡°This is a famous director from Roseliand. He specializes in pornography.¡± ¡°We chose you to be the female lead and want to film a movie for you. You just have to enjoy it.¡± After hearing that, Roxanne broke down. ¡°No, no¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this. Did Bruce Everett employ you? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t do anything rash! Joanna Haynes is my sister. She won¡¯t allow Bruce Everett to treat me like this!¡± Roxanne shouted in fear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t know anything about Bruce Everett! We just want you to be the female lead!¡± *Director, I¡¯ll leave her to you. Do a good job!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Help, help¡­ Roxanne kept screaming! Unfortunately, she was dragged into the middle of the dance floor by a few male actors! Those men were all actors who specialized in pornography. Coupled with thenguage barrier, they thought Roxanne was also an actor. Seeing that her reaction was so realistic and intense, they thought she was acting well! For a full ten hours, Roxanne filmed with more than ten male actors. The more she screamed, the crazier those actors became. In the end, Roxannepletely lost all ability to resist and fainted! After the filming waspleted, Roxanne fell to the ground, unconscious, like a torn doll. When she woke up again, she was already thrown at the entrance of the hospital. Soon, Roxanne¡¯s film began to sell well in Roseliand. Of course, some of the videos were leaked online! That caused an uproar among countless people! ¡°Heavens, why¡­ why does this look so much like Roxanne Haynes?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t just look like her. It does seem to be her.¡± ¡°My God, why would she do that kind of film?¡± ¡°You have a point. No matter how depraved the Haynes family is, there¡¯s no need for her to film such a movie.¡± ¡°This is Photoshopped, right? There¡¯s a feature to change the face? This should be fake!¡± ¡°No, no, no, this is definitely real! Look, there¡¯s no trace of Photoshop!¡± ¡°Oh my god, isn¡¯t this too much?¡± The moment Joanna saw that online, her entire mind buzzed! She could not believe that Roxanne would be hurt like that! Although she hated Roxanne, she had never hurt her like that! ¡°Bruce, did you do it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Let me ask you, is the information on the inte and the people who bullied Roxannee hired by you?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean this? I don¡¯t know. This seems to be a regr film! She should have been voluntary!¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale. Although Roxanne was scheming, how could she be willing to film that kind of film? Even if the Haynes family had declined, the inheritance left behind by their father was enough for her to live a carefree life. She did notck money, so how could she film that kind of film? Send Gift Comment Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Bruce had an indifferent expression on his face. He did not have much of a reaction to that matter, as if she was just a stranger who had nothing to do with him. That made Joanna even more certain that he was behind it. After all, his methods were notorious. Those who offended him would not have a good ending! And Roxanne had been plotting against him and drugged him. It suited his personality to find someone to take revenge on her. ¡°Bruce, tell me the truth. Did you hire someone to do it?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were gloomy as she looked at Bruce anxiously! Although she did not have a good impression of Roxanne and did not sympathize with her, her oue was too tragic for a woman! She really didn¡¯t dare to imagine the scene of Roxanne being bullied by more than ten people. Not to mention that Roxanne was her biological sister, if it was an unrted stranger, her heart would ache when she heard such an encounter. Bruce¡¯s furrowed his brows. His eyes were like a wolf¡¯s, emitting a faint gloominess. Joanna¡¯s words once again pierced his heart! It hurt him that she still didn¡¯t trust him that much. ¡°Joanna, do you really think I did it?¡± Joanna¡¯s face was filled with hatred. Her voice was sharp and anxious. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone else other than you. Roxy is a girl, after all. No matter what, she¡¯s still my sister.¡± ¡°At this point, you¡¯re still pitying her?¡± ¡°Im not pitying her. I just think it¡¯s too cruel! Even if you wanted to punish her, you shouldn¡¯t do it this way.¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and stared at Joanna angrily. ¡°Joanna, you underestimate me. Am I that bad in your eyes?¡± ¡°I admit that I hate Roxanne, and I really want to teach her a lesson. But no matter what, I won¡¯t use such a method to deal with a woman!¡± That was true. He was dealing with people who opposed him in the business world. He was really not interested in dealing with a woman. Even if he wanted to take revenge, he would not use such an inhumane method. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t you?¡± Joanna questioned again. Bruce¡¯s heart instantly turned cold. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Or am I such a despicable person in your heart?¡± Looking at Bruce¡¯s angry expression, Joanna did not dare to ask anymore. The anger in her eyes dissipated a lot. It was best if he didn¡¯t do it! Otherwise, such a man was too terrifying. ¡°Then who could it be? Who would treat Roxy in such a vicious way?¡± When Bruce heard that, a trace of coldness appeared in his eyes. Although he would not take revenge on Roxanne like that, it definitely did not mean that he sympathized with her! ¡°Who cares who it is? It¡¯s not us.¡± ¡°Roxanne is in this state because she asked for it!¡± Brucemented coldly. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t know that Roxanne had hooked up with Marlowe. And he knew very well what kind of person Marlowe was! If Roxanne was close to him, it would definitely not end well for her. ¡°Sigh. I¡¯d better go to the hospital to see her!¡± Joanna was a little worried, and her heart was in a mess. When Bruce heard that, he pped her forehead angrily. ¡°Joanna, how many times have I told you to stay away from her!¡± ¡°Why do you care? She won¡¯t be grateful to you anyway! Just let her fend for herself. Why do you seek trouble for yourself?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank, and her eyes were filled with sorrow! No matter what, Roxanne was still her biological sister. Now that their father had passed away, it was even more impossible for Derick to take care of Roxanne. ¡°No, I¡¯d better go over and see her! Before Dad passed away, I promised Dad to take good care of Roxy. Now that something like this has happened to her, I should at least go over and take a look!¡± ¡°I really have to hand it to you. Do whatever you want!¡± Knowing that he could not persuade her, Bruce felt mncholic and depressed. However, he did not stop her too much. Joanna¡¯s heart was still too soft. With such a personality, it was destined that she would suffer. At the hospital. Roxanne slept for two days before waking up in a daze. Zachary¡¯s heart ached for her, and he was helpless. He had been taking care of her and was worried that Roxanne would not be able to take the blow! On the hospital bed. Roxanney quietly like a mummy that had lost its soul. Her face was as pale as paper, without a trace of blood. Those male actors were too fierce. Roxanne had multiple soft tissue injuries all over her body, and the N?velDrama.Org (C) content. wounds on her private part were torn and bleeding. ¡°Rox, you¡¯re awake? Do you want some water?¡± Zachary saw that she was awake and asked gently. ¡°Go away, don¡¯t touch me. Go away, go away!¡± Roxanne was traumatized, and she was so frightened that her entire body trembled. ¡°Rox, it¡¯s me! There are no bad people now. You¡¯re safe now!¡± Zachary¡¯s heart ached, and he felt helpless. He could only After a while, Roxanne finally saw that the person in front of her was Zachary. She immediately threw herself into his arms. in panic and cried loudly. She said, ¡°Zachary, boohoo¡­ ¡°Do you still want me after I¡¯ve been bullied?¡± When Zachary heard that, his frown deepened. He only patted her back tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It must be Bruce¡¯s doing!¡± ¡°Bruce?¡± Roxanne was crying when she suddenly frowned. Her eyes were as red as a ghost¡¯s. Other than Bruce, she really could not think of anyone else who would treat her like that. She really did not expect the man who had loved her for six years would treat her so cruelly. ¡°Rox, rest well first! When you recover, I¡¯ll send you overseas for a period of time¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. ¡°Why are you sending me overseas?¡± ¡°This matter is so bad. I¡¯ll send you overseas to lie low!¡± ¡°You despise me, don¡¯t you? You don¡¯t want to avenge me at all, right?¡± Zachary sighed deeply and did not answer her question. ¡°Rest well first!¡± ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± An assistant walked in. ¡°Mr. Garcia, someone is here to see the patient!¡± Zachary left the ward upon hearing that. Outside of the ward, Joanna was standing with a solemn expression. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Upon seeing Zachary, Joanna was stunned. ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯m here to take a look at Roxy!¡± ¡°You are not wanted here. Rox doesn¡¯t want to see you either. Leave quickly.¡± Zachary coldly ordered her to leave. ¡°Let me go in and see her. After all, Roxy is my sister.¡± Zachary thought that it was Bruce¡¯s doing, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t be polite to Joanna. He replied impatiently, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you!¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze deepened as she looked at Zachary in confusion. ¡°I am just worried about Roxy. I want to see her. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± ¡°I just told you that Rox doesn¡¯t want to see you. Don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself. Hurry up and leave!¡± Zachary said coldly and turned around to enter the ward. Bang! The door of the ward was mmed shut again. N Chapter 501 N Chapter 501 ¡°Ms. Haynes, please leave!¡± The assistant at the door politely persuaded Joanna. Tatiana also advised. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t we go back first? ¡°Miss Roxanne probably doesn¡¯t want to see anyone now.¡± Joanna sighed deeply, believing that it made sense. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. *All right. I¡¯lle again another day.¡± Roxanne probably didn¡¯t want to meet Joanna. Even if they met, Roxanne might be even more irritable. Joanna and Tatiana turned around and walked out of the hospital. The four bodyguards behind them followed suit in a calm. manner. Just as they made their way out of the hospital, they saw a man who was dressed fashionably in suspenders with slicked¨Cback hair. There were about seven bodyguards with solemn expressions beside him. Before Joanna could react, the man in front of her greeted her, ¡°Hi, Ms. Haynes. It¡¯s been long. Now, you¡¯ve even be a president.¡± Joanna took a closer look and found that it was Marlowe. ¡°Hello, Mr. Yanice!¡± Marlowe acted as if they were familiar and asked with a cheeky smile. ¡°Ms. Haynes, why are you here? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m visiting a friend here,¡± responded Joanna. ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved. I¡¯m also here to visit a friend. Have you met your friend?¡± Marlowe was like a chatterbox, not caring if others were annoyed or not. Joanna forced a smile. ¡°Yes, I have. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Marlowe turned around and blocked Joanna¡¯s way, thinking that he was acting cool. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s rare to meet you. Why not chat for a longer while?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still have something important to attend to. Goodbye!¡± Joanna replied politely and then nodded slightly at him as an apology. Because Joanna also brought a few bodyguards along with her, Marlowe didn¡¯t dare to go too far, and he could only let Joanna leave. Then, he watched Joanna walk away. Marlowe gave a mocking smile. ¡°Ha, Bruce¡¯s taste is quite unique!¡± An assistant beside him casually echoed, ¡°Exactly. Bruce seems to really love his ex¨Cwife. ¡°I heard that he even let her be the president of the Everett Group.¡± When Marlowe heard this, he took out a cigar. Seeing this, the assistant beside him immediately lit it for him. ¡°Ha! Bruce is actually a f*cking romantic. Interesting! ¡°I¡¯d like to see how much he¡¯s into this woman. ¡°To be fair, his ex¨Cwife is pretty good¨Clooking.¡± ¡°Mr. Yanice, are you also attracted to this woman? She¡¯s a real stunner. I¡¯ve heard that Mr. Grimm is also charmed by her. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that she has children.¡± Marlowe took puff of his cigar, sniggering. He thought to himself, ¡°Since Bruce is so into this woman, would he be in much pain if I destroy her?¡± ¡°Sir, smoking is not allowed in the hospital.¡± A nurse stepped forward to dissuade Marlowe. Marlowe didn¡¯t say anything and extinguished the cigar he had taken a puff of Marlowe smirked as he looked at Roxanne, who was lying on the bed in the ward. ¡°Ik, Isk, tsk. You look so miserable¡± When Roxanne heard this, she was even more frustrated and madder. ¡°Mr. Yanice, please avenge me. I beg you, please!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely help you!¡± Marlowe¡¯s eyes were filled with scheme as he replied perfunctorily. Joanna returned to Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce was surprised to see her back so early. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Hi¡± Joanna responded in frustration. ¡°Did you see Roxanne?¡± asked Bruce. Joanna shook her head sadly. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. ¡°Zachary is taking care of Roxy. He didn¡¯t let me into the ward, saying that Roxanne didn¡¯t want to see me.¡± When Bruce heard this, he burst outughing. ¡°How can you stillugh?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t Iugh retorted Bruce. ¡°Do you know everyone thinks that you¡¯re the one who instigated it?¡± questioned Joanna. Bruce shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Then they should call the police and let the police investigate. Anyway, I didn¡¯t do it. I have. nothing to be afraid of ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t be bothered to talk so much to you.¡± ¡°Tomorrow is the 24th, and Christmas is around the corner. How do you n to spend it?¡± asked Bruce. ¡°Just as usual. Or how else?¡± As they were talking, the two little guys returned from outside. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± ¡°Where are we going tomorrow?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to Disnend first!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Rest early today!¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Bruce and Joanna didn¡¯t go to work the next day. They woke up early in the morning and brought the children to celebrate the holidays. Greyport Disnend was rtively small because of its limited area. However, it wasvishly decorated with all kinds of entertainment facilities. It was a good ce for children to have fun. This was the first time the three little guys hade out to have fun with their parents. They were especially excited. ¡°Wow, this ce is so beautiful.¡± ¡°Exactly! Last year, when we were still in kindergarten, the school organized a visit here. However, we preferred toe with Daddy and Mommy.¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 502 Chapter 502 This was Lilia¡¯s first time here, so she was even more excited. ¡°Wow, this ce is so beautiful. This is my first time here. ¡°Mommy, the Mickey headband on that girl¡¯s head looks great. I want one too.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy you one in a while.¡± ¡°Mommy, can you buy me a Mickey Mouse?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± It was rare for Joanna to see the children being so excited. ¡°Then let¡¯s have fun today!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Then, Bruce and Joanna brought the children to a shop, and they happily picked their favorite stuffed toys. ¡°These are some Mickey headbands. Here you are!¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so beautiful! Mommy, you and Daddy should wear one too.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well¡­.¡± Joanna nced at Bruce. He probably wouldn¡¯t wear such a thing. As expected, Bruce had an impatient look on his face. He was not interested in these things at all. ¡°Daddy, let me help you put it on!¡± Lilia said as she put a glittering Mickey Mouse headband on her daddy¡¯s head. ¡°Does it look good?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s beautiful. There¡¯s a button here. Press it and it will glitter. It looks even better when worn at night,¡± Lilia introduced enthusiastically. Bruce, who always looked cold and noble, instantly appeared silly because of this headband. He was really not lovely at all. Joanna couldn¡¯t bear to look at him and echoed perfunctorily, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Mommy, let me help you put it on, too!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna was a little reluctant, but to avoid spoiling the children¡¯s good mood, she still smiled the entire time. As it was a festival, Disnend was especially crowded today. Besides, Bruce brought arge number of bodyguards and assistants, and they naturally attracted more attention. ¡°Look over there! They seem to be Bruce and his ex¨Cwife.¡± ¡°Wow! It seems true!¡± Joanna is actually still in the mood to have fun here after what happened to her sister. I can¡¯t believe this. The tourists. couldn¡¯t help but point at Joanna and pulled out their phones and secretly took photos. ¡°s! I heard that it was Bruce who plotted against Roxanne.¡± When another tourist heard this, he asked in surprise, ¡°What? Really? Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said all over the Inte. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Take a photo of them! Hurry up!¡± The bodyguards stepped forward to stop them and warned with serious expressions, ¡°Please don¡¯t take photos!¡± ¡°All right. We¡¯ll stop. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± the tourists mumbled and quickly slipped out of the shop. This was the first time Bruce hade to a ce with so many people. Although there were bodyguards following him the entire time, he still felt ufortable. ¡°Joanna, someone is taking photos of us over there. ¡°There are too many people here. Let¡¯s go over there!¡± The children didn¡¯t care. They ran around excitedly. In just a short while, they had already run out of the shop. ¡°Stop running around, you two! Be careful! Or you might get lost.¡± ¡°Guys, hurry up and follow them. Don¡¯t let them get lost.¡± The bodyguards hurriedly chased after the children. Joanna sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s a rare festival today. Just let them have fun!¡± The family spent the entire day ying in the amusement park. After watching the fireworks at night, they nned to go home. ¡°Did you have fun today?¡± The three children were still unsatisfied and nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m especially happy.¡± I¡¯m so hungry now. Shall we go eat?¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°You two brats only think about food and eating ¡°We¡¯re going to Fraynter.¡± ¡°Happy Christmas Eve! Remember to eat apples!¡± The family went to Frayn Restaurant for a big meal. They yed until 10 p.m. before finally returning home. When they returned to Sherane Bay Vi, Davian and Irvin were so tired that they could barely walk. ¡°I¡¯m so tired, but I¡¯m so happy.¡± Joanna was also exhausted. ¡°Alright. Take a shower and go to bed.¡± ¡°Mommy, are we going to Ocean Park tomorrow?¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°Yes, rest well, or you won¡¯t have the energy to y tomorrow. Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Okay, good night, Daddy and Mommy!¡± Davian and Irvin said in unison. ¡°Good night, sweethearts!¡± ¡°Good night!¡± Joanna Haynes was so tired that she copsed on the bed as soon as she returned to her room, not wanting to move at all. Bruce, on the other hand, looked energetic and came over. ¡°Honey!¡± Joanna replied crossly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce winked at her with a mischievous smile. Needless to think. Joanna knew what he wanted to do. ¡°You¡¯re being annoying. I¡¯m too tired today. Can you have a rest today and do it tomorrow?¡± ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you go, not even for a single day.¡± Bruce refused decisively. ¡°Man! Aren¡¯t you tired? My legs are cramping. I want a rest today. Please spare me!¡± ¡°Come on! You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just enjoy yourself. How can you be tired? I don¡¯t even find it tiring!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t give up. Joanna was speechless. She didn¡¯t understand why he could be so energetic. After she went out for the entire day, her legs and stomach were cramped, but he still had the stamina and even wan Chapter 503 Chapter 503 wanted to do that thing. 9/9 Send Gift Comment Although Joanna was reluctant, she relented in the end as Bruce kept pestering her. She was then lured to have sex and spend a wild night with him. At eight the following morning. Bruce woke up punctually. Joanna had been through a lot the night before and was really exhausted. She was still sleeping soundly in Bruce¡¯s arms. Bruce¡¯s arm was so numb that he could barely feel anything. However, when he saw that Joanna was sleeping soundly, he still could not bear to pull his arm out and wake her up. The children had gone to bed early the previous night and were excited about going out to y today. Therefore, they got up at a little past eight o¡¯clock. There was a knock on the door at 8:10 am. Davian and Irvin could not wait to wake their parents up at the door. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, it¡¯s time to get up. The sun is high in the sky now.¡± Joanna woke up with a start and opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°Who¡¯s shouting?¡± Seeing that Joanna was awakened, Bruce frowned and finally pulled out his numb arm. ¡°Man! Why did the two brats get up so early?¡± Joanna stretched and asked drowsily, ¡°What time is it now?¡± Bruce gave her a mischievous smile. ¡°It¡¯s past eight.¡± ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s gettingte. Why didn¡¯t you wake me up earlier?¡± Joanna said as she yawned sleepily. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and prepared to get up. Bruce pouted and asked for a kiss. He opened his arms and pleaded, ¡°Honey, I want a hug. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Stop fooling around. The children can¡¯t wait. Hurry up and get up!¡± There followed another knock on the door. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you up?¡± Despite the good soundproofing of the room, Joanna and Bruce could still hear the knocking on the door and Irvin¡¯s and Haynes¡¯s shouts. Bruce cursed in a muffled voice, ¡°Damn! Those two brats just can¡¯t keep quiet for a moment. Both of them deserve to be taught a lesson.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was extremely speechless. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to apany the children?¡± Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and as if he was acting like a spoiled child, he responded, ¡°I just want to apany you.¡± ¡°Stop fooling around and get up!¡± ¡°Then you should kiss me first,¡± Bruce asked for a kiss without feeling ashamed. Joanna had no choice but to kiss him on the cheek. ¡°No, I want a kiss on the lips.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even brush your teeth.¡± Joanna looked disgusted. Bruce chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t dislike you.¡± Joanna shook her head crossly. In order to prevent him from continuing to pester her, she had to quickly kiss him to send him away. Otherwise, he would bother her endlessly. Bruce wrapped her arms around Joanna¡¯s waist and kissed her back deeply. Joanna was not in the mood to be intimate with him. ¡°Alright! Get up right now! Don¡¯t keep the children waiting for too long!¡± ¡°Hmph, you only care about the children. You never care about me¡± Bruce pouted, jealous. Joanna could not be bothered to talk with him anymore. She quickly got out of bed and opened the door. The door was opened. The two little guys poked their heads in. ¡°Good morning. Daddy and Mommy!¡± ¡°Good morning, sweethearts!¡± ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s already past eight o¡¯clock. Are we going to Ocean Park today? We have to go early.¡± ¡°Well, have you freshened up?¡± Davian and Irvin nodded. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve washed our faces and brushed our teeth. The servants had already helped the children change their clothes. The two little guys were wearing identical ck sweaters and white sneakers. They looked handsome and cool, like two child models. Lilia, on the other hand, was wearing a pink sweater withce socks and small ck leather shoes. There was a bow hat on her head, making her look like a precious princess. ¡°Then go downstairs and wait for a while. Your dad and I will go to you after getting changed.¡± ¡°Okay. The two little guys stuck their heads out and dawdled, reluctant to leave. They were especially curious about their daddy and mommy¡¯s room. Although the children¡¯s room was also veryfortable and luxurious, it was definitely still inferior to their parents¡® room. ¡°Wow, Daddy, Mommy, your room is so big. Can we go in and take a look?¡± Although the children had lived in the Everett family for a year, they had never entered their father¡¯s room. Of course, the children were curious. ¡°Can we, Mommy?¡± When Joanna heard this, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. What was wrong with the children visiting her room? Did they have to be so cautious? ¡°Sure! Come on in!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Davian and Irvin slipped in curiously. Sherane Bay Vi was very big. The children had yed everywhere, but they had never dared to guys were excited. Bruce was taking off his pajamas when he saw his two sons enter. His handsome face darkened like a lion king seeing lion cubs barging into his territory. ¡°Get out. You brats! Do you want to be taught a lesson?¡± ¡°All right. Davian and Irvin pouted and fled in fear. Seeing this, Joanna was extremely speechless. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really too much. What¡¯s wrong with the childrening in? Why are you so mean?¡± Bruce raised his head and looked at Joanna arrogantly. ¡°Imph, I won¡¯t allow any other man to enter my room.¡± ¡°Oh, please! They¡¯re your sons. ¡°So what? They are men too.¡± ¡°Come on! They¡¯re still children.¡± ¡°They¡¯re six years old now and know everything. How can they watch their mother get changed?¡± Joanna was even more speechless when she heard that. She thought to herself. ¡°Man! This guy is really something. Sometimes, I can¡¯t understand what¡¯s on his mind at all. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Sons should avoid their mothers¡® private rooms when they grow up. They have their own rooms. How can they enter our room casually?¡± Bruce dered confidently. ¡°If they see something they shouldn¡¯t see, it will be bad for them.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°Alright. I can¡¯t win against you. Hurry up and change your clothes!¡± With that, Joanna went straight to the bathroom. Bruce followed her in with his muscr upper body naked. When Joanna brushed her teeth, Bruce fixed his eyes on her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I want to brush my teeth, too. You used to squeeze toothpaste for me.¡± Bruce reminded her with a pout. In the past, before the two of them divorced, Joanna would squeeze toothpaste and prepare face¨C washing water for him every morning. She would even personally make breakfast for him. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, at that time, Bruce did not appreciate it at all. It was impossible for him to receive that kind of treatment now. ¡°You have your own hands. Just do it by yourself!¡± Bruce protested unhappily, ¡°You should be a good wife and a good mother like before and take good care of your husband. You have to love your husband wholeheartedly like before. Don¡¯t look at any man other than your husband and don¡¯t fall for any other man. ¡°You have to know that your husband is the best and the most handsome man in the world. Of course. I¡¯m just the best and most outstanding man in the world.¡± Joanna was left utterly stunned and speechless. ¡°He¡¯s really narcissistic, thought Joanna to herself. 3/3 B Send Gift Comment Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Joanna was speechless. In order to prevent him from continuing to bber, she squeezed the toothpaste and casually handed it to him. A smile appeared on Bruce¡¯s face. He took the toothbrush in satisfaction and started brushing his teeth. He just liked the feeling of being taken care of by Joanna. He looked cunning and bossy, he had a child¨Clike heart and someone acted like a child. Joanna and Bruce were washing up and changing. At the door, the children could not help but urge again, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you done?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Joanna quicklyforted the children. Bruce never spoiled the children as Joanna did. ¡°Shut up! Why the rush?¡± Irvin grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s almost nine o¡¯clock. We will arrive at Ocean Park, it will almost be ten o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°If you keep urging me. I won¡¯t go,¡± snapped Bruce. ¡°Daddy, Mommy.¡± The two little guys seemed disappointed. Joanna red at Bruce and said to the children, ¡°Your daddy is just joking with you. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already eaten. As the children had to go to school, they did not have to wait for their parents to have breakfast together in the morning. Moreover, most of the time, their dad and mom did not eat breakfast at home. A momentter, Bruce and Joanna left the room and walked toward the dining room together. The servants had already made breakfast. There was milk oatmeal, bread, coffee, fruit juice, caviar sandwiches, and so on. ¡°Have a ss of milk!¡± ¡°I prefer coffee¡± ¡°No! Coffee stimtes the nerves. Try to drink as little as possible.¡± As Bruce spoke, he served a bowl of milk oatmeal for Joanna. ¡°Women should have more milk oatmeal.¡± ¡°Linda, don¡¯t prepare coffee for breakfast in the future.¡± When Linda, the cook, heard this, she replied with a respectful smile, ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t drink coffee, and she won¡¯t be able to have coffee for breakfast anymore. She red at Bruce, displeased. Sheined inwardly, ¡°Damn it! This guy is really nosy. He even cares about such a small matter as breakfast.¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat. It will be bad for your health if it gets cold.¡± Bruce did not mind her re at all. Joanna smiled bitterly and picked up her spoon to eat milk oatmeal, not bothering to argue with him. Fifteen minutester, the two of them finished breakfast. The children could not wait any longer and looked at their parents eagerly. If not for the fact that they were afraid of being scolded by their father, the children would have started urging them again. ¡°Breakfast¡¯s over. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. We can finally go to Ocean Park. When they arrived at Ocean Park, it was already past ten in the morning. It was Christmas, so there were a lot of people. Normally, Bruce would book the entire Ocean Park. However, the park would not be reserved for anyone alone on Christmas. After entering the park, Bruce flipped through the tour guidebook. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the aquarium first.¡± ¡°Okay¡± There was an underwater passage in the aquarium that allowed one to enter the bottom of the sea to see the marine animals up close. The elevator went straight to the underwater world. Through the ss, one could see all kinds of creatures swimming above. Irvin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wow, there are dolphins here. There¡¯s also a mermaid. Wow, this mermaid is so beautiful¡± When Lilia Haynes heard this, she quickly went to take a look. As expected, a few mermaid princesses were swimming around like fish. Their long fishtails were very elegant and beautiful. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Wow, there are really mermaids. They are so stunning.¡± Davian, who had a chubby face, burst intoughter. ¡°Lilia, they are fake. It¡¯s a human disguise.¡± They are still beautiful, though. I want to swim, too. I want to pretend to be a mermaid princess,¡± Lilia said, bing increasingly excited. When Joanna heard this, her heart ached slightly. She looked at Bruce. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you ask the doctor from Gaprington to perform corrective surgery on Lilia?¡± Bruce replied calmly, ¡°Yes, but we might have to wait until next year.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to Gaprington together then and apany Lilia when she has corrective surgery.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Bruce replied casually. A trace of gloominess inadvertently appeared on his face. He did not know if he could still be by their side next year. Right now, he cherished every moment he spent with them. Davian and Irvin were attracted by other animals and trotted inside. ¡°Davian, Irvin, don¡¯t run around! Be careful, and don¡¯t bump into anyone!¡± When they left the aquarium, it was already past one in the afternoon. It happened to be time for lunch. There were also many fast¨Cfood restaurants in the park. Many tourists were queuing up to buy fried chicken and burgers. When Davian and Irvin saw this, they swallowed hard. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, we¡¯re so hungry. Can we have some fried chicken?¡± Joanna thought for a moment and decided to fulfill the children¡¯s wishes. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Because Joanna couldn¡¯t be bothered to line up, she paid to exchange for the chance to get the food first. She bought two fried chicken sets. The children were overjoyed and ate happily. ¡°Yummy! The fried chicken drumstick is really delicious. I want to eat another piece.¡± It was rare for Davian and Irvin to eat fried chicken drumsticks and fries, so they were especially happy. ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much fried food. It¡¯s not healthy,¡± said Joanna. ¡°But we just want to eat it.¡± ¡°Just let them eat as much as they want!¡± It was rare for Bruce to be so tolerant. Send Gift Comment Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Usually, food like fried chicken, burgers, and fries would not appear on the Everett family¡¯s dining table. However, the children liked this kind of food very much. Then let¡¯s buy some more!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, I want an ice cream.¡± Joanna felt upset when she heard this. Lilia also looked at Joanna eagerly. ¡°Mommy, I want to eat ice cream, too.¡± ¡°No, ice cream is too cold. It¡¯s easy to have stomach problems if you eat ice cream after having fried chicken ¡°All right.¡± The three children pouted, disappointment full of their eyes. Bruce smiled mischievously at Joanna. ¡°Honey, I want to eat ice cream, too.¡± ¡°Oh, please! All of you can¡¯t eat ice cream on such a cold day, especially you. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve forgotten the pain of gastric perforation, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have a little bit. Please! It¡¯s a rare festival. We should celebrate it.¡± Seeing that their dad wanted some ice cream as well, the three children became even more persistent. ¡°Dad is right. It¡¯s Christmas today. Just let us eat once.¡± Seeing this, Joanna could onlypromise. ¡°Alright. I really can¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Soon, Joanna bought three ice creams, for Davian, Irvin, and Bruce. But she still fought the urge to buy one for Lilia because of the little girl¡¯s poor health. ¡°Wow, it feels really great to eat ice cream after eating fried chicken.¡± ¡°Yep, yep. I think I can eat three ice creams.¡± ¡°Just enjoy it, but don¡¯t show off in front of Lilia, please!¡± Lilia pouted. ¡°Mommy, I want to eat ice cream, too.¡± ¡°Sweetie, be good. Let¡¯s not eat it now. I will buy one for you when you recover. Okay?¡± ¡°Fine¡± The family began to climb toward the top of the hill after lunch. ¡°Wow, the elevator goes so highly.¡± Ocean Park was the highest point at Greyport, but it was not too difficult to climb to the top of it. This was because there was an elevator built on the hill path. One could take the elevator to the middle of the hill. Then, they could take the cable car to the top. They did not have to make much effort during the entire process. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, we want to take cable cars, too.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bruce¡¯s assistant had already gone to line up first, so although there were many people, there was no need for Joanna and her family to line up. The cable car could not amodate too many people at once. The family of five boarded a cable car while the bodyguards and assistants boarded another cable car behind them. After getting into the cable car, the three children were even more excited. Theyughed and shouted, ¡°Wow, this ce is so high. The sea is below. It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± The three children nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m extremely happy ¡°Daddy, Mommy, when are weing again?¡± Joanna felt annoyed andughed. ¡°How greedy you are! You haven¡¯t even left today, yet you¡¯re already thinking ofing back to y next time.¡± ¡°Sure! We are the happiest when staying with you and Dad¡± The three children smiled happily. These two days were the happiest they had ever been in their lives. In the past, when they were abroad, their mother was busy working and earning money, so she rarely brought them out to y. asionally, she would bring them out for fun, but they would return home soon. After the children returned to Greyport, their dad didn¡¯t have time, either. And they had to go out for fun with the bodyguards and servants. However, how could the bodyguards and servants¡®pany rece that of their parents? Bruce was alsoughing all the time, and his eyes grew even redder. If he could, he wanted to apany Joanna and the children forever and live a peaceful and happy life with them. The cable car swayed until it was halfway up the hill. Bruce sat in front with Lilia in his arms. Joanna sat opposite him with their two sons on her left and right. With a thud, the cable car jerked to a stop and stopped moving forward. Joanna was startled. ¡°What happened?¡± Bruce was also shocked. ¡°Why did the cable car stop?¡± ¡°It seems to be out of power. ¡°Oh, my God! It¡¯s so high. Daddy, Mommy, will we fall down?¡± Irvin looked down in horror. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it. How can we be so unlucky?¡± Davian scolded Irvin. Joannaforted the children. ¡°Definitely not. Don¡¯t be afraid. Perhaps there are too many people today and the heavy load caused the power to go out. It should be electrified soon. ¡°We can just enjoy the hill scenery here. Let¡¯s wait quietly for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The children were not so afraid after hearing their mother¡¯sforting words. The cable car was hanging halfway up the hill. The elevation here was quite high, and the sea was below. ¡°Irvin, don¡¯t look out. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mommy.¡± Irvin looked down curiously. They waited for half an hour. The cable car was still out of power, and the people around were getting anxious. Bruce couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He called Andy and ordered. ¡°Andy, call them immediately and tell them to fix the problem as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, I just called the park staff and they said that there was a failure of power and it was being repaired.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°It will take another two hours.¡± ¡°What? Then we will be trapped for another two hours, won¡¯t we? ¡°Andy, have Darcy send a helicopter over,¡± Bruce ordered. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett. Send Gift Comment Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Time was precious. So, they could not waste it on boring waiting time any longer. Joanna felt a little uneasy about it. She frowned and asked, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you think that it is too exaggerated by asking someone to send the helicopter over to rescue us?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and replied impatiently. ¡°It has already been more than half an hour. We can¡¯t wait any longer. Time is precious, we shall not waste it no more.¡± ¡°What time is it now?¡± asked Bruce. Joanna lowered her head and nced at her watch as she said, ¡°It is already half past three.¡± Bruce calcted the distance and said. The helicopter will arrive in about 20 minutes. Let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± ¡°Daddy, do you know how to fly a helicopter?¡± asked Davian curiously. His eyes lit up when he asked. ¡°Of course!¡± said Bruce without hesitation. When Irvin heard about it, his face was filled with admiration. ¡°Wow! Is it true? Daddy, you are so awesome! You actually know how to fly a helicopter!¡± Davian was so amazed by it that he looked at his Daddy with disbelief. In every children¡¯s mind, it was exceptionally amazing to know how to fly a helicopter or ne. ¡°Ahem! Of course! In fact, Daddy knows a lot more things than that. Flying a helicopter is just peanuts!¡± said Bruce arrogantly. He even added another sentence to boost his awesomeness. When the three little fellows heard about it, they were rapt in admiration of their Daddy. ¡°Wow! Wow! Wow! What else do you know, Daddy?¡± ¡°You should ask me what I don¡¯t know instead!¡± said Bruce as he leaned against the cable car with pride. Joanna was so speechless upon seeing such a scene. Would this scumbag die if he stopped bragging about himself for a minute? The children¡¯s interest was aroused instantly. They gathered around their Daddy and started to ask a lot of questions. As a matter of fact, Bruce enjoyed the admiration gazes from his children. Hence, he continued to brag about his achievements. Of course, he was not braggingpletely. Some of them were true as well. There was also something that Joanna did not. even hear about it. So, he must be bragging about it. Soon¡­ ¡°Wop! Wop! Wop!¡± Suddenly, the thrum of helicopters could be heard from the sky. They could see two silvery gray helicopters approaching them from afar. Andy, who was on the other cable car behind them, was directing the helicopter to the location of the rescue using the walkie¨Ctalkie. The helicopters circled in the sky for two rounds before locating the cable car to be rescued. The other tourist eximed when they saw such a scene. ¡°Look! Helicopters are heading our way. Why are they here?¡± ¡°Are they here to rescue us?¡± ¡°It must be it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did the helicopters rescue them first?¡± Another male tourist exined enthusiastically. ¡°Come on! Those are private helicopters!¡± ¡°Private helicopters?¡± ¡°Wow! It¡¯s good to be rich indeed. This is too exaggerated! Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The helicopters were still circling in the sky. Andy was still exining the situation via the inte. ¡°This way, this way! Yup! You may put down the ropedder now!¡± ¡°Alright! We have gotten Mr. Everett in our sight.¡± Without a second dy, the helicopter¡¯s cabin door opened. A softdder was then put down from the cabin. A bodyguard in a camouge uniform climbed down from the softdder instantly. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Everett, you may board the helicopter now. Here you gol Safety gears and safety cocks!¡± Bruce opened the door of the cable car and gestured for the two little fellows to board the helicopter first. Irvin¡¯s face turned pale instantly. He did not dare to get out of the cable car at all. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, I am scared!¡± ¡°What is there to be afraid of? Be brave like a man! Hurry up!¡± Bruce urged him as he frowned. On the contrary, Davian seemed to be braver aspared to Irvin. So, he volunteered to go first. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯ll go first!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce replied casually and instructed the bodyguard to take Davian first. The bodyguard had already gone down from the softdder to the cable car. He geared up Davian with the safety gears and cocks. Then, the bodyguard carried Davian as he climbed up the softdder again. The softdder rose back to the helicopter¡¯s cabin automatically. Another bodyguard in the cabin then carried Davian into the cabin. With Davian¡¯s demonstration, Irvin became bold and followed the same steps to board the helicopter. After that, Bruce and Joanna boarded the helicopter one after another too. As for the other helicopter, it flew over to the other cable car to rescue the bodyguards and assistants. In the helicopter. The three little fellows were so curious about everything in the helicopter. They were exceptionally excited too, ¡°Wow! This is so fun! Mommy, Daddy! I want to learn how to fly when I grow up!¡± ¡°Me too! I want to learn it too!¡± ¡°All right. You may learn anything you want when you grow up.¡± In less than ten minutes. The helicopters flew over the sea and mountain andnded at the foot of the mountain steadily. Even though they did not manage to go up to the top of the mountain today, they had a good time. The only thing that troubled them was being stuck in the cable car for more than 40 minutes. However, it was still fun and satisfying. At Sherane Bay Vi. By the time they reached home, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening. ¡°Do you have fun today?¡± ¡°Of course! We are so happy today!¡± said the three little fellows excitedly even though they were tired. It was so rare for all of them to have such a reunion dinner together. ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± ¡°Merry Christmas.¡± ¡°Mommy, is Santa going to give us presents today?¡± ¡°Of course, he will. But, all of you must sleep early tonight. When you wake up early in the morning tomorrow, you will definitely receive the presents from Santa.¡± Joanna did not want to disappoint the children and ruin their childlike innocence. Hence, she would stuff presents in the children¡¯s socks every Christmas. Three of them were so delighted upon hearing it. ¡°Alright!¡± After finishing their dinner, Bruce and Johanna returned to their bedroom to rest. Joanna changed into droopy silk pajamas and was about to put on a facial mask before going to bed. Bruce leaned against the headboard and stared affectionately at Joanna. ¡°Why are you looking at me in such a manner?¡± ¡°I like it!¡± ¡°Look! Here you go again! Don¡¯t you think that you are so mushy nowadays?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Joanna was speechless. She continued to apply the excess essence of the mask on her face. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. Let¡¯s go to bed!¡± ¡°Joanna Bruce looked into Joanna¡¯s eyes as if he had something to say to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing Sleep early then!¡± ¡°By the way, when I am not around, please take good care of yourself and the children, okay?¡± said Bruce as he caressed Joanna¡¯s head. Joanna was stunned. She asked Bruce, ¡°Why are you saying such a thing again?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ Hurry up and get some rest then!¡± Perhaps, they were too tired tonight that Bruce did not disturb and torture Joanna in bed. The next day. Bruce went to work as usual. Unexpectedly, the moment Bruce entered the Everett Group, a group of police officers were already waiting for his arrival. ¡°Hi, we are from the Anti¨CCorruption Bureau. This is our badges and IDs¡± ¡°Regarding the bribery and illegal financing that you are involved in, the Anti¨CCorruption Bureau has opened a case for investigation. The police have also obtained thetest evidence. So, please cooperate with us and follow us to the police. station for further investigation!¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened instantly. He looked at the police officers without saying a word. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Cuff him!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Two police officers put the handcuffs on Bruce immediately. ¡°Take him to the police car!¡± ¡°I can walk on my own!¡± Bruce said calmly. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon seeing such a scene. She chased after him subconsciously and said, ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce turned his head around and smiled at Joanna as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Take good care of yourselves.¡± After Bruce finished his words, he walked towards the police car calmly. Joanna¡¯s mind went nk instantly. She felt so lost all of a sudden. In the past few days, she had almost forgotten that Bruce was still fighting withwsuits. Initially, she thought that the matter hade to an end. Never did she expect that what wasing woulde eventually. Send Gift Chapter 507 Chapter 507 After Bruce was taken away, Mr. Jameson rushed over along with his assistant too. But this time. Bruce was detained directly and was disqualified from bail. In less than a day, the news that Bruce was arrested was exposed. ¡°Latest news, Bruce Everett has been arrested by the Anti¨CCorruption Bureau. The police attached great importance to this case and have set up a special task force to investigate this matter.¡± ¡°If convicted. Bruce Everett could have faced the maximum penalty of life imprisonment!¡± ¡°The Cradle Will Rock! Greyport Number One noble young master has fallen¡­¡± All kinds of news about Bruce going to jail were spread on the inte. Theizens were watching the fun while the troll defamed and criticized him unscrupulously. ¡°Oh my god! It seems that the matter is real!¡± ¡°I am pretty sure that it is true! He was already being arrested once some time ago. Now that the police have new evidence against him. I guess that he will be sentenced to jail for sure!¡± ¡°Hmph! None of these rich people are clean and innocent! The capital of these monopolistic industries should have been suppressed long ago!¡± Soon¡­ A big group of police officers went into the Everett Group and started to investigate. Fortunately, Bruce had destroyed most of the information. In the blink of an eye¡­ Bruce was already being arrested for five days. In the past five days, even though Joanna was anxious, she could not do anything to help at all. The lawyers were more experienced in such a case. Hence, it would be best to leave the case to them. As for Joanna, the only thing she could do now was to take good care of the children and take on the burden of the Everett Group. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Daddy?¡± ¡°We have not seen Daddy for the past few days.¡± asked the three kids in confusion. In fact, the kids had been asking about their father¡¯s whereabouts these few days. Joanna was speechless. Her eyes darkened as she choked with sobs. Lilia was very unhappy. She pouted her tiny mouth and said, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s been a few days since we is he?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes slightly and caressed her daughter¡¯s hair as she said, ¡°Daddy has to deal with some troublesome. matters now. So, he might not being back for the time being!¡± ¡°I see. Did Daddy go on a business trip overseas?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as she said. She did not want to say much about it. Upon seeing Joanna¡¯s reaction, Davian and Irvin knew that something was wrong. The two of them had stronger instincts aspared to Lilia. In fact, their Daddy had been arrested once some time ago. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. It seemed that their Daddy was being arrested again. Davian then asked Joanna cautiously, ¡°Mommy, is Daddy a bad guy?¡± Joanna was stunned. She asked her son in confusion, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°Then, why Daddy was being arrested by the police?¡± Lilia was so shocked upon hearing it. ¡°What! Daddy was being arrested?¡± Joanna kept quiet. She did not know how to react to their questions. After giving it a thought, Joanna stared at the three children. She knew that she could not hide it from the kids any longer. Hence, she decided to tell them the truth! ¡°Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes! ¡°Even the best make mistakes sometimes. But, if you know how to learn from mistakes and are willing to correct them, you are still a good kid.¡± ¡°Do you mean that Daddy has done something wrong?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened again. In fact, these things were hard to say. It depended on how it was justified. It was absolutely useless to say anything right now. Only thewyers could clear Bruce¡¯s name now. ¡°Even though Daddy had been arrested by the police, it doesn¡¯t mean that he is a bad guy. ¡°Daddy might have done something wrong. But, Mommy believes that Daddy has learned his lesson and will correct his mistakes for sure!¡± ¡°Then, when is heing back?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and said, ¡°Perhaps, he would not be able toe back for quite some time. Don¡¯t ask about this matter in the future! ¡°Daddy will return when it is time for him toe back.¡± ¡°Okay. The three little fellows did not ask anything further for fear that their Mommy would get angry. The next day. At the Everett Group. In the conference room, the shareholders were discussing animatedly about this matter. ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! I bet that Mr. Everett is doomed this time!¡± That¡¯s right! What should we do now? It has been days that no one cares about our work. Miss Haynes did note to thepany too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If anything were to happen, someone from the upper management will deal with it first.¡± As they were talking¡­. The door of the conference room was being pushed open. Joanna, who was in a ck suit, entered the conference room with a serious expression. Bruce was imprisoned now. She had the obligation to guard thepany for him.. ¡°Miss Haynes is here.¡± ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± ¡°Good morning, Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna calmed herself down and sat on Bruce¡¯s usual seat. She then said, ¡°Is everyone here? Let¡¯s start the meeting then!¡± ¡°The agenda of today¡¯s meeting is mainly¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish her words, one of the shareholders from the middle¨Clevel management could not help but raise an issue. ¡°I have a question, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°You may speak.¡± ¡°I would like to ask about the matter regarding Mr. Everett!¡± Joanna¡¯s expression turned serious immediately. She said, ¡°Mr. Everett has entrusted thepany to me now. As for his personal affair, it is not convenient for me to answer for the time being. In fact, I am not very sure about it either.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? How would you not know anything about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Everett is in jail now. You should be the one who knows about this matter more than anyone else!¡± Now that Bruce was in jail, all the shareholders of the Everett Group no longer worried about anything. Thus, they started to make things difficult for Joanna one after another. ¡°So, what do you intend to do?¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk is the person who has been in charge of the Green Bay project all along. Now that something had happened to Mr. Everett. So, I would like Mr. Lurk to continue being in charge of this project¡± ¡°The Green Bay project has started developing. So, there would not be many changes. It could be carried out as usual¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish her words, another shareholder interrupted her. ¡°Except for the Green Bay project, there are also other projects that need some adjustment¡± Chapter 508 Chapter 508 ¡°That¡¯s right! Also, Mr. Lurk is always the one who coborates with our business partners in Escostan! You just take over the president position now, so there are still a lot of things that you are not familiar with yet. We are worried that you could not handle those people there!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened instantly. She knew that these few people were trying to make things difficult for her. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, we would like Mr. Lurk to take care of the matters in Escostan since he is very familiar with the situation there!¡± In fact, before Bruce was sent to jail, he had taken away most of Liam¡¯s rights. The few important projects that he was in charge of previously had been handed over to others as well. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Miss Haynes is still new to the Everett Group. Why don¡¯t you familiarize yourself with the corporate culture first?¡± Upon hearing what they said, Joanna could not help but twitch her mouth into a sneer. These few cunning people were indeed bullies who preyed on the weak. Bruce had just been sent to jail. Yet, they could not wait to fight for some powers in hand. ¡°No worries. Just focus on the work that is assigned to you. As for other people¡¯s work, you don¡¯t have to worry so much N?velDrama.Org (C) content. about it!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, you have to take thepany¡¯s future into consideration first!¡± Joanna sneered angrily as she said, ¡°Well! How did you know that I can¡¯t take on the job?¡± The shareholders who spoke just now were speechless all of a sudden. They did not expect thisdy to be such a sharp tongue. ¡°That¡¯s not what we meant! We just want you to familiarize yourself with the operation of thepany and the Everett Group¡¯s culture first!¡± Joanna interrupted that person instantly. ¡°I think I am already familiar with the culture of the Everett Group. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. All you need to do is to cooperate with me and focus on your assigned tasks.¡± Joanna nced at everyone calmly after she finished her words. Each and every projects of thepany were like scepters, the emblem of authority. If the scepters were scattered, it would not be easy to retrieve them back eventually. Especially now that Bruce was in jail, she had the obligation and responsibility to guard every inch of thend that belonged to the Everett Group. When Liam heard about it, he could not endure it any longer. He retorted, ¡°Hmph! I know Miss Haynes is capable!¡± ¡°But, Bruce is in trouble now. As his wife, don¡¯t you think that it is better for you to hire a goodwyer to clear his name and get him out of jail first? ¡°As for the business affairs, you could decide after Bruce returns!¡± In other words, they felt that Joanna should spend her effort on rescuing Bruce from jail instead. After all, a lot of women were in such a manner. Whenever their men were in trouble, the women would be in a mess while crying and begging people for help. As for all these cunning people here, this was what they wanted to see on Joanna. However, Joanna was not a pushover! She would not be instigated by these cunning people. She knew that it would not be easy for Bruce jo clear his name in such a crime! Furthermore, even if he had to be sentenced and appealed, or reduced the sentence to the minimum, it would be years. before he could be released from jail. If Joanna did not manage thepany for a few years, she bet that the Everett Group would be taken over by someone else by that time. ¡°Thanks for your concern! ¡°I will let Mr. Everett know about your concern tool¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I think we should cooperate with Miss Haynes on her work!¡± ¡°Now that Mr. Everett is in trouble. We are not sure when he ising back too.¡± ¡°We have to work together as one!¡± A few of Bruce¡¯s trusted subordinates started to speak up for Joanna. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Everett say before? Whoever has doubts about Miss Haynes¡¯s capability could quit and resign from the Everett Chapter 508 Group!¡± The few shareholders led by Liam went silent all of a sudden! Among these 20 shareholders, even though there were quite a lot of Liam¡¯s followers, most of them were Bruce¡¯s alliances. Upon seeing everyone had gone silent, Joanna flipped open the booklet in her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue!¡± ¡°From now on, I wille to work as usual to handle all thepany matters. I hope that everyone will cooperate with me.¡± After the meeting ended, Joanna packed her things and left the conference room. Andy was in charge of Joanna¡¯s daily work arrangements. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is Mr. Everett¡¯s office. You may use it from now onwards!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°This is the key to the office safe and these are all kinds of information you might need to know. If there is anything that you don¡¯t understand, you may ask me anytime.¡± ¡°All right. Thank you, Andy.¡± ¡°Well, I shall make a move first.¡± Joanna replied with a hum. Andy and Mark were Bruce¡¯s special assistants. They had been following Bruce for many years. Now that Bruce was not around, they had the obligation to assist Joanna. However, even though the two of them were capable, Joanna felt like having a female assistant by her side instead. Therefore, Joanna took out her phone and made a call to Cora. ¡°Ring!¡± Cora picked up the call soon. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Hello Cora, how are you recently?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, I heard that something happened to Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How¡¯s thepany on your side?¡± ¡°Everything is fine. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°I would like you to return to Greyport to work for me.¡± Cora went silent all of a sudden. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You are not willing to do so?¡± asked Joanna in doubt. In fact, she trusted Cora¡¯s ability very much. Send Gift Chapter 509 Chapter 509 On the other end of the call, Cora hesitated for a moment. She said, ¡°Miss Haynes, I am pregnant! So, I don¡¯t think I could return to Greyport for the time being. You know that I am not young anymore. If I don¡¯t give birth now, I would be reaching the advanced maternal age and have a higher risk during pregnancy¡­ Joanna was delighted when she heard about it, ¡°Really? When did you get pregnant? ¡°It¡¯s been three months!¡± Joanna smiled and said happily. ¡°Congrattions! You are going to be a mommy soon. Well, you may put your work aside and take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. ¡°Thank you. Miss Haynes¡± ¡°Well then. Take care and bye.¡± After hanging up the call, Joanna knitted her eyebrows. She was almost suffocated by all the pressure she was suffering now! She really wished that Cora coulde over to help her. However, Cora was already 33 years old. It was time for her to have her own child. So, she could not let Cora dy it because of work. In the blink of an eye, it was already two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Joanna was still engrossed in her work in the office. In fact, she had already vetted through one¨C quarter of therge pile of documents on her table. She had to get the hang of it quickly and familiarized herself with the operation and management models of thepany as soon as possible. At the secretary¡¯s desk. Mark and Andy felt a little mncholy. ¡°Miss Haynes is such a workaholic. It is already two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Yet, she has no intention to have her lunch.¡± Andy frowned and sighed as he said, ¡°Mr. Everett is in such big trouble now, how could Miss Haynes have the appetite to cat.¡± ¡°By the way, is there any news from Mr. Jameson? How¡¯s thewsuit going on?¡± ¡°Sigh! I heard that it is a little tricky. There are a lot of enterprises that submit joint appeals which led Mr. Everett into bigger trouble now.¡± ¡°What will happen to thepany if Mr. Everett goes to jail? Is he really going to let Miss Haynes take over it?¡± said Mark with disbelief. ¡°What else can be done? We will just have to work as usual then. Anyway, Miss Haynes has already taken over thepany. Why are you still having a hysteria?¡± Mark drew his lips together and said, ¡°What I mean is that I thought Mr. Everett was joking and would make a better arrangement. Never did I expect that he would hand thepany over to Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Stop saying all these. I¡¯ll go and ask Miss Haynes if she would like to eat something for her lunch.¡± Andy walked to the office as he spoke. In the office. Andy knocked on the door before entering the office. Joanna was still engrossing in her work. ¡°Miss Haynes, it is already two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Do you want me to order some food for you?¡± Joanna lifted her head and looked at her watch upon hearing it. She did not expect the time to pass so fast. It was already two o¡¯clock in the blink of an eye. ¡°Well, I am not hungry now. Could you get me a cup of coffee instead?¡± Joanna liked to have a cup of coffee while working. It helped to give her a lift and stay focused. Andy¡¯s expression changed drastically. He then replied with caution, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett has instructed us not to let you drink coffer¡± Joanna was speechless. She lifted her head and looked at Andy in stunned. ¡°What else did he instruct you?¡± ¡°Ahem! Mr. Everett also instructed us not to let you work overtime. You have to leave the office and go hometest by six o¡¯clock in the evening¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°He also instructed us to remind you to have your meal on time¡­ Andy continued to say a lot of things. In fact, all of them were trivial matters. It seemed that Bruce was being so thoughtful that he had arranged everything properly for her in every possible way. ¡°Well then, order some food for me and get me a cup of coller too. Thank you¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± After Andy went out of the office, Joanna closed the document she was vetting through. She was so touched by everything that Bruce had done for her. She would like to visit Bruce in jail. But, it was considered a major economic case and was still under investigation. Hence, other than thewyers, no one was allowed to visit him during the trial. In addition, even though Bruce and Joanna had patched up. They had not registered for marriage and N?velDrama.Org (C) content. gotten the marriage license yet. Therefore, Joanna was still not considered his next of kin legally. There was a crystal photo frame with Bruce¡¯s photo on the table. Joanna took it up carefully and looked at it. In the photo, Bruce wore a suit with leather shoes. He was in high spirits. He was such a charmer indeed. Suddenly, Joanna realized that she missed him so much. Her eyes started to well up when she looked at Bruce¡¯s photo. ¡°How are you, Bruce? Are you okay?¡± Joanna almost burst into tears at that moment. Half an hourter. Andy went into the office again with a few lunch boxes in his hands. ¡°Miss Haynes, here is your lunch.¡± Andy opened the lunch boxes one after another. There were about six to seven dishes disyed on the table, which included fish, prawns, fruits, etc. It looked like a table of a meal with a bnced diet. ¡°Why is it so much food?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has instructed before that you must eat a proper and nutrition meal as you are too skinny.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes welled up instantly upon hearing it. ¡°Got it. You may go out now!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam¡± After Andy left the office, Joanna shed her tears uncontrobly. She picked up the tableware and started to eat a mouthful of food. Bruce was being so considerate. She could not let him down. This incorrigible scumbag was indeed the hybrid of a demon and savior. He would do anything for the one he loved wholeheartedly without hesitation. He could even get his loved one the rarest things in the world regardless of anything. After having her lunch, Joanna made a call to Mr. Jameson. In fact, she would call Mr. Jameson to ask about Bruce¡¯s case every alternate day. ¡°Ring!¡± The call was picked up soon. ¡°Hello, good afternoon.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Jameson. I am Joanna Haynes.¡± ¡°Hi, Miss Haynes. Is there anything that I can help?¡± Joanna frowned as she said, ¡°I would like to ask about Bruce¡¯s situation now.¡± Mr. Jameson¡¯s voice turned solemn as he said, ¡°It is very tricky indeed. There is a piece of important evidence that is against Mr. Everey. They are suing Mr. Everett for monopolizing the X¨Cmicrochips in the market. They are in the midst of searching for the evidence to counter thewsuit!¡± ¡°Which enterprise is it?¡± ¡°In fact, several enterprises joined forces to appeal!¡± Joanna took a deep breath and said, ¡°Is there anything that I can do for him?¡± ¡°What we can do now is to get those enterprises to withdraw their appeals. Secondly, we have to gather strong evidence against the other party for framing Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°What are the chances of winning?¡± Mr. Jameson pondered for a few seconds and said solemnly, ¡°Miss Haynes, please be mentally prepared that it will be a hapter 3 tough protracted war. Thewsuit might take a long time.¡± ¡°Can you think of a way to bail him out?¡° ¡°I am afraid not for the time being!¡± ¡°Well then! Got it!¡± Joanna then hung up the call worriedly. Her mind was in a mess now. She could not just sit back and do nothing about it. She had to think of a way to do something for Bruce. At the hospital, Jennie was still in aa. The members of the Garcia family were worried sick for the past few days. ¡°It has been so many days. When will Jenniee around?¡± said Mrs. Garcia as she wiped off her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad, Mrs. Garcia. During these two days, Miss Garcia¡¯s heart rate fluctuated a lot. I bet that she woulde around soon.¡± Mrs. Garcia asked anxiously upon hearing it, ¡°Is that so? When will shee around then?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Miss Garcia seems to have slight consciousness when we talk. I think it won¡¯t take long for her toe around.¡± ¡°That will be great! ¡°As long as Jenniees around, I am willing to do anything in return for it!¡± Zachary, who was standing at one side, burst into cold sweat upon hearing what they said. If his younger sister came around and told their parents the truth regarding her injury, their parents would burst into mes for sure. Zachary and Jennie were the only children in the Garcia family. Their parents doted on Jennie more. If they knew that he was the one who caused Jennie to be in such a state, they would not let him off for sure. Send Gift Comment Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Roxanne was in the same hospital too, but on another floor instead. After Zachary left his sister¡¯s ward, he went straight to Roxanne¡¯s ward on another floor. Roxanne had been treated in the hospital for four days. Her external injuries were basically healed. It¡¯s over! It¡¯s over! Do you know what the doctor said just now? He said that Jennie ising around soon! She is going to e awake soon! If shees around and tells my parents the truth. I will be doomed!¡± Zachary was a little out of wits. He cas mumbling dejectedly on the chair. toxanne rolled her gloomy eyes as shey on the bed in the ward. he was already in such a miserable state. If Zachary had fallen, she would have no one to rely on anymore. Therefore, she could not let anything happen to Zachary right now. After all. Roxanne had only suffered from external injuries. After being treated for so many days in the hospital, she was Dasically healed. n addition, she had suffered simr injuries once in the past. Hence, it did not cause much trauma to her psychologically ust that, her rage twisted her mind and led her to insanity. What should I do now, Rox? Why don¡¯t we go overseas and hide for a while? We wille back when the coast is clear. We will only return to the country when my parents are no longer angry with me¡­¡± Roxanne could not be bothered at all. She was having something else in her mind at that moment. She had no intention to leave Greyport now. If that was the case, the only way for her to cling to Zachary for a longer time was not to let Jennie wake up forever! In the blink of an eye, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night. Roxanne changed into a nurse¡¯s uniform, wore a mask and a nurse¡¯s hat. Then, she pushed a small wheeled stretcher, specially used by the hospital, and walked towards Jennie¡¯s ward! Jennie¡¯s caregiver thought that the nurse was making rounds in the ward as usual. Hence, she did not get suspicious about it. Roxanne managed to sneak into Jennie¡¯s ward easily. On the bed in Jennie¡¯s ward. Jennie was lying on the bed quietly. Her entire body was hooked onto various types of equipment. Even though the blood. clot in her brain had cleared, she was still in aa. ¡°Hmph! Jennie Garcia, don¡¯t ever think ofing around! I will not let anyone get in my way! ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless to you! What can I say? You could only me yourself for being unlucky!¡± Roxanne¡¯s eyes turned ferocious as she walked towards Jennie¡¯s bed. She intended to pull away Jennie¡¯s oxygen mask. In less than a few minutes, Jennie would die fromck of oxygen if she did so. In the past, she did the same to Margaret too. Furthermore, nobody noticed it, and she was still free and yet to receive any punishment. Well, this indeed gave Roxanne a shot in the arm! On the other hand¡­ When Zachary returned to Roxanne¡¯s ward, he found that Roxanne was not in the ward. She was not in the washroom too! Zachary¡¯s heart skipped a beat all of a sudden He had witnessed Roxanne¡¯s insanity. He knew how crazy Roxanne could be! Roxanne had gone a little crazy now! To be precious, she had gone off the deep end! Thus, she might hurt his younger sister again, or even kill her! Suddenly, he had a gut feeling of something bad was going to happen Without a second dy, he rushed over to Jennie¡¯s ward as fast as possible ¡°ck!¡± Jennie¡¯s ward door was being pushed open all of a sudden. Zachary rushed into the ward, breathing heavily! As expected, he was shocked by the scene right in front of him! Roxanne had already pulled away Jennie¡¯s face mask. She was covering Jennie¡¯s face with a pillow now, trying to suffocate Chapter 510 herl ¡°Are you out of your mind? What are you trying to do now?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Zachary shouted as he pushed Roxanne away hurriedly. Then, he took a nce at Jennie in panic. Fortunately, Zachary came to the ward in time. Jennie was still breathing. If he waste for another two minutes, Jennie would have died by then. ¡°What the hell are you doing? How dare you do this to my younger sister? Are you fucking crazy?¡± Roxanne was shocked too. She stared at Zachary with her ferocious eyes as she said sarcastically, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we are doomed if Jenniees around?¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t do this to her! She is my younger sister!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Roxanne sneered as she said. Her face turned utterly terrifying now. Zachary took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he said, ¡°Get out of here right now! If you dare to do such a thing again, don¡¯t me me for being harsh to you!¡± The caregiver and nurses ran into the ward upon hearing the noise. ¡°What are you doing here, Mr. Garcia?¡± The caregiver was shocked to see Zachary in the ward. ¡°Nothing. I¡­ I juste over to take a look at Jennie.¡± ¡°Ahem! Ahem!¡± Jennie had been stimted by Roxanne¡¯s act just now that she actually woke up. She coughed weakly all of a sudden. ¡°The patient hase around! The patient is awake!¡± ¡°Quick! Call the doctor! And inform Mr. And Mrs. Garcia now!¡± Soon¡­ The doctor rushed into the ward to check on Jennie. Mr. and Mrs. Garcia rushed over to the hospital hurriedly upon hearing the news too. Finally, Jennie came around after the emergency treatment. However, she was still very weak and had not fully regained her consciousness. Mrs. Garcia approached Jennie excitedly and said, ¡°Jennie, I am Mommy! Can you hear me?¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ Jennie called out softly. ¡°Oh, my darling! You have finallye around. Do you know how worried I am?¡± Mr. Garcia could not help but shed his tears. He wiped his tears as he said, ¡°Thank God that you have finallye around, Jennie! You have been in aa for half a month!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Jennie¡¯s parents stayed by her side. They could not stop crying upon seeing such a scene. Zachary was frozen on the spot. He stood at the side in feat. He did not even dare to get closer to Jennie! As for Roxanne, she had already made herself scarce a long time ago. ¡°The patient has juste around and cannot be too agitated. Please let her rest first!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right Doctor, please do your best to save my daughter. Please don¡¯t let her suffer from any trauma in the future.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Garcia. We will do our best.¡± Send Gift Chapter 511 Chapter 511 hapter 511 the next consecutive three days. nnie had been recuperating in the hospital. She did not say a single word regarding what Zachary and Roxanne had done. her. is put Zachary¡¯s mind at ease for the time being n the fourth day. achary could not hold it any longer. He took the initiative to apologize to Jennie when his parents were not around. e really hoped that Jennie would forgive him! am sorry, Jennie¡­¡± nnie sneered at Zachary with a pair of sharp eyes. These few days, she had heard about the news that Bruce was being rested by the police.¡± f course! Jennie knew that Zachary was the one behind it. pon seeing Jennie¡¯s sharp gazes, Zachary felt more panic. ¡°I am sorry, Jennie! Please! I beg upon you! Please don¡¯t tell our arents the truth. It is all my fault!¡± nnie snorted as she said, ¡°Well, it is fine for me not to tell our parents about it. But, I have a condition!¡± achary asked hurriedly upon hearing what Jennie said, ¡°Tell me! Let alone one condition, I will agree to all of them even if here are ten conditions!¡± ennie narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Zachary, is Bruce being arrested by the police?¡± achary¡¯s gaze drifted upon hearing it. He then replied to Jennie vaguely, ¡°Well, I think so!¡± I want you to rescue Bruce and stop going against him!¡± Zachary was stunned. After that, he looked at Jennie as if he was caught in a difficult situation. ¡°Jennie, not that I don¡¯t want o agree with you on this. Just that Bruce hasmitted a serious crime this time. Furthermore, I am not the judge. How do you want me to rescue im? Other than this, I will agree to any condition you stated. There is really nothing I can do about this.¡± ennie¡¯s face darkened as she sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t care. No matter what you do, you have to rescue Bruce. I know that you have a way of doing your thing. In fact, you colluded with others to backstab Bruce. Am I right? You are the one behind all these!¡± How dare you do this to Bruce? He has been treating you well like his own brother! Jennie continued. ¡®Jennie, I did not¡­ Zachary was caught in a difficult situation now. He was in a dilemma. Roxanne and Marlowe worked together to force him into dealing with Bruce. Of course, he was the only person who could easily gather so much evidence. Indeed, most of the time, it was the most familiar people that would backstab someone on their back. ¡°Zachary, if you don¡¯t agree to it, I will tell our parents immediately about this matter! ¡°By the way, I am giving you one day to think about it. It¡¯s all up to you!¡± said Jennie as she turned her face away coldly. She did not want to see Zachary anymore. ¡°Jennie, Bruce has already entrusted thepany to his ex¨Cwife now. He will never love you. Even if you managed to rescue him, he will not be grateful to you. Why are you asking for trouble now?¡± ¡°Stop talking! I have my ways to let him marry me instead!¡± Zachary was speechless. He was choked with anger at that moment. In fact, he did not understand why Jennie liked Bruce so much. ¡°I am giving you one day to think about it. If you don¡¯t agree with me, you shall bear the consequences yourself!¡± Zachary gave it a thought and braced himself to agree with Jennie. ¡°Alright! I will agree to it I will think of a way to rescue him!¡± ¡°However, I can¡¯t promise that I am capable of rescuing him. I can only say that I will try my best to do it.¡± Zachary went to see Roxanne aftering out of Jennie¡¯s ward. Now, he had to persuade Roxanne to agree with him in destroying the evidence against Bruce. Otherwise, he would be caught in a difficult situation again. Roxanne burst into mes upon hearing it. ¡°Are you kidding me, Zachary?¡± you ¡°Do know how much it cost to gather all this evidence? Now that you are telling me that you want to revoke! Are you out of your mind?¡± Zachary was so helpless right now. He said, ¡°If I don¡¯t agree with Jennie on this, she would tell my parents the truth. My parents will not let me off easily if they knew that I am the one who caused Jennie in such a state.¡± Roxanne refused directly. She said. ¡°No way! I will never let Bruce off easily! Never! Over my dead body!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. *Please, Roxanne. I beg upon you. Please stop all your nonsense! Do you know that I am so scared of you now? You are putting me in a difficult situation. Have you ever stood in my shoes and given it a thought for me?¡± Zachary was in the verge of breaking down. Roxanne was so furious upon hearing it that she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you regretting it now? You don¡¯t love me anymore. Am I right?¡± Zachary was even more frustrated right now. Initially, he was indeed very fond of Roxanne. He felt happy and satisfied being with Roxanne. However, after getting along with Roxanne for quite some time, he saw the true colors of Roxanne! This woman was too terrifying! He could not be with her any longer. Just that, Roxanne clung to him like a sticky candy that he could not get rid of her at all. ¡°Leave me alone! I am so frustrated right now!¡± ¡°I warn you, Zachary Garcia! You will regret it for sure if you dare to abandon me!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go overseas and hide for the time being?¡± ¡°No way! I am not going anywhere. I want you to marry me! I want to get married to you!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Zachary could not help but shout out loud. How could it be possible for him to marry Roxanne? It was just a fling! Furthermore, Roxanne¡¯s issue had gone viral on the inte. How could it be possible for him to marry such a woman? Send Gift Comment Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Even if Zachary was willing to marry Roxanne, his parents would not agree to it for sure. Roxanne was exceptionally sensitive to the word ¡°crazy¡± as if it would trigger the time bomb inside her. ¡°Who are you calling crazy?¡± ¡°I say who are you calling crazy!¡± Roxanne jumped off the bed and grabbed Zachary¡¯s tie ferociously. Her eyes were burning with the rage of anger! Zachary gasped and said cowardly. ¡°I am crazy! I am the one who is crazy! Happy?¡± In today¡¯s society, one could provoke anyone in the world but never offend a crazy person. Roxanne let go of his tie and asked angrily. ¡°When are you going to marry me?¡± ¡°Roxanne, it is not the time yet. You have to let me discuss it with my parents first. ¡°Furthermore, marriage is such a big matter. I can¡¯t make my own decision. However, rest assured that I will talk about it nicely with my parents,¡± said Zachary to coax Roxanne and calm her down for the time being. ¡°I warn you, Zachary! If you dare to abandon me, I will not let you off easily.¡± Zachary¡¯s gaze drifted again. He could not hide the regret he felt now from his face. He was so regretful right now! How did he provoke such a crazy woman? ¡°Rest well. Rox. I wille and see you again tomorrow! Jennie has juste around. I¡¯ll need to keep an eye on her to prevent her from telling my parents the truth.¡± In fact, Zachary did not want to stay with Roxanne any longer. Thus, he got himself an excuse to get away from her. ¡°Are you trying to avoid me? Are you afraid of me now?¡± ¡°No! Of course not! You are thinking too much. I am really going to see Jennie now! If sheins to my parents about the matter, then we will not be able to get married anymore.¡± Roxanne narrowed her eyes and stared at Zachary in doubt. Zachary smiled gently and kissed Roxanne¡¯s forehead as he said, ¡°Be nice and stop thinking too much. Take good care of yourself, okay?¡± Afterforting Roxanne, Zachary fled the ward in panic! It seemed that it was absolutely impossible for Roxanne to hand over Bruce¡¯s evidence of bribery. If that was the case, he had no choice but to search for them in person. Soon¡­ At Cove Vi. Zachary returned to the vi where he rented and stayed together with Roxanne. After searching through all the cupboards and drawers, Zachary finally found the evidence against Bruce in one of the drawers in a cupboard. It was a thumb drive and a few private photos of Bruce with some government dignitaries. ¡°Fortunately, Roxanne has not given it to Marlowe yet. I¡¯ll have to destroy all these immediately¡­¡± Zachary took the things and was about to leave. Suddenly, Roxanne¡¯s high¨Cpitch voice was sounded. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Zachary was so shocked that he stood up hurriedly. The orange light in the room was a little dim. Roxanne dressed in a white dress and stood at the door with messy hair. She stared fiercely at Zachary like a malicious ghost. ¡°Roxanne, L. L Roxanne stared at Zachary as she approached him step by step. She then said, ¡°Give me back my things!¡± Zachary held the thumb drive and the photos high above his head and refused to give them to Roxanne no matter what. ¡°Roxanne, I am sorry that I can¡¯t give them back to you. I have promised Jennie to destroy the evidence. ¡°If I don¡¯t do it, she will tell my parents the truth. Do you want to see me being lectured by my parents?¡± ¡°Give them to me! Hurry up and give them back to me!¡± said Roxanne angrily. Then, she stepped forth and tried to snatch them from Zachary. ¡°Don¡¯t force me, Roxanne! Could you be considerate and put yourself in my shoes? You know clearly that it will not end well if we go against Bruce.¡± Roxanne could not be bothered at all. She was still trying her best to snatch the thumb drive back from Zachary. However, she was too short that she could not reach it at all. However, Zachary¡¯s arms and cheeks were bleeding badly after being scratched by Roxanne¡¯s sharp nails. ¡°Enough of your nonsense! Are you out of your mind? Could you act like a normal person instead?¡± ¡°You are the one that is out of your mind! I will never let anyone be in my way! Nobody is going to stop me! Those who stop me shall die!¡± During the fight, Zachary waspletely enraged. He gave Roxanne a push, causing her to stumble and fall heavily on the ground. ¡°How dare you hit me? I am going to fight you to the death!¡± Roxanne rolled her eyes as she said. Then, she acted like a mad woman and dashed towards Zachary ferociously. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Enough of your craziness!¡± Both of them grappled with each other for several minutes. ¡°Bang!¡± Zachary was so furious that he grabbed a baseball bat on one side and hit on Roxanne¡¯s head. ¡°Argh!¡± Zachary hit it so hard on Roxanne¡¯s head that Roxanne fell to the floor directly. Blood then started to ooze out from the back of her head. Zachary was shocked upon seeing such a scene. He shouted anxiously, ¡°Rox! Rox!¡± However, Roxanney motionless on the floor as if she had died. ¡°ng!¡± The bat fell to the ground from Zachary¡¯s hand. Zachary pretended to be calm as he braced himself to check on Roxanne¡¯s breathing. Roxanne was not breathing at all. He could not feel any warm airing out from her nostrils too. ¡°Oh god!¡± ¡°I have killed someone! I have killed someone!¡± Zachary was so panicked that he took a few steps back before sitting on the ground in fear. ¡°What should I do now? I¡­ I have killed someone!¡± Zachary¡¯s first reaction was to call the ambnce. However, on second thought, he remembered how Roxanne threatened him. Thus, he changed his mind instantly. As a matter of fact, wasn¡¯t it better for Roxanne to die just like that? He no longer had to worry about being threatened by her anymore. He did not have to think of a way to get rid of her too. But the problem was, how should he get rid of Roxanne¡¯s body? If someone found Roxanne¡¯s body, he would be tracked down eventually. Zachary calmed himself down and smoked two cigarettes consecutively. In the end, he made up his mind and nned to get rid of Roxanne¡¯s body quietly. Soon¡­ Zachary carried Roxanne¡¯s body to the trunk of his car. After that, he drove and left the vi. He had to get rid of the body and obliterated all traces as soon as possible! Along the way, Zachary could not help bursting into cold sweats. Whenever he came to think about the body in the trunk, he would tremble uncontrobly The moment he reached a ring road, he saw a few police cars parked in the middle of the road. All the cars queued up one after another. Upon seeing such a scene, Zachary was extremely panicked that he burst into sweats again. Beads of cold sweat started to flow down from his forehead. He almost abandoned his car and fled! ¡°Stop the car!¡± Two traffic police stopped Zachary¡¯s car. Zachary¡¯s heart was pumping like crazy now. He even had the urge to break through the checkpoint! However, he kept telling himself that he could not be so nervous at such a critical time. ¡°Checking on drunk driving!¡± One of the traffic police took out a breathalyzer and instructed him to blow into the mouthpiece. Zachary calmed himself down and blew into the mouthpiece of the breathalyzer! Fortunately, it was only a check on drunk driving. He did not drink any alcoholic beverages. Hence, he was released soon. One hourter. Zachary drove to a hill in the suburbs! There were mountains and rivers in the vicinity with no one around this area. Indeed, it was a perfect ce to dump the body. The sky was getting dark, Zachary took a puff in the cold breeze. He was thinking about how to get rid of the body at that time. Should he dig a hole and bury the body or tie the body to a rock and dump it in the river? After giving it a thought, it would still be better to dig a hole and bury the body! If he dumped the body into the river, it would be easily discovered if the body floated eventually! With such thinking in mind, Zachary decided to dig a hole instead! Send Gift Chapter 513 Chapter 513 hapter 513 It was such a pity that Zachary did not bring any tools like a shovel with him! If he was to dig the hole with bare hands, he probably would not be able to do it till the next morning! ¡°Forget it! I will just dump it into the river then!¡± Zachary opened the trunk and carried Roxanne¡¯s body out of it. Then, he heaved a heavy rock and staggered off, puffing and blowing from the strain. He was preparing to tie it to Roxanne¡¯s body to prevent it from floating after he dumped the body into the river! ¡°Don¡¯t me me for doing this to you, Roxanne! You are the one who forced me into it! ¡°If you have a chance to reincarnate, I hope that you will do well. Don¡¯t you evere and look for me again¡­¡± Zachary mumbled as he tried to look for a rope. However, it was too dark at that moment. In addition, he was exceptionally nervous at that point of time. Suddenly, he tripped! Roxanne¡¯s body rolled down the hill and went straight to the river. ¡°Ssh!¡± Roxanne¡¯s body dropped into the dark river instantly. Zachary felt so nervous after seeing such a scene! He looked down from above. However, it was too dark that he could not see anything at all. So, he predicted that the water must be very deep. It was absolutely impossible for him to go down there to bring Roxanne¡¯s body up again! ¡°Forget it then! Since it is heaven¡¯s will, so be it!¡± In addition to the ce where the body was dumped, the atmosphere in such a deste ce was so creepy. Zachary did not dare to stay here any longer. Hence, he drove off nervously at the speed of light. By the time he returned to the city, it was already past midnight. Zachary returned to the vi again to clean up all the possible traces of blood being left on the scene. Then, he threw away all his clothes as well. He washed his car several times to assure that no bloodstains were being left behind. His mind could finally be at ease now after getting all the things done. The next day. Zachary rushed over to the hospital. He wanted to pass all the evidence to his younger sister before his parents arrived. ¡°Jennie, these are all the evidence against Bruce. I have gotten all of them! Here you go!¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing them. She reached out her hand to take it over from Zachary and said, ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yup. That¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Did you lie to me?¡± ¡°Why should I lie to you? That¡¯s all I have in my hands. Don¡¯t underestimate all this evidence! They are enough to put Bruce in jail for life! ¡°Jennie, I let Bruce off all because of you. So, you have to promise me that you will not tell our parents the truth that I am the one who caused you in such a state!¡± Jennie twitched her mouth into a smug smile and said, ¡°Rest assured! We are even now. I am not going to tell our parents about it!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Jennie stroked the thumb drive as she let her imagination run wild uncontrobly. Although several enterprises had joined forces to appeal and sue Bruce, they were actually small cases where they did not have enough evidence to sentence Bruce to serious punishment. In other words, as long as the evidence in her hand now was not being submitted to the authority. Bruce would not face many problems. At most, the authority would only fine him and he would be released in no time. If she was able to save Bruce from trouble and hold the evidence in her hands as stakes, it would not be difficult for Bruce to marry her. It was only a matter of time before she could be Mrs. Everett officially! In a sh, a week had passed. Roxanne had already gone missing for one week! At the Everett Group. Joanna went to work as usual every day and took over all of Bruce¡¯s work. ¡°Ring!¡± Joanna¡¯s phone rang all of a sudden when she was busy with her work. ¡°Hello¡­¡± On the other end of the call, Derick said aggressively, Joanna Haynes! Where did you hide Roxy?¡± Even though Derick was the sessor of his family, Roxanne was his only next of kin. Of course! He was still concerned. about her. Usually, he would call Roxanne every alternate day to show concern for her. However, it had been a week since. he lost contact with her! Derick had a strong feeling that something bad had happened to Roxanne. If something were to happen to Roxanne, the first suspect would definitely be Joanna! No doubt about it! ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Joanna as she frowned. She could not recognize Derick¡¯s voice all of a sudden. ¡°I am Derick!¡± Joanna was stunned. Then, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about!¡± Derick said furiously, ¡°Stop pretending, Joanna! Roxy has been missing for days. Are you going to tell me that you don¡¯t know anything about it?¡± ¡°Roxy is missing?¡± Joanna was shocked. ¡°Stop pretending! It must be you! I am not going to let you off easily if you dare toy your finger on Roxy!¡± Joanna was so angry that she yelled over the phone, ¡°I have not seen her at all! What had happened to Roxy exactly?¡± ¡°You are not the one?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°I have not seen her for days.¡± Derick pondered for a few seconds. Upon hearing that Joanna did not seem to be lying. He hung up the call immediately. Joanna ran her fingers through the loose strands of her hair on her forehead. She started to feel panic now. Roxanne and Zachary were in a rtionship now. So, it would be better for her to give Zachary a call. ¡°Ring!¡± The phone rang for quite some time before Zachary answered the call. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hi, Mr. Garcia. I am Joanna Haynes!¡± Upon hearing Joanna¡¯s voice, Zachary was so shocked that he almost lost his grip on his phone. ¡°Uh! What¡¯s up? Anything I can help?¡± ¡°Where is Roxy? Is she with you¡± Zachary hesitated for a few seconds. Then, he forced himself to remain calm and said, ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°No?¡± said Joanna as she knitted her eyebrows. ¡°How is that possible? Didn¡¯t she with you all the time? Where is she? Tell me now! I have something urgent to tell her!¡± ¡°She¡­ She¡­ Zachary stammered. He did not know how to answer the question at all. Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Hearing Zachary¡¯s panicked tone, Joanna became even more worried. ¡°Where did Roxy go? Tell me.¡± Zachary had a guilty conscience, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead. ¡°She¡­ She seems to have haven¡¯t seen her for the past few days.¡± gone abroad. I ¡°Go abroad?¡± That¡¯s right. You should also know about the movie¡­ Rox might have gone overseas to rx because of it. Zachary didn¡¯t know how to prevent Joanna from suspecting him, and he could only fake a random excuse first. Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She felt that Zachary¡¯s words made some sense. Roxanne had encountered that kind of misfortune. It was normal for her to go overseas to rx. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± After hanging up the phone, Joanna was still a little uneasy. If Roxanne nned to go abroad, she would have told Derick about it. But she didn¡¯t. ¡°Did something happen to Roxy?¡± Joanna muttered to herself and called Roxanne a few more times. However, Roxanne¡¯s phone was switched off as before. If something happened to Roxanne, Zachary would definitely be involved. Joanna was holding the phone and lost in thought when Andy knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Andy?¡± Joanna looked at Andy suspiciously. ¡°It¡¯s six o¡¯clock in the afternoon. It¡¯s time to get off work. ¡°Uh?¡± Joanna lowered her head and looked at her watch. It was really time to get off work. Every day at six PM, Andy would remind her to get off work. Even if Joanna wanted to work overtime, Andy would use all kinds of reasons to persuade her. ¡°Alright.¡± Joanna shut off theputer, took the unfinished documents, and prepared to go home. The work was important, but taking care of the children was more important. Now that Bruce was in detention, Joanna had to take good care of the children. She went back to Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°Mommy, you are finally off work.¡± ¡°Yes. Have you had a nice day today?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Irvin held a te of spaghetti and looked at Joanna with concern. ¡°I made spaghetti for you. It is still steaming. ¡°You cook today?¡± ¡°Yes. Mommy, try it and see if it is tasty.¡± ¡°Good boy. Who taught you about it?¡± ¡°I learned it from you. Daddy loves to eat the spaghetti you made. I want to make it for Daddy, too. ¡°Since Daddy isn¡¯t around, I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± When Joanna heard that, her eyes could not help but turn a little wet. ¡°Davian, Irvin, thank you.¡± ¡°Daddy said that we¡¯re men. We have to protect the girls and take good care of them! ¡°Daddy isn¡¯t at home. Irvin and I are naturally responsible for looking after Mommy and Lilia.¡± Joanna blinked and was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged Davian and Irvin tightly in her arms. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t cry. We¡¯ll protect you on Daddy¡¯s behalf.¡± ¡°Thank you. With your protection, I¡¯m the happiest woman in the world. ¡°Where is Lilia?¡± ¡°Lilia is painting. Christmas ising. Lilia said she wants to make a Christmas gift for Daddy.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see her.¡± Joanna got up and went to Lilia¡¯s room. In the children¡¯s room, Lilia sat in a wheelchair with a small table in front of her. There were various brushes and drawing papers on it. ¡°Lilia, what are you doing?¡± Joanna walked in and asked gently. Lilia did not even raise her head. She held her paintbrush and was drawing seriously. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll draw another family photo.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Joanna walked over and took a look. Lilia drew a picture of five cartoon characters. Two adults, two little boys, and a little girl were included. Needless to say, it was their family of five. Although the strokes were crooked, Joanna could tell that Lilia had put much effort into the drawing. The colors Lilia chose were also vibrant. The family of five snuggled together, and the scene looked warm and cozy. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so beautiful. ¡°Mommy, I want to give this painting to Daddy.¡± Joanna was stunned. Bruce was still in detention, and his family members were not allowed to visit him at the moment. Lilia looked at Joanna and begged, ¡°Mommy, can you help me send it to Daddy? ¡°If Daddy can¡¯t see us, he must miss us very much. With this painting, if Daddy misses us, he may feel better. ¡°Is it okay, Mommy?¡± Joanna came back to her senses and kissed Lilia¡¯s cheek gently. ¡°Of course. I will hand the painting to your daddy tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. You must give it to Daddy.¡± ¡°No problem! ¡°Hurry up and wash your hands. Davian cooked spaghetti. Let¡¯s enjoy it together!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna carried Lilia and helped her wash her hands. Then, they went to the dining room for dinner. Although the servants also prepared food, Joanna didn¡¯t want to disappoint Davian and Irvin. After all, it was rare for them to cook. Therefore, Joanna ate all the spaghetti Irvin made. ¡°Hurry up and go to sleep.¡± ¡°Good night, Mommy!¡± ¡°Good night!¡± ¡°Mommy, remember to send the painting to Daddy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will give it to him tomorrow. Joanna smiled gently at Lilia. The next day, Joanna woke up early in the morning. After reaching thepany, she called the lawyer. Although she could not meet Bruce now, she would like to ask hiswyer to bring Lilia¡¯s painting to him. Soon, the first round of interrogation began. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Because of the sudden withdrawal of the intiff who used Bruce of bribery, as well as thewyer¡¯s effort, Bruce¡¯s case became much lighter, and he was transferred to an ordinary detention center. His family members were also allowed to visit him. There were still several days before Christmas. Joanna visited Bruce at the detention center for the first time. Bruce, shaven¨Cheaded and wearing a prison uniform, was led into the visiting room by two guards. Joanna was already waiting there. Through the ss, they met each other with a hint of excitement in their eyes. Joanna took the telephone handset and asked in a choked voice, ¡°Bruce, are you okay?¡± Bruce sat opposite her and held the handset. He reached out a hand and pressed it against the ss, signaling her to ce. her hand on it. Joanna was stunned for a moment, but she still ced her hand on his palm. Although they were separated by the ss, she seemed to feel him. Bruce smiled at her without a trace of disappointment or pessimism in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. How about you?¡± Joanna felt a lump in her throat. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°How about our three children?¡± ¡°They are all fine. They miss you very much and hope to see you soon.¡± Hearing that, Bruce swallowed and stared at Joanna with his deep eyes. Her face was still so soft and beautiful that he could not get enough of her. How he wished he could hug her now, even if it was just for a moment. Joanna also looked at Bruce quietly. His appearance had not changed, yet he was obviously haggard and much thinner. She could imagine that his life in the detention center was not that easy. ¡°Bruce, take care of yourself. I¡­ I will wait for you.¡± Bruce felt warmth in his heart, and he scratched the ss even harder. He could not grab Joanna¡¯s hand, so he could only express his feelings in such a way. ¡°The shareholders in thepany didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, did they?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds. Not wanting him to worry about her, she smiled and said, ¡°No. Everything is fine.¡± How was that possible? Those cunning shareholders were always up to no good. Fortunately, Joanna was strong enough to withstand pressure and didn¡¯tpromise with them. The shareholders could not stump her for the time being. It was just that they had been causing trouble for her behind her back, making her not dare to rx her guard. Even though Joanna said so, Bruce could see the fatigue in her eyes. He said with pity, ¡°If you can¡¯t hold on anymore, take the children and live with them overseas. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± In any case, Joanna¡¯s happiness was of greater importance than the Everett Group. Moreover, Bruce had invested more than 2 billion dors in a trust fund for Joanna and three children each. Even if she didn¡¯t work, they could live well. However, if the Everett Group was not under the control of his trusted aides, it would probably be taken over by Liam soon. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it. You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Three children and I are all waiting for you toe home.¡± Bruceughed bitterly. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take by the time he was released. ¡°Mr. Jameson said that the intiff who used you of bribery has withdrawn thewsuit. I believe that the case will be resolved and that you will be released soon.¡± Afraid that Bruce would lose confidence, Joanna tried tofort him. Bruce had known about it. Besides, he also knew who had plotted against him behind his back. However, he was still troubled by something else, and it was impossible for him to get away easily. ¡°Time¡¯s up. You should be leaving A police officer came and urged Joanna. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll be leaving. I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± Joanna stood up and was about to leave. Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened as he said reluctantly, ¡°Joanna, I love you!¡± Joanna felt sad. She wanted to say that she loved him too.. However, she choke with sobs and could not utter a word no matter how hard she tried. Time¡¯s up. Leave now!¡± ¡°Okay. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m leaving. Take care of yourself. The children and I are looking forward to out reunion.¡± The next day, Joanna went to the Everett Group as usual. Because it was the end of the year, she was even busier. At the office, Joanna was dealing with work when Andy knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, Miss Garcia said that she has something important to tell you, and it is about Mr. Everett. She¡¯s downstairs. Do you want to see her?¡± Joanna looked up and did not react for a moment. ¡°Miss Garcia? Which Miss Garcia?¡± ¡°The daughter of the Garcia Group, Jennie Garcia. Joanna was stunned. ¡°Oh. Has she been discharged?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s in the lobby downstairs now. She said she would like to tell you something important about Mr. Everett,¡± Andy repeated. Joanna thought for a few seconds and decided to see Jennie. ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Andy replied and turned to leave. Fifteen minutester, Andy walked into the office with Jennie. Jennie was wearing a white dress and a luxurious fur coat. She looked noble and elegant with a unique aura belonging to socialites. ¡°Long time no see. Jennie parted her red lips slightly and greeted Joanna with a faint smile. ¡°Miss Garcia, nice to see you again. Please take a seat.¡± Andy asked respectfully, ¡°Miss Garcia, do you want tea or coffee?¡± ¡°Lemonade, thank you.¡± ¡°Please wait for a moment. After Andy left, Jennie sat down elegantly on the sofa and crossed her legs. ¡°Miss Garcia, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Joanna stared at Jennie and asked. ¡°About something important.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Joanna pondered for a moment and did not bother to bend the bush with Jennie. She went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What is it? Just tell me directly.¡± Jennie smiled at Joanna and sized her up without blinking. Joanna felt ufortable. ¡°Miss Garcia, is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Jennie pursed her lips slightly and said in disdain, ¡°Actually, you look quite ordinary.¡± Joanna frowned and looked at Jennie in confusion. She thought, ¡°How can she say that? Isn¡¯t it rude? Joanna had been in the business circle for a long time, so she could control her emotions well. Jennie¡¯s expression was arrogant. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would Bruce take a fancy to you?¡± In Greyport, Jennie could be considered the best among socialites. In her opinion, a man like Bruce should be matched with a woman like her. However, he actually fell in love with Joanna, which made Jennie indignant. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°I mean, I like Bruce, I want to marry him. Joanna frowned more tightly. Bruce had always been popr among rich youngdies, but this was the first time she had seen someone so straightforward. ¡°So?¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Jennie became serious and said bluntly, ¡°So, you have to make room for me.¡± She looked at Joanna provocatively with a determined expression. Joanna could not help but sneer. ¡°Miss Garcia, I think you haven¡¯tpletely recovered. ¡°Bruce is still in jail. No one knows when he will be released. Besides, even if he is released, I don¡¯t think he will marry you. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s boring for you toe here to talk with me about it?¡± Jennie retorted shamelessly, ¡°Joanna, as long as you leave Bruce and vacate Mrs. Everett¡¯s position for me, everything is possible. ¡°I have a way to make Bruce marry me.¡± Joanna was so angry that sheughed. ¡°Why should I agree to it?¡± Regardless of whether she wanted to remarry Bruce, even if she did not, no one else had the right to interfere in her choices. ¡°You will agree to me. Jennie put on a mysterious smile and paused deliberately. Joanna took a deep breath and said bluntly, ¡°Miss Garcia, I¡¯m busy with work now. I don¡¯t have time to beat about the bush with you. You can leave now. ¡°By the way, I¡¯d like to remind you one thing. It¡¯s better for women to be reserved.¡± Jennie snorted, not angered by Joanna¡¯s words. ¡°What if I tell you that I can save Bruce?¡± Hearing that, Joanna looked at Jennie in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After all, even Bruce Everett couldn¡¯t save himself. How could Jennie do it? ¡°As long as you leave Bruce, I will get him out of jail. ¡°I¡¯m not with him now.¡± ¡°Stop being pretentious. Bruce has appointed you as the president of the Everett Group. How dare you say that you¡¯re not with him? ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. If you don¡¯t leave Bruce, he¡¯ll be imprisoned for the rest of his life, and no one can save him. ¡°If you love him truly, you should leave him. Moreover, he and I are more like a perfect match, and the Garcia family can help him in business. If I marry him, the two families will form a strong alliance. ¡°On the contrary, you will only drag him down.¡± Joanna took a deep breath and stared at Jennie in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. ¡°Hmph! Are you really that stupid?¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, why should I believe you?¡± Seeing that Joanna was unwilling to believe her, Jennie smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. ¡°Why do you think the intiff suddenly dropped the case? ¡°Is it only because of his conscience?¡± Joanna was dumbfounded and looked at Jennie in shock. Indeed, Bruce was previously charged with major bribery and illegal financing. And now, his user had suddenly dropped the case. The Anti¨CCorruption Bureau had no evidence to prove that he hadmitted bribery, so they could only leave him to the judicial authorities. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. This way, the charges against Bruce were much lighter, and he might only have to be fined. At most, he would be sentenced to three to five years of probation and didn¡¯t have to be imprisoned, which was not a huge problem. ¡°Are you the one behind it?¡± ¡°Of course. ¡°Do you think I will only watch the man I love go to jail and do nothing, just like you? ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of loving Bruce. When Jennie finished her words, her eyes turned gloomy. She said inwardly, ¡°Obviously, I love Bruce more than she does. However, Bruce was blind and took a fancy to her instead. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll make good use of the evidence to force Bruce to be with me.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at Jennie doubtfully. If Jennie could indeed save Bruce, she was really willing to fulfill Jennie¡¯s wish. However, she did not believe that Jennie would be that capable. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°You have to believe me. I can make it. ¡°As long as you leave Bruce, he will be acquitted! As long as you¡¯re gone, Bruce will definitely marry me.¡± Jennie ced her hands on the desk and looked at Joanna provocatively with her beautiful eyes. ¡°Miss Garcia, you are being too naive. ¡°Bruce and I have three children. If he was released, he wouldn¡¯t ept you easily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After you leave, I¡¯ll make him ept me. As for the children, it¡¯s best if you take them with you. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll treat them as my own children. Think about it carefully.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Joanna replied gloomily. ¡°You can consider it for two days. Call me when you think it through. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Jennie put her business card on the table. She turned around arrogantly and walked out of the office with her stilettos. After Jennie left, Joanna leaned back in her seat with a gloomy expression. She had to sort everything out. Could Bruce¡¯s ident be rted to the Garcia family? Was it the Garcia family who framed him behind the scene? However, the Garcia family and the Everett family had always been on good terms. There was no reason for them to do such a thing. Send Gift Comment Chapter 517 Chapter 517 ¡°How can Jennie be so confident that she can get Bruce out of jail? It is strange. Joanna could not figure out why, and her heart was filled with doubts. However, no matter what happened, as long as she could save Bruce, she was still willing to give it a try. Beep¡­ The ringtone of the phone interrupted Joanna¡¯s thoughts. She took the phone and looked at the screen. It was another call from Derick. ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°This is Derick.¡± Joanna was a little stunned and had a premonition all of a sudden. Roxanne had been missing for more than ten days. For the past ten days, Joanna had been unable to get through to Roxanne on the phone. She had also sent people to look for Roxanne but failed. Roxanne seemed to have disappeared into thin air. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Derick¡¯s anxious voice came from the other side of the line. ¡°Did you hide Roxy? It¡¯s been so many days, but there¡¯s still no news of her. I¡¯ve checked her departure records. She never left Greyport.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Perhaps she doesn¡¯t want to see anyone for the time being and is deliberately hiding. How about this? Call the police and let them investigate.¡± Hearing that, Derick still suspected that Joanna had done something to Roxanne. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m warning you. If you did anything to harm Roxy, I would never let you off.¡± Joanna choked in anger and replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯m also worried about her and looking for her everywhere! ¡°I¡¯m warning you onest time. I haven¡¯t seen Roxanne for a long time. If you ndered me again, I would not be so polite to you.¡± Derick directly hung up the phone. Joanna was even more frustrated. Although she no longer had a good impression of Roxanne, Roxanne was still her sister. If something happened to Roxanne, she had to show some concern. Beep¡­ Joanna couldn¡¯t help but call Zachary. Anyway, Roxanne was with Zachary before she went missing. ¡°Sorry! The subscriber you dialed can not be connected for the moment, please redialter¡­¡± Joanna called Zachary a few times in a row, but she only heard the customer service reply. Needless to say, Zachary must have cklisted her number. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Andy, I want to go to the Garcia Group. Arrange a car immediately.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the Garcia Group, Zachary sat in the office, a little out of his wits. These few days, he had lived a hard life. Every night, when he closed his eyes, he would have a dream about Roxanneing back to take his life. Moreover, there seemed to be Roxanne¡¯s fragrance everywhere in the office, which caused Zachary to dare not to stay there alone. Fortunately, he had a lot of mistresses and assistants. A young and beautiful assistant asked sweetly, ¡°Mr. Garcia, why are you looking so worried? ¡°Smile, please. I haven¡¯t seen you smile in a long time. The assistant had a hot figure and sat on Zachary¡¯s thighs directly. In the past, she was also Zachary¡¯s mistress. However, ever since Roxanne came, her limelight had been stolen. Now that Roxanne was finally gone, she had to perform well. Zachary was burning with anxiety and was not in the mood to flirt. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me. I¡¯m annoyed.¡± The assistant pouted and said jealously, ¡°Mr. Garcia, are you missing Roxanne? ¡°What¡¯s so good about her? What if she left? I will always be with you¡­¡± It would have been fine if the assistant hadn¡¯t mentioned Roxanne. Once she did, Zachary hit the roof instantly. ¡°Get out of here! Don¡¯t fucking bother me!¡± Zachary was distraught and roared at the assistant. Right now, he only wanted someone quiet to apany him and did not intend to do anything else. Unexpectedly, the assistant was chattering non¨Cstop, which upset him a lot. The assistant left aggrievedly. Another male assistant knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Mr. Garcia, Ms. Haynes is here.¡± Upon hearing ¡°Ms. Haynes¡°, Zachary was scared. He stammered and asked, ¡°Ms¡­ Ms. Haynes? Which Ms. Haynes?¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, the current president of the Everett Group.¡± Zachary rxed a little and heaved a long sigh of relief. He med the assistant in his heart. ¡°He didn¡¯t make things clear enough and almost scared me to death. ¡°I even thought that Roxanne was back to me.¡± Zachary said coldly, ¡°Make yourself clearer, okay? Is Joanna here?¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Haynes is downstairs right now. She said she has something important to talk to you, Mr. Garcia.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t see her. Just tell her that I¡¯m not here.¡± Zachary had a premonition and left the office hurriedly with his car keys. Joanna muste because of Roxanne. Zachary hurried down to the underground parking lot. Unexpectedly, before he could get into the car, Joanna suddenly appeared. ¡°Mr. Garcia.¡± Zachary had a guilty conscience and was frightened by Joanna¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened as she stared coldly at Zachary. ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯m here to ask you where Roxanne went.¡± More than ten bodyguardsing with Joanna surrounded Zachary. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Where did Roxanne go? She¡¯s been with you since the incident. I couldn¡¯t contact her.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯ve seen her before¡­¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 518 Chapter 518 ¡°Impossible. She was with you all the time. How could you not have seen her?¡± Joanna did not believe Zachary¡¯s exnation. Zachary was a little exasperated, and his tone became unfriendly. ¡°Please, she¡¯s an adult and can go wherever she wants. Can I control her? ¡°She¡¯s your sister. She¡¯s missing, and you¡¯re asking me for her whereabouts? How ridiculous. You can only me yourself for not taking good care of her.¡± Joanna froze for a moment, and her tone was no longer polite. ¡°Mr. Garcia, I¡¯ve called the police. I believe the police will soon intervene in the investigation. I hope you¡¯re telling the truth¡± ¡°Go ahead! Even if I go to the police station, I¡¯ll give the same answer.¡± Zachary pretended to be calm, but he panicked in his heart. He kept thinking about whether there was any key evidence that he had missed. He hoped that no one would find Roxanne¡¯s body. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I want to ask you, Mr. Garcia.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Joanna crossed her arms and stared at Zachary coldly. ¡°Miss Garcia came to me just now and said a lot of strange things to me.¡± Zachary¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Joanna warily. ¡°What did she tell you?¡± ¡°She asked me to leave Bruce, saying that she had a way to get Bruce out.¡± ¡°So, I want to ask, do you know the method she mentioned?¡± Zachary frowned. ¡°Did she really say that to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Garcia said that you have a way to save Bruce. So I¡¯d like to ask you what exactly it is.¡± Joanna deliberately tricked Zachary, The corners of Zachary¡¯s lips twitched. He replied angrily, ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m not a judge. What can I do?¡± ¡°Then why is Miss Garcia so sure that she has a way to save Bruce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s her business, and you should ask her. How can I know her inner thoughts?¡± Zachary¡¯s eyes glinted with a hint of guilty. A mixture of anger, hatred, and helplessness appeared in his heart. He thought, ¡°Jennie has indeed gone crazy. How could she go to Joanna? Wasn¡¯t she exposing herself? ¡°Was she afraid that others would be unaware that I was the one who schemed against Bruce behind the scene?¡± ¡°I have something urgent to deal with. Let¡¯s talk another day,¡± Zachary said resentfully and was eager to leave. Zachary¡¯s bodyguards also came. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Joanna guessed that Bruce¡¯s ident was definitely rted to Zachary, However, Bruce was still in the detention center. She could not fall out with Zachary for the time being. Zachary got into the car and left in a hurry. Tatiana nced at Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, let¡¯s go back.¡± Joanna let out a breath and instructed a few bodyguards, ¡°Continue to look for Roxanne these few days. If there¡¯s any news, let me know immediately.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. We will try our best.¡± Soon, both Derick and Joanna called the police. The police began to file an investigation. However, no one had found Roxanne¡¯s body, and Zachary¡¯s motive to murder couldn¡¯t be proved. The police could only treat it as an ordinary missing person case. They called Zachary to the police station to learn the situation and then let him go back. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. Joanna went to work as usual. As soon as she entered the office, Andy rushed over to report, ¡°Miss Haynes, bad news!¡± ¡°What happened¡± ¡°The Green Bay Project has been halted. The construction site has been forcefully closed, and all the workers have been dispersed Joanna¡¯s heart sank ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I heard that someonemed that the approval for the Green Bay Project was not qualified. It was an illegal construction and destroyed the ecological environment in Green Bay¡± Joanna¡¯s expression changed when she heard that ¡°Call an emergency meeting immediately¡± ¡°Okay¡± In the conference room, other shareholders had alto received the reset and all looked anxious. A least a billion dors was invested in the Green Bay Project. If the project seat stopped, they would suffer a great low ¡°Miss Haynes, what should we do? ¡°How worrying. We have invested so much money in Green Bay Project 1 it¡¯s suddenly stopped. The construction site is forcefully closed, and even the funds have been frozen¡± ¡°Everyone don¡¯t be anxious Let¡¯s look into the situation first¡± ¡°The approval clearly states that the construction of the Green Bay Project is qualified Why did someone suddenly check the contract and said that the project would destroy the ecologicalment) It is obvious that he is looking for trouble¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even the funds in our ounts have been frozen If the project is over, we¡¯ll lose everything?¡± The other shareholders assets naturally could notpare to Besser¡¯s. They had invested almo all of their assets in the Green Bay Project They could not afford the potential losses. The major shareholders were burning with anxiety ¡°I¡¯ll go to Mossbourne tomorrow to find out more¡± ¡°The project has been suspended What¡¯s the use of going to Mos relevant departments in Mossbourne will be on ammual leave¡± wout to be Christmas, and the ¡°It¡¯s such a big project We¡¯ll losr hundreds of thousands of dors a day if it is stopped. How can we cover the loses Two shareholdersined. They did not have much money, unlike Bruce who and didn¡¯t have to care about the lona. Most of the shareholders took out a loan from the bank and borrowed investment funds from somewhere else. So, just a day¡¯s interest was enough to make them anxious Now that the project had stopped there were were not any profits, and they were naturally flustered ¡°Everyone calm down. Since there¡¯s a problem, we have to think of a way to solve it.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned gloomy as he said. ¡°You¡¯re now the chairman of the Everett Group You have to quickly think of a way to cover the current losses¡± ¡°That¡¯s right As the leader, Miss Haynes, you have to bear all the responsibility and losses¡± The shareholders all began to Target Joanna Joanna frowned, and she could onlyfort others first. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I will bear all the losses during the suspension.¡± When the shareholders heard that, they were all relieved. ¡°Then it¡¯s sefiled. All losses and expenses during the shutdown will be covered by Miss Haynes¡± Joanna did not say anything else After saying that the meeting was over, she left the conference room Now, others were waiting to see her make a fool of herself, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure and Take the initiative to give up the position of president. However, the more pressure she faced, the more strong¨Cminded Joanna would be. She had no intention of giving up and fulfilling their wishes. No matter what happened, she had to hold on until Bruce was released from prison. After work Joanna went back to Sherane Bay Vi The children were busy in the living room, their faces stained with flour. ¡°Momo, you¡¯re back¡± Joanna put down her bag and looked at her children in shock. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Irvin replied happily, ¡°We¡¯re helping Miranda make a roasted turkey!¡± ¡°Roasted turkeys?¡± Joanna was stunned. Miranda walked out of the kitchen with a te of flour. ¡°Joann, it¡¯s only several days before Christmas Eve, and I think we can prepare a roasted turkey in advance to kill time. My family usually did so.¡± Miranda was from a big family, and she and her family enjoyed gathering and cooking together during festivals. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Send Gift Comment Now, although Miranda moved to Sherane Bay Vi, she still retained the habit. ¡°Christma¡¯s Eve ising soon¡­¡± Joanna heaved a sigh and went upstairs to change her clothes. Recently, she had been busy with work and ignored the date. Unexpectedly, a new year was about to begin soon. After a while, Joanna changed her clothes and walked downstairs. The children were making a roasted turkey themselves, and she joined them. Lilia brought a bowl of sauce and asked excitedly, ¡°Mommy, look! Did I make it well?¡± Joanna took a look and praised. ¡°Yes, it looks pretty good. Lilia, you are so awesome.¡± Certainly, a six¨Cyear¨Cold child was not good at cooking. However, Joanna thought that she should praise Lilia¡¯s work and encourage Lilia more. ¡°Mommy, will Daddye back during Christma?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. When Davian heard Lilia¡¯s words, a hint of maturity beyond his age appeared on his little face. ¡°Lilia, even if Daddy is not with us, we have to celebrate Christma happily with Mommy.¡± Lilia fell silent. Her big eyes were filled with disappointment. Worried that Joanna would be sad, Davian and Irvin had been racking their brains to make her happy. ¡°Mommy, you have to eat moreter. We made it in person.¡± ¡°Okay. I will finish the roasted turkey all.¡± Joanna smiled gently, affirming their hard work. Although Davian and Irvin were smiling, Joanna could tell that they also wanted Bruce toe back. ¡°If your daddy knows that you guys miss him so much, he will be very happy. If he knows that you guys are getting more and more sensible, he will be even happier.¡± The three little guys looked at Joanna in unison. ¡°Mommy, is it true?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Mommy, can you bring us to see Daddy?¡± Lilia asked carefully. Joanna was stunned again. If she brought three children to the detention center, she might have no way to exin what exactly happened to Bruce to them. Besides, she didn¡¯t want them to know too much about Bruce¡¯s current situation. After all, being in detention was not a good thing. Lilia pouted and begged in a childish voice, ¡°Mommy, just bring us there! We miss Daddy very much, and we really want to see him.¡± Joanna subconsciously looked down at the three little guys. They looked at her expectantly. ¡°Alright. As long as you¡¯re obedient, I will bring you to see your daddy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! We miss Daddy badly!¡± The three little guys instantly cheered. Joanna¡¯s heart ached slightly. It was said that children¡¯s feelings were the purest. Whether they liked someone or not, they would express themselves. directly. In just a year, Bruce hadpletely won the children¡¯s hearts, and it meant that he was a qualified father. Lilia looked at the yet¨Cto¨Cbe¨Ccooked roasted turkey and smiled brightly like a sunflower. ¡°Mommy, I want to keep some of the roasted turkey. I¡¯ll bring it to Daddy when I go to see him.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°No need. Even if you bring it over, Daddy can¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Irvin quickly replied, ¡°Are you a fool? The roasted turkey will go bad in a few days. Daddy will have a stomachache if he eats ¡°We can put it in the fridge and freeze it. On the day we go to see Daddy, we can heat it before bringing it to him.¡±) Joanna smiled and did not want to disappoint the children. ¡°Alright, keep half of it for your daddy. We¡¯ll eat the rest.¡± She could not stop the children from being filial to their daddy. ¡°Miranda, make the roasted turkey now.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it now¡­¡± Twenty minutester, Miranda brought out the cooked roasted turkey. ¡°Joann, kids, the roasted turkey is ready. Enjoy it.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miranda.¡± The next day. Joanna went to work as usual. It would be Christmas¡® leave a few dayster. She had to hurry up and deal with her work. After the meeting with the directors, Joanna decided to make a trip to Mossbourne and figured out why the Green Bay Project was suddenly suspended. ¡°Miss Haynes, are you really going to Mossbourne?¡± ¡°Yes. I have to learn more about the situation of the Green Bay Project.¡± Andy nodded. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go arrange a car now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Beep¡­ Just as Joanna packed up her things and was about to go to Mossbourne, her phone rang. She took the phone and checked the caller ID. On the screen was an unfamiliar number. Joanna frowned but still picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°This is me!¡± Jennie¡¯s arrogant voice came from the other side of the line. Joanna paused and asked with some disgust, ¡°Miss Garcia, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jennie could not help but tease. ¡°You¡¯re indeed forgetful. ¡°It seems that you didn¡¯t take what I said to heart. It¡¯s been so many days, but you didn¡¯t call me once.¡± Joanna sneered and said bluntly, ¡°Miss Garcia, I don¡¯t believe you. I don¡¯t believe that you are capable enough to save Bruce, either.¡± Jennie was so angry that her voice choked. ¡°Do you believe that he will be sued again soon?¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 520 Chapter 520 ¡°If so, no one can save him.¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Jennie replied arrogantly, ¡°It means what it says.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re going to sue Bruce for bribery?¡± Jennie choked with anger and scolded, ¡°Are you crazy? I love Bruce so much. Why would I sue him?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re not the one who used him, why are you so confident that you can withdraw the usation?¡± Jennie¡¯s face darkened. She did not know how to refute it for a moment. ¡°Were you behind the shutdown of the Green Bay Project?¡± Joanna suddenly asked. Actually, she knew that Jennie wasn¡¯t that capable. However, Jennie might more or less know some inside information. Jennie paused. She could tell that Joanna was worried about Green Bay Project. In order to make Joanna believe in her, she admitted it deliberately. ¡°You¡¯re not that stupid.¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. As long as you leave Bruce, I promise to get him out.¡± Joanna raised an eyebrow. Jennie¡¯s tone turned cold as she continued, ¡°If you love Bruce truly, you should consider for his good. You are not worthy of him, and he should marry a woman as influential as me.¡± Joanna was speechless. She thought, ¡°How much does Jennie love that bastard Bruce? She does not care about her reserve and self¨Cesteem anymore. ¡°My love for Bruce might not beparable to hers.¡± Joanna said. ¡°You know that I¡¯m now the acting president of the Everett Group. Even if I want to leave, I can¡¯t just leave it behind only to fulfill your wish.¡± Jennie changed the topic. ¡°You can resign voluntarily and leave Greyport forever. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After you leave, Bruce will be released soon. When the timees, everything will return to normal.¡± Joanna was going crazy. ¡°Are you so sure that he will fall in love with you? What if you are overestimating yourself?¡± Jennie smiled arrogantly and said confidently, ¡°Without you, Bruce will definitely fall for me. Only I am worthy of him.¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, your way of thinking is really¡­ ¡®interesting Joanna could not help but mock. She originally wanted to say ¡®childish¡®, but she changed it to ¡®interesting. ¡°You still don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. ¡°How about this? After you save Bruce, I promise you that I¡¯ll leave Greyport.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? What if you go back on your word?¡± Joanna snorted. ¡°I mean what I say. I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± ¡°Hmph! Even if you go back on your word, I can¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°Then tell me, how can you trust me?¡± Jennie pondered for a moment before making a rather strange request. ¡°Tell Bruce that you¡¯ve fallen in love with another man and have to leave him forever.¡± ¡°Bruce won¡¯t believe it, Joanna replied indifferently. She was confident about it. Bruce would never believe that she would fall in love with another man so easily. Including Jaydon. Joanna agreed to Jaydon¡¯s proposal only to repay his kindness. It was not because of love, Jennie smiled. ¡°I have plenty of ways to make Bruce believe it. Or, you can have sex with another man and marry him ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a lover before? You can go to him.¡± Joanna had a headache. Jennie was indeed out of mind. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are going too far?¡± Jennie said. ¡°You have to separate from Bruce with a reasonable excuse. If Bruce finds out that you have sex with another man, he will agree to break up with you.¡± Joanna coughed twice and waspletely speechless, not knowing what to say. Jennie¡¯s mind was purely vicious. If Joanna agreed, there must be something wrong with her. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it a good idea?¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, I think you¡¯d better go to the hospital to see if you are normal.¡± Joanna mocked unceremoniously. Jennie choked in anger and cursed, ¡°Joanna, what do you mean by that? ¡°Don¡¯t you want to save Bruce? I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a cheap woman. Bruce was just blind back then, or he wouldn¡¯t have chosen you¡­¡± # Joanna did not want to continue arguing with Jennie. ¡°Miss Garcia, go ahead and do whatever you want. I¡¯m still busy. I don¡¯t have time to argue with you.¡± With that, Joanna hung up the phone. ¡°Hello? Hello¡­ Joanna, you damn bitch!¡± Jennie roared furiously. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Since you don¡¯t follow my arrangements, I¡¯ll go straight to Bruce and tell him that I¡¯m the woman who loves him the most. ¡°No matter what happens, he has to marry me!¡± Jennie put away her phone. She took out a small mirror and carefully checked her makeup. She decided to go to the detention center to see Bruce. Send Gift Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Comment ¡°Mr. Everett, someone came to visit you¡± In the detention center, the guards brought Bruce to the visiting room Although Bruce was detained, everyone in the detention center was polite to him because of his special identity. Bruce thought that it was Joanna who hade, and he was overjoyed for a moment. However, as he reached the visiting room, he saw Jennie through the ss window. Bruce¡¯s face instantly darkened. He picked up the handset and said coldly, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Upon seeing Bruce, Jennie could not hide her excitement. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Bruce frowned and sat opposite her gloomily. ¡°Bruce, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. You¡¯ve lost some weight, and you look haggard. My heart aches so much.¡± Jennie felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes turned slightly red and were filled with tears. She touched Bruce¡¯s reflection on the ss affectionately. Bruce didn¡¯t say a word. He did not like Jennie and did not even want to see her. Seeing that Bruce was unwilling to chat with her, Jennie quickly cut to the chase and said ingratiatingly, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m getting someone to save you. ¡°Just wait a little longer. You¡¯ll be fine soon.¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows and looked at Jennie in frustration. Other than himself, no one could save him from the crime he hadmitted. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me? ¡°Bruce, say something. I worked hard to get the chance to visit you here. I just want to talk with you and tell you the good. news.¡± Bruce took a deep breath and frowned. ¡°Go back right away. Don¡¯te here again.¡± As he spoke, he stood up and was going to return to the prison. Jennie panicked. She patted the ss window and shouted into the headset, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t leave so hurriedly. I have something important to tell you.¡± Bruce stopped in his tracks. His handsome face was expressionless. ¡°L.. L. Jennie hesitated. She was so anxious that she almost failed to hold back her tears. She was in a detention center, and she couldn¡¯t speak many things bluntly and openly. She could only express her intentions tactfully. ¡°Bruce, I¡­ If I help you out, are you willing to marry me?¡± Bruce felt nauseous. His brows furrowed tightly as he cursed inwardly, ¡°What a crazy woman! ¡°How can I marry her? It is simply her wishful thinking.¡± Bruce didn¡¯t intend to marry any woman except Joanna in his life. Moreover, under the current N?velDrama.Org (C) content. circumstances, he was unable to marry any woman. Even if he was freed one day, he would transfer all his assets to Joanna. And he wouldn¡¯t get a marriage license with her, It was a way to protect Joanna and the children. Noticing Bruce¡¯s numb and disdainful expression, Jennie felt sad and said sincerely, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m serious. ¡°As long as you marry me, you¡¯ll definitely be fine. No matter how hard it is, I¡¯ll save you. ¡°Bruce, I love you. Are you still unwilling to give me a chance?¡± Jennie looked at Bruce pitifully with tears in her eyes. She thought, ¡°Bruce used to be high and mighty, and it was eptable that he didn¡¯t like me. ¡°But now, he was a prisoner. If I became his savior, he should be willing to marry me Bruce remained silent and was not touched at all. He had rejected Jennie more than once. Unexpectedly, the more ruthless he was, the more persistent she became. ¡°Bruce, can you not be so heartless to me? L.. I have given up all my pride and self¨Cesteem to love you. Can¡¯t you see my sincerity? ¡°I can swear to heaven that I can give up everything for you if you¡¯re willing to be with me¡­¡± Bruce sighed slightly. ¡°Jennie, I¡¯m grateful that you think so highly of me. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t ept your love. I will only love one woman in my life.¡± Jennie became emotional instantly and raised her voice. ¡°Bruce, Joanna is not suitable for you, and she is unworthy of you. I can do whatever she can do for you. Even if there is something she can¡¯t do, I will do it for you! ¡°Why don¡¯t you try dating me? If you give me a chance, I¡¯m sure you will fall in love with me!¡± Jennie¡¯s heart was filled with bitterness, jealousy, and hatred toward Joanna. She shouted inwardly, ¡°What is so good about Joanna? Why is Bruce so obsessed with her?¡± ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯te here again.¡± Bruce stood up and was about to leave. Jennie was rejected again, and she was angry and indignant. ¡°Bruce, would you rather go to jail than ept me? ¡°You have to think about it carefully. If you don¡¯t marry me, you might spend the rest of your life in prison. On the contrary, if you do, you will obtain your freedom quickly!¡± Jennie shouted into the handset at the top of her lungs, saying everything that was on her mind. Her maternal grandfather was a high official in the court. She could go to him for help at any cost. As long as Bruce agreed to be with her, she would do her best to get him out. Bruce¡¯s face was gloomy and indifferent. He did not even look at Jennie. It made Jennie disappointed and aggrieved. Her tears streamed down as she tried to convince Bruce. ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t care if you love me. I only want you to be with me! ¡°If I get a chance, I¡¯ll make you fall in love with me bit by bit. Or, what type of woman do you like? I can change myself for you. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ept a woman who loves you? Why do you have to be infatuated with a woman who doesn¡¯t love you? ¡°Do you think Joanna loves you? She doesn¡¯t love you. If she did, she would give up everything for you. ¡°I¡¯m willing to sacrifice my life for you. Will she?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. Indeed. Joanna did not have much love for him now. He could only try his best to keep her by his side. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy of your love. Don¡¯t waste any more time on me.¡± After saying that, Bruce put down the phone and left without looking back. ¡°Bruce! Bruce¡­ Jennie patted the ss window in despair, her face filled with tears of grievance. She had been proud since she was young. So many men were attracted by her, yer she couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at them. But now, she had lowered herself to pursue a man but was mercilessly rejected by him. It was hard for Jennie to ept the fact. However, Bruce left heartlessly without looking back at her. ¡°Miss Garcia, time¡¯s up. You should go back.¡± ¡°Bruce, I feel sorry for you! You abandoned an outstanding woman like me and chose a bitch like Joanna!¡± Jennie was so angry that her face turned ashen. She could not understand why she had lost. Send Gift Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Late at night! The Royal Holiday Nightclub. Zachary got very drunk and staggered out of the nightclub. He was with two hot girls, one on either side, his arms on them. Zachary didn¡¯t indulge in nightclubs for a long time after he had been in a rtionship with Roxanne. But now, Roxanne, the sticky ster, was finally shaken off. So he could again go back to the days when he was unrestrained. When the three people came out of the elevator and went down the stairs, the tall and slim girl supported Zachary tenderly and coquettishly said: ¡°Mr. Garcia, be careful!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This bit of wine can¡¯t knock me out!¡± Zachary smiled drunkenly and pinched the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Garcia, you¡¯re so naughty!¡± ¡°Pop, pop!¡± Zachary kissed the two girls on his right and left. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Get in the car! I¡¯ll take you to a good ce.¡± The driver had already opened the car door respectfully. One of the girls got into the back seat first. Then Zachary and the other one followed. They sat cuddling in the back seat. ¡°I had a good time today. I haven¡¯t been so happy in a long time!¡± The fair¨Cskinned girl with big boobs said flirtatiously. The fox¨Ceyed girl, who was tall and slim, also smiled gently: ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought Mr. Garcia had forgotten about us.¡± In the car. The two girls kept wheedling and fawning over Zachary! Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. They were former beauty pageants but now were high¨Css courtesans in his nightclub. The car drove out of the parking lot. When the car turned the corner, Zachary suddenly caught a glimpse of a woman in a red dress with disheveled hair and at pale face. She resembled Roxanne so much! ¡°Ah, stop the car!¡± Zachary screamed in fear. The driver was shocked too and hurriedly braked. Suddenly, all of them in the car were thrown forward. ¡°What¡¯s happened? Mr. Garcia?¡± Zachary was half¨Cawake from drunkenness and looked back in panic. But the woman in the red dress was out of sight. Zachary was still in shock. His heart kept thumping. ¡°Mr. Garcia, anything wrong? You scared us. The tall and slim girl said coquettishly. Zachary took a few deep breaths and asked in fear. ¡°Did¡­ did you see a woman in red just now?¡± ¡°Where?¡± The two girls rolled down the car windows and looked back. It was already past three in the morning. The parking lot was dim and there were all kinds of luxury cars in the parking space. How could there be a woman in red? ¡°Mr. Garcia, you must be seeing things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why would there be a woman in red?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! You promised to be with us today.¡± The fair¨Cskinned girl wrapped her arms around Zachary¡¯s neck and kept wheedling. The two girls thought that Zachary was amazed by an attractive woman passing by, so they were jealous. Zachary¡¯s heart was still beating wildly. The cold sweat on his head kept flowing dowIL He was in such an unsettled state of mind! This was impossible. Roxanne was already dead. Zachary remembered clearly that he had thrown her body into ake in the wilderness. ¡°It was impossible that she would be here.¡± Could it be that¡­ she had turned into a malicious ghost ande here to take his life? The more Zachary thought about it, the more flustered he became. Now his high¨Cspirited mood ¡°Let¡¯s just gol Mr. Garcia, you must be seeing things!¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go.¡± Zachary keptforting himself. Perhaps he was seeing things, or maybe he was thinking about the woman every day and night that he was living on tenterhooks every day. Besides, he drank and got drunk. So it was normal for him to have hallucinations. The driver was also in confusion but he stepped on the elerator and drove away. The next day. Early in the morning. Joanna rushed to Porash with a group of people. ¡°Miss Haynes, Project Green Bay is ahead. We can go around the nearby area to have a look first.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°The person in charge of Project Green Bay has already been waiting in the office. We can ask him to exin in detail after we have some understanding of the nearby area.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna replied absent¨Cmindedly. She opened the car window and looked outside. She hadn¡¯t been to Mossbourne for months! On the way to Green Bay, she would pass by her factory. She was still a little worried after not visiting it for so long. ¡°Driver, make a U¨Cturn ahead and go to the factory first!¡± ¡°To the factory?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna replied. Her factory was still under normal operation! Jaydon and her held the shares of thepany. She had not seen Jaydon for almost half a year. She wondered what he had be now. As Joanna could not take care of the factory herself, she asked Michael and Nichs to run it. Although the two men were quite capable, they didn¡¯t own thepany. There were many things that they would not pay full attention to. Over the past half a year, thepany did not make a profit! Joanna seldom came to Mossbourne, so she decided to have a check there today. Soon, the driver made a U¨Cturn on the left¨Chandne ahead. Ten minutester. The car had already arrived at the entrance of the factory. The driver got off the car and immediately opened the door, and Joanna got off. The factory was still operating normally butcked vitality. Even the security guard at the door was drowsy. ¡°Who are you? You can¡¯te in ¡­¡± ¡°Just look who this is! Miss Haynes!¡± The security guard got tense and quickly put on his hat. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± Joanna frowned slightly and went into the factory with the group of people following, and she felt that something must have been amiss. Chapter 523 Chapter 523 It was ast¨Cminute decision toe and inspect. Therefore, Joanna did not call Nichs or Michael and walked straight to the office. In the office. Michael, Nichs, and two senior administrators were ying poker. The other clerks were lyingzily on the table, dozing. off Seeing this, Joanna felt she had fallen into an ice cave. ¡°Whatever are you doing here?¡± She sneered coldly. Michael and Nichs turned around and immediately broke out in cold sweat. Miss Haynes¡­¡± The two of them stood up immediately. As the table for ying poker was knocked over, pokers were everywhere. They never expected that Joanna would suddenlye to inspect. Joanna saw what was before her, her brows furrowed into a knot, and her facepletely darkened. She had not been here for more than four months, but thepany had be like this. Of course, she no longer needed to rack her brains to earn money, for Bruce gave her so much money that she couldn¡¯t use it up even for several lifetimes. Though this factory did not make much money, it was founded by Jaydon and her through painstaking work. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Michael stammered: ¡°Miss Haynes, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee, should I?¡± ¡°Ah, no, no, no¡­¡± ¡°Is it working hours?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Miss Haynes¡® face darkened and he sneered. ¡°Whatever are you doing here?¡± ¡°We¡­ Michael stammered. The sweat on his forehead started to drip down again. He was the general manager of thepany. Now that thepany was in such a state, how could she not be angry? Joanna used toe to inspect the factory from time to time, so they had to work hard. Now, even though Joanna didn¡¯t show up for a few months, their sry and various benefits were still paid as usual. As for the operation of the factory, it waspletely up to them. Over time, they began to pocket money and treat the factory as their private business. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, I¡¯m really disappointed with you two.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, we, we thought that you don¡¯t care about this factory any longer.¡± The two of them stammered. Indeed, Miss Haynes was now the acting president of the Everett Group and could allocate and spend all the assets under Bruce Everett This factory was invested only several million dors. To them, it was just a drop in the ocean. The other employees also straightened their backs and did not dare to make a sound. With a cold face, Joanna turned around and walked towards the workshop. Most of the workers had already left. In the few workshops that were barely operating, only a few workers were there and they all looked listless. It was obvious that they were cking off Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart turned even colder. It was not too much of a big deal if thepany incurred losses, but Jaydon¡¯s six million dors for investment was included. Thepany was almost bankrupt now. How was she going to exin this to Jaydon? ¡°Miss Haynes, we, we¡¯ll rectify it immediately!¡± Joanna did a round of checks. She really wanted to fire Michael and Nichs on the spot. But on second thought, she suppressed her anger. The two of them had worked hard to set up the factory with her. You have one month to get this factory on the move again.¡± ¡°Next month, if the profits don¡¯t improve, you¡¯ll all pack up and leave!¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes! We understand. We will do our best. Thank you, Miss Haynes, for giving us another chance¡­ Michael and Nichs were so terrified and so cautious! ¡°Roxanne, let¡¯s go! It¡¯s gettingte. We still have to rush to Green Bay¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go now. Tell the people there that we areing right now.¡± After saying that, Joanna left with his assistants and her cold face. ¡°Oh! Dear god! I was almost scared to death. Why did Miss Haynes suddenlye over?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s already the richest woman in Greyport. How would she still be interested in this asset?¡± Several million dors was an astronomical figure to ordinary people, but to people of the Everett Group, it was just a drop in the ocean. So, they thought that Joanna had already given up on this company. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up! Project Green Bay is more important.¡± In the car. Joanna looked extremely surly. As expected, she had to do so many things in person. She had yet to go to thepany market of Greene Town. It had been a long time since she went to Greene Town. Probably, the work efficiency there was not so much better. Moreover, Cora was pregnant, so she did not have much energy to take care of the company. But as she had spent all her energy on the Everett Group, she really could not spare any energy to manage these things. When this inspection was done, she really had to pick a capable person and make some adjustments. Taking a step back. even if thatpany really closed, she had to keep Jaydon¡¯s investment. It didn¡¯t matter if she lost money, but she didn¡¯t want Jaydon Grimm¡¯s money to go down the drain as well. Half an hourter. Joanna and the group of people arrived at the base of Project Green Bay. The Real Estate Green Bay owned more than 10,000 acres ofnd here and a nearby sea area was even a gimmick for it. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Send Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Half an hourter, the car arrived at Green Bay¡¯s premises. It was the end of the year, and the project had stopped. Nobody was around except for the security guards guarding the materials. Donald Hall, the person in charge of the project, and a few vice presidents were already waiting at the door. After Joanna got out of the car, they quickly approached her with a respectful demeanor. ¡°This is Miss Haynes, Andy introduced. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes!¡± Donald and the other vice presidents stepped forward to shake hands with Joanna. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello¡± Joanna reached out and shook hands with Donald first. Following that, Andy began to introduce the people in charge of the project. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is Mr. Hall. ¡°He¡¯s the overall person in charge of this project. These two are vice presidents, Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Yancey.¡± Donald smiled. ¡°Thank you foring. You must be tired from the trip. Miss Haynes.¡± Donald was about 50 years old and had a stout figure. He was wearing a suit and had a rounded belly. Donald had a full head of shiny ck hair. There was not a single strand of white hair. He should have dyed his hair often. He looked younger than his actual age. ¡°Miss Haynes, you¡¯ve had a long journey and must be tired. We have already booked a table at a hotel for lunch. Let¡¯s have a meal before discussing work.¡± Donald spoke like a sordid merchant.. It was obvious that he was a wily old fox. Andy frowned. ¡°Miss Haynes came over to get an understanding of the situation here. We should talk business first.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do that! It¡¯s almost noon. No matter what, we still got to eat,¡± Donald insisted. Joanna hated attending such social engagements. ¡°No need. You should just tell us about the project¡¯s current status.¡± Upon hearing that, Donald said with a solemn expression, ¡°Okay. It¡¯s said that there are rare aquatic animals in this sea, so we can¡¯t do thend remation here. ¡°Also, they uncovered many ancient tombs from thisnd. A few archaeologists deliberately found fault with us andined that ourpany destroyed ancient artifacts. They want to build an archeological base here.¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. ¡°How¡¯s thewsuit now?¡± Donald replied, ¡°Oh, regarding that¡­ It¡¯s almost the end of the year, so all the relevant departments are closed. ¡°No matter how anxious we are, we can only deal with this after the new year. ¡°Besides, all the workers have gone home for Christmas, so they can¡¯t start work now.¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds before she said, ¡°I¡¯m not rushing you guys to start work. I¡¯m just here to understand the situation.¡± Donald said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a way to handle this. ¡°However, I need some time. As for those archaeologists¡­ I¡¯ll have a talk with them when the time ¡°Be tactful when negotiating. Don¡¯t make things worse,¡± Joanna reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re all reasonable people. We definitely won¡¯t use violence on them,¡± said Donald. When Joanna heard this, she felt a little more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s good. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the sea and take a look. Also, get the designers and engineers to propose a few rectification ns. See if there¡¯s for us to achieve the greatest value of this project without doing thend remation¡± a way ¡°All right, I¡¯ll inform the engineerter and give them ten days to hand over the reform n,¡± Donald said. Joanna nodded. ¡°All right!¡± Donald appeared to be an obese andzy man, but he did pay great attention to Green Bay¡¯s project. ¡°Miss Haynes, what else do you want to know? You can ask me if you have any queries,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d like to take another look around,¡± Joanna said. Donald had a solemn look on his face. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll bring you there now. ¡°The few of you, go and find a few safety helmets. ¡°Please bring your safety helmet along, Miss Haynes, as there is a risk of falling objects at construction. This is something inevitable.¡± Joanna, Andy, and the others all put on their safety helmets. Then, under Donald¡¯s lead, they entered the construction site. Building materials were everywhere inside. The cranes were not operating, but the foundation had already been built. They would make quicker progress if they only needed to do construction. Theypleted the inspection of the construction site. Joanna went to the sea area in the vicinity to take a look. Therge sea also belonged to theirnd. They originally nned to reim thend. However, the relevant departments did not allow them to do so now. If both sides were unable to reach apromise, they would have to make changes to their n. Joanna thought about it. It was fine if they could not do thend remation. Perhaps they could build an aquarium instead and turn it into a tourist attraction. An hourter, they finished inspecting most of the ces. The rest of the problems could only be resolved after the new year. Donald concluded, ¡°So that¡¯s basically our current situation. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Haynes. After the New Year, we¡¯ll definitely get someone from the relevant department to make an exception for us.¡± Joanna said. ¡°Try to apply and get approval for thend remation. If you really can¡¯t get it, we¡¯ll change our strategy or n.¡± ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s it,¡± Donald said. After saying that, he looked down at his watch. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s already past one in the afternoon. Let¡¯s have a meal!¡± Joanna shook her head slightly. ¡°No need! We still have to rush back to Greyport.¡± Donald said. ¡°But we have already booked the hotel¡­ ¡°There¡¯s really no need.¡± Joanna interrupted. She smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t be eating. I¡¯d rather spend more effort on the project and solve the problem as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. After the annual leave is over, I¡¯ll immediately look for the relevant departments,¡± Donald reassured. Joanna said, ¡°Okay, then that¡¯s settled. ¡°Andy, ask the driver to drive the car here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Andy replied and quickly called Kody. Joanna and the others did not stay for dinner. They insisted on leaving after the inspection. Joanna had basically understood the situation here and felt a little more at ease. However, the relevant departments were all on holiday. nning and marketing were her forte. Joanna originally wanted to take a look there, but she could only wait until after the New Year. ¡°Miss Haynes, please get in!¡± Andy said. ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna replied When Joanna returned to Greyport, it was already past three in the afternoon. Andy asked respectfully, ¡°Miss Haynes, should I send you back to thepany or Sherane Bay Vi?¡± Joanna thought for a moment. ¡°Send me to the detention center!¡± ¡°Are you going to see Mr. Everett?¡± Andy asked. ¡°Yup!¡± Joanna said. ¡°Kody, to the detention center, Andy instructed. ¡°Will do,¡± replied the driver. Twenty minutester. Kody stopped the car in front of the detention center. Joanna got out of the car and entered the conference room under thewyer¡¯s lead. In the meeting room. Joanna sat on the stool and waited anxiously. After thewyer and the guard hadpleted the visitation procedures, Bruce finally came over. Just like a few days ago, Bruce was wearing a prison uniform. His head was shaved clean and shone as if it had been polished. Although Bruce was still handsome. he looked exactly like a criminal now. Joanna took the phone and called out softly, ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce sat down on the other side of the ss window. As soon as he picked up the phone, he comined unhappily, ¡°Why haven¡¯t youe to see me for so many days?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I just came overst week. Joanna said. Bruce snorted. ¡°It¡¯s already been a week. You¡¯re finally willing toe and see mel¡± Bruce frowned with dissatisfaction. Joanna sighed. She had slightly red¨Crimmed eyes. This was the first man she slept with and the father of her children. How could she not be worried when he was in jail? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°You¡¯ve already said everything, what else is there for me to say?¡± Joanna said. Send Gift Comment Chapter 525 Chapter 525 ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Bruce smiled mischievously. He stared at her, eyes zed with desire. In response, Joanna merely rolled her eyes. ¡°I miss you so much every night that I can¡¯t sleep. Do you feel the same as me?¡± Bruce asked. Joanna rolled her eyes again. ¡°Pervert!¡± Bruce smiled evilly at her. ¡°I¡¯m just expressing my true feelings. How am 1 a pervert?¡± After saying that, he smiled even more wickedly at her. From the beginning to the end, Bruce was not a good man, much less an upright gentleman who practiced abstinence. On the contrary, Bruce was a man with aplicated personality. He was a domineering, cunning, and scheming man. He would rather betray the world than let anyone betray him. Of course, he did not care to be a righteous gentleman. ¡°Can we not talk about this?¡± Joanna frowned. Bruce looked indifferent. ¡°If we don¡¯t talk about this, what should we talk about? ¡°Hurry up and tell me, how much do you miss me? I think about you every moment.¡± Joanna waspletely speechless. ¡°How mushy! I¡¯ve really got to hand it to you! You¡¯re already in the detention center, yet you still have the mood to think about that.¡± Bruce felt very scornful. I am a normal man. It would be abnormal if I didn¡¯t think about women.¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna truly had no words. ¡°Fine! What you said sounds reasonable.¡± Joanna was toozy to argue with him. Bruce was already in the detention center, and there was no telling when he would be released. She would let him have fun with his words. ¡°I went to inspect the Green Bay project today!¡± Joanna said. Bruce froze before making a sound of acknowledgment. ¡°How is it?¡± he asked. Joanna answered, ¡°Someoneined that we had illegally seizednd for the project, so it¡¯s been called off. ¡°Today, I went over to understand the situation. Donald told me about some problems that we currently have. He said that there was a problem with getting the approval for thend remation. Additionally, there are several ancient tombs discovered at the construction site. ¡°Now, there¡¯s a group of archeologists who insist on building an archeological base. They im that they want to protect the ancient tombs, but I feel that they¡¯re deliberately causing trouble. ¡°Donald said that it¡¯s already been resolved, but everyone is on their annual leave now. We can only deal with the relevant departments next year.¡± When Bruce heard this, he stroked his chin. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s not a big problem. With Donald around to help you, you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Bruce acknowledged Donald¡¯s ability. Joanna narrowed her eyes in sadness. She said softly. ¡°It¡¯s almost Christmas. Take good care of yourself.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Bruce said. Through the ss window, they gazed deeply into each other¡¯s eyes. Time gradually passed. In the blink of an eye, visiting hours were about to end. The desire in Bruce¡¯s eyes vanished. In its ce was a deep longing. A deep look came over his face. ¡°Honey, I love you so much. ¡°Do you love me? I really want to hear you say that you love me.¡± When Joanna heard this, she tsked. She could not bring herself to say such mushy stuff. After holding it in for a while, Joanna replied, ¡°We¡¯re already an old married couple. It¡¯s too mushy to talk about this every day.¡± An old married couple. He liked this form of address. At least, Joanna still treated him as her husband. Joanna suddenly remembered something important. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something else that I want to tell you!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bruce leaned close to the ss window and looked at her affectionately. Joanna hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him what Jennie had said. What if Bruce was willing? If Jennie could get Bruce out, Joanna was willing to leave this rtionship and give them her blessing. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Well, Jennie came to see me,¡± Joanna said. Bruce immediately knew what Joanna was going to say. He snorted. ¡°She said that she had a way to get me out of here, right?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°She came to you, too?¡± she asked. Bruce said mercilessly, ¡°Ignore her. She¡¯s out of her mind.¡± ¡°Did she tell you the same thing?¡± Joanna pressed him for an answer. ¡°Honey, just ignore whatever she says.¡± Bruce smiled bitterly. Joanna countered, ¡°But what if she really has a way? ¡°If she can really save you, I can agree to her request¡­¡± Upon hearing that, a dark look came over Bruce¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°What I mean is, if she can really get you out of here, I¡¯m willing to give you two my blessing.¡± Joanna replied. Bruce¡¯s face fell. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Joanna paused, not knowing what to say. Bruce said. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll tell you onest time. Apart from me, don¡¯t trust what anyone else says. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Joanna nodded. As they were speaking, the guard walked in. ¡°Visiting time is over!¡± he said. Joanna stood up. She said with a mncholy expression. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first, Bruce. I¡¯ll visit you again in a few days.¡± ¡°Okay. Bring Lilia along with you too. I miss her,¡± Bruce remarked. ¡°I will. The children miss you too,¡± Joanna said. After Joanna finished speaking, she walked out of the conference room, turning back repeatedly to look at Bruce. Bruce also watched her until her figurepletely disappeared. Only then did he withdraw his gaze. ¡°Mr. Everett, it¡¯s time to return to the cell,¡± the guard said. Bruce stood up silently and walked toward the cell. Send Gift Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Comment After leaving the detention center, Joanna was still in low spirits. She was used to Bruce being by her side. She was a little unustomed to the fact that he was suddenly locked up. ¡°Miss Haynes, are we going back to Sherane Bay Vi now?¡± Kody asked. ¡°Yes, but I want to go to Skyluxe Mall first. I have to buy something.¡± Joanna said. ¡°Will do,¡± said Kody. He started the car again and drove to Skyluxe Mall. This was the most luxurious shopping mall in Greyport. It sold high¨Cend goods and food. The children loved the cakes here. It was almost Christmas, so Joanna had to buy some Christmas goods. She also had to buy some gifts for the children. Fifteen minutester, Kody stopped the car at the entrance of Skyluxe Mall. Joanna got out of the car. As she intended to do some shopping, Joanna did not want too many people to follow her. Therefore, she only brought Tatiana and Andy. The rest waited outside for her. She had just entered the mall and had not shopped for long when a man wearing a mink trench coat approached her. He said. ¡°Oh! Miss Haynes, is that you? ¡°Long time no see! You¡¯re in the mood for shopping today?¡± Joanna turned around and saw that it was Marlowe. Out of courtesy, Joanna greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Yanice.¡± Marlowe¡¯s eyes were filled with mischief. ¡°What a coincidence meeting you here! Looks like there is a fated affinity between. Joanna shrugged, at aplete loss for words. This was the most high¨Cend mall in Greyport. Wealthy people liked to shop here. It was normal for them to meet here. Joanna could not be bothered to deal with such a person and walked away. Marlowe took a few steps after her. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave! Let¡¯s have a chat! I¡¯ll treat you to coffee.¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes and replied coldly, ¡°Mr. Yanice, we aren¡¯t on such close terms yet.¡± ¡°I just want to be friends with you! By interacting more, naturally, we¡¯ll be friends,¡± Marlowe said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± Joanna said. However, Marlowe kept following Joanna. He smiled craftily. ¡°Mr. Everett is in jail now. I think you must be very lonely, right? ¡°We¡¯re all young people anyway. What¡¯s wrong with making more friends? Besides, I¡¯m in no way inferior to Bruce.¡± When Joanna heard this, anger surged within her. Marlowe was up to no good. Joanna could not believe that he dared tease her openly like this. ¡°Mr. Yanice/please move aside. I¡¯m going shopping now!¡± Joanna said. Seeing this, Tatiana and Andy also went forward to stop Marlowe. Both of them had dark expressions. Joanna said, ¡°Mr. Yanice, please show some respect. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you.¡± Marlowe¡¯s face darkened. He smiled coldly at Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t you want to know your sister¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Joanna was about to leave, but when she heard his words, she immediately turned around. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Roxanne? You know where she went?¡± Joanna asked. Marlowe remarked, ¡°Earlier, I said I wanted to treat you to a cup of coffee, but you had to reject me.¡± Joanna said, ¡°Mr. Yanice, my sister has been missing for several days. If you really saw her, please let me know!¡± Marlowe chuckled. ¡°Of course, I will, but aren¡¯t you going to treat me to a cup of coffee?¡± Joanna continued to press Marlowe for answers about Roxanne¡¯s whereabouts. She did not stay mad at him anymore. ¡°Where on earth is Roxanne? Have you got her hidden away somewhere?¡± Marlowe said, ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m very thirsty now. If you want to ask me about your sister¡¯s whereabouts, don¡¯t you think you ought to treat me to a drink?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Joanna froze before saying, ¡°All right! There¡¯s a cafe here. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink here, Mr. Yanice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it, Marlowe said. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Andy coldly. ¡°All of you, wait outside. Don¡¯t disturb my conversation with Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± Andy said worriedly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You guys wait outside!¡± Joanna instructed. This was a cafe. Joanna believed that Marlowe would not dare to try anything here. Andy had no choice but to wait with Tatiana at the cafe¡¯s entrance. Joanna and Marlowe entered the cafe. Most of the people here were couples or businessmen chatting. Hence, the booths were elegant and private. Marlowe deliberately chose a corner booth. ¡°Where is my sister?¡± Joanna asked anxiously. ¡°You¡¯re so direct. How unromantic of you!¡± Marlowemented. Joanna was seething with anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cwife to be so beautiful,¡± Marlowe added. ¡°Mr. Yanice, what do you mean by that?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Nothing at all. I¡¯m just praising you for being beautiful! It¡¯s really rare to see a natural beauty like you,¡± Marlowe answered. Joanna snapped, ¡°Where the hell is my sister? Please don¡¯t beat around the bush! My patience is limited. I don¡¯t have time to chat with you.¡± Marlowe said, ¡°Gosh! We¡¯ve barely spoken, so why are you angry? ¡°But I feel that the more bad¨Ctempered a woman is, the more charming she bes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind!¡± Joanna cursed and sshed coffee in Marlowe¡¯s face. She stood up and wanted to leave. ¡°Who are you calling crazy?¡± Marlowe¡¯s face turned cold instantly. He was looking for trouble, to begin with. ¡°Let go of me! What do you want?¡± Joanna said. Marlowe said. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you¡¯re so rude! I¡¯m justplimenting you, why must you ssh coffee on me? ¡°However, I like women with your personality. The more shrewish you are, the more likable you are. The fiercer you are, the more charming you be. No wonder Mr. Everett likes you so much!¡± Send Gift Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I used to think that you are a cultured and gentlemanly man, Mr. Yanice. I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d behave no differently from a local ruffian. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to tell me where Roxanne is, I won¡¯t ask anymore,¡± Joanna said and walked out carrying her bag. Although she thought of Roxanne as her younger sister, Roxanne might not think of her as an older sister. Now that Roxanne was missing. Joanna simply wanted to make sure that she was still alive. Since Marlowe knew where Roxanne was, it meant that she was still alive. Naturally, Joanna did not feel like meddling too much in this matter. Marlowe had a cold smile. ¡°Ha! How interesting¡­ One day, I¡¯ll make sure that youe crying to me!¡± He wiped the coffee stains on his face. His eyes had a crafty and cocky look in them. Hearing this, Joanna felt goosebumps spread all over her skin. However, she did not stop and continued to walk away. She walked out of the cafe. Tatiana and Andy had grave expressions. ¡°Miss Haynes, he didn¡¯t do anything to you, right?¡± they asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Joanna. Her mood waspletely ruined by Marlowe, so she was not in the mood to shop anymore. Joanna left the mall, wanting to head home. She arrived at the car park. Kody was surprised to see Joanna return so quickly. ¡°You¡¯re done shopping so quickly?¡± Usually, when Joanna came to Skyluxe, she would shop for at least two to three hours. This time, she was back in less than half an hour. That was really strange. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Joanna instructed. She, Tatiana, and Andy got into the car. ¡°All right!¡± Kody did not dare to ask further. He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. The car drove steadily in the direction of Sherane Bay Vi. The bodyguards were in the car behind theirs. The distance between Skyluxe and Sherane Bay Vi was about half an hour by car. Kody was driving. As soon as he got off the ring road, he saw a ck car speeding toward them. Seeing this. Kody hurriedly turned the steering wheel. The car swerved and he barely avoided the oing car. The passengers behind were thrown off bnce by the sudden erratic motion of the car. Andy was so startled that he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you even know how to drive?¡± Kody said exasperatedly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that car just now? It was driving in the reverse direction!¡± Joanna was also stunned. Her heart was beating wildly. ¡°Stop arguing¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a whistling sound. A car drifted and stopped in front of their car. ¡°Ah! Be careful!¡± Joanna cried out. There was a loud bang. Kody did not manage to step on the brake and their car crashed into the car in front of them. Both cars went out of control and started spinning. Joanna¡¯s car made a full 180¨Cdegree spin on the spot and the back of their car smashed into a few other cars. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna and Tatiana both shouted in rm. They were instantly locked in their seatbelts. Fortunately, the car was not driving very fast, so it did not overturn. The four of them were wearing seatbelts so they were not severely injured. ¡°Kody, what¡¯s going on?¡± Joanna asked. Kody was an experienced driver and would not make the mistake of tailgating. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the car and see if anyone is injured.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression changed. She had a feeling that something was amiss. ¡°Don¡¯t get out of the car yet. Hurry up and call the police,¡± she said. Tatiana also looked around vigntly. ¡°Miss Haynes, be careful. I think you¡¯ve encountered an enemy.¡± There was a traffic jam, so the bodyguard¡¯s car was stuck at the previous intersection and could not catch up to Joanna¡¯s car. Noticing that something was amiss, Kody did not dare to get out of the car. He started the car again and started to drive forward. As expected, the car had just started when something happened. Bang! Bang! Bang! Several gunshots broke through the car windows. A few men in ck behind them held guns as they speedily caught up with Joanna¡¯s car. Kody did not dare to stop the car. He stepped on the elerator and sped away. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. A few men in ck also quickly got into a car and chased after Joanna¡¯s car. Bang! Bang! Bang! More shots rang out. Kody grunted as he was shot in the left chest. He lost his hold on the steering wheel and the car crashed onto the treewn. ¡°Kody!¡± Joanna eximed. Tatiana and Andy could not attend to Kody now. ¡°Miss Haynes, get out quickly!¡± This was a critical moment. Their enemy was behind them. If the trio did not flee, they would die there and then. The car door opened. Tatiana and Andy escorted Joanna out of the car hurriedly. Bang! ¡°Ah!¡± Andy was shot in the back and fell heavily to the ground. Tatiana also took out her weapon and said urgently, ¡°Miss Haynes, you should leave first! I¡¯ll hold them back!¡± Joanna nced at Tatiana. Having no other choice, she could only leap across the treewn and run off into the distance. At the same time, the bodyguards car drove over. The five bodyguards got out of the car and hurriedly went to help Tatiana. At this time, Joanna had just run passed the opposite road. There was a deafening roar. A motocross bike stopped in front of her. ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna cried out in rm. She tried to gain the upper hand by attacking first. On the motocross bike was a man wearing a helmet. ¡°Joann, get in the car!¡± he yelled. Joanna was momentarily stunned. She knew that he was not an enemy and quickly got on the bike. The man drove the bike down the alley and quickly shook off the people behind her. The man continued to drive for about 20 minutes. When he was certain that no one would catch up to him, he finally stopped the bike. ¡°Is it you, Jay?¡± Joanna thought. ¡°Joann, are you all right?¡± Jaydon took off his helmet, revealing his handsome face. He had a resolute expression. Seeing that it was indeed Jaydon, Joanna could not hide her excitement. ¡°Jay, it¡¯s really you! Why are you here?¡± Jaydon looked at Joanna with aplicated expression. Joanna suddenly paused. She asked gingerly, ¡°Jay, I¡­ I thought you lost your memory?¡± Jaydon did not say anything. The mncholy in his eyes deepened. Joanna¡¯s heart ached. She stared at Jaydon with a guilty gaze. Indeed It was impossible for him to lose his memory. Jaydon simply did not want to put her in a difficult position, so he deliberately pretended to lose his memory. Now that he saw that she was in danger, he could not keep up the pretense anymore. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry. 1-1 have let you down.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached. Tears welled in her eyes and blurred her vision. In this lifetime, Jaydon was the one who she had let down the most. She had no way of repaying his kindness. The corners of Jaydon¡¯s lips curled up. He reached out, and his palm gently caressed her cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me. You didn¡¯t let me down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± Tears welled up in Joanna¡¯s eyes. Jaydon shook his head sadly. He knew very well that Joanna had been tricked by Bruce. ? Bruce was the one who had pestered Joanna and refused to let her go. How could she get away from him? Jaydon knew that even if Joanna got married to him, Bruce would still not be willing to let her go. He would use all kinds of methods to break them up. Therefore, Jaydon did not me Joanna. Even if he had to hate someone, it would be Bruce. ¡°It¡¯s not safe here. Let¡¯s go somewhere safe first, Bruce said. ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna said. Send Gift Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Then, Jaydon and Joanna got back into the car again. Joanna felt calm in her heartpletely. At the same time, she was conflicted to the extreme. Bruce and Jaydon both loved her very much, and they had both sacrificed a lot for her. It was hard to answer the question about who Joanna loved. In fact, Joanna¡¯s feelings couldn¡¯t lie. The person she loved was actually Bruce. However, Joanna was deeply traumatized by her previous marriage. Because of that, she blocked all her love for Bruce. Joanna kept telling herself that she didn¡¯t love Bruce. Now, Bruce had forcefully taken down the walls in Joanna¡¯s heart. Bruce found a way into Joanna¡¯s heart again. As for Jaydon, what Joanna felt for him has been friendship and kindness from the beginning to the end. It was just that Jaydon was too good to her. Other than agreeing to his proposal, Joanna couldn¡¯t think of another way to repay him. After a while. At the Cloudtop Vi. Jaydon returned to his house with Joanna. ¡°Are you shocked? Have some water first.¡± Jaydon personally poured a cup of hot water for Joarma. ¡°Thank you.¡± This was Jaydon¡¯s home in Greyport. It was once the wedding house of Joanna and Jaydon. Joanna checked the ce around and felt a little sad. ¡°Jay, when did youe back?¡± Jaydon frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a while.¡± Joanna felt her heart tremble. She said in a timid voice, ¡°How are your injuries? Have they healed yet?¡± ¡°Yes, they are fine now.¡± When Joanna heard that, she looked at Jaydon guiltily, not knowing what to say. ¡°What about you? How have you been?¡± Jaydon asked casually. Joanna bit her lower lip and nodded slightly. ¡°Does¡­ does he treat you well?¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes darkened as he asked inexplicably. Joanna knew that Jaydon was asking about Bruce. In fact, Bruce was the kind of person who was stubborn but soft¨Chearted. Sometimes, when he wanted to be good to someone, Bruce would do the opposite. For example, some men doted on a woman and would cook for her, wash her clothes, and say endless sweet nothings. As for Bruce, his way of showing love was very different. He would be very fierce, barbaric, and unreasonable. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. But in fact, this was just Bruce¡¯s way of expressing himself. The more he liked someone, the more he wanted to control them. Seeing that Joanna did not answer, Jaydon smiled slightly. Even if Joanna did not answer directly, Jaydon should have guessed that Bruce was very good to her. Bruce loved Joamma so much and had spent so much effort to keep Joanna by his side. How could Bruce not treat Joanna well? Moreover, Bruce had given all his assets to Joanna. The news had already spread throughout Greyport. Jaydon was well aware of that. It was often said that a man¡¯s heart was where his money was. The fact that Bruce was willing to give all his money to Joanna was enough to prove his unreserved love for her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you this. As long as you¡¯re doing well, I can rest assured As Jaydon spoke, her eyes could not help but turn red. Seeing this, Joanna felt terrible. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m sorry. In this life¡­ we can only be friends. ¡°If there is a next life, I will definitely repay you¡­¡± As Joanna spoke, tears streamed down her face. Jaydon patted Joanna¡¯s shoulder andforted her gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is not your fault. ¡°In this life, I came to your life toote. If there was a next life, I would definitely arrive by your side faster than him.¡± Joanna choked. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°Silly girl, why would I? Why would I hate you? ¡°As you said, our rtionship was far beyond a romantic rtionship. We are not family, but it felt like we are more than family.¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled with tears in her eyes and gently leaned on Jaydon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Jay, thank you! I don¡¯t want you to treat me like family in the future. You¡¯re like my brother.¡± Jaydon patted her back gently, but his heart was already hurting. Jaydon¡¯s love for Joanna was no less than Bruce¡¯s. It was just that Jaydon had bad timing. ¡°Joann, without Bruce, would you really fall in love with me?¡± Joanna was stunned. She paused for a few seconds before answering. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. In my next life, I¡¯ll definitely look for you earlier. Tears appeared in Jaydon¡¯s eyes. Joanna did not answer again. She just hugged Jaydon tightly. Jaydon was a good man. Although he was a yboy, he was also a principled person. Many men were yboys before marriage and had had enough fun before marriage. Once they got married, they would change their lifestyles and remain loyal only to their wives. However, those men who were usually honest and had never had any fun, after getting married, often could not resist the temptation With just a little flirtation, they would cheat. As for men who were used to all kinds of temptations, they would usually have enough fun before marriage. After getting married, they would be able to stop ying. Joanna was only in a momentary daze. She quickly came back to her senses. ¡°We have to call the police quickly. I wonder how Tatiana and Andy are doing?¡± ¡°I think these people rushed up. Don¡¯t show your face for the time being ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart tightened again. Kody and Andy had both been shot. No one knew how they were doing now. Send Gift Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Jaydon quickly called the police. Beep, beep, beep! Joanna quickly took out his phone and called Tatiana. She prayed that Tatiana was safe and sound. After a long time, Tatiana finally picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes¡­¡± ¡°Tatiana, how are you? Are you alright?¡± Joanna asked urgently. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Tatiana took a deep breath. Her voice was a little weak. Although Tatiana had not been shot, she had been stabbed in the abdomen during the fight with the criminal. She was now in the ambnce, rushing to the hospital for treatment. ¡°What about Kody and Andy? How are they doing?¡± Tatiana took a deep breath. ¡°The police have arrived. The criminals have already escaped. ¡°Kody and Andy have been sent to the hospital!¡± Joanna¡¯s voice paused. ¡°What about you? How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in an ambnce heading to the hospital!¡± When Joanna heard this, she became even more worried. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll rush to the hospital now.¡± Tatiana took another deep breath. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t show your face for the time being. I¡¯m afraid the criminals will make aeback. ¡°Gael has already rushed over to the hospital with his men. ¡°If you want to stay safe, don¡¯t show yourself so easily!¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was in turmoil. Joanna hung up the phone. Joanna was still uneasy and wanted to go to the hospital to check on the three of them immediately. Who was the vicious person that wanted Joanna dead? Moreover, the person was so brazen as to chase after Joanna with a gun on the street. Jaydonforted Joanna. ¡°Joann, stay here for a few days. Don¡¯t show your face for the next few days. ¡°If there¡¯s something you want to know, I¡¯ll help you find out.¡± Joanna shook her head sadly. ¡°No, I have to go back to Sherane Bay Vi. The children are still at home. I¡¯m afraid the children will be in danger.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There are so many security personnel and bodyguards in Sherane Bay Vi. The criminals won¡¯t dare to attack them there!¡± Even though Joanna heard what Jaydon said, she still felt uneasy. In the past, Ingrid had hired someone to kill Joanna. And now, she didn¡¯t know who else would hate her so much. ¡°Could it be Marlowe? 1 offended him today¡­¡± Joanna muttered. On second thought, she felt that it was unlikely. Marlowe had just met her. It was a little illogical for Marlowe to hire an assassin to kill her immediately. Could it be Roxanne? Joanna couldn¡¯t figure it out. Now, Roxanne had been missing. It seemed reasonable to send an assassin to kill Joanna. However, judging from the fact that the men in ck dared to hurt people with guns, they probably didn¡¯te from an ordinary club. Even Roxanne probably did not have that ability. Jaydon frowned and reminded, ¡°Joanna, think about it. If you die, who will benefit the most?¡± ¡°Who would benefit the most?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes. Now that Bruce was in jail, no one knew when he would be released. The Everett family did not have any other heirs. If Joanna died, her children would be the heirs of the Everett family. However, the children were still so young. They could not manage such a vast business empire as the Everett family. Thinking of this, Joanna felt a chill run down her spine. If she died and Bruce went to jail, the biggest beneficiary would probably be Liam. Liam was Bruce¡¯s biological uncle and the secondrgest shareholder of the Everett Group. If Joanna died, Liam would be the sessor. And because of this kinship. Liam would be the sessor to Joanna¡¯s three children. Thinking of this, Joanna shuddered. The person chasing after her was most likely sent by Liam. ¡°No. I¡¯d better get home. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll do something to the children.¡± Liam was Bruce¡¯s uncle. Although their rtionship was not good, they could still have a conversation. If something happened to Joanna, Liam might take this opportunity to go to the Everett family. Joanna knew what Liam wanted. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t panic now!¡± ¡°No, I really have to hurry home.¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Jaydon took the car key and left with Joanna. Half an hour passed. At the Sherane Bay Vi. The two of them hurried over. As expected, Liam had already arrived with his men. ¡°Mr. Miller, why are you here?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes¡­¡± Liam¡¯s eyes darkened! This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Liam was ying with the three children in the living room. When he saw Joanna rushing back, there was a strange glint in his eyes. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia.¡± ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally back?¡± ¡°Granduncle brought us a lot of gifts!¡± Davian and Irvin smiled happily and showed Joanna the gifts Liam had brought for them. Joanna¡¯s heart trembled as she looked at Liam with hostility. Liam did note with good intentions. If he came at this time, he definitely wanted to do something bad. ¡°Mr. Miller, why are you here?¡± Joanna¡¯s tone was cold and sharp. Liam frowned at Joanna¡¯s attitude and replied unhappily, ¡°Bruce is in trouble now. Shouldn¡¯t Ie over to see his children? What¡¯s with that tone? Even if you don¡¯t wee me, you shouldn¡¯t treat me with such an attitude. I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s uncle after all. You should call me uncle.¡± Send Gift Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with vignce. Shepletely ignored Liam¡¯s exasperation. Joanna would not react so dramatically if Liam just came to visit on any other day. But today, Joanna had just been shot by the criminals, and Liam hade to the door. It was hard not to connect the two things. In particr, if something happened to Joanna and her child. Liam would undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary. ¡°Mr. Miller, it¡¯s gettingte. I think it¡¯s time for you to leave. I won¡¯t keep you for dinner.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was in turmoil as she directly ordered Liam to leave. When Liam heard this, he was even angrier. Bruce, Liam¡¯s nephew, did not take Liam seriously. Now, even Joanna was going against Liam. How the husband and wife were in cahoots was disgusting for Liam. ¡°Hmph!¡± Liam snorted and walked away. Liam left the house. Davian and Irvin looked at their mommy in confusion. ¡°Mommy, why are you so angry toward Granduncle?¡± Usually, their Mommy was very gentle. She was especially polite when she face her elders. But today, Joanna was like a bulldog. She was not gentle at all. ¡°Davian, Irvin. In the future, when Mommy is not by your side, you can¡¯t ept anything from anyone.¡± As Joanna spoke, she took away all the gifts that Liam had given to the children. After all, there were a lot of radioactive chemicals now. A little bit of them mixed into a child¡¯s toy would produce a huge amount of radiation, causing the child to be unconsciously prone to a serious illness. Now, all Joanna cared about was her children. She had to be prepared in advance for even the slightest danger. The two little guys looked at the brand new limited edition toy and were reluctant to part with it. ¡°Mommy¡­ Joanna coaxed her children patiently. ¡°Be good. What do you like? Mommy can buy it for you. Don¡¯t ept gifts or food from strangers, understand?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know!¡± Davian and Irvin replied and obediently handed all the toys to the servants. Joanna frowned and said, ¡°Lilian, Ryodan, clean up these things.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Joanna instructed the servants. Joanna was physically and mentally exhausted, and she felt a little dizzy. Joanna sat weakly on the sofa. Davian and Irvin hurriedly went forward to check. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mommy is fine,¡± Joanna said as she stretched out her arms and hugged her two sons with lingering fear. ¡°By the way, Mommy needs to make a call. You guys go out and y first!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Joanna suddenly thought of something and quickly took out her phone to call Gael. Beep, beep, beep. The call went through. Joanna wanted to ask about Kody and Andy. Gael answered quickly. ¡°Hello, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Gael, are you in the hospital now?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°How are Kody and Andy? Are they seriously injured? Will their lives be in danger?¡± Gael¡¯s heart sank, and his tone was extremely solemn. ¡°Kody was shot in the chest. He¡¯s still being resuscitated. ¡°Andy¡¯s condition is slightly better. He¡¯s injured in the thigh of his left leg. His life is not in danger.¡± ¡°What about Tatiana?¡± Joanna asked anxiously. Gael said in a deep voice, Tatiana suffered a knife wound and is currently being treated. She is safe now. ¡°Kody is in a critical condition. Miss Haynes, you have to be mentally prepared. He might not be able to survive this¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart tightened even more. Kody had driven for Bruce for many years and was Bruce¡¯s favorite and trusted driver. ¡°Gael, you must ask the doctor to save Kody by all means. He must use the best medicine, and tell the doctor to save his life at all costs.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Call me immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°Okay, I will¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Joanna hung up the phone. She was still worried. Firstly, she was worried about Kody¡¯s injuries. Secondly, she was scared because the criminals had not been caught yet. These criminals were too crazy and audacious. It could be told that the person behind the gunshot must have a powerful background. Joanna still couldn¡¯t figure out who had done this to her. Davian and Irvin went to the living room for a walk and returned to Joanna¡¯s side. They could tell that there was something wrong with their mommy today. They were also very worried. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you in a daze?¡± ¡°Mommy is fine. Hurry up and go upstairs to sleep after you¡¯re done eating.¡± ¡°Mommy, can you bring us out to y tomorrow?¡± The children still did not know that their mommy almost could not make it home today. Joanna frowned. ¡°Be good. Stay at home for the next few days and don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s Christmas now. It¡¯s too boring to stay at home.¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. It was rare for her to speak to the children in such a cold tone. ¡°You have to stay at home even if you¡¯re bored.¡± ¡°Hurry up and go back to your rooms to sleep. Otherwise, Mommy will be angry.¡± ¡°Oh, alright!¡± Seeing that their mommy was angry, the two little guys did not dare to say anything else and quickly returned to their room obediently. Soon, the police began to conduct an investigation. It was a vicious crime with a bad social impact. When the police arrived, the criminals had already abandoned the car and fled. These criminals were obviously not from the country. Many of them were smuggled from poor countries in Southeast Alendor. Those people specialized in doing the dirty work. Once they failed, they would escape by boat overnight. Therefore, it was very difficult to capture them. If the criminals were not caught on the spot, it was almost impossible to capture themter. The next day. Joanna did not sleep the entire night. She woke up early in the morning. [There was a shooting on Eastern Avenue, seriously injuring three people.] The target of the gunshot is suspected to be the Everett Group¡¯s new president.] In the detention center. Bruce was special. Therefore, he lived in a separate cell that was even equipped with a television. After watching the news early in the morning. Bruce was so shocked that his scalp went numb. He felt as if the blood in his body flowed backward. ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± Bruce pounded on the prison door. A guard walked over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°I need to make a phone call!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re still in custody¡­.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes widened and he shouted, ¡°I have to make a call now, or you have to bear the consequences.¡± Seeing that Bruce was agitated, the guard did not dare to act on his own. He quickly went to ask his superior. Bruce¡¯s request was approved by the higher¨Cups. Bruce finally got the phone and immediately called Joanna. ¡°Beep, beep, beep.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Joann, it¡¯s me.¡± Joanna was stunned and asked in disbelief, ¡°Bruce, why are you calling me?¡± Bruce frowned and asked anxiously, ¡°There was a shootingst night. Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Joanna stammered. Send Gift Comment Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Bruce was still in detention, and Joanna didn¡¯t want him to worry. ¡°Hurry up and tell me the truth, Bruce asked anxiously. ¡°Alright. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t hide it from Bruce, Joanna could only answer honestly. ¡°I was attacked by criminals on my way homest night. Kody and Andy were seriously injured and are now in the hospital. for emergency treatment.¡± ¡°What? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m finel¡± ¡°What are those bodyguards doing? What were they doing when the criminals attacked?¡± Bruce was furious. Every year, the Everett family spent a huge sum of money on paying the bodyguards. Now that the bodyguards almost let Joanna lose her life, how could Bruce not be angry? Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t me them. ¡°Those criminals came prepared and deliberately created an opportunity to separate the bodyguards.¡± Bruce frowned again and again. After pondering for a while, he said solemnly, ¡°Joann, listen to me. You don¡¯t have to do anything now. ¡°Take the children and leave the country immediately. No matter what, you and the children have to be safe.¡± Joanna paused. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t just leave the Everett Group and go away. If I leave, what will happen to thepany¡­ Bruce¡¯s voice was filled with an unquestionable order. ¡°No, I won¡¯t allow you and the children to be in any kind of danger. Money can always be earned again, but you only have one life. ¡°Go abroad with the children and live a stable life. Don¡¯te back to Greyport until I¡¯m out of prison.¡± Joanna was naturally unwilling to leave Greyport now. There was still too much to do here. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The children and I will be careful.¡± Joann, just listen to me!¡± Bruce sounded helpless. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s not as bad as you think. At most, I¡¯ll bring more bodyguards when I go out in the future.¡± Joannaforted Bruce. No one knew when Bruce would de out again. If Joanna left the No matter why Group unattended now, thepany would get lost and in trouble. she had to protect the Everett Group for Bruce. The call continued until the battery died. Bruce still could not persuade Joanna to leave. It was Christmas Eve. At the Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna helped the children change into new clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Mommy will bring you to see Daddy today. Our family can be together today!¡± When the three little guys heard that, they instantly cheered. ¡°Oh, oh, that¡¯s great. We can finally see Daddy.¡± It was the most important festival of the year. Joanna decided to bring the children to see Bruce. Of course, she had to make sure that the security was well prepared. In the past, Joanna did not like to bring bodyguards when she went out, nor did she like the feeling of being surrounded by people and making a big fuss. She always felt that it was especially troublesome and eye¨Ccatching. However, after so many critical incidents, for safety¡¯s sake, Joanna had to pay attention to safety, After a while, Joanna and the children got into the nanny van. There were two BMWs in front and behind the van, both filled with bodyguards. At 2:00 p.m., Joanna arrived at the detention center with the children. In the meeting room, the children were already waiting eagerly. Seeing Bruce walk out, everyone was very excited. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re here to see you!¡± Bruce was stunned, but he still walked quickly to the window and picked up the phone excitedly. ¡°Joanna, why did you bring the children over?¡± Joanna sighed slightly and said softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to see the children? Today is Christmas. I brought them here to see you.¡± Lilia could not wait to hand the painting she had drawn to the ss window. ¡°Daddy, this is the painting I made for you.¡± In the painting, it was a family of five. It was warm and healing. ¡°That¡¯s great. Lilia, you¡¯ve done such a good job.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes turned red as he smiled lovingly at his daughter. ¡°Daddy, are you okay in there?¡± ¡°Yes, Daddy is quite good. You have to be obedient and not make Mommy angry.¡± Bruce felt a lump in N?velDrama.Org (C) content. his throat. He felt sad and soft in his heart. ¡°We know. We¡¯ll protect Mommy for Daddy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my good girl!¡± ¡°Daddy, when can youe out? We really want you to take us out to y.¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt a punch in his heart again. ¡®Daddy¡­ Daddy will be out soon. Be good when Daddy isn¡¯t around. Don¡¯t be naughty, and don¡¯t make Mommy angry.¡± Yes, we will.¡± Give the phone to Mommy. Let Daddy and Mommy have a few words.¡± oanna took the phone. Her eyes were still a little red. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the children have been good.¡± At this moment, Bruce wanted to smash the ss window and hug the four of them. Joanna, I¡¯m really worried about your safety. If anything happens to you, I can¡¯t ept¡­¡± oanna pondered for a few seconds. ¡°After the New Year, I¡¯ll send the children overseas.¡± What about you?¡± Of course, I stay here!¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes turned even redder. le suddenly regretted it. ruce felt that he should never have given the Everett Group president¡¯s position to Joanna! e was in prison now and had no way of protecting Joanna. Being the president of thepany, Joanna was at the center of ie storm. ruce was afraid that Joanna wouldn¡¯t be able to take the pressure. Send Gift Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Comment Unfortunately, Bruce had lost his freedom How Joanna¡­ Bruce¡¯s eyes were a little gloomy as he ced his palm on the ss window. Joanna ced her hand where Bruce ce his and said gently. ¡°The children and I will wait for you to come out. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I will take good care of myself.¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything. Bruce knew that he could not persuade Joanna. No matter how much he tried, Joanna would not listen to him. Right now, he could only think of a way to get out of prison as soon as possible. Only by regaining his freedom could he protect Joanna and the children. ¡°Visiting time is up¡± Joanna stood up and said gloomily, ¡°Bruce, the children and I will leave now. You have to take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were red as he looked at Joanna and the children reluctantly. Joanna lowered her head and looked at the three little guys. ¡°Say goodbye to Daddy!¡± ¡°Goodbye, Daddy!¡± The three little guys waved at Bruce.. ¡°Bye, darlings¡± Out of the detention center! Joanna and the children got into the car again and were ready to go home. Lilia looked at Joanna carefully. ¡°Mommy, why was Daddy arrested?¡± ¡°When will hee out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t Daddy the best? Why was he arrested?¡± Irvin¡¯s face was filled with frustration. Irvin had always admired his daddy the most and felt that his daddy was omnipotent. But now, his daddy was actually captured. It was as if the hero Irvin worshipped in his heart had suddenly gone down! Irvin was naturally disappointed and sad. Joanna did not answer the children¡¯s questions. Davian¡¯s face tensed up. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t disturb Mommy anymore. Can¡¯t you see that Mommy is very sad now?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Lilia and Irvin quickly shut their mouths. Since their mommy was in a bad mood, they did not dare to make her angry again. Joanna was still deep in thought and did not pay attention to what the children were saying! She suddenly thought of Jennie Garcia. Joanna wanted to go see Jennie. She wondered if Jennie had a way to get Bruce out. If Jennie really had a way to save Bruce, then Joanna was willing to leave and let them be together. Joanna would leave Greyport and nevere back. Thinking of this, Joanna suddenly said to the new driver, ¡°Sam, take the children home first.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°I have a personal matter to attend to.¡± ¡°Let use with you. If something else happened, the consequences will be unimaginable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Then, Joanna found Jennie¡¯s number and called Jennie ¡°Beep, beep, beep.¡± The call was picked up very quickly. The arrogant voice of Jennie came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Joanna.¡± ¡°Heh, look what the cat dragged in. Why did you call me?¡± Jennie seered. ¡°Miss Garcia, can we meet somewhere?¡± ¡°Did I hear you correctly? You want to meet me?¡± ¡°Yes, are you free? Right now. Joanna¡¯s tone was also a little cold. Jennie sneered disdainfully. ¡°If you have anything to say, say it over the phone. I don¡¯t want to see your annoying face.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more convenient for us to meet and talk,¡± Joanna insisted. After all, phone calls could be easily monitored. Considering Jennie might use shady methods, it was better that Joanna talked to Jennie in person. ¡°Then tell me, what do you want to talk to me about? See if I¡¯m interested?¡± Jennie replied arrogantly. Joanna pondered for a few seconds. ¡°I want to talk to you about Bruce.¡± Jennie was stunned. Jennic had looked for Joanna and Bruce before, but they all rejected her. Now that Joanna had taken the initiative to look for Jennie again, Jennie was surprised. ¡°Why? Have you thought it through? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for him?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, if you really have a way to get Bruce out, I¡¯m willing to ept your suggestion to leave Greyport and nevere back.¡± Jennie rolled her eyes when she heard that. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re not going to tease me again, are you?¡± ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m very sincere.¡± ¡°Alright then. Come to City Coffee.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± The call was hung up. ¡°Sam, drive to City Coffee!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± City Coffee is Greyport¡¯s most upscale coffee shop. At the same time, Jennie owned the ce. It should be very safe to meet here. Thirty minutester. Sam drove the car and arrived at City Coffee. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯m already at the door.¡± ¡°Thene in!¡± ¡°Sam, take the kids home first, then pick me up.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Joanna got out of the car. There was already a barista waiting at the entrance of the coffee shop! ¡°You¡¯re Miss Haynes?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Please follow ine.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She took a deep breath and followed the barista into the coffee shop. ¡°Mommy, can wee with you?¡± ¡°Be good and go home first. Mommy will be back to apany you soon.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The children did not dare to argue anymore and could only follow the drivers home. Chapter 533 Chapter 533 The barista brought Joanna into the coffee shop. The shop was elegant and beautiful. It formed a strong contrast with the arrogant attitude of Jennie. A few minutester. ¡°Ms. Haynes, pleasee in. Miss Garcia is waiting for you in the private room.¡± The barista brought Joanna to a private room with a professional smile on his face. The door opened, and Joanna walked in. Before she walked in, Joanna smelled the refreshing fragrance of coffee. Jennie sat on an elegant red sandalwood stool. In front of her was a red sandalwood table with a set of coffee cups on it. ¡°Hello, Miss Garcia.¡± Jennie nced at Joanna arrogantly and said with a fake smile. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect it. Miss Haynes actually came to look for me personally.¡± Joanna did not beat around the bush and said bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you because of Bruce.¡± ¡°I know! Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to meet you!¡± Jennie smiled slightly. Jennie poured a cup of coffee. She handed the cup to Joanna with a look of charity. ¡°Try it! My grandfather personally nted this coffee. It¡¯s not avable on the market, and it¡¯s hard to buy even if you have money. Joanna replied indifferently, ¡°Thank you. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°You came to me previously and said that you have a way to get Bruce out. I want to hear what it is.¡± When Jennie heard this, her big round eyes narrowed, and she sneered. ¡°Haha, how can I tell you this?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me how, how will I know if you are telling the truth?¡± ¡°Since you came to me personally, you naturally believe that I was telling the truth.¡± After saying that, Jennie looked up indifferently and nced at Joanna arrogantly. Joanna frowned slightly and quietly observed Jennie¡¯s expression. Joanna tried to tell from Jennie¡¯s expression if she was lying. ¡°Alright! I want to ask you how confident are you in getting him out?¡± ¡°Well!¡± Jennie pursed her lips and smiled again. ¡°I can only say that I will do my best to save Bruce. Even if I can¡¯t acquit him, I will minimize the consequences.¡± After saying that, Jennie revealed even more confidence through her eyes. Joanna pondered for a moment and blurted out, ¡°Alright then! I promise you that as long as Bruce is acquitted, I will leave Greyport and nevere back.¡± There was no better solution at the moment. Joanna didn¡¯t know any politicians who could help her, let alone help Bruce get away with it. Perhaps Jennie had such connections. Jennie smiled arrogantly. ¡°How can I believe you? ¡°What if I try my best to save Bruce and you refuse to leave? What can I do?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I mean what I say.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no proof. Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°Then tell me, what do I do so you can trust me?¡± Joanna asked coldly. ¡°Okay.¡± Jennie turned around. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. ¡°I told you before that as long as you¡¯re with another man and make Bruce believe that it¡¯s true, I¡¯ll trust you.¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, isn¡¯t your suggestion a little too much? I can¡¯t just randomly find a man on the streets, right?¡± Joanna was dumbfounded. ¡°Besides, why should I trust youpletely? You haven¡¯t done anything to get Bruce out.¡± ¡°If I say I can do it, then I can do it. Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Jennie turned hostile in a second. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 ¡°You¡¯re the one who came to me, not the other way around. If you don¡¯t believe me, you might as well go back¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, I¡¯m asking you for help sincerely. If you continue with this attitude, we really can¡¯t continue this conversation¡± Joanna stood up and pretended to leave. Seeing this, Jennie panicked and suddenly stood up. ¡°Joanna, what do you want?¡± Joanna shrugged slightly. ¡°I said that as long as you can get Bruce out, I will definitely leave Greyport. I will keep my word. ¡°I can write you a guarantee.¡± ¡°Hah, what¡¯s the use of that?¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°Of course. It has legal effect. ¡°As long as I leave Greyport, with your outstanding looks and family background, Bruce will definitely fall in love with you over time.¡± When Jennie heard this, her eyes darkened. She also agreed with Joanna¡¯s words. If Joanna really left Greyport forever, then Jennie¡¯s chances with Bruce were considerable. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll believe you this once. Then write me a guarantee. If you go back on your word at that time, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Jennie immediately pressed the server button and asked the waiter for a pen and paper. A minuteter. A waiter came in. ¡°Miss Garcia. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Get some paper and a pen, and some ink.¡± ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± Soon. The waiter brought a pen and paper over. ¡°Miss Garcia, here¡¯s a pen and paper.¡± ¡°You can leave now!¡± The waiter smiled and left the private room. ¡°Joanna, you can write it now.¡± Jennie handed the pen and paper to Joanna. Joanna took the pen and paper and wrote a guarantee. As long as Jennie could save Bruce from prison, Joanna promised to leave Greyport forever. If Joanna went back on his word, she was willing to be punished¡­. After writing the guarantee, Joanna pressed her fingerprint on the signature. Jennie took it and looked at it. A satisfied smile appeared on Jennie¡¯s face. ¡°Joanna. If you go back on your words, I want you topensate me with 200 million dors.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Joanna replied calmly. Anyway, Joanna didn¡¯t want to be with Bruce. The reason why Joanna was getting along with Bruce now was because he was in jail. And out of sympathy, Joanna didn¡¯t want Bruce to feel too bad. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it this way! After the New Year, I¡¯ll do something immediately. I guarantee that Bruce will be out soon,¡± Jennie said proudly. ¡°Goodbye, Joanna said and left the private room with her bag. After Joanna left, Jennie looked at the guarantee and could not help butugh. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you even think about getting away from me for the rest of your life. You have no choice but to marry me.¡± Jennie now had the critical evidence of Bruce¡¯s bribery. As long as Jennie had this piece of information, Bruce would have no choice but listen to whatever Jennie said. Outside the coffee shop. Sam and the others were still waiting at the door. They were probably afraid that something would happen to Joanna, so the driver and bodyguards did not bring the children back. This was all Joanna could do for Bruce now. ¡°Miss Haynes, are you done?¡± ¡°Yes, we can go home now. Joanna got into the car. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Davian and Irvin were tired from waiting. They had already fallen asleep in the car. Half an hourter, the driver drove back to Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna shook the three little guys awake. ¡°Babies, we¡¯re home. You can¡¯t sleep anymore.¡± Irvin¡¯s son was sleeping soundly. He mumbled sleepily. I¡¯m so sleepy. I still want to sleep.¡± ¡°Be good. If you sleep too much now, you won¡¯t be able to sleep at night,¡± Joanna said as she patted Irvin and shook Davian. Lilia was not in good health. Joanna could not bear to wake Lilia up and carried her daughter out of the car. Davian yawned. ¡°Ummn, are we home? I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get out of the car! Tell Irvin to get out.¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Davian rubbed his eyes and yawned. *Irvin, get out of the car quickly.¡± Perhaps it was because Davian was older, Irvin was very afraid of Davian. When Irvin heard his brother call him, he quickly got up. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for dinner. After dinner, take a shower before going to bed.¡± ¡°Mommy, isn¡¯t it Christmas Eve today? Do we have to stay up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You also have to give us gifts.¡± Irvin yawned. He didn¡¯t forget to ask for gifts. Joanna frowned. She had been troubled too much recently. There was no time for her to create a festive atmosphere. It was Christmas now. She still had to prepare some gifts for the servants who worked in the Everett family. Back in the house, Miranda was already waiting. ¡°Joann, what took you so long?¡± ¡°Oh, something came up.¡± Miranda smiled kindly and said with the concern of a mother, ¡°We¡¯re having Christmas Eve dinner today. I even made the roasted turkey.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Miranda.¡± When Irvin heard this, he instantly lost his sleepiness. ¡°Oh, oh. My favorite food is the roasted turkey Miranda makes.¡± ¡°Then you should have some moreter!¡± ¡°Wow, Mommy, can we set off fireworks after the Christmas Eve dinner?¡± ¡°Yes, but be careful.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Today was Christmas Eve. Almost everyone returns home to spend the New Year with their families. The Garcia family was naturally no exception. At the Garcia residence. As soon as Jennie walked into the house, Mrs. Garcia stood up with me on her face. ¡°Jennie, you¡¯re finally back. I called you so many times but you didn¡¯t answer. What were you so busy with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m back now! Happy New Year, Daddy and Mommy! Jennie hugged Mrs. Garcia happily. Grayson stood in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window. He pushed up his round¨Cframed sses and said unhappily, ¡°What time is it? Why isn¡¯t your brother home yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! What¡¯s going on with Zachary recently? He doesn¡¯te back more and more.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also listless and distracted every time hees back. This brat is getting more and more outrageous.¡± When Jennie heard this, she secretly curled her lips in disdain. Jermie knew that her brother and Roxanne were dating. Now that his little girlfriend was gone, Zachary must be sad. 11:03 However, what Jennie did not know was that Zachary identally killed Roxanne. ¡°Hurry up and call your brother. Tell him toe back quickly.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jennie took the phone and went upstairs. As she walked, she dialed Zachary¡¯s number. ¡°Beep, beep, beep!¡± Jennie called Zachary three times in a row before Zachary finally picked up! As soon as the call was picked up, Zachary¡¯s tired voice came up. ¡°Hello, Jennie¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Jennie¡¯s dissatisfied voice sounded. ¡°Zachary, where are you now? Why aren¡¯t you back yet?¡± ¡°Uh, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zachary asked in a daze. When Jennie heard this, she was instantly furious. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas Eve today. Grandpa, Daddy, and Mommy are waiting for you toe back for a reunion dinner. Why aren¡¯t you home yet?¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Zachary instantly shuddered. Zachary lowered his head and looked at his watch in a daze. Only then did he realize that it was already Christmas Eve! That day, after Zachary saw a woman in a red dress who looked like Roxanne in the parking lot, he felt as if he had been possessed. He panicked and was in fear. Now, Zachary did not even dare to return home. He spent time in the hotel every day. Of course, he did not dare to sleep alone in the hotel. He had to ask a woman to apany him every day. Zachary originally had poor health, and he was overly frightened. Moreover, he could not stand the temptation of beautiful Women Therefore, in just a few days, Zachary was like a zombie that had his life sucked out of him. He was so thin that he had lost his shape. Jennie impatiently urged again, ¡°Hurry up ande back! The whole family is waiting for you!¡± ¡°Oh, oh. I understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, then. I¡¯ll hang up first,¡± Jennie said coldly. Ever since her brother and Roxanne had hurt her, Jennie¡¯s feelings for Zachary had changed. Jennie and her brother¡¯s rtionship was no longer as good as before.. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back immediately. Tell Grandpa and Dad that I¡¯ll be home soon¡­¡± After hanging up the phone, Zachary pounded his groggy head and prepared to get up and freshen up. There was a beautiful woman lying on the bed. Zachary and the woman had been having too much fun for the past few days, and now the woman was sleeping very soundly. She did not notice that Zachary had woken up. This was a six¨Cstar hotel. Zachary had been staying in the hotel for the past few days. He did not dare to go back to his parents¡® house or his own house. It was Christmas Eve, so he could only brace himself and go home. Zachary got off the bed. His legs went soft and he almost lost his bnce. After a long while, the weakness gradually disappeared. Send Gift Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Comment Zachary staggered to the bathroom and subconsciously looked at himself in the mirror. Even he was shocked by what he saw. Zachary¡¯s once fair and handsome face had now be dark and haggard. His skin was also dry and fragile, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken like two ck holes on his face. The stubble on his chin was even more messy, and he looked like a middle¨Caged sloppy man. ¡°Oh, my god¡­ Zachary touched his face. It was Christmas this year. When Zachary returned hometer and his parents saw how he looked, his parents would definitely ask all sorts of questions. Zachary quickly took out a razor, foamed it up, and prepared to shave. ¡°Hiss!¡± The de was sharp, and Zachary shaved in a hurry. In a moment of carelessness, Zachary made a wound in his jaw. ¡°What kind of lousy razor is this? I should makeints about this hotel. The fee was so expensive, but they actually gave me a manual razor! ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s unlucky to shed blood on Christmas.¡± Zachary quickly pressed on the wound. After a long while, the bleeding finally stopped. Zachary changed his clothes. He threw down a stack of money and left the hotel room, rushing home. Five minutester, the elevator reached the floor of the parking lot. As it was Christmas Eve today, there were not many guests in the hotel. The parking lot was very empty. It looked a little sinister! Zachary was already feeling guilty, and he subconsciously shivered. It was probably because he saw the woman in red in the parking lotst time that his heart was racing. He quickly walked to the car and hurriedly opened the car door. It was not until he got into the car that Zachary¡¯s pounding heart felt a little better. ¡°Hurry up and go home¡­¡± Buzz! After Zachary started the car, he got out of the parking lot as if he was fleeing. This hotel was about 25 miles away from the Garcia residence. If there was no traffic, Zachary could reach home in less than an hour. The Garcia family was also a wealthy family. Wealthy families paid more attention to privacy and safety. Their residences. were usually very remote. Many of the residences were mansions halfway up the mountain, far away from the city. Zachary was driving home. It was halfway through the journey. After a few more turns of the tree¨Cpaved roads, Zachary would be able to see the top of the mountain where the Garcia residence was located. ¡°Beep, beep, beep¡± When Zachary made a turn, his phone suddenly rang. ¡°How annoying¡­ Zachary thought that his sister was urging him to go home again, so he picked up the phone and answered 1. it. ¡°I already said I¡¯ll be home soon. Stop calling. I¡¯ll be home in twenty minutes¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, a strangeughter suddenly sounded. It didn¡¯t sound like the voice of a normal human. Zachary trembled and broke out in cold sweat. He quickly hung up. As soon as the call ended, a loud bang sounded as Zachary was absentminded for a minute. His car seemed to have hit something and made a loud sound! Based on what Zachary felt, he should have hit a living creature. Zachary subconsciously stepped on the brakes, and the car made a squeaky sound. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The unlucky ones tended to be more and more unlucky. It was as if Zachary had hit someone. His heart was pounding. Zachary sat in the car and took a few deep breaths. He got out of the car and prepared to check. Zachary pushed open the door and got out of the car uneasily. The streetlights were a little dim, and only blood could be seen. Zachary walked forward to take a look. It looked like a living creature had been ced in a woven bag. Now it was smashed by the wheels! Seeing this, Zachary was so frightened that his hair stood on end. From the size of the bag, it looked like a three or four¨Cyear¨Cold child. ¡°Oh my god, could it be a person inside? ¡°I¡¯d better call the police! ¡°No, I can¡¯t call the police¡­¡± Cold sweat broke out on Zachary¡¯s head. He trembled as he opened the woven bag to check. If there was really a person inside, Zachary had to quickly call for an ambnce. Unexpectedly, just as Zachary bent down, he was about to open the woven bag. ¡°Bang!¡± Zachary¡¯s head was hit hard by the stick! ¡°Ugh!¡± Zachary grunted. Before Zachary could turn around to see who it was, he had already fallen to the ground¡­. An hourter. In the Garcia residence! Grayson¡¯s expression became darker and darker. ¡°Didn¡¯t Zachary say that he would be back soon? What time is it now? Why isn¡¯t he back yet? ¡°This child is getting worse and worse. It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯te back usually, but today is Christmas Eve. He actually doesn¡¯te back.¡± At the dining table, John¡¯s expression also turned dark! The old man naturally doted on his grandchildren very much. Because Zachary did note to see John on other days, it was very difficult for John to see his grandson. Today was a rare festival. John did not expect Zachary to not take it seriously at all. ¡°Hurry up and call him again. Let¡¯s see where he went. ¡°This bastard. If he doesn¡¯te back, he won¡¯t have toe back in the future!¡± Mrs. Garcia quickly put in a good word for her son. ¡°Zachary might be stuck in a traffic jam. I have to call him now!¡± ¡°Why would there be a traffic jam? It¡¯s Christmas Eve today. Everyone has gone home for reunion dinner at Christmas. How can there be anyone on the street? ¡°Zachary is so useless now because you¡¯ve spoiled him since he was young¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you ming me?¡± Mrs. Garcia retorted unhappily. Jennie hurriedly persuaded, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, stop talking. I¡¯ll call him now and urge him again!¡± Send Gift Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Beep, beep, beep! Jennie called Zachary again! The phone rang for a long time until a customer service voice sounded. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavable. Please try againter¡­¡± ¡°Huh, what¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t Zachary answering the phone?¡± Jennie was shocked. Beep, beep, beep! Then, Jennie called again! Just like before, no one picked up the call. There was only the voice of the customer service! Unable to get through, Jennie sent him another voice message. ¡°Zachary, where are you now? Why aren¡¯t you answering the call? ¡°Grandpa, Mum, and Dad are very anxious. They¡¯re all waiting to have the family dinner with you! Come back quickly!¡± ¡°Schwoof!¡± The voice message was sent.. After waiting for ten minutes, there was still no reply! Jennie turned on the phone again and could not help but mutter, ¡°What¡¯s going on? We just agreed to come back. It¡¯s been more than two hours. Why aren¡¯t you back yet? ¡°Zachary, where are you? Come on, this isn¡¯t funny. Everyone in the family is waiting to have dinner with you!¡± Jennie Garcia sent a few more voice messages in a row. Mrs. Garcia couldn¡¯t help but urge again, ¡°Jennie, did you get through to your brother?¡± Jennie looked serious. ¡°Nope! No one picked up on his end. I called more than ten times and sent him messages, but he never responded¡­¡± Mrs. Garcia sighed and shook her head helplessly. ¡°This child is getting more and more outrageous. When hees back, I¡¯ll definitely teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°Hand me the phone and let me call him.¡± Grayson was also very angry. The family began to take turns calling Zachary. Unfortunately, they still couldn¡¯t get through to him! At this point, four to five hours had passed since the first call. Mrs. Garcia¡¯s eyebrows kept twitching. She had a bad feeling. ¡°Will something happen to Zachary?¡± Grayson frowned and said angrily. ¡°What could happen to him? Who knows where he went to y again? This rascal is bing more and more useless.¡± ¡°Forget about him. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°Impossible. No matter how ridiculous Zachary is, today is a special day, he couldn¡¯t possibly be not coming back today!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been unable to get through to him. Something must have happened! Let¡¯s quickly send someone to look for him.¡± When Grayson heard this, his frown deepened. Zachary liked to spend time drinking and merry¨Cmaking and preferred toe and go alone. Therefore, he did not like to bring bodyguards, Furthermore, during this period of time, he had a guilty conscience and did not want to have any acquaintances by his side. Hence, he did not bring any bodyguards with him. Jennie also started to get anxious. ¡°Something might have really happened to Zachary. Just now he said that he would be home in half an hour. It¡¯s been more than four hours, and he¡¯s not picked up any of our calls! ¡°Even if he weren¡¯ting back, or he encountered some trouble, he would definitely call back. He wouldn¡¯t just stay silent and not answer the phone like this.¡± When the whole family heard this, they began to panic! ¡°What car was he driving?¡± ¡°Zachary drives a Ferrari these days.¡± ¡°Quickly take a look at his car GPS. See where he is now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Jennie hurriedly opened the car search app. Through the location disy, she found the current location of Zachary¡¯s car. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯ve found it. This shows the location of Zachary¡¯s car is in the East Lake Reservoir!¡± ¡°East Lake Reservoir?¡± Grayson and Mrs. Garcia gasped when they heard that. The East Lake Reservoir was at least 62 miles away from the Garcia residence. How did he get so far away? ¡°Oh my God, is Zachary kidnapped?¡± Mrs. Garcia said in a low voice. She felt terrible. ¡­¡± When the whole family heard this, their hearts were in turmoill This was indeed possible. Zachary was born into a super¨Crich family. It was very normal for him to get targeted by robbers. ¡°Then what should we do? Let¡¯s quickly call the police!¡± Mrs. Garcia promptly put a stop to that. ¡°We can¡¯t call the police. What if the robbers decide to kill Zachary? ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while. If he¡¯s really kidnapped, the robbers will definitely call us. Let¡¯s wait and see if they will call! ¡°Also, send someone over there quickly!¡± Grayson also became nervous. He hurriedly called over the bodyguards at home. ¡°Hurry and go to the East Lake Reservoir. Go find Zachary ording to this location.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The dozen or so bodyguards did not dare to hesitate and hurriedly drove to the East Lake Reservoir! An hourter, one of the bodyguards called. ¡°Hey, how did it go? Did you find him?¡± ¡°Sir, Zachary¡¯s car has been found.¡± Grayson¡¯s throat tightened. He quickly asked, ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°His car was driven into theke!¡± Boom! After hearing this, Grayson¡¯s vision darkened, and the hand holding the phone trembled. ¡­Then, have you found Zachary?¡± The bodyguard replied solemnly, ¡°We haven¡¯t found him yet. At the moment, the car is being salvaged. So far, we haven¡¯t seen Zachary himself.¡± This news was like a bolt from the blue.. John and Mrs. Garcia even closed their eyes and fainted from fear. ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa, Mommy¡­. ¡°Call the doctor, quickly!¡± Mrs. Garcia fainted for less than two minutes before suddenly waking up again. ¡°Zachary, my son! ¡°You¡¯re my only son. Please don¡¯t let anything happen to you. Otherwise, Mommy won¡¯t be able to live anymore. Boohoo!¡± Mrs. Garcia started wailing straightaway. Grayson quicklyforted his wife. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried now. We¡¯re not sure what really happened yet! ¡°My son, God protect you, keep you safe and well! ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and send everyone to search. We must ensure that Zachary is safe.¡± The Garcia family was inplete panic. The entire Garcia residence was in chaos. All the bodyguards and servants that could be mobilized had been mobilized to find Zachary, The entire night had passed! It was 6.00 a.m. There was still no news from or regarding Zachary. The entire Garcia family was as flustered as ants on a hot pan. They had been searching everywhere for the entire night. ¡°This won¡¯t do, Zachary must have been kidnapped. Let¡¯s quickly call the police. It¡¯ll be toote if we dy any longer!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t call the police!¡± ¡°It be toote if we don¡¯t call the police. On a deserted ind, Zachary woke up in a daze! As soon as he woke up, he felt a splitting pain in the back of his head, and his entire body was in excruciating pain. ¡°Argh, where is this¡­¡± He looked around. This ce was like an abandoned underground tunnel. It smelled of mold and was nauseating. As his eyes moved bit by bit. Zachary¡¯s gaze turned to the far left. He saw a woman in a red dress standing about 10 yards away. The woman¡¯s hair was draped over her head and shoulders, covering most of her face! ¡°Aah Seeing this, Zachary was scared out of his wits and retreated profusely! ¡°Arc, are, are. are you a human or a ghost? ¡°Don¡¯te over, don¡¯te over! Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aah He wanted to run Unfortunately, his legs were already tied up with iron chains. He couldn¡¯t run at all, let alone break free. The woman in red held a sinister¨Clooking boning knife in one hand. Her hair covered most of her face as she walked towards him bit by bit Zachary¡¯s heart was pounding to hard that he was about to faint! ¡°Ro Roxanne I know it¡¯s you Don¡¯t scare me. I know it¡¯s you! ¡°Let¡¯s talk things over. Don¡¯t do anything rash Please don¡¯t do anything rath. What do you want? You can tell me¡­. ¡°Aah Roxanne had already walked to hus ude step by step and lightly brushed her hair aside, revealing a face as pale as paper! When he saw clearly that it was Roxanne, Zachary was even more frightened. He had already seen how crazy Roxanne was! Now that he was in her hands, he would probably not be able to get out alive! ¡°Rox. Rox, calm down first. 1. I¡¯ve let you down! ¡°However, I was also forced to do it. I was also forced into a dead end by you. I love you. I really love you!¡± Roxanne was unmoved. She just held the boning knife and waved it around in front of him, as if looking for a more suitable ce to stab and cut Zachary¡¯s hair stood up slightly as he said shakily, ¡°Rox, calm down. As long as you don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll do anything you want. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ll agree to anything you want me to do. I¡¯ve been on the verge of breaking down recently. Without you by my side. I¡¯m really better off dead¡± Roxanne smiled faintly and stared at him as if she was looking at a monkey! There was a sinister cold glint in her eyes! That day, Roxanne had fainted, and Zachary had thought she was dead. After she had fallen into the water, she had been jolted by the cold water and woken up again. During this period of time, she had deliberately hidden herself so as to contemte how to take revenge on Zachary Compared to Bruce¡¯s mere coldness, Zachary was aplete scumbag. Send Gift Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Comment ¡°Aah, hrmph¡­ Roxanne stabbed the sharp knife into his thigh. At once, Zachary almost fainted from the pain. ¡°Zachary, I¡¯ve told you before. If you let me down, I won¡¯t let you off ¡°Haha, I really hadn¡¯t expected you to treat me like that! You actually wanted to kill me to silence mel ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± Roxanne said sinisterly and abruptly pulled out the boning knife. Zachary sucked in a breath of cold air and said in fear, ¡°Ah, um¡­ Rox, Rox, don¡¯t be rash! ¡°I slipped up that day. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose! ¡°Please forgive me. Please don¡¯t kill me! I can do anything you want me to do! ¡°Don¡¯t you want to marry me? As long as you let me go, I promise to marry you. I won¡¯t let you down again. Let¡¯s start all over again and live a good life, okay?¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­ Roxanneughed hoarsely. In the dim tunnel, a ray of sunlight shone in and onto her face. The light and shadow intertwined, making her look even more eerie. ¡°Hahhahhahha¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s throat let out a series of strangeughter. It was impossible to tell if she In her life, she had experienced three rtionships that ended in sorrow. The first was with Gavin. was crying orughing. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Although he was very poor, Gavin really loved her. He was willing to give her everything he could, even his life. If time could be turned back, she really did not want to marry into a rich family anymore. To have a man who truly loved her, that would be true happiness. She should not have despised Gavin. She truly regretted it. The second rtionship was with Bruce. When she had thought of Bruce, she had initially been filled with regret and unwillingness to ept how things turned out. However, after this period of tribtions, she suddenly understood! From the beginning. Bruce had never belonged to her. She was the one who reced Joanna through deception. Now that Bruce had returned to Joanna¡¯s side, it was a punishment Roxanne probably deserved. Long story short, it was all because of her greed. The third rtionship was with Zachary Thisplete scumbag really made her hate him to the bone! It was also through theparison with Zachary that she suddenly stopped hating Bruce. No matter how heartless Bruce was, he would never shirk his responsibility as a man. Zachary¡¯s thigh was dripping with blood, and his breathing was gradually weakening. However, he continued to beg. ¡°Rox. Rox¡­ please, don¡¯t kill me! ¡°Don¡¯t you hate Bruce? I¡¯m willing to take revenge on him for you!¡± When Roxanne heard this, she felt even more disdainful. If he had not begged her and acted more like a man, she might have decided to not really kill him. ¡°Zachary, I hate you even more now. You disgust me so much. What¡¯s more, when I recall having dated you, it disgusts me to the core. ¡°A man like you will only harm more people if you live.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± As Roxanne spoke, she raised her knife hand and then stabbed down. Another stab went viciously into Zachary¡¯s thigh. ¡°Argh¡­ Zachary whimpered in pain. He gave one screamed after another and fell to the ground, struggling. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. If you let me down, I¡¯ll kill you myself! ¡°And don¡¯t mention Bruce again. Your name doesn¡¯t deserve to be put together with his. Your whole life, you¡¯d neverpare to even a tiny fraction of the man he is!¡± Okay, I know, I know! What do I have to do so that you¡¯ll let me go? I really don¡¯t want to die, I really don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± ¡®Pift!¡± Roxanne raised her knife and viciously stabbed him again. A short whileter, the Garcia family still could not find Zachary, so they could only call the police. Through various clues, the police quickly determined that Roxanne had kidnapped Zachary However, Roxanne had made a careful n beforehand. After having driven Zachary¡¯s car into the East Lake Reservoir, she had changed to a ck car that she had prepared beforehand She had avoided the surveince cameras on the road and brought Zachary to this deserted ind. However, this was not a difficult problem for the police. The police mobilized arge number of their forces to surround this hill. Roxanne also knew that she was about toe to the end of her life. But at thest moment of her life, she suddenly wanted to call Joanna. She wanted to talk to her, and even more¡­ to apologize to her. After this period of tribtions, she had already thought things through. At Sherane Bay Vi, Joanna was also feeling uneasy! She also knew about Zachary¡¯s disappearance. Grayson even specially called her to ask about Zachary¡¯s whereabouts. It was the fifth day of Christmas. Joanna Haynes was sitting in the courtyard in a daze, her heart in a mess. Beep, beep, beep. Her phone suddenly rang. Joanna Haynes took out her phone and looked at it. The phone number was an unknown number. However, this was her private phone number and only her family and friends knew about it. ¡°Hey.¡± There was silence on the other end of the line. No one answered. ¡°Who is it?¡± Joanna Haynes asked again. There was no sound on the other end of the line, only a busy tone! Joanna was baffled. ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± There was still no answer on the other end of the line. Joanna frowned and instinctively guessed that it was Roxanne. ¡°Is it Roxy?¡± There was still no reply from the other end of the line. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. She had a feeling that the other party was Roxanne. ¡°Roxy, where are ¡°Do you know? I¡¯m worried about you. So is Derick. We¡¯re all looking for you everywhere.¡± ¡°Please tell me now, where have you gone?¡± you After a while, the reply finally came. ¡­Joanna!¡± Roxanne¡¯s voice was very hoarse, like an 80¨Cyear¨Cold woman. Upon hearing it, Joanna had a feeling that something might have happened to Roxanne. Although Roxanne had fied to her and manipted her time and time again, Joanna did not want to hate her in the end. ¡°Roxy, where are you? I¡¯ll look for you now. ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything stupid. There¡¯s a second chance for everything.¡± Joanna Haynes had also realized that Zachary was in danger. Roxanne pondered for half a minute and suddenlyughed hoarsely. ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s toote¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. ¡°Roxy, what¡¯s wrong? Can you tell me what happened?¡± ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve let you down.¡± *.* Joanna felt her heart being wrenched, and the corners of her eyes were already a little sore. Soft¨Chearted people were born to be so. Iwas in their nature. She was a soft¨Chearted person by nature. This was an unchangeable fact. Roxanne¡¯s face was covered in tears, and her voice was filled with endless sighs. ¡°Sister, the most regretful thing I¡¯ve done in my life is that I shouldn¡¯t have snatched your things. I¡¯ve already gotten my retribution now. I really regret it!¡± Joanna was afraid that Roxanne would carry on to the path of no return, so she could only try her best to persuade her sister. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t say so much. Please tell me quickly, where are you now? Do you know? The police are looking for you everywhere. ¡°Did you kidnap Zachary Listen to me. Please don¡¯t do anything stupid. You¡¯re still very young now. You still have a long way to go in the future¡­. Before Joanna could finish, Roxanne interrupted her. ¡°Joanna, I killed someone!¡± Boom! Joanna¡¯s scalp went numb and she almost couldn¡¯t hold the phone in her hand! Zachary had been missing for a few days! The police were now issuing wanted notices for Roxanne everywhere. Yet, a tragedy had still happened. Roxanne had really killed Zachary. ¡°Roxy, listen to my advice. Hurry and turn yourself in.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not turning myself in. I don¡¯t have long to live. Before I die, I just wanted to call you.¡± ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t say such depressing words. Where are you now? I won¡¯t look for you, ok.¡± Tears streamed down Roxanne¡¯s face as she said with a sigh. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve done so many bad things. Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart felt extremely heavy! It was impossible to say that she did not have any resentment. However, Roxanne was her little sister after all. And since Joanna was the elder sister, she would naturally disy the attitude of an elder sister. In the past, Roxanne had also been a carefree little princess. Though Roxanne also had herself to me for falling into this state. Joanna¡¯s heart still ached for her inexplicably. ¡°Roxy, don¡¯t say so much. Hurry and tell me where you are. Don¡¯t carry on with the mistakes.¡± ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re really too kind. If we can start all over again, I really want to treat you as my elder sister. ¡°If I could start all over again, I wouldn¡¯t fight with you for Bruce. He belonged to you, to begin with¡­ As Roxanne spoke, she could not hold back the tears from flowing out of her eyes. Send Gift Comment Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She pursed her lips and did not know what to say. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it! Joann, take care,¡± Roxanne said and hung up. Joanna frowned and called out a few more times, ¡°Hello, hello, Roxy¡­¡± Unfortunately, Roxanne had already hung up. After hanging up, Joanna brushed the hair on her forehead and felt even uneasier. She already had a premonition that Roxanne was walking on a path of no return this time. She probably would not turn back At the same time, the police located the deserted ind where Roxanne kidnapped Zachary Soon, the police organized arge number of police officers to rescue Zachary On the deserted ind, arge number of armed police officers surrounded the tunnel. ¡°People inside, listen up. Hurry up ande out and surrender. You¡¯re already surrounded. Don¡¯t resist in vain!¡± ¡°The criminal is just a woman. I suggest we rush in and rescue the hostage.¡± The Garcia family also sent someone to rescue Zachary. After hearing the police¡¯s suggestion, he immediately objected. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t! ¡°What if we anger the woman and she hurts the hostage? We should negotiate with her first and make sure the hostage is safe¡± The Garcia family¡¯s only wish now was to ensure Zachary¡¯s safety. When the police heard this, they agreed and called the negotiator over. Twenty minutester, the negotiator came over and shouted into the tunnel. ¡°Ms. Haynes, what requests do you have? You can state them now.¡± ¡°You have to be careful. Don¡¯t anger the kidnapper. It won¡¯t be good if she hurts the hostage. The butler of the Garcia family reminded them in a low voice. ¡°Ms. Haynes, I know you¡¯re inside. Everything can be discussed slowly. Don¡¯t act recklessly.¡± Roxanne stayed in the cave and knew that she could not escape no matter what. She hadpletely broken down. She waved the boning knife in her hand and roared, ¡°Don¡¯te over! If any of you dare toe closer. I¡¯ll kill Zachary When the butler of the Garcia family heard this, he said urgently, ¡°Mr. Wilson, don¡¯t anger this female kidnapper. She has a mental illness. It won¡¯t be good if she hurts Mr. Garcia. ¡°She has a conflict with Mr. Garcia about love. I suggest we break through from this key point!¡± The police and people from the Garcia family did not know that Zachary had been killed and were still trying to calm Roxanne down. Coupled with the constant pressure from the Garcia family, the police did not dare to use violence to save Zachary. They could only negotiate and think that Roxanne would take the initiative to let Zachary off After all, most women didn¡¯t kidnap men for money. Most of them were emotional problems. Usually, when the emotional problems were properly resolved, they would give up resisting. ¡°Ms. Haynes, if you have any requests, feel free to ask. As long as we can, we will definitely satisfy you.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Roxanne coughed weakly a few times. She curled up weakly in the hole, her pale face devoid of any color, Her body was severely injured and had not received any good treatment. She was already seriously ill and extremely weak! ¡°Ms. Haynes, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hurt you. I just want to have a good talk with you.¡± ¡°Can you tell me why you kidnapped Mr. Garcia? Or do you want to solve some problem?¡± The negotiator approached the tunnel step by step with a harmless expression. Roxanne waved the boning knife a few more times. ¡°Don¡¯te over. If you take another step, I¡¯ll kill him.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t go over. We¡¯ll talk here. ¡°Ms. Haynes, you have to think about your family and friends. ¡°Or if there¡¯s anyone you want to see now, you can tell me.¡± When Roxanne heard this, her bloodshot eyespletely darkened. At this point, she no longer had any reason to live. Right now, the person she wanted to see the most wasn¡¯t Ingrid or Bruce. Instead, it was¡­ Gavin! Her mind suddenly recalled the good times when they were on campus. She recalled the happiness and care that Gavin had once given her. If she had chosen to be with Gavin from the start, she would probably be very happy now! Unfortunately¡­. The negotiator used all his negotiating ability to talk to Roxanne for nearly an hour. Roxanne finallypromised and mentioned her requests. ¡°I want to see Joanna. Once I see her, I¡¯ll let Zachary go.¡±. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. We¡¯ll send someone to pick her up immediately.¡± In order to sessfully rescue Zachary as soon as possible, the police hurriedly sent someone to inform Joanna. Sherane Bay Vi The police rushed to the Everett family as fast as they could. ¡°Are you Miss Joanna Haynes?¡± Regarding the arrival of the police, Joanna¡¯s heart still tightened. ¡°It¡¯s me! I¡¯m Joanna.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the police.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the matter, sir?¡± A police officer looked at Joanna solemnly. ¡°Roxanne is your sister, right?¡± ¡°Yes, she is¡­ What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Joanna subconsciously replied. ¡°She kidnapped Mr. Zachary Garcia. Her emotions are very unstable now. We hope you can help the police and get her to release Mr. Garcia.¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°The kidnapper has made a request to see you. You¡¯re her elder sister. If you persuade her, she might give up resisting.¡± Joanna agreed without hesitation. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll try my bestf Soon, the two police officers brought Joanna to the deserted ind as quickly as possible. The police had been dealing with Roxanne for the entire afternoon. The negotiator¡¯s mouth was dry, but Roxanne still refused to let go. She was even more unwilling to ¡°Miss Joanna Haynes, the kidnapper is in the tunnel now! You can persuade her, but don¡¯t go near the tunnel. She has a weapon in her hand. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll attack.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Joanna walked forward, slowed down her tone, and shouted inside, ¡®Roxy, are you inside? I¡¯m.. Joann! I¡¯m here.¡± When Roxanne heard the voice, she could not help but tremble. She struggled to look out of the tunnel. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Joanna tried her best to calm Roxanne down. ¡°Roxy, follow their order, and don¡¯t do anything stupid again.¡± ¡°Humph Roxanne smiled faintly. Joann,e here!¡± Roxanne said and waved at her. The two of them were more than 50 steps apart. Joanna saw her eyes in which there was a bright glint. Joanna subconsciously swallowed her saliva. She was not sure why Roxanne wanted to see her. Although Roxanne had called her previously to express her guilt and apology, who knew if that was Roxanne¡¯s scheme? Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. In any case, Roxanne had already walked into a dead end. It was not impossible for her to hurt Joanna. Joan,e here. I have something very important to give you.¡± Roxanne blinked her grape-like big eyes and looked at Joanna pitifully. Chapter 539 Chapter 539 ¡°Roxy, be good and turn back. You¡¯re still very young. As long as you put down your weapon, there¡¯s still a chance for you to start a new life¡­¡± Joanna calmed herself down and took two steps forward! There was no death penalty in Greyport. Moreover, Roxanne had proof of serious mental illness. Therefore, even if she killed someone, the police could only send her to the mental hospital for treatment first. It was very difficult to convict her. Seeing Joanna approaching step by step, the police began to worry about her safety. ¡°Miss Joanna Haynes, don¡¯te any closer. If she hurts you, the gains won¡¯t make up for the losses.¡± ¡°Yes, we invited you here to help us rescue the hostage. We have to make sure you¡¯re safe first. We can¡¯t make you in danger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± At the entrance of the tunnel, Roxanne waved at Joanna again and urged. ¡°Joann,e over quickly.¡± The bodyguard Darcy immediately stopped Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, you can¡¯t go over there. Who knows if she¡¯s up to no good again? ¡°She hates you so much, so she¡¯s going to hurt you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Haynes, don¡¯t fall for it. This woman is heartless to the core. Her heart is vicious.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t put you at risk¡­¡± Hearing this, Joanna subconsciously stopped in her tracks. The words of the bodyguards and the police were not without reason Roxanne hated her so much. Who knew if Roxanne wanted to hurt her before Roxanne died? Sering that Joanna had stopped again, Roxanne¡¯s gaze froze and she smiled coldly Joann, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re still willing to treat me as your younger sister? ¡°Why? Even you are lying to me, right?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll keep my word. As long as you¡¯re willing to give up and acknowledge me as your elder sister, I¡¯ll forget about the past and still treat you as my younger sister!¡± Joanna said and walked forward again step by step! Darcy panicked and blocked Joanna with all his might. ¡°Miss Haynes, you really can¡¯t go any further ¡°Mr. Everett instructed us to ensure your safety. We can¡¯t let you take such a risk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If there are any problems, I¡¯ll bear them myself¡± Joanna pushed Darcy away and held her breath as she walked into the tunnel. She didn¡¯t believe in Roxanne bin in herself. Even if Roxanne wanted to attack her, she was not afraid. Before she came, she had already made a foolproof n. She was wearing a bulletproof vest and had a high-voltage taser in her pocket. If Roxanne really attacked, Joanna was confident that she could take Roxanne down in a few seconds. Roxanne saw Joann¨¢ really walking over. Roxanne¡¯s eyes shed with a strange light. ¡°Humph, Joann, you really trust me? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll hurt you?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and stared at Roxanne intently. ¡®Roxy, don¡¯t make another mistake. ¡°Listen to me. Give up resisting and try to get lighter punishment. Joanna¡¯s eyes were very sincere, without a trace of hypocrisy. She really hoped that Roxanne could turn back and start a new life. Roxanneughed with tears in her eyes. She looked at Joanna and said, ¡°11a-ha, Joann, I finally know why I lost. ¡°You¡¯re such a kind person. Of course, you deserve Bruce¡¯s love.¡± Joanna frowned and tried to ease the knot in her heart. ¡°Roxy, you didn¡¯t lose! ¡°In a rtionship, there¡¯s no winning or losing, only fate. ¡°Bruce is just your absession. As long as you¡¯re willing to let go of this obsession, you can live happily. ¡°You¡¯re still very young. There are still countless possibilities in your life. Follow my words and quickly give up resisting.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were filled with deep pity and sympathy. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget the past forever and start a new life, okay?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When Roxanne heard this, tears streamed down her face. At this point, it was toote to say anything. ¡°Joann,e closer,¡± Roxanne seemed to be holding something in her hand as she mysteriously urged Joanna toe closer. Joanna hesitated for a few seconds but still walked forward. Seeing this, Roxanne suddenly looked up at the sky and cried. Then, she deliberately acted as if she was attacking Joanna. She raised the thing in her hand and stabbed it at Joanna. Joanna was also shocked. She subconsciously grabbed the taser in her pocket. ¡°Oh no, watch out!¡± The police officers eximed, thinking that Roxanne was holding a knife. Bang! A gunshot was heard. Roxanne was shot in the chest. She staggered a few steps back and fell weakly to the ground. Joanna¡¯s entire body trembled, and her pupils constricted. ¡°Roxy¡­¡± ¡°Joann, this is for you¡­ Blood gushed out of Roxanne¡¯s mouth. She shakily exhaled a mouthful of cold air, and the blood in¡± her chest kept flowing out. ¡°Roxy!¡± Joanna could not care less and ran to her side in a few steps. When she arrived in front of Roxanne, she saw that there was no weapon in Roxanne¡¯s hand. It was a ck USB sh drive. Roxanne¡¯s actions just now were clearly suicidal. ¡°Roxy, why are you so stupid? Why did you do this?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached as she subconsciously hugged Roxanne. Seeing that they had subdued Roxanne, arge number of police officers also rushed into the tunnel to rescue Zachary. ¡°The kidnapper is down. Go get the hostage.¡± The butler of the Garcia family also rushed into the tunnel. Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Arge number of police officers surrounded Joanna and Roxanne to prevent Roxanne from attacking again. ¡°Roxy, Roxy¡­ Joanna shouted twice, and tears fell uncontrobly. After all. Roxanne was her sister. The bloodline could not be cut off. She was not so cold-blooded and could not remain indifferent. Roxanne smiled sadly. With trembling hands, she held up a ck USB sh drive and handed it to Joanna. ¡°Joann, take it¡­ and save Bruce!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Roxanne in disbelief. ¡°Roxy, you¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll send you to the hospital now! ¡°Hurry up! Call an ambnce.¡± Roxanne shook her head with difficulty. Blood gushed out of her mouth and nose. She said weakly, ¡°Joann, I am about to die. Please go to the prison¡­ Help me¡­ say something to Gavin¡­¡± ¡°Alright, tell me. I¡¯ll definitely say it to him¡± Joanna subconsciously pressed on the spot where Roxanne was bleeding and wanted to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, the wound was too big and the bleeding could not be stopped. ¡°Help me say something to Gavin¡­ ¡°Just say, I¡­ I love¡­¡± As Roxanne spoke, her throat tightened. In the end, she did not say thest word clearly. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She tilted her head and fell weakly into Joanna¡¯s arms. However, she did not close her eyes. There was a faint smile on her lips, probably because she was recalling the beautiful memories. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s pupils dted. ¡°Roxy, Roxy, don¡¯t die! ¡°Roxy¡­ Tears streamed down Joanna¡¯s face. She could not believe that Roxanne had died just like that. After a long while, Joanna closed Roxanne¡¯s eyes with trembling hands. ¡°Rest in peace! I¡¯ll definitely bring your message to Gavin. Although Roxanne did not say thest word clearly, Joanna guessed that she wanted to say that she loved him! In the tunnel. The police had also found Zachary¡¯s body. He was already dead, and livor mortis had grown on his body. He had probably been dead for a few days. Everyone could not help but gasp in shock, expressing their regret. In the end, they still failed to save the hostage. The butler of the Garcia family knelt on the ground and cried, ¡°No, Mr. Garcia, Mr. Garcia, hurry up and call an ambnce! ¡°Please save Mr. Garcia. Hurry up and save Mr. Garcia! Mr. Grayson Garcia only has one son. If you die, the Garcia family will be done for! ¡°What bad luck! To encounter such a disaster at such a young age!¡± ¡°He¡¯s already dead. Let¡¯s inform his family.¡± ¡°Oh my god, how am I going to exin this to Mr. Grayson Garcia and Mrs. Garcia? Mr. Grayson Garcia is in poor health. If he knows that something like this happened to Mr. Garcia, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand this blow!¡± The butler cried and panicked. Soon, Zachary¡¯s body was carried out. After Grayson and Mrs. Garcia received the news that their son had been killed, Mrs. Garcia immediately fainted. She could not believe that such a tragedy would happen to her son. ¡°Zachary, my son, my son will not die¡­¡± Grayson also cried. Jennie also cried in grief. ¡°Zachary, Zachary, you died so pitifully. Your death was not worth it. I told you that Roxanne was jinx and told you to stay away from her, but you refused to listen. ¡°The two daughters of the Haynes family are both troublemakers. Why do you have to be obsessed with her?¡± ¡°Jennie, don¡¯t tell your Grandpa. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to take this blow.¡± ¡°Got it, Dad¡± Grayson walked toward the funeral home. He wanted to see his son onest time. Although he had been dissatisfied with his son in the past and felt that he was a profligate son, he still could not ept that something like this had happened to his son. This was his only son. A few dayster. Joanna bought two graves and buried Roxanne¡¯s body properly. She buried Roxanne together with Shaun. Looking at the two tombstones, Joanna felt an indescribable pain in her heart. She did not know why the Haynes family hade to this point. In just two years, her father had died, and so had Ryan and Roxanne. Although it wasrgely because they had embarked on a path of no return, it was still because of her. However, her heart was iparably heavy now. It was probably that she couldn¡¯t feel better for a long time. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. I still couldn¡¯t take care of Roxy. ¡°Roxy is with you now. You should take care of her yourself!¡± Derick choked in anger and said in a shrill voice, ¡°Joanna, you bitch, are you finally satisfied now? Our family members are either dead or in jail because of you. I¡¯m the only one left now. Why don¡¯t you just kill me too?¡± Joanna raised her eyes and looked at Derick coldly like an ice-de. Derick. I¡¯ve never thought of harming anyone. You know very well who¡¯s responsible for what has happened! ¡°Behave yourself. Take good care of the business that Dad left behind!¡± After Joanna finished speaking, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything more to him and turned around to leave. Derick was so frightened by her gaze that his heart trembled. He pursed his lips and did not dare to say anything else. Chapter 541 Chapter 541 After arranging Roxanne¡¯s funeral, Joanna took the time to visit the men¡¯s prison Roxanne had asked her to say something to Gavin before Roxanne died, so she naturally had to visit Gavin. In the meeting room of the men¡¯s prison, Gavin was confused when he saw that it was Joanna who came to see him. He took the phone and said in a deep voice. ¡°Why is it you?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened as she looked at Gavin coldly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± After a moment of silence, Joanna replied coldly. Tve been entrusted by Roxanne to say something to you on her behalf.¡± ¡°Roxy, how is she doing now?¡± Gavin¡¯s eyes lit up and he leaned forward. He stretched his neck and pricked up his ears, afraid that he would miss a word. ¡°Why¡­ why didn¡¯t shee to see me personally?¡± Joanna was extremely depressed. She did not have a good impression of Gavin. This man was the main reason why Roxanne was ruined. However, since Roxanne asked her to pass on the message, she would still pass on the original words. Although Roxanne did not say thest word before her death, Joanna guessed that Roxanne still wanted to say that she loved Gavin, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? What did Roxy ask you to tell me? Is she doing well now? Is she okay? ¡°I know that she definitely doesn¡¯t want to see me again¡­ As Gavin spoke, his eyes turned red as he lowered his head and kept nagging. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Roxy must hate me to the core. It¡¯s only right that she doesn¡¯t want to see me. ¡°Roxy, I¡¯ve let you down. It¡¯s all because I¡¯m too useless. I can¡¯t protect you, let alone give you the life you want. I¡¯m too useless!¡± Hearing Gavin¡¯s self-me, Joanna felt a stab in her heart. No wonder Roxanne asked her to send a message to Gavin before she died It seemed that Roxanne probably had this man in her heart too! However, back then, when faced with the courtship of a superior man like Bruce, she naturally wouldn¡¯t choose Gavin. ¡°You don¡¯t have to me yourself. Roxy has already forgiven you. She doesn¡¯t hate you!¡± ¡°Impossible. Roxy must hate me to the core. I¡¯m so useless!¡± Gavin lowered his head in frustration. Although he was in prison, he could still find out about what happened outside through the media reports. However, the news of the murder of Zachary had not been widely reported yet. The police were afraid of causing a bad influence, so they had already blocked the news. Therefore, Gavin still didn¡¯t know that Roxanne was dead. After a moment of silence, Joanna finally said, ¡°Roxy has passed away!¡± Boom! Like a bolt from the blue, it shattered all of Gavin¡¯s beliefs and fantasies. After a long while, Gavin could not recover from his shock. After a full three minutes, he looked at Joanna with dull eyes in disbelief. ¡°W-What did you say? Say it again.¡± Joanna frowned slightly I said, Roxy has already passed away¡± Gavin¡¯s pupils constricted when he heard this. He shook his head mechanically. ¡°Impossible, this is impossible! ¡°I won¡¯t believe your nonsense. How could Roxy die? This must be impossible. You¡¯re lying to me. I won¡¯t believe you. How can such a beautiful girl like Roxy die so early?¡± Joanna was toozy to exin too much to him, nor did she want tofort him. ¡°Before Roxy died, she asked me to tell you something.¡± When Gavin heard this, his eyes turned red as if blood had seeped out. He stared at Joanna angrily. ¡°What did Roxy say?¡± ¡°She said that she loves you!¡± After Joanna finished speaking, there was a sharp look in her eyes. Gavin couldn¡¯t believe it. He waspletely silent. After a long while, he suddenly leaned on the window sill and wailed. He moved his head and mmed it against the stage. ¡°Row, Roxy, I¡¯ve let you down. I am so sorry?¡± ¡°Calm down!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Please shoot me I want to apany Roxy¡± When the guard saw that Gavin had hurt himself agam, he hurriedly went forward to stop Gavin. ¡°The prisoner is emotionally unstable Visiting hours are over ¡°Ms. Haynes, please go back first! Don¡¯t agitate the criminal anymore.¡± When Joanna saw this, her heart ached. She stood up and walked out She had already told Gavin what Roxanne wanted to say. She didn¡¯t want to ask about the rest, nor was she interested However. Gavin really loved Roxanne. With a man who loved her so much. Roxanne could rest in peace. Joanna left the prison. Joanna nned to repair the thumb drive given by Roxanne. Over the past few days, she had already watched it several times. Unfortunately, the thumb drive was a little damaged. The image was very blurry, and she could not see the content at all This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. She might need to fix the data. However, this was a major secret regarding Bruce. If she wanted to repair it, she had to find someone reliable and not trust anyone easily. Detention center. Bruce¡¯s case was about to start, and as soon as it started, he was basically convicted. Joanna wanted to get evidence in favor of Bruce before the trial started. In the meeting room, Bruce looked at Joanna resentfully His heart was filled with dissausfaction. ¡°You heartless woman, why haven¡¯t youe to see me for so long? ¡°It¡¯s been half a month. Do you finally want to visit me?¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes became a little unfocused, and her mood became iparably gloomy and heavy ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Seeing that she was in a daze, Bruce¡¯s heart choked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale? Did something happen again¡± Through the ss window. Bruce really wanted to touch her pale and haggard face! Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said softly, ¡°Roxy is dead!¡± Bruce felt a lump in his throat and his eyes shifted. Regarding Roxanne, his heart was no longer affected at all. What did her death have to do with him? Moreover, thewyer had already told him about it, so he had no reaction at all. ¡°Zachary is dead too¡± When Bruce heard this, his sinister eyes revealed a hint of pity He and Zachary grew up together He did not expect Zachary to die at the hands of a woman. More importantly, Zachary was actually killed by Roxanne. Thinking about it, he felt that it was a good thing that he had already cut ties with Roxanne. ¡°Yes, I already know¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Joanna asked subconsciously. After all, Roxanne had been with him for six years ¡°They have died. I hope they can rest in peace,¡± Bruce shrugged and replied indifferently. Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She wanted to tell him about Roxanne giving her the thumb drive. However, the thumb drive had yet to recover its data. It was better not to tell him for the time being ¡°Not yet. way. didn¡¯t that you say you wanted to send the children overseasst time? How is it? Is the matter settled?¡± ¡°I feel that it¡¯s better to keep the children by my side. Even if I send the children overseas, they might not be safe.¡± Chapter 542 Chapter 542 ¡°If I keep the children with me, I can take good care of them in time.¡± When Bruce heard this, he agreed. ¡°Joanna, I told you before. If you can¡¯t hold on, bring the children overseas. You really don¡¯t have to worry about me. Just take care of yourself and the children!¡± Joanna did not speak. Her beautiful eyes stared straight at Bruce. She would not leave until he was released from prison. Seeing Joanna¡¯s dumbfounded expression, Bruce became even more anxious. ¡°Fool, why are you in a daze? Did you hear what I said?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say another word. I know what I¡¯m doing. ¡°Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was even more resentful. ¡°Hey, the visiting time is not over yet. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ miss me?¡± After saying that, Bruce was extremely depressed. He missed her so much that he couldn¡¯t fall asleep every day. He waited for a long time, and finally, she came. However, she was in a hurry to leave after staying for less than three minutes. What a heartless woman. He really wanted to teach her a lesson. ¡°Bruce, I have something very important to deal with. Take care of yourself,¡± Joanna said as she stood up, eager to leave. That was because she suddenly wanted to go to someone who could repair the data on the thumb drive. Moreover, he was very reliable, She had to find him quickly and ask him to repair the thumb drive so that she could get Bruce out as soon as possible. ¡°Hey¡­ Hey, hey,¡± Seeing her leave in such a hurry, Bruce was so angry that he smashed the ss window a few times. ¡°Damn woman, you are too heartless.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, stop smashing the window. If you break it, you¡¯ll have to pay! Bang! Bang! Bruce hit it even harder. ¡°What a joke. Can¡¯t I afford it?¡± If only he could really break it. He would definitely jump out and teach that heartless woman a lesson. In the Garcia family, Zachary¡¯s funeral waspleted! Mrs. Garcia and John were seriously ill. They could not ept this cruel reality. This was especially true for John. He was already in his eighties. Now that his grandson had suddenly passed away, he could not withstand such a blow. He was directly sent to the ICU and had yet toe out Mrs. Garcia¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good, to begin with Now that something had happened to her son, she couldn¡¯t recover from it. Shey on the hospital bed and never got up again. The funeral was organized by Grayson and Jennie. Outside the cemetery, the reporters also rushed over after hearing the news. ¡°Mr. Garcia, can you reveal the cause of your son¡¯s death?¡± Grayson¡¯s already gloomy face became even gloomier. ¡°No interview.¡± The bodyguards quickly dispersed the reporters. However, the reporters were best at making groundless usations. They still found out the cause of Zachary¡¯s death through various rumors. ¡°Zachary was tragically murdered. The murderer is Bruce¡¯s ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡°Bruce¡¯s ex-girlfriend Roxanne killed Zachary cruelly ¡°The second daughter of the Haynes family became a murderer. The former socialite ended up in a miserable state.¡± All sorts of rumors on the Inte shocked the entire Greyport. After all, the Garcia family was a wealthy family. This kind of influence was very bad, and they did not want to talk about it in front of the media. Therefore, they had been suppressing a lot of news. ¡°Dad, Zachary died because of the two daughters of the Haynes family. ¡°We can¡¯t let the Haynes Group go so easily. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I will avenge Zachary I won¡¯t let the Haynes family have a foothold in Greyport. A strong hatred. appeared on Jennie¡¯s face. Although Roxanne was dead, she was still the Haynes family¡¯s daughter. Therefore, the Haynes family should pay this blood debt for her Joanna was Roxanne¡¯s elder sister, so Joanna was naturally the first target of revenge. Due to the death of Zachary, many of the Garcia family¡¯s businesses could only be taken over by Jennie. Grayson was immersed in sadness and did not want to make any decisions at all. He could only let his daughter do whatever she wanted. Beep beep beep. Jennie called Joanna directly. ¡°Hello, Miss Garcia.¡± Jennie shouted fiercely into the phone, ¡°Joanna, I want you to get out of Greyport now.¡±- Joanna said. ¡°Miss Garcia, Bruce hasn¡¯t been released from prison. Our agreement still doesn¡¯t count. How can I leave?¡± ¡°Humph, your younger sister killed my elder brother. You should be responsible.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°What responsibility do I have?¡± ¡°Roxanne is your younger sister. You should bear the greatest responsibility for her killing my brother. If it weren¡¯t for her. my brother wouldn¡¯t have died at all. ¡°Now that Roxanne is dead, you should bear the responsibility.¡± ¡°Hmph, what kind of responsibility do you want me to bear? Funeral fees?¡± Jennie was at a loss for words. Joanna retorted bluntly and said. ¡°It¡¯s true that Roxanne is my sister, but I¡¯m not sure about the entanglement between her and Zachary. -¡°Now you suddenly call me and want to aim at me. How ridiculous.¡± Joanna, although you¡¯re not the murderer who directly killed my brother, you¡¯re the murderer who indirectly killed my brother¡­¡± Jennie, please be careful with your words. If you do this again, I can sue you for nder.¡± Seeing that Joanna not only did not give in but also criticized her impolitely, Jennie was even more exasperated. ¡°Joanna, I think you don¡¯t want Bruce to be released from prison, right? Do you believe that I¡¯ll let him spend the rest of his life in jail?¡± Chapter 543 Chapter 543 When Joanna heard this, she sneered. This was the first time she had seen such an unreasonable person. ¡°Whatever!¡± Jennie choked. ¡°You really don¡¯t care about Bruce?¡± ¡°Inparison, I think you care more about him than I do!¡± Naturally, Joanna would not be fooled by Jennie. Even if she wanted to save Bruce, she would not let Jennie pester her endlessly! ¡°Even if Bruce doesn¡¯t get out of prison, it won¡¯t do me any harm! After all, he left all his money to me. Whether hees. out or not doesn¡¯t affect me at all.¡± Since Jennie cared so much about Bruce, Joanna would deliberately say something to hurt her heart. Jennie gritted her teeth in anger and said gloomily. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be smug. I won¡¯t let you have it easy. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely snatch Bruce from you.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was so angry that sheughed. ¡°Miss Garcia, I also advise you to be kind to others. If you be friends with me, I will treat you sincerely. ¡°If you want to be my enemy, I won¡¯t show any mercy. ¡°Also, it¡¯s not honorable to be a mistress. You¡¯re young, rich, and beautiful. Why do you have to cast a greedy eye on other people¡¯s men? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re shameless?¡± When Jennie heard this, she was so angry that her entire body trembled. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t tter yourself. Bruce isn¡¯t your man yet. The two of you haven¡¯t remarried yet. Why can¡¯t I pursue him?¡± ¡°Alright! If you want to chase after him, go ahead! As long as you can capture his heart, I have no objections.¡± Joanna was toozy to say anything to her. ¡°Humph, just wait and see.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wait and see!¡± Bang! Jennie directly hung up! Now that her brother was dead, she had be the only sessor of the Garcia Group. In the future, she would inherit. such a huge business empire like the Garcia Group. She did not believe that Bruce would be so stupid as to let a woman like her go and insist on being with Joanna. ¡°Bruce, I must make you submit to me! There¡¯s no man I can¡¯t get! ¡°If you want to choose Joanna, don¡¯t me me for being heartless to you,¡± Jennie said angrily and directly took out the evidence that her brother had given her. She had already decided to confront Bruce directly. If he was willing to ept her and marry her, she would destroy the evidence. If he still rejected her, she would not beg him anymore. She would hand this evidence to the court and let him stay in jail for the rest of his life. Beep beep beep. After Joanna hung up on Jennie, she immediately called Jaydon. He was an expert in this field. Davian had learned a lot of hacking skills from him. It was not difficult to find him to repair the thumb drive. Moreover, Jaydon was very reliable and she couldpletely trust him. The phone rang twice before Jaydon answered. ¡°Hello, Joann. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Jay, are you at Greyport now? I need to talk to you about something.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been at Venturas for the past two days. I¡¯ll only be at Greyport next month. Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°I wa want you to fix a very important thumb drive.¡± ¡°Fix a thumb drive? You can repair it by taking it to the maintenance station outside.¡± Joanna said anxiously, ¡°No, I can¡¯t give it to the people outside. I¡¯m worried! ¡°In this world, the person I trust the most is you. Other than you, I don¡¯t trust anyone else. This thumb drive is very important to me and can¡¯t be leaked. Therefore, I can only ask you to repair it. I¡¯ll be worried if I give it to others.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he became nervous. ¡°Is it a very important thumb drive?¡± ¡°Yes, very important to me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t return to Greyport at the moment. If you¡¯re in a hurry,e to Venturas to look for me. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can fix it. If I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll find someone reliable to do it for you.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Joanna agreed immediately. ¡°When will youe to Venturas? I¡¯ll pick you up!¡± Joanna thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll go over tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll be there at about ten o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°All right, then! I¡¯ll pick you up at the docks at ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. Be careful. Make sure you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, then. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Joanna said and hung up. After hanging up, Joanna was still a little worried. Jaydon and Bruce were not on good terms. Previously, when Bruce went against Jaydon, he made Jaydon lose tens of million dors. Now, she didn¡¯t know if Jaydon was willing to help her! However, other than Jaydon, she really couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who could help her. ¡°Davian, Irvin. Mommy is going to Venturas tomorrow. You guys stay at home and take good care of your sister.¡± ¡°Oh, then how long will you be gone for, Mommy?¡± Davian asked curiously. Joanna patted Davian¡¯s head. ¡°Well, one day at most. Mommy will be back soon.¡± ¡°Alright then! Come back early.¡± ¡°Yes, after school, don¡¯t stay outside. You have to go home early, understand?¡± Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Comment The next day. Joanna woke up early in the morning. After washing up, she changed her clothes and prepared to go to Venturas. She didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention, so she only brought two bodyguards. Tatiana¡¯s body had already recovered, so Tatiana had to go with her. Greyport and Venturas were facing each other across the sea. It took about an hour by ship. 9:30 A.M. Joanna and her people arrived at Venturas. They disembarked. Jaydon was already waiting at the dock. When he saw Joanna get off the ship, he immediately weed her. Although she was wearing sunsses and a mask, he recognized her immediately. ¡°Joann¡­¡± Jaydon was wearing casual clothes, looking handsome and elegant. After Joanna heard the voice, she quickly walked toward him. ¡°Jay, you¡¯ve waited for a long time, right?¡± ¡°No, I just arrived not long ago. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The car is ready.¡± Jaydon said gently and looked at Joanna affectionately. ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them walked side by side. Tatiana and the two bodyguards followed behind them, vigntly observing their surroundings. ¡°Why have you been staying at Venturas recently?¡± Joanna asked subconsciously. Jaydon didn¡¯t answer directly, but there was an unnatural expression on his face. Last year, Jaydon fell unconscious after being shot, and Carmel happened to be pregnant with his child. In order to leave a descendant for his son, Tim forcefully kept Carmel in the Grimm family. Now, Carmel was about to give birth. She would give birth the next month, so Jaydon naturally had to apany her. However, Jaydon did not want to talk about this with Joanna. He did not want Carmel to bear his child, either. However, his father insisted on having this child, and Carmel¡¯s belly was big, so it was not suitable for her to have an abortion. Therefore, he reluctantly epted it. They got into the car. The driver drove. Jaydon and Joanna sat in the backseat. ¡°Joann, what kind of sh drive do you want me to fix?¡± ¡°This one. The data inside is a little damaged.¡± Joanna opened the bag and handed a ck USB drive to Jaydon. Jaydon took it and looked at it. It was just an ordinary ck USB drive. Logically speaking, it was rtively easy to repair. However, Joanna insisted on letting him repair it personally. It must be something very important. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°Yes! Please.¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon. She wanted to say something but hesitated. She didn¡¯t know what was inside either, and she didn¡¯t know how Roxanne got this USB drive. Soon, Jaydon brought Joanna to his private vi. ¡°Let me give it a try!¡± Jaydon turned on theputer and began to plug in the USB drive to download the data inside. The USB drive was severely damaged. It took Jaydon a long time to repair it slightly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. In the blink of an eye, it was already past three in the afternoon. Joanna looked at the time and could not help but ask, ¡°Jay, how is it? Is it easy to repair?¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes were fixed on the data on theputer. His eyes were sore. Jpann, it might take two to three days. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, stay here for a few days!¡± Joanna frowned. She was worried about the children and it was really inconvenient for her to stay for too long. However, in order to repair the data on the USB drive as soon as possible, she braced herself and agreed. ¡°Fine!¡± Jaydon was meticulously restoring the program on theputer. Gradually, the content of the program was restored bit by bit. On the interface, a video of Bruce meeting with a few dignitaries was disyed. Moreover, one of them was the president of the country. Jaydon took a look and his heart sank. ¡°Is this a video about Bruce?¡± Jaydon frowned and continued to repair it. The data became clearer and clearer. Bruce and a few dignitaries of Porash were discussing the development of the Green Bay Project. There was also the scene of signing the contract! With this evidence, it was sufficient to prove that Bruce had obtained the right to develop Green Bay through legal tenders. It was definitely not obtained through illegal means. Moreover, there was a video showing him doing charity work. He had donated 200 million dors to build roads and schools in poor areas of the country. However, this donation was pocketed by the local government. Now that those politicians were in jail, his donation was framed as a bribe. After Jaydon read this, his brows were tightly knitted together. There was a faint hint of hostility in his eyes. No wonder Joanna insisted on asking him to repair it. It turned out that the USB drive was so important. Jaydon sucked in a deep breath of cold air. His eyes narrowed into arcs. Now, as long as hepletely erased this data, no one could prove Bruce¡¯s innocence. Bruce had caused him so much trouble. It was normal for him to take revenge on Bruce now. While Jaydon was having a fierce internal struggle, Joanna walked over. Jay, you haven¡¯t eaten all day. I made you a te of Spaghetti. Eat something firs As she spoke, Joanna brought a te of Spaghetti to Jaydon. Jaydon¡¯s eyes widened, and he subconsciously closed the interface. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not very hungry yet. I¡¯ll eatter!¡± Joanna leaned forward to take a look. ¡°Jay, is it impossible to repair?¡± ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± ¡°Let me take a look.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ready yet. It might take another day.¡± When Joanna heard this, her lips curled into a smile. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. What¡¯s on it?¡± ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t beenpletely repaired yet. I can¡¯t see everything clearly for the time being Actually, it had already beenpletely repaired. It was just that Jaydon was conflicted. It was a great opportunity to take revenge. If he missed this opportunity, it would not be so easy for him to take revenge on Bruce. ¡°Then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to repair itpletely, right?¡± Jaydon forced a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jay!¡± Joanna looked at Jaydon gently, her eyes filled with gratitude and trust. She trusted Jaydon unconditionally. She wouldn¡¯t trust anyone else easily except for him. Looking at Joanna¡¯s trusting gaze, Jaydon¡¯s heart ached slightly. The mouse in his hand was originally clicking the delete button. After thinking for a moment, he saved the data. ¡°Joann, as long as you can be happy, I will be happy too.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart suddenly ached. ¡°Jay, the luckiest thing in my life is to know you. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?¡± When Jaydon heard this, he took a deep breath, and his eyes were filled with endless tenderness ¡°Perhaps I owed you in my previous life. Therefore, I have to repay you in this life.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Jaydon still didn¡¯t want to disappoint Joanna after a fierce mental struggle He pretended to fiddle with it for a while longer, pretending that he had just restored it. He stretched and said. ¡°Alright, the data is repaired¡± Send Gift Chapter 545 Chapter 545 ¡°So soon? Didn¡¯t you say you needed another day?¡± Joanna was even more surprised! ¡°Oh, it was repaired just now, but there are still some ws that haven¡¯t been preserved. I was afraid that you would be in a hurry, so I hurriedly repaired it.¡± Jaydon casually replied. Joanna did not suspect anything and quickly came over to check. What she saw shocked her even more. It turned out that Bruce was really wronged. She didn¡¯t expect that Bruce had done so much charity work behind her back. and they were all anonymous. It was really¡­ surprising. With this evidence, it could fully prove his innocence. There was no bribery. At the same time, Joanna felt a lingering fear in her heart. No wonder Jaydon looked so nervous just now. He must have thought of taking revenge on Bruce just now. Fortunately, he was an upright man and a good person. Otherwise, others would not have disregarded the past and helped an enemy. ¡°Jay, I really don¡¯t know what to say. ¡°If Bruce knew that you were helping him like this, he would probably¡­¡± Joanna said as her throat tightened. A gentle smile appeared in Jaydon¡¯s eyes as he looked at Joanna affectionately. ¡°I¡¯m not helping him. I¡¯m helping you. ¡°I don¡¯t have any interaction with him. If it weren¡¯t for you begging me, I wouldn¡¯t have helped him no matter what.¡± Hearing this, Joanna¡¯s cheeks were still burning, and she could not say a word! Jaydon paused for a few seconds and suddenly said sadly, ¡°Joann, I know you love him very much. If he spends his life in prison, you will definitely be very sad. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you sad, so I¡¯m willing to help him.¡± ¡°Jay¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, tears instantly welled up in her eyes, and her heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. If only they could cut her in half. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Alright, hurry up and take this USB drive to save Bruce,¡± Jaydon said as he caressed her face gently and affectionately. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happier.¡± ¡°Jay, if there¡¯s a next life, I¡¯ll definitely repay your kindness to me¡­¡° ¡°Alright, stop talking so much. You only live once, so enjoy your life. Perhaps I owed you in my previous life,¡± Jaydon smiled and teased. ¡°Jay, thank you. I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Joanna had been in Venturas for three days. She was really worried about the children and did not dare to stay any longer. ¡°I¡¯ll send you ¡°Yup!¡± off!¡± They got into the car. Jaydon personally drove her to the pier. In the main driver¡¯s seat, Jaydon drove silently. Joanna sat in the front passenger seat with a simrly heavy heart. The two of them did not speak to each other, but they were telepathic and did not need to talk too much. They reached the pier! ¡°Be careful. Call me when you arrive in Greyport!¡± ¡°Okay, I see.¡± ¡°Goodbye,¡± Joanna said, turned around, and hurried back to the cabin. ¡°Joann!¡± Jaydon suddenly called out to her. Joanna stopped in her tracks and looked back at Jaydon. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jaydon took a few steps forward and ced his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her deeply and said, ¡°Joann, you must¡± live a happy life!¡± After that, Jaydon bent down and kissed her on the forehead. It was probably a kiss goodbye, right? His love for Joanna was fulfillment and tolerance. However, he knew that once Joanna left, she would probably be with Bruce for the rest of her life. His heart was still aching a little. Joanna also looked at Jaydon emotionally and subconsciously hugged him. ¡°Jay, take care of yourself too. You have to be happy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jaydon smiled at her with tears in his eyes. Although he loved Joanna very much, he still decided to let it go. He knew that the person Joanna had always loved was Bruce. Crack! Crack! Crack! From a hidden spot, the camera took a series of shots. The scene of them hugging happened to be captured by the paparazzi. Although Joanna¡¯s trip this time was already very secret, she was currently at the center of attention. Countless reporters and paparazzi wanted to capture her whereabouts. Now that this scene was captured, it would be another piece of shocking news. ¡°Wow wow wow, Joanna is really here to meet her ex¨Cboyfriend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She came to Venturas three days ago and stayed in her ex¨Cboyfriend¡¯s vi for three days withouting out. When this news is exposed, it will definitely cause an uproar in Greyport.¡± Another paparazzo said gloatingly, ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mr. Everett handed over billion¨Cdor assets to her to manage. I didn¡¯t expect that in the end, she actually betrayed Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°As soon as he went to jail, his ex¨Cwife couldn¡¯t help but go to see her ex¨Cboyfriend. She is so horny¡­¡± Soon, photos of Jaydon and Joanna kissing at the docks were exposed online. This instantly caused an uproar in Greyport. In less than a day, all the major media outlets and websites reposted it. Although Bruce was in the detention center, he was not an ordinary criminal. He had many privileges here. He had a separate cell and there was even a television in the cell to watch. A Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Comment In addition, the legal team would visit Bruce every day and report thetest developments in the case. Therefore, it was impossible for Bruce not to know the news about Joanna and Jaydon. The media generated misleading headlines and even wrote nonsense to attract attention. Such news misled the public without any doubt. Joanna met with her ex¨Cboyfriend, spending three days together in a vi] [Billionaire Bruce is infatuated with the wrong woman and bes a cuckold.] [Bruce¡¯s ex¨Cwife can¡¯t stand loneliness when Bruce is in jail.] Joanna¡¯s meeting with Jaydon became a heated topic online, and many media wrote news about it. Undoubtedly, Jennie¡¯s had credit for this event. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The news was so explosive that different trending topics emerged every hour. However, Bruce was so angry that he almost had a heart attack when he saw the news. Bruce never expected Joanna to meet Jaydon again. Bruce thought. ¡°When Joanna visited me that day, she left in a hurry after staying here for three minutes. She told me she had something important to do and needed to rush to meet someone. Thinking about it, she must rush to see Jaydon that day.¡± Joanna had stayed in Venturas for three days. Besides, there were photos of Jaydon kissing Joanna on the forehead at the harbor. Thus, everyone would consider something must have happened between Joanna and Jaydon since they had been together for three days. Bruce was paranoid, bad¨Ctempered, and obsessively jealous. Therefore, he was so furious that he almost passed out when he read the news. Bruce shouted, ¡°Joanna! Joanna! How dare you cheat on me for Jaydon? ¡°Good. Very good!¡± Bruce punched the wall heavily, and the skin of the back of his hand was instantly broken. Bruce knew deep down inside nothing would happen even if Joanna went to see Jaydon. However, Bruce still became jealous and angry because he could not ept something was between Joanna and Jaydon. Bruce wanted Joanna to love him wholeheartedly and not to have any man in her heart. When Bruce was sulking, Joanna arrived at the detention center to visit him. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell Bruce the good news she had. Thus, she rushed to the prison the moment she returned to Greyport. Joanna thought, ¡°I can get Bruce out of jail if I submit this evidence to the court. I don¡¯t need to beg Jennie for help, either. Joanna kept waiting anxiously in the meeting room. However, Joanna did not see Bruce appear after waiting a long time. After another while, a guard walked out. The guard said, ¡°Ms. Haynes, please go back.¡± Joanna was shocked when she heard that. She immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Mywyer has made an appointment for this meeting.¡± The guard replied, ¡°Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t want to see you!¡± Joanna was too shocked to speak. She thought, ¡°What? Bruce doesn¡¯t want to see me? ¡°What happened?¡± Joanna was dumbfounded and stared at the guard in disbelief. Joanna returned from Venturas and only stayed at home for a night. After that, she rushed to visit Bruce early this morning. Therefore, Joanna had no idea what had happened online. She did not know the paparazzi had taken photos of her hugging Jaydon. What¡¯s worse, the media had turned it into breaking news of Joanna getting back together with her ex¨Cboyfriend. Joanna was confused and asked, ¡°Bruce doesn¡¯t want to see me? How is that possible? Is he feeling unwell?¡± Joanna thought, ¡°Damn it. Bruce used to make a scene if I didn¡¯te to see him for several days. ¡°Now he doesn¡¯t want to see me when I bring the great news to him!¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s questions, the guard pursed his lips slightly. Then, a trace of disdain appeared in his eyes. 1/2 F The guard replied, ¡°This is Mr. Everett¡¯s order. We can do nothing about it. Ms. Haynes, you should probably go back.¡± ¡°Is Bruce doing okay?¡± asked Joanna. The guard replied inly, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Joanna said. ¡°Well¡­ Okay then. The excitement in Joanna¡¯s eyes gradually extinguished. After Joanna left, the two guards couldn¡¯t help but gossip. ¡°This woman is coquettish. She probably can¡¯t stand only one man in her life.¡± ¡°Exactly. Mr. Everett has been in jail for days, and Joanna can¡¯t help but go and have an affair with her ex¨Cboyfriend.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Joanna is so shameless that she still dares to meet Mr. Everett. How can she do that?¡± ¡°I feel sorry for Mr. Everett. He works hard to be a billionaire, but his woman cheats on him for another man¡± Joanna left the detention center, still feeling baffled. Joanna thought, ¡°Why did the guards look at me strangely?¡± When Joanna was in a daze, her phone rang. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Joanna took out her phone and looked at it. It was Jaydon calling- Thus, Joanna picked up the phone. ¡°Hi, Jay. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jaydon¡¯s anxious voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Joann, did you see the trending topics?¡± Joanna asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I haven¡¯t had time to read the news online. Did something happen again?¡± Jaydon replied, ¡°You won¡¯t believe it. The paparazzi took photos of us hugging at the harbor yesterday. ¡°The media write news about it, and people have heated discussions online. I¡¯m worried that something will happen to you and call you to check if you are doing okay.¡± Joanna felt a chill down her spine when she heard Jaydon¡¯s words. Joanna immediately said, ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll call you backter!¡± Joanna quickly hung up the call and unlocked her phone to read the news. The news left Joanna dumbfounded! Joanna thought, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I became a trending topic overnight again.¡± Joanna randomly clicked on one and saw a photo of her and Jaydon hugging passionately. The title was even more misleading! [Joanna met with her ex¨Cboyfriend, spending three days together in a vi.] Joanna couldn¡¯t help but gasp after reading it. Joanna thought, ¡°Gosh. When Jaydon kissed me on the forehead, there was nothing romantic about it. ¡°That was merely Jaydon¡¯s goodbye kiss. ¡°I hugged Jaydon simply because I wanted to express my gratitude for everything he had done for me. ¡°Unexpectedly, in the eyes of the media, these behaviors became proof of an affair. No wonder Bruce refused to see me. He must have read the news too. ¡°Crap. Bruce the jealous baby, will probably get mad again.¡± Send Gift Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Comment Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. The phone in Joanna¡¯s hand vibrated It was Jaydon again. Joanna answered it subconsciously ¡°Hello, Jay!¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice sounded anxious on the other end of the phone. ¡°Joann, are you alright? I¡¯ve already asked some people to deal with the news. However, it is very tricky this time. The rumors run wild for days, and the impact is severe. It will probably take days to get the trending topics to disappear. Joanna sighed slightly and said, ¡°Thanks. I understand it.¡± Joanna was already used to it Simr situations would happen once in a while. Although Joanna was not a star, she was more famous than those A¨Clist celebrities. Every word and action of hers could cause a huge uproar online. Jaydon was worried that Joanna could not hold the pressure, so he quicklyforted her. ¡°Joann, things will work out in the end. Don¡¯t give yourself too much pressure. ¡°If you need anything, feel free to call me. If necessary, I¡­ I can exin everything to Bruce personally.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was touched and replied, ¡°Thanks, Jay. You don¡¯t have to do that. Bruce is different from others. He will get more and more suspicious if you exin everything to him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about the news too much, either. Focus your energy on what you want to do. Don¡¯t pay too much attention to the news.¡± Jaydon smiled and said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll care too much about the news.¡± Joanna replied. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t take it to heart. I can handle it. Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Jaydon said. ¡°That¡¯s good. Call me if you need anything.¡± Joanna replied, trying to sound calm. ¡°Thank you, Jay¡± ¡°Well. That¡¯s it, then I¡¯m hanging up the phone now.¡± Joanna sighed in frustration after she hung up the phone. What Joanna was worried about now was how to exin things to Bruce. Joanna thought. ¡°Bruce is a big baby. It¡¯s hard to turn him back to normal once he gets angry. ¡°No, I have to exin it to Bruce. Who knows what crazy thing he will do this time?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Thus, Joanna hurriedly returned to the detention center. Joanna had to exin it to Bruce. Otherwise, Bruce would make a scene again. Unexpectedly, as soon as Joanna walked into the detention center, she saw Jennie At this moment, Jennie was sitting in the hall waiting. Joanna thought. ¡°Needless to say, Jennie must be here to visit Bruce¡± Sering Joanna. Jennie stood up from the chair and pursed her red lips. Then Jennie mocked, ¡°Heh. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here¡± Joanna rolled her Coldly at Jennie and could not be bothered with her. Jennie crossed her arms and looked at Joanna arrogantly and disdainfully, saying, ¡°Ms. Haynes, are you here to visit Bruce? ¡°Tsk. tsk. that every impressed by you How can you have rtionships with two men for a long time? You keep the secret so well fails to discover it for years. ¡°Can you teach me how to mantam rtionships with many men without letting them get jealous of each other? Don¡¯t you feel tired when you have to keep the rtionships with Jaydon and Bruce? ¡°If I were you, I would have been too ashamed to see anyone if others took photos of me having affairs with others.¡± After saying that, Jennie showed a mocking smile and looked at Joanna as if Joanna was a sexual worker. Joanna frowned slightly and sneered at Jennie, saying, ¡®Rumors stop at the wise. you see I have rtionships with two men? Or do you want to maintain rtionships with two men? ¡°Wait, I was wrong. Miss Garcia lives a promiscuous life She must have men more than two¡± The smile on Jennie¡¯s face froze when she heard that. Then she warned, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t mess with me. I will make you disappear soon.¡± Joanna retorted coldly, ¡°Heh. Let¡¯s see if you can do that.¡± Jennie shouted, ¡°You!¡± Jennie was too angry to retort. When she was about to pick up a fight with Joanna, a guard walked over and said, ¡°Miss Garcia, you may enter the meeting room now. Please follow me.¡± When Jennie heard this, her expression changed. She said, ¡°Joanna, we¡¯ll see. Joanna hurriedly walked to the guard and asked, ¡°Sir, could you please send a message to Bruce saying I have something very important to tell him?¡± The guard replied. ¡°Ms. Haynes, I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Everett refuses to see you. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± After the guard finished speaking, he brought the smug Jennie into the meeting room. Before Jennie entered the meeting room, she hurriedly shook her fluffy curly hair a few times to make her hair look. flowing Then Jennie pursed her red lips to make the lipstick more natural. She took a while to tidy herself up before walking into the room. Bruce walked into the room before Jennie waited for three minutes. Bruce did not want to see Jennie. However, he changed his mind because he was angry at Joanna. Bruce thought. ¡°Joanna can meet Jaydon and stay with him for days. Why can¡¯t I have some moments with another woman? ¡°I got to piss Joanna off.¡± Bruce sat down opposite Jennie. Jennie¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Bruce. Then she hurriedly grabbed the phone from the wall. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m here to see you again. How have you been recently?¡± Bruce replied inly, ¡°I¡¯m doing okay.¡± Jennie frowned slightly and said in a sorrowful tone, ¡°Look at you. You¡¯ve lost weight. Although you have some privileges here, the prison can neverpare to your house. Bruce, I wish you coulde out tomorrow.¡± Hearing this, Bruce frowned. Noticing Bruce¡¯s cold attitude, Jennie changed the topic. ¡± Bruce, I have bad news for you. My brother passed away.¡± As Jennie spoke, her eyes turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes. When Bruce heard this, he felt upset. However, he could notfort Jennie through the ss window. Thus, Bruce said. ¡°I was so sad to hear of your loss.¡± Jennie sobbed and said, ¡°You¡¯re my brother¡¯s best friend. Seeing you reminds me of the great memories when I was a kid.¡± Bruce took a deep breath and sighed inside. Bruce thought, ¡°I viewed Zachary as my childhood friend. ¡°However, I would never expect Zachary to stab me in the back. Now that Zachary was dead, all I wanted to do was sigh. Other than that, I don¡¯t have other feelings.¡± ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m asking you onest time. Won¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes slightly and looked at Jennie in disgust when he heard that. Bruce replied, ¡°Your brother has just passed away. But now, you are still thinking of a rtionship. Do you think it is the right time for that Bruce was always sharp¨Ctongued and never cared about others¡® feelings, Jennie¡¯s face jurned red out of shame when she heard Bruce¡¯s words. Her crying appeared to be unnatural. Jennie said, ¡°My brother. He¡­. ¡°It¡¯s because my brother passed away that my parents want me to start a family and have a child as soon as possible.¡± Jennie stared at Bruce again and said, ¡°Bruce, no other women in this world love you more than 1 Do you know what Joanna has done when you are in prison? ¡°You cherish her, but she treats you for another man Aren¡¯t you angry about that?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression darkened when he heard that. Then, his eyes were on lire. Bruce thought, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m angry! Ti so angry that I feel my body is on fire.¡± No matter what Joanna had done, Bruce would not be too emotional. However, when Joanna was with Jaydon, Bruce could not control his anger, as if Bruce was a cat and someone had stepped on his tail. Send Gift Comment Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Noticing Bruce was getting gloomier, Jennie knew her n worked. Thus, she continued, ¡°Bruce, a woman like Joanna doesn¡¯t deserve your love. ¡°Joanna has been with Jaydon for three days. Do you think nothing happened between them? They probably still love each other, and Joanna keeps the rtionship with Jaydon. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Bruce, you are a smart man. How can you fall in love with a woman like Joanna?¡± Bruce gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Enough!¡± Jennie sighed again. After pondering for seconds, she continued, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m here today to give you an ultimatum!¡± Hearing this, Bruce raised his cold eyes and looked at Jennie. Jennie adjusted her expression. Then she looked at Bruce sulkily, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going to get straight to the point. ¡°I don¡¯t want to maintain my deserved manners. I¡¯m telling you onest time. If you marry me. I¡¯ll do my best to get you out of jail. ¡°To tell you the truth. I have your dark secrets. ¡°If those secrets are made public, you can¡¯t leave the prison for the rest of your life. Of course, if you marry me, I¡¯ll keep your dark secrets confidential.¡± When speaking, Jennie leaned forward and stared into Bruce¡¯s eyes resentfully. Jennie was madly in love with this man. Unfortunately, Bruce had always been cold to Jennie. Thus, Jennie¡¯s love for Bruce was gradually changing into horrible possessiveness. Jennie would rather destroy Bruce if he rejected her again. Jennie thought, ¡°If I can¡¯t get Bruce, I¡¯ll destroy him.¡± Hearing Jennie¡¯s words, Bruce did not have any reactions. His face was still as cold as usual.. Seeing this, Jennie was exasperated. She raised her voice and said, ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m joking.¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Heh. Jennie, you know I hate being threatened the most. ¡°Are you forcing me to give in?¡± Jennie replied. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m not threatening you. It is because I love you so much that I can¡¯t ept that you are with another Woman ¡°However, you never ept my love. I have no choice but to apply extreme measures. Aren¡¯t you the same? You¡¯ll do anything to get the person you like.¡± When Bruce heard this, he subconsciously raised his eyebrows. ¡°Heh. It looks like you and I are simr.¡± Jennie got excited when she heard that. Thus, she raised her voice and agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re the same, Bruce. We can make a good team and grow old together because we are simr. ¡°My brother was gone. So, I¡¯ll inherit all of The Garcia Group¡¯s assets and businesses. You won¡¯t lose This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. anything if you marry me.¡± When Bruce heard this, he clicked his tongue meaningfully. Jennie had made her point clearly. She would bring all of the Garcia Group¡¯s assets and businesses to Bruce if he married. her. Although the Garcia Group was notparable to the Everett Group, it was still a family business worth several billion. dors. The Garcia family only had Jennie as the heir since Zachary was dead. Thus, Jennie was precious like a diamond now. Countless men in Greyport, Frayn, and other regions wanted to marry her. Jennie got emotional, and her eyes turned red again. ¡°Bruce, I love you so much that I abandon my reserved manners and confess my feelings to you! ¡°Don¡¯t you have any feelings for me? I have a decent appearance, a good figure, and money. How can Joannapare to me?¡± When speaking, Jennie stared at Bruce with desire, hoping he would give her an answer. Bruce nced at Jennie and wanted to reject her. Jennie did look good. These features made her look aggressive. Bruce thought for a while. Then he said perfunctorily, ¡°Give me some time to consider it!¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. She asked, ¡°How much time do you need to make a decision?¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Huh. Marriage is not child¡¯s y. I had to get out of jail first, even if I wanted to marry you.¡± Jennie was overjoyed when she heard that. She cried, ¡°Bruce, does that mean you¡¯re willing to give me a chance and date. me?¡± In the past, Bruce mercilessly rejected Jennie every time she confessed her feelings to him. Bruce¡¯s answer was ambiguous. However, his attitude was different this time. Bruce said, ¡°Well. I can give it a try. However, I need time to get into a rtionship.¡± Jennie immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can wait.¡± When they were talking, Jennie suddenly became suspicious. She asked, ¡°Bruce, did you lie to me? What if you change your mind after you get out of jail?¡± Bruce asked, ¡°Am I not a man of my word?¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Bruce¡¯s words. Then she cried excitedly, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll do my best to get you out of here!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Great. We will see when I get out of jail. Everything has a process.¡± He did not make a firm promise. Bruce couldn¡¯t wait to get out of prison. Even if Bruce had to return to prison after getting out for days, he would be more than happy to do so. Jennie said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Bruce replied, ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± At this time, a guard announced, ¡°Visiting hours are now over.¡± Jennie said, ¡°Bruce, I got to go now. I¡¯ll wait for you outside. I¡¯ll wait for you forever.¡± Send Gift Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Bruce was less defensive of Jennie now, which made Jennie very excited. Then, she left the conference room in satisfaction. Joanna was still waiting outside the detention center. Seeing Jenniee out with a happy expression as if she had won a lotto, Joanna subconsciously frowned and felt worried. Joanna thought. ¡°Look at Jennie¡¯s big smile. She must have gotten what she wants.¡± Jennie noticed that Joanna was still there. Then she smiled smugly at Joanna and said, ¡°Hey, you haven¡¯t left until now. Are you still waiting to see Bruce? I think there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Joanna mocked coldly, ¡°Miss Garcia, I admire your persistence. You must like Bruce very much.¡± Jennie answered without caring about Joanna¡¯s feelings, ¡°Of course. I can tell you the truth. I will get Bruce soon. He can only be my man in this life.¡± Joanna raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Did Bruce make a promise to you?¡± Jennie crossed her arms and replied proudly, ¡°Exactly! ¡°Joanna, you can pack your luggage and get the hell out of Greyport now. Bruce said he¡¯s willing to try it and date me.¡± Joanna asked in disbelief, ¡°Did he really say that?¡± Jennie said. ¡°Of course. Why would I lie to you? ¡°Joanna, do you think Bruce will forgive you for doing such a shameful thing? Fortunately, you still have Jaydon. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, you should return to Jaydon as soon as possible. After all, it¡¯s better to leave yourself than to be cast out.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Joanna shrugged slightly and said. ¡°I will leave after Bruce gets out of jail.¡± Jennie snorted and said. ¡°Hmph. Just wait and see. The trial of Bruce¡¯s case will open next Monday. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to let Bruce get away with what he has done. He¡¯ll be out soon. You¡¯d better hurry back and pack your luggage.¡± Joanna retorted, ¡°We¡¯ll see then!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Jennie snorted and walked away on her stilettos. Joanna took a deep breath and left the detention center. Joanna thought, ¡°Forget it. How do I exin everything to Bruce since I can¡¯t see him? ¡°Bruce won¡¯t believe me even if I exin it to him. ¡°Anyway, the trial is next week. ¡°I can get awyer and prepare everything. I will exin it to him when he gets out of jail.¡± Then, Joanna got into the car. ¡°Miss Haynes, where are we going now?¡± Joanna answered with a frown. ¡°To Greyport Hospital, please.¡± Sam replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Then he drove to the hospital. Joanna thought, ¡°Kody and Andy still stay in the hospital. ¡°Kody¡¯s injuries are more serious. Although his life is no longer in danger, he is under treatment. ¡°It has been days. I should visit them and see if they are doing okay.¡± Half an hourter, they arrived at the Greyport Hospital. Sam said, ¡°Miss Haynes, we¡¯ve arrived at the hospital.¡± ¡°Good. Now go to buy some high¨Cend nutritional supplements and fruits.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Sam bought several boxes of good milk and sea cucumbers at a high¨Cend gift shop near the hospital. Then he bought two baskets of imported fruits. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯ve got everything.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Then Joanna and Sam walked toward the hospital. In the ward. ¡°Kody, Andy, Miss Hayneses to visit you!¡± ¡°What? Are you kidding?¡± It¡¯s true. They are at the entrance of the hospital now.¡± When Kody and Andy heard this, they quickly sat up from the hospital bed. Kody could not get out of bed because his injuries were more serious, while Andy could walk with a walking stick since he just got a shot in the leg. They requested to be stayed in the same ward. Thus, they would not feel too bored when staying at the hospital. Joanna pushed open the door and walked over. ¡°Miss Haynes, why are you here?¡± ¡°Ie to visit you. How are you doing these days? How are your injuries?¡± Andy replied respectfully, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m much better now. The doctor said I can be discharged after recuperating for days.¡± Joanna went up to take a look. Andy¡¯s leg was still splinted. However, Kody¡¯s injury was more severe. Kodyy on the bed and could not get up on his own. Although Joanna had not visited them at the hospital over the past few days, the butler reported everything to her. Andy had no problem recovering. However, Kody had difficulties recovering as before. Even if Kody recovered, he could probably not drive again. What¡¯s worse, there was the possibility that Kody would be disabled. Luckily, the insurancepanypensated a lot for Andy and Kody. The Everett Group also compensated a decent amount of money for Andy and Kody getting work injuries. Thepensation for Andy and Kody was enough for them to live well for the rest of their lives if they did not squander the money. They would probably quit their jobs at the Everett Group when their injuries healed. Joannaforted them gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything. Just take your time to recover.¡± ¡°Got it. Miss Haynes, thank you foring to see us.¡± ¡°If you need anything, just let the butler know.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes. ¡°Take good care of yourselves!¡± Joanna left in a hurry after she talked to Andy and Kody for a while and expressed her care for them. After Joanna left, Andy could not help but click his tongue. Then heined to Kody, ¡°Tsk, tsk. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Miss Haynes is thinking. Mr. Everett treats her so well. How can she betray Mr. Everett? She should be loyal to Mr. Everett. I can¡¯t believe she gets back to Jaydon again. It looks like it¡¯s never enough for her! ¡°Considering Mr. Everett¡¯s temper, he probably gets crazy when he reads the news.¡± When Kody heard Andy¡¯s words, he sighed and said, ¡°Well. Anything about rtionships is always mysterious and difficult to exin.¡± Send Gift Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Comment Andy said, ¡°The trial of Mr. Everett is next week. I don¡¯t think there will be any problems. I know Mr. Everett well. When he gets out of jail, he will probably fly into a rage and do something crazy. Thinking about it makes me nervous for Miss Haynes.¡± Kody let out a long sigh. Then he said. ¡°I quite like Miss Haynes. I hope she can get through this.¡± In the Sherane Bay Vi. When Joanna returned home, it was already six in the evening. Joanna thought. I have been out a day for nothing. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Bruce or go to work.¡± Irvin ran over happily and cried, ¡°Mommy, wee back!¡± Joanna put down her bag and rubbed her son¡¯s head, replying, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡± Joanna asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Irvin answered. ¡°We¡¯re ying with blocks with Lilia.¡± Joanna asked casually. ¡°Have you done your homework?¡± Irvin pouted and said, ¡°We¡¯ve already finished the homework. ¡°But we¡¯re so bored! We want to ride horses. ¡°Mommy, can you take us to ride horses? We haven¡¯t ridden a horse since Daddy goes to jail. Irvin pouted with a dissatisfied expression. Hearing this, Joanna frowned. Irvin kept asking. ¡°Mommy, the weather is so good today. Can you take us to ride horses, please?¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Irvin, Mommy is a little tired today. Can we go another day?¡± Irvin said. ¡°Then I massage your shoulders.¡± Irvin was the best at ttery. He blinked his big round eyes and looked at Joanna adorably. Joanna smiled and replied, ¡°Haha, okay.¡± She went upstairs to change into pajamas before returning to the living room. A castle made of building blocks was in the corner of the living room. Davian focused on building a defensive wall with blocks. Lilia sat in the castle and handed building blocks to Davian. Joanna sat rxed on the sofa and watched her children y. Joanna thought, ¡°Being with the children makes me fulfilled and warm. Even if I don¡¯t do anything. I feel so happy.¡± Irvin asked. ¡°Mommy, do you feel good?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Irvin was massaging Joanna. His chubby little hands did have strength. He massaged Joanna¡¯s neck and shoulders like a little. masseur. Joanna replied, ¡°Yes, I feel very good. Irvin, you are amazing.¡± When Irvin heard this he put in more effort. His chubby hands clenched into small fists as he massaged Joanna¡¯s back. He smirked and said, Heh, heh. I¡¯m a professional. Mommy, enjoy it.¡± Ten minutester, Irvin was still massaging Joanna. Thus, Joanna felt strange and raised her eyebrows slightly. She did not want her son to get exhausted and asked, ¡°Irvin, you are too nice today. What do you want?¡± Irvin rolled his eyes as he thought. Then he replied, ¡°Well. Mommy, I want a toy.¡± Hearing Irvin¡¯s request, Joannaughed and said, ¡°A toy? Heh, heh. What toy do you want?¡± Joanna thought, ¡°This little guy works hard to get a toy.¡± Irvin replied, ¡°Well, I want to have a puppy!¡± Joanna was a little surprised and asked, ¡°A puppy? Is that all?¡± Irvin tilted his head and said cutely, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Joanna carried her son to her knees and asked, ¡°What kind of dog do you want?¡± Joanna used to live in a small apartment with the kids. Thus, she did not allow the children to have pets. 10.1467 However, things were different now. The Sherane Bay Vi was more than enough to keep pets. ¡°I want a Tibetan mastiff They look big and mighty!¡± When speaking, Irvin proudly stretched his arms to show how big the dog he wanted. Joanna repeated to confirm. ¡°A Tibetan mastill?¡± ¡°Yes! Tibetan mastiffs look majestic and domineering. A Tibetan Mastiff can guard the house and y with me.¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. Joanna thought, ¡°Tibetan mastiffs arerge¨Csized and fierce. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have one with my children.¡± Thus, Joanna said, ¡°Well. Maybe not a Tibetan mastiff? It¡¯ll be troublesome if it bites you! I think a teddy or a corgi sounds. like a better choice.¡± Hearing this, Irvin shook his head heavily. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t like small dogs. ¡°I like Tibetan mastiffs. They look like lions! ¡°By the way, Daddy also keeps many animals in his backyard. However, Daddy never allows us to enter!¡± Davian and Lilia were ying with building blocks. However, they ran over quickly when they heard Irvin could have a pet. Davian carried Lilia over since Lilia could not walk herself. Lilia got sick very often, so she was thin. Davian had no difficulties carrying her. Davian ced his sister on the sofa. Then he sat on the other side of Joanna and said sweetly, ¡°Mommy, I want a pet tool¡± ¡°Davian and Lilia, you want pets too?¡± asked Joanna. Davian and Lilia cried. ¡°Yes!¡± Joanna thought for a moment and decided to be fair. Thus, she asked, ¡°Then what do you like?¡± Davian frowned and thought for seconds. Then he answered, ¡°Mommy, I like birds. Can you get me a parrot? I want a colorful macaw!¡± Joanna frowned more tightly when she heard Davian¡¯s request. Lilia pleaded, ¡°Mommy, I want a pet too.¡± ¡°What do you want, Lilia?¡± ¡°Well, I want a little rabbit. I want one with big ears and long furl¡± Hearing this, Joanna looked at the three little fellows dotingly and frustratedly. Joanna thought, ¡°They are triplets, but they like different things. ¡°Can I have a pet, Mommy?¡± The three kids were scared that Joanna would not agree with them. Thus, they shook Joanna and acted cutely. Joanna said, ¡°Okay. You can have pets as long as you behave well. However, you must be responsible for your pets. You can¡¯t abandon them after having them for days or ask the servants to take care of them for you. The three little fellows nodded and said in unison, ¡°Yes, we will take good care of our pets.¡± ¡°That depends on your effort. If you behave well, I will buy you pets you like.¡± ¡°What is behaving well Joanna smiled and replied, ¡°Behaving well means you don¡¯t make mistakes and listen to me in the next month. ¡°Then I will fulfill my promise next month and buy you all your favorite pets.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna answered the children seriously, ¡°Of course!¡± It didn¡¯t cost Joanna much to buy pets. She was worried that the children¡¯s passion for animals would onlyst for days. Joanna thought, ¡°The kids should be responsible for their pets if they want to keep them. I will agree to their requests if they still want those pets after a month.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal!¡± Joanna replied, ¡°Deal!¡± Miranda walked over and said gently, ¡°Joann, dinner¡¯s ready now.¡± Joanna replied. ¡°Thanks, Miranda.¡± Then she said to the kids, ¡°Now go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.¡± Chapter 550 ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna picked up Lilia and walked toward the washroom Miranda hurriedly went forward and was about to carry Lilia. ¡°Let me carry her.¡± Joanna smiled at Miranda and said, ¡°Thanks. Miranda. But I want to carry her.¡± Miranda had been in charge of the other servants since she came to Sherane Bay Vi. There were more than 20 servants in the vi, all managed by Miranda. In addition to the servants, there were bodyguards and security guards. There were almost a hundred people in Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna held her daughter and shook her gently to feel her weight. Then Joanna said, ¡°Baby Lilia, you seem to put on weight.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Lilia giggled and buried her face in Joanna¡¯s neck. Send Gift Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Joanna gently looked at Lilia and said, ¡°Lilia, I¡¯ll take you to get corrective surgery in two months. *After the corrective surgery and some rehabilitation training, my baby Lilia can stand up and walk.¡± Lilia cried, ¡°Really, Mommy?¡± ¡®Of course!¡± ¡°Oh, great! I want to take dancing lessons when I can get up and walk.¡± Joanna touched her daughter¡¯s nose and said dotingly, ¡°No problem. Mommy will hire the best dance teacher to teach my baby Lilia how to dance.¡± Joanna suddenly had a headache after she said that. Joanna thought. The fake news goes rival on the Inte. I know Bruce well. He will probably make a scene again when he gets out of jail. ¡°Besides, Jennie keeps sowing discord in me and Bruce. I maypletely break up with Bruce. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m okay to break up with Bruce, but I don¡¯t want to be separated from my children.¡± After dinner with the children, Joanna returned to the bedroom and called Mr. Brycen and a PR representative. Joanna asked Mr. Brycen to sendwyer¡¯s letters to the heads of the websites where rumors spread. Then, she asked the PR representative to redirect the discussion online. Joanna thought, ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to nder me this time.¡± The next day. Joanna woke up early in the morning and went to work. Joanna thought, ¡°I haven¡¯t gone to work for five days. If I don¡¯t go to work today, people will think I have resigned over the matter!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Joanna arrived at the Everett Group at 8:30 A.M. When Joanna walked in, the receptionists at the front desk were so shocked that they dropped their jaws. Rumors about Joanna and Jaydon went viral online in the past two days. After all, Joanna was a public figure. The media would write news about her, and people would discuss her if anything had happened to her. There was no doubt that almost everyone read the news about Joanna and Jaydon since it was too explosive. A big¨Ceyed beauty at the front desk whispered to the customer service manager beside her, ¡°Tsk, tsk. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Haynes to dare toe back to work. I thought she was too ashamed to see anyone and hid away.¡± The customer service manager pursed her lips. Then she sighed andmented, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. After all, that¡¯s Miss Haynes. She has been through a lot and has seen everything. The rumors this time are nothing to her.¡± Another customer service representative with a round face and short hair mocked, ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss Haynes is famous for attracting handsome and wealthy men. ¡°Some people had to work hard their entire lives. However, Miss Haynes goes faster and higher in her career than anyone by using men as her stepping stones. In just two years, she has be the richest woman in Greyport. ¡°Well, people have different storylines. I have to say Miss Haynes¡® tracks are pretty good. I also want to get a rich man, but I don¡¯t have the resources!¡± The big¨Ceyed beauty pursed her lips and looked indignant, saying, ¡°Hmph. Let¡¯s see if Miss Haynes canugh dayster. Mr. Everett will be mad if he finds out Miss Haynes has cheated on him. I feel sad for Mr. Everett.¡± The big¨Ceyed beauty mmed the cup in her hand on the table when speaking. She looked angry and jealous. The big¨Ceyed beauty roared inside, ¡°I graduated from a prestigious university. I¡¯m young, beautiful, and have a decent. degree. Why can I only be a customer service employee at the Everett Group? ¡°Why can Joanna be so lucky? It¡¯s unfair!¡± After Miss Haynes walked past the front desk, the female receptionists could not help but gossip. They were so jealous that they wished Joanna would not have her days soon or suffer from a big failure. In the conference room. Joanna pushed the door open and entered. All the directors and executives were already in position. ¡°Good morning. Miss Haynes!¡± Joanna walked into the conference room with a straight face and greeted. ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± After Joanna sat down, she found Liam Miller was absent. Joanna frowned andined. ¡°I sent a notification yesterday to tell everyone the shareholders¡® meeting is today. Why isn¡¯t Mr. Miller here yet?¡± One of the shareholders replied casually. ¡°Well. Maybe Liam encounters a traffic jam on the way.¡± Joanna looked at the time and found it was already nine in the morning. Thus, Joanna said. ¡°Mark, call Mr. Miller and see what¡¯s going on.¡± Mark replied, ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes.¡± Then he quickly went out to make a call. Five minutester, Mark returned to report. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Miller said that he¡¯s not feeling well today and can¡¯t go to work.¡± Joanna frown more tightly when she heard that. Joanna thought, ¡°I don¡¯t need to think about it. Liam must do it on purposel In addition to Liam, the others were disdainful. It was obvious that they all believed that Joanna did not go to work days ago because she was busy enjoying her moments with Jaydon. Joanna was now the acting president of thepany. However, it was because Joanna was now the acting president that no one respected her. They all thought they would see Joanna again when Bruce returned to work. They were scared of Bruce, so they were polite to Joanna before. Now that they all knew Joanna had cheated on Bruce, they looked down upon Joanna without any doubt. Moreover, Mr. Everett would not let Joanna get away with what she had done since she dared to cheat on him for another man. Therefore, the people present did not consider it necessary to be respectful to Joanna. Joanna nced at everyone and said. ¡°Let¡¯s have the meeting without Mr. Miller then¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish speaking, Mr. Nelson stood up with a painful expression. He said. ¡°Gosh. My belly feels ufortable. Sorry, I need to go to the washroom. I might have eaten some bad food in the morning! ¡°Excuse me. Please start the meeting without me. I¡¯ll be backter.¡± Instead of waiting for Joanna to approve his request, Mr. Nelson kicked the chair away and ran out of the conference room, holding his belly. Joanna¡¯s face darkened even more when she saw that. Joanna thought, ¡°I won¡¯t be angry if Nelson does have diarrhea!¡± Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Comment It was obvious that Mr. Nelson did it on purpose. If Bruce was in the meeting, Mr. Nelson would probably not dare to leave even if he couldn¡¯t hold it in and shit in his pants. ¡°Then let¡¯s continue with the meeting. I haven¡¯t been in the office for a couple of days. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Everyone, report me on your work for the past few days. I have something else to tell you guyster.¡± As soon as Joanna finished speaking, a female director in her fifties looked at her with a fake smile, saying, ¡°It¡¯s the beginning of the new year and we have just resumed work. We don¡¯t have much to report. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t have anything to report. Miss Haynes, you may ask the others and see if they have anything to say.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only been less than 10 days since we resumed work. We don¡¯t have anything to report,¡± another director also said indifferently. Joanna was Bruce¡¯s beloved woman and they could not afford to offend her before. But now, everyone knew that she cuckolded Bruce. She was nothing without Bruce¡¯s support and no one would take her seriously. The look in Joanna¡¯s eyes turned stern. ¡°It¡¯s been 10 days since we started work after the new year holiday. You guys should at least summarize what you¡¯ve done during this time, right?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, you must be kidding. You haven¡¯t been to the office for five days, but you¡¯re asking us to do a work summary. ¡°If you want us to report on our work, you should take the lead to report on yours, right? After all, you¡¯re now the head of the corporation, the female director said sarcastically. She joined Everett Group when Bruce¡¯s grandfather was in charge of thepany and had been working here for almost 30 years. Even Bruce had to show some respect to her. She had a bad impression of Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, how about you tell us what you have been doing for the past few days?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! We want to know as well!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes. I¡¯m afraid you haven¡¯t seen the news yet. Everett Group has be everyone¡¯s ¡°How you are going to exin to Mr. Everett when hees out?¡± several small shareholders echoed. Joanna nced at them coldly, her face turning gloomy. These old foxes¡® attitudes changed so quickly! Bruce hadn¡¯t done anything to her yet, but these people had already started to make things hard for her, ¡°Bang!¡± Joanna mmed the table angrily. ¡°We are having a meeting. How can you guys gossip about such a thing? ¡°Besides, this is between Mr. Everett and me. I know what to do. You guys don¡¯t have to worry about it. ¡°Since you guys haven¡¯t summarized the work of the past 10 days, you can¡¯t get the dividends for the first quarter,¡± Joanna said with a grim look These people thought she was a pushover and tried to bully her, so there was no need for her to show mercy again. Every year in March, thepany would distribute dividends for the previous quarter to shareholders. It was already mid¨CFebruary, and the payout date was less than a month away. As the acting president, Joanna naturally had the right to decide whether to give them dividends or not. Everyone panicked when they heard that. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are you deducting our dividends?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even Mr. Everett wouldn¡¯t dare to deduct our dividends at will. This is everyone¡¯s dividend. You don¡¯t have the right to deduct it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the right?¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°Tim Everett Group¡¯s president now. I have the final say in everything about thepany¡® The major shareholders retorted in anger, ¡°Hum! You¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself! Even Mr. Everett won¡¯t be as 12:15 1 domineering as you!¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°Really? Then get him here to support you.¡± Everyone was pissed off, but they didn¡¯t know what to say. They thought angrily. ¡°This woman did such a disgraceful thing, but she¡¯s still so arrogant in front of us. This is too much!¡± ¡°Give me your work reports before you guys get off work this afternoon. Anyone who doesn¡¯t submit it doesn¡¯t have toe to work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t you think you are being too overbearing? Imph! I¡¯m not going to do it. What can you do to me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t write it! Let¡¯s see what wille next!¡± Joanna said as she stood up and walked out with a gloomy face. ¡°Hum! She¡¯s just acting president. How dare she treat us like this? ¡°I¡¯ve been working at Everett Group for more than 30 years. I don¡¯t believe she dares to kick me out of thepany! ¡°Does any of you guys want to do it? Anyway, I won¡¯t,¡± Ms. Linken pushed up his gold¨Cframed sses and said resentfully. As a veteran of thepany, he didn¡¯t take Joanna seriously at all. ¡°I won¡¯t write the report either. I don¡¯t believe she has the guts to kick all of us out. If she does so, let¡¯s see how she is going to exin it to Mr. Everett when hees out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She has gone too far, even more aggressive than Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going back to my office.¡± ¡°I want to go back to my office as well. The small shareholders did not dare to argue with Joanna. They quickly went back to their offices to prepare their work reports. It would be unwise to fight against Joanna. As the final decision¨Cmaker of thepany, she might really kick them all out if she was annoyed. Even if Bruce was acquitted, it would probably take two to three months for him to be released. During this period, Joanna might kick them all out without his permission. It was not worth it to take the risk.. The major shareholders showed no intention to give in. They did not believe that Joanna would really dare to punish them. Chapter 553 Chapter 553 When Joanna returned to her office, she was still filled with anger. Those snobs began to cause trouble when they found out that she might have fallen out with Bruce. Bruce¡¯s case was about to start. Judging from Jennie¡¯s tone, Joanna could tell they seemed to have reached an agreement. After Bruce was released from prison, the first thing he would do would probably be to get even with her. Even so, Joanna would do her best at work before his return. When Joanna was in a trance, she heard someone knock on the door. ¡°Come in¡± Mark and David pushed the door open and entered. They ced a pile of documents in front of Joanna and said. respectfully. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is the report on our recent work.¡°. ¡°The other managers¡® work reports will be sent over immediately.¡± Joanna frowned She was asking the board members to report on their work, not the employees. It seemed like the employees who had just participated in the meeting were frightened. ¡°Alright, just leave them on the table.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, do you have any other instructions?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go out first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Mark and David left, Joanna stroked her forehead and called Donald. She wanted to ask if the Green Bay project was done. Ring! Ring! Hearing his phone ring. Donald answered quickly, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Hall, it¡¯s me, Joanna.¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Haynes! How may I help you?¡± Donald asked respectfully. ¡°How is the Green Bay project going?¡± Donald pondered for a moment before he answered, ¡°Well, it¡¯s in progress. There should be a result soon.¡± ¡°When can the construction site be resumed?¡± ¡°Uh, we¡¯re waiting for a document to be approved. As soon as it¡¯s approved, we can get back to work. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on it. I¡¯ll report to you if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Alright! Thank you for your hard work.¡± After hesitating for a while, Donald asked tentatively, ¡°Well, Miss Haynes, when will Mr. Everette out?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡± ¡°I have something to report to Mr. Everett.¡± When Joanna heard this, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s the same if you tell me. I¡¯ll tell him.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Donald hesitated for a moment and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s talk about it after Mr. Everettes out.¡± Joanna was a little upset, but it would be inappropriate to ask further if Donald didn¡¯t want to tell her. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else. I¡¯ll hang up then.¡± With that, Joanna hung up. ¡°Forget it. Since they don¡¯t trust me, I don¡¯t need to worry so much,¡± she said inwardly. At the thought of this, Joanna decided to finish the work at hand and leave the other businesses to Bruce. In the blink of an eye, it was already four o¡¯clock in the afternoon Small shareholders sent in their work reports one after another. By five o¡¯clock, more than half of the Of course, there were still a few unyielding ones. Liam, Ms. Linken, Mr. Young, and a few other major shareholders hadn¡¯t reported on their work yet. Joanna flipped through the work reports on her table and then made a list of people who had not done the work report yet. Since they did not listen to her, she would not show mercy. After she listed the names of those people, Joanna pressed the button on the wall. Mark was in his office when he saw the service light turn on. He hurried over to Joanna¡¯s office and knocked on the door. *Pleasee in.¡± Mark pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, what can I do for you?¡± said he respectfully. ¡°Demaize these people¡¯s work cards. They are not allowed to enter the Everett Group¡¯s office tomorrow,¡± Joanna said coldly and handed Mark a list. Mark took the list and looked at it, and then sweat popped out on his forehead. Except for the major shareholders like Mr. Miller, Ms. Linken, and Mr. Young, there were also a few All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. small shareholders on the list, a total of seven people. ¡°Well, Miss Haynes, are we really going to do so?¡± Joanna frowned and said coldly, ¡°I said in the meeting this morning that anyone who didn¡¯t submit his work report in the afternoon would not be allowed toe to work tomorrow. ¡°They can¡¯t enter the office until they hand in their work reports. ¡°If I don¡¯t get their reports within three days, I will see it as them giving up thepany¡¯s shares automatically. Thepany will buy the shares in their hands at the original price.¡± Hearing this, Mark felt a chill running down his spine. Miss Haynes was really ruthless. Even Mr. Everett would not dare to offend so many directors. When Joanna saw Mark hesitate, her brows furrowed even tighter. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go!¡± ¡°Okay¡± Mark did not dare to retort and hurried out with the list. Joanna looked at her watch, only to find it was time to get off work. Anyway, she was not the real owner of the Everett Group. In a few days, she would return thepany to Bruce. She must get everything she wanted done in this period. There was one more thing that upset her. She wanted to remove Ethan as general manager when she was still the acting president. Back then, Ethan coborated with Bruce to trick her into mortgaging herpany¡¯s shares for a loan. If it weren¡¯t for him. the Haynes Group wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. And now, Bruce appointed Ethan to be the general manager of the Haynes Group. She would not let it go easily. After Joanna arranged the work at hand, she picked up her bag and went home. She returned to Sherane Bay Vi at 5:30 PM. When the three kids saw their mom return, they hurriedly over to please her. Irvin said with a lovely smile, ¡°Mom, today is the first day we didn¡¯t make any mistakes. We all performed very well. ¡°We¡¯ve done with our homework and our afterschool lessons.¡± Joanna smiled gently when she heard this. ¡°There are still 29 days left. Don¡¯t give up halfway! Irvin patted his chest and promised, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely stick to the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m so proud of you guys¡± Davian blinked with a solemn look on his face. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Joanna turned to him and asked with concern, ¡°Davian, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Davian looked at his mom gloomily as if he had something to say. ¡°Come on. Say it if you have something to tell me.¡± After hesitating for a few seconds, Davian said worriedly, ¡°Mom, are you¡­ with Mr. Grimm again?¡± Joanna¡¯s head buzzed. She looked nkly at her son, not knowing how to answer. Davian paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°Mom, Mr. Grimm is good. We like him very much too. ¡°But we just want him to be Uncle Grimm forever and not our dad.¡± Irvin immediately said in response to Davian¡¯s words, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mom, you said that you would wait for Dad toe out, right? ¡°Mom, can you not abandon Dad? I want our family to be together forever.¡± Joanna looked at the kids helplessly, saying, ¡°You silly, who told you all this?¡± ¡°We saw the news on the Inte!¡± Joanna took a deep breath again and stroked the children¡¯s heads one by one. ¡°Sometimes, what you see might not be the truth. That¡¯s all nonsense written by the media. ¡°Do you believe what mom told you or the story other people made?¡± When the kids heard this, they said in unison. ¡°We believe in Moin, of course!¡± Chapter 554 Chapter 554 ¡°That¡¯s good. Since you trust me, I will tell you what happened I met up with Mr. Grimm because I had something important to discuss with him. It¡¯s not like what¡¯s written in the newspaper¡± The kids blinked. their big eyes shining brightly. ¡°Mom, so you still love Dad and won¡¯t leave us?¡± Joanna smiled slightly. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t leave my sweethearts. How can I bear to part from you guys? But¡­ Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened and she did not continue. Given Bruce¡¯s personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t listen to her exnation aftering out of jail. And it was very likely that he would separate her from the children to punish her. The kids were so young that they couldn¡¯t figure out the profound meaning in their mother¡¯s words. They jumped up and down cheerfully and shouted, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great! ¡°We¡¯ll be happy forever as long as Mom loves Dad forever and our family are together forever!¡± Joanna let out a long sigh. There was no way she could keep everything under control. She had to wait and see what Bruce would do next. If he didn¡¯t believe her, then it was useless no matter how she exined. It was better to be mentally prepared so that she would not get hurt again. At 8:00 p.m., Joanna called Mr. Brycen again and gave him the thumb drive, asking him to help Mr. Jameson with thewsuit. With the thumb drive as evidence, Bruce would definitely be acquitted. Even if he would be punished, he would be released after paying some fine. But the evidence could only help him escape the crime of bribery. There was nothing she could do if he hadmitted any other crimes. Ms. Linken arrived at the Everett Group¡¯s office building at 8:30 am the next day. He walked up to the elevator in the lobby and elegantly took out his work card that symbolized his identity and swiped it on. the elevator exclusive for the directors. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep! Your work number is invalid.¡± Ms. Linken froze for a while before he swiped his work card again. However, the result was the same. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is the elevator broken?¡± Seeing this, the lobby manager in the front hall hurried over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Linken. Your work card can¡¯t open the elevator because it has been demaized.¡± This elevator was especially for board members, and no one could enter without a special work card. When Ms. Linken heard this, his eyes instantly widened. ¡°What did you say? ¡°How is that possible? My work card has always worked well. How could it be demaized?¡± As he spoke, Mr. Young came up to him and asked, ¡°Ms. Linken, your card doesn¡¯t work either? ¡°Damn it! My work card is also demaized and I can¡¯t get to my office. What the fuck!¡± Mr. Young was so angry that he blurted out a few cursing words. ¡°What the hell is going on? We¡¯re the board members. How could our work card be demaized suddenly?¡± The lobby manager whispered nervously, I¡¯m sorry, but Miss Haynes issued a notice yesterday, saying that those who haven¡¯t submitted their work reports were to have their work cards demaized and not allowed to enter the office. When the two directors heard this, they looked at the lobby manager in disbelief and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes also said that if you didn¡¯t submit your work reports within three days, you were automatically giving up Everett Group shares and thepany would buy your shares at the original price.¡± When Ms. Linken and Mr. Young heard this, they were so angry that they almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. They thought that Joanna was just bluffing yesterday and did not expect her to mean what she said. ¡°This is too much! How dare she treat us like this? ¡°We¡¯re the shareholders of thepany. Obviously, she doesn¡¯t take us seriously!¡± ¡°Ms. Linken, Mr. Young, this is Miss Haynes¡¯s order. We can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± That woman has gone too far! Who does she think she is? She doesn¡¯t have the right to do sol She sees herself as the most powerful person in thepany simply because Mr. Everett made her the acting president. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡± The two of them were so angry that they couldn¡¯t help trembling. They made a scene in the lobby despite what the others thought of them. At this time, Liam came to work. He was wearing a suit and leather shoes and his hair wasbed neatly in disarray. Behind him were his assistant and beautiful secretary. Seeing that Ms. Linken and Mr. Young wereining, he asked in surprise, ¡°What happened?¡± When the two directors saw him, they were more confident. ¡°Mr. Miller, you¡¯re finally here! Our work cards have been demaized, and we can¡¯t enter the office.¡± Liam was stupefied. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s Miss Haynes¡® order. She insisted that we hand in the work report. If we don¡¯t do as she said, she will kick us out of thepany. ¡°How dare she? Seems like she really thinks that the Everett Group is hers. She did such a disgraceful thing, but instead of keeping a low profile, she¡¯s trying to challenge us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She won¡¯t dare to be so arrogant when Mr. Everettes out.¡± Liam frowned and swiped his work card on the elevator. ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep! The card number is invalid.¡± He froze on the spot as well. Even his work card was demaized! ¡°Oh my god, even Mr. Miller¡¯s work card is invalid. Joanna has gone too far. She¡¯s so heartless!¡± ¡°Hurry up and get Joanna here. We want her to exin it to us. What the hell does she want from us?¡± Liam was thepany¡¯s secondrgest shareholder and Bruce¡¯s biological uncle. He did not expect Joanna to be so ruthless even to him. Send Gift Comment Chapter 555 Chapter 555 ¡°That¡¯s right. Hurry up and get her out! She has to exin it to us. This is too much. How could she treat us like this?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes said that if you didn¡¯t submit your work reports within three days, you were giving up your shares in thepany, the lobby manager reminded them Ms. Linken¡¯s lips trembled from anger. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? It¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t take us seriously. How can she be so mean even to Mr. Miller? ¡°Come on, get her out! ¡°If she doesn¡¯te out, we¡¯ll break in.¡± Mark hurried to Joanna¡¯s office to report what had happened. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Miller and Ms. Linken are making a fuss downstairs! They want you to go down and exin why you demaized their work cards.¡± ¡°Leave them alone!¡± Joanna flipped through the documents, not wanting to waste her time arguing with those people. Anyway, after Bruce came out of jail, she would not stay in the Everett Group anymore. At that time, it was very likely that she would leave Greyport forever. Since they might never meet again, there was no need for her to show mercy to those people. Moreover, they challenged her first. They deserved to be punished. An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Two small shareholders in the lobby couldn¡¯t take it anymore and eventually gave in. ¡°Ms. Linken, Mr. Miller, why don¡¯t just write the work report?¡± We¡­ ¡°Are you kidding me? She¡¯s being too arrogant! If you guys want to write the report, go ahead. I don¡¯t know how to write anyway. Ms. Linken said grumpily. The lobby manager did not dare to say anything else. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take the staff elevator up. We won¡¯t let it go if she doesn¡¯t give us a reasonable exnation.¡± As they spoke, the shareholders walked towards the employee elevator. Seeing this, the head of the security guards immediately walked over with his men and blocked their way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Without Miss Haynes¡¯s permission, we can¡¯t let you in.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know who we are? We¡¯re the directors of thepany!¡± The security chief was so nervous that sweat popped out from his forehead. I¡¯m really sorry, but we can¡¯t disobey Miss Haynes orders.¡± Joanna was now the highest decision¨Cmaker of Everett Group. She even had the guts to kick the directors out of thepany, let alone employees like them. If the security chief wanted to keep his job, he naturally had to listen to her. ¡°I¡¯m really pissed off! I¡¯ve never been treated like this since I joined the Everett Group 30 years ago. ¡°Mr. Everett is short¨Ctempered, but even he doesn¡¯t dare to treat us like this. Who does she think she is? How dare she do such a thing to me?¡± Ms. Linken was so angry that his entire body was trembling. A small shareholder said timidly, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just write the work report?¡± Another shareholder immediately echoed. ¡°That¡¯s right. It won¡¯t take more than five minutes to finish a All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. work report. There¡¯s no need to argue with her. If she wants us to write it, we¡¯ll write it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes We¡¯re gentlemen. We shouldn¡¯t argue with women.¡± The two small shareholders knew that their chances of winning were slim if they continue to fight against Joanna, so they could only lower their heads andpromise The lobby manager quickly went to the front desk to get pens. The two small shareholders then began to write their work reports. Actually, everyone knew it well The work report was not important. What mattered was that they did not take Joanna seriously. They thought Joanna would give in if they yed tough However, they did not expect her to fight them to the end. ¡°Forget it. Go write a report for me,¡± Liam struggled to hold back his anger and said to his secretary behind him. Alright, Mr. Miller.¡± The seven people took paper and pens and wrote their work reports at the front desk. 10 minutester, they handed their work reports to the lobby manager. ¡°Please tell Miss Haynes that we have finished our work reports.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The lobby manager quickly went to the secretary¡¯s desk to report. Joanna was in the office when she heard knocks on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± Mark pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Miss Haynes, here¡¯s the work reports of Mr. Miller, Ms. Linken, and the other five shareholders,¡± said he respectfully. When Joanna heard this, her lips curled into a sneer. She thought, ¡°This is human naturel. ¡°When I showed respect to them, they didn¡¯t take me seriously, but when I yed tough, they all became cowards.¡± ¡°Leave them on the table.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Mark carefully ced all seven work reports on Joanna¡¯s table. Joanna took a look at the reports. Although those people only made a perfunctory effort, they handed in their work reports. Now that they hadpromised, she could not continue to y tough. ¡°Inform the personnel department to re¨Cmaize their work cards¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The seven shareholders downstairs were still burned with anger. ¡°Hmph! Miss Haynes is so arrogant! ¡°Let¡¯s see if she still dares to be so aggressive when Mr. Everettes out.¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s useless to say that. Now that she is the boss, we should lower our heads and not confront her for the time being.¡± ¡°Oh, right, Mr. Everett¡¯s case will be heard next Monday. He will probably be acquitted very soon. Let¡¯s put up with her for at few more days. Everything will be fine when Mr. Everettes back.¡± ¡°Hmph! Do we even have options?¡± Bruce¡¯s case was finally about to go to trial. At eight o¡¯clock on Monday morning, Joanna went to Court No 1. in Greyport. No matter what, she should show up. Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Comment Jennie also came to the court early in the morning. When she and Joanna met, they gave each other a murderous look. Joanna took a seat on the left side of the gallery. Jennie deliberately sat down on her right. She rolled her eyes and said arrogantly, ¡°Hum! I didn¡¯t expect you toe. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed? ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t havee to embarrass myself.¡± Jennie had been well¨Cprepared before she came. A bunch of reporters were waiting outside the courtroom. As long as the trial ended, they would definitely rush over to bomber Joanna with questions. Joanna was currently at the center of the storm, so it was true that she shouldn¡¯t have shown up. When she just arrived, the reporters asked her a lot of questions. If the bodyguards hadn¡¯t pushed them away, she would not be able to enter the courtroom. Hearing Jennie challenge her arrogantly, Joanna immediately shot back, ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re not me and it¡¯s difficult for you to be me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Why should I want to be you? What¡¯s so great about you? Hmph Jennie rolled her eyes. coldly. Joanna shot her a cold re and stopped talking to her. ¡°Quite down, please!¡± The judge and jury walked into the courtroom. Thewyers were well¨Cprepared for the argument of the case. When the judge announced the official start of the trial, everyone stood up. Thewyers from both sides and the people in the gallery all rose to their feet. Under the escort of two police officers, Bruce entered the courtroom. Then, he walked up to the defendant¡¯s stand and sat down in the small cubicle. ¡°Bruce!¡± Jennie called out to him. Joanna reflexively looked over. Bruce¡¯s face was icy cold. The terrifying aura he was giving off would make anyone who saw him want to run away. Joanna¡¯s heart sank and she was filled with uneasiness. She knew Bruce very well. He must still be brooding about her and Jaydon. ¡°The trial will now begin. Lawyers for both sides, please present the facts and show the evidence.¡± After the judge finished speaking, thewyers of both sides began their defense. Bruce¡¯s legal team was the strongest international legal team. In addition, Joanna had got him the best It was obvious that they had a good chance of winning the case. Thewyers didn¡¯t argue much before the case was settled a whileter. Now that the person who used Bruce of bribery had withdrawn thewsuit, Bruce was only charged with illegal financing. In the end, he was given a suspended sentence due to insufficient evidence. ¡°The deferidant is now sentenced to a suspended three¨Cyear prison term. The defendant has to pay a fine of 6 million dors¡­ When everyone heard the verdict, they all heaved a sigh of relief. A suspended sentence meant that Bruce would not have to go to jail. As long as he did not make the same mistake within three years, he would be exempted from imprisonment. As for the fine, it was nothing to him. Joanna was finally relieved when she heard the oue of the trial. Her efforts were not in vain. ¡°Bruce, congrattions! I said that you would be fine,¡± Jennie ran up to the defense table excitedly and said in a ttering way. Bruce looked at her with a doting smile. ¡°Bruce, you promised that you would try to start a rtionship with me as long as you came out. Does it still count? When Bruce heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but shift his gaze to the gallery. Joanna stood there in a daze and looked at him with aplicated expression. ¡°I¡¯m nothing to that damn woman. Since she doesn¡¯t care about how I feel, I don¡¯t have to treat her like a treasure. Tll get myself another girl to piss her off!¡± Thinking of this, Bruce said to Jennie, ¡°I won¡¯t break my promise, of course.¡± Jennie smiled at his words. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ve been waiting for so long. Now I finally get what I want! ¡°Bruce, do you know how much I like you? Do you know how much I love you?¡± Jennie confessed her love for Bruce in front of everyone. She couldn¡¯t wait to let Joanna know that Bruce was hers. After she finished speaking, she threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms excitedly. ¡°Come on! We¡¯re in the courtroom.¡± With that, Bruce stretched out his arm and gently held her shoulder. In the meanwhile, he nced at Joanna from the corners of his eyes. He wanted to make her jealous and let her know what it felt like to be pissed off. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m so happy! Do you know how much effort 1 spent to get you out? Thank God, my effort is not in vain.¡± The more Jennie spoke, the more emotional she became. She was even moved by herself and her eyes were filled with tears. Seeing that, Joanna took a deep breath. At this moment, there seemed to be no need for her to stay any longer. She could leave as long as Bruce was safe. She did not want to argue with Jennie about who deserved credit for Bruce¡¯s acquittal. After all, she was photographed kissing Jaydon. It was difficult for her to exin herself. Even if she exined, Bruce would not believe her. Joanna silently stood up and left the courtroom. It was time for her to leave. Watching her walk out of the courtroom without saying anything. Bruce could tell that she must be jealous and felt much. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. better. However, though he had got back at Joanna, he was still filled with anger. He would not forgive her easily this time.. As soon as Joanna walked out of the courtroom, arge group of reporters swarmed over and reached their microphones toward her. ¡°Miss Haynes, are the results of Mr. Everett¡¯s trial out?¡± ¡°Excuse me, what about Mr. Everett? Was he acquitted?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, does Mr. Everett know that you and Mr. Grimm were kissing on the pier?¡± ¡°Can you tell me who you really love? Will you get back together with Mr. Grimm?¡± ¡°Get out of the way. The bodyguards blocked the reporters. Under their escort, Joanna got into the car with a gloomy face. ¡°Miss Haynes, please say something¡­¡± The reporters did not want to give up. They gathered around the car and kept asking questions. Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, ¡°Mr. Everett ising out! Let¡¯s go interview him!¡± When the reporters heard this, they stopped pestering Joanna and ran toward the entrance of the courtroom. The door of the courtroom opened from the inside. Bruce and Jennie walked out side by side. Jennie snuggled intimately beside Bruce with a sweet smile on her face. At first nce, everyone would think that she was Bruce¡¯s girlfriend. ¡°Click Click! Click¡­ The reporters took photos even more crazily. ¡°Mr. Everett, can I give you an interview?¡± A bunch of police officers and bodyguards hurried over to keep the reporters from approaching Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett is not epting interviews. Thank you.¡± Bruce walked toward the parking lot with a poker face. No matter what the reporters asked, he never said a word. ¡°Miss Garcia, why did youe out with Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett has been acquitted. Everyone, thank you for your concern,¡± Jennie answered on behalf of Bruce. Then, she took Bruce¡¯s arm smugly. Sen Chapter 557 Chapter 557 However, Bruce was rather impatient and was in no mood to take care of Jennie. He walked so quickly that Jennie found it hard to catch up with him in her high heels. Having no choice, she could only quicken her pace. ¡°Bruce, why are you walking so fast?¡± Bruce strode forward and stopped in front of his car a short whileter. ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to start a rtionship with me?¡± Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Jennie, I¡¯m very tired now. I want to go back and rest.¡± ¡°Bruce, we should be celebrating your acquittal. I want to go back with you.¡± ¡°No need. Uh¡­ I¡¯ll go meet you another day,¡± Bruce said perfunctorily. With that, he bent down and got into the car. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Seeing this, Jennie wanted to slip into he car as well. However, the car door closed with a loud bang. Bruce had no intention of letting her get into the car. ¡°Start the car.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Bruce! Bruce¡­¡± Jennie called out after him. Watching Bruce leave in the car, Jennie stomped her feet hard. ¡°Hmph! Bruce, don¡¯t even think about denying it. ¡°If you don¡¯t keep your promise, I¡¯ll upload the evidence to the Inte and send you back to jail.¡± After Joanna got rid of those reporters, she left the court in the car. ¡°Miss Haynes, where are we going?¡± Joanna nced out of the window, not knowing where to go. After a while, she said, ¡°Go back to Sherane Bay Vi¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Half an hourter, Joanna returned to Sherane Bay Vi with a heavy heart. She was very uneasy because she knew what kind of terrible thing Bruce would do when he lost his mind. Thinking of what he had done to her before, Joanna shuddered uncontrobly. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯ll be unwise to stay here anymore. I¡¯d better leave as soon as possible.¡± The more Joanna thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.. When Bruce doted on someone, he would give that person everything. But once he was irritated¡­ Joanna did not dare to think further. She quickly returned to her room as if someone was hunting her. Then, she pulled out a suitcase and began to pack her things up. Actually, she didn¡¯t have many belongings. The most important thing for her was to take enough cash and her credentials. She knew that once she left, Bruce would definitely freeze all the bank cards under her name. She could only take as much cash as possible for future use. She had no attachment to Bruce. The only thing that worried her was the children. But now, she didn¡¯t have time to think that much. She had to escape from here first. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Although Bruce was cruel, he was nice to the children. Therefore, she did not have to worry that Bruce would vent his anger on them. ¡°Joann, why are you packing?¡± Miranda saw Joanna packing things up in a hurry and came over. ¡°Yup!¡± Joanna replied casually. Hearing that, Miranda grew tense instantly. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Joanna put all her credentials into her suitcase and looked at Miranda with lingering fear in her eyes. Bruce looked like he was going to kill her when she saw him in the courtroom just now. 15 She thought that Bruce would let it go after she told him the whole story. However, when she saw the way he looked at her, she knew it would be toote if she didn¡¯t leave immediately. ¡°Miranda, we might have to leave this ce.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Joanna did not have time to exin. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore. Anyway, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll go wherever you go,¡± Mirandaforted Joanna. ¡°No, it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°Miranda, stay and take good care of the children. I have to go.¡± After Joanna finished speaking, she picked up her suitcase in a panic and rushed downstairs. She did not dare to stay any longer. Bruce would definitely be back soon. If she didn¡¯t leave now, it would be toote. Joanna walked out of the courtyard with her suitcase. Next, a few cars drove into the courtyard. The door of the Rolls¨CRoyce opened, and Bruce got out. The servants who lined up beside the car said, ¡°Wee home, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce walked straight into the house with a gloomy expression. In the past, he believed in luck. Every time he came back from an unpleasant ce, he would ask the servants to boil the grapefruit for him. It was said it could help people get rid of the bad luck. But now, he was in a hurry to get even with Joanna and had no time to get rid of his bad luck. When Joanna saw Bruce get out of the car, she was so frightened that her face turned pale and the suitcase in her hand fell to the ground. Bruce walked up to her, as horrible as a demon from hell. He nced at Joanna¡¯s suitcase with a gloomy face and grew even angrier. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you wait to move in with Jaydon?¡± said he with a sneer. Joanna¡¯s heart trembled in horror and she subconsciously took a few steps back. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll exin it to you¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, I didn¡¯t expect you to betray me again,¡± Bruce said coldly as if he was sentencing someone to death. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Listen to me¡­. ¡°No need. ¡°You¡¯ve been living with him for three days. Don¡¯t tell me nothing happened between you two!¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Joanna took a few steps backward in quick session and replied with a shaky voice, ¡°Bruce, you still don¡¯t believe me! There really is nothing between me and Jay¡­¡± When Bruce heard that, he became even more angry and his eyes were filled with fury. Jaydon had be a taboo for him, and he loathed even the mention of that man¡¯s name to the point of gritting his teeth. Still, she dared to go behind his back and spend three days with that man. It was something he could not possibly ept. ¡°Bang!¡± With a kick, Bruce sent her suitcase flying 10 feet away. He was like a roaring lion as he shouted, ¡°Jay? Jay? If you like Jaydon so much, why don¡¯t you go to him now, Joanna? You heartless woman, do you think I can¡¯t live without you? Do you think that I will never kick you out of my life? I¡¯ve told you countless times that you¡¯re not allowed to get involved with Jaydon anymore. Why did you ignore my words?¡± He reached out and grabbed her shirt as he spoke, fiercely pulling her in front of him. As she looked at him in fear and helplessness, her heart beat very quickly. She knew that he would be furious. However, she never expected him to be furious to such an extent. ¡°Bruce, can you calin down? Can you listen to me? I can exin. I went to see him for something very important. It¡¯s not what you think!¡± When he heard that, his handsome face turned extremely gloomy in an instant. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as naive as a three-year-old? How could it be possible that nothing happened when you were alone with a man for three days? Joanna, can¡¯t you think twice about lying? You¡¯ve been photographed kissing him and yet here you are, still making excuses.¡± As he spoke, he pped her in the face as he could no longer suppress his anger. It was a ruthless blow to her. ¡°Joanna, you are so cheap!¡± She fell hard to the ground, blood immediately seeping from the corner of her lips. She covered her face and looked at him. in horror. ¡°Bruce, from the beginning to the end, you never believed me. In that case, it¡¯s better for us to separate¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he sneered sinisterly. His malicious eyes revealed a trace of ruthlessness as he replied, ¡°Separate? Ha! Who are you to tell me to separate? Do you really think that you are my wife?¡± She was left speechless. In the meantime, she covered her swollen face while her heart rose and fell fiercely! ¡°Then what do you want to do exactly?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He countered in exasperation, ¡°What do I want to do? Joanna, I¡¯ve told you before already. If you ever betrayed me, I would make sure that you wish you were dead! Listen, I can make you and I can destroy you.¡± He approached her step by step, like a demon descending upon the world. ¡°I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s not like what you think at all. There really is nothing going on between Jay and me, and we have never done the kind of things that¡­¡± He could not bear to listen any longer. He sneered coldly, shouting, ¡°Shut up! How can you continue lying now? Do you think I can be easily fooled? Do you think I can¡¯t find other women? You think I have no choice but to settle for you?¡± Looking at the furious man in front of her, she realized that there was no point in exining. She said hopelessly. ¡°Alright! Say whatever you want! It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. Throughout my entire life, I have had no other men but you. Listen, you¡¯re not calm right now and you won¡¯t listen to anything I say! I think it¡¯s best if we separate for a while. We can talk when you¡¯ve calmed down!¡± As she spoke, she struggled to stand up as she wanted to leave Sherane Bay Vi. Seeing this, he forcefully grabbed her wrist, dragging her into his embrace, ¡°Al¡­¡± She let out a scream because her bones were almost crushed by his grip. ¡°Bruce, let go of¡­¡± He sneered with a gloomy expression, saying, ¡®Joanna, don¡¯t forget that you have signed a contract to sell yourself. The two-year contract isn¡¯t up yet, so don¡¯t you think about leaving mel I want you to stay by my side and be my vel¡± As he spoke, he bent down and carried her horizontally against her will. ¡°Bruce, what are you doing? Don¡¯t mess around. Let go of me already!¡± He had spent nearly three months in the detention center. In other words, he had not touched a woman in three months. He could no longer hold it back! He wanted to punish her harshly, and he was well aware that he would not stop until the anger inside him faded. ¡°Bruce, I beg you! Calm down. I didn¡¯t betray you. Nothing happened between me and Jay, okay? I went to see him to have a thumb drive fixed. I swear I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± She exined continuously in a state of panic. The servants were frightened as well. Meanwhile, Miranda was so terrified that she did not know what she should do. ¡°Mr. Everett, please don¡¯t misunderstand Joann. She really didn¡¯t do anything against you.¡± ¡°Go away¡± He carried Joanna and went straight into the bedroom. Then, he forcefully threw her onto the bed! ¡°Ah¡­ Bruce, no¡­ Please¡­¡± She was almost knocked unconscious by the impact, but the fear deep within her enabled her to struggle. He had always been ruthles in bed. Judging from his state of fury, it might be possible that he kill her in bed. ¡°Rip¡­ Her clothes were instantly torn apart! He pounced on her, fiercely pressing her under him¡­ B Chapter 559 Chapter 559 ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna screamed in agony like a hunted prey. This man, as if blessed by the heavens, possessed strong masculine traits and an overwhelming surge of hormones. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ No¡­¡± Her breath was interrupted, then her tense nerves rxed, rendering her arms to hang limply by the pillow. She fainted from the pain as a thinyer of sweat appeared throughout her body. Unfortunately, Bruce was still enraged. He was ruthless¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± She woke up from the pain again. Before their divorce, he had misunderstood her, which led to his violent and abusive behaviors. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. However, every time she found it unbearable and pleaded, he would show some restraint. However, he showed no restraint whatsoever this time. He wanted to punish her through this method. He wanted to make her suffer, to make her afraid, to make her remember the consequences of infuriating him. Deep down, he knew she would not do anything with Jaydon. But he could not ept the fact that they still maintained contact, nor could he ept the fact that she replied on Jaydon. In his eyes, he was her everything, her only one. No matter what happened, he would not allow her to seek Jaydon¡¯s help. Itsted for the entire afternoon. She drifted between unconsciousness and wakefulness constantly. No how she pleaded and surrendered, he did not demonstrate the slightest gentleness¡­. In the evening After the children had finished their art ss, they returned home. They heard from the driver that their dad hade home today. So, as soon as the art ss ended, they were eager to rush back home. ¡°Miranda, is Daddy back today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Where is Daddy? We miss him. We want to see him.¡± When Miranda heard this, her eyes turned red as she anxiously nced toward the bedroom. The room had good sound instion, capable of isting even low-decibel sounds. However, intermittent screams could still be heard. One could imagine how piercing Joanna¡¯s cries were. However, the servants dared not interfere. Instead, they all went about their business. ¡°Your parents are in the bedroom¡­¡± When Davian and Irvin heard this, they rushed to the second floor with excitement. ¡°Then let¡¯s go find Daddy and ask him to take us horseback riding! It¡¯s been so long since we did it. I want to ride a horse so bad.¡± Miranda quickly grabbed the two little ones. ¡°Davian, Irvin, please don¡¯t go there!¡± Davian asked with puzzlement, ¡°Why not?¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. She sniffled slightly and did not know what to say. After all, it was better not to let the children know about this. Irvin yfully flicked his nose and said mischievously, ¡°You silly boy. Daddy hasn¡¯t seen Mommy for so long, so I bet he misses her so much. Let¡¯s not disturb them and let them have a good time.¡± Davian found it reasonable. ¡°You¡¯re right, let¡¯s not disturb them!¡± Time flew by. It was already seven o¡¯clock in the evening In the dining room, dinner was already served. Though the three little ones were famished, they still waited for their parents to have dinner together. ¡°It¡¯s past 7 o¡¯clock. It¡¯s time for dinner. Why haven¡¯t Daddy and Mommye out yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, my stomach is growling.¡± ¡°Should we call Daddy and Mommy toe down and have dinner?¡± Miranda brought thest dish to the table and nced at the closed bedroom door. It seemed that they would note out for dinner. ¡°Children, go ahead and eat! You don¡¯t need to wait for Daddy and Mommy.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The three little ones obediently sat at the dining table and started eating dinner sadly. After all, their father rarely returned. Yet when he finally did, he spent the entire afternoon in the bedroom, hiding away from them ¡°Aren¡¯t they hungry? Why are they staying in the bedroom for so long? Lilia said with a puzzled face as she ate. Irvin smirked cunningly. ¡®Haha, little sister, don¡¯t meddle in their business! Just eat!¡± ¡°After finishing dinner, let¡¯s take a shower and go to bed.¡± Miranda and Lilian helped the three children bathe. After dinner. After the trio had washed up, they took a walk to facilitate digestion. At 8:30 in the evening, they were ready for bed. In the children¡¯s room. Davian and Irvin insisted on sharing a room even though there were many rooms in Sherane Bay Vi. Therefore, the two little ones stayed in the same room. ¡°Davian, do you think Daddy will leave this time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Irvin said, ¡°That¡¯s great. We can be a family again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Hurry up and sleep! Tomorrow we¡¯ll have Daddy take us horseback riding.¡± ¡°Mmm! Goodnight.¡± The two turned off the bedsidemps and went to sleep. The next day. Seven o¡¯clock in the morning. The three children were so eager to get up as they had not seen their father for a long time. ¡°Daddy and Mommy aren¡¯t up yet I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Lilia pouted, looking very upset. ¡°It¡¯s only seven o¡¯clock. It¡¯s still early, so let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± ¡°Hmph, Daddy only cares about Mommy. He doesn¡¯t want us anymore.¡± ¡°Haha, this is called ¡®absence makes the heart grow fonder¡¯!¡± Eight o¡¯clock in the morning. Bruce finally got up. After a night of torment, Joanna was exhausted. She felt as if her bones had been disassembled and reassembled. Meanwhile, every joint ached, and she had no strength left in her body. Brice got out of bed and went straight into the bathroom. After taking a cold shower, he shaved his beard. ¡± Then he changed into a proper white shirt, paired with a well-fitted dark blue suit. After tidying up. he regained his noble and elegant posture. He looked radiant, handsome, and captivating Indeed, clothes made the man. With this transformation, he appearedpletely different. No one could imagine that he was like a hungry wolfst night. The door finally opened. The three children had been waiting eagerly with their eyes fixated on the door. When the door finally opened, they joyfully ran toward the staircase. Although Lilia could not walk independently, she was equipped with advanced electronic prosthetics. Once activated, the machinery would assist her in walking slowly. ¡°Good morning, Daddy.¡± As Bruce saw the three children, his mood improved in an instant. With a loving smile on his lips, he descended the stairs. gracefully, taking long strides like a gentleman. ¡°Good morning, my darlings¡± ¡°Wow, Daddy, you look so handsome and stylish today!¡± ¡°Yes! Daddy is super handsome. When I grow up. I¡¯ll find a boyfriend as handsome as Daddy¡± Irvin and Lilia beamed with smiles, showering their father withpliments. Bruce, hearing the children¡¯s praises, wore an even wider smile on his face. ¡°Well, 1 am handsome and stylish every day.¡± As he spoke, he reached the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Kids, did you miss me?¡± Chapter 560 Chapter 560 The three children nodded and replied in unison, ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Bruce bent down, lifting Lilia into his arms and gently nting kisses on her cheek. ¡°I miss you, Lilia. Come, give me a kiss.¡± Lilia beamed with a radiant smile and nted several kisses on his cheek. ¡°We want to give Daddy kisses too.¡± Irvin went ahead to greet his father while hopping around like a cute monkey. The father chuckled, saying, ¡°Go away. Only girls can give me kisses.¡± ¡°No!¡± Having been rejected, Irvin pouted, demonstrating displeasure. ¡°Daddy, are you hungry?¡± ¡°Yes, a little.¡± Of course, he was hungry. He had not eaten since yesterday afternoon, after all. After a night of intense activity, he waspletely drained of energy. It would be strange if he was not hungry. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for you to have breakfast together! We¡¯ve got you a steak sandwich, your favorite!¡± He smiled warmly, carrying his daughter as he walked toward the dining room. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I will have breakfast with you guys.¡± Then, he brought the children to the dining room. The breakfast was particrly abundant, and it was even more so today. There was a wide range of optionsid out on the table. The four sat at the dining table, ready to start eating Davian looked up at the second floor and asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Daddy, why isn¡¯t Mommy getting up yet?¡± As he spoke, he got off his chair and said, ¡°Tll go wake Mommy up for breakfast.¡± Bruce lifted an eyebrow and casually said. ¡°No need to wake her up. Mommy is still sleeping, so don¡¯t disturb her.¡± The three children¡¯s faces were filled with astonishment. After all, their mother had note out of the bedroom since yesterday afternoon. Therefore, she must be hungry after such a long time without food. Davian¡¯s eyes flickered as he cautiously asked, ¡°Daddy, is Mommy ill? Bruce calmly cut a piece of Wagyu sandwich with his knife and fork, and without thinking, he replied, ¡°Yeah, Mommy caught a cold, so she needs more sleep.¡± ¡°Can I go check on Mommy?¡± The father stopped smiling immediately. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about Mommy. Sit down and have your breakfast.¡± Seeing the change in the father¡¯s expression, the two boys nced at each other, feeling that something was not right. After all, their mother rarely slept in. They thought to themselves, ¡®Daddy returned only yesterday, so why would Mommy be sleeping in?¡± ¡°You need to go to the kindergarten after breakfast. Don¡¯t bete.¡± Bruce¡¯s face turned serious, not wearing a smile anymore. ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The three children dared not to make more fuss. Instead, they sat down and had breakfast obediently. After breakfast. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re going to school¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± The children then headed toward the school. Bruce had just finished his breakfast. He had initially nned to go to the office, but on second thought, he supposed that Joanna must be hungry having not eaten anything. 1/3 11:551 He could order a servant to take care of her. However, he wanted to continue venting his anger as he still felt upset. He bought sandwiches and a ss of milk into the bedroom. Inside the bedroom. Joanna, with her disheveled hair cascading over her face, remained in a deep slumber. ¡°Get up¡± Hismand was cold and emotionless. She did not react at all. Meanwhile, she appeared to be almost lifeless. ¡°Get up already. Did you hear me? His voice sharpened as he urged her again. She remained silent. ¡°I know you¡¯re awake. What happenedst night was a punishment for you. Joanna, from today onwards, you are no longer my wife, but only my pleasure ve. Do you hear me? Now that he enjoyed tormenting her, he spoke without regard for her feelings She still did not respond His gaze turned cold as he walked over in annoyance. He lowered his head to take a look, and he noticed that her cheeks were extremely red while her neck was covered in bruises He reached out and touched her forehead, feeling an intense heat. She had a high temperature His expression darkened, and he decided to call the family doctor Twenty min The family doctor hurriedly arrived with medical equipment. After reaching the bedroom the doctor measured Joanna¡¯s temperature. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Forty-one degrees. The patient¡¯s burning up pretty badly¡± Bruce furrowed his brows. ¡°Give her some injections and medications to help with the temperature.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± the family doctor said, ncing at Joanna¡¯s pitiful state A sense of pity welled up in his heart The doctor realized that being the woman of a wealthy man was not as easy as it seemed. She may appear morous on the surface, but behind the scenes, she had to endure many unsavory aspects. The doctor administered the injection that helped with the fever and departed after providing some instructions. It was 10 o¡¯clock in the morning Seeing that Joanna was only having a fever. Bruce believed there would not be any major issues. Therefore, he decided to go to the office. Ring, ring, ring! Just as he was about to head to the office, his phone started ringing. He checked lus phone and saw that it was a call from Jennie. ¡°How annoying!¡± He immediately hung up the phone for he had no intention of answering her call. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 While Bruce was in prison, he had casually mentioned being willing to try dating Jennie, but it was merely a way to brush her off. He never expected her to take it seriously. This gave him an enormous headache, as he despised women who clung to him persistently. ¡°Keep a close eye on Joanna. Don¡¯t let her step one foot outside Sherane Bay Vi!¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett.¡± With that, he put on his zer and headed straight to thepany. At the Everett Group. It was half past ten in the morning. Inside the conference room. All shareholders and executives stood up with smiles on their faces. ¡°Mr. Everett, congrattions! You have finally returned. If you had stayed away any longer, the Everett Group would have faced significant trouble.¡± ¡°Could it be that serions?¡± he smiled, raising an eyebrow. Ms. Linken pushed his sses up and said indignantly. ¡°Mr. Everett, you have no idea. During your absence, Miss Haynes exhausted us and she nearly drove us to the brink of breakdown. ¡°She either made us submit work reports or sent us on field inspections. Justst week, she even had the personnel department cancel our ess cards, threatening to kick us out of the Everett Group.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Haynes constantly interferes, acting like she¡¯s in charge. You know, she drives us crazy. If you hadn¡¯t returned, Mr. Everett, I would seriously consider resigning from the Everett Group,¡± Mr. Young chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. The shareholdersined one after another, wishing that Joanna could get out of Greyport instantly. As Bruce listened, his eyebrows slightly raised, though he maintained a poker face while looking at the crowd. However, deep inside, he could not help butugh with satisfaction because Joanna had done exactly what he wanted. After all, this group of cunning, old men deserved to be taught a lesson, especially Ms. Linken and his group. With their old age and tenure, they were particrly pretentious and difficult to deal with. Although Bruce had a temper, he was rtively restrained and polite when dealing with older individuals. He was very pleased that Joanna had taken care of them all. ¡°Well, starting today, I am officially back to work. Temporarily, Miss Haynes will not hold the position of president at the Everett Group.¡± ¡°Hurrah!¡± The shareholders apuded enthusiastically. ¡°We have been eagerly anticipating your return, Mr. Everett. We have been hoping and waiting for it, and finally, you have returned¡­ Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The shareholders¡¯ meeting ended shortly after. He then returned to his office. At the office. He opened the work files and checked the backup data on hisputer. He had expected everything to be in chaos. However, to his surprise, Joanna handled everything in an orderly manner andpleted all the tasks he had left behind. This was outside of his expectations. Before he went to prison, he had appointed her as the president of the group temporarily. Still, he never expected that she would perform so well. He had underestimated her. ¡°Knock, knock, knock!¡± The sound of knocking echoed ¡°Came in!¡± Mark walked in, wearing a respectful expression. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Garcia is here. She is currently do sk and says she has something very important to discus He furrowed his brows upon hearing this. with you.¡± ¡°Why is she here again? She¡¯s like a ghost that can¡¯t be gotten rid of. He did not want to see Jennie at all. The more ambitious a woman was, the less he liked it. Jennie, who wore all her intentions on her face, was a woman he did not want to get involved with. ¡°Do you want to see her, Mr. Everett? If you don¡¯t, I can tell her that you¡¯re not in the office.¡± His brows furrowed even more, but then he relented. ¡°Well, bring her in¡± ¡°Alright, Mark said, turning around to deliver the message. He let out a subtle sigh, disying impatience on his face. He did not want to see her. However, if he refused, she might stir up some kind of trouble. Therefore, to avoid any trouble, he supposed it was better to establish clear boundaries with her as soon as possible. Ten minutester. Mark brought Jennie over. ¡°Miss Garcia, please go in. Mr. Everett is in his office¡± ¡°Okay¡± Jennie gracefully stepped into the office in her high heels. She was dressed particrly elegantly today as if attending an important event. She wore a high-end designer dress, and her hair and makeup were meticulously done. ¡°Bruce, why didn¡¯t you answer my calls? I¡¯ve been calling you since yesterday. Are you avoiding me intentionally?¡± Her tone was petnt and soft, carrying a hint of grievance as she spoke. ¡°Oh, I was in a meeting so I didn¡¯t hear the calls!¡± He pretended to be clueless, saying, ¡°What brought you here? Do you have something to talk to me about?¡± She pouted, then said with a yful and tender voice, ¡°Bruce, you have such a bad memory. You haven¡¯t forgotten our agreement, have you? You didn¡¯t forget who helped you get a quick release, did you?¡± Indeed, she had put in some effort, although it did not produce much impact. Still, she at least managed to suppress those who falsely used him. He seemed to be smiling at this point. ¡°You promised me that we would start dating. What? Do you want to use and dump me? Let me warn you, I have all the evidence against you. If you betray me, I won¡¯t easily let you off the hook.¡± Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked at Jennie, and one could not tell whether he was pleased or displeased. ¡°Do you really like me so much?¡± Her nose tingled, and her eyes turned red instantly ¡°Bruce, I have loved you for fifteen years. Are you still unsure about my feelings for you?¡± Upon hearing this, he asked with curiosity. ¡°How much do you love me?¡± Her eyes shimmered as she took a few steps closer and spoke with a sobbing voice, ¡°Bruce, my love for you is unwavering until death. I am willing to give everything to you. As long as you agree to be with me, everything I have is yours. Bruce, just give me a chance, and I will make you fall in love with me. He touched his chin thoughtfully, asking. Really?¡± ¡°Of course. I will do anything for you, Bruce. I will love you more than Joanna ever could. I will never let you down, and I will gradually make her disappear from your heart.¡± He raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Are you really willing to do anything for me?¡± ¡°Absolutely, I am willing to give everything.¡± She blinked, looking at him with teary eyes. Then, she walked over and sat on hisp. ¡°Bruce, I really love you. I love you so much. Please don¡¯t reject me anymore, okay?¡± As she spoke, she became infatuated, taking the initiative to kiss him. ¡°Jennie, don¡¯t.¡± He pushed her away forcefully and stood up from the swivel chair. She was taken aback. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m a woman, and I don¡¯t mind. So what are you worried about? We¡¯ll be happy together.¡± He walked away from the desk, maintaining a 7-foot distance from her. ¡°Jennie, what exactly do you love about me?¡± ¡°I love everything about you. I won¡¯t ever marry anyone else! She drew closer to him, leaning into his embrace while her arms tightly wrapped around his neck as she sobbed. After sobbing for a few seconds, she looked up at him with infatuated eyes, tearfully pleading, ¡®Bruce, just ept me! Please don¡¯t reject me anymore¡­¡± He was indeed very handsome. His facial features were deep and well-defined. His eyebrows, which were thick and dark, were neatly ced on his face. His physique was exceptional as well. He stood at 6.2 feet, and there was not an ounce of excess fat on his body. Meanwhile, he was muscr, exuding a strong sense of masculinity. Even if he did not have money, his appearance alone could attract many women. He handed her two paper napkins and gently pushed her away from his embrace. ¡°Jennie, I¡¯ve always seen you as a sister. You and I won¡¯t work¡± Her face changed upon hearing his words. ¡°Since you really love me and are willing to give everything for me, then I have a request for you. Please retract your love for me. I really cannot bear it.¡± He firmly rejected her, not wanting to leave her with any room for hope. Women were like this. Sometimes, if you gave them a chance, they would weave a dream for themselves, trapping themselves in that dream and refusing to wake up. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. And they would consider it love. He was indeed despicable and heartless. But there was one thing good about him: he despised the idea of ying with a woman¡¯s feelings. He believed that love should be absolute and hold no room for ambiguity. Therefore, he would never sway from one woman to another. Although he had slept with many women, those women were there to gain something, and their goal was money. Therefore, they were well aware of the rules of the game. In other words, they would not get hurt, nor would they invest their emotions. Besides, he was generous. Of course, there were some women who had ulterior motives and wanted to be his only one. For those women, he would offer no opportunity whatsoever. 11:55 After hearing his response, she underwent an instant transformation. Her once gorgeous face was now contorted to the extreme as she said, ¡°Bruce, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to burn bridges? You promised me while you were in prison. You promised me that you would give us a try. How can you go back on your word?¡± He furrowed his brows slightly while a cold curve formed at the corner of his lips. ¡°Jennie. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not gonna work.¡± When he promised her a chance while in prison, it was purely out of anger. Of course, it was also to secure a quick release from his charges. However, when it came to love, he did not want to force it or hurt anyone. ¡°Hmph, so you and Joanna are gonna work? What does she have that I don¡¯t? Is she worthy of your loyalty?¡± ¡°She¡¯s different¡­ His brows furrowed even more. ¡°What¡¯s so different about her? She simply gave birth to three children! I can give birth too, give you as many as you want. Do you know what she did behind your back¡± so how many do you want? I can He did not want to listen any further. ¡°I¡¯ve said what needs to be said. We aren¡¯t suitable for each other. Don¡¯t waste your time on me.¡± At this point, her face turned pale with anger and her tone became sharp. ¡°Bruce, if that¡¯s your decision, then don¡¯t me me for being unkind to you. If I can get you out, I certainly can send you back in. If I can¡¯t have you, no one can either.¡± ¡°Fine by me!¡± He pressed the call button, summoning Mark toe in Seeing this, she felt utterly defeated as tears streamed down her face. ¡®Bruce, how can you be so cruel to me? You should consider the consequences!¡± He took a deep breath and spoke with seriousness. ¡°Jennie, this isn¡¯t cruelty. There was never love between us. Besides, what Im doing is for your own good. You¡¯re such an outstanding young woman, and you¡¯ll find a man who is suitable for you. You should go and seek happiness. I¡¯m not a good man, and I can¡¯t give you the happiness you desire.¡± ¡°Bruce, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s only when you¡¯re with me¡­¡± She sobbed as she poured her heart out The office door was pushed open. Mark walked in with respect, saying, ¡°Mr. Everett, how may I be of use?¡± A dark expression appeared on Bruce¡¯s face. ¡°Escort Miss Garcia out.¡± Mark then extended his right arm respectfully, gesturing for her to leave. ¡°Miss Garcia, please follow me.¡± She choked up while her chest heaved heavily. ¡°Bruce, I will make you regret it! One day, you will beg for me with teary eyes. You will regret it¡­¡± With impatience, he replied, ¡°Ha, I will never regret it. Mark, escort Miss Garcia out.¡± Without hesitation, Mark said respectfully yet forcefully, ¡°Miss Garcia, please leave immediately.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± she huffed angrily, her eyes brimming with tears as she stormed out. After she had left, he went to the window side and pulled out a cigarette with irritation. Just as he was about to light the cigarette, he reconsidered his decision to quit smoking. After three months in the detention center, he had made significant progress toward quitting. Not wanting to undo his progress, he decided to put the cigarette back. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 It was five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Bruce could not concentrate at work because he was worried that Joanna would do something unpredictable again. Thus, as soon as it struck five, he left the office and headed home early. Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°Good evening. Mr. Everett,¡± the servants greeted in unison. He walked into the house with a gloomy expression. Miranda was waiting in the living room. When he saw her, he asked with a long face, ¡°Miranda, how is Joanna doing?¡± Miranda wore a mournful face as she replied sadly, ¡°Joanna has been in the room and hasn¡¯te out yet!* He frowned after hearing that. ¡°She didn¡¯te out for the entire day ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Has she eaten anything?¡± His brows furrowed even more now. He was very worried because when Joanna, a stubborn woman in his eyes, got angry, she would torment herself like crazy. Although he was mad at her, he had no intention to break ties with her He wished she were smarter, capable of coaxing him a little more. He also longed for her to show Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. concern for his feelings and pledge to cut all ties with Jaydon, erasing his contact information. By doing so, perhaps his anger would diminish, and a sense of tranquility could ultimately be restored. After all, all married couples quarreled. ¡°I brought her some food, but she hasn¡¯t eaten anything.¡± Upon hearing that, he took off his suit zer and headed toward the master bedroom on the second floor. In the bedroom. Joanna remained in a state of daze, with every joint in her body throbbing in pain. Last night, she kept breaking into cold sweats and was exhausted to the point of copse. She was drenched in so much sweat that she felt as if she had been pulled out of water She was experiencing fluctuating temperatures, resulting in a persistent high fever. ¡°Bang!¡± Bruce forcefully pushed open the door. She knew he had returned. Instantly, she trembled in fear and quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She wished he were dead. She also wished she could tear him apart. He walked to the bedside with a cold expression, then grabbed the corner of the nket, yanking it open. ¡°Stop ying dead and get up!¡± Deep down, he was worried about her. However, he had a sharp tongue and was ustomed to hurting people¡¯s feelings. She still kept her eyes closed, ignoring him. He approached and reached out to touch her forehead, feeling that it was even hotter than in the morning. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor give you a shot to bring down the fever? Why is your temperature still so high?¡± She slightly turned her head away, paying no attention to him This instantly infuriated him again. Now, it was he who was angry. He found it unbelievable that she dared to give him a cold shoulder. ¡°Joanna, remember, what happenedst night was a punishment for you! If you anger me, I will punish with you harshly She weakly and angrily opened her eyes. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re no human, you¡¯re a devil¡­¡± Upon hearing that, he gripped her jaw, giving a coldugh. ¡°Yes, I am a devil. It¡¯s you who turned me into a devil! It¡¯s all your doing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± With onest burst of strength, she struggled fiercely His face darkened as he ordered, ¡°Get up anul cat. You haven¡¯t had anything sincest night. What? Are you trying to y the victim with me? I¡¯m telling you, I have no pity for you whatsoever.¡± As he spoke, he slid his arm around her neck and forcibly lifted her off the bed. Then, he brought over milk and oatmeal from the table. ¡°Eat up!¡± She weakly nced at him with her beautiful eyes, which were filled withplex emotions. While mountains and rivers could change, one¡¯s nature was hard to change! She was truly afraid of a man like him-a man born cruel and unpredictable. *Eat up. During the contract period, everything about you belongs to me, so your body belongs to me as well. If I tell you to eat, you cat ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re insane¡­ She red at him with resentiment as tears welled up in her eyes immediately. Seeing her reaction, he became even more furious. ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t make me angry again! You¡¯d better do as I say.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat¡­¡± ¡°You have to eat even if you don¡¯t want to. You haven¡¯t eaten since yesterday. Do you want to die? Even if you want to die, you need my permission.¡± Tension escted between the two. ¡°Knock, knock, knock Knockings echoed. ¡°Who is it?¡± he sternly questioned. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, can wee in?¡± The children¡¯s voices came from outside the door. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We want to see Mommy!¡± After a brief pause, he made the decision to let the children in, knowing that they held a special ce in her heart and hoping that they could persuade her. Without hesitation, he walked to the door and let the children in. ¡°Mommy, what happened to you?¡± Davian and Irvin were taken aback by their mother¡¯s listless appearance as soon as they entered. Lilia also said anxiously, ¡°Mommy, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Joanna weakly lifted her gaze toward the children. ¡°Did you two have another fight?¡± The three children cautiously asked as they sensed that something was wrong. Lilia pouted, looking pitiful as she gazed at her father. ¡°Daddy, can you please stop fighting with Mommy? We¡­ we don¡¯t. want you to fight again¡­¡± Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Upon hearing that, Bruce instantly put on a loving and gentle smile. ¡°You guys are good kids. Well, Daddy and Mommy didn¡¯t have a fight. You¡¯re overthinking!¡± ¡°Really?¡± The three little fellows were skeptical. ¡°Of course. Daddy and Mommy will never fight. We¡¯re the most loving couple. You know, Mommy caught a cold and doesn¡¯t feel well. That¡¯s all.¡± As he spoke, he wrapped his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder and affectionately kissed her on the lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, honey? Tell them how much we love each other.¡± As Joanna listened, her eyes revealed a hint of despair. The word ¡°loving¡± echoed in her mind. She found it ridiculous. However, she did not want to expose him in front of the children, nor did she want them to worry or be frightened. She extended her hand to gently caressed her daughter¡¯s cheek, then she said with immense weakness. ¡°Sweetie, Mommy¡¯s caught a cold. Don¡¯t worry, eh? Cough. Cough.¡± Lilia quickly reached out her tiny hand to touch her mother¡¯s forehead. ¡°Oh. Mommy, your forehead is so hot. And why do you have so many bruises on your neck? Does it hurt a lot?¡± Lilia¡¯s ¡®s eyes were filled with fear as she looked at the bruises on Joanna¡¯s neck Last night, Bruce went crazy and left many hickeys on her body. Her delicate skin appeared particrly concerning today.. and it looked as if she had been beaten. Irvin also said anxiously. ¡°That¡¯s right! Mommy, why do you have bite marks on your arms? Who bit you?¡± Faced with the children¡¯s questions, the father pursed his lips with a gloomy expression. A cold smile appeared on Joanna¡¯s lips as she replied weakly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I got bitten by a dog by ident.¡± *Pit!¡± After hearing that, Bruce¡¯s eyes narrowed instantly. He was filled with rage and he wished to vent his anger immediately. ¡°Bitten by a dog? That¡¯s not good. What if it was a rabid dog? You might get rabies. Mommy, you need to get a rabies vine.¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze coldly swept over the children¡¯s father. Tll get the rabies vine after I have recovered from the cold.¡± ¡°Yeah, you gotta get a rabies shot.¡± Irvin frowned, looking worried as hemented, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to keep a Tibetan Mastiff anymore. If it bites, I¡¯ll have to get a rabies vine too.¡± Davian wore a cold expression, saying. ¡°Dogs that bite people must be put down, or they¡¯ll bite again.¡± Bruce could not bear to listen anymore. At this point, his cheek bulged as he clenched his teeth. ¡°Mommy hasn¡¯t eaten yet. Tell her to eat something!¡± ¡®Mommy, why aren¡¯t you eating? You should eat something!¡± Joanna let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry ¡°You can¡¯t skip meals. Even if you¡¯re sick, you still need to eat on time.¡± The three children bombarded her. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± She weakly coughed a few times. Due to the fever, she nowcked strength. ¡°Mommy is tired and wants to rest for a while. Why don¡¯t you and Daddy go out and y?¡± ¡°Right, didn¡¯t Daddy say he would take us horseback riding? Can you take us today, Daddy?¡± Bruce took a deep breath, then said, ¡°Some other day! I need to stay with Mommy today. Don¡¯t disturb her rest, eh? Go y.¡± ¡°Okay! Mommy, you need to rest well!¡± ¡°Yes, sure¡­¡± The children left. In an instant, Bruce¡¯s expression shifted, and he looked at Joanna with cold eyes. ¡°Joanna, what did you mean by that? Bitten by a rabid dog? How dare you? Do you want more punishment?¡± apter 564 As he spoke, he sat on the bed, leaning over with half of his body. Seeing this, her heart sank. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Can you stop behaving like this?¡±. ¡°It depends on whether you¡¯ll be good or not. If you listen to me, maybe I¡¯ll be a little gentler with you. If you don¡¯t behave, I might do all sorts of things.¡± He looked at her with a stern gaze, exuding a strong sense of oppression that made one want to escape. Her eyes were filled with tears while a hint of coldness passed over her face. Right now, she did not want to say anything more to him. There was no point in talking anyway. To escape from the suffering, she must distance herself from him as much as possible. If she stayed This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. with a man like him, it would be equivalent to living with a time bomb, and she might get shattered into pieces at any moment. Observing her silence, he added angrily. In the future, you will still be a good mother in front of the children. But when we are alone, you are just my toy. Do you understand?¡± She tightly closed her eyes, refusing to look at him any longer or utter a single word to him. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Do you hear me?¡± She kept her eyes shut, allowing him to shake her. Her response, however, drove him to the brink of madness. She was like a flexible knife, seemingly harmless but capable of inflicting significant harm. She excelled at the silent treatment and disliked arguing with him. It seemed to him that no matter how angry or violent he became, she would retaliate in the gentlest yet most devastating way. It always drove lum to the brink of madness, making him want to conquer her in bed. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 In the next few days, Joanna continued suffering from high temperatures. Because of that, Bruce, perhaps carrying a hint of humanity, did not push her further. Besides, he had to go to Mossbourne to manage the Green Bay construction project, so he did not spend much time in Greyport In other words, she had narrowly avoided a disaster. On the fifth day. After five days of recuperation, her body had recovered to some extent. Although the fever had subsided, she still felt mentally exhausted. However, there was no way for her to leave. Sherane Bay Vi was heavily guarded with over a hundred security personnel and servants. In other words, escaping was harder than reaching the heavens. Ring, ring, ring! Her phone began to ring. She picked up the phone and s knew. unfamiliar number. Meanwhile, it was her private number that only very close friends. Though she did not know who was calling, she quickly answered, ¡°Hello¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Jaydon¡¯s concerned voice came through, ¡°Joann, it¡¯s me!¡± Her heart skipped a beat while she instinctively nced around. She was worried that Bruce had installed surveince cameras in the room. If he found out that she was still in contact with Jaydon, he would probably go crazy again. Even though there was no one in the room, she instinctively lowered her voice. ¡°Jay, is there something you need from me?¡± Listening to her anxious voice, Jaydon¡¯s heart tightened instantly. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Why does your voice sound so hoarse? I¡¯m really worried about you!¡± Hearing his concerned voice, her nose tingled as tears filled her eyes in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­..¡± ¡°Are you really though? Bruce didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, did he?¡± He clearly did not believe her. The two¡¯s photographs had caused a huge uproar in the city, after all. Even an ordinary man would have a hard time epting it, let alone someone like Bruce. For the past few days, he felt particrly uneasy as he had not heard anything from her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. You don¡¯t have to worry about me!¡± she said, but tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. She did not want him to worry about her, so she tried her best not to cry. He could tell from her voice that something was wrong, so his brows furrowed even more. Joann, you This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. must tell me if something is wrong. Don¡¯t force yourself, eh? If there¡¯s anything I can help with, please let me know. I will always be by your side no matter what happens.¡± As she listened, tears flowed even more vigorously. She could only bite her lips tightly, preventing herself from crying out loud. He was very good to her. He was gentle and chivalrous. If she were with him, she would definitely be happy. Unfortunately, it seemed that their paths would never cross again in this lifetime. She took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself. ¡°Jay, please don¡¯t call me during this period of time.¡± He frowned and pressed further, ¡°Is he giving you a hard time? Should I go talk to him and clear up the misunderstanding?¡± She shook her head and quickly deterred him from doing so. ¡°No, please don¡¯t. Jay, at this time, please don¡¯t provoke him any further. When things calm down, everything will be fine.¡± He decided not to insist after pondering for a few seconds ¡°Okay then, take care of yourself! If you need anything, call me.¡± ¡°I know. You take care too.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hang up for now.¡± She hung up the call. She curled up in the nket, bursting into painful sobs while her body trembled uncontrobly. She cried for several minutes. Then the door opened with a click. She knew it was Bruce, so she quickly wiped away her tears. Bruce walked into the room and noticed her lying under the nket, seemingly asleep. After a busy day, he was exhausted. He walked up to her and took off his suit zer, sitting on the bed. Joanna, my head hurts. Give me a massage. She did not react at all. Not hearing any response from her, he took off his shoes and got ready to lie down. Only when he lifted the nket did he realize that she was crying. At this point, her eyes were swollen. Immediately, his expression changed. ¡®Why are you crying? Do you feel wronged?¡± She coldly replied, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t I even get to cry?¡± He had intended to lie down and rest, but now he was no longer in the mood. ¡°Hmph, do you find being with me particrly distressing, Joanna?¡± She averted her gaze, remaining silent. He stood up abruptly. ¡°Since you¡¯re so unhappy, then go find Jaydon. I don¡¯t want a resentful woman by my side.¡± As he spoke, his eyes carried a sense of mockery and derision. She let out a faint sigh, not bothering to answer him. His anger grew upon seeing her indifference. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you refusing to speak to me now? Since you don¡¯t love me, I don¡¯t want to force you to stay by my side. Get out of here before I change my mind!¡± Her face appeared gloomy and her gaze was somewhat hollow. She knew that he loved to speak in reverse. He was just provoking her by saying all this. If she really did as he said, he might end up killing her. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Can¡¯t you hear me? Having lost patience, he grabbed her by the cor, lifting her up. She lifted her eyes slightly, looking at him with exhaustion and indiffere ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m really tired! Can you just let me go?¡± His heart skipped a beat while his brows furrowed immensely. Meanwhile, his heart ached as well. ctice. He was not a narrow-minded man, but when it came to the ambiguous rtionship between Joanna and Jaydon, he offered no room for tolerance. He could not bear the thought of her having another man in her heart, even if it was just a small fraction. Her beautiful eyes were now filled with endless sadness. ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s let go of each other, eh? I don¡¯t want anything anymore and I just want a little freedom. Please let me go. I¡¯m willing to give up everything, including the Haynes Group.¡± As herst sentence trailed off wearily, tears welled up in her eyes, tracing down her pale face. She had no choice but to enter into a two-year contract with him, in order to safeguard the Haynes Group and preserve her grandfather¡¯s lifelong efforts. Although nearly a year had psed, she could not bear it any longer. She was utterly drained, reaching the brink of mental and physical exhaustion. In Bruce¡¯s presence, she could not fathom finding peace. After all, he would employ different tactics to oppress her, to restrain her freedom, transforming her into apliant pet trapped in his cage. She just wanted to leave him once and for all As he looked at her deste expression, he felt as if his heart was being cut open. Joanna, do you really hate me this much? Do you really want to leave me desperately? Chapter 566 Chapter 566 He really loved her. It was also because he loved her so much that he became a control freak. He wanted to conquer everything about her, including her heart. Suddenly, Bruce sneered and hid the disappointment in his eyes. ¡°Hehe, you want to leave me so badly just because you want to return to Jaydon¡¯s side, right? You can go and look for him! ¡°When you hold your wedding. I¡¯ll give you a big gift, Bruce said as he pinched her chin. Joanna looked down weakly and closed her eyes in pain. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s enough, that¡¯s really enough! ¡°A man like you is doomed to die alone.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! I will die alone. I know you can¡¯t wait to return to Jaydon¡¯s side. ¡°Does he has anything better than me that is worth your concern? Is he richer than me? Is he more handsome than me? Or¡­ is he better in bed? Bruce looked at Joanna evilly. He couldn¡¯t understand why Jaydon was inferior to him in every aspect but Joanna insisted on being entangled with him. He continued, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true! He¡¯s yed with many women, so his skills must be much better than mine. It¡¯s expected that you can¡¯t bear to part with him. ¡°Come on. Tell me how he made you happy, how he left an unforgettable memory on you, and how he made you unable to leave him.¡± These words were unbearable to hear. Joanna felt even more heartbroken and disappointed! ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really disgusting! That¡¯s true. You can¡¯tpare to Jaydon. He won¡¯t speak as rudely as Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. you.¡± This very sentence instantly detonated the tension. Bruce gritted his teeth in anger as if steam was about toe out of his cars. Im that disgusting. And I will disgust you for the rest of your life! ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t even think about getting back together with Jaydon, not even for a second. I won¡¯t let you go even if I have to ruin your life.¡± As he spoke, Bruce loosened his tie and threw Joanna onto the bed. ¡°Ahhh¡± Joanna screamed and protected her chest with her arms. The fear from a few days ago had yet to subside when a new wave of fear struck again. Bruce was infuriated. He punished her again and again¡­. In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Joanna didn¡¯t know how she got through it. Even though she could no longer bear the burden, she still could not escape the cmity he gave her every night. During the day. Bruce maintained the image of a kind father in front of the children. At night, he would turn into a demon in front of his wife and destroy her body and mind evilly Although he would not be very barbaric and rude, the overbearing aura was really unbearable for women. One day, while Bruce was on a business trip. Joanna couldn¡¯t take it anymore and called Jaydon Jaydon picked up the phone very quickly ¡°Hello, Joann What¡¯s wrong¡± After a long whale Joanna said hoarsely, Jay When Jaydon heard her hoarse voice, his heart was about to break ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong with you? Is Bruce treating you badly!¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything. Her tears were just dripping down. ¡°Joann, what happened? Hurry up and say something Don¡¯t make me anxious. Hurry up and tell me what happened.¡± Jaydon¡¯s voice became more and more worried! He knew that Bruce would not let Joanna off. Jay, Leart take it anymore. I want to leave this ce,¡± Joanna replied in despair, When Jaydon heard this, his heart almost skipped a beat. ¡°Joann, did he torture you? What exactly did he do to you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Don¡¯t ask anything.¡± Jaydon clenched her fists and tried his best to suppress his anger. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t ask. How do you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Help me escape from here. I really can¡¯t take it anymore. If I stay any longer, I will die.¡± After saying that, Joanna closed her eyes in pain. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you think of a way. Bear with it for a while longer. I¡¯ll definitely save you.¡± Footsteps sounded outside the door. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Bruce seems to be back. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± As she spoke, Joanna hurriedly hung up the phone. At the same time, the door was kicked open. Bruce walked in with a gloomy expression. ¡°Joanna, who are you talking to?¡± ¡°N-no¡­No one.¡± ¡°No one?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with a sense of murder ¡°Give me your phone.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t!¡± Fear appeared in her eyes. Bruce sneered and snatched her phone away. In the past month, he had deliberately not confiscated her phone to see if she would contact Jaydon. Of course, Joanna¡¯s phone had already been installed with a listening system. Bruce would know it if she called anyone. After reading the call log, Bruce smiled sinisterly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have nothing to do with Jaydon? ¡°Why are you calling him now? Do you want him to save you?¡± Seeing this, Joanna retreated in fright! Looking at the fury in Bruce¡¯s eyes, Joanna trembled. Chapter 567 Chapter 567 In the past month, Joanna¡¯s depression had rpsed again. She was struggling on the verge of a mental breakdown. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯te over, don¡¯te over¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, it seems you still haven¡¯t learned your lesson!¡± Bruce was like a vicious wolf about to prey as he walked towards Joanna step by step. ¡°Do you have to irritate me? You know I hate Jaydon, but you still have to find him?¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re too scary. I¡¯d rather die than be with you¡± Joanna was inplete despair. She screamed and ran out of the room. Bruce was indeed too scary. He said that he was going on a business trip, but Joanna didn¡¯t expect that he was lying to her on purpose. Moreover, as soon as she called, he immediately came over. From this, it could be seen that he must have installed numerous monitoring devices to monitor her. It¡¯s an overwhelmingly depressing feeling. She really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The only thing she wanted to do was escape from here and from Bruce¡¯s control. Bang! Joanna opened the door and ran out barefoot. She was really frightened. She was even more afraid of staying alone with him. Even though she knew that she had nowhere to go, she still subconsciously fled. Bruce chased after her. ¡°Joanna, stop right there. Where do you want to escape to?¡± The second floor was a circr staircase with a balcony and guardrails. The living room and lounge were downstairs. There were many bodyguards guarding the door of the house and the courtyard. She would be stopped if she went out. Joanna had nowhere to run. In a moment of desperation, she stepped on the handrail. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t force me. If youe over again, I¡¯ll jump down from here.¡± After saying that, Joanna crossed one leg over the handrail. This was the second floor. Although she might not necessarily die if she jumped down, if she identally fell on her head, she would die on the spot because the ground was made of marble. Bruce gasped and his expression changed slightly. However, he did not believe that she dared to jump. He maintained a trace of dominance in his tone. ¡°Joanna, are you threatening me? ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be threatened by you? Do you still think I care about you?¡± Joanna¡¯s two legs went over the guardrail, and most of her body slid down the handrail. Realizing she was serious, Bruce¡¯s nerves twitched. He subconsciously took two steps back and his tone immediately softened. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I won¡¯t go over, okay? ¡°Come back first. I won¡¯t be angry with you. Let¡¯s say that nothing happened, okay?¡± Joanna¡¯s chest heaved violently. She looked downstairs with a hint of despair in her eyes. It was an awkward height. Even if she jumped down, she might not die. However, it was very likely that she would break her legs and arms. If her luck was a little worse and she fell until she was paralyzed, which would be even more painful. ¡°Joann, be good. Don¡¯t make such a dangerous joke. You know how much I love you. Be kind and Bruce tried his best to calm her downl Every nerve in his body tensed up like a leopard ready to pounce at any moment and pull Joanna This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. down. The servant people on the first floor also heard themotion and ran out to check. When they saw the situation, they were all dumbfounded. ¡®Madam, be careful. It¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡± Miranda and Kelly also ran out. They were even more frightened by this situation. ¡°Joann, it¡¯s too dangerous. Go back quickly.¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be stupid. The children will be frightened if they see this.¡± ¡°Hurry up and go back. Don¡¯t take things too hard. You, hurry up and get the mat in case Madam falls.¡± When the servant members heard this, they hurriedly went to the storeroom to get soft cushions. Joanna was overly panicked. Her vision turned ck, and her brain was fragmented for a few seconds. Her entire body swayed and almost fell. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s heart instantly jumped to his mouth. ¡°Joanna, calm down. Come back first. Let¡¯s have a talk. ¡°I just love you too much. I am so afraid of losing you. If you don¡¯t want to live like this, I can make some changes. As long as youe down, that contract will be written off. You will still return to work at the Haynes Group. I won¡¯t control you anymore, okay¡­ Bruce started to fall into the underdog¡¯s stance. Joanna had done a lot of crazy things in front of him. What if she really jumped down from here? Then he would really regret it. Joanna was still in a mental breakdown. What Bruce said waspletely unbelievable. After a few seconds, the ckout in her head dissipated. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t force me. I want to leave this ce. Let me go! If you don¡¯t let me leave this ce, I¡¯ll die now.¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be rash. Think about the children. Can you bear to leave the children? If you die, what will happen to the children? Can you bear to see them without a mother?¡± Joanna was stunned and calmed down! If she died, the children would definitely be very sad! However, if she stayed here, she would definitely die. ¡°Bruce, I want a car. Let me go. I¡¯m leaving now. Give me my passport and identification¡­¡± ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Bruce subconsciously took another step forward. Seeing him move, Joanna panicked even more. ¡°Don¡¯te over, don¡¯te over!¡± Her emotions turned increasingly unstable, and her hoarse roar made her ck out and fall out. ¡°Ahl¡± ¡°Joanna!¡± Bruce cried out in surprise. He rushed forward and grabbed the handrail with his hands. Unfortunately, he only managed to grab the sleeve of her pajamas. The thin silk pajamas tore and Joanna fell straight down. ¡°Oh my god, hurry, hurry, hurry!¡± The servant members downstairs were also panicking and went forward to pick it up. Fortunately, the servants had already brought over the cushion in time. As Joanna fell, they hurriedly pushed the cushion to pick her up. ¡°Bang!¡± Joanna was blocked by the cushion and fell onto it. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s eyes were wide open. He took strides down the second floor. ¡°Joanna, Joanna¡­..¡± The servants were also frightened. ¡°Madam, Madam¡­¡± Joanna fainted on the spot. Although there was a cushion to cushion the gravitational force, she still fell to the ground! ¡°Joanna, Joanna!¡± Bruce was terrified. He hugged her tightly in his arms, his heart beating violently. ¡°Take Madam to the hospital!¡± ¡°Call 911.¡± ¡°Why are you still calling 911? Hurry up and get the driver. Send Madam to the hospital.¡± ¡°hen Bruce reacted, he was even more anxious. He carried her and quickly rushed out of the door. *Joanna, you will be alright. I forbid anything to happen to you. Do you hear me? ¡°Go to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett,¡± Ten minutester, they arrived at Greyport Hospital. The driver ran a few red lights along the way and sent Joanna and Bruce to the hospital at the fastest speed. As soon as the car stopped, the bodyguard immediately went forward to open the door. Bruce panicked and got out of the car with Joanna in his arms. He rushed towards the hospital running like a leopard. ¡°Someone, someone,e quickly.¡± When several nurses at the nurse¡¯s desk saw Bruce, they were even more shocked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°She fell from upstairs. Hurry up and save the patient! Hurry up and inform all the surgical experts.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The nurses quickly nodded. ¡°Get the patient to the emergency room.¡± The nurses did not dare to dy. They quickly pushed the wheeled stretcher over and rushed Joanna to the emergency room Bruce paced back and forth outside the emergency room. ¡°Joanna, you really know how to torture me!¡± Bruce¡¯s face was ashen, and his heart was in turmoil. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. More than ten bodyguards stood in two rows, all of them as mute as fish. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the doctore out? It¡¯s been so long.¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing a checkup now, Mr. Everett, please calm down!¡± In the blink of an eye, another hour passed. The emergency room door finally opened. Two top surgical experts walked out with solemn expressions. Bruce¡¯s heart was in his mouth. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s Joanna?¡± ¡°Mt. Everell, don¡¯t worry. The patient is not in danger. She just fractured her calf and needs to put on a cast now When Bruce heard this, he frowned and asked nervously. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just given the patient a full body checkup. Other than a fracture in his calf, he¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Oh, right, there¡¯s one more thing. She is pregnant.¡± When Bruce heard this, his pupils suddenly constricted. ¡°¡­What? Say that again?¡± The doctor said with a serious expression, ¡°The patient is pregnant. Fortunately, the fetus is fine! However, we can¡¯t be too careless. Her condition is very weak. It¡¯s best to stay in the hospital to protect the fetus for the first three months. It¡¯ll be better to leave the hospital after the fetus¡¯s condition stabilizes.¡± Bruce frowned and looked a little dazed. Joanna is pregnant? This news was too sudden and unexpected, causing him to be unable to recover for a long time. Looking at his expression, the doctor thought that he didn¡¯t want this child too much. He changed the topic and suggested, ¡°Uh, of course! If you don¡¯t want this child, you can choose to terminate the pregnancy¡­¡± Before the doctor could finish, Bruce¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Who told you I don¡¯t want it? ¡°All of you, do everything you can to help Joanna keep the baby safe until it¡¯s safely delivered.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. ¡°We¡¯re going to make a n now. Mr. Everett, you can go in.¡± The two doctors were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They found an excuse to leave. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯in finally going to be a father again.¡± The worry and nervousness on Bruce¡¯s face were gone. His eyes were filled with irrepressible surprise. What an unexpected surprise! He had wanted to have another child, but Joanna refused. Thest time Joanna identally miscarried made him feel heartbroken. It¡¯s great that she was finally pregnant again. In the ward, Bruce could not contain his joy. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re awake?¡± Joanna was lying on the hospital bed. Her calf was already splinted, and she was a little out of her wits. Bruce seemed to have forgotten about the conflict and argument just now. He excitedly shook Joanna¡¯s hand. ¡°Joann, I have good news for you¡± Joanna¡¯s face was numb. He continued, ¡°The doctor said you¡¯re pregnant. We¡¯re having another baby,¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyelids drooped slightly, but she still did not reply. This child came at the wrong time. She did not want to give birth to his child again. Bruce buried his head in her belly, sticking close to this unborn child. ¡°Joana, are you happy?¡± ¡°I hope this child is a girl so Lilia can havepany. However, it doesn¡¯t matter if we have a boy. Anyway, the more, the better. After this child is born, we¡¯re going to have another child.¡± The more he spoke, the more excited he became. He waspletely immersed in the joy of being a father. He had long forgotten what had happened in the morning. He was like that. Emotions came and went in a sh. Bruce switched from his previous tyrannical behavior and was as excited as if he were standing on top of the world. Joanna ignored him and left him to himself. Suddenly, Bruce seemed to have realized that his actions these days had forced Joanna to jump off the house. Presumably, Joanna was no longer willing to bear his child. What if she secretly had the baby aborted behind his back? Then he was going to go crazy again. ¡°Joann, let¡¯s¡­ stop fighting, okay? Take good care of the baby. Let¡¯s stop holding our grudges and pretend that nothing happened, okay?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression changed in a second. He gently held Joanna¡¯s hand and kissed it again and again. Joanna¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent to his goodwill. Why did he have the right to determine everything? She hadpletely given up on him and would never fall for his tricks again. ¡°Joanna, we love each other very much. During these days, I¡¯ve been angry and lost my mind. Can you forgive me?¡± Bruce DL knew that ¡°better bend than break.¡± Hepletely put down his arrogant attitude. Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Seeing that Joanna was ignoring him, Bruce¡¯s heart sank. He knew that Joanna was not so easy to ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, okay? If you don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll feel terrible! ¡°Honey, you know that I can¡¯t control my emotions because¡­ I care about you too much. I won¡¯t do it again. Can you forgive me this time?¡± Bruce stuck his head into her arms and rubbed against her like a spoiled child. Joanna¡¯s expression changed. She replied indifferently. T¡¯m tired. I want to have a break.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Close your eyes. I¡¯ll stay by your side.¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he adjusted his sitting posture and sat carefully at the end of the bed, with his big hand gently stroking her hair. No matter what would happen, he did not dare to provoke her anymore. The anger in his heart dissipated. As long as Joanna drew a clear line with Jaydon, even if she offended God, he was willing to pamper her and go along with her. Joanna ignored him andy down to rest. At the nurse¡¯s desk, a few young nurses could not help but gather together to gossip. ¡°Oh my god, Mr. Everett and Joanna haven¡¯t broken up yet?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is too magnanimous, right? Joanna has openly cheated on him, but he still cares about her so much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She didn¡¯t really break off with her ex-boyfriend. They still connected with each other and spent three days together. Ordinary men can¡¯t take it. I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett to be willing to be a cuckold¡± Another nurse in her thirties said in surprise, ¡°And wow, I just heard from Dr. yton that Miss Haynes seems to be pregnant again. Guess if she¡¯s pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child or Mr. Grimm¡¯s child?¡± ¡°I guess only the person involved knows about this! The life of the rich is too messy for ordinary people to ept.¡± ¡°Come on, stop gossiping here. Go and do your job! If they don¡¯t mind, why should we worry?¡± In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed. Joanna slept groggily for a while. Her arm had been numb, and she moved her body slightly. Bruce saw that she was awake and quickly went forward Joann, you¡¯re awake? Does your body still hurt? Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Ell get someone to prepare it.¡± Joanna replied coldly, ¡®Im not hungry!¡± ¡®You haven¡¯t eaten anything all day. How can you not be hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the kitchen to prepare a few more specialties. They¡¯re all your favorites. They¡¯ll be sent to the hospitalter, Bruce said gently and dotingly Joanna was indifferent to his goodwill. Bruce was used to punishing her and then rewarding her.. When he got better, he could be the perfect man. When he was bad, he would let her know what the devil was. Even if he stopped throwing tantrums, she still did not want to be with him anymore. A man like him was too controlling and obsessivepulsive. It was really unbearable to live with him. Especially in bed, he was nasty and difficult to deal with. It was obvious that she could only ept one round, but he insisted on five rounds, tormenting her to death. Who could stand him? ¡°Rest well for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up after the meales!¡± Joanna did not reply. Due to the anesthetic, she was in a daze. She turned over slightly and continued sleeping. At 6 p.m., Miranda came to deliver dinner with one servant. Davian, Irvin, and Lilia Haynes all followed. As soon as the three children entered the ward, they could not help but ask, ¡°Mommy, do you have a baby?¡± Joanna looked at her children and hesitated. The three little fellows did not know that their mammy had experienced the moment of life and death All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. when she jumped off 1/2 10:381 their house today. It was only because her mommy was pregnant that she was hospitalized. Of course, it was also Bruce¡¯s order not to let anyone tell the children that Joanna had jumped today. ¡°Mommy, can I look at Mommy¡¯s belly?¡± ¡°Is mommy going to give birth to a little brother or sister again?¡± Bruce replied on behalf of Joanna, ¡°That¡¯s right! Are you happy?¡± ¡°Yes. If Mommy gives birth to a little baby, will she still love us?¡± ¡°Silly, of course!¡± Davian grinned. I want a little sister!¡± Irvin chimed in. ¡°I want a sister too.¡± ¡°Mommy better give us three sisters so that we can each have one! ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. How can it be so easy to get pregnant with triplets? Bruce smiled happily. ¡°We are triplets!¡± Irvin replied slyly Indeed, triplets were very difficult to conceive. When Joanna was pregnant with the three of them, Margaret had repeatedly urged her to have children. So, the ovtion injections were given months in advance. That was how she got pregnant with triplets. Joanna struggled slightly and tried to sit up. Seeing this. Bruce hurriedly asked with concern. ¡°Joann, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°Are you feeling unwell Tell me, I¡¯ll call the doctor over.¡± ¡°I need to go to the bathroom¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll carry you there,¡± said Bruce. Without any exnation, be carefully carried Joanna to the bathroom. Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Joanna entered the washroom and copsed tiredly on the seat of the toilet. Now that she was pregnant, Bruce¡¯s attitude towards her changed. It wouldst until she gave birth, and then Bruce would. definitely return to how he was initially! This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Joanna didn¡¯t want to live like this anymore. She had to be free of Bruce. His love was too suffocating Joanna inadvertently looked at theyout of the bathroom. There was arge window in this bathroom, and this was on the second floor, which was not far from ground level. If she escaped through the window, she couldpletely avoid the surveince of the bodyguards at the door. At the thought of this, Joanna¡¯s eyes lit up. This might be a good opportunity. As long as she left Greyport, she could be rid. of Bruce. However, her calf was fractured now. It was almost impossible for Joanna to break through the window and escape. Even if she wanted to escape, she would have to wait until her leg healed. Outside the washroom, Bruce knocked lightly on the door and asked with concern, Joanna, are you done? Let me know if you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be done soon. Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. There¡¯s no rush. Take your time.¡± Five minutester, Joanna managed to keep a lid on her emotions. At this moment, it was best not to let Bruce see that she intended to escape. Otherwise, he would have her watched even more strictly. ¡°You cane in now.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Bruce pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll carry you out.¡± Joanna did not say anything and obediently let him do whatever he wanted. They returned to the bed. Joannay weakly on the hospital bed again. She still looked a little distracted. Noticing that her expression was not right, Bruce hurriedly and gently coaxed her, ¡°Joann, take good care of the child. If this child is born smoothly. I will reward you with a gift¡± When Joanna heard this, she raised her eyes slightly and nced at him. Bruce pondered for a few seconds as if he had made a major decision. He looked into her eyes gently and said solemnly, ¡°That contract can¡­ be nullified in advance. ¡°When the timees, you can manage the Haynes Group or find someone to manage it. ¡°As long as the child is born safely, I will fully support you in whatever you want to do. Do you have any opinions on the matter? You can tell me, and I will respect them. ¡°However, I only have one request.¡± At this point, Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I want you topletely draw a line between you and Jaydon. No matter what happens, you can¡¯t have anything to do with him. ¡°I only have one simple request for you. I won¡¯t ask you to do anything else.¡± Bruce keptforting Joanna. After the fall, Bruce waspletely frightened. He also realized that his control over her might be too strong. When Joarna heard this, she was not moved at all. She no longer believed in Bruce. Even if Bruce really returned the Haynes Group to her, he would never let her go. As long as Bruce was around, he would have total control over her. No matter what she did, Joanna would not be able to escape him. Now, Joanna had made up her mind. Even if she had to give up everything, she had to leave Bruce. Joanna didn¡¯t n to keep the Haynes Group anymore. h would be an asset left for the children. Joanna also believed that Bruce would make the Haynes Group prosperous, ¡°The food has been sent over. Let¡¯s ent!¡± 1/2 As he spoke, Bruce ced the lunch boxes on the table. ¡°These are all your favorites. Eat them while they¡¯re hot!¡± Joanna was thinking silently on the hospital bed, not reacting to him. After receiving utensils from him, she ate mechanically. If Joanna left him, she needed money. Joanna nned to sell the properties in Porash and Greene Town. At the same time, she would also sell the properties overseas. Bruce had once given her a ck card. Joanna had used part of it, but there were still over 20 million dors on it. She could use this time to cash out all these things and then choose the right time to leave him. Seeing that Joanna only are rice and did not pick up any of the other dishes, Bruce leaned over and peered at her for a few seconds. He asked suspiciously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like this? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡­ I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s just that my calf hurts a little,¡± Joanna replied quietly. ¡°Ill call the doctor and tell him to prescribe you some more painkillers. ¡°No need. It¡¯s not good to take too many painkillers.¡± When Bruce heard this, his heart ached slightly. He held Joanna¡¯s hand again Joann, I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t force you anymore. If there¡¯s anything, we canmunicate properly. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything stupid again¡± When Joanna heard this, she sneered inwardly, untouched by his apology However, to prevent him from seeing through her, she nodded obediently. ¡°Well, L¡­ I¡¯m also in the wrong. I won¡¯t be so willful in the future, nor make you angry again. I¡¯ve let you down too. I hope you can forgive me.¡± After saying that, Joanna looked at Bruce docilely When Bruce heard this, he was especially excited. He really could not believe that Joanna would forgive him so easily nor take the initiative to apologize to him. ¡°Joann, let¡¯s not apologize to each other from now on. Let bygones be bygones¡± ¡°Hungry?¡± Bruce smiled. Chapter 571 Chapter 571 He picked up the oatmeal on the dining table and scooped a spoonful gently. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll feed you. This is your favorite maple and brown sugar oatmeal. You have to eat more now.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna obediently ate the oatmeal. Bruce patiently fed her spoonful by spoonful. He would even considerately feed her the exquisite side dishes between mouthfuls of oatmeal. In the past, during Joanna¡¯s first pregnancy, Bruce didn¡¯t do his duty as a husband. He didn¡¯t witness the first moments when the children were born and missed out on their infancy. Now, Joanna was pregnant again. Bruce had to make up for this regret and give Joanna the best he could provide. Over the next few days, Bruce seemed to have be a different person. He only went to work in the morning every day. In the afternoon and at night, he would transform into a loving husband and a good caretaker. The next day, at eight o¡¯clock in the morning, there was a series of loud knocking on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door of the ward was pushed open, and rows of people in white uniforms walked courteously into the ward. ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Everett. The twelve people stood in two rows and greeted her respectfully. Joanna was stunned. ¡°Who are you?¡± A man who looked to be in his thirties with a clean and refreshing face had a professional smile on his lips. He introduced himself meticulously, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Everett. My name is Carson, and I¡¯m your personal butler. We¡¯re nutritionists and expert caregivers hired by Mr. Everett to look after you. ¡°During the length of your pregnancy, we will prepare the best nutritious meals ording to the nutrition requirements of the pregnant woman as stated by scientific standards. ¡°At the same time, we will also take care of your leg injury and apany you for rehabilitation training. ¡°In the future, during the postpartum recovery and the period of breastfeeding, we will also take good care of your health. Looking at the rows of nutritionists and expert caregivers in front of her, Joanna was shocked and speechless. She had just gotten pregnant, and Bruce could not wait to hire nutritionists and caregivers. He had even thought of postpartum recovery and nannies for the baby. He was really proactive. ¡°Actually, I enjoy peace and quiet¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. Just pretend we are invisible. We won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Carson work. miled and instructed the caregivers to get to Before Joanna could react, the caregivers had already moved a beauty bed into the room. Without much ado, Joanna treatment. was carried onto the beauty bed. A beautician quickly cleaned her face and began Joanna¡¯s facial The other two beauticians worked together to clean Joanna¡¯s hands and legs. They also trimmed Joanna¡¯s nails and cuticles. The entire process was very scrupulous and professional. Joanna did not need to say a word at all until all the cleaning and treatments had beenpleted. Half an hourter, Joanna had not recovered from her daze when she was carried back to the hospital bed. The nutritionists, beauticians, and others left the ward as they were trained. They cleaned up all traces of their presence as if no one had been there. Joanna was utterly speechless. It felt like she had done everything, but it also felt like she had done nothing. At breakfast time, another batch of nutritionists walked in and delivered a well-nned nutritious meal. Joanna was still astounded. If this continued, she would be a good-for-nothing who could not take care of herself. In the blink of an eye, it was one in the afternoon. Bruce came over. At the same time, he was carrying a bunch of things. As soon as Bruce walked in, he showed off his spoils excitedly. ¡°Honey, look. I got someone to order a lot of baby products 10:39 from overseas. There are also clothes for the baby, for either boy or girl.¡± Still dazed, Joanna subconsciously drew in a deep breath. Bruce put down his things and kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead a few times. Also, I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯m going to build an amusement park in the back of the house. Davian, Irvin, and Lilia are moring to go to the amusement park every day. I might as well build one for them. *Including the one in your stomach, all four children need the amusement park. That should be enough for them to y with.¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Bruce, are you serious?¡± Bruce looked solemn. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s a piece ofnd in the back of the house that was bought a few years ago. It just hasn¡¯t been used. ¡°Ites in handy now. We¡¯ll build a children¡¯s yground for our children to y in Joanna frownrd and looked at Bruce, transfixed ¡°Also, Ive thought about it. My next step is to invest in a school¡± As he spoke, Bruce touched his chin and said regretfully. ¡°Tsk. Why didn¡¯t I think of investing in this sector in the past? ¡°If we had invested earlier, it would be more convenient for the children. However, it¡¯s not toote now. When they go to middle school and university, it wille in handy. Tve already thought about it. When they¡¯re in middle school, I¡¯ll still send them overseas for education. During vacation, they cane back to Greyport for private sses!¡± Joanna waspletely speechless after hearing this. She could notment on his actions besides saying he was a willful spendthrift! Bruce kept talking non-stop. When he saw Joanna¡¯s stunned expression, he quickly went up to her. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like this? Are you feeling unwell ¡°Nol Aren¡¯t you¡­ being too anxious?¡± When Bruce heard this, he chuckled. ¡°How can that be? Including the construction andpletion time, it¡¯s not considered early at all! Tve thought about it. I¡¯m going to build a fairytale castle in the back and let the children live there in the future! ¡°Honey, what do you think?¡± ¡­Up to you!¡± Joanna frowned and said perfunctorily. Who could stop what he wanted to do? ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve hired aestheticians and physiotherapists. They¡¯ll probably be here tomorrow. Haven¡¯t you always found the stretch marks on your stomach repulsive? Tve already invited the top aesthetic experts over. They can help you with treating and preventing wrinkles and marks.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more amazed! Bruce had really thought of everything. See! Even when Bruce set his mind to pamper someone, it was also very unbearable. Bruce¡¯s face was filled with excitement. He wrapped his arms around Joanna¡¯s shoulders and said affectionately, ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t have to do anything now. You don¡¯t have to think about anything. Just take good care of the baby and recuperate. I¡¯ll arrange everything else. ¡°As long as you¡¯re obedient, you can even take my life.¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes shed. She was unwilling to look Bruce in the eye. Bruce was always like this. His way of expressing his feelings was very intense and extreme. Bruce was like a ball of fire. He could give the other party endless warmth and protection, but he could also burn the other party to ashes without leaving a corpse. Ahem, Bruce, I think¡­ you don¡¯t have to do this. I can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°Why not? You just need to ept it and enjoy it!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna in confusion. Chapter 572 Chapter 572 His eyes were like dark pools of mystery, as though they were capable of infinite possibilities. It would make one¡¯s hair stand on end. After a while, Joanna squeezed out a reluctant smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡­ will listen to you!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. As long as you¡¯re obedient and don¡¯t make me angry, I¡¯ll dote on you very much. As Bruce spoke, he reached out and stroked the top of Joanna¡¯s head. Then, Bruce kissed her cheeks and forehead passionately. Although Bruce¡¯s actions were adoring and gentle, Joanna always felt like a pet dog being forcefully petted by its owner. Joanna believed that Bruce loved her. However, Bruce¡¯s love always made people feel suffocated. It was like a high and mighty master forcing a pet dog to be loyal and attached to its master. Once the dog showed any signs of disloyalty, its master would fly into a rage and want to beat the dog to death. At the nurses¡¯ station, a few nurses and female doctors gathered together to gossip. ¡°Tsk, tsk. tsk. Joanna is really lucky. Look at that lineup. Tsk, tsk. Only empresses get this treatment, right?¡± A young female doctor could not help but envy. ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s really fortunate to get a man like Mr. Everett in her life. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable that such a promiscuous woman should be so blessed.¡± A well-behaved-looking nurse with bangs also clicked her tongue. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? What¡¯s wrong with this rich person¡¯s brain? He doesn¡¯t want any of the many good women and instead chose a woman who has no morals at all.¡± ¡°Well, her womb lives up to it as well. She has already given birth to three children, not to mention that she is currently pregnant. If she gives Mr. Everett another son, Mr. Everett will be so happy!¡± ¡°Tsk 15k, we¡¯re just drowning ourselves in envy if wepare ourselves to her. When I go home and see my good-for-nothing husband, I want to divorce him. It¡¯s really not worth it thinking about it. I work so hard every day for absolutely nothing¡± ¡°Forget it. We¡¯re just here for the gossip. Or do you think we¡¯ll really leave our husbands?¡± The few nurses were chatting enthusiastically when their pagers lit up. ¡°Let¡¯s hustle and stop chatting. Ward eight¡¯s pager just lit up. Hurry up and check up on it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Although the nurses were gossiping and joking around, they did not dare to ck off when it came to Joanna¡¯s ward. At the Garcia Group, Jennie swept everything on the desk to the ground. ¡°God is so unfair. Joanna is actually pregnant again. Even though shemitted such a shameful act as adultery, Bruce doesn¡¯t care! ¡°Joanna must not be human. She must be a vixen. I can¡¯t see what¡¯s so good about Joanna to have bespelled Bruce to this extent.¡± Crash! Jennie angrily threw an antique vase onto the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this. I can¡¯t ept this. How am I inferior to Joanna? Jennie was furious. She willfully smashed another crystal ornament that was worth thousands of dors. Coincidentally, Jimmy, Jennie¡¯s secretary, pushed open the door and walked in. When Jimmy saw the mess on the ground, his heart could not help but ache. ¡°Miss Garcia, be careful not to hurt yourself.¡± Jennie was so angry that her eyes were red, and her entire body trembled violently. ¡°Bruce, I won¡¯t let you off. ¡°How dare you y me around like this? I won¡¯t let you off easily.¡± ¡°Miss Garcia, Mr. Yanice is here. He¡¯s downstairs in the lobby.¡± When Jennie heard this, she took a few deep breaths and tried her best to suppress her emotions. ¡°Let Itim in!¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Ten minutester, Jimmy entered the office with Marlowe. Marlowe walked in and looked at the mess on the ground. He teased, ¡°What, who provoked Miss Garcia?¡° Jennie rolled her eyes coldly and said angrily, ¡°What brings the prestigious President Yanice here today?¡± 10 10.26 A sly look appeared in Marlowe¡¯s eyes as he said in a glib tone, ¡°Miss Garcia, long time no see. I really miss you.¡± Jennie snorted. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it!¡± Jennie rolled her eyes arrogantly and impatiently. Marlowe might be one of the wealthy second generations, but he was not popr in the elite circle of rich second generations. After all, Marlowe had been imprisoned for nine years. Moreover, Marlowe¡¯s reputation was not good. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The elite circle of affluent second generations was not very willing to associate with him. ¡°Look at what you are saying, Miss Garcia. You¡¯re so distant-¡± Jennie did not have time to exchange pleasantries with Marlowe, ¡°Why are you looking for me? If you have something to say, just say it. Otherwise, get the hell out of here.¡± The smile on Marlowe¡¯s face froze as well. He smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you because I want to discuss a coboration!¡± ¡°What kind of coboration? Tell me about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about¡­ the Everett Group.¡± When Jennie heard this, her eyes widened suddenly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As far as I know, Miss Garcia has contributed a lot behind the scenes to Bruce¡¯s sessful liberation this time.¡± Jennie snorted. ¡°So what?¡± Marlowe smiled sarcastically and said deliberately, ¡°What a pity. It¡¯s all for nothing. Miss Garcia, after working so hard, you¡¯re only helping others and letting Joanna take advantage of your efforts.¡± The entire Greyport knew that Jennie was crazy about Bruce. On the day Bruce was released from prison, Jennie was busy running around handling everything like an official girlfriend. Everyone thought that Mr. Everett had a new girlfriend again. However, nothing could be further away from the truth! Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Since Joanna got pregnant, Bruce ignored Jennie even more. Jennie was so angry that her heart hurt. She said fiercely, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you here to see me make a fool of myself?¡± Marlowe quickly put on a smile. ¡°Miss Garcia, don¡¯t be angry. I sincerely want to cooperate with you.¡± ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush.¡± ¡°Bruce let you down like this and you¡¯re willing to ept it? This doesn¡¯t fit your personality, Miss Garcia!¡± Jennie rolled her eyes again. Of course, Jennie was unwilling! However, so what if Jennie was unwilling? Bruce did not care about Jennie at all, let alone take her seriously. Even if Jennie had helped Bruce, he would not ept her kindness at all! This really made Jennie furious and at the same time, spiteful. Seeing this, Marlowe added fuel to the fire and went straight for where it hurt most. ¡°With Miss Garcia¡¯s family background, as well as looks and figure, there¡¯s no woman in Greyport who canpare to you. ¡°Bruce is really blind to not appreciate you. Any other man would choose you.¡± Marlowe deliberately ttered Jennie to fan the mes! ¨C This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Face filled with indignant jealousy, Jennie retracted her re. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Marlowe smiled coldly. ¡°What I want to say is that we should join forces and fight Bruce together. ¡°I believe that with our strength, as long as we join forces, we can definitely make Bruce suffer.¡± Jennie, said nothing, raising her eyebrows slightly and looking at Marlowe coldly. ¡°If Bruce falls, he will be able to bow down to you. At that time, you can get him to do whatever you want. ¡°He¡¯s at his peak now, high-spirited and arrogant. When he¡¯s in a desperate situation and only you can save him, what do you think he¡¯ll choose?¡± When Jennie heard this, she took a few deep breaths. She was still furious. ¡°Why should I work with you?¡± ¡°Because we have the same goal! You want him, and I¡¯m doing this to vent my anger.¡± Back then, Marlowe went to jailrgely because he had offended Bruce. Jennie knew about this too. ¡­I¡¯ll think about it! ¡°However, I can¡¯t guarantee that I will cooperate with you. Even if I work with you, it¡¯s only because I want Bruce.¡± ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t I say it just now? You want Bruce, and I just want to vent my anger. ¡°Think about it carefully. Contact me when you¡¯ve thought it through.¡± Marlowe smiled sinisterly, put down his business card, and left. Jennie mmed her fist forcefully on the desk, her eyes burning with fire. ¡°No, I have to go look for Bruce again and give him onest chance. ¡°If he¡¯s still stubborn and insists on choosing Joanna Haynes, I won¡¯t be merciful to him anymore.¡± The next day, at eight-thirty in the morning, Bruce arrived at thepany as usual. As soon as his car stopped, Jennie walked over angrily in stilettos. Bruce frowned but still got out of the car. ¡°Jennie, why are you here?¡± Jennie took a deep breath and looked at Bruce with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m here to talk to you about something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bruce frowned. Jennie sneered. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you going to invite me up to the office?¡± Im heading to a meeting shortly. I really don¡¯t have time. If you have anything to say, just say it here!¡± When Jennie heard this, she was instantly furious. ¡°Bruce, stop pretending. Do you know why I¡¯m looking for you! ¡°What? Do you want to deny It? Or do you think women are easy to bully? Jennie¡¯s face contorted with fury. Jennie reached 1/2 .??? 1024 out and grabbed Bruce¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s bodyguards came forward at once! Bruce waved his hand to stop his bodyguards from approaching. ¡°What do you want to say? I¡¯ll give you five minutes. Tell me now!¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes turned red as tears flowed uncontrobly. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Are you really not going to give me any chance?¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Jennie, I¡¯ve told you many times that we¡¯re really notpatible. Even if you ask me a hundred times, I¡¯ll give the same answer.¡± ¡°Bruce, I really don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s so good about Joanna? ¡°A bitch like her has cheated on you so many times. Don¡¯t you mind at all? Don¡¯t you feel disgusted? I really look down on you, I truly despise you¡­¡± Before Jennie could finish, Bruce¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Bruce said coldly, ¡°Miss Garcia, this is myst warning. ¡°You can scold me however you want, but if you dare to nder Joanna again, I won¡¯t be courteous to you anymore.¡± Jennie was so angry that her heart was about to explode. ¡­Bruce, did I say something wrong? ¡°You really don¡¯t mind at all about Jaydon and her? You really don¡¯t mind at all that she¡¯s fooling around with another man?¡± Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Bruce¡¯s expression was dark and cold. Bruce grabbed Jennie¡¯s wrist tightly. ¡°Watch your words. ¡°Also, don¡¯t try to pull any tricks behind the scenes. You hired someone to nder Joann on the inte, right? ¡°I advise to be sensible and remove all of them! Otherwise, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of the consequences.¡± you After saying that, Bruce let go of her hand, Jennie¡¯s high heels faltered, and she hit the ground on her knees. Bruce did not look at Jennie again and left coldly. Bruce really didn¡¯t want to spend any effort arguing with a woman. However, Jennie was going more and more overboard. Bruce couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore. Looking at Bruce¡¯s departing figure, Jennie gritted her teeth in anger. ¡®Bruce, I will definitely make you regret it!¡± ¡°Be careful, Miss Garcia. Jimmy hurried forward to help her. Jennie staggered to her feet, but she fell down again in pain. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Her ankle was twisted, and her knee was badly scraped. Dark red blood flowed from her knee. Jimmy quickly took out a tissue and helped her press down on the bleeding area. ¡°Mr. Everett is too much. How could he abuse you physically? I¡¯ll send you to the hospital immediately.¡± Jennie¡¯s eyes were extremely red, and her jaw trembled. Jennie did not expect Bruce to be so heartless and disregard herpletely. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve already given you onest chance. You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t cherish it. I won¡¯t be merciful to you anymore. ¡°Joanna, I won¡¯t let you off easy either. The two of you are daydreaming if you think you can tread on me.¡± Jennie gritted her teeth in anger. It was all thanks to her that Bruce could get out of prison so quickly. Jennic believed that without her help, Bruce would not have been exonerated at all. The truth was that Bruce¡¯s release from prison had nothing to do with Jennie. The best that could be said was that Jennie ran errands and contacted people. Bruce would stille out if Jennie had done nothing. However, Jennie did not think so. Jennie felt that Bruce had cast her aside after she had outlived her usefulness and that he was being ungrateful. Therefore, Jennie¡¯s love for Bruce changed to hatred. Jennie now wanted to kill Bruce and destroy him with her own hands. In the conference room at the Everett Group, a few small shareholders could not help but joke and gossip when Bruce did not arrive after some time. ¡°Mr. Everett has been acting possessed recently. He only stays in thepany in the morning every day. In the afternoon, he can¡¯t be found.¡± *Look, we¡¯re runningte again today. It¡¯s almost nine o¡¯clock, and Mr. Everett still isn¡¯t here. He won¡¯t stand us up again today, right?¡± Mr. Young lowered his voice and smiled mysteriously. ¡°I saw Mr. Everett¡¯s car in the parking lot just now. Mr. Everett has already arrived at thepany. ¡°However, I think I saw the daughter of the Garcia Group harassing Mr. Everett downstairs.¡± When Ms. Linken heard this, her interest was piqued. ¡°That¡¯s odd., Miss Garcia was so demonstrative about her love for Bruce a short time ago. We all thought that Miss Garcia would be Mr. Everett¡¯s new girlfriend ¡°However, I didn¡¯t expect that it was all bark and no bite. Miss Garcia did not even budge Joanna¡¯s position.¡± As soon as Ms. Linken finished speaking, the door to the conference room was pushed open. -Bruce walked in with a dark expression. He happened to catch thest of Ms. Linken¡¯s words. Seeing this, everyone quickly schooled their expressions. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Everett.¡± Bruce raised his left eyebrow slightly and said in a neutral tone, ¡°Are you all very free?¡± ¡°No, of courte not!¡± ¡°I think all of you are so free that you have time to gossip.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ The shareholders and senior staff stared at each other in silence. Bruce then walked to the head of the conference table and sat at the central seat. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting. Turn on yourputers. Everyone quickly turned on theirptops Mark then turned on the projector and switched to the content of the meeting. ¡°Project Green Bay has officially resumed work. Are the project ns and marketing proposals ¡°They have basically been confirmed. They have been sent to Mr. Everett¡¯s email. Mr. Everett can go through them,¡± thepany¡¯s senior staff replied respectfully ¡°Okay, good¡± ¡°Next, we¡¯ll focus on the markets of Melta and Surbano¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s expression was cold as he meticulously gave instructions in the inecting. It was already half past ten by the time the meeting was over. ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting. If you have any questions, you can put it together and send it to Mark¡± After saying that, Bruce stood up. He strode out of the conference room. Upon his departure, everyone broke out in cold sweat. All of them could not help but sigh in relief. Mr. Everett had not lost his temper recently. Even when Ms. Linken joked about him just now, Mr. Everett only asked a few questions. Throughout the entire meeting. although his face was solemn, everyone could see a faint smile on his lips. Mr. Young Could not help but be rmed for Ms. Linken ¡°Look. Mr. Everett is really in high spirits over recent fortuitous events. There¡¯s even a smile in the corners of his eyes. If this was in the past, he would have lost his temper.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Mr. Everett has a huge business enterprise. Naturally, he wants to have more children. Joanna is pregnant again. Mr. Everett is going to be a father once more. Of course, he is Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. happy.¡± When Ms. Linken heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but say coldly. ¡°Who knows if she¡¯s even pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child¡¯ ¡°Women like her are promiscuous. We don¡¯t know how many men she has slept with. Mr. Everett is really something to have tolerated her¡­¡± Bruce had returned in the midst of her speech. He had left his proposal on the conference table. When he came back to retrieve it, he happened to hear Ms. Linkei¡¯s sarcastic remarks. This time, Bruce waspletely furious. When Ms. Linken saw Bruce, she also looked embarrassed. ¡­Mr. Everett, why are you back again?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened. He ignored Ms. Linken and took the proposal lying on the table before leaving. In the past, Bruce had always been polite to her because she was older and a senior member of the behind his back. More importantly, Ms. Linken actually dared to criticize Joanna After Bruce left, Mr. Young was somber. ¡°I told you not to say so much, but you didn¡¯t listen. Now you¡¯re in trouble.¡± Ms. Linken¡¯s nostrils red, and she adjusted her sses. A trace of disdain appeared on her well- maintained face. ¡°Im telling the truth. ¡°That Joanna might not be pregnant with Mr. Everett¡¯s child. She¡¯s allowed to do shameless things, but we¡¯re not allowed to criticize her?¡± ¡°Stop talking. If Mr. Everett hears about this again, you¡¯ll suffer!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you see how dark Mr. Everett¡¯s face was just now?* Ms. Linken snorted arrogantly. Her tone was filled with superiority. ¡°I¡¯ve worked at the Everett Group for more than 30 years. I still have a bit of influence. ¡°Back then, when the previous Mr. Everett was still alive, I followed him through the most difficult times.¡± Ms. Linken was rather pleased with herself! She was sure that Bruce would not touch her to matter what. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 When Bruce returned to his office, his face was extremely dark. It was not up to others to judge the rtionship between Joanna and him. Moreover, Bruce believed that nothing had happened between Joanna and Jaydon. Bruce was only angry because he was jealous. Bruce felt that Joanna did not care about his feelings. No matter what, only he could bully Joanna. If the others wanted to push Joanna around, they would be courting death. Since returning to work. Ms. Linken had repeatedly expressed her dissatisfaction with Joanna in front of him. Bruce presumed that Ms. Linken had made things difficult for Joanna when he wasn¡¯t around. ¡°Mark, go and check on Ms. Linken¡¯s work file.¡± Mark was stunned. Usually, when Bruce wanted to fire someone, he would send someone to check their work file in advance. Then, Bruce would randomly find a mistake and use it as an excuse to fire them. These directors and senior staff were in high positions. Who would not make any mistakes? Ms. Linken had been in thepany for many years and had always been domineering because of her seniority. If Bruce wanted to find fault with her now, he could easily find plenty of them. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett. ¡°Uh, what kind of file do you need?¡± Bruce frowned and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one day to investigate all of her vitions in thepany.¡± After saying that, Bruce yed with the ring on his finger, his face turning cold. This time, Bruce would not show mercy to Ms. Linken! At the same time, Bruce wanted to make an example out of her. It would teach those shareholders a lesson ¡°Understood,¡± Mark replied and left the office. At the secretary¡¯s desk, Andy had also recovered, and he had returned to work. However, Andy was still a little weak. Thus he was only a secretary and assistant temporarily. ¡°Mark, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so worried?¡± Mark sighed. ¡°Mr. Everett asked me to investigate Ms. Linken¡¯s work file!¡± Andy had followed Bruce for such a long time, so he naturally knew what this meant. ¡°Huh? How did Ms. Linken offend Mr. Everett?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of what Ms. Linken said. She actually dared to question the legitimacy of Joanna¡¯s child and mocked Mr. Everett for turning a blind eye.¡± Andy was speechless. ¡°What¡¯s even worse was that Ms. Linken was denouncing them publicly. It serves her right to be unlucky and happened to be heard by Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. No wonder Mr. Everett is so angry.¡± Andy could not help but click his tongue. ¡°The child¡¯s legitimacy is not the issue here. Whether the child belongs to Mr. Everett¡¯s or not, it¡¯s not up to Ms. Linken to talk nonsense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why one should talk less and work more.¡± Andy subconsciously wiped the cold sweat off his head! ¡°I¡¯m going now. I can¡¯t talk to you anymore. Mr. Everett only gave me a day!¡± ¡°Alright, go on! Mark had a list of Ms. Linken¡¯s crimes by the next day. ¡°Mr. Everett, there are a few sums of money under Ms. Linken¡¯s name that don¡¯t match up.¡± ¡°Also, Ms. Linken once moved thepany¡¯s funds into her private ount. Ms. Linken also deducted the expenses of her and her family¡¯s overseas vacation from thepany¡¯s ount. And¡­ Before Mark could finish. Bruce had already waved his hand with a cold expression. ¡°Inform the personnel department to freeze all of Ms. Linken¡¯s shares and dividends in thepany.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Inform thewyer to check the ounts with Ms. Linken properly. Make her spit out ten times how much she secretly took.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Mark brought a few security guards and went straight to Ms. Linken¡¯s office. With a dark expression. Mark told Ms. Linken about Bruce¡¯s decision. When Ms. Linken heard this, she thought she heard wrongly and was shocked. ¡°What? Mr. Everett froze my shares and dividends! What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Mark pulled a long face and said sternly. ¡°Ms. Linken, you vited thepany¡¯s rules. Thepany is now conducting a full investigation.¡± When Ms. Linken heard this, she was even more enraged. ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m a director of the ¡°Your shares have been reacquired by thepany. You are no longer a shareholder of the Everett Group. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Ms. Linken waspletely dumbfounded when she heard this. It felt like a lightning bolt out of the blue. Ms. Linken was thunderstruck. It took a long time before Ms. Linken returned to her senses for a long time. ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯ve worked for the Everett Group for more than thirty years. I¡¯ve been conscientious and willing to do anything¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. The Everett Group has raised you for more than thirty years and provided you with a good job and tform.¡± ¡°You! How dare you speak to me like that?¡± Ms. Linken was no longer a director of thepany, so Mark naturally would not be polite to her anymore. ¡°This is Mr. Everett¡¯s decision. ¡°Now please pack your personal belongings and leave thepany immediately.¡± Ms. Linken panicked. ¡°I want to see Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is not in thepany. Mr. Jameson will send you a legal letterter suing you for misusing thepany¡¯s assets and embezzling thepany¡¯s public funds.¡± When Ms. Linken heard this, her entire body turned cold and she fell heavily onto the chair. Ms. Linken never expected that she would be eliminated just like that. Moreover, there was no room for negotiation. This matter was hard for Ms. Linken to ept, and her entire body trembled uncontrobly. ¡°No, I want to see Mr. Everett!¡± Mark then ordered the bodyguards to force Ms. Linken out of the Everett Group. After a week of recovery in the hospital, Joanna¡¯s calf no longer hurt as much. However, such injuries usually took three months to recover. Joanna still couldn¡¯t get out of bed yet. The physical therapist stood by the bed and gestured inscrutably. ¡°Mrs. Everett, please follow and do aerobics with me now.¡± ¡°Inhalel Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Joanna drew in a deep breath. ¡°Focus your energy on your abdomen. Regte your breathing: Joanna followed suit. Half a minuteter, the physical therapist let out a long breath. ¡°Exhale!¡± Though bored, Joanna followed the physical therapist through the set of aerobic exercises. To her, it was aplete waste of time. All Joanna did wasy in bed and practice breathing repeatedly. Moreover, the fees were quite expensive. Joanna really couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with Bruce. Why did Bruce insist on finding her a physical therapist? Joanna had just finished the set of breathing exercises when the door of the ward was pushed open. Bruce walked in happily. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Good day. Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tm teaching Ms. Everett aerobics!¡± The physical therapist was very good at bamboozling. He came up with theories one after another and talked non-stop, bragging about the benefits of this breathing exercise. It was as if by practicing this breathing exercise, one could be immortal. Bruce listened happily. As long as Bruce heard it was good for her body, he would arrange it for Joanna Joanna was speechless. She wanted to retort, but she held herself back. Bruce could do whatever he wanted. After listening to the physical therapist, Bruce acted as though he was very knowledgeable and said, ¡°Honey, this is the best therapeutic exercise. You have to train well with the therapist.¡± Joanna pouted. The physical therapist smiled respectfully. ¡°We¡¯re done with the aerobic training today. I will leave now.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± After the physical therapist left, Bruce smiled brightly and kissed Joanna¡¯s face again and again. ¡°Honey, did you miss me today?¡± Joanna was silent. She had no desire to talk to Bruce at all. ¡°Let me listen to the baby. I want tomunicate with him,¡± Bruce Everett said as heid his head on Joanna¡¯s stomach and continued to speak to the baby. ¡°Baby, it¡¯s daddy. How are you? ¡°You have to grow up and be good in there!¡± Joanna was so exasperated that it showed on her face. Inwardly she called Bruce overdramatic. ¡°Honey, have you eaten?¡± Joanna cleared her throat. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already eaten.¡± ¡°Are your feeling better today, then? Do you feel like vomiting? I got someone to buy fruits for you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to buy them anymore. The nutritionist will provide fruits with every meal.¡± When Bruce heard this, he shrugged it off. ¡°It¡¯s fine to eat more fruits. There¡¯s no such thing as having too much nutrition so far as you are notcking in it. ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered the best package at the Avery Women¡¯s Hospital. When you¡¯re about to give birth, you can go there directly.¡± Although Greyport Hospital was good, the Avery Women¡¯s Hospital was a high-end maternity and childcare hospital. It specialized in taking care of pregnant women and infants. All the rich wives and celebrities in Greyport liked to give birth here. 1/3 10:20 ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯ll listen to you, Joanna said perfunctorily. She would go along with whatever Bruce said now. Bruce could do whatever he wanted. Joanna had already made up her mind that she would not give birth to this child! And she most definitely would not get together with Bruce! Joanna had already secretly called Michael Lawrence in the meantime and asked him to deal with the factory in Porash. At the same time, she also called Brother Trumpet and said that she wanted to quit Charmont Media Group. Now, Joanna would take advantage of this time to raise as much cash as she could. The more, the better. When her calf was healed, Joanna would find a suitable time to leave Bruce. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Why are you acting strange recently?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Bruce frowned. He still could feel Joanna¡¯s perfunctory attitude towards him, which made him extremely uneasy. ¡°No? Why do I feel like you¡¯re nning something?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking far too much. Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯m pregnant and want to sleep every day.¡± ¡°Oh, sleep more if you want. But do some aerobics once in a while. If you don¡¯t want to get out of bed, I¡¯ll get someone to do physical therapy for you.¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but frown. ¡°No need. You¡¯ve done too much. It makes me feel¡­ suffocated!¡± ¡°Joann. I¡¯m making up for what I owe you previously. So, I want to give you the best. ¡°If you¡¯re dissatisfied with anything, you can tell me. I¡¯ll do it no matter how much it costs.¡± Joanna sighed. ¡°Bruce, you¡­ you only know how to spend money ¡°I can¡¯tmunicate with you properly. You can leave. I¡¯m tired and want to sleep. As Joanna said this, she had alreadyid down and closed her eyes to ignore him. Seeing this, Bruce could not help but feel disappointed. He knew that Joanna definitely had something on her mind and would not forgive him so easily. However, Bruce had already done everything he could think of. He really did not know what else he could do. ¡°Joann, are you still angry with me?¡± Chapter 577 Chapter 577 ¡°But you were in the wrong first. You knew that I hated that person. Why did you still have to make things difficult for me? Bruce leaned against the bed. He hugged Joanna gently from behind and buried his head in the curve of her neck. After hearing this, Joanna felt even more distressed. She only went to look for Jaydon to save Bruce. That had been such a big issue. Other than Jaydon, Joanna didn¡¯t dare to trust anyone else. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯ve told you. I went to look for Jay because of something very important. It¡¯s not what you think at all,¡± Joanna could not help but exin. Although Joanna had already decided to leave, she still did not want Bruce to misunderstand her. When Bruce heard this, his handsome face was covered in ayer of icy frost. Jaydon had be a thorn in Bruce¡¯s heart. Even the mention of Jaydon¡¯s name made Bruce extremely angry. Therefore, even if Joarma was looking for Jaydon for serious business, Bruce would not allow it. After all, Jaydon had always been eyeing Joanna covetously. If Bruce hadn¡¯t tried so hard to ruin things behind their backs, Joanna and Jaydon would have gotten married long ago. *¡­Alright, let¡¯s not talk about him anymore. ¡°Let the past be the past. We have to be happy from now on. I will not let anyone affect our rtionship. ¡°If you trust me a little more, I¡¯ll trust you more too. Let our love be indestructible¡± Joanna¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly as she ignored Bruce. How could the pain and grievance in a woman¡¯s heart be easily erased? None of the things Bruce had done were worthy of forgiveness. Seeing Joanna¡¯s cold expression, Bruce panicked even more. ¡°Honey, please forgive me. I really know my mistake!¡± As he spoke, Bruce shook her shoulder coquettishly. Bruce had always been like this. He could be hard or soft. He could be shameless or y the innocent. Bruce used all these disguises interchangeably. Joanna was getting annoyed by his pestering. She braced herself and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not angry.* ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes shed. Bruce smiled foolishly and said shamelessly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve really forgiven me. kiss me.¡± ¡°Bruce, I want to sleep now.¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re still mad at me.¡± Joanna frowned and replied impatiently. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not angry with you.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re not angry, kiss me.¡± Joanna took a deep breath and kissed his cheek perfunctorily. ¡°This won¡¯t do. It¡¯s too half-hearted.¡± Joanna was exasperated. However, Joanna had to steady him for now, Whatever Bruce asked her to do, Joanna would do her best to cooperate. Joanna calmed down and kissed the left side of Bruce¡¯s face again. Bruce smiled knowingly and kissed her back in satisfaction, At present, Joanna¡¯s calf was fractured and she was pregnant. Bruce did not dare to use force on her anymore. Even if Bruce had the intention, he had to rein it in However, he was still a fully-fledged man. He could not help but get aroused. 10.301 As they kissed, Bruce¡¯s hands began to wander. Joanna frowned and pushed him away forcefully. ¡°Bruce, stop fooling around!¡± Bruce looked up at her with misty eyes. ¡°Honey, I haven¡¯t dared to touch you for more than half a month. I can¡¯t take it anymore. L¡­ just want to kiss you!¡± ¡°Will you stop it?¡± Seeing that Joanna was angry. Bruce quickly froze. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I was wrong. I won¡¯t touch you again, okay? ¡°Don¡¯t get angry at the drop of a hat. Be careful of the baby.¡± ¡°Hurry up and go back! I can¡¯t rest well if you stay here.¡± ¡°I just want to spend more time with you!¡± ¡°How can I rest well when you keep talking here?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave. Is that okay?¡± Bruce sighed. Joanna was pregnant now, so he didn¡¯t dare to anger her. After Bruce left, Joanna turned around in bed and quickly borrowed the caregiver¡¯s phone to call Michael. Michael¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± *Michael, how are things going?¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s voice, Michael¡¯s attitude immediately became respectful. ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s almost done. Mr. Grimm has personally taken over. He¡¯s now handling the procedures for the transference of the contract.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand¡­ Within this time, Joanna had transferred the factory in Porash and cashed out on the shares of the mediapany she had founded with Brother Trumpet. Together, it would be around thirty-eight hundred thousand dors. Jaydon was also a shareholder in these twopanies, so all the money was saved in Jaydon¡¯s ount. At the same time, Joanna also nned to sell two properties overseas. In the meantime, Joanna had to take advantage of this period of time to work on her physical therapy and strive to recover her calf as soon as possible. As for safeguarding pregnancy, Joanna didn¡¯t care at all. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Joanna had been very cooperative. Whatever Bruce asked her to do, she would do it obediently. Everything seemed to have returned to normal. Bruce gradually rxed. As usual, Bruce came to apany Joanna at the hospital every day, rain or shine. ¡°What day is it today?¡± Joanna pretended to be surprised and asked. Bruce looked at the date on his watch. ¡°It¡¯s April 20th today.¡± ¡°Hey, is it your birthday soon? I remember your birthday is on April 28th.¡± Bruce was astonished. ¡°Oh yes, it¡¯s going to be my birthday again soon.¡± ¡°Time passes so quickly. I¡¯ve aged another year,¡± Brucemented. Joanna smiled. ¡°How do you n to spend this year?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have a party at the hospital. Let¡¯s keep it simple.¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned. ¡°How can we celebrate in the hospital? ¡°Thest time the children celebrated their birthdays, they spent it in the hospital. If you also do the same, others will think that our family is always sick. This is too inauspicious.¡± Bruce felt that it made sense. *It¡¯s fine. We are doing this to keep youpany.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better to celebrate at home.¡± ¡°Celebrate at home?¡± Bruce echoed without thinking. 2/3 10:39 ¡°We can¡¯t do that. If we do that, you wouldn¡¯t be there.¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°I can go home too. ¡°My calf is almost healed now. I should be able to go home for a day. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t do any strenuous exercise, the doctor will agree.¡± Joanna tried her best to persuade Bruce to go home and hold a birthday party. This way, she would have a chance to return to Sherane Bay Vi to retrieve her evidence and passport. Seeing the look of anticipation on Joanna¡¯s face, Bruce nodded in agreement. ¡°¡­That works too!¡± In the blink of an eye, it was already April 27th. Bruce came a day in advance to pick up Joanna. At the Sherane Bay Vi. In the past, on the day of Bruce¡¯s birthday, he would usually invite his friends, rtives, and arge group of beauties to his private yacht for a party. As he grew older, he gradually began to settle down and stopped secking out excitement. Chapter 578 Chapter 578 They returned to Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce put Joanna onto the wheelchair and pushed her into the house. Davian, Irvin, and Lilia were already waiting to wee their mother. ¡°Mommy, wee home. We missed you so much.¡± ¡°Babies, I missed you so much.¡± ¡°We miss you too. The three children threw themselves into Joanna¡¯s arms and surrounded her, chirping happily. Looking at the three children¡¯s little faces, Joanna had a smile on her face, but her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. She wanted to be with her children forever. However, she had no choice but to bear the pain and leave the children. It was too suffocating to be with Bruce. A man as unpredictable as him was like a time bomb that would explode at any moment. It was really too tiring to get along with him. ¡°Mommy, why is your belly still so small?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you¡¯re pregnant, shouldn¡¯t your belly be bigger?¡± ¡°You¡¯re silly. Mommy has only been pregnant for more than a month. How could her belly grow this fast?¡± ¡°Oh, then when mommy was pregnant with us, was her stomach this big?¡± Irvin said as he spread out his arms. Joanna smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! When I was pregnant with you guys, I thought my belly was about to explode. It was really hard.¡± Because she had triplets, it was an especially difficult pregnancy for Joanna. She almost lost her life twice. When she was seven months into the pregnancy, someplications happened and she had no choice but to undergo a C-section. When Bruce heard this, a hint of heartache appeared on his face. He said gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t take care of you and the children back then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to support you for this pregnancy.¡± When Joanna heard this, her pupils contracted and she looked elsewhere. At that time, she felt too lonely, so she decided to give birth. Now, she already had three children. She wouldn¡¯t give him another child. If she was able to leave sessfully, she would go to the hospital to get an abortion. Since Bruce wanted this child so much, she would not let him have his way. She also wanted him to have a taste of heartache. ¡°Mommy is so great!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You must be filial to your mother when you grow up. Don¡¯t make her angry, understand?¡± ¡°Yes, we understand.¡± Bruce immediately smiled. ¡°Alright, Mommy must be tired. Daddy will send Mommy back to her room to rest.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Bruce carefully carried Joanna in his arms and brought her to the bedroom on the second floor. ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°A little. I still want to sleep, Joanna said and deliberately yawned. *Pregnant women are more sleepy. Have a good sleep. I¡¯ll need to do some work now. I have an online meeting with the higher-ups.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± Bruce lowered his head and kissed her forehead. After Bruce left, Joanna quickly got off the bed and limped to the safe. Then, she opened the safe and took out her documents, passport, and a few bank cards. She was about to close the safe when she saw a few jewelry boxes at the side. Inside was the jewelry Bruce had given her. She needed money now. The few sets of jewelry could be sold for a lot of money. Thinking of this, Joanna opened the jewelry box, took out the jewelry, and ced them all in her medicine bag. She had never been a greedy woman, but Bruce had taken the Haynes Group from her through despicable means. This really made her hate him to the extreme. She was only taking the jewelry now to make up for a small part of her loss. After all, there was always a silver lining. Although the Haynes Group was in a precarious situation, it was still worth hundreds of millions of dors in market value. It was not too much to take this measly jewelry. As for the Haynes Group¡¯s assets, she would leave all of them to the children. She had decided to start over. She had to prove that she could still gain a foothold in the business circle after leaving Bruce. It was 6.30 PM the next day. ¡°Mommy, the party¡¯s starting!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s so lively downstairs! Let¡¯s celebrate Daddy¡¯s birthday together!¡± ¡°Yes, sure.¡± It was a poolside party. Although Bruce didn¡¯t like crowds, it was his birthday after all. He still invited some friends and the The poolside was decorated quite grandly. The Everett family even invited the best chefs to prepare a luxurious birthday buffet for everyone. Guests came one after another. Most of the men were dressed in suits and leather shoes, while the women wore evening gowns. They were all dressed to the nines. ¡°Mr. Everett, happy birthday!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Joanna was in her wheelchair, and she came over with the children. ¡°Daddy, happy birthday. I hope you get more and more. handsome every year, and that you¡¯re always healthy.¡± ¡°Thanks, baby.¡± Joanna also smiled. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Bruce leaned over and kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead. ¡°Wow. Congrattions, Mr. Everett.¡± A guest asked, ¡°How far along is Miss Haynes in her pregnancy? When is her due date?¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not help but smile. ¡°She¡¯s not due so soon. We¡¯re barely into the second month of her pregnancy.¡± Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Another guest said respectfully, ¡°Ten months go by very fast. At the end of the year, Mr. Everett will have yet another child.¡± ¡°Congrattions. When the timees, you have to invite us to your baby shower¡­¡± The others also congratted him in advance. ¡°Of course!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He held Joanna¡¯s shoulder lovingly. ¡°To Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to you too. Cheers.¡± Bruce was very happy today. He drank a few sses of red wine in a row. Unknowingly, he was already starting to get a little drunk. ¡°Mr. Everett, you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to cut the cake!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, make a wish!¡± A servant pushed over a cart that had a nineyer cake on it. 3 ¡°Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you¡­ Everyone surrounded the cake and sang a birthday song. Davian and Irvin ran around the cake excitedly. ¡°Wow, this cake is so big! It¡¯s even bigger than the cakes we had on our birthday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like cakes the most? You can eat to your heart¡¯s content now.¡± After singing the birthday song, they all cheered and said, ¡°Mr. Everett, hurry up and make a wish!¡± Bruce sincerely made a wish in front of his nineyer cake. ¡°I hope my wife can give me another daughter.¡± ¡°Wow, wow, wow. So Mr. Everett likes daughters.¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°I like both son and daughter. I just want another daughter. It¡¯ll make the numbers even.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, you will definitely get what you want! Even if this baby isn¡¯t a girl, you can still have another baby.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s good to have more children!¡± ¡°The luckiest person is still Miss Haynes. She actually gave birth to so many children for Mr. Everett. She¡¯s extraordinarily lucky,¡± a guestmented, but he couldn¡¯t hide the disdain in his eyes for Joanna. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She subconsciously held her belly, and a hint of hatred appeared in her eyes. ¡°You should say that he¡¯s the lucky one.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You and Mr. Everett are the luckiest people on this earth.¡± Joanna pursed her lips. She was not interested in feigning civility with these people. Without waiting for the birthday party to end, she said to Bruce, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going back to my room to rest.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you back to your room.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. You can stay and entertain the guests. I¡¯ll get the servant to send me back to my room.¡± ¡°That works too.¡± Then, the servant pushed Joanna away. Joanna could only say that she was extremely disappointed in Bruce. At the same time, she hated him for being violent and selfish. In the face of absolute power, she could not take revenge on him, but now, she suddenly thought of a way to take revenge on him. By the time the party ended, it was already past 11 PM. Bruce returned to his room a little drunk. ¡°Take ine to the hospital.¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t leave tonight, okay?¡± Bruce reeked of alcohol and subconsciously wanted to hug Joanna. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. She was afraid that he would have drunken sex with her again. ¡°No, I have to change the wound dressing early tomorrow morning.¡± Td better get back to the hospital. That way, I don¡¯t have to get up early tomorrow.¡± When Bruce heard this, he frowned. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send you¡­¡± Seeing this, Joanna quickly stopped him. ¡°Forget it. Look at you. You¡¯re drunk. You should go to bed now. I¡¯ll get the driver and servant to send me.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. I would be worried.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? There are so many people taking care of me. It¡¯ll be fine. Hurry up and go to bed. You still have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± Bruce was still holding her hand, reluctant to let her go. ¡°Joann, can you stay here with me tonight? I don¡¯t want you to leave¡­¡± ¡°Silly, do you still want a daughter? The doctor said that you can¡¯t have sex with me during the first three months of my pregnancy.¡± ¡°And you never know how to restrain yourself. What if you hurt the child?¡± When Bruce heard this, he sighed and obediently dismissed that thought. ¡°Alright, then you should go to the hospital. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to control myself.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave like that?¡± ¡°What more do ¡°Give me a kiss.¡± you want?¡± Joanna leaned down and kissed him. Bruce then called the driver over and instructed solemnly, ¡°Carson, send Joanna to the hospital. Be careful on the road. Don¡¯t drive too fast.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t send you off.¡± ¡°Okay, bye.¡± Most of the time, Bruce apanied Joanna when she had to go to the hospital. However, he had drunk quite a few sses of alcohol today and was a little dizzy. He had the will but not the strength. After Joanna arrived at the hospital, she handed all the packed things to the nurse. ¡°These are cakes and red wine for you, as well as some other snacks.¡± When the nurses saw this, they were very happy. ¡°Thank you, madam.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°Give me a piece of cake.¡± ¡°Give me a piece too.¡± The nurses happily ate cakes. 1 ¡°Tsk tsk. They¡¯re indeed from a wealthy family. This red wine is delicious.¡± The caregiver in the ward fought to grab the cakes, red wine, and other food. Joanna watched from the side. An hourter, all of them began to sleep soundly. ¡°n, Nina!¡± Joanna called out. They were all in a deep sleep and did not hear Joanna¡¯s shout at all. 2/3 10: apter 580 Chapter 580 Chapter 580 During this period, she used the excuse of insomnia to get the doctor to prescribe her some sleeping pills. However, instead of consuming them, she secretly saved up the sleeping pills. When she finally got the chance today, she had mixed the sleeping pills into the dishes and red wine. After eating the drugged food, the servants and nurses had fallen asleep one by one. Here, Joanna quickly threw aside her nket and sat up in bed. She had been recuperating for over a month, and the fracture in her calf was much better. Although she could not exercise much, she was already able to walk. Despite this, she had been pretending to everyone else that she was still unable to do so. She could not let anyone find out how fast she was recovering. Joanna picked up the medicine bag next to her and walked straight to the bathroom. She pushed open the window. There was a ten-foot drop to thewn below. It would not be realistic for her to jump out of the window. Thankfully, Joanna had already drawn up a n beforehand. She stripped the bed of the sheets and duvet covers and tore the fabric into strips. Then, she tied these strips together using a dead knot, forming a long rope. She tied the rope securely to the window frame and threw the other end of it out of the window. Carefully, she climbed out of the window and slid down the rope she had just made. Afternding safely. Joanna sighed heavily. She felt as though she had just escaped from a cage. Soon, Joanna changed into a nurse¡¯s uniform, put on a mask, and slipped out of the hospital through the back door. The next day, the servants and nurses finally woke up, feeling exceptionally dizzy. n patted his head groggily and couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Gosh, the wine was way too strong. Did everyone fall asleep?¡± The nurses and servants were responsible for Joanna and usually took it in shifts at night. However, all four of them had fallen asleep yesterday night. n subconsciously looked at the bed, only to find that Joanna was already gone. Immediately, he panicked and shook his colleagues awake. ¡®Where¡¯s Mrs. Joanna?¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Madam¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Stop sleeping! Wake up. Something big has happened. Madam is missing¡­¡± The other three also got up in a daze. Looking at the empty bed, their hearts skipped a beat. Instantly, they no longer felt sleepy. ¡°What happened to Mrs. Joanna?¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna is missing, hurry up and go look for her!¡± The four of them panicked and split up to search. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. There were four bodyguards standing guard at the door. They were responsible for guarding the door day and night for Joanna¡¯s protection. Nina rushed out and asked them, ¡°Did you guys see Mrs. Joanna exit this room?¡± One of the bodyguards shook his head nkly when he heard her. ¡°No. Isn¡¯t Mrs. Joanna always in the ward?¡± When Nina heard this, she was so anxious that she nearly burst into tears. ¡°Oh no, Mrs. Joanna is missing!¡± ¡°What?¡± The four bodyguards were also shocked. ¡°Mrs. Joanna is gone¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± The bodyguards hurried into the ward to search for her. As expected, Joanna had already disappeared from the ward. ¡°How could a whole person disappear from the ward without a trace? You must have beencent in your work!¡± 1/4 10:391 The bodyguards and nurses started to me one another. Suddenly, n shouted from the washroom. ¡°Oh no,e here! The window in the washroom has been removed from its frame!¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna must have escaped through the window!¡± When the others heard this, they hurried into the washroom immediately. ¡°Mrs. Joanna made a rope and used it to climb out of the window.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the both of you? She must have made a hugemotion. Didn¡¯t you hear her at all?¡± ¡°We ate the food that Mrs. Joanna brought over yesterday night. The moment we finished eating, we fell asleep immediately. I think she must have drugged the food with sleeping pills.¡± ¡°What should we do? Hurry up and call Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right, I¡¯ll do that right now.¡± The nurses and bodyguards were so worried that they were practically frothing at the mouth. Their mission was to protect and watch over Joanna Now that she had disappeared, they could not absolve themselves from the me. With Mr. Everett¡¯s bad temper, they were surely going to get into huge trouble. Meanwhile, Bruce went to work at the Everett Group at 8:30 am as usual. As it often did, his day started with a meeting with the higher-ups. ¡°Today¡¯s meeting centers around five main topics of discussion¡­¡± Beep beep beep! Bruce¡¯s phone vibrated. In the past, he would never listen to the phone while in a meeting. But these days, he was worried about Joanna. Therefore, he always carried his phone with him no matter what he was busy with Bruce picked up his phone and looked at the screen. It was a call from the hospital. He subconsciously frowned and quickly answered. ¡°Hello¡± The bodyguard¡¯s trembling voice could be heard on the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ I have some bad news.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes widened as he had a sudden bad premonition. ¡°What happened? ¡°It¡¯s Mrs Joanna she has disappeared¡± In a second. Bruce felt as though his brain had exploded. It was as though someone had shot him in the heart and plunged him into a freezing abyss ¡°Have you all looked for her? How did she disappear?¡± The bodyguard said timidly. ¡°Mrs Joanna climbed out of the washroom window. We can¡¯t find her now¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce shouted and shot up from his seat. He was so angry that the leather swivel chair slid away from him and mmed into the wall behind hurn. When everyone saw this, they were so frightened that their hearts skipped a beat. They watched helplessly as Mr. Everett strode away ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± The higher-ups beside Bruce had gotten a rough gist of the phone conversation. ¡°I think something happened at the hospital!¡± ¡°Huh? Mr. Everett is so anxious. Did Miss Haynes have a miscarriage?¡± ¡°Shut up! If Mr. Everett hears about this, you¡¯ll suffer.¡± Twenty minutester, Bruce arrived at the hospital, having rushed there as quickly as possible. In the ward, the bodyguards and nurses waited for him, scared out of their wits. ¡°What should we do? Hurry up and check the surveince cameras to see if Mrs. Joanna has left the hospital!¡± ¡°Why did she run away for no reason?¡± They were discussing anxiously when Bruce suddenly walked in with a stormy expression. His handsome facial features seemed to be frozen. He looked like an alpha wolf in the desert, exuding a sinister and murderous aura. ¡°M¡­Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Have you found her?¡± ¡°Well, n¡­no,¡± the bodyguard stammered. Bruce looked at him contemptuously. ¡°A worthless bunch. With so many of you around, how could you have let her disappear like that?¡± ¡°We¡­ we¡­¡± Bruce was too anxious to hold them ountable right now. ¡°Hurry up and find her.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett. Soon, all the nurses and bodyguards of the Everett family had joined the search for Joanna Haynes. ¡°Joanna, Joanna¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he punched the bed frame. He knew that Joanna had not forgiven him. No wonder she had been behaving like a docilemb. As it turned out, she had been nning her great escape the whole time. She deliberately pretended to reconcile with him so he would let down his guard. Send Gift Comment Chapter 581 Chapter 581 No wonder she acted as though she had forgotten about the past. She was already making ns to flee! ¡°I¡¯ll give you two hours to find Joanna. If you can¡¯t find her, all of you can get lost.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett.¡± Beep beep beep. Gael was calling again. Bruce answered the call, feeling slightly frustrated. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, bad news. ¡°I just checked the safe. Mrs. Joanna¡¯s documents and passport are missing.¡± When Bruce heard this, he felt a wave of dizziness. His throat was tightening with a rush of hot air. ¡°Even if you run to the ends of the world, Joanna, I¡¯ll find you!¡± He turned his attention back to Gaul. ¡°Keep looking!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Two hourster, several waves of bodyguards came back dejectedly. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯ve already checked with the airport. They have no records of Mrs. Joanna flying out of the country.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve checked with the marine authorities too. She did not exit the country by ship or go to Mossbourne.¡± ¡°The port authorities also confirmed that she did not head to Venturas.¡± When Bruce heard this, his eyes widened. ¡°So, she¡¯s still in Greyport. ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Hurry up and search for her again. ! We have to find her at all costs.¡± ¡°We understand.¡± The bodyguards did not dare to dy their search and rushed off immediately. ¡°Joanna, where the hell have you gone? ¡°How can you be so cruel to me? You¡¯re punishing me on purpose, right?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. Thest time he cried was when he was a child. Bruce could count the number of times he had ever cried on the fingers of one hand. However, this time, the intense frustration and anxiety he felt turned into a strong sense of grievance. He couldn¡¯t help but cry. He really cared about Joanna. It was precisely because he cared so much that he could not ept that she did not care about him. He could not believe the fact that she had abandoned him. Seven years ago, when they divorced, he pretended to be tough on the outside. Secretly, he had never gotten over it. But Joanna had been even more heartless: it was four years before she returned to him again. ¡°Keep your calm, Mr. Everett. With so many people on the search team, we¡¯ll find her soon ¡°Besides, Mrs. Joanna¡¯s leg is injured, and she¡¯s pregnant. She can¡¯t have made it very far.¡± ¡°Get lost, get lost. Stop bothering me and go find her instead!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t stand listening to them. He was as irritable as a lion king who had lost everything. He loved Joanna He could not ept her departure. If Joanna Haynes left him, she would certainly look for Jaydon Grimm. Here, Bruce¡¯s scalp felt as though it was on fire. The blood in his entire body instantly rushed towards his head. ¡°Jaydon Grimm¡­¡± ¡°Yes, she must have gone to Jaydon Grimm again.¡± Bruce took a deep, icy breath and took out his phone to call Jaydon. 10:07 Beep beep beep. The phone rang several times before Jaydon picked up. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Upon hearing Jaydon¡¯s voice. Bruce gritted his teeth and said fiercely. ¡°Jaydon Grimm, where have you hidden Joanna?¡± Confused, Jaydon frowned and asked, ¡°Who are you? What are you talking about?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Bruce took a deep breath. ¡°I said, where did you hide Joanna? Hurry up and hand her over.¡± At this moment, Jaydon realized that it was Bruce speaking. He flew into a rage immediately. ¡°You¡¯re one crazy bastard. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Stop pretending, Jaydon! ¡°Joanna must have gone to look for you. I demand that you hand her over immediately. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make sure you die a horrible death.¡± Jaydon choked and asked nervously, ¡°Is Joann missing? When did this happen?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and did not speak. Jaydon could not help but curse at him. ¡°Bruce Everett, what a bastard you are. ¡°If anything happens to Joann. I won¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°Where did you hide Joanna Haynes? Answer me!¡± Bruce demanded. Jaydon was exasperated. ¡°Are youpletely shameless, Bruce? You were the one who lost her, and now you have the cheek to ask me where she is! ¡°Some man you are, Bruce. ¡°Joann has never been happy with you. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have risked her life to escape from you. ¡°If you don¡¯t cherish her, you should let her go and live her life. Stop trying to control her and harassing her all the time.¡± Bruce was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. ¡°Shut the hell up, Jaydon Grimm. ¡°Hurry up and hand over Joanna Haynes. I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to have any ill intentions towards her again, I¡¯ll get someone to break your legs again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Why are you looking for me when she¡¯s the one who has disappeared?¡± Bruce paused for a moment before replying, ¡°¡­ she really didn¡¯t look for you?¡± Jaydon retorted fiercely. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t! Why, I should be asking you where you¡¯ve kidnapped her to! ¡°You¡¯d better find her soon, Bruce Everett. If anything happens to her, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± With that, Jaydon banged the phone down and hung up. Bruce¡¯s chest heaved violently as he digested Jaydon¡¯s words, his features twisted in a murderous rage. Judging from Jaydon¡¯s tone, he was probably telling the truth. Joanna had not gone to look for him. This made Bruce even more worried. If she encountered bad people, the consequences would be even more unimaginable. Night soon fell on Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce returned home and rushed to the second floor. After looking at the safe, he was even more anxious. ¡®Mr. Everett, we still haven¡¯t found her.¡± Chapter 582 Chapter 582 The bodyguards had searched for an entire day, but they still could not find Joanna. They had no choice but to return and report their failure to Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, the bodyguard team faces constraints in our abilities. Perhaps we should call the police instead.¡± When Bruce heard this, the corners of his lips twitched. ¡°Call the police? Is there something wrong with your worthless brains?¡± If they called the police, it might rm the media. Once the media was alerted, the news of Joanna¡¯s escape would probably be known by the entire Greyport. If this attracted the attention of criminals, Joanna would be plunged into unimaginable danger. Hurry up and mobilize more people. Continue searching! Even if you must turn Greyport upside down, you must find her and bring her back to me.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett¡± Before the bodyguards could catch their breath, they were sent out to look for Joanna Haynes again. Unfortunately, Joanna had also left her phone behind, so they could not track her using her phone location. The bodyguards had also checked the surveince cameras thoroughly but could not find a trace of her. Joanna had long been prepared and easily avoided the surveince cameras. There was no way to find her through them. The three children looked at their frantic father, as well as the servants, who looked as though the end of the world had arrived. They turned to look at each other, wondering what had happened. Irvin pouted and asked in confusion. ¡°Davian, did something happen?¡± Davian looked equally confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Why is Daddy so flustered? Something big seems to have happened!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask Miranda.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Worried, the three of them hurried to find Miranda so she could exin the situation to them. ¡°Miranda, did something happen at home?¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes turned red. She could only force a smile and coax the children. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you boys. Go back to your rooms and sleep. You still have school tomorrow.¡± ¡°What happened? 1 feel like Daddy is very anxious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry. Daddy¡­ lost a valuable piece of jewelry. He¡¯s sending people to look for it now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Hurry up and go to sleep.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Davian and Irvin were skeptical. However, their father had a bad temper and looked like he might fly into a rage any minute. They were too scared to hang around him and could only obediently return to their rooms to sleep. The rest of the night, Bruce stayed up and smoked two packs of cigarettes in a row. He looked as though he had aged ten years overnight. His eyes were bloodshot, and his stubble had appeared. The three boys woke up early the next morning and waited for their daddy downstairs. -Bruce didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. As soon as the sun rose, he left the room and prepared to look for Joanna personally. As soon as he stepped into the living room, Davian greeted weakly, ¡°Good morning, Daddy.¡± ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Bruce replied. ¡°Hurry up and get to kindergarten!¡± With that, Bruce strade out. Then, he drove out of Sherane Bay Vi. He was going to search all the ces the two of them had been to. Joanna, where did you go? I love you so much. How can you treat me like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll hurt me like this. Do you know how much my heart hurts?¡± Bruce drove aimlessly while crying sadly. At the same time, he got more worried about Joanna¡¯s safety. What if she was kidnapped by criminals? Just the thought of it made him feel afraid. Meanwhile, Joanna had spent the night in a homestay. She knew that Bruce would definitely go crazy and look for her. She had to think of a way to leave Greyport as soon as possible. However, she could not take the normal route. If she wanted to leave Greyport without anyone knowing, she could only smuggle herself out. Unfortunately, she was wearing so much expensive jewelry. She might get into trouble if the smuggling agency was a bunch of criminals. Suddenly, her stomach heaved, and she threw up. She was more than a month pregnant now, and her morning sickness was awful. As the pregnancy dragged on, it would only get worse. Her body would have to put up with even more This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. then. The more she thought about it, the more abortion seemed like an attractive option. ¡°Sorry, my child. Mommy has let you down. ¡°But I really can¡¯t give birth to you.¡± Joanna thought over it seriously for a night and decided to abort the child with pills. The hospital was not an option for her right now. Besides, there werews against abortion. Soon, Joanna put on a disguise and made her way to a private clinic. ¡°Hello, what can I help you with?¡± ¡°Do you have abortion pills here?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± The doctor refused repeatedly, sizing her up suspiciously. ¡°Please help me, doctor. ¡°I really need the abortion medicine. How much is it? Just tell me. I know you must have it here.¡± Joanna took out 200 dors from her pocket. These small clinics definitely had abortion drugs and private abortion services. However, to avoid being investigated by the police, they never sold them openly. ¡°Uh¡­ you have to think about it carefully. Do you really want the abortion medicine?¡± ¡°Yes, please help!¡± Joanna was wearing a cap, arge mask, and sunsses. The doctor could not tell that she was Joanna Haynes at all. He thought she was a poor girl who identally got pregnant. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 The doctor carefully sized up Joanna a few more times. Seeing that she was serious about her purchase, he continued relievedly, ¡°Well, I do have this medicine here, but it¡¯s not suitable for everyone. ¡°If you really want it, I can help you make it. However, it can¡¯t be done until tomorrow.¡± Joanna agreed without hesitation. ¡°Okay.¡± The doctor put the money away and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll take 400 dors as your deposit first. Come fetch it tomorrow!¡± Joanna hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Please leave me your number. I¡¯ll call you when the medicine is ready.¡± ¡°Uh, I lost my phone and didn¡¯t have time to buy a new one. Why don¡¯t you tell me when it will be ready tomorrow? I¡¯lle over directly¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too. This is traditional medicine and needs to be brewed. It might not be ready until tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright then! I¡¯lle over tomorrow at three in the afternoon to get the medicine.¡± ¡°That will do.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything else and turned to leave the clinic. Back at the homestay, Joanna sat in her room, feeling an indescribable feeling. She was very worried about the children and could not bear to part with them. But there was no way she could put up with that life anymore. If she stayed with Bruce, she would die of depression and torture. Therefore, she had no choice but to leave. She did not have to worry about the children suffering. Bruce had hired many servants and professional childcare teachers to care for them. Even if she wasn¡¯t around, the children would be well taken care of. In the evening, Bruce returned home to Sherane Bay Vi, exhausted. The bodyguards also returned one after another. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Have you found her?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°A bunch of worthless trash! ¡°There are so many of you looking for a single person! Is it really so difficult?¡± The group of bodyguards lowered their heads in silence. They had tried everything they could to find Joanna. However, Greyport was so big that it was not easy to find someone. Seeing the bodyguards¡¯ dejected expressions, Bruce became even angrier. ¡°Continue searching. If you still can¡¯t find her, don¡¯te back. Consider yourselves fired!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± the bodyguards said obsequiously. They could only brace themselves to continue searching. The Everett family had already mobilized nearly 200 bodyguards. Although they tried their best to keep this hush-hush, news about Joanna¡¯s escape had leaked. This was especially evident in the hospital. News had spread from the doctors and nurses that Joanna Haynes had escaped. A few nurses gathered around the nurses¡¯ desk to gossip. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Joanna Haynes doesn¡¯t know how lucky she is, does she? She had everything she could ask for. Why did she run away for no reason?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Another nurse with bangs said indignantly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett was so good to her that he was willing to go to the ends of the world for her. Why did she ditch him and make a run for it?¡± ¡°Who knows? She¡¯s probably just throwing another tantrum.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what she¡¯s thinking. If I were her, I would stick to Mr. Everett like a piece of gum!¡± As she spoke, the young nurse¡¯s eyes sparkled. In a voice trembling with emotions, she said, ¡°Mr. Everett is handsome and rich. Besides, he¡¯s still so young. How good would it be if he liked me¡­¡± An older nurse could not help but snort. ¡°You can¡¯t just look at the surface. Life in a wealthy family is very stressful. Joanna Haynes¡¯s life might seem morous, but you don¡¯t know what goes on behind the scenes or how much bitterness she has to bear. Besides, those rich men have strange kinks! I wonder how their wives put up with their perverted behavior¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Ordinary people like us can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like. Ordinary women can¡¯t withstand that kind of behavior. The young nurse with bangs didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Tsk, how pervertic can it get? It¡¯s all just sex, right? Besides, Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t look like a man with heavy tastes. Even if he has heavy tastes. I¡¯ll sacrifice myself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. The more handsome a man is, the more twisted his mind is.¡± Soon, news of Joanna Haynes¡¯s disappearance had spread like wildfire. The media found out about Joanna Haynes¡¯s disappearance through a mysterious informant. By the end of the day, news of her escape had already been released online. ¡°Bruce Everett left dejected as pregnant ex-wife escapes¡± ¡°You run, I chase¡­ you can¡¯t escape even if you have wings! Joanna Haynes deliberately disappears.¡± ¡°Bruce Everett¡¯s rtionship with ex-wife crumblespletely. Joanna Haynes possibly abandoned.¡± As soon as the news was released, the Inte exploded again, and the entire city joined in to watch the show. ¡°What¡¯s going on between Mr. Everett and his ex-wife? Why is there so much news every other day? I hear so much about their melodramatic lives that I¡¯m tired of watching them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t have a moment of peace. I thought they were getting along, and then one is running away! What are they up to now?¡± ¡°If they want to remarry, they should remarry as soon as possible. But if they want to break up, they should do it immediately! If not, their rtionship status is so unclear. It¡¯s tiring for the onlookers.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, do you? This is a ploy.¡± ¡°What ploy?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? Every time drama happens between the Everett and Haynes Groups¡­ it bes so popr that there¡¯s no need for advertisement. Do you know how much advertising costs the Everett Group can save annually?¡± ¡°Tsk, Bruce is already the richest man. The Everett Group is so famous. Why would he still need to advertise?¡± ¡°In this era, social media is king, and poprity can earn you money. If you don¡¯t understand, you should educate yourself!¡± Some self-righteousizens distorted the truth. Meanwhile, at the Garcia Group, Jennie Garcia also quickly learned that Joanna was missing. After knowing that Joanna was missing, a me of hope lit up in her heart again. ¡°Joanna Haynes is missing! Why did she run away?¡± Her secretary Jimmy shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he¡¯s throwing a tantrum with Mr. Everett!¡± When Jennie heard this, she gritted his teeth in anger! She couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°What a pretentious vixen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an injustice for her and Bruce to end up together. Did she cast a spell on him? How could he ever fall for someone like her?¡± Jennie heaved a few heavy sighs, so furious that she wanted to explode. ¡°Miss Garcia, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to¡­ care for Mr. Everett?¡± Jennie rolled her eyes. ¡°Forget it. He clearly doesn¡¯t want me around. Why should I volunteer to get iced by him? ¡°I¡¯ll sort Joanna out first. It¡¯s time for her to get a taste of what I can do. Jimmy, send someone to find her. ¡°Remember, we have to find her before Bruce Everett does.¡± Miss Garcia, why are you looking for her?¡± ¡°To send some people after her and teach her a lesson!¡± Jimmy was stunned speechless. He wanted to caution her against it, but he didn¡¯t know how. This woman was too jealous. Women who were rich and capable were even more jealous. Hence they were also more dangerous. Women without money could only curse andin when they were jealous. But rich women would really take action! ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go!¡± Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Bruce was furious when he saw the overwhelming news online. Although he did not search for Joanna with great fanfare, the media took a deep dive when it got wind of any information and subsequently made up all kinds of rumors. It resulted in endless headaches and worries for Bruce.¡± The incident of Princess Martha being kidnapped was still vivid in his mind. A lingering fear had haunted him since. Moreover, Joanna was being hunted down time and time again. Bruce was genuinely worried. On the third day since Joanna¡¯s disappearance, there were still no signs of her whereabouts. Bruce¡¯s initial anger turned into worry and frustration. Joanna¡¯s unwillingness to bear his child made him even more desperate. Joanna had secretly gone to Porash for an abortion when pregnant before, Bruce suspected her sudden disappearance to abort the child deliberately was to take revenge on him. Bruce became restless at the thought of this. He had been on the edge since: his heart felt like being torn apart and gave him spasms because of the unbearable pain. ¡°Darcy, any luck today?¡± Darcy said solemnly. Not yet, Mr. Everett; the media has already leaked the current status. I think it¡¯s better to call the police!¡± Bruce closed his eyes upon hearing this; he felt like a walking dead. He had not slept for three days and was utterly exhausted. He only hoped Joanna was safe and sound! ¡°Where the hell are you, Joanna?¡± he growled. ¡°You¡¯re so ruthless, even more so than me!¡± Bruce propped his forehead with his hand. Her heart throbbed in pain, and a faint taste of blood was in his throat. He had not eaten much thest three days. People with stomach problems could not go on an empty stomach for long. The corrosion caused by stomach acid made his stomach ulcer rpse again. ¡°Mr. Everett, you look terrible. Do you want to take a break?¡± Darcy said with concern. Bruce shook his head sadly and swallowed a mouthful of saliva to ease the pain in his stomach. ¡°Darcy, inform the major media I want to hold a press conference immediately.¡± ¡°All right; right away, sir!¡± Darcy replied and quickly left the room. Meanwhile, in the suburbs. Joanna returned to the small clinic to get the medicine at the agreed time. ¡°Doctor, is the medicine ready?¡± she asked. The doctor nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s ready for collection.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I concocted some medicine that¡¯s less harmful to the body and has milder medicinal effects.¡± The doctor was alone in the small clinic; there were no nurses. He handed the medication to Joanna. Joanna looked and saw a dozen or so ck-brown medicinal bags in the stic carrier. ¡°How do I take it?¡± ¡°It is traditional medicine ready for consumption. Take a packet every morning, noon, and night for three consecutive days. The fetus will turn into blood and discharge through your vagina, the doctor instructed carefully. Joanna¡¯s brows knotted, and she vaguely felt her abdomen twitch as if the fetus inside her sensed danger and protested silently. ¡°Okay, how much is it?¡±. 400 dors!¡± Joanna frowned again. Then she took out 400 dors from her wallet. The fee was indeed a little expensive. A reputable hospital would have cost less than 800 dors for an induced abortion. However, she could not be bothered to bargain. She could well afford the abortion medicine. ¡°Warm it up beforehand,¡± the doctor advised. ¡°All right, thank you.¡± Joanna left with the medicine. Joanna returned to the homestay after that. She took out one medicinal bag and put away the rest of the medicine. It was a suburban homestay, a small hotel run by local residents. It was very hidden and basic. The surrounding was nothing out of the ordinary. People stay here were poor, primarily foreign workers. Although Joanna could well afford to stay in a better hotel, it would require an identity registration. On the other hand, no identity card was required at the homestay. ¡°Bear with it, baby. Soon it will all be over,¡± she said quietly. The room was basic, and there were no pots and pans. Joanna had no choice but to walk out of the room to ask thedy boss of the homestay for a kettle and a bowl for the medicine. She could not boil water in the room, so she did so in the public living room instead. Then she submerged the medicinal bag in hot water in the bowl. Joanna waited for five minutes before emptying the content of the medicinal bag into the bowl. She stared at the bowl full of medicine before her. It emitted a muddy herbal scent when she sniffed it. Joanna gulped with difficulty, feeling a little uneasy. After all, she was unsure if the small clinic was reliable or if the medicine would abort the fetus sessfully. She tasted it with the tip of her tongue; it was very bitter. Coincidentally, thedy boss of the homestay walked past her and saw her taking traditional medicine. ¡°Youngdy, are you sick?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°Yes, I have a cold.¡± Joanna told a white lie. Thedy boss did not say anything; she felt it was peculiar. Most people would take modern medicine for a cold; it was rare to see someone taking traditional medicine, especially a young woman like Joanna. ¡°Where are you from, youngdy? Your ent doesn¡¯t sound local, thedy boss stood before Joanna and asked with interest. She sized Joanna up at the same time. Joanna wore a simple white T-shirt and old jeans to keep a low profile. She carried a big filthy canvas bag. No one would guess it contained jewelry worth tens of millions of dors. Her hair was tied up casually under a cap, looking like an ordinary factory worker. Therefore, thedy boss did not expect her to be Bruce¡¯s ex-wife. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Suffice it to say, someone of Joanna¡¯s status would not stay in a ce like this. Therefore, thedy boss did not overthink it. Then she turned on the TV and did not enquire further. Bruce popped on the screen instantly when it was turned on. He sounded distraught. ¡°Where are you, Joann? I¡¯m worried sick about you. The kids and I are worried about you. Come back soon!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were red, looking tired and worn. He was no longer the refined and high-spirited self as before. Instead, he looked like a lonely and sad man. ¡°Wherever you are, do take care of yourself. Don¡¯t hurt yourself, and don¡¯t hurt the baby.¡± ¡°The kids and I will wait for you to return. Don¡¯t stay away for too long. Pleasee home early. We love you forever,¡± Bruce pleaded desperately before the camera. He had entirely disregarded his image and pride. Joanna was stunned and at a loss for words. She subconsciously put down the abortion medicine she was about to drink. She had never expected this. Bruce often resorted to the same way of looking for her. Bruce quietly stared at the camera, his eyes filled with destion and concern. His mncholy made others feel sympathetic toward him. The homestaydy boss was surprised after watching the news on TV. ¡°Oh my god, is Bruce Everett¡¯s ex-wife missing? I thought the media was making things up. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true. ¡°Tsk, sk, tsk. I didn¡¯t expect it. Not at all! Bruce Everett is so rich yet so infatuated. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Thedy boss scoffed before changing the channel with a remote control. Unexpectedly, Bruce Everett also held a press conference on the other channel. She switched a few channels consecutively; all were news about Bruce Everett looking for Joanna Haynes. Bruce booked the prime time advertising for several TV stations for this purpose. ¡°If any of you know the whereabouts of Joanna Haynes, please inform me. You will be rewarded handsomely,¡± Bruce promised. ¡°Oh, my! Bruce Everett is lofty indeed to look for his missing wife during prime-time TV. A rich man always gets his way with money.¡± Thedy boss nced at Joanna subconsciously as shemented sarcastically. Only then she realized something unusual with the young woman before her. Joanna wore a cap and sunsses in an ordinary outfit.¡± However, her temperament was different from the homestay¡¯s other guests. She had exquisite facial features, and her skin was delicate and translucent. In fact, she looked a lot like Joanna Haynes. Thedy boss¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She could not help but size up Joanna again. ¡°Oh my god could she be Joanna Haynes?¡± she muttered silently. The more she looked at Joanna, the more she was convinced thetter was Bruce Everett¡¯s missing wife. Thedy boss subconsciously clenched her fists and became excited. If the youngdy were Joanna Haynes, she would strike -gold if she told Bruce Everett the news! ¡®Hey, youngdy, why didn¡¯t you drink your medicine?¡± thedy boss moved closer to Joanna and asked. Joanna became rmed. ¡®Oh, I have something on; I¡¯ll drink itter!¡± She quickly put down the medicine, took her canvas bag, and rushed out the door. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Thedy boss immediately chased after her, ¡°Hey, youngdy, wait a moment!¡± Joanna realized thedy boss might have recognized her given her enthusiastic reaction After all, she was Greyport¡¯s hot topic at the moment. Her exposure was even higher than that of A-list celebrities Joanna would be in trouble if she were recognized. Spter 585 She fled from the homestay hurriedly. ¡°Wait a minute, youngdy. I haven¡¯t returned your deposit. Are you staying for the night?¡± ¡°Tll be backter!¡± Joanna replied casually and fled in a hurry. Thedy boss was even more shocked. ¡°Oh my god, the youngdy must be Joanna Haynes! I was such a blind old fool! There goes my reward for getting rich.¡± ¡°Hubby, hurry up and make a call¡± she yelled. ¡°That youngdy is Bruce Everett¡¯s ex-wife. Hurry up and make a call. We may get a reward!¡± Joanna went to the street in the town center. She felt uneasy. ¡°I can¡¯t stay on; someone will expose my whereabouts. I have to leave Greyport immediately!¡± she thought. ¡°I can¡¯t dy any longer and can¡¯t drink the disgusting abortion medicine either. I¡¯d better go to Mossbourne first and find a ce to settle down before making other ns.¡± Joanna gathered her thoughts quickly. She would have to contact a people smuggler to help her out. After all, people still wanted to sneak into Greyport. Thus, keeping the smugglers in business. Joanna walked aimlessly on the street; her heart was in turmoil. She passed by a shopping mall with arge LED screen broadcasting Bruce Everett¡¯s missing person notice. ¡°Joann, you can tell me if you feel distressed. I¡¯m willing to change. Pleasee back quickly; I beg of you.¡± Chapter 586 Chapter 586 The advertising panels on the streets and alleys were pastured with advertisements looking for Joanna. Passersby, who came across them, eximed, ¡°Bruce Everett is such a rich and willful man, spending so much money looking for his ex-wife!¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I can¡¯t agree more. He should have spent the money doing something more meaningful. ¡°Joanna Haynes is too much! She should count her blessings for having Brue Everett as her backing. Why did she run away in the first ce?¡± Joanna lowered her cap when she overheard the passersby¡¯s remarks. She then took a cab and headed toward Greyport West. Greyport West was the closest seafront to Porash and a ma for stowaways. There were specialized smugglers using fishing boats to smuggle people. Despite severe police crackdowns, smuggling activities continued to flourish. It was the only way for Joanna to leave Greyport without exposing her identity. Meanwhile, at Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce Everett searched for Joanna with great fanfare, and the media sensationalized it and created a frenzy. The children learned their mother was missing! Davian Haynes, the eldest, stammered. ¡°Daddy, where did Mommy go?¡± His younger brother, Irvin, and sister, Lilia, looked at Bruce anxiously for an answer. Bruce squatted down next to them. His face showed hints of fatigue and numbness. He did not know how to reply to his kids. Irvin asked hesitantly, ¡°Daddy, does Mommy not want us anymore?¡± Davian immediately retorted, ¡°No, Mommy won¡¯t abandon us!¡± Meanwhile, Lilia poured and cried, ¡°I want Mommy, I want Mommy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, kids. Mommy wille back soon!¡± Bruce gently hugged his daughter tofort her. The four of them snuggled together, looking sad and aggrieved. The butler hurried in and announced excitedly. ¡°Mr. Everett, good news!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What good news?¡± ¡°Someone just called to say he found Mrs. Joanna at a homestay on Newton Street.¡± Bruce immediately stood up and asked excitedly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. ording to the informant¡¯s description, it should be Mrs. Joanna.¡± Bruce put his daughter down and did not dy for another second. ¡°Hurry up and find her!¡± he said anxiously. ¡°Daddy, we want to go too!¡± ¡°Be good and stay at home. Behave yourselves while I¡¯m gone.¡± Bruce said and hurriedly left with the butler. Half an hourter, Brace arrived at the homestay in the suburbs. He was with an entourage of bodyguards and servants. ¡°Where is she?¡± Bruce asked anxiously. Thedy boss of the homestay was shocked to see so many burly men in suits appearing at her door. She stammered, ¡°She has already left. Look, is this her?¡± She quickly pulled out the surveince footage. The public living room was equipped with surveince Chinese medicine and was about to drink it. Bruce took a look and became excited. ¡°Yes, yes! That¡¯s her!¡± On the surveince video, Joanna Haynes held a bowl of At the same time, his heart sank. ¡°What was she drinking? What was it?¡± ¡°Oh, she said she had a cold. It¡¯s cold medicine,¡± thedy boss replied. ¡°She left this behind,¡± she quickly brought over Joanna¡¯s medicine. ¡°Mark, go and check immediately what¡¯s in this medicinel¡± Bruce instructed. Mark looked closer and replied worriedly, ¡°Mr. Everett, the form is abortion medicine.¡± Boom! Bruce staggered and almost lost his bnce; his heart hurt instantly. ¡°How dare you, Joanna?¡± ¡°Urgh!¡± Bruce could feel a stream of air rushing to his throat, but he forced it back down. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and find her.¡± ¡°You guys search all the hotels and homestays nearby.¡± ¡°You guys, search all the malls and restaurants.¡± ¡°The rest of you go and pull up all the surveince camera footage on this street and find out which direction she has headed.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Bruce felt his chest tighten after instructing his men. Another stream of air surged up his throat again; he could not hold it down. Bruce felt he had vomited blood again; he quickly wiped the corner of his lips with his hand. As expected, there was a trace of scarlet in his saliva. Some time back, Bruce drank until his stomach was perforated, and vomited blood several times. He could barely eat in thest few days, and his gastritis worsened. ¡°Mr. Everett!¡± The butler was shocked when he saw Bruce vomiting blood. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Hurry up and find her.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The bodyguards and servants dispersed at hismand. Bruce cked out and slumped in the driver¡¯s seat. He had not slept for almost three days. Theck of sleep and anxiety sent him to the brim of copse. ¡°You wanted to abort the child! I will never forgive you for the rest of my life. Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Joanna soon made up her mind. She took a cab to Greyport West. She made arrangements in advance, and she found the smuggler almost effortlessly. ¡°Michael told me about you. How much does it cost to take me to Mossbourne?¡± Joanna asked. The smuggler was a middle-aged man in his fifties, nicknamed Rooster. He was a scrawny man with a deep tan due to his prolonged time at sea. His beady eyes were cunning and shrewdl. ¡°You want to go to Mossbourne?¡± Rooster looked at Joanna curiously. Most people wanted to sneak into Greyport from Mossbourne and seldom vice versa. Still, there were exceptions. asionally, some people would use this method to go to Mossbourne. Joanna subconsciously lowered her cap and tried to look calm. ¡°It¡¯ll take two days to get to Mossbourne. One day for us to send you to the sea boundary, you can swim to the maind yourself. The cost is cheap, only 1,000 dors,¡± said Rooster. ¡°Of course, if you want to be morefortable, we can arrange to take you across the sea boundary. Very risky for us and will cost more. It¡¯s 4,000 dors.¡± Joanna chose the expensive option without hesitation. ¡°No problem. 4,000 dors it is. When can we leave?¡± Rooster took another drag on his cigarette. ¡°We can¡¯t leave today. We¡¯ll have to wait.¡± Joanna was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± Rooster became impatient. ¡°Come on, didn¡¯t you see the weather forecast? There¡¯s a typhoon tonight. The waves will be strong. We can¡¯t leave.¡± Joanna was anxious. ¡°When can we leave, then? ¡°Not for at least another two days,¡± said Rooster indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s the typhoon season now. The Parrot will bending soon. We won¡¯t be able to leave for the next two days.¡± ¡°Please help me! I¡¯m in a hurry. I can pay more,¡± Joanna said in a panic. She could not waste any more time. Greyport was a small ce. Bruce would find her sooner orter. Bruce¡¯s tyrannical temper meant Joanna would suffer a fate worse than death if captured. She could not take the risk. Rooster¡¯s face darkened as he stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°This isn¡¯t about money. ¡°We want to live even if you don¡¯t. It¡¯s a level-eight typhoon. How can our small fishing boat withstand it? ¡°If you¡¯re really in a hurry, go find Sensing that he would not ¡°eone else!¡± Rooster pursed his lips and looked indifferent. Joanna finally ¡°I¡¯lle back when the typhoon is over!¡± ¡°Mhmm!¡± promised. ¡°All right then!¡± Joanna did not say anything more. She secured the canvas bag in her arm and turned to leave. Rooster¡¯sckey walked over after she left. ¡°Rooster, that woman is a strange broad. She doesn¡¯t look like someone who came to Greyport to make a quick buck. I wonder where she came from?¡± ¡°Who cares? As long as she¡¯s willing to pay,¡± Rooster said as he lit another cigarette. As a norm, Rooster did not ply into his customers¡¯ privacy in his line of work. Although it was unorthodox, he had to observe the underworld¡¯s rules. Joanna became even more aimless after leaving Greyport West. The weather changed gradually, and dark clouds gathered. The wind blew strongly as if it was clearing the streets of pedestrians. The storm was apparently about to descend. Joanna felt the chill and tightened her jacket. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. She had to find another ce to stay quickly. Although she had money, she would have to register with her identity card to stay in a better hotel. The same regtion applied to ordinary homestays. It was challenging to find another homestay without an identity card. Joanna subconsciously stopped in her tracks when she passed by an overpass. Many unemployed people and vagrants gathered under the overpass. Land in Greyport was scarce, and every inch was worth its weight in gold. Many could not afford the tiniest house and resorted to living under the overpass. Joanna looked around. Many homeless people had set up mosquitos to make independent tents. She would probably have to do the same under the overpass if she did not want to register with her identity card. ¡°Forget it; I¡¯ll make do here for two days! Joanna found an empty spot under the overpass. Then, she found some newspapers and spread them on the ground. She also picked up a few pieces of torn cardboard and made an enclosed space. She had jewelry worth over 20 million dors. Safety was her first consideration. Therefore, she carried a stun gun and pepper spray wherever she went. In addition, she had also practiced self-defense for many years, and ordinary people could not subdue her. Although Joanna¡¯s self-defense skills could protect her from harm, she was vulnerable in the face of Bruce. He had practiced boxing and wrestling since he was young and was at the level of a coach. She could not possibly beat him. Meanwhile, on the other side of town. Bruce led a group of bodyguards, almost turning Greyport upside down. Unfortunately, he still found nothing. Bruce never expected Joanna to live under the overpass. In the blink of an eye, another day passed. Bruce¡¯s bodyguards did not make any progress. There was no sign of Joanna anywhere. It was as if she had disappeared from the surface of the earth. ¡°Have you not found her yet?¡± The bodyguards lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.. Bruce sighed heavily. He was not in the mood to lose his temper or scold the bodyguards. He waved his hand; his mind was perplexed. ¡°Continue searching!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Where did you go, Joanna?¡± Bruce sighed before his stomach felt ufortable again as it was corroded by gastric acid. His vision darkened, and he almost fainted. Bruce¡¯s butler hurriedly held him up. ¡°Mr. Everett, take care of yourself.¡± Bruce took a long time to calm down before the ck clouds in front of him gradually dissipated! The butler sighed and persuaded him. ¡°You can¡¯t go on like this, Mr. Everett. You have to take care of your body. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten much or slept in three days. How can you endure this any longer? No one, no matter how strong, can bear it!¡± The butler sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Bruce pushed him away. Then he washed his face with cold water and rinsed his head to stay awake. Bruce realized he could not continue searching like this. He feared the more anxious he was to find Joanna, the more she would hide, Bruce put a lot of thought into his next move. He decided the children had toe forward. The children were Joanna¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. Bruce did not believe she would be so cruel to her own children. Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Bruce Everett immediately contacted the media after making up his mind. The media went into another frenzy on the following day. ¡°Mommy ran away from home. Bruce Everett¡¯s daughter is critically ill.¡± *Bruce Everett¡¯s youngest daughter rushed to hospital, suspected of leukemia rpse.¡± The media reports included photos of Bruce Everett sending Lilia Haynes to the hospital. Davian and Haynes also recorded a video and posted it online. In the video, the two little boys cried and said pitifully to the camera, ¡°Mommy, where are you? Come back quickly. Lilia is sick and needs you badly. ¡°We miss you so much, Mommy. If you don¡¯te home soon, Lilia may be unable to hold on.¡± The camera switched to Bruce Everett immediately afterward. ¡°Joann, where are you? Come back quickly. Lilia had a rpse. The doctor advised for a third bone marrow transnt,¡± he said, eyes welling up. ¡°If you don¡¯te home soon, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be toote!¡± Bruce paused before continuing. Joann, even if you don¡¯te home, please let me know you¡¯re safe. The children and 1 are very worried. Davian and Irvin haven¡¯t gone to school for a few days. *I know I¡¯m a control freak and have made you feel suffocated. I hope the people of Greyport can witness my vow to you; I promise to turn over a new leaf. I also apologize to you for hurting you. Please forgive me!¡± Bruce had utterly let go of his pride and spoke sincerely in front of the media. Meanwhile, under the overpass. Joanna Haynes slept through the night on the ground, her whole body ached terribly. She did not have a cell phone. Therefore, she could not ess any news on the Inte. Joanna had just awakened. She put away the cardboard pieces and was about to go out and buy food when she suddenly. heardughter next to her. She turned around and saw a homeless man beside her as he scrolled through his cell phone with relish. ¡°Haha! Bruce Everett is such a lunatic! He¡¯s a rich man who can get his hands on any woman he fancies. ¡°Why did he put aside his pride to look for his ex-wife in such extravagance? Tsk, tsk, if I were as rich as him, I would have a different woman every day. I wouldn¡¯t be so devoted to just one.¡± Another homeless man immediately chimed in, ¡®Tis ex-wife is also a lunatic. She abandoned the three children and disappeared without a trace.¡± ¡°Her daughter is in the hospital, yet she doesn¡¯t care for the kid¡¯s wellbeing!¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank when she overheard the two men gossiping away. ¡°Excuse me, sir. May I borrow your cell phone?¡± The two vagrants nced at her casually while staring at the phone. ¡°No way. My phone is running out of battery. I have to charge it at the convenience store soon! ¡°Moreover, what kind of a person doesn¡¯t have a phone nowadays? Why did you ask to borrow mine?¡± Joanna feared Bruce would trace her cell phone¡¯s location. Therefore, she left it behind. Joanna would have to register with her real name if she were to apply for a new SIM card. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll buy your cell phone instead¡± Joanna took a wallet from the canvas bag and retrieved 200 dors. pay for your phone. You can use the money to buy a new one,¡± Joanna said and handed the money to the homeless man. The homeless man looked surprised and became speechless. He stared at Joanna skeptically. He thought it strange that Joanna offered 1.000 dors to buy his old cell phone. She could have bought a brand new one with that amount. The homeless man was puzzled. Moreover, someone who casually forked out 1,000 dors could easily stay anywhere she desired. Why did she sleep under the overpass? All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Joanna put the money beside the homeless man and anxiously snatched the old phone from his hand. She quickly scrolled through the online tforms. News about Bruce Everett looking for her abound. There were also videos of Lilia Haynes in the hospital. ¡°Is my darling Lilia sick again?¡± Joanna muttered worriedly. At the same time, she wondered if Bruce deliberately used the kids to y tricks on her. He was unscrupulous in achieving what he wanted. He could have taken advantage of Lilia¡¯s illness to force Joanna to show up. In fact, Bruce Everett was capable of anything. However, Lilia¡¯s health had always been poor. Joanna would undoubtedly go back to care for her daughter If thetter¡¯s illness rpsed, Joanna thought long and hard. Yet she still felt uneasy. After much hesitation, she could not help but call Bruce. Beep, beep, beep. Bruce¡¯s cell phone rang. He quickly picked it up and took a look. It was an unknown number. Bruce held his breath and answered the call ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Joanna felt a lump in her throat and subconsciously tightened her grip on her phone. ¡°Say something. Who is it?¡± Joanna became inexplicably nervous and terrified when she heard Bruce¡¯s voice. She felt her throat stuffed with cotton wool and could not utter anything. Bruce frowned and guessed the other party was Joanna Haynes. ¡°Hello, is it Joann?¡± ¡°Joann, where are you now?¡± Bruce suppressed his mixed emotions and spoke in a calm and gentle tone. At the same time, he immediately turned on the speaker and wrote down the phone number. Then, he waved at the butler beside him and signaled him with his eyes to quickly check the phone¡¯s current location. The butler understood, immediately took the phone number, and activated the GPS tracking. Bruce heaved a sigh of relief and tried to calm Joanna down. ¡°Joann, why aren¡¯t you talking? Do you know that the children and I are worried about you?¡± ¡°Lilia is sick. Pleasee back quickly!¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°Bruce Everett, is Lilia really sick?¡± ¡°Of course she is. Would I joke about my daughter¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You must be lying to me,¡± Joanna replied coldly. Bruce had always been scheming and quick-witted. Joanna no longer trusted his words. Joanna did not believe a word Bruce said; she could only determine if he spoke the truth from the tone of his voice. Bruce paused for a moment; his brows knotted tightly. ¡°Joann, stop fooling around. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! If you have any dissatisfaction with me, you can tell me. I¡¯m willing to change.¡± Bruce gradually became excited as he spoke. Judging from his words, Joanna was almost sure Lilia was not sick. Bruce deliberately lied to her. If Lilia were seriously ill, Bruce would not be in the mood to ask for forgiveness. ¡°Stop talking, Bruce. I won¡¯t believe your nonsense anymore!¡± ¡°Joann, don¡¯t hang up yet. I beg you; please don¡¯t hang up!¡± ¡°Joann, I beg you to forgive all my wrongdoings. Please, I beg of you! You must not hurt the unborn child!¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was humble. He feared that Joanna would abort the baby. Joanna¡¯s brow furrowed as she gently stroked her abdomen; she had yet to drink the abortion medicine. Realizing Bruce cared about the unborn child so much, Joanna decided to take revenge and let him taste his own medicine. She wanted to stab his heart so hard that he experienced the same heartache he had caused her. ¡°I¡¯ve already aborted the child, Bruce!¡± Boom! Bruce¡¯s heart almost stood still. He felt like he had suddenly fallen into an ice cave. Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Bruce Everett returned to his senses momentster and said hoarsely, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You must be lying to me!¡± ¡°Joann, I know you hate me. But the child is innocent. You must be lying to me, right?¡± Bruce took a deep breath, unwilling to ept the fact. His parents passed away when he was young, and he had no siblings. His children were his only bloodline. Bruce already had three children. However, when Davian, Irvin, and Lilia were born, he was not by their side. He did not experience the joy of being a first-time father then. Bruce was fully prepared this time around and waited cagerly to wee a new life into the family. Therefore, he could not ept the abortion. Joanna Haynes paused momentarily before replying coldly, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. The child has been aborted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to lie to you. There¡¯s nothing else for you to expect¡± Suddenly, there was utter silence on the other end of the phone. Bruce could hear the sound of his heart being torn apart. Momentster, he roared angrily, ¡°Joanna Haynes, how dare you do this to me? ¡°That¡¯s my child. How dare you abort it without my permission?¡± Bruce was hysterical. ¡°Anyway, I have aborted it. End of discussion.¡± Joanna said matter-of-factly. Bruce heaved heavily to disperse his anger; his body trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Joanna Haynes, you want to punish me! You did it on purpose, right?¡± he growled. ¡°How could you kill your own flesh and blood? You¡¯re so cruel! Utterly inhumane!¡± Bruce¡¯s heart-wrenching roar did not move Joanna. Instead, sheughed coldly. ¡°Cruel? Inhumane? Hahaha!¡± ¡°I dwarf by you, Mr. Everett, Joanna sneered and said sarcastically. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t you take it? I¡¯m surprised you can feel heartache too?¡± Bruce knitted his brows, his heart ached so much he could barely breathe. ¡°You¡¯re taking revenge on me on purpose! ¡°You¡¯ve always hated me. You¡¯ve never forgiven me, have you? The happy times we had were all fake! ¡°You don¡¯t love me anymore. You want to take revenge on me!¡± Bruce snarled Joanna sighed and smiled, feeling unprecedentedly rxed and at ease. ¡°That¡¯s right! I already said on the day we divorced that I didn¡¯t love you anymore,¡± she said indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you for the pain you¡¯ve caused. I want you to taste what it feels like to be in so much pain that you want to die.¡± A chill ran down Bruce¡¯s spine; he was stunned by what Joanna said. In the past, he always thought coaxing a woman was a piece of cake. At most, he would shower her with expensive jewelry and buy her a luxurious mansion and yacht. Money was no object. The woman would eventually change her mind if he showed ample sincerity. But Bruce suddenly realized his arrogance was at y. A woman would not forgive him easily if she were emotionally hurt. ¡°Bruce, the pain you feel now is what I went through in the past, Joanna said calmly. ¡°Except that my pain was ten times worse than yours. Think about what you¡¯ve done to me. Do you think I¡¯d still love you? Did you ever really love me? Don¡¯t kid yourself, Bruce Everett! ¡°That¡¯s not love. It¡¯s just possessiveness. Your love is like a master¡¯s control over his pet. It¡¯s unequal and lopsided. It was not lovel¡± Bruce was utterly stumped; his eyes were bloodshot. Joann, I¡¯ve always loved you. Why do you think otherwise?¡± he said. Tm willing to give up everything for you. I can give you all my money.¡± Jaanna sneered upon hearing. ¡°Haha, Bruce Everett, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous! Yes, I have spent your money. 1 ¡°But what I spent was not even a drop in the oceanpared to the market value of the Haynes Group. ¡°You snatched the Haynes Group from me unscrupulously through despicable means. Ultimately, what¡¯s the difference between you and a robber? ¡°It¡¯s my money you used to support me, and now you im you¡¯re willing to give up everything for me? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ironic? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny? ¡°You¡¯re utterly despicable!¡± Joanna scoffed. Bruce held his breath and closed his eyes tightly. He refused to ept that Joanna had aborted the baby. He was ecstatic when he found out she was pregnant. s, the more ecstatic he was in the past, the more disappointed he was now. Moreover, his love for Joanna seemed so pathetic in perspective. ¡°All right, Joann, so be it!¡± Bruce sighed in resignation. ¡°I beg you to give me another chance to make amends now. I¡¯m going to prove that I love you. ¡°As for the Haynes Group, I¡¯ve never considered keeping it for myself. My goal has always been to keep you by my side. ¡°I love you, Joanna. I love you so much!¡± Bruce said with heart-wrenching pain. Tears rolled down his face uncontrobly. Joanna hung up before he could finish. She did not want to listen to his nonsense. Beep, beep, beep! The busy tone came from the other end of the phone. Bruce Everett became instantly furious! He immediately made another call. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is unavable.¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Bruce smashed his cell phone into smithereens and kicked the coffee table across the room. ¡°How can you misunderstand me like this, Joanna** ¡°Cough, cough, cough! Argh!¡± Bruce was extremely anxious and angry; his face turned dark red. Blood gathered in his throat, and he instantly puffed out a mouthful. The butler returned with the found location. He went mumb when he saw Bruce vomiting blood. ¡®Mr. Everett, how are you?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Bruce looked at the dark red blood on the floor; the explosive feeling in his chest subsided, and he felt better. He had gastric problems and had not eaten much for the past few days, causing his acute gastric ulcer to worsen. His stomach bled as a result. His extreme anger did not help either, causing him to vomit blood again ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Bruce said dismissively. ¡°No, Mr. Everett, you have to go to the hospital immediately, the butler urged. ¡°I said don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Bruce wiped away the blood stain with his sleeve at the corner of his lips. ¡°Have you found the location?¡± he asked coldly. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve already found it.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Under an overpass in the Soris Gate area.¡± ¡°Gather everyone to find her immediately. We must find Joanna Haynes!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett. The butler looked at him worriedly. Whatever caused his vomiting of blood, it was usually a nasty illness. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go!¡¯ Bruce growled. The butler dared not say anything else. ¡°Okay, right away, sir.¡± Meanwhile, under the overpass. Joanna knew that Bruce woulde looking for her soon after hanging up. She quickly discarded her cell phone in the trash can and hurriedly left. The two vagrants nearby looked at Joanna with their mouths agape. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 One of the vagrants whispered. ¡°Did you see that woman just now? She just tossed away her phone after spending 1,000 dors to make a call. This is just too extravagant.¡± The other vagabond nodded repeatedly. ¡°With such avish spending, she surely must be carrying a lot of cash on her.¡± ¡°Looks like our golden opportunity has arrived¡­¡± With these words, the two men exchanged knowing looks. With greed on the edge of their courage, they decided to rob Joanna. Observing that Joanna had left the overpass, they hastily got up and stealthily trailed her. Joanna exited the overpass. It was already past ten in the morning, she¡¯presumed Bruce would arrive shortly. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here, I need to leave now.¡± Joanna was about to hail a taxi to escape from there. Unfortunately, this was amercial district and taxis were scarce. Joanna tried to hail more than ten cars in a row, but all of them were upied. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go to the next intersection and try there!¡± Joanna didn¡¯t want to waste any more time and swiftly headed to the next intersection After walking for five minutes, Joanna felt an unsettling sensation, a feeling that someone was railing her. Joanna¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she tightly held the canvas bag under her arm, and quickened her pace. Simultaneously, she stealthily reached into her pocket and pulled out her stun gun. ¡°Look at that bulging bag she carries, it surely must hold something valuable.¡± The pair noticed Joanna picking up her pace, they realized if they didn¡¯t act now it would be toote. Once they reached the crowded downtown area, they wouldn¡¯t have another opportunity to act. The pair decided not to wait any longer, readying themselves for a bold snatch and grab. Consequently, they increased their pace to catch up with her. One of the vagrants lunged to snatch Joanna¡¯s canvas bag. Joanna spun around and recognized him as the vagrant from before. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The two vagrants didn¡¯t respond, they just desperately tugged at her bag. Joanna could no longer tolerate this, she swiftly pulled out her stun gun from her pocket, aimed it at the vagrant¡¯s hand, and pulled the trigger. ¡°ZAPI¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The powerful current instantly brought the vagrant down. He screamed as he fell t on the ground. Seeing this, the other vagrant was taken aback. But blinded by greed, he gathered his courage and lunged to snatch the bag. ¡°ZAP! Joanna shocked the other vagrant. ¡°Ah. Both the vagrants writhed on the ground in agony. Joanna fel¨ª ?a a wave of revulsion, she went up to them and retrieved her 1,000 dors from one of the vagrant¡¯s clothes. She turned around and left. He was really biting off more than she could chew, for giving him 1,000 dors for a shoddy phone, yet he still wanted to rob her. This kind of person was not deserving of sympathy. She was determined to get her money back. Quickly, more than ten luxury cars arrived, roaring beneath the overpass. More than ten luxury cars roared under the overpass. Bruce got out of the car angrily. Dozens of bodyguards in suits also got out of the car hurriedly. 1/3 10:40 apter 590 The homeless folks under the overpass, had they ever seen such a disy? They were all terrified. ¡°Have you seen this person?¡± ¡°Um, no, no.¡± ¡°Speak up. There will be a hefty reward.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, I think I just saw this woman. She went that way!¡± A female beggar stuttered. Bruce¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Which direction did she go?¡± The female beggar pointed to the exit of the overpass, ¡°She went that way.¡± ¡°Chase after her, now.¡± As he spoke, Bruce instructed his bodyguards to give the female beggar a 2000-dor reward. Joanna had just reached the next intersection and was about to hail a cab. She could vaguely see a few men in ck suits standing across the street, searching for something? A sense of panic overtook Joanna, she no longer cared about hailing a cab, she immediately darted into the nearby women¡¯s restroom. ¡°Mr. Everett, we still haven¡¯t found her. However, ording to surveince, she should be in this area.¡± ¡°Joanna, no matter where you run to, I will find you.¡± ¡°Block these streets immediately, find her!¡± Yes, Mr. Everett!¡± The bodyguards split up again and began a systematic search, street by street. Joanna hid in thedies¡¯ room for half an hour. Once she estimated that the bodyguards had left, she cautiously exited. Beside her was arge shopping mall. As she rode the elevator, she saw the bodyguards who had brushed past her again. Fortunately, she was wearing a hat and a mask, and her clothes were very casual, so the bodyguards did not recognize her at first. Joanna¡¯s heart pounded wildly, and she hastily walked away in fear. Seeing that she was about to run into another group of bodyguards, Joanna had no choice but to duck into a women¡¯s clothing store. ¡°Wee!¡± ¡°Miss, do you want to buy clothes?¡± ¡°We have thetest styles here, feel free to look around.¡± Joanna quickly grabbed a piece of clothing from the rack and darted into the fitting room. ¡°Miss, you have good taste. This is one of our new arrivals. The saleswoman enthusiastically introduced. Joanna carefully opened the door of the fitting room and said to the saleswoman, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite satisfied with this piece. Could you please pick out a few more for me?¡± ¡°Oh, of course! I¡¯ll go pick some for you right now!¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Wait, could I borrow a phone, please?¡± Sure. The saleswoman smiled sweetly and enthusiastically handed the phone to Joanna. Joanna took the phone and returned to the fitting room. After pondering for a while, she couldn¡¯t resist calling Jaydon. She didn¡¯t want to trouble Jaydon again, but she couldn¡¯t find anyone else who could help her at this point. If she was caught and brought back by Bruce, her fate would surely be dire Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Ring, ring, ring! Joanna dialed up Jaydon¡¯s number. The call connected almost immediately. Jaydon picked up. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Jay, it¡¯s me.¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was on edge. Recognizing Joanna¡¯s voice, Jaydon¡¯s anxiety spiked. ¡®Joann, where are you? How are you holding up?¡± ¡°Jay, I¡¯m at the Omni-Trade Skyline.¡± ¡°Bruce¡¯s men are close by. I¡¯m hiding out in a women¡¯s clothing store. Jay, I¡¯m really out of options¡­¡± Jaydon cut her off, Joann, you don¡¯t need to exin. Just send me your location and I¡¯ll get someone over to rescue you right away.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you Jay! Joanna then sent Jaydon her location using the shop assistant¡¯s phone. Outside the fitting room, the shop assistant eagerly said, ¡°Miss, your call is finished! I¡¯ve picked out a few more styles that would suit you, you can try them on¡­¡± Opening the fitting room door, Joanna handed the phone back to the shop assistant. ¡°I¡¯m done with the call. thank you!¡± ¡°What about these clothes!¡± ¡°Oh, just pack all of them up for me. I¡¯m taking them all.¡± ¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t even tried them on yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I trust your taste.¡± The shop assistant stared at Joanna in disbelief. These clothes all carried hefty price tags and she hadn¡¯t even asked about the price, was she really sincere in buying them? Moreover, she was dressed rather casually, not resembling a wealthy person at all. The shop assistant, eager to increase her sales performance, would have been contented if Joanna bought just a piece or two. ¡°Can I rest here for a bit? I¡¯m a bit tired. Also, I¡¯d like to select some essories.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Of course. The shop assistant responded, her enthusiasm increasing. Appearances can indeed be deceptive. ¡°The wig on your mannequin looks nice too! Could I try it on?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± In no time, Joanna was in a new outfit,plete with a long wig. From behind, one could hardly recognize her. In Venturas, at the Emerald Oak Medical Center, after receiving the call from Joanna, Jaydon was burning with impatience and prepared to leave in haste. Upon seeing this, Carmel Basil, heavily pregnant, hurried after him, ¡°Mr. Grimm, where are you off to?¡± T have an urgent matter to attend to.¡± ¡°Im about to give birth, and you¡¯re leaving now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to have doctors and nurses here. I¡¯m really in a rush!¡± ¡°Mr. Grimm, Mr. Grimm¡­¡± Jaydon has already taken his leave without a backward nce. Watching Jaydon¡¯s retreating figure, Carmel couldn¡¯t help but tear up. She was on the brink of giving birth, yet the father of the child disregarded them, abandoning her without a second thought. ¡°Miss Basil, there¡¯s no need for fear. Even if Mr. Grimm isn¡¯t here, we will attend to your every need.¡± Carmel rolled her eyes, exasperated. Then she found sce in her thoughts, ¡°Once the baby is born, my connection to the Grimm family is indisputable. He can chase after that seductress for all I care.¡± Carmel was surprisingly broad-minded. The baby in her belly was her lifeline for thetter part of her life. Even if Jaydon didn¡¯t love her, she would be financially secure for life, with no need to worry about livelihood. In Greyport, the bodyguards had practically ransacked the entire street. Predictably, they came up empty-handed. ¡°Utterly useless, the lot of you. Still no trace of her.¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna might have slipped away.¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t find Joanna today, you¡¯re all getting the sack.¡± Bruce lost his patience once more. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, resume the search!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± An hourter, Jaydon arrived at the scene with his team as quickly as possible. Jaydon dialled a recently contacted number. When the store clerk answered, realizing he was looking for Joanna, shended the phone over to Joanna Joann, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sending someone disguised as a delivery man. You can leave in the delivery truck.¡± Alright, understood!¡± ¡°Miss, your clothes.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want these clothes anymore. They¡¯re yours.¡± ¡°What The shop assistant was dumbfounded. In her years of retail, she¡¯d never encountered such a customer who paid the usual price but refused the clothes. Moreover, these clothes were expensive, with each piece costing over 200 dors. If more customers were like this, she¡¯d strike gold. Bruce got into his car, preparing to do a citywide search. ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t that Bruce just now?¡± A group of people brushed past them, with none other than Bruce¡¯s sworn enemy, Marlowe Yanice, bringing up the rear ¡°Looks like him. Why is he by himself?¡± Upon hearing this, Marlowe turned around to check, indeed it was Bruce. Currently, he was without a single bodyguard or assistant. Alone in a Bentley, there were no other cars in his entourage, ¡®Perfect, let¡¯s teach him a lesson¡± Immediately, Marlowe smirked coldly, signaling to the people around him, ¡°Follow him closely, let him have a taste of his own medicine.* ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Yanice.¡± Bruce was lucky enough to be driving, doing a city-wide loop. ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± His throat had been persistently itchy. Chapter 592 Chapter 592 It¡¯s a small world. In a surprising turn of events, he came across Marlowe Yanice. Bruce, whenever he stepped out, was usually apanied by a swarm of bodyguards. Even in their absence, he was incredibly discreet in his movements, doing everything possible to avoid being identified. He was, after all the wealthiest man in Greyport. There were plenty who wouldn¡¯t mind stirring up trouble for him. Marlowe gave a malevolent smile, ¡°Execute it smoothly. Let¡¯s not stir up any fuss.¡± The assistant responded in a devious tone, ¡°Rest assured, President Yanice.¡± Il arrange it over a call¡­ Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. As Bruce drove, there was a churning unease in his chest. Summoning every ounce of strength that remained, he attempted to swallow a few times, aborious task that seemed to drain him more than he¡¯d like to admit. Yet, the uneasy difort refused to subside, lingering at the back of his throat like an unwee guest. His throat itched unbearably, prompting a string of harsh coughs that resonated within the confined space of the wrecked vehicle. His futile attempt to regain control of his situation was punctuated by a low, involuntary groan, ¡°Cough, cough, ugh¡­ He couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to cough out a mouthful of blood. Bruce frowned and instinctively wiped the corner of his lips with his sleeve. With almost three days of no sleep, his body was sumbing to extreme exhaustion. Driving in this state was a recipe for disaster. Finding himself momentarily lost in a daze, Bruce was abruptly pulled back into the realm of reality by the unexpected sight of a dpidated van. Without so much as the courtesy of a blinker, the driver recklessly manoeuvred his vehicle into The adjacentne. ¡°Ahl¡± Bruce eximed, quickly maneuvering his car. He narrowly avoided crashing into the van. Bruce cursed under his breath, ¡°What the hell, learn to drive!¡± Before he couldpose himself, the van deliberately changednes again, blocking his way. Simultaneously, another car swerved in aggressively, boxing in his vehicle. The grinding noise of metal on metal sparked friction. Bruce¡¯s eyes narrowed as he realized he was in trouble. Even though he was skilled and could handle a handful of attackers, any armed adversary would spell danger, For now, it was best not to exit the car. Bruce mmed the elerator, aiming to overtake the obstructing vehicle. Unfortunately, the van kept hitting the brakes, attempting to halt his progress. ¡°Crash, crash!¡± Two cars from either side sandwiched Bruce¡¯s vehicle in the middle. Bruce¡¯s face fell, He revved the engine, barreling forward with full throttle. The doors of his car were utterly deformed from the relentless assault. a ¡°Bang!¡± To the astonishment of the other drivers, they had not only failed to stop Bruce but their vehicles crashed into each other instead. In an instant, both vehicles flipped over. Bruce had barely breathed a sigh of relief when a woman pushing a stroller appeared in front. Ignoring the traffic signal, she crossed the road directly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bruce, driving too fast to swerve in time, was forced to in the brakes and steer away. ¡°Crash! Bang!¡± The car,pletely beyond the driver¡¯s control, spun around its own axis in an all too familiar dance, reminiscent of a top. The once shiny rubber tires dragged vehemently against the rough road surface, leaving behind an undeniable circr evidence of the vehicle¡¯s skid The inertia proved too overpowering to resist. The car, forced into submission, carried out an astonishing 360-degree aerial rotation. Following this stunning disy, the vehicle met with an unforgiving crash, as it mmed heavily onto the unforgiving asphalt. The colossal force propelled the car forward several meters until it hit a flower bed. Passersby at a distance were left stunned. The scene was reminiscent of a Hollywood car crash movie special effect. In such a disastrous ident, it seemed unlikely for anyone inside the car to have survived. ¡°Oh my god, there¡¯s been a car ident up ahead.¡± ¡°Someone should help! Call the police quickly.¡± ¡°How awful!¡± Onlookers rushed towards the wreckage, ready to help. Caught in the maelstrom. Bruce found himself pinned cruelly under the weight of the car, his chest feeling as if it had been put through a shredder. Several ribs had snapped under the crushing pressure. Blood, rich and crimson, spurted from his mouth in pulsing waves. As if mocking the cruel twist of fate, the blood found its way past the confines of the car, staining the exterior in a grim reminder of the unfolding catastrophie. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 ¡°Call an ambnce, call the police immediately¡­ Some good Samaritans immediately pulled out their phones to call for an ambnce and report the incident to the police. Several concerned bystanders tried in unison to overturn the vehicle, attempting to rescue the casualty. ¡°No, no. The casualty is still alive. We mustn¡¯t move the vehicle to prevent causing any additional injury.¡± ¡°Exactly, we mustn¡¯t disturb the vehicle.¡± ¡°He is losing a lot of blood. Don¡¯t touch him, let¡¯s wait for the paramedics.¡± The vehicle¡¯s frame was severely distorted. The car window was shattered,ttering the ground with shards of ss. Bruce was covered in cuts, bleeding incessantly. Bruce struggled for breath, blood gushing from his mouth and nose. He was barely clinging to life. The sight was so gruesome that it made the faint-hearted turn away. Inside the shopping mall, Joanna was looking around nervously. For some reason, her right eyelid started to twitch violently. Then, her right temple started to throb. Suddenly, a wave of impending dread washed over her. Every time something unfortunate was about to happen, her right eye would twitch. But this time, the twitching was much more intense than ever before. Joanna was filled with anxiety. Suddenly, she heard someone yell. ¡°There¡¯s been a car crash downstairs.¡± ¡°Terrible news, there¡¯s been a car crash on the road!¡± ¡°Look! the car has rolled over. Such a horrifying sit!¡± Several onlookers cried out. Through the window of the mall, one could see the site of the car crash on the street. Especially, the deafening crash at the moment of the ident had echoed into the shopping center, Curious shoppers and onlookers gathered at the window to witness the spectacle. Upon hearing about the car ident, Joanna was filled with even more anxiety. Joanna felt even more inexplicably uneasy. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she followed the crowd to the window to look. Through the broken car window, she saw that the car involved in the ident was a silver-grey Bentley. It looked strikingly simr to her own car. Seeing this. Joanna¡¯s heart sank She had the same car which Bruce sometimes drove. Today, Bruce had dispatched all their bodyguards, and all the cars from their garage had been driven out. So Bruce had taken her car out, Suddenly, Joanna felt ¨¢ void in her mind. She had an ominous feeling that the person in the car crash could be Bruce. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be Bruce. It surely can¡¯t be him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s so capable, how could he be in a car crash¡­ Joanna felt a chill run through her body as her heart pounded in her chest. She prayed fervently that it wasn¡¯t Bruce. Although she loathed him, yet, Bruce was the father of her children. She desperately didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him. She would rather hold onto her resentment and anger towards him than see him in danger. ¡°My God, such a catastrophic crash? The driver must have died instantly, right?¡± ¡°Of course, didn¡¯t you see the car flipped over? How could they survive? Geez, driving is too dangerous. I¡¯m d I can¡¯t afford a car¡­¡± Some bystanders eximed. Upon hearing this, Joanna felt a growing sense of unease. Without a second thought, she rushed out of the shopping center, sprinting towards the scene of the car crash. She had to confirm whether the person in the car crash was Bruce. Two minutester, Joanna sprinted non-stop to the site of the car ident. She managed to discern the license te mimber through the gawking crowd. ¡°5211¡± BAM! Joanna felt as if her brain had exploded into simithereens, her world spinning around her. In a daze, she felt her soul rip through the crown of her head, departing from her physical shell. That was her car. And the only one who dared to drive her car was Bruce The world darkened before Joanna¡¯ eyes, her legs turned to jelly, and she nearly passed out. The spectators nearby promptly caught her, ¡°Miss, are you okay? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Joanna drew a breath to steady herself, forcing her consciousness to remain. ¡°Bruce, it can¡¯t be you¡­ it just can¡¯t be..¡± With a desperate prayer in her heart, Joanna staggered towards the car. A sea of shattered ssy before her. The driver¡¯s seat was stained with a pool of blood. The sight was so gruesome that some spectators could no longer bear to watch. One step, two steps¡­. Joanna felt as if her legs were made of lead, her heart pounding so fiercely it felt as if it would leap out of her throat. ¡°The car is leaking fuel, it might explode.¡± ¡°We need to disperse the crowd, the police will be here any moment!¡± A good three meters away. The sight she dreaded came into view. The person in the car was indeed Bruce. ¡°Bruce!¡± ¡°Brucel¡± Realization hit Joanna, and she dashed madly towards the car. A passerby kindly warned her, ¡°Miss, the car might explode Stay back!¡± ¡°Let go of me Joanna threw off the hands of the well-meaning crowd. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She ran frantically to the car, intending to save Bruce without thinking. The sight that met her eyes chilled her to the bone. Bruce was pinned inside the car, his entire body covered in blood, still coughing out more from his mouth and nose. He had already coughed up a lot of blood. His white shirt was soaked through with red, his pupils gradually dting. The ground was awash with a ring crimson. Joanna copsed to her knees, at a loss as to what to do, ¡°Bruce, Bruce!¡± Joanna gripped his hand in terror, attempting to press down on his wounds to stop the bleeding. But his body was marred with so many wounds that she had no idea which bleeding gash to press. Hearing Joanna¡¯s sobs, Bruce drew a final breath and weakly opened his eyes. He was losing too much blood, making it almost impossible to even open his eyes! But he so desperately wanted to look at her one more time. ¡°Joann.. Joann¡­¡± Bruce whispered, his voice so weak it was almost imperceptible. Joanna immediately dropped to her knees and leaned in close to his lips, ¡°Bruce, Bruce, don¡¯t be scared. You¡¯re going to be okay.¡± ¡°The ambnce is on its way. You have to hang in there!¡± Joanna clung to his hand, her tears falling like a bursting dam, dripping onto his palm. The blood and tears mingled together, sliding onto the ground. Her emotions towards him were a mix of love and animosity. She loathed him, yet she also loved him. The piercing sound of the ambnce¡¯s siren filled the air, and arge number of police officers arrived. ¡°Set up a police line, quickly disperse the crowd.¡± ¡°A few of you,e help flip the car over!¡± Joanna was a tear-streaked mess, ¡°Bruce, you must hold on, you must hold on. Help is on the way!¡± Bruce¡¯s lips were dry and pale, trembling heavily. He mustered thest bit of his strength to grip Joanna¡¯s hand, Joann¡­ Joann¡­ I¡­ I truly, truly love you¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t say any more.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Bruce vomited another mouthful of blood, his feeble, raspy voiceing to an abrupt halt. He no longer had the strength to open his eyes. He squeezed out onest sinile towards Joanna, then his head tilted, and his eyes closed. Chapter 594 Chapter 594 ¡°Bruce. Bruce,¡± Joanna screamed mournfully as she shook his hand. *Miss, please make way. The victim needs treatment immediately. We cannot dy any longer.¡± Lifting Joanna up and away from Bruce, the two policemen forcefully pulled Joanna to the side. ¡°Turn the car over first.¡± ¡°Be careful. Be careful.¡± ¡°1, 2, 3, lift!¡± More than a dozen policemen and some helpful bystanders worked together to flip the car over. The doctors and nurses waiting at the side hurriedly went forward to put an oxygen mask on Bruce. ¡°The patient has lost too much blood. He needs a blood transfusion immediately.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the patient¡¯s blood type? Hurry up and check his blood type.¡± Finally returning to her senses, Joanna rushed to the nurse and answered, ¡®He has type B blood. Please give him type B blood quickly!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Joanna nodded anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m sure. He has type B blood. Please save him. doctors. You must save him!¡± ¡°We will.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get type B blood. Prepare for a blood transfusion!¡± Hearing themotion, Jaydon rushed over. ¡°Joann! Joann, are you alright?¡± Still in shock, Joanna shook her head and answered, Tm alright. I¡¯m alright. After saying that, she immediately pushed Jaydon away and rushed to Bruce¡¯s side again. Joanna was determined to stay by Bruce¡¯s side until he woke up. The doctors and nurses were quick to provide emergency treatment for Bruce. Then, they ced him on a stretcher and lifted him into the ambnce. ¡°Bruce, be strong! You will be alright. Don¡¯t be afraid. I will always stay by your side,¡± Joanna said as she held onto Bruce¡¯s hand and refused to let go, no matter who tried to persuade her. ¡°You¡¯re the victim¡¯s family, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am!¡± Calming herself. Joanna nodded her head mechanically. ¡°Thene with us to the hospital.¡± Joanna nodded frantically and got into the ambnce. Meanwhile, Jaydon also frowned. He was worried about Joanna and decided to drive to the hospital too. The onlookers were left speechless by the scene before them. Only after a while did they realize that the car ident¡¯s victim was Bruce. ¡°Oh my gosh, the car ident¡¯s victim was Bruce Everett!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Joanna Haynes?¡± ¡°Yeah! Oh my god, Bruce Everett got into a car ident.¡± ¡°Looks like Mr. Everett has met his end this time. I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t be saved.¡± ¡°What a pity, Bruce Everett is only in his early thirties. What will happen to the Everett Group if he dies? It¡¯s such a huge corporation.¡± ¡°Ha! Why are you worried? You have no shares in thepany anyway. The crowd continued gossiping away. ¡°Whoop! Whoop!¡± Sirens ring, the ambnce rushed toward the hospital. Meanwhile, inside the ambnce, Joanna was holding Bruce¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t die. Please. Please hold on to life, alright? Bruce, don¡¯t be like this!¡± The ambnce arrived at the hospital ten minutester. The doctors and nurses calmly and quickly lifted the stretcher out of the ambnce. ¡°Quick, quick! Send the patient to the operating room immediately.¡± ¡°Prepare two litres of type B blood sma for surgery immediately.¡± ¡°Inform all the surgeons toe over¡± Bruce was quickly pushed into the operating room. It was not until Bruce entered the operating room that Joanna finally copsed onto a chair nearby. Soon after, Jaydon, the butler, arrived anxiously in the hospital, one after another. ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s going on? ¡°Did Mr. Everett get into a car ident?¡± Joanna sat outside the operating room, dazed. Her mind was nk, and she seemed oblivious to the questions of others. Not knowing how tofort her, Jaydon looked at Joanna worriedly. Joanna had never given thought to the fact that Bruce was mortal and would eventually die one day. He was always so arrogant, proud, and brutal. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She could not imagine him dying. Everything that had happened was like a nightmare to Joanna, and she desperately hoped that everything would return to normal when she woke up. Meanwhile, the doctors tried their best to save Bruce in the operating room. ¡°Blood pressure is 65. Pulse rate is 70¡± ¡°Hurry up and get another bag of type B blood!¡± ¡°Doctor Leach, Mr. Everett¡¯s injuries are too serious. He has stopped breathing,¡± a nurse said, shocked. ¡°Get the defibritor and make onest attempt.¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Bruce¡¯s chest rose and fell with the electric current. ¡°Increase the voltage.¡± ¡°Beep!¡± After twenty minutes of resuscitation, Bruce lost his pulse. He had sustained fractures all over his body, and his entire chest cavity was filled with blood. ¡°This won¡¯t do. The patient has already stopped breathing!¡± The doctors were dejected. They had tried all the methods they could think of ¡°Let¡¯s inform the family of the patient¡¯s death.¡± After two hours of waiting outside the operating room, its door finally opened. The doctors and nurses walked out one after another. Instantly reinvigorated, Joanna rushed to a doctor and grabbed his arm tightly. ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ve tried our best. You should make preparations for his funeral.¡± Hearing this, Joanna staggered back and felt her vision blurring. ¡°Miss Haynes, please take care. We have tried our best and offer our deepest condolences.¡± ¡°No. This is impossible. Impossible. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t die. He¡¯s not dead. ¡°Doctors, there must be something else you can do! There must be! I¡¯m begging you. Please save him. He can¡¯t die. He can¡¯t die!¡± foana¡¯s knees went weak as she begged, and she knelt before the doctors. The living often suffered more than the dead. Joanna would rather die first and leave Bruce to suffer alive. She didn¡¯t want Bruce to die before her. ¡°Joann, calm down. Don¡¯t be too agitated. You have to take care of your health.¡± ¡°No, no, he won¡¯t die. He won¡¯t die.¡± Joanna instantly lost control of her emotions and begged the doctors desperately. ¡°Doctors, there must be something you can do. Please think of something.¡± Try sorry, but we have already tried our best.¡± Unable to process the news, Joanna¡¯s vision went ck, and she fell forward. ¡°Joann, Joann!¡± Joanna had only fainted for less than a minute before she recovered her senses. ¡°I¡¯m going in to apany him. He isn¡¯t dead,¡± Joanna said as she charged toward the operating room. ¡°Don¡¯t stop her. Let her in.¡± Brucey quietly on the operating bed inside the operating room. The clothes he had been wearing had been cut open, and his body was covered with a surgical nket. There were blood stains all over his body. ¡°Bruce. You bastard! You bastard. How could you do this to me? ¡°Get up, get up! Did you hear me? I told you to get up! I know you heard me.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached so much that she could hardly breathe. She could only hug Bruce tightly and cry. She never expected such a disastrous ident to befall Bruce. She wanted desperately to reverse time. Unfortunately, that was not possible. Chapter 595 Chapter 595 The gods were cruel. Sobbing uncontrobly, Joanna threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms and shook him. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m begging you. Please wake up. ¡°You can¡¯t die. What will the children and I do if you die? ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been insufferably arrogant and domineering? Get up. I¡¯m willing to tolerate your insufferably arrogant and domineering behavior. Please, wake up.¡± Heartbroken. Joanna could not bring herself to face reality. She desperately hoped Bruce would suddenly open his eyes and start arguing with her unreasonably, just as he did before. Unfortunately, she was met only with an icy silence. Bruce¡¯s face was as white as snow, and he looked asleep. His body temperature was also gradually falling by the minute. Joanna could only cry her heart out beside him. Scenes of the past reyed in her mind. Bruce would win every time they bickered or argued. However, while his words were domineering, his gentleness and love for her always overflowed in his actions. Like a child, his temper came and went quickly. Joanna swore she would not bicker with Bruce again if he could wake up this time. She just wanted him to be alive. ¡°Please¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the operating room. Joanna was filled with endless regret and grief. If she had known this would happen to Bruce, she would not have lied to him about aborting their child. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you want this baby very much? ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret. I didn¡¯t abort the baby. The baby is alright. Feel it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Tears streamed down Joanna¡¯s face as she led Bruce¡¯s hand and ced it on her abdomen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you enjoy lying on my stomach and talking to the baby? ¡°Wake up then. The baby can¡¯t lose its father. Can you bear to see it grow up without a father? ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t you wish for a daughter? This baby must be a girl. Won¡¯t you wake up and talk to your daughter? ¡°Wake up. Please wake up.¡± Holding Bruce¡¯s hand tightly and pressing it against her abdomen, Joanna tried to get Bruce to feel the baby in her womb. Bruce had been on the verge of breaking down when Joanna had lied about getting an abortion. She could hear how heartbroken and disappointed he had been from his voice then. Recalling this, Joanna pped herself in regret. ¡°How could Bruce be dead? ¡°He¡¯s Bruce Everett ¡°The youngest and most powerful tycoon in Greyport!¡± Joanna refused to believe that Bruce had died just like that. She cried and cried. Suddenly, she looked up, crazed, and said to herself deceivingly, ¡°Bruce, you aren¡¯t dead, are you? You must be pranking me, right? You must be joking. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a prankster. ¡°Fine, you win. I was wrong. I¡¯ll go home with you and never leave again.¡± Unable to ept reality, Joanna kept making lies to deceive herself. ¡°Alright, stop fooling around. Let¡¯s not joke around anymore. Let¡¯s go home. We won¡¯t be separated again. We won¡¯t bicker or fight anymore, alright? ¡°I¡¯ve loved you since the beginning and still love you.¡± Outside the operating room, Bruce¡¯s butler and bodyguards ad the others couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°Mr. Everett can¡¯t be dead. That¡¯s impossible. Doctors, please think of something else to save him!¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is so young. He just celebrated his 31st birthday. Why did something like this happen to him?¡° ¡°Our condolences.¡± Other than offering their condolences, the doctors were helpless. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 News of Bruce¡¯s car ident was quickly leaked to the media by an informant. This news instantly caused a sensation on the inte. All the major media outlets scrambled to publish the first headline, afraid they would be one step behind the others. [Bruce Everett, involved in a car ident near Omni-Trade Skyline, is critically injured.] [Serious ident on Creeks Avenue results in three cars colliding.] [Bruce Everett¡¯s enemies suspected to be behind his car ident. The ident scene was devastating.1 This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. In just a few hours, all the major media outletspeted to broadcast the news of Bruce¡¯s ident. Many reporters flocked to the hospital to wait for further updates. ¡°Oh my gosh, Bruce Everett got into a car ident. Look. Look!¡± A young girl said to another girl sitting beside her on the subway, shocked. When the other girl saw the news, she looked even more worried. ¡°Wow, is it that serious? Oh god, I hope Bruce will be alright. Nothing untoward must happen to him. I do adore him.¡± ¡°He is so powerful. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be alright.¡± Looking at photos of the devastating ident scenes, the two girls¡¯ hearts ached so much that they almost cried. After all, Bruce was handsome, rich, and powerful. A man like him was the dream partner in the hearts of many Greyport Women Many young girls dreamed of marrying him. Everyone in Greyport was shocked by this news and discussed it. Meanwhile, in the Yanice Group, Marlow was so happy that he could barely speak. Hahaha! So you¡¯re mortal, after all, Bruce! ¡°Aren¡¯t you always so proud and arrogant? Try being arrogant now!¡± Marlowe¡¯s assistant at the side said ingratiatingly, ¡°President Yanice, rest assured. Bruce is done for this time. I just heard from the hospital that the doctors have pronounced him dead¡± Hearing this, Marlowe pped his leg in glee andughed. ¡°Hahahaha! He¡¯s finally dead! Finally! ¡°Bruce, you have been a constant thorn in my side. Rest in peace now that you¡¯re finally dead and in hell. I¡¯ll make sure to recite some prayers for you.¡± As Marlowe spoke, he took a deep puff from his cigar and was so happy that he began dancing with his assistant in the office. Suddenly, his expression darkened again. ¡°By the way, what about those people? Make sure they don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°Those people are criminals and desperate. They¡¯re already taken the money and fled. They won¡¯t be traced to you, President Yanice.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Marlowe smiled sinisterly as he danced in joy. He was delighted to hear Bruce was dead. He had been imprisoned for nine years because of Bruce and had finally got his revenge today. In the Garcia Group, Jennie was also shocked to hear the news of Bruce¡¯s car ident. ¡°What did you say? Bruce was in a serious car ident?¡± Jimmy nodded, searched for the news on his phone, and handed it to Jennie. ¡°Yes, I heard Mr. Everett was almost dead when he was sent to the hospital. He¡¯s probably already dead now.¡± Jennie hurriedly snatched the phone from Jimmy and read the news. Jennie knew the news of Bruce¡¯s car ident was true as it was already a trending topic. Gasping, Jennie fell back into her chair. She could not help but mutter to herself, ¡°This is impossible. How is this possible?¡± ¡®It¡¯s true!¡± Twant to go to the hospital. I must go to the hospital and say my goodbyes to Bruce, Jennie said as she suddenly stood up fron her chair and rushed out of the office. ¡°Bruce is in this state because of that jinx, Joanna. ¡°Her sister killed my brother, and she killed Bruce. She and her sister were born to be jinxes. Why did Bruce fall for such a woman?¡± In the hospital¡¯s operating room, Joanna hugged Bruce and buried her face in his neck. She had cried so much that her tears had dried up. Her warm tears flowed down his neck. As Bruce wasatose, many of his organs were failing However, he could still hear his surroundings. He could hear Joanna crying. When he heard Joanna say she had not aborted their child. Bruce heaved a silent sigh of relief. Finally, he was able to find a sliver offort in this whole fiasco. He was grateful that he would at least die knowing the truth. ¡°Bruce, I love you. I can¡¯t live without you. As long as you wake up. I promise I won¡¯t stay angry at you anymore.¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s heart-wrenching cries. Bruce tried to open his eyes. Unfortunately, even though he had the will, hecked the strength. Worried that Joanna would do something foolish, Jaydon quickly walked into the operating room to ¡°Joann, the dead cannot be revived. My condolences.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not dead. He won¡¯t leave me and the children behind. ¡°Bruce, wake up¡± Joanna cried in despair as she hugged Bruce and shook him desperately. Jaydon watched helplessly from the side, his heart filled with sorrow, At this moment, he finally understood that Joanna had only ever loved Bruce, even if she had refused to admit it. Jaydon reflected that perhaps women always meant the opposite of what they said. Jaydon gently patted Joanna¡¯s shoulder andforted her ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Joann The dead cannot be revived. Let him go in peace. ¡°You have to take care of yourself. You still have the children. You still have me. I¡¯ll take good care of you and the children.¡± Increasingly desperate, Joanna cried, ¡°No, Bruce, wake up! I¡¯m begging you. Wake up!¡± ¡°Joann, stop shaking him Let him go in peace ¡°Let me go in peace?¡± Bruce was so angry when he heard Jaydon¡¯s words that he nearly shot up from the operating bed. He cursed Jaydon viciously in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet, and this damn Jaydon is already trying to seduce Joanna. ¡°No. I can¡¯t die.¡± Bruce¡¯s survival instinct was immediately triggered. Bruce had initially felt that his body was as light as a feather. It was like he was about to break free from his mortal shell. However, he had tenaciously refused to take hisst breath until now. ¡°I can¡¯t die! I can¡¯t die! ¡°That bastard Jaydon wants me dead. I can¡¯t let him have his way. ¡°I want to wake up. I must wake up. I¡¯ll beat that bastard Jaydon silly when I do.¡± ¡°Beep!¡± As if reconnected to a power source, the electrocardiogram device suddenly sounded. Joanna quickly raised her head and vaguely felt Bruce¡¯s fingers move. Although it was very subtle, she could feel it clearly. She was sure his fingers had moved just now. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re still conscious, right? ¡°Doctors, doctors,e quickly! He¡¯s still conscious. He¡¯s not dead yet!¡± Not daring to dy. Joanna stopped crying and shouted for the doctors waiting by the operating room¡¯s door. When the doctors heard Joanna shouting, they hurriedly ran in ¡°Doctors, his fingers moved just now. He¡¯s still conscious. He¡¯s not dead yet. Please save him!¡± Afraid that the doctors would not believe her, Joanna was flustered and anxious. However, the doctors did not find the situation strange when they heard Joanna¡¯s words. They had seen many such cases. Since the nervous system would not immediately shut down once a person died, the patient would sometimes tear move slightly even after being pronounced dead. However, in medical terms, if a person¡¯s brain were dead, he would be considered beyond saving. up and However, due to Bruce¡¯s identity, the doctors immediately performed another round of checkups. Chapter 597 Chapter 597 The doctors looked at the electrocardiogram and were surprised to see a slight fluctuation where it had tlined. Seeing this, the head of the surgical department did not dare dy rescue efforts. ¡°The patient shows signs of life. Hurry up and resuscitate him. Let¡¯s make onest attempt.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°You two leave the operating room first. We will try resuscitating the patient onest time.¡± ¡°No. Im not leaving Doctor, please let me stay here with him.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t stay here. Time waits for no one. Hurry up and get out.¡± ¡°Joann, let¡¯s wait outside. If you stay here, the doctors will be distracted, Jaydon said, grabbing Joanna¡¯s shoulder and quickly dragging her out with him. ¡°Apply the defibritor and turn it up to maximum frequency.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± Using the defibritor on Bruce¡¯s chest, the doctors continued to deliver shocks to his heart. Bruce¡¯s body was lifted into the air every time a shock was delivered. The doctors continued their resuscitation efforts for 20 minutes. Finally, Bruce recovered his pulse. ¡°Mr. yton, the patient¡¯s pulse is recovered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Hurry up and continue the surgery.¡± Joanna put her palms together outside the operating room and knelt on the ground. ¡°Please, gods, hear my prayers and let Bruce recover. ¡°As long as he wakes up, I¡¯m willing to trade my life in return for his. I don¡¯t want anything else. I want him to live.¡± ¡°Joann, get up quickly. You¡¯re pregnant. Your body can¡¯t bear such exertions.¡± Frowning, Jaydon tried to help Joanna up. Jay, don¡¯t mind me. Just let me be.¡± Kneeling and her hands sped together, Joanna prayed fervently. ¡°Tap, tap, tap¡± High heels tapping against the ground could be heard from the corridor¡¯s end. Jennie walked over with a sorrowful expression. ¡°Bruce Where is Bruce? I want to see him onest time.¡± Seeing this, the butler and bodyguards stepped up to stop Jennie from advancing. ¡°Miss Garcia, Mr. Everett is still undergoing operation. Please don¡¯t make so much noise.¡± Jennie suddenly cried when she heard this. ¡°What? Bruce is still under operation? Didn¡¯t they say he¡¯s already¡­¡± Thinking that Bruce was already dead, she had rushed over to see him onest time. ¡°He is still in critical condition, and the doctors are trying to save him.¡± Jennie heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s good, fat¡¯s good. I was terrified. I thought Bruce had already¡­ Jennie paused and quickly swallowed the rest of her words. At the same time, she saw Joanna kneeling outside by the operating room¡¯s door as if atoning for her sins. Jennie was instantly enraged and began screaming at Joanna, ¡°Joanna, you damn bitch! It¡¯s all your fault that Bruce is in this state! ¡°If you didn¡¯t deliberately disappear, Bruce wouldn¡¯t have gone around looking for you, let alone meet with such a terrible ident! ¡°How dare you stay here? Get lost!¡± Joanna remained kneeling on the ground. She was so focused on praying for Bruce that she didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with Jennie. Seeing Joanna¡¯sck of reaction, Jennie became even more excited. ¡°What? Do you finally feel guilty now! ¡°Ha! So you know what guilt is? You and your sister are such jinxes! ¡°You should be the one to die. If I were you, I would have killed myself long ago. I would be too embarrassed to continue living!¡± Joanna continued ignoring Jennie and turned a deaf ear to her scoldings. ¡°Joanna, you shameless vixen. Don¡¯t y the victim here. Don¡¯t think that Bruce will forgive you¡± Jaydon couldn¡¯t stand hearing Jennie anymore. ¡°Miss Garcia, please watch your mouth.¡± Jennie crossed her arms and nced at Jaydon arrogantly. ¡°Well, well. I was wondering who was speaking. So it¡¯s you, Mr. Grimm ¡°You adulterous couple! The gall of the two of you to remain here!¡± Jaydon¡¯s expression darkened, and his tone turned icy. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t go overboard. Don¡¯t think I shy away from hitting women like you.¡± ¡°Hmph Go ahead and hit me, then! Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? ¡°Bruce is in this state because of you two adulterers. It¡¯s all your fault! ¡°The two of you have done so many despicable things. I¡¯m shocked you two don¡¯t find your behavior revolting. The gods. will punish you two for your sins. Even if they don¡¯t, Bruce will surely seek revenge on you two even if he dies.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes suddenly opened when she heard this, This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She was so focused on praying for Bruce that she was not in the mood to argue with Jennie. However, she couldn¡¯t stand Jennie making a scene and insulting her and Jaydon anymore. ¡°p¡± Joanna stood up and gave Jennie a hard p on the face. As Jennie was wearing high heels, she staggered back and almost fell to the ground. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± ¡°p!¡± The crisp sound of another p hitting Jennie¡¯s face was heard. Jennie lost her bnce and fell heavily to the ground. -Without giving Jennie a chance to get up, Joanna grabbed her hair and pped her across the face several times. Seeing this, Jimmy hurriedly stepped forward with two of Jennie¡¯s assistants to stop Joanna. ¡°What are you doing? How could you hit Jennie?¡± Seeing Jimmy step forward, Carson and Darcy immediately stop the trio. Carson even pushed Jimmy on the chest, threateningly asking. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing Carson, Darcy, and theirpanions were Bruce¡¯s most capable bodyguards. Within their ranks were a world-ss bare-knuckle boxing champion and another boxing champion. Any one of them from within the group could fight ten men by themselves. Frightened, Jimmy and Jennie¡¯s two assistants dared not advance any further. Joanna¡¯s hands became sore after a few minutes of beating Jennie, and she finally stopped. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you cause a scene here?¡± Dazed from the beating. Jennie was speechless. She red at Joanna angrily and hatefully. Joanna¡¯s hair was meny, and her hands and clothes were covered in Jennie¡¯s blood. She looked fierce and terrifying ¡°Darcy kick them all out of the hospital¡± ¡°Understood Darry inediately stepped forward. ¡°Get out, get out! Get lost quickly!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push me! I can walk ¡°Joanna, remember this. I won¡¯t let you off. I me you for my brother¡¯s death and the state Bruce is in¡± Joanna stared coldly at Jennie ¡°TIl be ready for you anytime.¡± Jennie took a few deep breaths and quickly left with Jimmy. Seven hourster, the door of the operating room opened again. The doctors came out looking exhausted. ¡°Doctor, how is Bruce?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart was beating wildly. ¡°Mr. Everett has recovered his heartbeat¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great!¡± Joanna could not help but cry tears of joy. The doctor continued with a serious expression on his face, ¡°But don¡¯t be too optimistic. ¡°Although Mr. Everett has recovered, he has suffered many fractures all over his body. He has lost a lot of blood, and his brain has also suffered serious damage. ¡°In addition, he has also sustained damages to many organs. Therefore, the chances of him regaining consciousness is not high.¡± Chapter 598 Chapter 598 The doctor frowned and his tone became even more grave. ¡°Even if Mr. Everett wakes up, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°Afraid of what?¡± Joanna looked at the doctor with bloodshot eyes. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say for the time being. He might remain in a vegetative state or never wake up. Miss Haynes, you have to prepare yourself mentally. ¡°In short, we can only try and hope for the best. It would be a miracle if he regains consciousness. If not, we can only ept reality.¡± Although the doctor spoke tactfully, the meaning behind his words were clear. Bruce was probably already dead. Simr cases existed in the hospital whereby the patient was actually already dead, but family members were unwilling to give up and insisted on using all kinds of expensive medicine and nutrient solutions to keep the patient alive. Although injecting nutrient solutions and drugs would ensure these patients¡¯ bodies did not rot, they were akin to the living dead and perhaps even worse off than those in a vegetative state. When Joanna heard this, her legs went weak and she almost lost her bnce. The glimmer of hope that had just been ignited in her heart was instantly extinguished and reced by hopelessness. She didn¡¯t dare to imagine what the future had in store for Bruce. She couldn¡¯t bear to see such proud and arrogant person like Bruce in a vegetative state. However, she had no choice but to settle for this next best option. Bruce remaining alive was the most important thing to Joanna. Even if he remained in a vegetative state, she would be willing to take care of him for the rest of her life. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t get your hopes up. Prepare for the worst,¡± the doctor added. Joanna¡¯s heart shattered into pieces. She nodded and choked with grief and said. ¡°Doctor, please do everything you can to save him. You have to keep him alive no matter what.¡± She no longer had hope that he would wake up. She only hoped that he could still live. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will do our best to save Mr. Everett. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us. We have to attend a meeting and discuss on how best to treat Mr. Everett moving forward. ¡°Alright¡­¡± After the doctors left, Joanna¡¯s vision went ck. She could no longer hold on and fell to the ground.. Seeing this, Jaydon quickly took a step forward and supported her. ¡°Joann, Joann, quickly sit down.¡± As he spoke, he helped Joann to a chair nearby. ¡°Go get water for her.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Joann, have some water.¡± Dizzy, Joanna leaned against the chair weakly. After drinking a few mouthfuls of water, she recovered slightly. ¡°Joann, are you feeling better? Why don¡¯t we get a doctor to take a look at you. I¡¯m worried about you,¡± Jaydon said, his eyes filled with worry, ¡°Jay, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Look at the state you¡¯re in now. You haven¡¯t eaten anything all day. Your body won¡¯t be able to take the toll if you continue like this. No matter what, you have to eat something and replenish your strength.¡± As he spoke, Jaydon handed Joanna a piece of bread. Joanna shook her head weakly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t feel like eating anything.¡± Before she could finish speaking, tears streamed out of her eyes again. ¡°Stop crying. You¡¯ll go blind if you continue crying like this,¡± Jaydonforted Joanna gently, not knowing what else to say. Heartbroken, Joanna buried her face in her knees and whimpered in despair and regret. She had never been so afraid before. Everything felt terrifying and despairing to her now. If she could choose, Joanna would rather she be the one lying in the operating room ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault! Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t left, thus wouldn¡¯t have happened¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but cry Reying the scene of the car ident mumerous times in her mind, and how Bruce was crushed under the car, bloodied and injured. Joanna could not stop the tears from flowing down her face. Jaydon sighed seeing this ¡°Joann, don¡¯t me yourself too much. The ident had nothing to do with you ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t the doctors say that Bruce had recovered his pulse? Medicine is so advanced now. I¡¯m sure Bruce¡¯s life can be saved¡± Unable to listen to Jaydon¡¯s words offort, Joanna just hugged her knees and continued crying Ring Ring Ring Jaydon¡¯s phone rang again He subconsciously turned to check his phone and saw that there were dozens of missed calls, all from Orvin. ¡°Joann, Im going out to answer a call¡± With that. Jaydon took his phone and walked out of the hospital ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± On the other end of the line, Orvin reported the good news. ¡°Mr. Grimm. Miss Basil has sessfully given birth¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Jaydon said nonchntly ¡°Yes. Miss Basil gave birth to a girl weiglung 8 pounds. The girl is healthy and pretty. Both mother and daughter are alright.¡± When Jaydon heard this, he replied coldly. ¡°That¡¯s good. Take good care of them¡± ¡°Understood. Mr. Grimm.¡± After hanging up, Jaydon frowned and took another deep breath. There was no love between him and Carmel. Carmel was an artist under Jaydon¡¯spany, and Jaydon was a yboy. It was impossible for their rtionship to remain. innocent Bruce was one of the reasons why Jaydon had gotten Carmel pregnant. At the thought of this, Jaydon gritted his teeth in hatred. Even though Bruce was now lying in intensive care unit, Jaydon still felt like charging in and beating him up. Jaydon had been shotst year and was on the verge of death. Worried that he would not survive, Jaydon¡¯s father was determined Jaydon leave an heir and has thus forcefully detained Carmel and force her to give birth to Jaydon¡¯s child However, it was useless to say anything at this point. Since the child was already born. Jaydon would have to be responsible for her However, Jaydon would not marry Carmel. In any case, Carmel was a practical woman who wouldn¡¯t mind not having the title of Jaydon¡¯s wife as long as he gave her enough money. Moreover, Carmel had also hooked up with several men at the same time while dating Jaydon She was a clear-munded woman who knowing Jaydon would not marry her, was only focused on earning money. Bruce was soon transferred to intensive care unit. Through the surveince video, one could see the various medical instruments and tubes attached to his body. He resembled a dected corpse that had beenpletely disfigured Lilian and Miranda brought th children to the hospital the next day When Davian and Irvin saw Joanna, they instantly burst into tears and rushed into her arms, crying loudly. ¡°Mommy, where did you go! We thought you didn¡¯t nt us anymore¡± Joanna¡¯s heart ached even more. She hugged her two sons tightly Davian, Irvin, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault!¡± The children cried sadly. Joanna also started crying. Tm sorry, my darlings. Please forgive me.¡± Davian¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as he sobbed ¡°Mommy, did something happen to Daddy?¡± Her eyes bloodshot from crying, Joanna could not find an answer to Davian¡¯s question. Irvin was also crying ¡®Mommy, please stop crying¡± ¡°Now that something has happened to Daddy, will Mommy leave us behind again?¡± Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Irvin Haynes sobbed. ¡°Mommy, we don¡¯t want to be orphans. We are so happy as a family being together. ¡°We really want to be with Daddy and Mommy forever, never to be apart.¡± Davian Haynes also cried fiercely. ¡°That¡¯s right! We used to have Mommy without Daddy. Now we have Daddy, but Mommy left again. Can¡¯t we have both Daddy and Mommy with us? We really want a Lilian and Miranda, listening to them at the side, could not help but shed tears. When Joanna Haynes heard this, she felt even more heartbroken. If time could turn back, she would never run away. She would sacrifice herself for the children, just to give them aplete family. ¡°It¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault. It¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault.¡± Davian and Irvin threw themselves into Joanna¡¯s arms and cried loudly once again. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop crying. ¡°What about Lilia?¡± Davian sniffled and said, choking with tears. ¡°She¡¯s at home and doesn¡¯t know that Daddy had an ident. ¡°We were afraid that she would be sad, so we did not dare tell her.¡± ¡°Good boy! You¡¯re so sensible. Joanna held her two sons in her arms and held back her tears. If she cried, the children would cry even harder. Irvin raised his little face and looked at his mommy innocently. ¡°Mommy, when Daddy gets better, we want our whole family to be together forever, okay? ¡°Mommy, please don¡¯t be mad at Daddy anymore. Daddy really loves Mommy. ¡°When Mommy was not around these days, Daddy was very sad. He did not eat or sleep, and I saw him crying secretly. Joanna, listening to this, felt even more heartbroken. ¡°Mommy knows, it¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault. Mommy won¡¯t leave again, our family will be together forever.¡± ¡°Great, when Daildy is discharged from the hospital, we¡¯ll go home together and never be apart again. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Lilia the good news so that she won¡¯t be sad anymore.¡± The children only knew that their father was in a car ident. However, the children were only six years old after all, and did not know the severity of the situation. In their hearts, Daddy was invincible, a victorious hero. They never thought that Daddy would die. Therefore, the children only thought that their father was hospitalized,pletely unaware that his life was in danger. ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna tried her best to squeeze out a mncholic smile. ¡°Behave yourself and go home. Mommy will stay here with Daddy. When Daddy is discharged, we will go home together.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two little ones nodded heavily. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯ll go back now. You have to tell Daddy that we love him. Even though he¡¯s strict, we still love him.¡± Irvin pouted and said innocently, ¡°After Daddy is discharged from the hospital, we hope his temper can improve and he will never be so harsh on us.¡± Listening to the children¡¯s innocent words, Joanna felt like her heart was being torn apart. But the children were still too young, so she could not bring herself to tell them the truth. ¡°Sure, Mommy will tell Daddy. ¡°Hurry up and go back with Lilian!¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy.¡± After the children left. Joanna felt even heavier in her heart and wanted to pass on the children¡¯s words to Bruce. ¡°Doctor, can I go in and see him?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Jordan yton looked hesitant. The head of the surgical department, however, nodded. ¡°Let her in. Let the person closest to the patient talk to him more. can stimte the patient¡¯s will to survive.¡± ¡°Alright then! ¡°Miss Haynes, please change to a surgical gown and perform full body disinfection.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Inside the intensive care unit. Joanna changed into a surgical gown and walked in with a heavy step. The temperature in the intensive care unit was very low, and as soon as she entered, a chilling sensation seeped into her bones. Bruce¡¯s hair had beenpletely shaved off, and his head was wrapped in thick bandages. His face was stitched up, and his chest and limbs were all fractured. Looking at his injuries, even if it were the best-case scenario or if he woke up, he would probably be disabled. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Joanna choked up, her heart trembling with pain. She approached him and gently touched his face. She hated this man. But even though she hated him, she never wanted him dead. This feeling was like seeing a majestic lion fall. Knowing that a lion was a dangerous animal, but still wanted to see it maintain its majestic appearance forever. ¡°Bruce. I had a check-up today. ¡°The doctor said that the baby is very healthy. When Davian, Irvin, and Lilia were born, you were not by This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. my side. You said not being there to witness the birth of our children was your biggest regret. ¡°When our fourth baby is born, I hope you can be there with me¡± Joanna kept talking incessantly, saying a lot to Bruce. Even though she knew he could not hear her, Joanna still insisted on speaking. Outside the intensive care unit. Liam Miller hurriedly arrived at the hospital with his wife and son. ¡°How¡¯s Bruce?¡± With a serious expression, the butler Gael said, ¡°Mr. Everett is still in the intensive care unit. ¡°Ah, this is a cmity! How could such a tragic thing happen?¡¯ ¡°Can I go in and see him?¡± A Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Gael shook his head and spoke seriously, ¡°Mr. Lurk, it¡¯s not convenient right now. The doctor is still in the operating room!¡± Upon hearing this, Liam furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Where is Joanna? With such a big incident involving Bruce, why hasn¡¯t she shown up?¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna is now in the intensive care unit, talking to Mr. Everett.¡± Liam¡¯s wife, L, curled her lips and said angrily, ¡°Hmph, who does she think she is, calling herself a wife? It¡¯s because of her that Bruce ended up like this. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, Bruce would not have gotten into this trouble. ¡°By the way, honey, if Bruce can¡¯t be saved, we should be guardians for his three children. After all, Bruce does not even have any rtives. At the very least, you¡¯re his uncle, and you should take care of his children for him.¡± After hearing this, Gael looked at L in astonishment. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Not to mention the fact that Mr. Everett had not died yet! Even if he really died, the children¡¯s guardians would undoubtedly be their mother, not them. How could they assume the role of guardians? L¡¯s eagerness to be the children¡¯s guardian was nothing more than an attempt to seize control of the Everett Group¡¯s assets. Liam also realized that his wife had gone too far with her words and said displeasedly, ¡°What are you talking about? Bruce will be fine. He will definitely recover. He¡¯s still young and full of vitality. He will ovee this crisis.¡± L pouted. ¡°I¡¯m just saying ¡°what if You should always be prepared for the worst.¡± L was Liam¡¯s third wife. She was only in her thirties, nearly twenty years younger than him. She was a beauty pageant. winner but had no other merits besides her looks. Liam frowned slightly and gave his wife an impatient nce. Even if she had such thoughts, she could not say them publicly now. ¡°It¡¯s truly unpredictable. Everyone has their own fate. How could there be a car ident for no reason¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking, just shut up!¡± Liam red at his wife again. While they were talking, Joanna came out of the intensive care unit. ¡°Joanna, how¡¯s Bruce?¡± Liam asked, pretending to care. He was Bruce¡¯s uncle on his mother¡¯s side. Naturally, he had toe and have a look when his nephew had an ident. Joanna remained silent, not saying a word. ¡°Mr. Lurk, Mrs. Joanna is in a heavy mood right now. Why don¡¯t you go back first?¡± Gael dismissed them. After all, Bruce was never close to this uncle. They probably had ulterior motives foring here. Gael naturally would not be too polite to them. ¡°How can that be? I have to wait until Bruce wakes up before I can leave! ¡°With such a major incident happening to him, as his uncle, I am truly¡­¡± Liam said, pretending to wipe away tears as he took off his sses. ¡°Mr. Everett probably won¡¯t wake up so soon. If anything happens, I will notify you by phone,¡± said Gael, the butler of the Everett family, who took care of the affairs of Bruce¡¯s household and could speak authoritatively. ¡°Oh, alright then! ¡°You two take good care of Bruce here. Don¡¯t worry aboutpany matters. I will take care of them.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened, and she remained silent, not interested in engaging in conversation or thinking about anything else. At this moment, other than Bruce¡¯s safety, nothing else mattered. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll get going first.¡± The next day. At the Everett Group. In the conference room, Shareholders and senior executives of thepany all had worried expressions and discussed in whispers. ¡°Whata cmity! Mr. Everett was perfectly fine, how could such a disaster happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as if fate is envious of the talented. Mr. Everett was so young, and yet¡­..¡± Mr. Young looked indignant. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all because of that vixen Joanna Haynes. ¡°No wonder people said indulging in lust can lead to downfall. ¡°Who would have thought that Mr. Everett, who dominated the business world, would ultimately be destroyed by a woman?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s such a pity.¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk is here!¡± With that, Liam walked in with a serious expression. Then, he sat down directly at Bruce¡¯s usual seat. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk.¡± Liam paused for a moment and with a heavy expression. ¡°I believe you all know.¡± ¡°How could we not know about such a major incident?¡± ¡°Now that Mr. Everett is in trouble, what should thepany do?¡± Liam frowned slightly. ¡°Mr. Everett is in trouble, and I am currently servi as the acting president of thepany. I will handle all of Mr. Everett¡¯s work¡± The people were stunned for a moment. ¡°I agree!¡± ¡°I agree too.¡± ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. Although Mr. Everett has encountered an ident. Mr. Lurk will take continue to operate as usual¡± over, and the ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, everything will be fine as long as thepany maintains normal operations!¡± At the hospital. ¡°It¡¯s not good! The patient¡¯s pulse is showing anomalies. ¡°There¡¯s intracranial bleeding. We need to perform immediate surgery. ¡°Prepare the critically ill notification form right away¡­ Bruce¡¯s condition suddenly worsened, and his heartbeat became abnormal again. ¡°Miss Haynes, the patient is suffering from intracranial bleeding. We need to performan immediate craniotomy. Please sign on the consent form.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart pounded as she trembled while holding the pen. ¡°Bruce, you must be safe. You must ovee this danger.¡± Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Bruce¡¯s injuries were too severe. There was a ruptured blood vessel in his brain, causing intracranial bleeding. The situation was critical, and an immediate craniotomy was necessary. The doctors remained on high alert. ¡°Prepare for the craniotomy. Begin the preoperative preparations.¡± ¡°Understood. Mr. yton.¡± The nurses were well-trained and quickly prepared for the preoperative work. All the surgeons in the entire Greyport Hospital entered the operating room. Craniotomy was different from other surgeries. identally severing a nerve could have a severe impact on the entire brain. As Joanna watched Bruce being pushed into the operating room again, her already tense heart reached its limit. Her face turned pale as paper, her hands and feet grew cold, and her eyes revealed deep anxiety and panic. Jaydon saw the situation and felt even more heartbroken, unsure of how tofort her. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t worry too much!¡± Miranda also advised Joanna at the side. ¡°Take it easy. Don¡¯t forget that you have a child in your belly.¡± ¡°Jay. Miranda, I really¡­ Before she could finish speaking, a surge of nausea overwhelmed her, and she could not control herself as she vomited. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She was too nervous, causing spasms in her stomach. Craniotomy was a dangerous surgery, andbined with Bruce¡¯s critical condition, the situation was extremely severe. Miranda quickly handed Joanna a bottle of water and helped her vomit by patting her back. Joann, you¡¯re pregnant now. You can¡¯t keep crying like this, and you should not put too much pressure on yourself ¡°The most important thing for you now is to take care of yourself and protect the child in your belly, only then will Mr. Everett be able to rest assured. From a different perspective, even if Mr. Everett unfortunately¡­ Miranda paused, hesitating to speak any words with bad luck. ¡°If you can safely give birth to this child for Mr. Everett, he will know, and it will bring himfort.¡± Hearing this, Joanna held back his tears. She leaned weakly against the chair, silently praying for God to protect Bruce. Three whole days had passed since Bruce had the ident. During these three days, Joanna had hardly eaten anything and barely drank any water. Her body was already under extreme stress and fatigue. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re too tired. Close your eyes and rest for a while. You have not slept for three days. How can you go on like this? ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s fate lies in the hands of the heavens. God will surely protect him.¡± Jaydon could not help but console her as well. ¡®Yes, don¡¯t be too anxious. Take a break and don¡¯t exhaust yourself.¡± Im fine. I can take it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself anymore. You¡¯ve got sunken eyes. If you don¡¯t rest soon, your body will copse. ¡°You have to pull yourself together. You still have Davian, Irvin, and Lilia. If you fall, the children will lose all their support.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Joanna responded with a heavy heart and closed her eyes to rest. She was so tired that her whole body felt drained. Originally, she just wanted to close her eyes and take a rest. But as soon as she closed her eyes, not even two minutester, she fell into a deep sleep. ¡°Joann, Joann, wake up!¡± Joanna felt someone calling her in her dazed state. She groggily opened her eyes. In front of her stood Bruce. His eyes were filled with smiles as he tenderly gazed at her. He looked just like before, dressed in a well-fitted suit, his hair neatlybed, exuding a handsome and dignified aura. Joanna was startled and stood up abruptly. ¡°Bruce, are you alright? Are you really alright?¡± Bruce, just like before, smiled mischievously and fondly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? Are you really fine?¡± As she spoke. Joanna, overwhelmed with emotions, threw herself into Bruce¡¯s arms and burst into tears. ¡°Bruce. you jerk! You scared me to death! Don¡¯t ever y such jokes on me again. ¡°Do you know how worried I was?¡± Bruce gently stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. ¡°Joann, take good care of the children. I have to go now¡± Joanna froze, looking at him anxiously. ¡°Bruce, where are you going? ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you go. You can¡¯t leave!¡± ¡°Take care of yourself and our children.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t go!¡± Joanna was eager to pull Bruce back. + In an instant, blood started flowing from his face, hisplexion turned pale and weak, and his body rapidly retreated toward the corridor. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go!¡± Joanna was terrified and wanted to grab him Seeing Joanna with her eyes closed, shouting as if in a nightmare, Jaydon hurriedly approached and shook her awake. ¡°Joann. what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Joanna let out a cry and reached out, but only grasped empty air. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡± Joanna suddenly opened her eyes, panting heavily Cold sweat formed on her forehead, and her body was covered in goosebumps. ¡°Joann, did you have a nightmare?¡± Joanna stood up abruptly, an intense sense of unease gripping her heart.. The dream she just had was so vivid. ¡°Bruce, Bruce¡­¡± As she spoke. Joanna ran towards the entrance of the operating room. ¡°He¡¯s still in the emergency room. He has note out yet!¡± That¡¯s right! The craniotomy isn¡¯t that fast!¡± Joanna felt uneasy, feeling a tingling sensation running through her body. ¡°I had a terrifying dream just now. I dreamt that he was bidding me farewell. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bruce, I beg you, don¡¯t go!¡± Joanna had a feeling that the dream just now was not a dream. Bruce was truly saying goodbye to her. Chapter 602 Chapter 602 ¡°You¡¯re just too nervous. That¡¯s why you had such a dream! ¡°Rx and don¡¯t scare yourself.¡± Joanna remained silent, but cold sweat kept pouring out of her. Her sixth sense had always been very strong. She had a feeling that Bruce¡¯s surgery might fail. ¡°Bruce, if your soul is nearby. I beg you, don¡¯t go. ¡°I know it was you saying goodbye to me just now. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry. I regret it, I shouldn¡¯t have been so stubborn. ¡°I know you love me, and you love the children too! ¡°I hope you can hear me, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t leave.¡± Joanna kept talking to herself in a rambling manner. Although she was highly educated with scientific knowledge, she believed that people truly had souls. Seven years ago, when she was in Melta, she had already lost contact with everyone and did not even know her grandfather was critically ill. One night, she dreamt that her grandfather said goodbye to her and urged her to return home quickly. Therefore, she came back from Melta without any warning After she returned to the homnd, just as she had expected, her grandfather was truly in critical condition and was on the brink of death. And the dream just now was almost identical to the previous one. Hearing Joanna talking to herself, Jaydon did not know how tofort her. ¡°Joann, you¡¯re really too nervous!¡± Joanna checked the time. Bruce had already been in the operating room for almost an hour. Normally, a craniotomy would take about an hour. This moment was crucial. If the surgery failed, Bruce would probably be beyond saving. No, I must force him to do something! Joanna kept muttering to herself as if she was possessed. Suddenly, she thought of someone. Although it might not work, desperate times called for desperate measures. She still wanted to hold on to the fantasy and give it a try. ¡°Mr. Lewis, what¡¯s Mr. Lewis¡¯s phone number?¡± Everyone was puzzled, looking at her inexplicably. Joanna hurriedly asked Gael, ¡®Gael, you should know Mr. Lewis¡¯s number, right? Bruce contacted him before.¡± Gael suddenly remembered. He quickly took out his phone, flipping through the contacts. ¡°Oh, right, I know.¡± ¡°Hurry up and find it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Previously, Joanna and Lilia had a recurring high fever that could not be cured no matter what they did. Later, Bruce called Mr. Lewis toe over. Strangely enough, Mr. Lewis set up a strange formation in the house, iming it was for some purpose. Even more strangely, after Mr. Lewis left, the high fever for both her and Lilia inexplicably subsided. Mr. Lewis was the most powerful wizard in Pedrana, and many celebrities and wealthy people regarded hirm as God. Somehow, the richer one was, the more one believed in wizardry and fate. Soon, Joanna dialed Mr. Lewis¡¯s phone number. Ring, ring, ring. The phone rang a few times before Mr. Lewis picked up. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Lewis?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was hesitant and filled with panic and stuttering. On the other end of the line, Mr. Lewis¡¯s voice sounded heavy. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Mr. Lewis. I, I want to ask you for a favor, it¡¯s about Bruce¡­¡± Before she could finish, Mr. Lewis interrupted her, as if he had already figured out why she called. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to say anything. I already know what it¡¯s about. ¡°Go find a piece of clothing that Mr. Everett has worn, and squeeze three drops of blood onto it. Then drape the clothes over. a broom and shout his name loudly in the hospital corridor. *Shout it 99 times, you must concentrate and shout. After shouting, cover him with the clothes.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, thank you. I understand! I¡¯ll do it right away¡± Mr. Lewis had real skills. In the past. Margaret Everett had great respect and trust in him. She would see him every year to discuss things and catch 1. She even funded the construction of altars for Mr. Lewis in Pedrana and Greyport! Therefore, Mr. Lewis was willing to help. After hanging up the phone, Joanna¡¯s heart was rekindled with hope. She turned to the bodyguard and said, ¡°Hurry, go find the clothes Bruce has worn and get a broom.¡± Jaydon and Miranda looked at Joanna in shock upon hearing this. ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± Darcy Juke realized and quickly said, ¡°Oh, there are Mr. Everett¡¯s clothes in the car, Ill go get them now!¡± Bruce had a cleanliness obsession and would change several sets of clothes in a day. So, there were always a few spare sets of clothes in the car. Five minutester. Darcy returned panting, holding the clothes. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, here are the clothes¡± Joanna took the clothes and cut her index finger with a knife, letting three drops of blood fall onto the clothes. Then, she draped the clothes over the broom. After doing all this, Joanna held the broom and began to scream mournfully in the hospital corridor. ¡°Bruce,e back quickly. Bruce, lurry back¡­¡± Inside the operating room. ¡°It¡¯s not working, the patient¡¯s heart has stopped.¡± ¡°Hurry up! Bring the defibritor!¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s really over.¡± The heart rate on the electrocardiogram had almost ttened into a straight line. Bruce¡¯s pupils were gradually dting. His injuries were too severe, and with the intracranial bleeding, the situation had worsened. ¡°Dere the surgery a failure¡­ Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Outside the operating room. Joanna screamed over and over again in the hospital corridor, like a madwoman. Each scream was like a mournful cry, filled with heart-wrenching despair. ¡°Bruce,e back! Bruce,e back!¡± This floor was the VIP floor, but there were still other patients. Watching Joanna¡¯s crazy appearance, the other patients were shocked. ¡°Has she gone mad?¡± ¡°What era is it? There are still people performing wizardry to summon spirits in the hospital?¡± ¡°This is too scary!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t doubt it. Our hometown really has such methods. It might actually work.¡± Imph, I don¡¯t believe in this. Joanna ignored the strange looks from others and continued to shout one after another. Regardless of whether it would work or not, she had to give it a try. Many things could not be exined by science. She was more willing to believe that miracles could happen. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, 99 shouts are enough.¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna quickly took off the clothes on the broom and hurriedly walked toward the operating room. ¡°Director, quickly open the door to the operating room.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± As the hospital was owned by the Everett family, the director naturally did not dare to dy. Two minutester. Joanna entered the operating room with the clothes in a rush under the director¡¯s lead. ¡°Miss Haynes, you can¡¯t enter the operating room. It¡¯s a sterile environment, there may be a risk of bacterial infection!¡± The director followed and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have given my permission.¡± After hearing this, the doctors and nurses dared not say anything more. ¡°Bruce, you must hold on!¡± Joanna hurriedly walked to the operating table and gently covered Bruce with the clothes. Chapter 603 Chapter 603 The doctors and nurses were speechless, looking at Joanna as if she were crazy. They were all materialists and did not believe in these superstitious things. However, they did not dare to argue and could only watch silently. Joanna covered Bruce with his clothes, looking at his pale face, her heart aching. ¡°Bruce, the children and I are waiting for you to wake up! If you truly love me, please wake up. ¡°The children need you, and I need you even more. After you wake up, we won¡¯t argue or have conflicts anymore. ¡°Can we trust and cherish each other?¡± As she spoke, Joanna ced his hand gently on her belly. ¡°The baby is almost two months old. It will definitely be a girl, just as you wish. Don¡¯t you want to see the child being born?¡± Joanna spoke while tears continuously streamed down her face, warm tears dripping into Bruce¡¯s palm. A hint of moisture appeared in the corners of Bruce¡¯s eyes. His cerebral cortex also showed a slight trace of consciousness. ¡°Doctors, please do everything you can to save him!¡± The doctors exchanged nces. They were just about to dere the surgery a failure. However, witnessing Joanna¡¯s dazed and crazy appearance, the doctors did not dare to announce the result immediately, fearing that she would not be able to handle the blow. They could only say tactfully, ¡°We will do our best. Please leave for now¡­¡± Just as the words fell, a nurse who had been watching the electrocardiogram eximed in surprise, ¡°Doctors, the patient¡¯s heart rate is fluctuating again!¡± The doctors quickly checked when they heard the exim. Indeed, the electrocardiogram, which had almost be a tline, began to slowly fluctuate again. ¡°What a medical miracle! The patient¡¯s heartbeat has actually returned.¡° ¡°I did not expect Mr. Everett to have such strong vitality and will to live. Let¡¯s continue the surgery and make the final rescue ellort! ¡°Miss Haynes, please leave for now. We need to save time for rescue.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna nodded hurriedly. Hearing that Bruce had a strong will to live and his heartbeat had recovered, she felt a slight sense of Outside the operating room. Joanna could not help but pray again, hoping that Bruce would ovee the danger. Jaydonforted her. ¡°He will be fine, just rx.¡± Gael quickly chimed in. ¡°Yes, yes, Mr. Lewis is so capable, his methods must be effective. ¡°Mrs. Joanna and Miss Lilia had a high fever before, but Mr. Lewis casually gave some advice, and both of your fevers immediately subsided. ¡°Now that Mr. Lewis is takingmand, Mr. Everett will surely ovee this crisis.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so!¡± While they were talking, Jaydon¡¯s phone rang again. Ring, ring, ring. Jaydon checked his phone and saw that it was a call from his father. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ll go outside to take this call.¡± Outside the hospital, Jaydon quickly picked up the phone. ¡°Hello, Dad¡± On the other end of the line, Tim Grimm¡¯s voice sounded stern. ¡°Jay, where are you now?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m in Greyport¡­¡± 2 When Tim heard this, his expression darkened and his tone revealed extreme displeasure. ¡®Hurry up ande back to Venturas.¡± Jaydon was worried about Joanna. He could only frown and say, ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t leave right now!¡± ¡°Your child has already been born. As a father, how can you note back and take a look?¡± Tim was extremely angry. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go back when I have time. But right now, I really can¡¯t leave.¡± Upon hearing the reply, Tim was even more furious. ¡°No, I want you toe back immediately. If you don¡¯te back soon, then you¡¯re no longer my son. ¡°And also, I want you to keep your distance from Joanna. She¡¯s not suitable to be a member of the Grimm family, and you should not go to her anymore.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± Jaydon tried to exin. He loved Joanna. However, his love was not as intense and extreme as Bruce¡¯s. He mostly wanted Joanna to truly be happy. Moreover, the two of them had known each other since childhood, and their bond had surpassed mere romantic love. Whenever Joanna faced difficulties, he was willing to selflessly help her. Tim was already roaring on the phone, saying, ¡°Come back immediately. If you are noting back now, then don¡¯t evere back again.¡± ¡°Alright! I understand. I¡¯lle back right away!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I want to see you by six tonight.¡± With that, the call ended with a click. After hanging up. Tim could not help but sigh. He used to dote on Jaydon the most, but this child always caused him the most worry. In his understanding, women were like clothes, they were everywhere. One could be infatuated, but never be foolish. He did not want to interfere in his son¡¯s love life before, nor did he want to forcefully separate the couple. Unfortunately, his son was willing to risk his life for a woman and almost died while shielding Joanna from a bullet. His son¡¯s actions had exceeded his tolerance andprehension. This was uneptable to him¡­ Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Jaydon looked at his watch helplessly. It was one o¡¯clock. He suddenly remembered that tomorrow was his father¡¯s sixtieth birthday. He had no choice but to go attend the birthday banquet. He was really worried about Joanna. However, his father had never spoken to him in such a stern tone. Therefore, he had to go back and take a look. ¡°Ding!¡± The lights in the operating room were finally turned off, and the automatic door opened. A few doctors walked out with serious expressions. Joanna was anxious and hurriedly went forward to ask, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the surgery going?¡± Jordan took off his mask and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s really a medical miracle. Mr. Everett¡¯s vitality is still very strong. His heart almost stopped just now. After resuscitation, he was still alive.¡± When Joanna heard this, her eyes flickered. ¡°Then¡­ Is he still in danger?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Jordan frowned. ¡°Uh, the craniotomy was considered sessful. However, we can¡¯t let our guard down. We still have to observe his condition and continue the treatment. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s already a miracle that he can stay alive now.¡± ¡°Doctor, please, you must save his life!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ll do our best!¡± The doctorforted Joanna. Actually, the doctors were well aware of Bruce¡¯s situation. The chances of him waking up were only 10%. Moreover, even if he woke up, he would be almost a cripple. However, Bruce was the richest man in Greyport after all. He had plenty of money. Even if he had to take the most expensive gene regeneration shot every day to save his life, he could Then, a few nurses pushed the wheeled stretcher out of the operating room. Bruce, who was wrapped in gauze, was pushed out. Seeing this, Joanna hurriedly went forward. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get close, let alone touch the patient. The patient is very fragile. Any bacteria can cause When Joanna heard this, he quickly retracted his hand and looked at Bruce with a pained expression. ¡°Thank you!¡± The nurse did not dare to dy and hurriedly brought Bruce into the ICU ward. Joanna immediately put her hands together and prayed piously. Jaydon watched from the side and felt a little upset. When he was shot, his life was in also danger. Jonna was also sad at that time but faced with her how she appeared when Bruce¡¯s life was in danger, he could tell the difference. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t worry too much. Since the surgery was sessful, he will definitely recover.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Im calling Mr. Lewis now¡­¡± Jaydon frowned. ¡°Joann, I¡¯ll go back first. Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t give yourself too much pressure.¡± When Joanna heard this, she still looked at Jaydon with red eyes. Over the past few days, because she was worried about Bruce, she hadpletely ignored Jaydon¡¯s feelings. ¡°Tm sorry, Jay ¡°It¡¯s okay. Take care of yourself¡± Jaydonforted Joanna. He looked at the time again. It was already three o¡¯clock. He had to hurry back to Venturas, Tll get going first. Call me if anything happens.¡± Yes, yes. Be careful on the road.¡± Jaydon smiled and patted her shoulder gently before turning to leave. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± After he left, Joanna felt dizzy and copsed weakly like a deted ball. Seeing this, Miranda was frightened. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Doctor,e over quickly!¡± When the doctors and nurses heard themotion, they quickly went forward to check. After some examination, the doctor said solemnly, ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s exhausted. Hurry up and give her some glucose.¡± Chapter 605 Chapter 605 A few nurses helped send Joanna into the ward and injected her with glucose and medicine to prevent miscarriages. ¡°Miss Haynes¡¯s blood pressure is very low and her body is very weak. She has to rest well. Otherwise, the baby will be affected.¡± Miranda nodded nervously. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°She needs more nutrition. The fetus is developing now. If she doesn¡¯t have enough nutrition, the fetus will be affected.¡± ¡°Alright, doctor. We will talk to her.¡± Miranda and Tracy were in charge of taking care of Joanna at the hospital. Other than them, there was also a group of professional nurses. Joanna was really too tired. Her body was already exhausted to the limit. She had yet to wake up in the afternoon. Venturas. Marhall Hospital. Jaydon finally came to the hospital to visit Carmel and the child. Carmel was already four days intobor. This was the first time he had appeared. In the ward. The nurse carried the wrapped baby and said happily, ¡°Mr. Grimm, congrattions. You¡¯ve gotten a daughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Look at how much she looks like you, Mr. Grimm. Look at her nose and eyes. She¡¯s exactly the same as you.¡± Jaydon didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at the little baby in the nurse¡¯s arms gently. ¡°Mr. Grimm,e and hold her.¡± As she spoke, the nurse handed the child to Jaydon. Jaydon carefully took the child. He was as terrified as if he was holding an explosive bag. The baby in his arms was so little and soft. She had the smell of milk all over her body. He even didn¡¯t dare to breathe in a loud voice in case the baby was terrified. ¡°She¡¯s quite cute!¡± Looking at his daughter in his arms, Jaydon felt that his heart went soft. After all, it was his first time being a father. He still had an indescribable feeling. ¡°Mr. Grimm, your father came to see your little girl personally yesterday. He promised to pick Miss Basil and the little girl back to the Grimm family together.¡± Orvin said with a smile. When Jaydon heard this, his eyes darkened but he did not say anything else. On the hospital bed. Carmel was lying weakly on a high pillow. Although Jaydon was not by her side during this delivery, she still arranged for a professional team of caregivers to take care of her. Therefore, Carmel and the child were well taken Looking at Jaydon¡¯s teary eyes, Carmel called out weare of. I am¡­ ¡®Mr. Grimm, you only cared about the child. You¡¯ve forgotten that Jaydon looked up and nced at Carmel. A faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°Thank you very much. Tears welled up in Carmel¡¯s eyes as she looked at Jaydon with a grievance. ¡°Mr. Grimm, now that our daughter has been born, shouldn¡¯t we¡­¡± Jaydon paused. He knew what she wanted to say and interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t think of things that don¡¯t belong to you.¡± Jaydon carried the child and replied without looking up. Carmel was stunned and pouted in disappointment. She originally thought that Jaydon would give marry her since she gave birth to his child. But now, it seemed that she was still overthinking. However, Carmel had always been clear-headed. Since she couldn¡¯t marry him, she would just ask for some money. ¡°Mr. Grimm, I can¡¯t give birth to a child for nothing, right? ¡°I¡¯m having a child out of wedlock now. My career is all ruined. I can¡¯t survive in the entertainment industry anymore. I won¡¯t be able to earn money in the future. You can¡¯t watch me and the child live a terrible life, right?¡± Jaydon finally turned his head and looked at Carmel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already arranged for you and the child. ¡°When the baby is a month old, take the baby to live in Surbano. I have a house there. It¡¯s yours now. ¡°You can use my secondary card as you wish.¡± Although Jaydon wouldn¡¯t marry Carmel, he wouldn¡¯t mistreat her and her daughter. His house in Surbano was worth more than over 20 million dors. And the secondary car he gave her didn¡¯t have a limit at all. During festivals, Tim wouldn¡¯t mistreat his granddaughter. When Carmel heard this, she pouted and smiled coquettishly, ¡°Alright then! Mr. Grimm, since you have This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. already made the arrangements, I have nothing to object to.¡± Carmel dly epted the arrangement. She didn¡¯t care about the status as Mrs. Grimm. It was impossible for a woman like her to marry into the Grimm farnily. Money was more important. Some men still spent money on other women and indulged in wine testing after getting married. As he spoke, the ward door was pushed open and an assistant walked in. ¡°Mr. Grimm, your father is here!¡± When Jaydon heard this, he quickly ced the child in Carmel¡¯s arms and prepared to wee his father. A minuteter. Tim walked in with a dignified expression. Jaydon called out cautiously, ¡°Daddy.¡± Tim nced at his son and sighed slightly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Come to my study tonight. I want to talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay, Dad¡± Jaydon hesitated for a few seconds, but he still bit the bullet and agreed. Tim strolled to the bed and looked down at the child in the swaddling clothes. ¡°Did you give the child a name?¡± Carmel worked in the entertainment industry before. Naturally, she was good at dealing with others. She immediately said sweetly, ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m waiting for her grandfather to give her a name.¡± When Tim heard this, he chuckled and thought for a few seconds. ¡°Well, let¡¯s call her Patricia Grimm. I want her to be a noble girl.¡± Since Tim named the girl himself, it meant that he recognized her as a member of the Grimm family. Carmel was even more excited. ¡°This name is really nice. Patricia, quicklye to thank your grandfather.¡± ¡°Look! Patricia is smiling at her grandfather. It seems that she likes the name her grandfather gives you.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Timughed heartily and gently held his granddaughter¡¯s little face. Carmel kept ttering Tim. Timughed happily as she talked to him. Tim was one of the richest people in Venturas. If Carmel curried favor with him, she would live a better life with her daughter. Tim already had a few grandchildren, but this was still Jaydon¡¯s first child. He was happy anyway. ¡®I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°When Patricia is one month old, I will give her a big gift.¡± ¡°Patricia, hurriedlye to thank your grandfather. ¡°Hurry up and say goodbye to Grandpa.¡± Carmel held the child and waved at Tim. Tim did not say anything else. After seeing his granddaughter, he left in a hurry. At night. Jaydon came to his father¡¯s study. Tim smoked his cigar and looked at Jaydon with a gloomy gaze, ¡°Jay, do you know why I want to see you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jaydon pondered for two seconds, still ying dumb. Actually, how could he not know? His father just wanted him to draw a line between him and Joanna. Tim frowned and looked at Jaydon with an even more unfriendly gaze. ¡°When will you be mature? When will you truly grow up?¡± Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Jaydon frowned. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± When Tim heard this, his gaze became even sharper! ¡°You¡¯re almost 30 years old. Why are you still ying the love game of a child? Do you know what others think of you? They say that you care about nothing but love. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel ashamed? Don¡¯t you blush?¡± Jaydon¡¯s expression changed. He tried to exin, ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Tim waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you exin too much. You don¡¯t have to fool me. ¡°You can like women, but you can¡¯t indulge in them. You¡¯re already obsessed with Joanna. She¡¯s not worth all this.¡± Jaydon felt a lump in his throat. ¡°My health is getting worse and worse. Have you had enough fun outside? It¡¯s time for you toe back to the family business to train.¡± Jaydon shook his head sadly. ¡°Dad, Cassius and my uncle can take care of thepany well. I don¡¯t want to get involved.¡± ¡°How can that do?¡± Tim¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You¡¯re my favorite child. You¡¯ll be the sessor of thepany in the future. I want you to inherit it.¡± ¡°Dad, Cassius is better than me. He¡¯s more suitable to inherit thepany¡± ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t understand. I have my own reasons for doing this. If I ask you to do something, This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. just do it obediently.¡± Tim frowned and took another deep puff of the cigar. Tim¡¯s eldest son, Cassius Grimm, was indeed capable and outstanding in all aspects. Cassius was indeed the best candidate to seed in thepany. Unfortunately, such an outstanding child was not Tim¡¯s biological son. Tim had been unrestrained all his life and had seen countless women. He was also very open-minded and magnanimous. When Cassius¡¯ mother married him, she was already pregnant. However, he still epted her and nurtured Cassius Grimm -as his own son. However, Cassius was not his biological child after all. He could give Cassius money and help Cassius start a business, but the family business would definitely have to be handed over to his biological child. ¡®Dad¡­¡± Jaydon was still trying to say something. Tim had already stood up and extinguished the cigar. ¡°I only have one thing to say to you. We, the men of the Grimm family, must not have stupid men in love. ¡°You should find a girlfriend and start a family. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve told you everything that needs to be said. You should think about it yourself! I¡¯m old, so don¡¯t let me worry too much.¡± Jaydon frowned and did not dare to retort. ¡°Got it, Dad.¡± In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. Greyport Hospital. Joanna invited famous doctors from all over the world to help treat Bruce while asking Mr. Lewis to help pray for Bruce. Anyway, she used all methods she could use. As long as she could think of it, she would use it. Although Bruce did not wake up, his vital signs were finally stable. The Yanice Group. Marlowe was originally overjoyed. He was waiting for Bruce¡¯s funeral. At that time, he would show up to say some sarcastic words. Unexpectedly, Bruce was still alive after ten days. After his assistant heard thetest news from the hospital, the assistant immediately reported it to Marlowe. When he heard his assistant say that Bruce was still alive, Marlowe was really angry. ¡°What did you say? Bruce is still alive? Didn¡¯t you say that he¡¯s already dead?¡± The assistant sighed. ¡°The doctor did announce his death! ¡°But who knew, he came back to life.¡± ¡°However, Mr. Yanice, don¡¯t worry. Bruce¡¯s condition isn¡¯t optimistic. Even if he can survive, he¡¯s probably in a vegetative state¡± When Marlowe heard this, he gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°No, even if he still has a chance of survival, he¡¯s still the greatest threat. ¡°I¡¯ll take his life while he¡¯s weak! No matter what, only when he¡¯s dead can I vent the hatred in my heart.¡± The assistant looked troubled and said timidly, ¡°Mr. Yanice, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not easy to make a move now. Besides, there¡¯s no need. ¡°He had such a serious car ident and had a craniotomy. He¡¯ll probably be lying on the hospital bed for the rest of his life!¡± ¡°No, I want him dead. I want him dead. As long as he¡¯s not dead, I won¡¯t be safe.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not easy to do it now. There are arge number of bodyguards in the hospital, as well as doctors and nurses. We can¡¯t sneak in at all. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to kill Bruce in the hospital.¡± Marlowe red at the assistant fiercely. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Think of a way to kill him immediately.¡± The assistant rolled his eyes and said sinisterly. ¡°Yes, if we really want to kill him, it¡¯s notpletely impossible. ¡°I have a way to get him to die without anyone knowing. But it might cost a few more bucks.¡± ¡°What can we do? As long as we can kill Bruce, it doesn¡¯t matter how much money we spend.¡± When the assistant heard this, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Mr. Yanice, we can collude with the doctor. Bruce¡¯s so badly injured now. If there¡¯s a doctor who can help do something, we can kill him secretly¡± ¡°A doctor? Will that work? Marlowe frowned. ¡°Mr. Yanice, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s a doctor in Greyport Hospital who seemed to be involved in a murder case two years ago. Although it was left unsettled in the end, I think there must be something wrong with this person. He can be bribed!¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Yes, I think this person can be put to good use.¡± Marlowe smiled coldly. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll leave this to you. After this is done, you¡¯ll be heavily rewarded; ¡°Mr. Yanice, don¡¯t worry. Just wait for the good news!¡± In the hospital. In the ICU ward. Joanna sat in front of the hospital bed and kept talking to Bruce, who was unconscious. *Bruce, Davian and Irvin should be in the first grade. ¡°And Lilia. She also wants to go to school Tve already asked someone to find a school for them. They can go through the admission procedures soon.¡± Bruce was lying quietly on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask on. His entire body was filled with various treatment instruments, and he was wrapped up like a mummy. The ward was yery quiet. Only the ticking of the electrocardiogram could be heard. ¡°You have to wake up. The children ask me every day when you can go home.¡± ¡°And our fourth child. I did a prenatal checkup. The doctor said¡­ there¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s a girl. I know you like girls. When you wake up, we can have another child.¡± Every day. Joanna would change into a surgical gown, enter the ICU ward, hold his hand, and talk to him. People said that ten fingers were connected to the heart. When two people held hands, they could feel what the other side was thinking. How Joanna wished that she could pass her thoughts to Bruce through their held hands. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Joanna talked to him as much as possible and told him everything she had never said to him before, even if he couldn¡¯t hear 1. Every day, in addition to regr treatment, the doctors would give Bruce a gene regeneration shot of up to 200 thousand dors. Surgical experts from all over the world were invited to Greyport to discuss treatment ns with local surgical experts. In just a week, the medical fees had already reached tens of millions. Of course, the effect of spending so much money was obvious. His vital signs gradually stabilized, and some minor external injuries were already recovering quickly. However, his brain and chest were severely injured. Whether he could wake up or not was up to fate. In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. Joanna still stayed at the hospital every day and did not leave at all. Beep beep beep. The butler called Joanna to report on the children¡¯s enrolment. ¡°Hey, Gael!¡± On the other end of the phone, Gael¡¯s meticulous voice sounded. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, the applications for admission of your two sons and your daughter have been epted. You have to be interviewed with the kids in the middle of June.¡± Joanna frowned and said worriedly. ¡°It has to be me? Can others go in my ces?¡± ¡°The rules in Jemton Elementary School are strict. Parents have to go. Otherwise, the kids can¡¯t pass the assessment.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make an appointment with the school now. Mrs. Joanna, take some time to bring them to the school for an interview.¡± Joanna thought for a few seconds and said solemnly. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it tomorrow. Just do it as soon as possible, so that I can rest assured.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make an appointment now.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Kids of the Everett family would naturally go to the best private school in Greyport. All children in the school. They were all kids of rich people of stars. To ensure the safety of all kids, the school had to assess every family. Being rich wasn¡¯t the only factor for the kids to be admitted. ¡°Bruce, I might have to leave the hospital tomorrow and take the children to school for an interview. ¡°You have to be well. I¡¯ll be back soon to apany you, okay?¡± Joanna took his hand and gently rubbed it against her face. On the hospital bed, Bruce was unusually quiet. Bruce was a mean guy. He liked to retort to others no matter what others said. Right now, he became so quiet and honest. No matter what Joanna said, he just stayed other quietly without saying any mean words. ¡°I¡¯m leaving! Joanna tucked him in gently and left intensive care unit with a gloomy expression. ¡°I¡¯m going backter. Keep an eye on him. Keep an eye on the surveince cameras and pay attention to his situation.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry.¡± Yes, Mrs. Joanna.¡± After Joanna sternly instructed the doctor and caregiver, she prepared to pack her things and go home. At the entrance of the hospital. As soon as Joanna and the bodyguards appeared, the reporters, who had been waiting outside, were instantly excited. ¡°I think Joanna is out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s her!¡¯ ¡°Hurry up, hurry up and catch up.¡± The reporters swarmed forward like a beehive. A reporter directly pushed the long microphone in front of Joanna. ¡°Miss Haynes, can you tell us about Mr. Everett¡¯s current situation?¡± ¡°Is Mr. Everett still in the intensive care unit? Can you tell us something? ¡°Mr. Everett is seriously injured now. Did he make any arrangements in advance? If Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t wake up, who will be in charge of the Everett Group?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, will you consider taking back custody of the children?¡± The reporters scrambled to surround Joanna. shbulbs shed as they frantically snapped photos of Joanna. The mask and sses Joanna wore were almost pulled down. Darcy and Carson immediately stepped forward and blocked the reporters. ¡°Move aside. Miss Haynes won¡¯t be interviewed.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, say something. Miss Haynes, say something!¡± ¡°Is there any hope for Mr. Everett to recover? We¡¯re all very concerned about Mr. Everett¡¯s injuries and want to know the situation¡­¡± ¡°Noment!¡± Joanna¡¯s face was gloomy as she hurriedly got into the car under the escort of her bodyguards. More than ten bodyguards were still maintaining order. The scene was chaotic. ¡°Hurry up and drive. The reporters are crazy.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Joanna.¡± How could the reporters not go crazy? No one knew if Bruce was dead or alive after the car ident. No media would let go of such hot news. In the car. Joanna leaned back in her chair in exhaustion. She felt extremely heavy in her heart. She had been in the hospital for almost ten days. In the past ten days, she had been so frightened that she had not even bothered to take a shower. Now, she had to go home and deal with the children¡¯s enrollment. She could also take a good shower and get a few sets of clean clothes. She hadn¡¯t been home for so many days. The children must be extremely worried about her. She had to go back andfort the children. Half an hourter. Sherane Bay Vi. When Davian and Irvin saw their mommy return, they ran to her happily. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡± Joanna squatted down and rubbed the two little guys¡¯ heads. ¡°Mommy, how¡¯s Daddy? We saw on the news that Daddy¡¯s injuries are very serious,¡± Davian asked with a worried expression. Irvin also asked worriedly, ¡°Yes! Mommy, didn¡¯t you say that Daddy would be fine soon? It has been quite a few days. Why didn¡¯t hee back home?¡± ¡°Daddy will definitely get better.¡± Lilia heard themotion and slowly walked out of the house with her electric prosthesis. ¡°Mommy, when will-Daddye back?¡± ¡°When Daddy recovers, he¡¯lle back.¡± ¡°Mommy, we want to go to the hospital to see Daddy.¡± Joanna said gently, ¡°Be good. I will bring you guys there when Daddy is better,¡± Bruce was still in the intensive care unit. His body was connected with all kinds of instruments. If the children saw this, they would definitely be traumatized. It was more appropriate to bring the children to see him after he got better and was transferred to a normal ward. ¡°You¡¯re going to be in first grade soon. You¡¯re going to be big children in the future. You have to be sensible, understand?¡± The three little ones nodded sensibly. ¡°We understand, Mommy We¡¯ll be obedient and study hard, Mommy, don¡¯t worry about us.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt extremely sorry. The children were really too sensible. They matured unusually early. She felt very guilty. ¡°Kids, you are really good. You are the best gifts heavens gave me.¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna¡­¡± Gael walked over and greeted her with a serious expression. ¡°Have you made an appointment with the school?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already made an appointment. Two o¡¯clock tomorrow afternoon!¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Back to the room!¡±. Davian looked up and frowned. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re hungry, right? We haven¡¯t eaten together for a long time. I really want you to eat with us.¡± ¡°Yes! Mommy, you seem to have lost a lot of weight¡­¡± Chapter 608 Chapter 608 ¡°You guys eat first. I want to take a shower first before changing into clean clothes¡± The three little fellows looked serious and said firmly. ¡°No, Mommy, we have to wait for you to eat with us.¡± ¡°Be good. You really don¡¯t have to wait for me. I have to take a good shower. It might take a long time.¡± The three little fellows shook their heads firmly. ¡°No, we just want to wait for you to have dinner together. It¡¯s been a long time since we ate with you.¡± Joanna felt terrible when he heard that. Looking at the expectant and innocent gazes of the children, she felt even more upset. They were Bruce¡¯s children. They had everything they needed in terms of material life. They had a lot of servants to take care of them every day. However, this did not necessarily mean that children were happy. After all, what children needed the most was thepany of their parents. She and Bruce Everett were too busy. The childrenckedpany since they were born. Gradually, they became more and more sensible and obedient. This was a quite sad thing actually. At their age, they should be innocent and carefree. However, they matured earlier than most children because they left their parents¡¯ care earlier than they should. Seeing that the children insisted on waiting for her to eat dinner, Joanna could onlypromise. ¡°Okay, I will take a shower as soon as possible.¡± ¡®Mommy, don¡¯t worry. We can wait slowly. None of us are hungry.¡± In the hospital. Joanna was worried about Bruce every day. Every nerve in her body was tense. And now, she really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. After not bathing for ten days, her entire body seemed to be crawling with lice. Joanna didn¡¯t say anything else and went upstairs to take a shower. She returned to her room. Joanna immediately took off her dirty clothes and filled the bathtub with warm water. Because the children were still waiting for her to eat, she did not dare to dawdle for too long. In less than 20 minutes, she was done showering. After taking a shower, Joanna changed into clean pajamas and walked downstairs. In the dining room. The children sat obediently, facing the table full of delicacies. No one began to eat. ¡°Mommy, are you done showering?¡± Joanna wiped her wet hair with a towel and said guiltily. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Mommy, eat this. I remember that you like oatmeal with seafood a lot Davian said as he carefully got Joanna some oatmeal. He put the bowl in front of Joanna. Irvin also hurriedly got his mother some food. ¡°This is a duck! You also like ducks, Mommy. Mouuny, you have to eat more. You have lost so much weight. We feel heartbroken.¡± Seeing the food the kids got her in the bowl, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but have her eyes turn red. ¡°Okay, thanks, babies.¡± I will definitely finish the food. Hurry up and eat. ¡°Mommy, after the interview tomorrow, do you still have to go to the hospital to apany Daddy?¡±- Joanna nodded. ¡°Yes, he needs mypany right now.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± After dinner. Joanna went for a walk in the garden with the kids after dinner. it Was time for the children to sleep. The three kids refused to leave Joanna. They insisted on sleeping with her. ¡°Mommy, can we sleep with you today?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Joanna also wanted to spend more time with the children. In the room. The three little fellows snuggled up to Joanna and chattered excitedly. After all, in the past, they were not allowed to enter the room, let alone sleep with Joanna. However, they were children after all, so they naturally relied more on their mother. Lilia gently touched Joanna¡¯s stomach and asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, when will the baby be born?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s June. If there¡¯s not a problem, it¡¯ll be born in January of next year.¡± Irvin also came over. ¡°Mommy, is it a little boy or a little girl in your belly?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said gloomily, ¡°Daddy likes little girls. I hope it¡¯s a little girl.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°I want a little sister too!¡± ¡°When Mommy gives us another sister, we¡¯ll have two sisters. When Joanna heard this, she rubbed the children¡¯s heads one by one and said gently, ¡°Hurry up and sleep! You still have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. Mommy. Good night.¡± ¡°I will turn off the lights, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joanna immediately turned off the lights in the room. The next day. Joanna and the children got up early. ¡°Good morning, Mommy ¡°Good morning, darlings.¡± After washing up, the four of them sat in the dining room and prepared to eat breakfast. ¡°How nice! I can have breakfast with Mommy.¡± At the dining table. There was milk, oatmeal, sandwish, pasta, steak, salmon, and sd. The three little fellows fought to get Joanna food. ¡°Alright, alright! Just eat by yourself. I can eat by myself.¡± During this period of time in the hospital, Joanna never ate a proper meal. Now that she was with the children, she had to eat even if she didn¡¯t want to. Davian ate the sandwich and sighed. ¡°s, Mommy, I miss the dumplings you make for us a lot. I think that¡¯s the most delicious food in he world.¡± ¡°I want to eat too¡­¡± Irvin and Lilia echoed. ¡°Mommy, when will you be free? Make dumplings for us, okay?¡± Just wait for a little longer, okay? When Daddy gets better, I will take some time to make you dumplings.¡± Chapter 609 Chapter 609 ¡°Okay, okay. We¡¯ll wait then!¡± ¡°Good kids!¡± After breakfast, Joanna checked the children¡¯s recent homework. She also called the servants and nannies over to give them some instructions. Actually, she did not need to worry about these things at all. Gael was the butler of the Everett family. He was very responsible. He did his best to deal with everything in the family. He was also one of Bruce¡¯s most trusted people in the world. Gael would arrange everything at home. 1:00 p.m. Joanna took the three children to Jemton Elementary School. This was the most expensive private elite elementary school in Greyport. No matter in terms of educational level or environment, it ranked at the top. Because the students who enrolled were all rich children, the recruitment of students was especially strict. Virtue, intelligence, physique, and the environment in which they grew up were all references for admission. Davian and Irvin were sessfully epted after the interview. As for Lilia, she was not epted because of her disability. Lilia was very disappointed with this result, but she also deeply felt that she was different from others. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Looking at Lilia¡¯s teary eyes, Joanna quickly hugged her andforted her. ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t be sad. ¡°There are so many elementary schools. Although you are not epted here, you can go to another school.¡± ¡°Mommy, do they all despise me?¡± Lilia looked at her mommy aggrievedly. Joanna kissed her daughter¡¯s little face. ¡°How could that be? Lilia, you are the cutest girl in the world. You are the angel of me and your father.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t they refuse me?¡± ¡°Baby, this is their loss, not your problem. There¡¯s no need to be sad.¡± Davian¡¯s face tensed up. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mommy. Since Lilia can¡¯t study in this school, we won¡¯t study here either. Let¡¯s change schools and go to the same school as Little Sister¡± That¡¯s right. Which school will Lilia study in? We will go there too. I don Joanna frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s still a female noble elementary school in Greyport. It¡¯s not worse than here. It¡¯s better for Lilia to study there. I think it¡¯s more suitable for her. ¡°Since the two of you have been epted, it¡¯s better for you to stay there and study. When you¡¯re in junior high school, I¡¯ll send you to Melta.¡± ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be sad, okay?¡± Lilia nodded weakly and asked nkly, ¡°Mommy, can my leg still recover?¡± Joanna tightened her arms to hold Lilia more tightly. ¡°Of course. ¡°Daddy is injured. He can¡¯t leave the hospital for now. When he gets better, I will take you to Gaprington for treatment. Then you will be able to stand up! I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Gael, please go to the female noble elementary school to apply for admission again. Let Lilia study there.¡± Gael frowned slightly. ¡°Alright, Mrs. Joannal Leave it to me!¡± Joanna looked at Gael gratefully. ¡°Gael, you¡¯ve worked hard during this period of time. I¡¯ll have to rely on you to take care of the family matters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s what I should do. Mrs. Joanna, just take good care of Mr. Everett.¡± Gael looked at Joanna with a heavy heart. He wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°Mrs. Joanna¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Gael?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Gael suddenly swallowed his words. Seeing this, Joanna felt even more uneasy. ¡°What exactly is it? Just say it! There¡¯s no need to hesitate.¡± Gael looked serious. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about it for now.¡± ¡°The most important thing now is Mr. Everett¡¯s health. Nothing else is important. As long as Mr. Everett can recover, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Gael, you¡¯ve been in the Everett family for so many years. You¡¯re like a family. What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t hide it from me. Especially now that something has happened to Bruce, you can¡¯t hide it from me.¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna, sigh¡­ I think you have to guard against Mr. Lurk.¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk?¡± Joanna frowned and looked at Gael in confusion. ¡°What is it? Please tell me directly. I will feel more uneasy since you don¡¯t finish your words.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Gael hesitated for a few seconds before telling the truth. ¡°Mr. Lurk, he called me earlier and told me some things¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Not something good anyway. Mrs. Joanna, you have to be prepared so as not to be caught off guard.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do they want?¡± ¡°They¡­ want custody of the children.¡± Joanna choked and looked at Gael in disbelief. Wasn¡¯t this a joke? What did the children have to do with them? What right did they have to get custody of the children? Bruce wasn¡¯t dead yet! Even if Bruce really died, the custody of the children should be hers. She was the biological mother of the children! Chapter 610 Chapter 610 ¡°They want custody of the children? What right do they have?¡± Gael frowned and said sincerely and earnestly. ¡°Madam, you need to know that Mr. Everett has no parents, let alone siblings, Especially when you and Mr. Everett haven¡¯t been really remarried yet. ¡°And the children are still young and don¡¯t have the ability to be independent. To put it bluntly, if anything really happens to Mr. Everett, with the Everett family¡¯s huge business, how can others not covet it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanna was shocked and could not help but gasp. Indeed, Bruce had no parents, no legal spouse, and no siblings, If he really died, though the three children were his heirs, they were still young and needed someone to be their guardian. Bruce did not make a will either. And Liam was Bruce¡¯s uncle. Even if they didn¡¯t get along, they were still rted. Liam, of course, was eligible to apply to be the children¡¯s guardian. Of course, his real goal was not to take good care of the children. Instead, he wanted to control the This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Everett Group¡¯s huge billion-dor assets by being the children¡¯s guardian. The kids were only 6 years old this year, and there would be too many changes before they turned 18. Whoever acted as their guardian during this period was equivalent to holding the Everett Group¡¯s billion-dor assets. ¡°Mr. Miller¡­ He can¡¯t be that shameless, can he?¡± When Gael heard this, a bitter smile appeared on his face. ¡°Madam, human beings die in pursuit of wealth, and birds die in pursuit of food. You must know that, right? ¡°If Mr. Everett is a pauper, no one would care so much about him. However, Mr. Everett is the richest man in Greyport. He has more than billion-dor personal assets. Mr. Miller is his only blood rtive. Do you think he doesn¡¯t have other thoughts?¡± Joanna felt a chill in her heart when she heard that. After Bruce¡¯s ident, she was inconsble with grief. She ced all her energy on saving Bruce¡¯s life. As for other things, she really did not have the energy to think about them. If not for Gael¡¯s sudden reminder, she would not have thought of this at all. After all, in real life, when a nephew died, very few uncles would be so shameless as to fight for property. Seeing Joanna¡¯s expression change, Gael reminded her again, ¡°Now, Liam has used Mr. Everett¡¯s ident as an excuse to act as thepany¡¯s acting president. ¡°If he wants topletely control the Everett Group, his next n will definitely be to fight for the custody of the children. If he gets the custody of the children, all the assets of the Everett family will probably end up in his pocket.¡± Previously, Bruce had invested more than 2 billion dors in a trust fund for all three children. Even if he died, the children would have nothing to worry about. However, the Everett family had businesses all over the world and countless properties. These assets were all under his personal name. He was so young, so he naturally had yet to make a will. After he died, someone would definitely have to take control of these assets. ¡°Then Gael, what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°What I mean is, Madam, you have to be prepared in advance. Don¡¯t be immersed in sorrow. You have to be prepared in advance for that.¡± Joanna narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I know. Thank you for your reminder, Gael.¡± ¡°Madam, you¡¯re wee. I¡¯m also very sorry that something happened to Mr. Everett. I¡¯m very sad. ¡°Although you didn¡¯t remarry Mr. Everett, 1 know that Mr. Everett wants you to inherit everything of his.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The next day. ¡°Babies, Mommy is going to the hospital to apany Daddy again today. I might not have time to apany you guys recently. Be good.¡± The three children nodded heavily. ¡°Okay, Mommy, don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ll be good.¡± Joanna squatted down and kissed the children¡¯s faces one by one. ¡°You¡¯re really Mommy¡¯s good babies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Bye, Mommy.¡± The three little guys waved at their mommy reluctantly. Joanna¡¯s eyes stung. She could not bear to look into the children¡¯s eyes anymore and quickly got into the car. But now, she didn¡¯t have the time to keep the childrenpany, Bruce needed her more than the kids did. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± the driver replied and started the engine. At the hospital, Liam and his wife, L, appeared in the doctor¡¯s office early in the morning. ¡°Doctor, how is Bruce? What are the chances of him waking up?¡± The head of the surgical department looked solemn as he said ambiguously, ¡°Well, it depends on his recovery. I can¡¯t give a definite answer at present.¡± L pursed her lips and said impatiently, ¡°Doctor, just tell me a little. With his current situation, can he survive? How much can he recover?¡± The doctor flipped through the medical record and said solemnly, ¡°Well, Mr. Everett¡¯s current situation is not very optimistic. The chances of him waking up are not very high!¡± When L heard this, her eyes lit up and she quickly asked, ¡°Then what are the chances?¡± ¡°ording to Mr. Everett¡¯s current situation, even if he wakes up, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be a normal person. He won¡¯t be able to recover to his previous state.¡± ¡°Are you saying that he might be a vegetable?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The doctor did not answer. His expression became even more solemn. When Liam and L saw this, they looked at each other and felt more confident. Bruce had such a bad ident. Even if he barely survived, he would be a vegetable. A vegetative person was naturally no different from a dead person. He could not do anything. Liam was his only rtive, so he naturally had to take care of everything for him. L was secretly delighted. When Bruce had an ident, the Miller family benefited from it and became the biggest beneficiary! This time, Liam would be the one and only person in charge of the Everett Group. And she would be the richest woman in Greyport soon. ¡°Oh, how pitiful. Doctor, you must do your best to save Bruce.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will¡­¡± As they were talking, there was a knock on the office door. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Joanna opened the door and walked in. ¡°Doctor, did he get the gene regeneration shot today¡­ Before the doctor could answer, Joanna looked up and suddenly saw Liam and L. Immediately, Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to visit Bruce.¡± ¡°He¡¯s recovering very well now. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about him.¡± L sneered and said disdainfully, ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no need to lie to us. We¡¯ve already asked the doctor just now. The doctor said that the probability of Bruce waking up is very small.¡± Joanna asked coldly, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°So what? Well, of course, we have to talk it out, Ms. Haynes.¡± Since the probability of Bruce waking up was very small, Liam and his wife naturally did not have to worry about anything else. Especially since Joanna and Bruce did not go through the remarriage procedure, they did not need to take her seriously. Chapter 611 Chapter 611 ¡°What do you want?¡± L crossed her arms and said disdainfully, ¡°Since the chances of Bruce waking up are slim, we have to consider some things in advance.¡± ¡°Consider what?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes turned cold as she looked at L in disgust. ¡°Why are you ying dumb? Bruce is the richest man in Greyport. He has countless assets under his name. Now that something has happened to him, he naturally has to be taken care of by his closest family.¡± Joanna was speechless. It seemed that Gael was right. Bruce wasn¡¯t dead yet, but Liam and his wife couldn¡¯t wait to fight for the benefits. Joanna felt a chill in her heart. She said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t need to introduce my rtionship with Bruce to you again, right?¡± L pursed her lips and deliberately said unreasonably, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Bruce? You¡¯re already divorced. From a legal point of view, you have nothing to do with each other anymore.¡± ¡°Even if Bruce and 1 are divorced, we have three children, and I¡¯m pregnant with another one. Do you think we¡¯re not rted? This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Moreover, no one would hope for his recovery more than I do! And no one would take better care of him than me.¡± L sneered. ¡°It¡¯s true that you have three children, but the custody of the children is not yours. ¡°And who knows whose bastard child you¡¯re carrying now? ¡°Now I officially inform you that we will take care of Bruce from now on, and you don¡¯t have toe to the hospital anymore! ¡°What did you say? Joanna asked with an angry sneer. L ced her hands on her hips and said aggressively, ¡°I said, I¡¯m officially informing you now that you can¡¯te to the hospital again. ¡°Please get out of the Everett family immediately. Before Bruce wakes up, you are not allowed to step into the Everett family again.¡± ¡°Hmph, what right do you have to control me?¡± ¡°Because my husband is Mr. Everett¡¯s biological uncle, and I¡¯m his aunt.¡± Joanna was toozy to argue with her. She looked at Liam coldly. ¡°Mr. Miller, is this what you want?¡± Liam pursed his lips and put on a worried expression. ¡°Ms. Haynes, I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s biological uncle. Now that something has happened to him, I naturally have to take responsibility to the end. ¡°After all, you and Bruce are already divorced. We¡¯re worried about you taking care of him now.¡± ¡°So?¡± Liam paused for two seconds before saying shamelessly, ¡°So, you can only leave. From now on, I¡¯ll take full responsibility for Bruce¡¯s matters.¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Liam in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s not up to anyone to order me and Bruce around. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and look after Bruce until he¡¯s fully recovered.¡± When L heard this, she was so angry that she flew into a rage. ¡°You still have the cheek to say this? It¡¯s all your fault that all this happened to Bruce. ¡°You¡¯re a jinx. Do you have to kill Bruce to be satisfied? ¡°Get lost and leave the hospital immediately.¡± L said as she pushed Joanna arrogantly. Anyway, Bruce was now a living dead. No one would support Joanna anymore. There was naturally no need for L to be polite to her. While L was pushing her, Joanna was so angry that her liver was about to explode. She grabbed L¡¯s wrist and pped her hard in the face. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who should get lost. Bruce has long disowned Liam as his uncle. What right do you have to deal with everything about him?¡± ¡°Ouch L was pped. She covered her face and retaliated indignantly. think you are? How dare you p me?¡± Joanna was already furious. Naturally, she would not care whether she behaved gracefully. With a twist, she grabbed L¡¯s long hair and pped her hard again. ¡°Bam!¡± This p was even heavier than the previous one. L¡¯s foot tilted and she fell to the ground. Joanna had been practicing women¡¯s self-defense for years, so although she was vulnerable in front of Bruce, it was more than enough for her to deal with people like L. ¡°Joanna, how could you p others? You¡¯re too much!¡± Liam quickly stepped forward to stop the fight. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who went overboard! I¡¯ve never seen such strange rtives like you! ¡°Even if Bruce wakes up, he won¡¯t allow you to take care of everything about him. ¡°Hurry up and leave. Otherwise, I will have to be rude to you.¡± Liam quickly helped his wife up and scolded Joanna angrily, ¡°Joanna, don¡¯t be unreasonable here. I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s biological uncle and his only rtive. ¡°I¡¯m certainly qualified to handle everything about him after he dies, including his children¡­¡± ¡°Everything about him after he dies? Do you mean that he will never wake up? Mr. Miller, are you cursing him? Or do you not want him to wake up at all?¡± Liam was at a loss for words. ¡°Mr. Miller, it¡¯s not right to handle things the way you do! Bruce has long drawn a clear line with you. Please be sensible and don¡¯t make a scene here.¡± L was still furious. She said boldly and viciously, ¡°Making a scene? You¡¯re clearly the one who¡¯s unreasonable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know what you have in mind. You hope Bruce will die so you can take over all his assets and have a happy life with another man, right?¡± Chapter 612 Chapter 612 L got more and more agitated as she spoke. ¡°Let me tell you, no way! All of Mr. Everett¡¯s assets should be taken over by his uncle, and you can¡¯t plunder and snatch it away.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°You¡¯d better watch yournguage.¡± ¡°What? If you can do it, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of others talking about it. Be sensible and get out of the hospital now. Don¡¯t force us to chase you out.¡± Joanna was toozy to argue with such a person. She shouted out the door, ¡°Darcy, Carson,e and chase them out.¡± Then, Darcy and Carson walked in aggressively with two bodyguards. Seeing the four tall and burly bodyguards in front of her, L¡¯s aura weakened. ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares to attack. I¡¯m Mr. Everett¡¯s aunt. My husband is Mr. Everett¡¯s biological uncle.¡± ¡°Beat her up!¡± Joanna was really angry. Darcy was no longer polite. He said forcefully, ¡°Get out quickly. Don¡¯t force us to do it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess around¡­¡± L tried to call their bodyguards in. Unfortunately, how could their bodyguardspare to Bruce¡¯s personal bodyguards? Especially Darcy, who was the world boxing champion for five years. 1le was 6 feet and 9 inches tall and covered in muscles/ All of Bruce¡¯s bodyguards were under hismand for training. On normal days, he would even apany Bruce to practice boxing. In the entire Greyport, only Bruce could exchange a few moves with him. One punch of his was enough to knock down an 1. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any regard for thews? How dare you attack me? I¡¯ll definitely sue you!¡± Joanna urged, ¡°Throw them all out of the hospital. Don¡¯t let them get close to the ward again!¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Darcy and Carson pushed Liam and L. They chased them out of the office like they were chasing away chicks. After chasing away Liam and L, Joanna looked at Bruce¡¯s attending doctors with a gloomy gaze. ¡°And you guys, if you reveal Bruce¡¯s condition to anyone else, I will make you pay a painful price!¡± When the doctors heard this, they broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be angry. We¡¯ll be careful in the future! ¡°Did he get the gene regeneration shot today?¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Haynes, you can go in and take a look at Mr. Everett.¡± Joanna suppressed her anger and turned to walk into the changing room. She wanted to change into a surgical gown and enter the ICU ward to talk to Bruce. On the other side. Darcy and Carson forced Liam and his wife out of the hospital. ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I can walk myself¡± L cursed as she walked, ¡°Joanna, you little vixen. Just wait. We¡¯ll go to court and sue you right now. Don¡¯t even think about seizing Mr. Everett¡¯s assets¡­¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Casually, Darcy and Carson shoved them out the hospital door. ¡°Honey, go get awyer right now and send Joanna awyer¡¯s letter immediately, and also, Mr. Everett is in danger now, so we must hurry up and snatch custody of the children. ¡°We can¡¯t let that bitch Joanna beat us to it!¡± L said hatefully. It was as if Bruce¡¯s assets were her family¡¯s assets. Liam shook his head and sighed. ¡°Oh, what are you talking about? Bruce isn¡¯t dead yet. Why are we fighting for custody? ¡°We don¡¯t have a sufficient reason, and the court won¡¯t ept it!¡± ¡°Howe there¡¯s no sufficient reason? Mr. Everett is already in a vegetative state and has lost all mobility. ¡°At this time, we definitely have to make hay while the sun shines. As long as we get the custody of his three children, won¡¯t the Everett Group be ours?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too simply. How can it be as easy as you think?¡± ¡°How do you know it won¡¯t work if you don¡¯t try? ¡°Honey, listen to me. Hurry up and send awyer¡¯s letter! Get this matter done as soon as possible. We can¡¯t let that slut Joanna beat us to it.¡± ¡­.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened. He did not know what to say. Of course, he was also eager to take over all of Bruce¡¯s assets. However, Bruce had not died yet, after all. If he sent awyer¡¯s letter now, it would seem like he was very anxious. L shook Liam¡¯s arm and said coquettishly, ¡°Honey, why should you care what others think? The most important thing is to get the assets. ¡°Think about it. If you can take over Mr. Everett¡¯s assets, you¡¯ll be the new richest man in Greyport.¡± ¡°¡­ Let me think about it. We can¡¯t rush this!¡± In the intensive care unit, Joanna changed into a surgical gown and walked in. Bruce was still the same. He was covered in instruments and catheters as hey lifelessly on the Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. hospital bed. Joanna sat down beside him and ced his hand on her abdomen as usual. ¡°Bruce, me and the little baby are here to visit you. Are you feeling better today? ¡°I took the kids to Jemton Elementary School for an interview yesterday. Davian and Irvin passed the interview smoothly. ¡°Unfortunately, the school refused to ept Lilia because she has a disability in her leg. But it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve already applied for her at the female noble elementary school next door. ¡°You have to wake up quickly. It¡¯s best if you send the children to school yourself.¡± Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Joanna rambled on. Bruce didn¡¯t react and justy there lifelessly. The recovery from the craniotomy was very slow. His head was now wrapped in thick straps and a fixer. It had been seven days, but he was still not out of danger. Local surgeons in Greyport, in conjunction with foreign medical experts, had discussed thetest treatment n. Joanna paused and sighed before continuing to say, ¡°You know what? Liam and his wife came to the hospital today. They also talked about fighting for custody of the children and taking over all your assets. ¡°With your bad temper, if you heard this, you would definitely be angry on the spot. ¡°I really hope you can wake up quickly and let your uncle give up that strange thought?¡± Joanna held his hand and told him everything that had happened in the past few days. There was a saying in medicine called neurostimtion therapy. Whether it was useful or not, she had to persevere and try every day. She hoped that he would suddenly wake up if she talked to him more. On the other side and in the doctor¡¯s office, Kensley had been engaging a patient meticulously when the nurse suddenly knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Doctor Leach, there¡¯s someone here to see you¡± Kensley did not even raise his head as he continued to prescribe the prescription. He casually asked, ¡°Is it a patient?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a tall and thin young man appeared at the door of the consultation room There was a faint smile on the young man¡¯s face as he said evilly, ¡°Doctor Leach, long time no see!¡± ¡°You are¡­¡± Kensley subconsciously adjusted his sses. He had no impression of this patient. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t know me, but I know you.¡± ¡°¡­ Kensley¡¯s scalp went numb, and ayer of cold sweat subconsciously appeared on his back. Then, Kensley pretended to be calm and handed the prescription to the patient. ¡°Well, you can go pay the fees with this prescription!¡± The patient took the medical list, thanked him again, and walked out. After the patient left, the young man got even more unrestrained. ¡°Doctor Leach, I heard you¡¯ve made a fortune recently and even bought a mansion in Greyport.¡± When Kensley heard this, his eyes flickered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°You sure? Do you want me to help you recall?¡± The young man stretched his neck and stared at Kensley. Those who had done nothing wrong were not afraid of being used. But Kensley had done something wrong, so when he heard the young man¡¯s words, his scalp exploded, and the sweat on his forehead kept flowing. The year beforest, Margaret was critically ill. During hospitalization, Roxanne removed Margaret¡¯s respirators, resulting in Margaret¡¯s death. He happened to see this scene. At that time, Roxanne knelt down and begged him to keep it a secret and also promised to give him a sum of money as hush money. Seizing this opportunity to make a fortune, he nned to extort Roxanne¡¯s 20 million dors. However, Roxanne did not have that much money at that time. She first transferred him one million dors and then another 2 million dors. Later, something happened to Roxanne and he was also involved in the murder. Fortunately, in order to protect her daughter, Ingrid took all the me. Roxanne was also sent to a mental hospital, and he sessfully got rid of suspicion. In the past two years, he had been promoted to deputy head of the surgical department because of his good performance. He had almost forgotten about it too. ¡°Looks like you really forgot, Doctor Leach. Let me help you sort it out again!¡± Kensley stuttered, ¡°You, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you mean?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Should I give you a heads-up?¡± ¡°Margaret¡¯s death, well¡­ The young man smiled evilly and looked straight at Kensley. Kensley immediately copsed on the chair. ¡°You¡­ Who the hell are you? What do you want?¡± The young man took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kensley. ¡°Well, it is not the right ce to talk. Here¡¯s my business card. Let¡¯s make an appointment this afternoon and talk about it.¡± Kensley took a deep breath. ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no need to be so nervous. It¡¯s not a bad thing. Instead, it¡¯ll benefit you!¡± The young man smiled. mysteriously, put down the business card, and turned to leave the hospital. After the young man left, Kensley was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. His heart was beating rapidly. He med himself for being too greedy. If he wasn¡¯t so greedy, how would he cause such trouble now? The year beforest, Margaret suddenly passed away. Kensley demanded an exorbitant price, intending to extort Roxanne 20 million dors. Roxanne came from a rich family, but she didn¡¯t have much cash, so she only gave him 3 million dors. Originally, he should have quit while he was ahead after taking the money. In particr, Roxanne was sent to a mental hospital after the incident. She had been in the mental hospital for nearly a year. After Roxanne was released from the mental hospital, Kensley still wanted to continue extorting her. Roxanne was forced into a corner and could only seek refuge with Marlowe, Bruce¡¯s archenemy. She borrowed 6 million dors from him and gave Kensley. Therefore, Marlowe knew the inside story. The more Kensley thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He had thought that the matter was settled with the death of Roxanne and that no one else would know. However, he never expected that there would be someone who knew about this. Chapter 614 Chapter 614 ¡± Kensley spent the whole day feeling uneasy. At one point, he even thought of packing up and escaping overseas, But¡­ thinking about it carefully, he couldn¡¯t bear to do so. After all, he had just bought a house in Greyport and got married. His wife was gentle and beautiful and was pregnant. Now, he really couldn¡¯t bear to give up everything that he had worked so hard for. After struggling for a day, it was finally time to get off work. After thinking about it, Kensley dialed the number on the business card in the end. There was a continuous beep. Someone picked up the call very quickly. ¡°Hey, hello! Doctor Leach¡± Kensley was stunned and subconsciously asked. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± ¡°Well, I only gave you this number! I know you will definitely call¡± Kensley calmed himself down and asked solemnly. Just say it! Who are you? What do you want to do?¡± The young man¡¯s rxed teasing voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Rx, Doctor Leach. I came to you because I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set up a time to meet and talk.¡± ¡°Im avable now.¡± ¡°Alright then! Come to Room 808 of Yanice Club¡± ¡­Alright. Kensley hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. After hanging up, Kensley called his wife again and told her not to wait for him to eat. At 7:30 PM., Kensley arrived at Yanice Club. The receptionist seemed to have known that he wasing because as soon as he was there, the beautiful receptionist came over and greeted him warmly. ¡°Hello, Mr. Leach. This way, please.¡± Kensley took a deep breath and followed the receptionist in This clubhouse was very high-end. There were spas, karaoke, catering, cinemas, and so on. All the entertainment activities one could think of were there. Of course, the cost was also very expensive. ¡°This is Room 808. Mr. Leach, you can go in.¡± Kensley began to feel uneasy again. He carefully pushed open the door and entered. The atmosphere in the private room was foul and the lights were dim. Kensley could vaguely see a few people sitting on the luxurious leather. In the middle was Marlowe, and beside him were two famous rich second-generation heirs. Beside them sat two beauties in gauzy bikinis. The coffee table was filled with expensive famous wine and certain forbidden goods. The entire private room was filled with extravagance and decadence. Two beauties were already unconscious, lying on the ground and squirming like snakes, Seeing this, Kensley was still shocked. He had just heard that some rich kids could be really crazy, and their lives were really messy and depraved. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he did not expect it to be even more exaggerated than the rumors. These rich kids were all well-dressed, elegant, and noble, looking highly cultured in front of the media cameras. But secretly, that was who they really were. The young man from the day stood up unsteadily. ¡°Doctor Leach, you¡¯re finally here. Hurry up and ¡°Let me introduce you. This is President Yanice,¡± ¡°Hello, President Yanice. I wonder what you want to see me about?¡± Marlowe puffed on his cigar arrogantly. ¡°Well, Doctor Leach, your medical skills are superb. Now that you¡¯ve been promoted to the head of the surgical department, your future is limitless!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like that. I was just lucky,¡± Kensley stamunered, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re indeed lucky! You made a windfall previously, and now, you have another chance to make a windfall¡± ¡­ Kensley rolled his eyes when he heard this. His entire body was covered in sweat. ¡°L.. I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean?¡± ¡°Pete, talk to him.¡± The young man called Pete hooked his arm around Kensley¡¯s neck. ¡®Come,e here. Come and sit ¡°President Yanice asked you here because there¡¯s something he needs you to do. Of course, you¡¯ll get a lot of money when it¡¯s done.¡± Kensley frowned and asked nervously, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, how¡¯s Bruce now?¡± ¡°This, this is not within the scope of my treatment.¡± Indeed, he was not qualified enough to treat a patient like Bruce. Especially when Joanna had invited a group of famous surgical experts from overseas. ¡°To tell you the truth, President Yanice wants Bruce to die in the hospital without anyone knowing¡± Kensley¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor. You must have a way. As long as you use your brain a little, Bruce will die. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Yanice said that as long as Bruce dies, he will give you 20 million dors as a reward. ¡°Are you still going to be a doctor for the rest of your life? Take the money and enjoy yourself! Pete said and patted his shoulder teasingly. Even though he did not hit him very hard, Kensley still staggered. Kensley¡¯s mind exploded. ¡°President Yanice, I¡­ You think too highly of me. I can¡¯t get close to Mr. Everett¡¯s ward at all. He¡¯s under Director¡¯s and Mr. yton¡¯s personal responsibility. I don¡¯t have a chance at all¡­¡± ¡°You do. You even had a chance in Margaret¡¯s death, let alone Bruce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± Kensley was sweating profusely. Margaret¡¯s death was the work of Roxanne. And he just bumped into it on his rounds. It was not his ce toe into contact with patients of Bruce¡¯s level. ¡°Do something. You can do it.¡± ¡°No, I really can¡¯t do it, Kensley refused again and again. Marlowe¡¯s expression changed. He said impatiently. ¡°Since you can¡¯t do it, I will be rude to you. ¡°I heard that your wife just got pregnant. She¡¯s about to give birth, right?¡± When Kensley heard this, he panickedpletely. ¡°President Yanice, I beg you. Please don¡¯t touch my wife! ¡°L.. I¡¯ll think about it!¡± Marlowe crossed his legs and smiled darkly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you one day to think about it. But don¡¯t This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. take too long. I don¡¯t have time to wait for you.¡± Chapter 615 Chapter 615 ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯ll consider it carefully!¡± Marlowe smirked again and said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to y any tricks. Otherwise, it will be easier for me to crush you than to crush an ant. If Bruce wakes up and finds out that his grandmother was killed by you and Roxanne, he would not let you off.¡± Kensley¡¯s eyes widened, and all the hair on his body stood on end. He thought, ¡°Indeed, Bruce was not a kind person. If one offended him, they would probably die without even knowing how they died.¡± Marlowe continued. ¡°Think about it! Only when he¡¯s dead can thus secret be buried forever. Besides, All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. you still have a lot of money to earn. Why not?¡± When Kensley heard this, his heart sank. He muttered¡­.I know. I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t be easy to do it.¡± Marlowe replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll go back first. Let¡¯s think of a better way,¡± Kensley responded. ¡°Alright! You can leave! Marlowe concluded. Kensley smiled weakly and walked out of the private room in fear. Pete smiled obsequiously and said. ¡®President Yanice, don¡¯t worry! This person doesn¡¯t look like a good person at first nce. He will think of a way. Besides, there¡¯s no one more suitable than him.¡± Marlowe pursed his lips and sniggered while mming the cigar into the ashtray. ¡°Bruce Everett. I¡¯ll kill you this time! Our grudges must bepletely settled.¡± Seeing this, the beautiful woman beside him quickly tried to change the topic and said, ¡°President Yanice, don¡¯t be too bothered over those unhappy things. Let¡¯s have a good time¡­ The next day. Kensley came to the hospital to work as usual, He did not sleep wellst night. His eyes were sunken and he looked listless. As Kensley was walking to the staff canteen to get breakfast, he bumped into the head nurse. The head nurse greeted him as usual, ¡°Doctor Leach, good morning! ¡°Morning¡±¡± Kensley responded. The head nurse nced at his expression and teased, ¡°Oh god, didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night? Why do you look so listless?¡± Kensley smiled weakly and replied, ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t sleepst night!¡± ¡°Was it because your wife is about to give birth and you¡¯re too nervous to sleep?¡± the head nurse asked. ¡°Oh, right¡± Kensley responded. Then, Kensley thought of something and pretended to ask casually, ¡°Hey, by the way, is Mr. Everett¡¯s condition getting better? What¡¯s the probability of him waking up?¡± The head nurse looked around. Secing no one else, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s a little difficult! However, he¡¯s so rich. He¡¯s already injected so many gene regeneration needles. He won¡¯t die for a while.¡± Kensley rolled his eyes and concurred, ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s good to be rich! If it were ordinary patients, they would have died long ago.¡± The head nurse looked surprised and enviously eximed, ¡°Of course. This money wasn¡¯t spent for nothing.¡± ¡°A gene regeneration shot costs more than 750 million dors! How can ordinary people afford it? Moreover, they¡¯ve been injecting it for so many days. ¡°Sigh, the money for the injection alone is enough to buy a vi halfway up the mountain.¡± With that, the head nurse finished her breakfast and prepared to go to the nurse¡¯s desk. ¡°Are you done eating?¡± Kensley asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to check on Mr. Everett now and change the dressing,¡± the head nurse responded. Kensley replied, ¡°Oh, oh, go ahead then!¡± The head nurse did not say anything else and turned to leave. Kensley¡¯s temples hurt, and cold sweat started appearing on his forehead. Bruce lived in the intensive care unit. Only the attending doctor, a few specific head nurses, and caregivers could enter. The others were not allowed to approach at all. It was almost impossible for him to sneak in. Moreover, all the medicine used by Bruce had to be checked by the attending doctor every day. He couldn¡¯t tamper with it easily. However, if he did not find a way to kill Bruce, Marlowe would not let him and his family off, especially if Bruce woke up and discovered the real cause of his grandmother¡¯s death. He probably would not allow him to live in this world anymore. ¡°What should I do? President Yanice is right. If we want this secret to disappear forever, we can only make Bruce die. But what should I do? Kensley pondered. Kensley returned to his office with unease. He subconsciously held his forehead and thought hard of a solution He needed to think of a way to kill Bruce without anyone knowing. ¡°If the medicine or equipment were tampered with slightly, it could sometimes only take a few seconds to kill the patient,¡± he thought. However, Bruce had a special status. In addition to the attending doctor and professional caregiver, bodyguards and Joanna also stayed 24 hours a day by Bruce. If Kensley did not n it carefully, he would have no chance of making a move. Therefore, he had to think carefully about every step. Kensley had been in a daze. He did not even know that the director of the hospital had entered. ¡°Doctor Leach, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you so restless all morning the director asked. Hearing the director, Kensley was even more shocked. He quickly stood up and eximed, ¡°Oh, nothing!¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot on your mind. Do you want to transfer from work? Take a break in the afternoon,¡± the director asked with concern ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need to. I didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday, that¡¯s all. Director, I¡¯m fine, Kensley tried to brush off. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± the director continued to question. To really line. Thank you for your concern, Director, Kensley tried to convince his superior. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good! You have to be more serious during work. Don¡¯t ck off the director said as he picked up his coffee sses and slowly returned to his office. After the director left, Kensley was restless again. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll find an opportunity to go over and take a look, he thought. During the lunch break. Kensley walked towards the floor where Bruce¡¯s room was. Although he was not the attending doctor of Bruce, he was still the deputy director of the hospital. It was reasonable for him to use the excuse of observing the patient¡¯s condition to be in the premise. As soon as Kensley entered the floor, he was stopped by Darcy. He looked at Kensley sternly and questioned, ¡°What are you doing?* ¡°Oh, Mr. Lurk asked me to find a room and disinfect the floor. As you know, this floor is supposed to be a sterile environment. It has to be disinfected every day.¡± Darcy suspiciously looked at Kensley¡¯s work pass and saw the title ¡°surgeon¡± written on it ¡°Go on in!¡± Darcymanded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be quick. It won¡¯t take too long,¡± Kensley responded. Kensley pushed a trolley, which was filled with medicine, into another ward. As Kensley pretended to disinfect the empty ward, his heart beat wildly Coincidentally, Joanna walked our of the intensive care unit at this moment. When she saw the door to the ward open, she frowned and muttered, ¡°Why is the door beside open?¡± She recalled transferring the other patients living on this floor to the ather floors to prevent anyone from harming Bruce. Moreover, she had experienced it once before. The killer disguised himself as a doctor and speaked into the ward. She had almost been killed then. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Joanna subconsciously walked towards the ward. She looked at Kensley suspiciously and barked, ¡°Who are you? Who allowed you to enter this floor?¡± Kensley panicked and tried his best to pretend to be calm ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a surgeon here. I specially came to disinfect the floor.¡± Hearing this, Joanna looked at his work pass even more warily. She had seen Kensley before. Although she did not have a deep impression of him, she knew he was a doctor in the hospital. ¡°Go out! Don¡¯te to this floor again,¡± shemanded. ¡°Yes, yes. I understand, Kensley said as he packed up and left hurriedly Joanna did not want Bruce¡¯s condition to be known. Even if this doctor did not harbor ill intentions, she could not allow too many unnecessary people to attend to Bruce. ¡°Darcy, from now on other than the attending doctor, the specialists, and the designated nurses and caregivers, no one else is allowed to enter this floor,¡± Joanna instructed. ¡°Got it. Miss Haynes, Darcy replied. When Kensley returned to his office, he was even more anxious. Tm dead,¡± Kensley thought. ¡°They¡¯re so strict. How am I going to kill Bruce? Kensley scratched his ears and checks anxiously The phone suddenly rang, startling him. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± Kensley spoke into the phone. Peter¡¯s eerie voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Doctor Leach, have you thought about it? President Yamice is waiting for your reply.¡± Kensley sighed and said anxiously, ¡°The problem is a little tricky now. It¡¯s difficult to do anything. Give me some time. I need to think of a perfect solution.¡± Peter replied. ¡°Is a week enough?¡± ¡°How can a week be enough? This is too rushed. Moreover, his ex-wife and bodyguards are guarding him round-the-clock. They won¡¯t allow anyone to approach him. ¡°Even as a doctor in the hospital. I¡¯m unable to get in Kensley retorted. Pete sneered. ¡®I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll give you a week. You will live with the consequences if Bruce doesn¡¯t die within a week. Kensley panicked and raised his voice. ¡°Hey, tell President Yanice. Give me a little more time. One week really won¡¯t do¡­¡± Pete had already hung up impatiently. ¡°That¡¯s tricky. How can Ie up with a solution within a week?¡± Kensley thought, feeling even more uneasy. Kensley was distracted when he counsulted patients. He barely managed to attend to five patients in the entire afternoon. Soon, it was almost time to get off work before his wife called. Kensley answered the call distractedly. ¡°Ii, honey¡± His wife¡¯s happy voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡®Hubby, thank you for the flowers. love you!¡± Kensley was stunned and asked, ¡°What flowers? I didn¡¯t ask anyone to send flowers¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If it¡¯s not from you, who else could it be? A courier came over today and sent a huge bouquet of roses. He said you asked someone to send them. Thank you, hubby. I like it very much.¡± Kensley¡¯s wife eximed. Kensley was dumbfounded when heard this. It seemed that Marlowe had already sent someone to his house. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t open the door to strangers in the future,¡± he warned his wife. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± his wife replied. ¡°I still have a patient to attend to. I¡¯ll hang up first,¡± Kensley said hastily. *Finel¡± his wife responded. Kensley felt even more uneasy after talking to his wife on the phone. He quickly called Pete again. The phone rang several times before Pete picked it up casually, ¡°Hi¡± Kensley shouted angrily into the phone, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m already thinking of a way. Why are you harassing my family?¡± Hearing this, Pete chuckled sinisterly, ¡°No! I just sent a bouquet to your wife for you. Why are you so nervous?¡± Kensley took a deep breath. He did not want to say anything else and responded, ¡°Alright, one week it is. During this period, don¡¯t harass my wife again¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s work together happily. Bruce dies, and nothing will happen to you and your wife. You will also get a huge windfall. Pete assured Kensley. ¡°That¡¯s it, then!¡± Kensley hung up after saying that. Kensley could not back down now. He could, only continue down the same path until the end. Since Kensley could not enter Bruce¡¯s ward, he could not rece the medicine. He could only find other ways to create other idents. For example, external factors such as electricity, weather, etc. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Bruce was now covered in various equipment, which could not be removed from the power source. Kensley had to think of a way to stop electricity on that floor. It would only take five minutes for Bruce to die. While this method seemed simple, it was dangerous. The circuit breaker was on that floor and locked. It would be even more difficult to open the electrical panel. However, for the sake of his and his wife¡¯s safety and the stability of their life in the future, he could only take the risk. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t me me. Someone wanted to take your life, not me. If you want to me someone, me Marlowe!¡± ¡°I was also controlled by others and had no choice.¡± After work. Kensley deliberately stayed around till past seven o¡¯clock. He had to find an opportunity to go to the electrical panel. Chapter 617 Chapter 617 After work. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Kensley left the hospital and went to the hardware store to buy a set of professional tools. Then, he sneaked back to the hospital. After returning to the hospital for the second time, he quickly changed into an electrician workwear He already knew that if he were to go to the electrical room, he needed to turn off the surveince system first. Disguising as a maintenance worker allowed him to temporarily turn off the surveince system. Because he was familiar with everything in the hospital, he fooled the security guards and sessfully essed the surveince room without much effort. After that, he lied that it would take ten minutes for the maintenance and surveince cameras¡¯ software to upgrade. The security guard believed him and did not suspect anything. A few momentster. After the surveince cameras were turned off, Kensley found an excuse to send the security guards away and sessfully sneaked into the electrical room. Using professional tools, two electric currents were intertwined. The huge voltage instantly caused a power outage in the entire building. The enure building instantly fell into darkness. Only the signboard in the corridor was lit. Meanwhile, in the intensive care unit The doctor and bodyguards were shocked and eximed, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there a power outage? Why would there be a power outage in the hospital? Did the fuse burn? What should we do? All the equipment on Mr. Everett requires electricity. Mr. Lurk frowned andmanded. ¡°Hurry up and activate the backup power supply* ¡°Oh, sure¡±¡± a nurse quickly tried to turn on the backup power supply. Unfortunately, even the fuse for the backup power supply had been burned. ¡°Dr. yton, bad news. The backup power supply is also faulty, the nurse reported ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± Dr. yton eximed *All the electrocardiogram, venttor, and catheter have stopped working, the mirse shouted anxiously. Joanna was also anxious: ¡°Doctor, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Call security. ¡°Tell the electrician to get the power back on.¡± Dr. yton instructed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the intensive care unit immediately Chief Physician Smith said as he rushed Bruce into the intensive care unit with two other nurses. ¡°Perform CPR immediately lest the patient suffocates,¡± Bruce¡¯s injuries were too severe. He could no longer breathe and was supported by oxygen from a full- screen venttor ¡°What?¡± the nurses asked in shock. ¡°Let me do it!¡± Joanna volunteered without hesitation. She took a deep breath and quickly breathed into Bruce¡¯s lips to perform CPR on him. Joanna had learned resuscitation technique from a physical therapist some time ago. Now, the CPR skills came in handy. ¡°Hurry up and restore the electricity supply¡­¡± Joannamanded. A faint call for help came from the corridor again, ¡°Oh no, there¡¯s a fire. There¡¯s a fire. Extinguish the fire quickly!* ¡°How did this happen?¡± Joanna eximed. ¡®Get someone to put out the fire and call [191¡å In an instant, all the staff on duty were in chaos. Some were running for their lives, while others were trying to put out the fire¡­ Seeing that the fire was spreading to this floor, Mr. Lurk was terrified and asked, ¡°What should we do? Miss Haynes, this is an emergency. We need to evacuate immediately¡± Joanna retused decisively and said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave. Bruce, 1 won¡¯t give up on you. I will never give up on you.¡± As she spoke. Joanna ignored everyone and continued performing CPR on Bruce. Darcy and Carson quickly ordered the bodyguards to get busy. ¡°Hurry up and seal the windows and the doors with a wet. cloth. Don¡¯t let the smoke spread in ¡°Yes!¡± The bodyguards immediately sprinkled water on the bedsheets and sealed the windows and the doors. ¡°As the fire was not very strong, it would take a while before it spread to where they were, they thought. They could only hope that the firefighters would rush over and extinguish the fire as soon as possible. At the same time, Darcy and Carson, who previously trained as firefighters, quickly extinguished the fire with water hoses. 20 minutester. The fire was put out, and electricity in the building resumed. Joanna was already drenched in sweat by then. For the next 20 minutes, she did not dare to stop. She kept performing CPR on Bruce. Seeing that the equipment was working again, she was finally relieved. Chapter 618 Chapter 618 ¡°Cough, cough. Such thick smoke. Open the windows for venttion quickly!¡± Joanna said as she coughed and quickly. ordered someone to open the windows to disperse the smoke Darcy frowned and said. ¡°What¡¯s going on! Why is there a power outage? It must be intentional. Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t we call the police for an investigation!¡± When Joanna heard this, she said calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s send our folks to investigate the reason behind the fire first¡± As Joanna spoke, Carson hurried over and reported, ¡°Miss Haynes, the billboard outside caught fire and burned the insted cotton inside. Someone upstairs must have thrown the cigarette butt on the billboard. As for the power outage, it was caused by the voltage fluctuation just now! It should be a coincidence.¡± Joanna frowned when she heard this. These two events seemed coincidental, but they were not pure coincidences. They were intentional. After all, she was already traumatized by the countless schemes plotted against her time and time again. She would always associate any events with assassination plots. ¡°From now on, you have to strengthen your security measures. No strangers are allowed to approach! Also, get the hospital director toe over immediately. Joanna instructed. ¡°Got it¡± the bodyguards responded before leaving the ward. Joanna quietly held Bruce¡¯s hand again and consoled him, ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be 120% focused All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. from now on and protect you well. I won¡¯t let anyone harm you. You have to work hard and wake up as soon as possible. Since so many people want you dead, you can¡¯t let them have their way. You have to be strong, do you hear me?¡± Bruce had already been connected to the venttor again. His eyes were closed, and he did not react. He was still handsome, but there was a four-to-five-inch scar from his left eyebrow to his temple. If he were not hooked up to a venttor, everyone would have thought he was sleeping Joanna could not help but gently caress the scar on his eyebrow. There was still an indescribable pain in her heart. In the past, even though this man mistreated her, she could not bear to be ruthless towards him! He had many faults, but¡­.. he also had a gentle side. He had good intentions, but his way of expressing himself was too overbearing for her. His possessiveness and desire for control made her feel constricted when she was with him. Loving him was as painful as being loved by him. Soon, the director received a call from the hospital. Upon hearing about the fire in the hospital, the director eximed, ¡°What? There¡¯s a fire in the hospital? And there was a ckout? ¡°Yes, the power outage almost killed Mr. Everett. Fortunately, the power was restored in time, and the fire was extinguished.¡± reported the other party on the other side of the line. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll rush to the hospital now!¡± the hospital director said as he hung up the phone. He made his way to the hospital immediately. The security guards and medical staff on duty were already gathered in the hall on the first floor, waiting for the director¡¯s instructions. The director looked at the medical staff. Many of them were still covered in dirt and burned medical equipment. He was somber and said. ¡°Investigate thoroughly and see what happened. Pull out the surveince footage immediately!¡± The head of security responded, ¡°Director, I just asked the security guard in the surveince room. He said that at 7:30 p.m., someone went over to upgrade the surveince camera software. He imed to have been sent by the hospital director. The surveince footage in the electrical room was not visible.¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t ask anyone to upgrade the surveince system at all,¡± the hospital director eximed. ¡°Al? Everyone said in shock when they heard that. The hospital director¡¯s scalp tingled as he asked anxiously, ¡°What does that person look like?* The security guard in the surveince room stammered, ¡°He was wearing a work cap and mask. He was about 5.5 feet tall and had a medium build. 1-1 didn¡¯t see his appearance clearly¡­¡± ¡°Then how was he able to touch the surveince cameras?¡± the hospital director questioned. The security guard was terrified and tried to exin, ¡°He had a note from the director and our hospital¡¯s work pass. ] assumed he was sent by the director!¡± The security guard and Kensley worked in the same hospital. However, the hospital was big and had ten floors. Kensley and the security guard held different positions. It was natural for them to not know each other. ¡°Director, Miss Haynes is furious and wants you to send someone to investigate the incident immediately.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± said the hospital director. The hospital director inmediately went to look for Joanna to apologize. ¡°Miss Haynes, this matter has serious implications. We should not make a big deal out of it for now and investigate in private to avoid alerting the enemy,¡± said the hospital director. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna responded. A doctor said somberly, ¡®Director, could it be Mr. Everett¡¯s archenemy?¡± I think so. People from higher socioeconomic status are tooplicated. Those assassinations and murders are everywhere, the hospital director responded ¡°But who would do that?¡± ¡°It must have been Mr. Everett¡¯spetitor or enemy, the hospital director concluded. Joanna frowned when she heard that. Bruce had a bad temper and was arrogant and conceited. He naturally offended many Given his position, many wanted him dead. Although this matter did not blow up, it was still reported in the news. A group of reporters rushed over after catchung wind of the incident. The hospital director was about to return home after he was done with his work. Seven or eight reporters surrounded him unexpectedly the moment he left the hospital. ¡°Was there a fire at Greyport Hospital just now? Were there any casualties? Were any patients affected? It seemed like the electricity in the entire building was cut off just now. What¡¯s going on? This has never happened before. Was this intentional?¡± the reporters asked one after another. The director was overwhelmed and wanted to get into the car quickly. ¡°Oh, the incident is still under investigation. It¡¯s not convenient to reveal the exact details for the time being. I can tell everyone that there were no casualties. In the future, we will increase security precautions. Thank you for the concern With that, the director hurriedly got into the car. Although the danger was averted, the incident kept Joanna and the bodyguards on their toes. Over the next few days, they became even more careful with the people entering and leaving the hospital. The number of bodyguards on duty doubled. Kensley felt even more dejected when he saw this! Although no one traced the incident back to him, it was difficult for him to find another opportunity to kill Bruce. In the staff dining hall. While the head nurse was getting her food, she bumped into the distracted Kensley again. ¡°Doctor Leach, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so distracted these two days?¡± Kensley smiled and replied, ¡°My wife is about to give birth. I¡¯m nervous.¡± The head nurse smiled knowingly andforted him, ¡°Ah, I understand. After all, you¡¯re going to be a new father! By the way, have you booked the delivery ward?¡± ¡°Oh yes, it¡¯s already booked!¡± Kensley replied. The head nurse smiled again and consoled Kensley, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Just take it easy. All new parents go through this¡± ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± Kensley replied with a weak smile. Chapter 619 Chapter 619 As they were talking¡­ The phone vibrated in his pocket. The phone rang like an explosion. Seeing the name on the phone, Kensley was so shocked that he almost dropped the te of rice in his hand. Kensley hurriedly put down his te and walked to a secluded corner to answer the call, ¡°Hi¡­¡± Pete¡¯s sinister voice could be heard on the other end, ¡°Doctor Learh, it¡¯s already the fifth day today. How¡¯s the progress?¡± Kensley felt his scalp tingle. He stammered, ¡°Mr. Logan, can you talk to President Yanice on my behalf? Please give me a few more days. Ive already made a move a few days ago. I was almost discovered. I don¡¯t have any chance of making another move now. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll think of something better. Ill work.¡± Pete hesitated for a few moments before saying. Alright, I¡¯ll give you another five days! If you still can¡¯t settle it, you know the consequences!¡± ¡°I know, I know!¡± Kensley assured Pete. After hanging up. Kensley was covered inyers of sweat. In the afternoon, he was not in the mood to work. He could only take sick leave and rush home feeling uneasy. Now that the people around Bruce were on high alert, Kensley could not find a chance to kill him. Meanwhile, Marlowe was pressuring him again. ¡°I should just run away with my wife,¡± Kensley thought. Back home. Without a word, Kensley dragged out his suitcase and ced his passport and bank card inside, ¡°Hubby, why are you off work so early today? Why are you packing your things?¡± Kensley¡¯s wife was stunned and looked at her husband in confusion Kensley could not be bothered to exin. He urged his wife anxiously, ¡°Honey, let¡¯s pack up quickly. We¡¯ll leave Greyport today. Hurry up and put your passport and valuables in! We¡¯ll go to Pedrana for a while first!¡± Kensley¡¯s wife was shocked when she heard this. She thought that there must be something wrong with her husband. ¡°Hubby, are you running a high fever today? If you leave Greyport, what will happen to your work? What will happen to our home?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that for now. Right now, our priority is to stay alive, Kensley said as he packed a few new clothes. ¡°Pack your things!¡± ¡°Honey, what happened?¡± Kensley¡¯s wife continued asking. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore. In short, it¡¯s a very tricky matter! If we don¡¯t leave now, it¡¯ll be toote¡­¡± Kensley This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. retorted. As he spoke, the doorbell rang. *Ding dong, ding dong¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone at the door. I¡¯ll open it!¡± Kensley¡¯s wife said. Kensley quickly went forward to hold his wife back. ¡°No, don¡¯t open the door¡­¡± ¡°Dear, what¡¯s wrong with you? I just ordered food delivery. It must be here.¡± Kensley¡¯s wife replied. With that she shook her husband¡¯s hand off and went to open the door. The security door opened. Two tall and well-built men in suits stood outside the door. ¡°Who are you?¡± Kensley¡¯s wife asked. Pete chuckled, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re friends of Doctor Leach¡± ¡°Oh,e on in then!¡± Kensley¡¯s wife invited. Pete and the other man strolled in. Kensley happened to walk out of the room with his suitcase. When their eyes met, Kensley was stunned. ¡°Doctor Leach, why are you going out sote at night?¡± Pete asked. ¡°Oh, no, no¡­¡± Kensley muttered. Kensley¡¯s wife still did not know what had happened. She enthusiastically poured sses of water for them and told the two, ¡°Sit down and have a ss of water!¡± ¡°Thank you, Sister-inw. You¡¯re quite pretty. You¡¯re seven months pregnant, right?¡± Pete smiled sinisterly while asking. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Kensley¡¯s wife replied. ¡°Congrattions!¡± Pete responded. ¡°Thank you!¡± Kensley¡¯s wife said. ¡°Mr. Logan, why don¡¯t¡­ we talk outside!¡± Kensley stammered. ¡°No need. We just came to see you and Sister-inw. I didn¡¯t expect Sister-inw to be so beautiful.¡± Pete replied. A trace of fear appeared in Kensley¡¯s eyes. He was at a loss for words ¡°L, L¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem? Or is it too difficult for you toplete?¡± Pete said. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Kensley tried to assure Pete ¡°Honey, what are you talking about? Kensley¡¯s wife asked. 10 Pete continued to smile sinisterly, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re discussing surgery with Doctor Leach. Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. Doctor Leach¡¯s medical skills are superb ¡°Go to your room first. I have something to discuss with my friend. Kensley instructed. ¡°Oh, okay¡­ Kensley¡¯s wife said as she quickly went into the room, even though she was at loss. Her husband¡¯s expression did not look good. ¡°Doctor Leach, are you trying to y tricks? Pete hollered. ¡°I think of a way this time. Please believe me and give me another chance. I¡¯m begging you to give me another chance. I¡¯ll think of a good idea,¡± Kensley said as he knelt on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t try any more tricks. We¡¯re watching you at all times. We¡¯ll know if anything happens to you.¡± Pete warned. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand!¡± Kensley tried to assure Pete. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Petemanded his man as they walked away. Pere had sessfully intimidated Kensley into obedience. Kensley¡¯s wife came out of the room and felt uneasy. She asked, ¡®Hubby, who are they? Did you ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay! I can handle it, Kensley tried to assure his wife. ¡°Really?¡± his wife asked. Kensley smiled at his wife andforted her. ¡°Yes, you just have to take care of the baby. Don¡¯t think too much about everything else.* At the hospital. Joanna was about to enter the intensive care unit to talk to Bruce. Carson hurried over and reported. ¡®Miss Haynes, Mr. Lurk and his wife are here again.¡± When Joanna heard thus, she grew somber and said, ¡°Why are they here again?¡± ¡°They brought many others with them. It looks like they¡¯re going to cause trouble,¡± Carson replied. Just as they were talking¡­. Liam, L, and their son, Evan, brought arge group to the hospital. ¡°What are you nning to do with so many people?¡± Joanna asked. L pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡®Joanna Haynes, we¡¯re here today to negotiate!¡± ¡°I have nothing to say to you,¡± Joanna responded. ¡°After what happened at the hospital yesterday, you¡¯re still acting like nothing happened.¡± L chuckled. ¡°Bruce¡¯s life cannot be taken care of by you. We¡¯re here today to personally take over the task of providing care for Bruce.¡± When Joanna heard this, she somberly said, ¡®Impossible. Other than me, no one else will be responsible for taking care of ¡°Joanna Haynes, don¡¯t assume we don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking! Bruce is already in a vegetative state. He won¡¯t wake up. You¡¯re all over Bruce now to inherit his assets,¡± L hollered. Liam also took a tough stance and said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯ve already decided to raise Bruce¡¯s three children on his behalf. Also, I¡¯ll be in charge of taking care of him from now on. Now, please leave the hospital quickly. I¡¯ll get awyer to send you a letterter.¡± Joanna frowned and shouted furiously, ¡°Who told you that Bruce is in a vegetative state? He¡¯s recovering very well now and will wake up soon.¡± ¡°Who are you kidding? Do you think we¡¯re three-year-olds? We¡¯ve already asked the doctor. The chances of Bruce waking up are slim. He will never wake up in this lifetime. We have to make ns for him and his children. We can¡¯t let you benefit for nothing. Chapter 620 Chapter 620 ¡°I¡¯m warning you, this is a hospital. Stop being unreasonable.¡± L had been at a disadvantagest time. This time, she purposely brought arge group of people. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She was more confident and ced her hands on her waist, provoking, ¡°Joanna, who do you think you are? What right do you have to take care of Bruce?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re divorced. You don¡¯t have a rtionship with him. Don¡¯t be unreasonable here.¡± Joanna choked in anger. ¡°Bruce and I are divorced, but everyone knows our rtionship.¡± ¡°Ha, what business do you have with each other? All I know is that you didn¡¯t remarry, Legally, you¡¯re strangers.¡± ¡°My husband is Mr. Everett¡¯s biological uncle. Surely, he has the right to take care of him and take over everything When Joanna heard this, she angrily gritted his teeth. Some time ago, in an attempt to win back Joanna¡¯s heart, Bruce advertised his affection for Joanna throughout Greyport. Even a fool knew how much Mr. Everett cared about his ex-wife. Now that Bruce was in a situation, Liam and his wife came out of nowhere to cause trouble. Who wouldn¡¯t know what they were up to? However, ording to thew, as a rtive of Bruce, Liam indeed had more control andmand than Joanna. ¡°Mr. Lurk, Bruce is currently in the critical stages of recovery. I advise you not to be difficult. This will affect his recovery.¡± Liam puffed out his chest and pretended to be serious. ¡°For the sake of Bruce, we¡¯re here to pick him up today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted another hospital for him. I will transfer him to another hospital because I¡¯m worried about him being treated here.¡± When Joanna heard this, she was speechless. ¡°Mr. Lurk, this is Greyport¡¯s leading hospital. The doctors here are the best surgical experts. ¡°Apart from that, I¡¯ve also hired a team of foreign surgical experts. Now you¡¯re telling me you will transfer him to another hospital?¡± ¡°What top quality do they have here? I don¡¯t trust this hospital. I want to transfer him to a private hospital. The doctors there are the best.¡± Joanna stomped her feet in anger. ¡°Did I hear incorrectly? You want to transfer him to a private hospital?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t §Õ§à too far with this. Bruce would never agree.¡± L sneered. ¡°Bruce is in this state. It¡¯s all because of this doctor you found to treat him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why his injuries are getting worse. Don¡¯t think that we don¡¯t know what your motive is. You just want to kill Bruce to embezzle his assets!¡± ¡°Shut up. No one in this world wants him to get better than me! Stop ndering me. I¡¯m not trying to be rude to you.¡± ¡°What? Do you still want to fight? Try doing that again!¡± ¡°Well, Bruce has been treated but is still in this state. He surely can¡¯t make a decision. If Bruce wakes up treated him so viciously, he will not let you off.¡± Joanna took a deep breath and clenched her fists. ¡°I told you, Bruce is recovering well. He will wake up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to us. Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re simply trying to use Bruce¡¯s illness to try and pocket his assets! Perhaps Bruce has already¡­.¡± Joanna could not take it anymore. ¡®Darcy, kick them out!¡± When Darcy and Carson heard the order, and immediately chased them out. ¡°Get out quickly.¡± and knows you Liam instantly flew into a rage. He called out to the group of bodyguards and his hooligan friends behind him. ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡± ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t touch mel¡± Liam and L came prepared this time. They brought about thirty to forty people with them. With so many people, the entire hospital corridor was filled! ¡°We¡¯re going to take Bruce away now. We can¡¯t let him fall into the hands of someone like you!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go in there!¡± Carson and Darcy fought, and the people in the front row were instantly knocked out. Although Darcy and the others were a dozen people, it did not take them more than five minutes to deal with this motley crowd. ¡°They¡¯re beating them up. They¡¯re beating them up. All of you, attack. Don¡¯t let them be too rampant.¡± ¡°Crackle¡­¡± ¡°Thump¡­ Crack¡­¡± The two groups of people started fighting. The corridor instantly became chaotic, and many people fell into a heap on the floor. The nurse¡¯s desk was overturned. A few nurses were so frightened they hid in the ward. ¡°Hurry up and call the security office. Get all the security guards here!¡± ¡°Hurry up and call the police. There¡¯s a gang fight!¡± Momentster! The security chief rushed over with a group of security guards. Some people hurriedly called the police. When the security chief arrived with his men, he was stunned by the scene before him. Those in ck suits beat those not wearing suits until they wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves. All of them were injured. With all themotions, Darcy and Carson held back and did not kill anyone. Liam¡¯s people would have been beaten to death if they hadn¡¯t. ¡°Stop fighting, stop fighting. Let¡¯s talk things out!¡± The security chief didn¡¯t enter the fight and only tried to stop it. ¡°We called the police. They¡¯ll be here soon Stop it!¡± ¡°Darcy, stop fighting!¡± When Darcy heard this, he waved his hand and stopped his subordinates. Liam¡¯s 30 to 40 people were all injured and bruised. Chapter 621 Chapter 621 L and Liam were even more angry and anxious. Bruce¡¯s bodyguards were not to be underestimated. They had brought so many bodyguards, but they were all knocked out. Even Liam had received two blows to the neck. Half his face was as swollen high. Joanna looked at Mr. and Mrs. Miller coldly and said rigidly, ¡°Regardless of whomever¡¯s rtion to Bruce, I won¡¯t allow anyone to take him away. If you know what¡¯s good for you, leave quickly.¡± Liam and L were so angry that they panted heavily when they heard this. It seemed impossible to take Bruce away by force. Bruce¡¯s bodyguards had excellent fighting skills. The over 30 people they brought were useless against them. Even if they got 300 or 400 people, Bruce¡¯s bodyguards would defeat them all. ¡°Joanna, what right do you have to stop us from taking Bruce? You must be guilty. How is Bruce doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still recovering. If y U make a scene now, it¡¯ll affect his recovery!¡± ¡°Hmph, to put it bluntly, Bruce has been like this. There is now he will recover well!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see him now and ask the doctor toe. We want to ask him in person!¡± ¡°I told you, he¡¯s recovering very well. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Joanna, aren¡¯t you going too far? You don¡¯t want us to take him, and now you don¡¯t even want us to see him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why can¡¯t we see him? Bruce is my cousin. I have the right to know his recovery!¡± ¡°When he gets a little better. I¡¯ll let you see him. Right now, he is still unstable. You can¡¯t go in and disturb him.¡± L pursed her lips. ¡°Ha, didn¡¯t you just say he was recovering very well? Why are you switching and saying he is unstable?¡± At this moment, the hospital director and the police arrived, A police officer said sternly, ¡°What are you all doing? Why are you fighting?¡± ¡°Oh, this is a personal conflict!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fight here, whether or not it¡¯s a private conflict. Everyone, go to the police station.¡± ¡°This group here and that group over there. All of you go to the police station.¡± ¡°Director, you came at the right time. What¡¯s going on with Mr. Everett? Can he wake up or not? Tell me!¡± ¡°Uh, about that! It¡¯s hard to say at the moment. It depends on his recovery in the next few days.¡± When L heard this, she became even more aggressive. ¡°Look, the director says he is uncertain, yet you still lie to us!¡± ¡°We have to get to the bottom of this today. In front of the police. No matter what, we have to know the truth about Mr. Everett.¡± When the director heard this, he looked troubled and said carefully, ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t we let them go in and take a look at Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Mr. Miller is Mr. Everett¡¯s biological uncle. He has the right to know about Mr. Everett¡¯s condition.¡± Joanna thought for a few seconds andpromised. ¡®Alright then!¡± ¡°You must be careful. Don¡¯t make too much noise.¡± ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t need you to remind me.¡± The hospital director found surgical gowns and disinfected them before bringing them into the ward. Crack! The door of the ward was pushed open. Liam and L did not care. They could not wait to enter the intensive care unit! On the hospital bed! Bruce was still lying lifelessly. There was a venttor in his nose, an IV drip in his left arm, and a nutrient solution in his right arml His chest was connected to an electrocardiogram and a catheter. It was clear that he was on the verge of death. ¡°Look, what did I say? Mr. Everett won¡¯t wake up at all. You¡¯re taking care of Bruce now because you want to control his This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. empire! Let me tell you. No way will that happen!¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more furious. ¡°He¡¯s still breathing. He¡¯s still conscious. He¡¯ll definitely wake up!¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, he¡¯s your nephew. I believe you hope he wakes up! If you take him away now, you¡¯ll risk his life!¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Joanna, I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re saying! Bruce is my nephew. Of course, I want him to be well! ¡°I¡¯m picking him up now to find a better hospital. I don¡¯t want to watch him die!¡± When Joanna heard this, she sternly rejected it, saying. ¡°No, he¡¯s seriously injured now. He can¡¯t be transferred!¡± ¡°You think we can¡¯t do it just because you say so? Let me tell you, Bruce has no parents, no siblings, and no other rtives. Now that his life is in danger, all his funeral matters should be handled by his uncle!¡± *Don¡¯t say anything else. No matter what you do, I won¡¯t let him transfer to another hospital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not up to you. We can¡¯t put Bruce¡¯s life in your hands¡­¡± Liam and L said aggressively. When she turned around, she suddenly saw Bruce¡¯s eyes open. Chapter 622 Chapter 622 His eyes were dark and sullen. They looked empty. He looked like an average person who had opened his eyes and was lying on the bed ¡°Aaah ¡°L was so frightened she hastily backed up a few steps as also ambfounded The nerves at the corner of his lips twitched uncontrobly. Ahh Bruce You¡¯re awake aken his uncle seriously. let alone his aunt, who wo about his age Bruce had nev They had the nerve to be arrogani because they believed Bruce would die. Now that he had woken up, they were scared out of their wits. When Bruce lost his temper, no one could stand up to him. Right now, he would have been particrly annoyed by his uncle It was likely that Mr and Mrs. Miller wouldpletely disappear from Greyport after causing such a stir Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. She rushed forward to check ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re awake! Are you awake? I knew you would wake up.¡± As Joanna spoke, she hugged him excitedly. Her eyes instantly turned red Thest few days were tough, and she was on the verge of breaking down. Thank goodness Bruce was finally awake. When Bruce came to his senses, Joanna quickly called for the doctor outside ¡°Doctor,e in quickly. The patient is awake¡± When the hospital director and Mr. yton heard this, they rushed in to take a look As expected. Bruce¡¯s eyes had already opened when they entered the ward ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s eyes are open. That¡¯s great. It means that he¡¯s recovering well. Let¡¯s quickly give him another detailed physical examination to see how much consciousness Mr. Everett has regained?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go prepare the equipment now¡± The other doctors rushed into action. ¡°You can leave now!¡± Liam saw this and broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Ah, this ¡± ¡°Since Bruce is awake, that¡¯s great. We well leave L was so frightened that her face turned pale She stammered, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. As long as Mr. Everett is fine, we are relieved¡± Without the slightest hesitation, the two scurried out of the ward like rabbits. In the past. L would have needed the courage to show her face before Bruce. Now that he was awake, she was even more frightened Joanna looked at the doctor excitedly and worriedly ¡°Doctor, how is he? Will he wake up soon?¡± Ten minutester. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The doctor finished examining Bruce Jordan¡¯s tone was solemn ¡°Uh. Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be too optimistic! Mr. Everett opening his eyes was just a conditioned ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean that he has regained consciousness Sometimes, the human nerves will react on their owns. It was a normal physiological phenomenon¡± Tve just examined Mr. Everett He hasn¡¯t regained consciousness yet. In medical terms, he¡¯s not awake¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s all it was Joanna heard this and felt disappointed again! She had just seen Bruce open his eyes She was thrilled and thought he had woken up. After the doctor¡¯s exnation, her heart sank again. But it was good. At least it scared off the couple. Honestly, she did how to deal with them. Joanna, don¡¯t be discouraged. This is also a good ugn. It proves that Mr. Everett s nerve activity is very high. There will be other physiological reactionster on Drooling and crying for example, are all normal physiological reaction¡± Joanna listened to the doctor¡¯s exnation, and her eyespletely dimmed ¡°Doctor, when will he wake up?¡± Jordan frowned. ¡°I¡¯s hard to say Mr Everett¡¯s brain has already absorbed the umted blood. However, the damage (i his brain is severe. He needs to be treated slowly and recover slowly.¡± ¡°Even if Mr. Everett wakes up, it¡¯s probably going to be¡­.¡± ¡°What do you reckon?¡± Jordan took a deep breath and said solemnly. ¡°I just exined that Mr. Everett underwent a craniotomy. No matter how sessful the surgery was, there is no way to avoid damaging some of the nerves in the brain.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s brain would probably still be affected, causing some after-effects. When Joanna heard this, her heart sank again. She asked worriedly. ¡°What after-effects will there be?¡± ¡°Usually, a loss of memory. It¡¯s also possible that his intelligence will decline. We can only confirm everything when Mr. Everett wakes up.¡± ¡­Alright! I understand.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll head out then. The doctor did not say anything else. He packed up his equipment and left the ward. After the doctors left. Joanna sadly sat beside Bruce. She gently stroked his cheek. ¡°Bruce, when will you wake up?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t wake up soon, I won¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.¡± Joanna then held his hand and gently turned it. She gave him a massage and moved his knuckles. Then, she ced his hand on her stomach. ¡°Our baby is almost three months bulging. She was gradually showing signs of pregnancy. ¡°Bruce, can you wake up so and will be moving soon. Don¡¯t you want to hear it?¡± Joanna¡¯s abdomen was slightly Look, as soon as something happened to you, everyone rushed to abuse us. Do you want us to be harassed? Please wake up; you need to protect us.¡± Bruce closed his eyes again and returned to his previous lifeless appearance. On the other side! Kensley was still overwhelmed and anxious. Three more days went by. If Marlowe didn¡¯t take action soon, he would run out of time. Since the fire at the hospital and the chaotic arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Miller, Joanna tightened security and brought more bodyguards to guard the hospital. He could not find any opportunity to attack.. Early in the morning. Kensley came to her office as usual. On the surface, she looked calm and collected, but deep down, her thoughts were scrambling. Just as she began to feel anxious. The director¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the office. ¡°The gene regeneration shot is here. Hurry up and inject Mr. Everett.¡± Jordan quickly replied, ¡°Alright, Director¡­¡± When Kensley heard this, she quickly stood up and left the office. ¡°Wow, Director, what does this gene regeneration shot do?¡± Mr. yton and a few other specialists had already brought over the frozen box containing the gene regeneration shots, This gene regeneration shot was a high-tech extraction of active gene cells. It had to be imported because the local medical technology had not yet advanced to that level. ¡°Why is it so expensive?¡± Because the expiration date will be in two days. Extracting one dose required thousands of living organisms. Moreover, because the expiration period was so short, there was no way to mass-produce it. It had to be stored in the cold storage box because it took more than ten hours to transport it from Melta. This type of treatment was not something ordinary people could afford because it was worth over 20 dors per shot. ¡°We need to inject Mr. Everett now. Hurry up and prepare. ¡°It¡¯s ready. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Jordan and the nurse were about to give Bruce the injection. Kensley hurriedly chased after him. ¡°Mr. yton, Mr. yton, please wait a moment.¡± ¡°What is the matter?¡± Kensley smiled awkwardly and subconsciously looked at the cooler. ¡°Um, is the gene regeneration shot inside?¡± Jordan nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Jordan, I have a request. I¡­ Can I watch from the side and see how you operate? After all, I¡¯ve never personally used such an expensive medicine on a patient!¡±, When Jordan heard that, he had no doubts and nodded without thinking. ¡°Yes, sure.¡± After all, they were all colleagues, and Kensley was also someone he had taught. It was a legitimate request for him to learn and observe. ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, Mr. yton. Thank you, Mr. yton.¡± Kensley bowed three times in a row with a grateful. expression. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all colleagues. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± At the intensive care unit. Jordan led Kensley and four nurses to Bruce¡¯s ward. ¡°Get the syringe.¡± ¡°Disinfect. Rx his muscles.¡± When the nurse heard that, she quickly took out iodine and disinfected the ce where Bruce was going to be injected. Jordan and a few other experts carefully opened the cooler and operated it meticulously. That was over 200 thousand dors apiece! If they identally spilled it, there was no way they could pay for it. Soon, Jordan sucked the liquid into a special syringe and injected it into Bruce concentratedly. Kensley stood at the side and watched in a daze. He hoped Jordan¡¯s hand would tremble and identally inject the liquid into Bruce¡¯s muscles. Unfortunately, he knew that was impossible. Jordan had been a doctor for so many years. It was impossible for him to make such a low-level mistake. ¡°When you inject the patient in the future, you must remember that the syringe must be inserted into the vein. There can¡¯t be any mistakes, or the patient¡¯s life will be in danger¡­¡± Upon hearing that, a thought shed across Kensley¡¯s mind, and light gradually gathered under his eyes. Although he couldn¡¯t mess things up and couldn¡¯t touch Bruce, he could tamper with the syringe. That kind of gic regeneration cell was actually a kind of poison. If it was injected into the muscles instead of the blood, it would produce a chemical reaction, causing the patient¡¯s entire body to stiffen and suffocate to death. ¡°The injection isplete. The few of you, pay attention to the patient¡¯s vital signs.¡± The head nurse nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. yton!¡± Jordan did not notify anything else. He casually said to Kensley, ¡°Then let¡¯s go out.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Kensley quickly hid the gloominess in his eyes and followed Jordan out. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve learned it, right? It¡¯s actually very simple. It¡¯s not much different from ordinary injections. It¡¯s just that you have to be especially careful¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Mr. yton! I¡¯ll treat you to a meal another day.¡± ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. We¡¯re all colleagues.¡± Kensley smiled shyly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to the office first. Let¡¯s eat together another day.¡± ¡°Okay, okay Kensley returned to the office. His mind was racing again. How could he get his hands on those special syringes? ¡°How can I get those syringes and put them back without anyone knowing?¡± Kensley thought about it for an entire morning, but he still had no clue. Those special syringes were all in the infirmary and were personally kept by the head nurse. When they were needed, the head nurse would go and get them. If he rashly asked for those syringes, it would definitely arouse the head nurse¡¯s suspicion. Moreover, he still had to tamper with the syringes before putting them back. It would be even more difficult not to be discovered. At noon. Kensley was thinking uneasily. The office door was suddenly pushed open and the head nurse stuck her head in. ¡°Doctor Leach, it¡¯s time for lunch.¡± Every day during lunch, the head nurse woulde over and warmly call out to him. Kensley was stunned and stared at the head nurse. The head nurse was a woman in herte forties. She was short and plump, and her facial features were not very good-looking. However, she had a cheerful personality and was happy with everyone. Especially towards Kensley, she was even more enthusiastic. Sometimes, he wondered if the head nurse was interested in him. However, there was a ten-year gap between their ages. Moreover, they were both married. Therefore, although he had suspected it, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But now¡­ Perhaps he could try a honey trap. ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Kensley¡¯s eyes were filled with mncholy as he looked at the head nurse very sincerely. The head nurse was stunned. She looked at Kensley in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kensley forced a smile and braced himself. ¡°I. I want to ask you out for a meal!¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me out for dinner?¡± The head nurse¡¯s eyes lit up, and her cheeks turned slightly red! ¡°Yes! Can I?¡± The head nurse chuckled again. ¡°Doctor Leach, what¡¯s wrong? Why did you suddenly think of asking me out for a meal?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just¡­ not in a good mood. I want to talk to someone!¡± ¡°Did you quarrel with your wife?¡± The head nurse¡¯s eyes were filled with concern. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Kensley got an idea when he heard that. He was even more certain that the head nurse was indeed interested in him. In particr, the head nurse¡¯s husband had been paralyzed for many years, and she had had no sexual life. On the other hand, Kensley looked decent and had a strong figure. A middle-aged woman whocked sexual life faced such a handsome young man every day. Even if she could not get him, she was still pleased. Now that the handsome young man had taken the initiative to ask her out for a meal, her heart fluttered even more. ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t mention it. I can¡¯t go on anymore. I think¡­ we¡¯re going to get a divorce soon.¡± Kensley deliberately said in disappointment, looking sad and lonely. Generally, men who wanted to cheat would describe their marriage as all kinds of misfortunes, thus attracting the sympathy of women. But in reality, that was simply a trick they used to deal with their prey. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you after work tonight.¡± Kensley gave the head nurse an ambiguous smile. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± The head nurse¡¯s ears turned slightly red, and a hint of a young girl¡¯s shyness appeared on her face. After all, it had been a long time since a man had asked her out for a meal. Moreover, it was a handsome young man who was ten years younger than her. At half past six in the evening, the head nurse finally got off work. After changing her clothes, she specially put on some light makeup. Kensley was already waiting in the parking lot. When he saw the head nurse, he quickly got out of the car and opened the door for her like a gentleman. ¡°Get in the car.¡± The head nurse smiled shyly and got into the passenger seat. ¡°Not bad, Mr. Leach. You¡¯re already driving a BMW.¡± Kensley stuiled awkwardly. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s second-hand. It didn¡¯t cost much.¡± The head nurse looked around the car and said, ¡°No way. This car looks quite new. It doesn¡¯t look secondhand.¡± Kensley¡¯s eyes shed, but he did not reply. He extorted nine million dors from Roxanne. After buying the house, he bought a BMW. He originally wanted to buy a more expensive car, but he had to go to work every day. He did not dare to buy a top-notch car to avoid attracting attention. However, that was already enviable enough. ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡± ¡°Anything is fine. You¡¯re in charge.¡± Kensley suppressed his unwillingness and suggested. ¡°Then let¡¯s go have seafood.¡± When the head nurse heard that, she looked at Kensley in shock. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that too expensive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to treat you to a meal. So be it.¡± ¡°Haha, did Doctor Leach strike it rich?¡± Kensley smiled awkwardly. ¡°Tve wanted to treat you to a meal for a long time, but I never had the chance.¡± and The head nurse did not refuse. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on with your wife? Your wife is very beautiful! She¡¯s young capable.¡± When Kensley heard that, he quickly picked up the conversation and poured out his grievances. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. She¡¯s just a pretty face. She doesn¡¯t know how to be considerate to men at all. Her temper Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. is so bad, and she doesn¡¯t know how to do anything.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not as gentle and understanding as you. Whoever marries you is really lucky.¡± When the head nurse heard that, her face turned even redder. It had been a long time since someone had praised her like that. Twenty minutester, Kensley brought the head nurse to a high-end sushi bar. Eating sushi meant that apart from them being expensive, the quantity was also extremely small. That was especially the case in that kind of high-end sushi bar. Two people would not spend less than a couple hundred dors. ¡°Come, you must eat well today¡± Kensley deliberately ordered the most expensive seafood set meal. There were king crabs, geoducks, Australian dragon sashimi, and special oysters. Looking at the table full of expensive seafood, the head nurse was dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t eaten before, but she didn¡¯t expect to treat her to such an expensive meal. She thought it was just a few dishes. She didn¡¯t expect it to be so expensive. ¡°Bring another bottle of red wine!¡± The head nurse quickly shook her head to stop him. ¡°No, you have to driveter. Don¡¯t order anymore¡­¡± ¡°How can that do? Without red wine, I feel like I¡¯mcking something!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drink. You have to driveter!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. At most, we¡¯ll take a taxi back.¡± Then, Kensley ordered another bottle of Lafite¡­ ¡°Cheers, Mary¡± When the head nurse heard him call her name, her face turned even redder. ¡°Cheers!¡± An hourter, after finishing a bottle of red wine. Kensley ordered another bottle of sake. ¡°I can¡¯t drink anymore. I really can¡¯t¡± ¡°Apany me? Have another drink with me One ss after another¡­ Kensley continuously chugged the head nurse! The two of them drank from eight o¡¯clock until ten o¡¯clock. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. They should be closing up. We really should go back -Kensley stood up unsteadily. ¡°Oh, alright then!¡± After settling the bill, the two of them walked out of the sushi bar drunk. ¡°Mr. Leach, you can¡¯t drive. Let me take you home!¡± ¡°Mary, I don¡¯t want to go home. I don¡¯t want to go home. I¡¯d rather face you than my wife!¡± Kensley said as he hugged her shoulder under the influence of alcohol. The head nurse was even more confused and didn¡¯t refuse. She eximed, ¡°Mr. Leach, you¡¯re really drunk!¡¯ Kensley repeated, ¡°Anyway, we can go anywhere. I just don¡¯t want to go home!¡± ¡°Yes, I have an apartment nearby. Why don¡¯t you go there and rest for a while to sober up before going home?¡± *Alright!¡± Soon, the head nurse took him to an apartment nearby. Although the head nurse¡¯s marriage was unfortunate, her career was very smooth. As the head nurse of thergest hospital in Greyport, her sry and employee benefits were very decent. Hence, she even bought an apartment here and asionally went back to stay! Back at the apartment. ¡°Mary, like you!¡± ¡°Doctor Leach, you¡¯re really drunk.¡± Kensley took the opportunity while he was drunk and pushed the head nurse onto the bed. The head nurse was half-reluctant. She had not slept with someone for many years and was actually looking forward to it. Anyway, she was so many years older than him. Even if she did that with him, she did not feel she had been taken advantage of Kensley fully activated his honey trap and used all his techniques. After an intense night¡­. The head nurse had never felt so satisfied before. Her throat hurt from shouting.. She was subdued by Kensley¡­. Chapter 625 Chapter 625 When he woke up in the morning, Kensley pretended to look guilty and apologized to the head nurse, ¡°Mary, I¡¯m sorry. L¡­ I was drunkst night!¡± The head nurse looked shy as she snuggled into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t felt like this in a long time. Kensley, you¡¯re amazing. As she spoke, the head nurse was as shy as a young girl and covered her head with the nket. Kensley frowned slightly and felt disgusted. He had tried his best to get himself half-drunk the day before. Otherwise, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything when facing a middle-aged woman like the head nurse. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t me me. L.. really like you too much, so¡­ Kensley stammered as he coaxed the head nurse. Only by coaxing her would he have a way to tamper with the needle. Otherwise, he would never do it with a woman who was more than ten years older than him. The head nurse smiled shyly. She believed that Kensley liked her. She said considerately, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ruin your family. I¡¯m already very happy that we can go out for a date asionally.¡± Kensley smiled at her and kissed her cheek. ¡°Mary, you¡¯re so nice¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s almost time to go to work.¡± The two of them cuddled on the bed for a while before getting up to freshen up. When he washed up. Kensley¡¯s waist was extremely sore, and his legs were a little weak as well. In order to impress the head nurse, he put in a lot of effort. After washing up, it was almost time for work They got on the way to the hospital. Beep, beep, beep! Kensley¡¯s phone rang Kensley panicked and quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello, baby.¡± His wife¡¯s gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello, hubby!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe backst night?¡± ¡°Oh, there was an emergency surgeryst night thatsted until thetter half of the night. I was afraid I would disturb your sleep, so I snuggled up in the office and didn¡¯t go home.¡± ¡°Is that so? That must be tough, right?¡± Kensley¡¯s wife did not suspect anything else. After all, her husband was the associate chief surgeon and often worked overtime to perform surgeries. ¡°Oh, a little!¡± ¡°So where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out to buy some breakfast. After that, I¡¯ll go back to the hospital.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± After hanging up, Kensley heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt a little guilty. Fortunately, his wife was more innocent and believed his words without a doubt. Any suspicious woman would not be fooled so easily. The head nurse was a little jealous. ¡°Your wife called to check on you?¡± Kensley reacted and quickly changed his expression. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m so annoyed. She is so controlling and doesn¡¯t understand how tiring it is for a man to earn money to support his family. You¡¯re still the best. You have a career and a job. You¡¯re independent and won¡¯t burden a man.¡± Those words hit the nail on the head. The only thing the head nurse could offer was her financial independence. ¡°Let the take you to work.¡± ¡°Put me down at the intersection ahead. Don¡¯t let your colleagues see you, lest others gossip. It won¡¯t be good for you.¡± ¡°Mary, you¡¯re so sweet.¡± ¡°This is nothing.¡± At the intersection, Kensley stopped the car by the roadside. ¡°Then Ill get off first¡­¡± Seeing the head nurse was about to get out of the car, Kensley pretended to recall something ¡®Oh right, Mary, you are the one who looks after the syringe for the gene regeneration shot, right?¡± The head nurse nodded. ¡°Yes! Why?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just asking.¡± ¡°I saw Mr. yton operating it yesterday and saw that this syringe is different from other syringes. I¡¯m a little curious.¡± ¡°Uh, can I take a look? I want to study it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to study about syringes?¡± The head nurse was puzzled. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I watch how Mr. yton injected it yesterday? I still want to study it carefully and see if there are any other breakthroughs.¡± ¡°If we encounter such patients in the future, we can also help¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. When the head nurse heard that, she smiled in praise. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s great. Here, have the key. Go take a look yourself!¡± As she spoke, the head nurse took out the key from her pocket and handed it to Kensley. Seeing that, Kensley was overjoyed and quickly took the key. ¡°Remember to give me the key after you¡¯re done studying it. Don¡¯t let anyone know.¡± ¡°Well, Mary, you¡¯re very kind, Kensley said and kissed her on the forehead again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get off first¡± At noon. Kensley arrived at the infirmary. The nurses on duty had all gone, and there was no one guarding it Soon, Kensley opened the box containing the syringes. There were ten syringes inside. Kensley took out all of them. Then, he used a special small iron hook to drill a small hole in the middle of the syringe. Since the needle was thin, the hole could not be seen with the naked eye. In that way, the medicine would seep into the muscles through the small hole when injecting the patient. If Bruce dies, people would only think that Jordan made a mistake. No one would suspect that someone had tampered with the needle. After doing that, Kensley prayed in his heart that nothing would go wrong again. After returning to the office, Kensley¡¯s heart was pounding fast. He still could not suppress his nervousness. Just as he was feeling uneasy, the door was pushed open with a click. The head nurse sneaked in. ¡°Doctor Leach.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡± The head nurse blushed and said shyly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just came to see you.¡± Kensley forced a smile on his face. ¡°Here¡¯s the key!¡± ¡°Are you done with the research so soon? The head nurse felt like a young girl in love. She went around to his side and flirted with him. Although Kensley was disgusted, he could not kick her out immediately. He could only bite the bullet and brush her off. The two of them were fooling around ambiguously. The office door was opened again. Kensley¡¯s wife happened to arrive with a lunch box in her hand. ¡°Hubby¡­¡± She pushed open the office door and happened to see Kensley flirting with the head nurse. Seeing that, Kensley immediately pushed the head nurse away and looked at his wife nervously. ¡°Wifey, why are you here?¡± ¡°You worked overtime for the surgeryst night. I specially made soup for you.¡± As she spoke, Kensley¡¯s pregnant wife walked in. Kensley quickly got up to support his wife. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for you to move now. Don¡¯t run around.¡± The head nurse was even more embarrassed. Her expression changed, and she felt guilty. ¡°Well, you guys chat first. I¡¯ll go out first.¡± After the head nurse left, Kensley¡¯s wife was still suspicious. ¡°Tubby, why is she here? What were you doing just now?¡± Kensley tried his best to suppress the panic in his heart and pretended to be rxed as he said, ¡°The head nurse is like this. She mixes well with everyone. None of us treat her as a woman. She¡¯s just a tomboy.¡± ¡°Is it so?¡± Chapter 626 Chapter 626 ¡°What do you mean by that? You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Kensley deliberately pulled a long face. When his wife heard that, she frowned. She also felt that she was overthinking. After all, she was young, beautiful, and had a good figure. On the other hand, the head nurse was just a short, fat, middle-aged woman. She didn¡¯t believe her husband was flirting with such a woman. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about her anymore. Hurry up and drink the soup. It won¡¯t taste good when it gets cold¡± His wife opened the thermos box and gently and considerately scooped a bowl of chicken This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. soup for him. Kensley knew when to stop. ¡°Thank you, honey!¡± The next day. Kensley arrived at the hospital early in the morning. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be able toplete the mission. Marlowe promised to give him 20 million dors as a reward for Bruce¡¯s death. At that time, he would take the money and live abroad with his wife. ¡°Please, God, don¡¯t let anything happen again.¡± On second thought, heforted himself. ¡°No, there won¡¯t be any idents.¡± At nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Jordan¡¯s voice finally came from the office next door. ¡°Bring the gene regeneration shot for today. Hurry up and prepare to inject Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. yton!¡± The gene regeneration shots had to be shipped over from Melta every day as the expiration period was only two days. It took more than ten hours to send them over. Therefore, they did not dare to dy for a moment. When Kensley heard the sounds outside, he felt even more uneasy. His hand that was holding the pen was trembling with nervousness. Half an hourter, Jordan had already injected Bruce. Kensley waited quietly in the office, waiting for the bad news from Bruce. However, there was no urgent news from the hospital until the afternoon. The various departments were busy with their own work.. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I clearly did something to the needle. As long as it is injected, the medicine will definitely leak ipro the muscles. It¡¯s impossible for Bruce to be fine.¡± Although he had never injected the patient with a gene regeneration shot, he knew the characteristics of that shot. If it was identally injected into a person¡¯s muscles, it would cause death in less than two hours Of course, the effect of the needle was also very powerful. It could promote the regeneration of new genes in the human body. No matter how serious the illness was, it would be very effective. It could cure many cancer patients. A single injection would kill most cancer cells. ¡°What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s been five hours and there¡¯s still no movement.¡± ¡°How is this possible? This is absolutely impossible! What went wrong?¡± Kemsley sat restlessly in his office, sweating profusely. Bang! Bang! Bang! There was a knock on the door. ¡®Come in The head nurse pushed open the door and stuck her head in ¡°Doctor Leach!¡± She felt she was deeply infatuated with the strong and handsome young man. Not seeing him for a moment felt like ages ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up?¡± The head nurse nced at his forehead and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why is your forehead covered in sweat!¡± ¡°Oh, the weather is a little stuffy. I can¡¯t stand the heat¡­ The head nurse said with a pained expression, ¡°Really? Look, you don¡¯t even turn on the air conditioner. As she spoke, she was about to turn on the air conditioner. ¡°There¡¯s no need to turn it on. I¡­ I¡¯m a little cold now!¡± The head nurse asked in confusion, ¡°Are you a little cold or hot?¡± ¡°Ah! Maybe I didn¡¯t rest well¡­¡± Kensley said perfunctorily in a panic. When the head nurse heard that, she smiled sweetly. Recalling the madness the night before, she couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°That¡¯s true. Take good care of your health.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Hey, by the way, did Mr. yton inject Mr. Everett with a gene regeneration shot today?¡± The head nurse nodded. ¡°He did¡¯ Why are you suddenly asking this out of the blue?¡± Kensley¡¯s eyes narrowed subconsciously. ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I was just asking!¡± Kensley quickly went to the medical trash bin and searched everywhere for the medical waste disposed of that day! He found the syringe that Mr. yton had injected! He examined it carefully. The syringe was actually intact. He had not tampered with it. ¡°Strange, I clearly tampered with the syringe. Why is this syringe intact?¡± Thinking of that, ayer of cold sweat appeared on Kensley¡¯s back. ¡°Could it be that someone found out? Impossible, this is definitely impossible!¡± The more Kensley thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He quickly went to the nurse¡¯s station to look for the head nurse. He wanted to ask what was going on. Had the syringe been discovered? Chapter 627 Chapter 627 At the nurses¡¯ station. The head nurse was smiling brightly and chatting with a few young nurses. ¡°Doctor Leach, what¡¯s the matter?¡± A few young nurses greeted Kensley sweetly when they saw him. ¡°Uh, I have something on with Mary. Come with me to the office.¡± When the head nurse heard that, the smile on her face became even more shy. She pretended to be rxed and replied, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m busy now. I¡¯ll be there in a while.¡± ¡°Yes, okay,¡± Kensley replied casually and returned to the office with worries. Ten minutester, the head nurse came into his office. ¡°Kensley, why are you looking for me? Did you miss me?¡± As soon as the head nurse entered his office, she closed the door. Then, she walked to his side and hugged his waist coquettishly. Kensley was flustered and pushed her hand away stifly. ¡°Mary, I want to ask you something!¡± Seeing his worried expression, the head nurse said, ¡°Oh, tell me!¡± The syringe of the gene regeneration shot. I¡­ I¡¯d like to study it some more.¡± He wanted to see which part had gone wrong. When the head nurse heard that, she heaved a sigh of relief. She took a medical bag from her clothes bag and handed it to Kensley. She said ingratiatingly, ¡°Haha, I knew you would want to study it. Here, I¡¯ve already taken it out for you.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re going to study it, you should study it thoroughly. What results can you get from just taking a look? Here, these are all for you. Take them back and study them slowly.¡± Looking at the bag of syringes, Kensley waspletely stunned. He casually flipped through it.. That¡¯s right. They were the ones that he had tampered with Unexpectedly, the head nurse brought them to him again. ¡°You¡­ Why did you take out these syringes?¡± Kensley was instantly enraged. His eyes revealed a murderous glint. The head nurse was shocked and stammered, ¡°To give it to you to study!¡± When Kensley heard that, he was even more dumbfounded. His eyes were bloodshot. Who the hell wanted to study the syringe of a gene regeneration shot? The stupid woman had ruined his ns! Thinking about how he had sacrificed his body for it, he was so angry that he wanted to strangle her to death. ¡°You were the one who said that you wanted to study how to inject this gene regeneration shot. How can you practice injection once or twice? Therefore, I took it out for you to study carefully so that you will have a greater advantage when promoting¡­ When Kensley heard that, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He had put in a lot of effort and finally came up with an idea. He did not even hesitate to sell himself and used a honey trap! He did not expect to fail on the verge of sess. ¡°You, you¡­¡± Kensley gritted his teeth in anger. However, he suppressed his anger and did not dare to vent it. The head nurse looked kind. ¡°Kensley, what¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you say that you were interested in this? I want to help you!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡ª ¡°Besides, these syringes have already been exposed. We can¡¯t let Mr. Everett use them again!¡± When Kensley heard that, his eyes instantly widened. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is a special personnel, so we have to be very careful with every step. If anything happens, I won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility. Therefore, as long as the packaging of the medical equipment is removed, we can¡¯t let Mr. Everett use it!¡± The head nurse answered seriously! Although she was immersed in the excitement that Kensley gave her, she still had to be meticulous in her job. Therefore, when she saw that the packaging of the needles had been removed, she gave it to Kensley and not keeping it for Bruce¡¯s usage. Squatting on the chair, Kensley waspletely speechless. There were only two days left before the time limit Marlowe gave him. In those two days, he really couldn¡¯t think of any other way to make Bruce die without anyone knowing. ¡°Kensley, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the matter? You can tell me.¡± Kensley replied impatiently, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. You can leave now.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I asked you to leave.¡± Kensley still could not hold back his anger. The head nurse was stunned but didn¡¯t dare to continue asking. She could only turn around and leave the office. ¡°What should I do? It¡¯s almost time!¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t kill Bruce Everett, I¡¯m going to be killed.¡± Kensley rubbed his hair in frustration and anxiety. ¡°No, I¡¯m still thinking of a way! There are still two days left. I can¡¯t wait! I have to think of a new way¡­¡± At the intensive care unit. Joanna came in to talk to Bruce again. ¡°Bruce, Lilia has alreadypleted the school admission procedures.¡± ¡°When the summer vacation is over, she will go to a private girls¡¯ elementary school to study. Oh, right. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to apany Lilia to Gaprington for corrective surgery?¡± ¡°Lilia is six and a half years old this year. She¡¯s about to turn seven. The doctor said the effect won¡¯t be that good if they perform the surgery after she¡¯s seven years old. ¡°You love Lilia so much. Do you want to wake up quickly? Let¡¯s bring our daughter to Gaprington for corrective surgery. Isn¡¯t your greatest wish to see Lilia stand up?¡± Joanna said as she gently massaged the muscles and joints of Bruce¡¯s limbs. There were many fractures in his body. Fortunately, he had been unconscious and did not have to worry about moving around. Coupled with the injection of the gene regeneration shots every day, the external injuries on his body recovered very quickly. Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Although he had been in aa for nearly a month, he was well taken care of. Therefore, the ¡°Touch my belly. The child is kicking me!¡± As Joanna spoke, she gently ced his hand on her stomach and let him feel the child. Actually, she was only three months pregnant now, so there was no fetal movement. She just wanted to say more words to agitate him so that he could wake up quickly. ¡°Did you feel it? Is the child moving? The child even told you that you should wake up quickly! We all need you!¡± Bruce was still lying quietly without any reaction. A few days ago, he could still open his eyes from time to time and needed to keep giving him eye drops to moisten them. Joanna rambled on for more than ten minutes. Then she found it was almost time to go out. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll go out first!¡± After saying that, Joanna gently covered him with a nket and left the ward. As soon as she walked out of the ward, Darcy walked over. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, Gael just called you.¡± ¡°Oh, got it.¡± Joanna immediately picked up the phone and called Gael back. Gael quickly picked up the phone. ¡°Hello, Mrs! Joanna.¡± ¡°Hello, Gael, why did you call just now?¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna, Lilia¡¯s enrollment is fully implemented. Irvin and Davian¡¯s admission qualifications have beenpleted. When the summer vacation is over, they can enroll. ¡°Got it!¡± Gael continued, ¡°The Everett mansion¡¯s courtyard and basement need maintenance!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Well, next month is Mrs. Margaret¡¯s death day. Since Mr. Everett has be like this, I am afraid that he can¡¯t go to worship. Are you going to worship instead of him?¡± Indeed, she should pay her respects in ce of Bruce, but she was pregnant now. It was not suitable for her to do such a thing. Besides, she had to take care of Bruce and could not leave for too long. ¡°Gael, I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t leave the hospital for long. Please go and pay your respects!¡± Gael hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Gael hesitated. ¡°Gael, what¡¯s wrong? If you have something to say, just say it.¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna, I heard that Mr. Lurk is selling the Belle Building under the Everett Group. ¡°Although this building is under his name, the actual property rights belong to the Everett Group. Mr. Lurk is obviously trying to pocket money.¡± ¡°What? Sell the Belle Building?¡± Joanna was shocked. Gael said solemnly, ¡°In the past month, Mr. Lurk has been trying to cash out as interim president. ¡°If this continues, the Everett Group will probably be hollowed out. And the other shareholders are also doing the same. They¡¯re all thinking of ways to cash out.¡± Joanna frowned, and her eyes darkened. Bruce was now in trouble, and his life was in danger. The shareholders of the Everett Group took the opportunity to make their own profits. In particr, a few cunning shareholders were probably in cahoots with each other to gain benefits. ¡°I understand.¡± Alright then! That¡¯s all. Mrs. Joanna, you should think about coping measures and not always be immersed in grief.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up, Joanna was even more worried. Her brows furrowed, and her face was covered with a dark cloud. Back then, when she was managing the Haynes Group, she only had Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul under her. However, she was still in a bit of a tricky situation. Now, the Everett Group had almost 20 shareholders. Being of the same generation as Bruce¡¯s grandpa, some of them always took advantage of their seniority. Other than Bruce, no one else could suppress them. Bruce had a fiery temper and was domineering. Moreover, his methods were ruthless, bold, and he had a strong desire for revenge. Whoever dared to go against him would be courting death. He subdued these old fellows with force. In the past, Bruce¡¯s parents died early. Without any siblings, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and inherit the family business. When he first took over as the president of the Everett Group, he was not even 20 years old. These old shareholders were naturally unconvinced and did not take him seriously at all. If Bruce had taken a step back, there would not be the leadingpany today. The Everett Group would have been divided up long ago. Unexpectedly, with his investment vision, he doubled the profits of the Everett Group a year. Whoever dared to disobey would immediately be kicked out. He definitely wouldn¡¯t show any mercy. After more than ten years, Bruce got these old fellows wrapped around his finger. Now that Bruce was in trouble, all of them lost control. Joanna sighed deeply and muttered to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know when Bruce will wake up. Even if he wakes up, I¡¯m afraid he` won¡¯t be able to get back to work immediately. ¡°When his bodypletely recovers, the Everett Group will probably be hollowed out.¡± Joanna was not greedy. However, the Everett Group was Bruce¡¯s asset, and it would be her children¡¯s asset in the future. She could not let others takey away what belonged to her children. Joanna thought about it and still went to the doctor¡¯s office. She wanted to confirm Bruce¡¯s recovery. ¡°Jordan, how is Bruce now?¡± When Jordan heard this, his expression was not as grave as before. ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett is currently out of danger. ¡°After another week of observation, if there are noplications or other factors, he can be transferred to a normal ward. ¡°This is already very rare. It¡¯s a medical miracle. Miss Haynes, don¡¯t be too anxious. Based on Mr. Everett¡¯s recovery, he might really wake up.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. How long will it take for him to wake up?¡± Jordan frowned. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure for now. But Mr. Everett is basically out of danger. ¡°As for whether or not he can wake up, and when he can wake up, it¡¯s still unknown. I can¡¯t guarantee it for you. ¡°However, ording to Mr. Everett¡¯s current recovery, it¡¯s very likely that he will wake up in half a year. It might also be three to five years. ¡°There are simr cases overseas. One racer was in aa for six years. Originally, the doctor advised his family to agree to euthanize the patient, but his wife was unwilling to give up treatment. ¡°She insisted on treating her husband. After being in aa for six years, he finally recovered.¡± As Jordan spoke, he subconsciously adjusted his sses and said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s current situation is very simr to that racer¡¯s.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart sank again. Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Six years¡­ It was really a long time. Although she was willing to wait, the Everett Group might be unable to afford it. Moreover, it was not urate. It might be even longer. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± After returning to the door of the ward, Joanna looked gloomy. Seeing this, Darcy couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern, ¡°Miss Haynes, are you worried about Mr. Everett?¡± Joanna nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± Darcy had been following Bruce for more than ten years. Darcy was his mentor and friend. Although Bruce was his boss, Darcy taught him boxing in private. Bruce learned very quickly and was almost on par with Darcy. Now that something had happened to Bruce, there was no one who could exchange blows with him. Therefore, Darcy really hoped that Bruce would recover as soon as possible. ¡°I think that since Mr. Everett is out of danger, Miss Haynes, you should rece him in charge of thepany ¡°Me?¡± Joanna subconsciously looked at Darcy. Darcy nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no better one than you now. Besides, other than you, I¡¯m afraid no one is truly on the same side as Mr. Everett. ¡°Moreover, you¡¯ve been in charge of the Everett Group before, and you¡¯ve also been the acting president. It¡¯s perfect for you to take over thepany temporarily. I think Mr. Everett will definitely be willing to let you take over thepany.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard that. Even if she was willing, those old fellows would probably not be willing. After all, people were realistic. Who wouldn¡¯t want to fish for more benefits? Now, many mercenary people were eying the Everett Group. Under such circumstances, no one would show mercy to others. ¡°But I¡¯m still worried about Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor say that Mr. Everett¡¯s life is no longer in danger? As for when he will wake up? There¡¯s no guarantee at all. We have to wait! ¡°Maybe three to five years, maybe ten to eight years. If no one manages the Everett Group, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Darcy suddenly stopped. Even Darcy didn¡¯t say it, but Joanna knew the stakes. ¡°Darcy, you¡¯re right! I do want to protect his family business on behalf of Bruce.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you think that way! ¡°After all, we still have to move forward. Even if Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t wake up, you need to lead your This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. children to protect the Everett Group.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression darkened, and a resolute glint appeared in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. I do want to manage thepany for him. I won¡¯t allow anyone to take away what belongs to him. ¡°After Bruce is out of danger and transferred to a normal ward, I¡¯m going to thepany to be the agent president.¡± When Darcy heard this, he smiled. ¡°If Mr. Everett knows, he will definitely be very gratified.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t say anything else. She knew those old guys would give her a hard time, but she would give it her best shot. At the office, Kensley was anxious to the point of depression. Then the phone rang, startling him.. ¡°Hello?¡± A sinister voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Doctor Leach, today is the final deadline, How¡¯s it going?¡± When Kensley heard this, he said with a trembling voice, ¡°Mr. Logan, please, give me a few more days. ¡°I had already nned it, but it was ruined by a person¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. If there¡¯s no news of Bruce¡¯s death tomorrow, you know the consequence!¡± With that, the call was hung up with a bang. ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± There was no response on the other end of the phone. ¡°Fuck¡± Kensley cursed and mmed his desk. He was already running out of options. Just as he was feeling anxious, his phone rang again. Kensley answered impatiently, ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± ¡°Are you Beata¡¯s husband?¡± When Kensley heard this, his heart sank. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± ¡°Oh, your wife was in a car ident. Come over quickly.¡± When Kensley heard this, all the hairs on his body stood on end. He asked anxiously, ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s near Kotto Community.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Kensley had a lot on his mind. He hurriedly called the ambnce in the hospital and rushed to the location of his wife¡¯s ident. Ten minutester, the ambnce arrived at the spot of the ident. Kensley jumped out of the car anxiously. ¡°Honey, how are you feeling now?¡±, Kensley¡¯s wife was still sitting on the ground. Her knees and elbows were covered in blood. Some kind- hearted people. already helped her stop the bleeding. Seeing that Kensley had arrived, Beata started crying in fear. ¡°I¡¯m fine. A car almost hit me just now.¡± ¡°Let me take a look!¡± Kensley quickly checked his wife¡¯s injuries. ¡°Ouch, it hurts.¡± Beata twisted her ankle and broke her elbow and knee. However, it was not a big deal. They were all minor injuries and did not hurt the child in her belly. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Then, Kensley and the nurse helped his wife onto the stretcher and carried her to the ambnce¡­ Soon, the ambnce arrived at the hospital. Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Kensley personally disinfected his wife and bandaged her wound. Although her vital organs were not injured, she still had to stay in the hospital for a day because of the terrible quickening. Kensley was even more anxious. He knew that this was a warning from Marlowe. This time, he did not kill his wife. The next time, his wife and unborn child would not be that lucky. Seeing that Kensley was worried and uneasy, Beata turned over andforted him. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Honey, I just feel sorry for you¡­¡± Kensley was still in shock. He gently hugged his wife and kissed her forehead. When Beata heard this, she leaned into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re so good to me.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my wife. That is what I should do.¡± ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll do my best to protect you and the child. I won¡¯t let you get hurt.¡± Although Kensley If he still did not take action, not to mention his wife and child, even he would probably have an ident. The head nurse pushed open the door and walked in. Seeing this scene in front of her, she still felt jealous. Some women were like this. When she gave her body to a man, she could no longer control her feelings. She was clearly almost 40 years old and no more innocent, but she still couldn¡¯t control her emotions. ¡°Mr. Leach, this is your wife¡¯s medicine. I left it here!¡± The head nurse put down the medicine and turned to leave coldly. Kensley felt even more guilty. Heforted his wife a little more and found an excuse to go out to look for the head nurse. Ten minutester, Kensley met the head nurse in the morgue. This ce was very quiet and hidden. Usually, no one woulde there. The head nurse thought that he had asked her out for that kind of thing, so she couldn¡¯t help bute over. ¡°Kensley, why did you ask me toe to such a ce?¡± The head nurse said as she hugged his waist shyly. On second thought, it was quite appropriate for them to have a tryst here. They were all doctors, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t avoid these things. Kensley hesitated for a moment. In the end, he mustered his courage and stammered, ¡°Mary, I¡­ I want to ask you for a favor!¡± The head nurse smiled gently. ¡°What is it?¡± Kensley was so nervous that his temples bulged, and his breathing was rapid.. He was really at the end of his rope. Now he could only give it a shot and see if the head nurse was willing to help him. As long as Bruce died, it was a big deal to divvy up the money with her. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me, why are you hesitating?¡± Kensley¡¯s forehead kept sweating. He didn¡¯t know how to start, nor did he know if the head nurse would agree. After hesitating for another three minutes, he finally made up his mind and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Mary, I¡¯m really at my wits¡¯ end. Could you please save me?¡± With that, Kensley knelt on the ground with a plop. When the head nurse saw this, she was shocked. ¡°Kensley, what exactly do you want me to do? Just say it, As long as I can, I will definitely help you.¡± Kensley took two deep breaths and said in a trembling voice, ¡°I want you¡­ to help me kill Bruce.¡± When the head nurse heard this, she was so frightened that she was dumbfounded. She looked at Kensley in horror. ¡°Kill someone? ¡°Kill Bruce?¡± This¡­ she would rather die than do it. ¡°Doctor Leach, you¡­ You¡¯re joking with me¡­ I still have something on¡­¡± The head nurse didn¡¯t dare to call his name affectionately anymore. She panicked and wanted to leave. Kensley hugged her legs tightly and cried as he begged, ¡°Mary, don¡¯t go. Only you can save me now. I beg you. As long as Bruce dies, I¡¯ll give you 10 million dors!¡± The head nurse was even more shocked! Usually, only people who were desperate would take the risk. She had a sessful career and no worries about food and clothing. People who were not short of money would not kill for money. Moreover, as the head nurse of Greyport Hospital, her monthly sry was close to 20 thousand dors, and her retirement pension was as high as tens of millions. She wasn¡¯t going to do anything illegal. ¡°Doctor Leach, I can pretend that I didn¡¯t hear what you said. I really have to get busy¡­¡± Kensley hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s too little? I can give you 20 million dors. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 20 million dors as long as Bruce dies. Listen, someone asked me to buy Bruce¡¯s life. He Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. also said he would give me 20 million dors on the condition that Bruce dies unknowingly. ¡°He¡¯s so badly injured now. As long as we join forces and do it secretly, we can kill him without anyone knowing. ¡°When we get this money, we can live a carefree life. I¡¯ll divorce my wife. When the timees, I¡¯ll marry you, and we¡¯ll go overseas together¡­¡± Kensley became more and more excited, and his eyes widened. The more the head nurse listened, the more afraid she became. A chill ran down her spine. No wonder Kensley wanted to treat her to a meal and treated her well. So this was the real purpose! ¡°Doctor Leach, don¡¯t do anything rash. If you continue like this, I¡­ I¡¯ll call for help! This¡­ This is killing. Find someone else!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t tell anyone what you told me. I¡¯ll leave first¡­¡± After the head nurse finished speaking, she quickly turned around and wanted to escape. Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Seeing that Mary refused toply and was so frightened, Kensleypletely panicked. He was worried that Mary would leak the news about him. Before Mary could escape, Kensley rushed forward and grabbed her neck. He covered her mouth and nose with his other hand. ¡°Mary, I beg you, don¡¯t shout, don¡¯t shout¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Let go¡­ Help¡­¡± Mary became even more panicked and struggled with all her might. The more she struggled, the more scared Kensley was. He covered her mouth and nose to prevent her from calling for help.. ¡°Mary, I¡¯m begging you. No one can help me. If Bruce doesn¡¯t die, my entire family will die. ¡°Help me. When the timees, we¡¯ll go far away. We¡¯ll leave Greyport together¡­¡± Kensley said in a panic as he covered Mary¡¯s mouth and nose tightly and strangled her neck forcefully with his other arm. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Mary¡¯s voice became smaller and smaller, and her struggles became weaker and weaker. Five minutester. She stopped struggling and couldn¡¯t make a sound. Kensley panicked and let go of her arm. Then, Mary copsed to the ground. ¡°Boom!¡± Kensley¡¯s blood pressure skyrocketed, and he was utterly dumbfounded. He was just afraid that Mary would shout and attract others over. He didn¡¯t want to kill her. ¡°Mary, Mary!¡± Mary fell to the ground, her eyes rolled up, and she lost control of her dder. Kensley¡¯s mind was blown. He checked her breathing and found that she was no longer breathing. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kensley was so frightened that his legs went limp and he staggered to sit on the ground. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m screwed! I just killed someone!¡± He panted non-stop. His eyes were filled with panic.¡± Fortunately, he was at a morgue. No one usually came here. ¡°What should I do? What should I do? I killed her. I killed her¡­¡± Kensley¡¯s heart was pounding. The head nurse was not an ordinary person. If she went missing, many people in the hospital would definitely look for her. However, he couldn¡¯t care less now. He had to put the doctored syringe in the infirmary quickly. But he had to endure tonight. Jordan would inject Bruce tomorrow morning. As long as Bruce died, Kensley would be at ease. If necessary, he would simply take the money and flee abroad. Then, Kensley opened Mary¡¯s bag with trembling hands and took her keys. Then, he carried her into the body bag and put her inside an empty body freeze. Finishing, he left the morgue in a panic. Then, he quietly went to the infirmary. After making an excuse to send away the two nurses on duty, he ced the doctored syringe into the medical box. ¡°Heavens, please don¡¯t let any idents happen again!¡± Then, Kensley went to wash his face and tried his best to calm down before entering his wife¡¯s ward. Beata leaned against the bed and saw him enter in a panic. She asked with concern, ¡°Hubby, what¡¯s wrong? Where did you go just now?¡± Kensley¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he quickly tidied up. ¡°Beata, I¡¯ll send you home now.¡± Beata was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kensley?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Hurry up ande with me.¡± As he spoke, Kensley picked up Beata¡¯s bag and hurriedly helped her put on her shoes. Seeing that Kensley was so anxious, Beata didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± After leaving the hospital, Kensley directly sent Beata to customs. He just wanted to send her away as soon as possible. The farther, the better, Kensley, where are we going? This isn¡¯t the way home!¡± Kensley didn¡¯t say anything. He drove the car all the way to the vicinity of the checkpoint before stopping the car. Then, he took out a bank card from his pocket. ¡°Honey, there are two million dors on this card. Take the money and go to Mossbourne to give birth to the baby.¡± Beata was from Mossbourne. After marrying Kensley, she moved to Greyport. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Take the money and go to Mossbourne to have the baby. Remember to transfer the money to your card or withdraw it in cash when you get back to your mother¡¯s house. The password is your birthday.¡± Beata was left speechless in shock. ¡°Go. I will take you across the checkpoint now. Go back to your mother overnight and nevere back again.¡± When Beata heard this, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. ¡°Kensley, what happened¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t ask so much nonsense.¡± Then, Kensley dressed up Beata and gave her all the cash and valuables on him. ¡°Beata, don¡¯t contact me for the next few months. I¡¯ll pick you and the baby up when things calm down.¡± Beata was still worried. She grabbed Kensley¡¯s arm and cried. ¡°Kensley, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did you do something illegal? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, turn yourself in quickly. Be brave and ept the punishment. It¡¯s okay. The baby and I will wait for you to be released!¡± When Kensley heard this, his eyes instantly turned red. He hugged Beata tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore. It¡¯s not good for you to know too much. You just have to remember that I love you and the baby.¡± After he said that, Kensley¡¯s eyes turned moist. He could only put on a serious face to force Beata to leave. He was already in a dilemma. There was no way out. At 9:30 A.M. the next day. ¡°The gene regeneration shot has been delivered. Hurry up and inject Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the head nurse? What time is it? Why isn¡¯t she at work yet?¡± Jordan spent the entire morning looking for Mary. The other doctor also looked shocked. ¡°That¡¯s right! Did she take leave? She¡¯s never beente before.¡± ¡°Call her quickly and see if she¡¯ste.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I just called her! I¡¯ve already called several times, but I can¡¯t get through.¡± Jordan frowned when he heard that. He looked at the time. It was toote. ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t wait for her. Let¡¯s inject Mr. Everett first. The two of you hurry up and get the syringe.¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± a nurse replied and quickly went to the infirmary to get the syringe. Jordan carried the cooler with the gene regeneration shot in it and went to the ward of Bruce with two other doctors. Seeing Jordan enter the ward, Kensley¡¯s heart was beating violently as he paced around uneasily. He kept praying in his heart that nothing would go wrong again. As long as Bruce died today, he wouldplete his mission. At the intensive care unit. Jordan opened the cooler and took out the gene regeneration shot. He then put it into a special syringe and got ready to give the shot. ¡°Hurry up and disinfect Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Joanna was watching quietly aside. ¡°How many shots had he been injected until today?¡± ¡°This is already the 27th injection today. After three more injections, there¡¯s no need for it anymore.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Thirty gene regeneration shots, plus transportation fees and so on, had already cost nearly 80 million dors. This did not include other medicines and treatments. Bruce¡¯s injuries were too severe, and he was only kept alive by money. If it was an ordinary person with such serious injuries, how could he afford such an expensive fee? He might have ended up Chapter 632 Chapter 632 When everything was ready, Jordan picked up the syringe and got prepared to inject Bruce. In the nick of time, the intensive care unit¡¯s door was suddenly pushed open. A woman in a sorry state barged in. ¡°No, don¡¯t inject¡­¡± Everyone was shocked. Only then did they realize that it was the head nurse. The head nurse looked like a hot mess with disheveled hair and a deathly pale face. Her clothes were also covered in filth. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. There¡¯s something wrong with this shot¡­¡± After saying that, she weakly copsed to the ground. Darcy and Carson followed closely behind. ¡°Miss Haynes, the head nurse said that someone wanted to This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. harm Mr. Everett. We didn¡¯t dare to dy and could only let her in.¡± Everyone looked at each other and was stunned for a few seconds beforeing back to their senses. Jordan was even more terrified and hurriedly stopped the injection. ¡°How can there be a problem? I¡¯ve been watching this gene regeneration shot since it was sent to the hospital. It¡¯s impossible for it to be swapped!¡± Mary¡¯s voice was hoarse, like grinding gravel against granite. ¡°Ugh, ahem, ahem, it¡¯s not the injection that¡¯s the problem. It¡¯s the syringe!¡± After saying that, she no longer had the strength to speak. Her throat hurt as if being cut by a knife. ¡°Is there a problem with the syringe?¡± When Jordan heard this, he was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. He quickly pressed on the catheter and pushed it out a little. As expected, there were two holes in the syringe. Seeing this, Jordan was so frightened that he couldn¡¯t speak. Fortunately, the head nurse arrived in time. Otherwise, he would have caused a huge disaster. ¡°Who did this?¡± Seeing this, Joanna also broke out in cold sweat. It seemed that the person who wanted Bruce to die really racked his brains to think of such a method. It really scared her. She held Bruce¡¯s hand tightly, and her heart beat uncontrobly. She was afraid that Bruce would leave this world forever if she let go of his hand. He was the father of the children. For that alone, she would not allow anyone to harm his life. ¡°Mary, what¡¯s wrong with you? ¡°How did you end up like this? How did you know that there¡¯s something wrong with this syringe?¡± Everyone helped Mary up and asked. Mary took two deep breaths, her eyes unfocused. ¡°Kensley Leach¡­ He¡­ Don¡¯t let him run away¡­¡± Jordan was still in disbelief. He asked in shock, ¡°Doctor Leach did it?¡± Mary could no longer speak. She only nodded with all her might. Then, her head tilted, and she fainted. Yesterday, she was strangled by Kensley, and her breathing stopped. Kensley thought that she was dead, so he wrapped her in a body bag and put her in a morgue freezer. Fortunately, she was not destined to die. After resting in the freezer for the entire night, she actually came back to her senses at around five in the morning. At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, the patrol heard movement in the freezer and rescued her. Joanna came back to her senses. There was a hint of fierce in her eyes as she said hatefully, ¡°Darcy, hurry up and catch him. Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Darcy responded and called a few bodyguards to catch Kensley. The other doctors quickly carried Mary to a wheeled stretcher and sent her to the emergency room for treatment. At the same time¡­ Kensley had already heard themotion. He knew that the matter had been exposed. If he did not escape now, it would be toote. He didn¡¯t have time to pack his things. He hurried out through the fire escape, wanting to get out of the hospital immediately. Unfortunately, It was toote. Darcy hadmanded the security department to activate the electronic lock switch on the fire escape. There was no way out: Kensley hurriedly turned another corner to leave through the side door of the hospital. However, before he reached the door, he saw arge group of security guards walking toward the door aggressively. Darcy and a group of bodyguards were blocking the exit on the first floor. Kensley panic and could only run up the stairs to the top of the building. Soon, a security guard found his whereabouts in the surveince room and immediately reported it to the other security guards through the pager. ¡°I¡¯ve found him. Kensley is in the west corridor. Hurry up and catch him.¡± When the bodyguards and security guards heard this, they rushed to the west corridor. ¡°Stop! Stop! It¡¯s him!¡± A group of bodyguards and hospital security guards all caught up. When Kensley saw this, he panicked even more. Like a headless chicken, he risked his life to run up to the roof. The hospital was 32 stories high. With a burst of energy, he ran all the way to the rooftop. On the rooftop, there was no ce to hide. He looked around. There was nowhere to run unless he jumped off the building. ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­¡± Kensley knelt on one knee, foaming at the mouth and gasping for breath. Then, Darcy and the others also rushed to the rooftop. ¡°Speak. Who instructed you to harm Mr. Everett?¡± Kensley took a few deep breaths and retreated step by step. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯te over. Don¡¯te over¡­¡± As Darcy and his crew approached, he had no choice but to climb over the railing of the rooftop and retreat to the balcony. ¡°Don¡¯te closer. If youe closer, I¡¯ll jump down, and you¡¯ll never know who ordered me to do it.¡± After Darcy heard it, he quickly signaled everyone not to get closer so as not to pressure Kensley to jump off the building. After all, he was just an unknown young doctor. It was impossible for him to attack Bruce for no reason. There must be someone behind him. The most important thing was to find out who was behind this. Joanna called Darcy through the security guard¡¯s pager. ¡°Darcy, have you caught him?¡± ¡°Got him. He¡¯s on the roof now.¡± ¡°Catch him and make him say who the mastermind is!¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Joanna!¡± Three minutester. Jordan took the elevator to the top floor with his colleagues. As soon as he saw Kensley, he cursed angrily. He wished he could kick Kensley down the rooftop. ¡°Kensley Leach, you -ungrateful thing. I treated you so well in vain. How could you do such a crazy thing? ¡°You actually want to use me to kill Mr. Everett. You¡¯re too vicious,¡± Darcy restrained the furious Jordan and signaled him not to pressure Kensley anymore. After all, his life was worthless. Even if he was forced to jump off the building, it was just one ant less in the world. ¡°Say it quickly. Who asked you to do this? As long as you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll let you live.¡± Kensley sneered miserably. ¡°I won¡¯t say it. I won¡¯t say it! ¡°Unless you let me go. As long as you let me go, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Kensley suddenly stopped. Even if he said it, Marlowe would not let him off, let alone his wife and family. At this point, he had no way out. ¡°As long as you tell the truth, we won¡¯t make things difficult for you. We know that you must have been instructed by someone. ¡°You have to think carefully. Standing against Mr. Everett is not a wise choice.¡± Darcy raised his eyebrows slightly and said suggestively, ¡°You can still switch to Mr. Everett¡¯s side now. Don¡¯t worry about retaliation from your enemies. Mr. Everett will protect your family. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 When Kensley heard this, he felt even more desperate. Of course, he would be willing to snitch on Marlowe. However, he knew that he could not do that. Darcy continued to persuade, ¡°You can¡¯t escape anymore. Do you want to continue to resist?¡± ¡°Let me think about it. Give me some time!¡± Kensley closed his eyes, his brain working rapidly. He didn¡¯t want to end his life like this. His life had just begun! How could it end so abruptly? As time dragged on, ten minutes passed. A few more people rushed over from the rooftop corridor. Beata was worried about her husband, so she secretly came back. She didn¡¯t expect to hear this bad news as soon as she arrived at the hospital. She couldn¡¯t believe it and rushed to the top of the building while panting. When she saw the scene in front of her, she was even more shocked. ¡°Kensley, Kensley, what are you doing? Come back here! It¡¯s too dangerous. Come back¡­¡± When he saw Beata, Kensley¡¯s mind went nk, and his eyes almost popped out. ¡°Beata, why are you here? Didn¡¯t you go to Mossbourne?¡± Beata¡¯s beautiful face was covered in tears as she cried. ¡°Kensley, what have you done? Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll take responsibility together. ¡°Hurry up and turn yourself in. Don¡¯t keep making mistakes. Don¡¯t worry. Even if you go to jail, I¡¯ll wait for you toe out. No matter how long it takes, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± When Kensley heard this, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He could not help but cry He just wanted to earn more money and live a good life. But why did the heavens get him into such a desperate situation? ¡°Beata, Hove you! It¡¯s my greatest blessing to be able to marry you in my entire life.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. As Kensley spoke, he closed his eyes in pain and despair. He was having a fierce mental struggle. If time could turn back, he would never walk down this dead end again. One wrong step led to another, and everything fell apart in the end. Now that he was dead, Marlowe could still let his wife and child off. If he snitched on Marlowe, his entire family would probably die. In particr, Margaret¡¯s death was also rted to him. Once this matter was exposed, Bruce would not let him live either. Therefore, he had no way out and was doomed to die. He might as well be a man and die quickly so that he could protect his wife and child. At the same time, no one would pursue the nine million dors that he had extorted from Roxanne. This money was enough for his wife and child to live for the rest of their lives. Beata was still crying in despair. ¡°Kensley,e back here. Don¡¯t scare me. It¡¯s not a big deal. Even if the sky falls, I¡¯ll carry with you¡­¡± ¡°Beata, I¡¯ll make it up to you in my next life. Take care of yourself and have our baby. I¡¯ll¡­ leave first!¡± With that, Kensley made up his mind and jumped down with his eyes closed. ¡°Kensley, no¡­¡± Beata let out a mournful wail. When Darcy and Carson saw this, they hurriedly pounced forward to pull him back. Unfortunately, he was determined to die and jumped more than 3.2 feet away. There was no stopping him. Kensley fell from the rooftop just like that. ¡°Kensley! Kensley!¡± it Kensley had already fallen straight down with a loud bang. The sound of something heavy hitting the ground could be heard from the 32nd floor. ¡°Kensley, um¡­¡± Beata couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She closed her eyes and fainted. Darcy Carson, and the others were all left silent. All of them had solemn expressions. Ten minutester. Everyone returned downstairs. Someone quickly called the police and informed them. Joanna saw Darcy¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Darcy, how is it? Have you caught him?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, he jumped off the building.¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. Unexpectedly, they still couldn¡¯t find the mastermind behind the scenes. However, Bruce had so many enemies. No matter who the mastermind was, he had to be careful in the future. Jordan was still furious. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°He deserves to die. This kind of person is too evil and too scary. Even death can¡¯t relieve my hatred. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that he wasted a gene regeneration shot. This kind of person is just causing trouble for himself and others. A scumbag in society!¡± Jordan had always been gentle and refined, but today, he had totally lost his cool. Kensley almost ruined his reputation and even put his life and fortune in danger. He wanted to curse Kensley with all the dirty words he knew. ¡°God bless. It didn¡¯t cause an irreversible disaster. It¡¯s fortunate, considering the circumstances.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Fortunately, Mary arrived in time! I really didn¡¯t expect that Kensley Leach, who looks so gentle, would do such a crazy thing.¡± The other doctors were freaked out too. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is recovering quite well now. I don¡¯t think he needs another gene regeneration shot.¡± When Joanna heard this, she nodded. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go out first. You can talk to Mr. Everett. This will help stimte his brain nerves and help him regain consciousness as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± After everyone left. Joanna¡¯s eyes stung. She could no longer hold it in. ¡°Bruce, why aren¡¯t you waking up yet? Do you see how many people want you dead?¡± Chapter 634 Chapter 634 ¡°Please wake up. I really don¡¯t know what I can do to protect you! I¡¯m really afraid that something like this will happen again.¡± As Joanna spoke, she gently buried her head in Bruce¡¯s chest. ¡°You vile bastard,¡± said she inwardly. When she was with Bruce, she had the urge to punch his head countless times and beat him to death every However, when he was really about to die¡­ day. She suddenly realized that she could not ept this fact. She would rather he was still as bad as before. She would rather hate him like before. As long as he could live safe and sound. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Joanna was sobbing silently when she vaguely felt her stomach being scratched gently. She was shocked and quickly looked up.. Coincidentally, Bruce¡¯s finger moved slightly again. Although it was a very slight movement, she saw his finger move. She knew that Bruce definitely wanted to stroke her stomach. She put Bruce¡¯s hand on her stomach every day and talked to him. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re conscious, aren¡¯t you? You can hear me, right?¡± Joanna quickly ced Bruce¡¯s hand on her abdomen. ¡°Feel it. The baby is already moving. Vpl coon, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you really wanna witness the birth of your kid? If you don¡¯t wake up soon, you¡¯re going to miss that moment again!¡± Joanna said excitedly. She felt Bruce¡¯s fingers move again. Although it was not a big movement, she could see it clearly. The corners of his lips seemed to curl up slightly. ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s great. You¡¯re finally conscious! ¡°I knew you¡¯d recover. You¡¯ll definitely wake up. You¡¯re so evil, and you¡¯re such a bastard. How can you be willing to lie there lifelessly¡­¡± In the blink of an eye. Another week passed. After Jordan gave Bruce anotherplete body checkup, he felt relieved. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s condition is stable now. He can be transferred to a general ward.¡± When she heard this, Joanna asked somewhat worriedly, ¡°Really?¡± A slight smile appeared on Jordan¡¯s face. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. ¡°And that¡¯s also because you¡¯ve been working tirelessly day and night to protect him¡­¡± Soon, Bruce was transferred to a general ward from the intensive care unit. Many of the instruments on him were taken down, and only an oxygen mask and an electrocardiogram monitor were kept. ¡°When will he wake up?¡±/ Joanna had already asked this question countless times. She asked this almost every two days. And the doctor¡¯s answer didn¡¯t change. ¡°Now we can only rely on fate, and only daily care is needed. As for when Mr. Everett will wake up, it¡¯s really hard to say for now¡± When Joanna heard this, she sighed slightly. ¡°Okay, I understood!¡± 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 5 F * Darcy and Carson were also very happy. ¡°Great, Mr. Everett has finally been transferred to the general ward. Does this mean that Mr. Everett is finally out of danger?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I hope Mr. Everett will wake up soon.¡± Darcy heaved a sigh of relief after hearing it. Suddenly, his expression turned gloomy. ¡°Ms. Haynes, since Mr. Everett is out of danger, I don¡¯t think you have to be so worried. ¡°You should devote some energy to other things!¡± Joanna was stunned when she heard it. Indeed, she had more important things to do. The Everett Group would be in deep trouble if she didn¡¯t act soon. ¡°Yes, yes. Inform all the shareholders. There will be a shareholders¡¯ meeting next Monday. All shareholders of the Everett Group must be present.¡± ¡°Got it, Ms. Haynes.¡± The Everett Group had been under Liam¡¯s control for nearly two months. He had secretly embezzled hundreds of millions of dors in cash. The other shareholders followed suit and used all kinds of methods to cash out. If this continued, all the assets would be drained dry. By the time Bruce woke up, his money would be gone. That would be even more pathetic. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 At the conference room of the Everett Group on Monday. The shareholders began to discuss and whisper, ¡°Joanna is actually holding a general meeting. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I guess it¡¯s about Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°I heard that Mr. Everett has passed the critical period. He might really wake up.¡± When another shareholder, Mr. Young, heard this, his face was filled with disbelief. ¡°Ah! No way? He hurt so badly. Can he still be saved? I heard that the doctor has already announced his death.¡± Mr. Obrien continued, ¡°He was resuscitated afterward! I heard that he received gene regeneration shots every day for more than a month. He also had to undergo various rehabilitation treatments. He spent tens of millions of dors on medical fees for a month. So, of course, he would be doing well now.¡± ¡°How could money bepared to life? If it were me, I would definitely do the same.¡± When Mr. Bourn heard this, he could not help but tease, ¡°Ah, Mr. Everett¡¯s life is really tough!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s too tough. Look at Mr. Everett. He was a jinx to his family. He lost his parents and siblings at an early age, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t jinx his wife. It¡¯s magical. Haha.¡± ¡°Who said that he isn¡¯t a jinx to his wife? His ex-wife was almost jinxed to death several times. Fortunately, she¡¯s divorced now. Otherwise, she would have been jinxed too!¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mr. Everett¡¯s life is too tough. I wonder if he¡¯ll jinx his kid?¡± The more Mr. Obrien spoke, Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. the more excited he became. He almost forgot his manners. When the others heard this, they stared at Mr. Obrien in shock. ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you cursing Mr. Everett¡¯s child?¡± Mr. Obrien also realized that he had gone overboard and quickly tried to make up for it. ¡°I, I don¡¯t mean anything. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just feeling emotional!¡± ¡°Stop talking. Mr. Miller is here.¡± The office door was pushed open. Liam and Evan walked in with gloomy expressions. During this period of time, Liam brought his son to thepany and promoted him to vice president. It was obvious that he wanted to nurture his son to be the sessor. More urately, he was trying to take over the Everett Group by making his son the heir of the Everett Group. ¡°Mr. Miller, good morning!¡± ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± Liam strolled to the center of the conference table and sat down in the seat where Bruce had previously sat. ¡°Joanna has gathered everyone for a general meeting today. What do you all think?¡± Liam wanted to check out everyone¡¯s attitude first. After all, he had guessed that Joanna¡¯s return was definitely not a good thing. At least for him, it was not a good thing. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what she has to say first!¡± The other shareholders also nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s see what Ms. Haynes has to say first.¡± As they were talking, the conference room¡¯s door was pushed open. Andy, Mark, Darcy, and Gael walked in one after another. Then, Joanna walked in. ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± When everyone saw Joanna, they subconsciously replied, ¡°Morning, Ms. Haynes.¡± Joanna was wearing a ck suit with a striped shirt underneath today. She had ck-framed sses on her face and looked solemn and calm. She walked directly past the others and went to Liam¡¯s side. When Liam saw this, he snorted and pretended that nothing had happened. He did not move, nor did he have any intention of giving up his position. Joanna did not say anything and just stood beside him. Then, she supported herself with her arm on the desk and looked around at everyone. ¡°I called you for a general meeting today because I have something to announce.¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes, what do you have to announce?¡± Joanna gave Andy a quick nce. Andy understood instantly and looked at everyone calmly. He said coldly, ¡°From tomorrow onwards, Ms. Haynes will officially return to thepany to work.¡± After everyone heard it, they were all looking at each other confused. Liam was the first to express his dissatisfaction. ¡°Ms. Haynes, did I hear it wrong? You¡¯ll work at the Joanna stared at Liam and replied calmly, ¡°Yeah, you heard it right!¡± ¡°Humph, what position do you want to take? Thepany doesn¡¯t keep ckers.¡± Mr. Young immediately chimed in, ¡°Yeah, Ms. Haynes, you are still pregnant. There¡¯s no suitable position for you in thepany.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming back to work, obviously in my previous position.¡± When everyone heard this, they stared at each other confused. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Joanna¡¯s previous position acting president?¡± they wondered. Evan sneered. ¡°Ms. Haynes, may I ask what makes you qualified for that position?¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked down at Evan. ¡°Because I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s ex-wife, I have an obligation to help him manage hispany well.¡± When Liam heard this, he could not hold it in anymore. He retorted, ¡°You are not one of the Everett Group¡¯s shareholders, let alone Bruce¡¯s legal spouse. What right do you have for the position of acting president?¡± ¡°This is what Bruce meant. I think he wants me to take care of his work for him, too.¡± ¡°Humph, Ms. Haynes, may I ask if Mr. Everett is awake? Does he have a clear order?¡± After hearing it, Joanna was speechless. Bruce was still unconscious, and it was impossible for him to issue any orders.. Liam would definitely grasp this point and dy hering back endlessly. Seeing that Joanna was silent, Liam grasped the main point. ¡°If it¡¯s indeed Mr. Everett¡¯s instructions, then we will definitely obey. But now that Mr. Everett is in aa, thepany is already in a precarious situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t put the future of thepany on you.¡± Joanna scanned the crowd coldly. ¡°Bruce had previously appointed me as the Everett Group¡¯s acting president when he was at the detention center. ¡°He¡¯s in aa now. Naturally, I¡¯ll continue to hold the position of president for him until he wakes up.¡± ¡°Humph, it¡¯s true that Mr. Everett asked you to be the acting president. But you also said that that was before, and this is now. ¡°If you want to take on the position of acting president, either Mr. Everett himself appoints you, or everyone yotes. ¡°If all the shareholders present vote for you, you will naturally be appointed as the president of the Everett Group.¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled coldly. ¡°Mr. Miller, your words are a little unreasonable. ¡°As you know, Bruce is still in aa. How is it possible for him to appoint me personally?¡± Liam shrugged proudly. ¡°Then we can only let everyone vote. There are 21 shareholders in the objections.¡± He knew that the shareholders would not choose Joanna as the acting president. He was just provoking her on purpose. Mr. Young had already taken the lead. ¡°I object.¡± Mr. Obrien followed suit and said, ¡°Uh, I object too.¡± Seeing that someone objected, Mr. Bourn immediately echoed, ¡°I object too. Anyway, I won¡¯t agree to Joanna being president.¡± Seeing this, Liam nced at Joanna triumphantly. Now, he was racing against time to earn money. As long as he stayed in the position of president for one more day, he could make an extra day¡¯s worth of money. Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. She coldly looked around at everyone. ¡°Anyone else?¡± Mr. Ball smiled embarrassedly and tried to please both sides. He did not want to offend anyone. ¡°Well, about this matter! I think it¡¯s better to think about it at length. ¡°Let¡¯s talk things over! We can alwayse up with a win-win solution!¡± Another shareholder, Mr. Feron, who had always been at odds with Liam, chose to stand on Joanna¡¯s side. ¡°I support Miss Haynes.¡± Another shareholder, Mr. Warren, also expressed his support. ¡°I also support Ms. Haynes.¡± P After hearing that, Liam gave the two of them a sullen nce. His gaze was clearly filled with warning. Mr. Feron was not afraid of the threat in Liam¡¯s eyes at all. ¡°Ms. Haynes. During the period when you and Mr. Everett were not around, a lot of things happened in thepany. ¡°I suggest you investigate thepany¡¯s ounts. Also, I heard that Mr. Miller is selling the Belle Building. I wonder if that¡¯s true.¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked straight at Liam. ¡°Mr. Miller, is this true?¡± When Liam heard this, he was even more furious. ¡°Joanna, you have nothing to do with the Everett This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Group. What right do you have to ask about thepany¡¯s internal information? ¡°Besides, the Belle Building is an estate under my name. I can sell it at any time. There¡¯s no need to ask for anyone¡¯s permission!¡± Joanna was left choked in anger, saying coldly, ¡°As far as I know, the Belle Building is the property of the Everett Group. It¡¯s just under your name. You can¡¯t sell it privately without thepany¡¯s permission.¡± Evan immediately stepped forward to support his father. ¡°Humph, Joanna Haynes, what right do you have to interfere in our family¡¯s matters? ¡°Get this straight. You and my cousin divorced a long time ago. There¡¯s nothing going on between the two of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the mother of his child. This concerns my child¡¯s interests, so of course, I have the right to interfere! ¡°Also, it¡¯s a shareholders¡¯ general meeting today. No outsiders are allowed to enter. Darcy, get him out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, please leave immediately.¡± When Evan heard this, he flew into a rage. ¡°Joanna Haynes, you¡¯re too unreasonable. Your thoughts are written all over your face. Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to!¡± When Liam saw this, he was also furious. ¡°Joanna Haynes, stop making gestures andments here. You¡¯re pregnant, so we don¡¯t want to argue with you. Please leave thepany now.¡± As he spoke, Liam began to call for the bodyguards toe in. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re not a shareholder of the Everett Group at all. You¡¯re the one who should leave.¡± Joanna was totally chill and took out a document from her bag, ¡°This is the will that Bruce made earlier. ¡°If anything happens to him, I¡¯ll be in charge of everything for him. You can take a look.¡± Seeing this, everyone was even more speechless. They all stared curiously at the document in her hand. ¡°Are you kidding me? Mr. Everett is so young. Why would he make a will?¡± Joanna nced at everyone calmly. ¡°You can take it to the judiciary to check its authenticity. ¡°Now, I want to announce to everyone that from today onwards, I will officially be the acting president of the Everett Group until Brucepletely recovers.¡± ¡°This will must be fake. I¡¯ve never heard of Bruce making any will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This will is totally fake.¡± When Gael heard this, he immediately retorted with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m the butler of the Everett family. When Mr. Everett made the will, Mr. Jameson and I were right beside him. ¡°I can guarantee that this will was personally made by Mr. Everett. ¡°If you think it¡¯s fake, you can take it to awyer to verify it and see if it¡¯s fake.¡± Gael¡¯s words carried a lot of weight and instantly stunned everyone. After all, he had been working in the Everett family for nearly thirty years. When everyone heard this, they had different expressions on their faces. In the past, Bruce had advertised with great fanfare to look for Joanna. Moreover, he had even disregarded his reputation and apologized to Joanna in front of the major media. Therefore, most people believed it and felt that this will was definitely real. If something really happened to Bruce, Joanna would naturally be the Everett Group¡¯s legal sessor by virtue of his will. At that time, if she dealt with them again, they would not be able to bear the consequences. Seeing that everyone was stunned, Joanna immediately changed the topic. ¡°Of course, I still have to get everyone¡¯s permission for the position of acting president. ¡°Now, you can vote. Those who support me as acting president, please raise your right hand. ¡°Supporting Mr. Miller as acting president. Please raise your left hand.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± When everyone heard this, they were even more troubled. Of course, they wanted to choose Liam as the acting president. After all, they could reap benefits without restraint. However, Joanna had the will. Moreover, she had three children with Mr. Everett and was pregnant with another child. Even if Bruce did die, his estate would be inherited by his four children and Joanna. At that time, they would fall into Joanna¡¯s hands again. They would probably not have a good time. ¡°Choose quickly, choose quickly!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I, can I forfeit¡­¡± ¡°You can forfeit.¡± Joanna nodded slightly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll forfeit too.¡± A few minority shareholders expressed their attitude. Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Only Mr. Sims, Mr. Bourn, and Mr. Young were left. ¡°Well, I, I choose¡­¡± Mr. Sims thought about it. After weighing the pros and cons, he could only choose Joanna. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Ms. Haynes!¡± ¡°I also think Mr. Everett is more suitable.¡± ¡°I still support Mr. Miller. After all, he¡¯s been in thepany for so many years.¡± ¡°I¡­ I support Ms. Haynes.¡± Mr. Nelson also expressed his stance. Then, he added, ¡°After all, it¡¯s Mr. Everett¡¯s idea. We still have to abide by it! Didn¡¯t Ms. Haynes say that Mr. Everett will recover soon?¡± He did not really support Joanna, but he was worried that Bruce would take revenge when he woke up. Bruce was not a good person. Offending him would not end well. Seeing that everyone had changed their words to support Joanna, Mr. Young panicked. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°Ms. Haynes, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to support you. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that your body won¡¯t be able to take it. After all, you¡¯re pregnant now. The most important thing for you is to take care of yourself and your baby. As for work, I think Mr. Miller is the one who should handle it¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s expression turned cold, and her eyes showed a hint of disgust. ¡°Cut the crap that has nothing to do with work! ¡°Whether I¡¯m pregnant or not has nothing to do with work. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. You just have to express your stance and choose who you support.¡± She wanted to force these people to take sides. She was now representing Bruce. Those who chose to support Liam were naturally not on the same side as Bruce. When he saw Joanna¡¯s domineering attitude, the corners of Mr. Young¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Well, well, well, I, I¡¯d better forfeit!¡± ¡°Andy, count the results!¡± Joanna indicated Andy. When Andy heard this, he immediately began to count the number of people. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Uh, A total of nine votes for Ms. Haynes! ¡°Five votes for Mr. Miller. Everyone else has forfeited.¡± -Joanna raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Liam coldly. ¡°Mr. Miller, what else do you have to say?¡± Seeing this, Liam was even more furious. ¡°We still don¡¯t know if your will is real or fake. I still have to take it for an appraisal!¡± ¡°You can do the test, but only under my watch.¡± Joanna red at Liam coldly. ¡°What if the will was switched or deliberately damaged? Wouldn¡¯t I be in a very passive position then?¡± Liam was left speechless and furious. Of course, this will was fake. She just took it out to bluff everyone. Of course, she also knew that most people would not verify the authenticity of the will. ¡°Gael has personallye out to testify. How can the will be fake? Mr. Miller, you are overthinking it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. This will must be true. Besides, everyone knows that Mr. Everett confessed to Ms. Haynes openly in front of the media.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s Mr. Everett¡¯s intention, we definitely have to abide by it. Mr. Miller, it¡¯s better to hand over the work quickly and not make things difficult for Ms. Haynes!¡± When Liam heard everyone¡¯s words, he was so angry that he could not utter a word. He also felt guilty. He knew that Bruce disliked him, so how could Bruce let him be the acting president? He had already reaped a lot of benefits from being the acting president for more than a month. ¡°Fine! Fine! Fine! ¡°Since everyone agrees with this, you can take on the position of acting president!¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, please hand over your work today and return to your own position tomorrow. You no longer need to serve as the acting president,¡± said Joanna. ¡°Alright, alright. You won. I give up!¡± As he spoke, Liam became so angry that he stormed off. Evan quickly followed him out. Joanna returned to Bruce¡¯s office. Andy could not help but praise, ¡°Ms. Haynes, that¡¯s a really good move!¡± ¡°Yeah! I didn¡¯t expect them to believe it.¡± ¡°Well, they gotta believe it. Mr. Everett loves Ms. Haynes so much. He definitely wished Ms. Haynes to take over his everything.¡± ¡°Stop talking and tidy up quickly! We¡¯re going to start work tomorrow officially, and we have to pull the ¡°Okay, I¡¯m gonna go reorganize all the departments now.¡± ¡°Go!¡± After Andy and Mark left, Joanna could not help but sigh again. She opened theputer. She knew that Liam wouldn¡¯t give up easily. Moreover, there would be further actions soon. However, her first goal had been achieved. She had sessfully taken back the position of acting president. The second step was to clear thepany¡¯s ounts. No matter how much wealth they had pocketed, they had to spit it all out. ¡°Ms. Haynes is really impressive. She actually defeated Mr. Miller and sessfully took back the position of acting president.¡± ¡°I thought there would be a huge battle!¡± ¡°Ah! She¡¯s only throwing her weight around because she has a will. Who would care about her if she didn¡¯t have the will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. After all, the will is a holy grail. Even if Mr. Everett really dies, she will be the biggest beneficiary.¡± ¡°Oh! It seems that our good days havee to an end again. Previously, it was Mr. Everett. Now, it¡¯s Ms. Haynes. They are one tough couple. We better watch our backs around them.¡± ¡°Come on. We have already got so many benefits. We can¡¯t be too greedy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Chapter 638 Chapter 638 After Kensley¡¯s case came to an end, Beata couldn¡¯t take the stimtion and gave birth prematurely, giving birth to a daughter. The police did a simple investigation and did not find any important inside information. With the death of the suspect, the case could only be treated as an ordinary murder case and the case was quickly closed. Joanna did not make things too difficult for Beata and her daughter. She only sent more bodyguards and special caregivers to protect Bruce. At the Yanice Group, Marlowe held a cigar with a vicious expression. As he continued to inhale and exhale, smoke lingered in front of his eyes. Pete and his subordinates were divided into two groups and stood on both sides. All of them were tense and silent. Marlowe had been in an extremely bad mood these past few days. He was about to fly into a rage at any time. He was different from Bruce when he lost his temper. When Bruce lost his temper, it was because someone else had done something wrong. Moreover, he only lost his temper with the higher-ups and directors. He would directly fire the higher-ups or directors who had done something wrong without hesitation. On the other hand, Marlowe was a little crazy. He enjoyed taking it out on the people under his and happened to meet him when he was angry, he would beat one up. ¡°You¡¯re all good-for-nothings. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed that you can¡¯t even do such a small thing?¡± P¨¦te and his men lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound. ¡°Bang, bang, bang.¡± Marlowe tapped heavily on the table with his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m asking you. Say something. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would definitely kill Bruce? How about the result? What¡¯s the result?¡± Pete looked miserable. ¡°President Yanice, you really can¡¯t me me for this. That doctor vouched for me. Who knows¡­¡± Marlowe¡¯s eyes widened as he cursed, ¡°Don¡¯t fucking exin. You¡¯re all good for nothing. You¡¯re more stupider than donkeys. You dumb ass.¡± Even as he cursed, he still couldn¡¯t vent his anger. He picked up the documents and the leftover takeaway boxes on the table, and so on, throwing them at Pete and the others. ¡°Swoosh¡­¡± The takeaway boxes flew everywhere. More than ten people were covered in leftovers, but they were still standing there still. Pete bowed even more and kept ttering Marlowe. ¡°President Yanice, please calm down. I didn¡¯t expect that doctor to be so useless. Besides, he¡¯s already dead. There¡¯s no point in cursing him¡­ ¡°Am I cursing him? I¡¯m fucking cursing you. Don¡¯t you understand human speech? ¡°Hurry up and think of another way. I must make Bruce die.¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Pete was submissive for a moment. Seeing this, Marlowe became even more crazy as he kicked and hit Peter. ¡°You only know ¡®Oh, oh¡±? If you can¡¯t think of a good solution today, I¡¯ll let you die for him.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll think of something now.¡± Pete and a few of his men did not dare to stay in the office for another moment. They quickly ran away in fear. After returning to their private lounge, a few of his men could not help butin as they cleaned up the trash on their bodies. ¡°Pete, I can¡¯t live like this anymore. Look, my head is bleeding.¡± Another subordinate, Soli, could not help but alsoin, ¡°That¡¯s right. President Yanice¡¯s temper is too bad. It¡¯s too difficult to serve him. ¡°We feel so aggrieved following him. He¡¯s even harder to serve than an emperor. He treats us like dogs. No, we¡¯re getting treatment even worse than dogs can get.¡± When Peter heard this, he frowned and sighed heavily. ¡°s, it¡¯s hard to survive in the world now. Whoever has money is the boss. I just want to take you to earn more money. ¡°When we¡¯ve saved enough money, we can go somewhere else and be bosses, too.¡± Soli said gloomily, ¡°But what he wants us to do is too difficult. This is almost impossible.¡± ¡°s, what¡¯s the alternative?¡± Pete sighed again, deeply. He was unwilling to follow Marlowe either. However, most of them had been to prison before. It was impossible for them to find a job with such a high sry elsewhere. They were unwilling to work in apany with a lower sry. Therefore, they had no other choice. Top-notch groups of wealthy families like the Everett Group and Grimm Group had very high requirements for hiring bodyguards. Pete and his men couldn¡¯t even pass the basic interview. Marlowe had also been in prison before, so he didn¡¯t care about these things. In any case, he liked to gather a group of desperadoes. Pete knew that his subordinates were angry, so he could onlyfort them. ¡°Try to bear with it a little longer! Bear with it for a few more years. When we save enough money, we can move to another ce to retire.¡± ¡°But he asked us to kill Bruce. This is too difficult. We might even lose our lives!¡± The bald man could not help but mutter. They were not good people, let alone had a conscience. It was just that this task was too difficult. Pete said viciously, ¡°After we finish this deal, we¡¯ll probably be able to have enough money to retire. ¡°Wealthes from danger. If we want to make a fortune, we can only do things that others don¡¯t dare to do. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to start with the doctor now. It also attracted the attention of Joanna and the police.¡± Soli¡¯s expression was solemn as he said timidly, ¡°Pete, how about we just stop this task?¡± ¡°You make it sound so easy. If we stop it now, do you think he¡¯ll let us go?¡± ¡°If anyone tries to back out again, I¡¯ll take his life now.¡± When the others heard this, they did not dare to say anything else. After a while, Rene turned his head. ¡°Pete, if we need to deal with Brice, I don¡¯t think we have to target Bruce. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We can start with the people around him. That way, it will be better!¡± ¡°People around him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll deal with whoever is most important to him! ¡°Like his ex-wife and his kids. This will be more heartbreaking for him than killing him.¡± Pete¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that. That was a good idea. It was much easier to deal with the people around Bruce than to deal with him directly. After that, Pete returned to the office. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± Pete knocked lightly on the door a few times. ¡°Come in.¡± In the office, Marlowe was enjoying himself with his secretary. Even when Pete came in, he had no intention of stopping. After Pete walked in, he was already used to the scene in front of him and did not feel embarrassed at all. ¡°President Yanice, I suddenly have a better ideal¡± Marlowe panted heavily and said impatiently, ¡°If you have something to say, say it!¡± ¡°Bruce is half-dead now. I think there¡¯s no point in dealing with him. It¡¯s better to think of a more. ruthless method to make his life feel worse than death.¡± When Marlowe heard this, he paused for a moment and red at Pete. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Pete said quickly, ¡°What I mean is to make Bruce¡¯s life a living hell. Make him lose everything he values the most. When he up and sees that his wife and children are dead and thepany is bankrupt, what do you think will happen to him?¡± wakes Marlowe¡¯s eyes widened as heughed maniacally. He immediately let go of the secretary who was about to be tortured to death by him. You¡¯re so fucking mean. ¡°You can even think of such a sinister method.¡± Chapter 639 Chapter 639 hapter 639 Pete rolled his eyes and said sinisterly, ¡°President Yanice, since you want revenge, we might as well take revenge on the people around him. ¡°This way, when Bruce wakes up and finds out that everyone in his family is dead and that he has no money, he will definitely wish he was dead.¡±¡± ¡°Ha, that makes sense. Go on.¡± Pete sneered and continued, ¡°The people Bruce cares about the most are none other than his ex-wife and children. ¡°As long as we kill that woman, the Everett Group will definitely be in a state of disunity. ¡°I heard that Joanna is holding a shareholders¡¯ meeting. She will hold the position of acting president of the Everett Group. ¡°Bruce and his uncle have never been on good terms. I think we can get his uncle to deal with Joanna. We can bankrupt the Everett Group first and then take Joanna¡¯s life.. ¡°When Joanna dies, the three brats of Bruce will be nothing for us. They can¡¯t pose any threat to us.¡± When Marlowe heard this, he could not help but p his hands and exim, ¡°Haha, this is a very good idea! ¡°You¡¯re really a fucking genius to think of such a ruthless method.¡± ¡°Well, this is all thanks to President Yanice¡¯s nurturing. Without President Yanice¡¯s nurturing, I would be nothing.¡± When Marlowe heard this, his face darkened. These words sounded like Pete was humiliating him.. ¡°Do you know what to do?¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, President Yanice. Just leave it to me. I¡¯ll definitely think of a way to let the Everett Group have an internal conflict first. ¡°I¡¯ll use Bruce¡¯s uncle to deal with Joanna. Let them target each other so that we can reap the benefits.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Marlowe let out a strangeugh and casually lit another cigar. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and move.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll think of a way immediately¡­¡± After Liam was taken away from the position of acting president, he was so angry that he did not have the appetite to eat for a day. After returning home, L hurriedly went forward. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re back. How is it?¡± Liam sighed heavily and took off his suit. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Evan replied gloomily, ¡°Dad is no longer the Everett Group¡¯s acting president.¡± When L heard this, she was instantly dumbfounded. ¡°Huh? How did this happen? ¡°If your dad doesn¡¯t take on the Everett Group¡¯s acting president, who else can take on such an important position?¡± ¡°Joanna!¡± When L heard this, she was even more furious. ¡°What right does she have to hold such an important position? ¡°Honey, you didn¡¯t agree to her request, did you?¡± ¡°What else can I do? This is the result of the board of directors¡¯ votes. Most people support her, so it¡¯s useless even if I object!¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be, right? Most people support her? What the hell?¡± Liam could not be bothered to say anything else and sat on the sofa. L quickly came over and asked Evan, ¡°Evan, what¡¯s going on? Tell me quickly!¡± Evan sighed heavily. ¡°Joanna took out a will. It was Bruce who made the will and let her take full responsibility for everything. ¡°When the other shareholders saw this, they all changed sides and supported Joanna as the acting president!¡± ¡°It¡¯s that all? They stripped your dad of his presidential position just because of a will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Upon hearing this, she became even more anxious. ¡°Honey, you can¡¯t give up just like that. Mr. Everett isn¡¯t even dead yet. His will is not valid at all!¡± ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think we can give up either.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is billion-dor assets. Even if there¡¯s a small chance, we have to do our best to fight for it! We can¡¯t let Joanna benefit for nothing.¡± ¡°Seriously, Mr. Everett is still so young. Why did he make a will? ¡°Who knows if that will is real or fake? Maybe Joanna is deliberately fooling everyone.¡± ¡°Oh, stop arguing. I¡¯m dizzy. I¡¯ll go upstairs and sleep first.¡± As Liam spoke, he went upstairs. After seeing his father leave, Evan gave L a look. L blushed and whispered coquettishly, ¡°Got it. You go first!¡± Evan didn¡¯t say anything else. He stood up and walked out. ¡°I¡¯m noting back for dinner today. You don¡¯t need to leave food for me!¡± The servants replied respectfully, ¡°Okay, Mr. Miller!¡± Half an hourter, L also found an excuse to leave the house. Liam had a total of two sons. Evan was the eldest son, and his second wife had given him a son and a daughter. L was his third wife. She was more than 20 years younger than him. Evan and L were about the same age, only two years apart. Moreover, L was a beauty pageant girl, only just in her early thirties. She was well-maintained and in good shape. Although she was in her thirties, she looked like a twenty-four or twenty-five-year-old girl. She even looked more charming than a twenty-something-year-old girl. She and Evan had been together for a long time. It was Evan who had even personally introduced L to his father. However, after L became Evan¡¯s stepmother, the two of them still maintained a ¡°secret rtionship¡±. Whenever there was a chance, the two of them would secretly meet. Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Soon, the two of them arrived at the ce where they often went on dates! It was a small vi. This was also the secret love nest that Evan had bought specially for his tryst with L. As soon as the two of them met, they started to have sex as usual! An hourter, L was satisfied. She coquettishly snuggled into Evan¡¯s arms with her cheeks blush. ¡°Do you like me? Or my old Dad?¡± L hit him coquettishly. ¡°You¡¯re so bad. If your-Dad finds out, he¡¯ll skin you alive.¡± ¡°Before he skins me, I¡¯ll skin you first¡­¡± As Evan spoke, he started to make another round of love with L. Although Liam was old, he was still strong. However, Evan was young and vigorous. Therefore, of course, L liked Evan more. Back then, Evan had racked his brains to push L to his father¡¯s side so that she could deal with Liam¡¯s second wife and the son of his second wife. L didn¡¯t let him down. She quickly charmed Liam. Not long after, Liam dumped his second wife and married the young and beautiful L. With the help of L, Evan was naturally liked by Liam. Liam handed most of the businesses to Evan to manage. As for Liam¡¯s youngest son, he was directly sent overseas to study, and was not given the chance to take over Liam¡¯s property at all. ¡°Evan, I really don¡¯t want more¡­ After they finished the second round of having sex, Evan started to brainwash L again. ¡°L, you have to work hard to incite my Dad to fight for the Everett Group¡¯s assets.¡± There were some things that it was useless for him to tell his father, but it was much simpler and more effective for L to tell his father. L¡¯s eyes were blurry as she said coquettishly, ¡°Evan, your Dad already has enough money. Besides, we¡¯ve already earned a lot of money during this period of time. It¡¯s better to stop it before it¡¯s toote. How about we just stop it? Lest we end up empty-handed!¡± Indeed, Liam was also ranked in the top 20 billionaires of Greyport. His personal assets amounted to more than 10 billion dors. However, the richer one was, the greedier one was, and the more one would want to earn more money. Evanughed mockingly and teased L. ¡°Heh, you women are too short-sighted. You¡¯re too easily satisfied. ¡°Is several billion dors enough?¡± L pouted and retorted unhappily, ¡°Several billion dors isn¡¯t enough? How much more do you want then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I have a younger brother and sister. When the timees, my Dad will definitely give half of his money to them. ¡°Also, who knows if my Dad has illegitimate children outside or not? What if a bunch of illegitimate children pop up to fight for family assets? How much can I get? ¡°Now, we can only try our best to control as many assets as possible. Bruce has an ident. If my Dad can take over his assets, we can then really rest easy for the rest of our lives.¡± In the past, Evan had never dared to have any ideas about Bruce. However, ever since Bruce¡¯s incident, This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Evan¡¯s ambitions had -suddenly swelled. ¡°s, Bruce has children. It¡¯s not your Dad¡¯s ce to, inherit his assets.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Hmph, if we don¡¯t work hard to fight for it, we definitely won¡¯t be able to inherit it. ¡°But don¡¯t forget that my Dad is Bruce¡¯s biological uncle. If Bruce dies, my Dad naturally has the right to take over the Everett Group. ¡°Therefore, even if there¡¯s only a one in ten thousand chance, we have to try our best to fight for it.¡± L¡¯s eyes flickered as she looked at Evan faintly. ¡°Evan, to tell me the truth, have you really thought of marrying me? ¡°You promised me in the past that as long as I can control your Dad to drive away your stepmother and her son, you¡¯ll be with me.¡± Evan arched his eyebrows. ¡°Aren¡¯t I with you now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. What I want is for you¡­ to marry me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. You¡¯re my stepmother now. What will others think of us if I marry you? ¡°Isn¡¯t it good for us to be like this now? In front of outsiders, you¡¯re still my stepmother, and we¡¯re a harmonious family. ¡°In private, we¡¯re like a couple, doing everything couples do. What else are you dissatisfied with?¡± When L heard this, a trace of disappointment appeared in her eyes. She was already in her thirties and did not have any children. When she grew old, she would probably not even have to rely on. ¡°Evan, how about¡­ we make a child?¡± When Evan heard this, his eyes widened! She was now his nominal stepmother. Wouldn¡¯t it be a mess if he had a child with her? anyone ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Children are a burden. Why would I want a child? Let¡¯s talk about itter! It¡¯ll be terrible if my Dad finds out.¡± L frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°What are you afraid of? If I¡¯m pregnant with your child, I¡¯ll say that it¡¯s your Dad¡¯s child. He definitely won¡¯t find out. ¡°Even if we do a paternity test, the child is still rted to him by blood¡­¡± When Evan heard this, he felt even more incredulous. ¡°L, can you stop fooling around?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m already in my thirties. I must have a child. ¡°Either you have a child with me, or I¡¯ll have a child with your Dad. It¡¯s up to you!¡± After saying that, L got up angrily and put on her clothes. Seeing that L was angry, Evan quickly hugged her andforted her. If he really angered her and she really gave birth to a child with his father, there would be another more person to share the family assets with him. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. You¡¯re the boss here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But let¡¯s make it clear first. We can make a child, but not now.¡± L¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°When should it be?¡± ¡°When my Dad settles Joanna and officially takes over the Everett Group!¡± L sneered, ¡°Heh, then how long will it take? I don¡¯t care. I must give birth to my own child this year. ¡°Whether you want a younger brother or a son, it¡¯s your choice.¡± Evan was deted and speechless to the extreme. L¡¯s words made him not know what to say ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I want a son. I want a son, okay? ¡°Next time, I won¡¯t do any measures. I¡¯ll try to do it in one go so that you can get pregnant with a baby.¡± ¡°You said it yourself. You can¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in your hands. How can I lie to you?¡± When L heard that, she instantly kissed Evan¡¯s face a few times happily. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had already ¡°exhausted¡± from the two rounds of having sex, L would definitely want him. to make a baby with her immediately. ¡°However, don¡¯t just be happy for now. For the sake of our happy days in the future, you must think of ways to incite my Dad. ¡°We can¡¯t give up even if there¡¯s only a little hope. We have to get the Everett Group,¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t worry! I have plenty of ways to deal with Liam.¡± ¡°You little bitch. My Dad failed miserably in your hands.¡± ¡± ¡°Alright, hurry up and go back! If you go back toote, my Dad will be suspicious.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± L said. Supporting her weak limbs, she got up and put on her clothes. Chapter 641 Chapter 641 A weekter, in the conference room of the Everett Group, Joanna had officially taken up the position of acting president. Although many people were still unwilling to ept it, they could only be angry in their hearts but not dare to say anything. At nine o¡¯clock in the morning, Joanna walked into the conference room with a serious expression, wearing a ssic suit that made her look very capable. ¡°Let¡¯s have a meeting.¡± ¡°Morning, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± Joanna sat down in the seat that Bruce had previously upied. ¡°Today¡¯s meeting will focus on three matters.¡± The long conference table was upied by thepany¡¯s shareholders and senior executives. Only Liam¡¯s seat was empty. He had been forcibly stripped of his position as acting president and was still angry. He had been so angry that he had note to thepany for a week. It was good that he did note. Joanna would not rush him to work either. She would just treat him as nobody. ¡°Firstly, Ipared thepany¡¯s profits in the first half of the year. In the past two months, the ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of objective factors. However, the main factor is thexity of the various departments and the inaction of the shareholders and higher-ups. As Joanna spoke, she nced at the people sitting there. Some of the shareholders straightened their backs slightly, while others had unfocused looks in their eyes. They had all kinds of expressions. Joanna paused for a few seconds before continuing solemnly, ¡°I request all shareholders and senior executives to reflect on your actions one by one and write out a detailed work report.¡± When the shareholders and higher-ups heard this, they stared at each other. They knew that Miss Haynes was not easy to deal with. See, they knew it. A new official would apply strict measures. Joanna began to constrain them in arranging their work as soon as she took the position. Joanna was not in the mood to argue with these people, nor did she want to adopt a gentle governance n. She said bluntly, ¡°Secondly, I found that there are many problems with thepany¡¯s ounts. There are many payments that can¡¯t be matched, and there are many holes in thepany¡¯s bank ounts.¡± When everyone heard this, a portion of them began to panic. ¡°I¡¯ll give everyone a week to check on yourselves. If the ounts still don¡¯t match after a week, then I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I¡¯ll take strict legal measures to investigate thepany¡¯s ounts. I won¡¯t tolerate anyone.¡± Joanna knew it very well. It was impossible for all the shareholders to be unaffected by bad culture. She gave them a chance now, and if they were sensible enough to automatically make up for the holes in the ounts, she would turn a blind eye and let them off this time. However, if they were still stubborn and insisted on not taking it seriously, she would definitely not condone their bad habits. ¡°The third thing is about Mr. Miller wanting to sell the Belle Building under the Everett Group. I¡¯m now informing everyone that the Belle Building belongs to thepany property of the Everett Group. No one has the right to sell the Belle Building without thepany¡¯s permission. ¡°I¡¯ve finished my three points. What do you want to discuss? What problems do you have? You can raise them now,¡± Joanna said calmly and looked at everyone. Mr. Young¡¯s face revealed a hint of mockery. He said half-teasingly, ¡°Heh, Miss Haynes does things swiftly and decisively. You¡¯re not inferior to Mr. Everett at all, How would we dare to have any problems? We have no problem. No problem at all.¡± When Joanna heard his sarcasm, she did not have the slightest intention of letting him off. She retorted bluntly, ¡°Mr. Young, what do you mean by that? Are you mocking me for being unreasonable, or are you mocking Mr. Everett for being ¡± ¡°How would I dare? I¡¯mpletely out of admiration¡­¡± Joanna looked at him coldly and could not be bothered to say anything more to him. Anyway, this person was standing on the other side of Liam. In the future, when she found an opportunity, she would definitely kick him out of thepany. She could not let such a person mix in with the team ¡°Does anyone think there¡¯s a problem? You can ask directly. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush or insinuate anything.¡± Mr. Bourn¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Uh, then I¡¯ll make a small suggestion.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Mmm, I think there¡¯s been a huge change in thepany¡¯s personnel department. This has a very bad impact. Some of the old employees have already left. I think we can make some welfare adjustments for thepany. It¡¯s also time to increase the sries of the grassroots employees.¡± ¡°Your suggestion is very good. I¡¯ll consider it. I¡¯ll give you an answer in three days.¡± ¡°Who else has a problem? You can bring it up now. We can discuss it together.¡± ¡°Then I also want to make a small suggestion!¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡± ¡°Regarding the Green Bay project, I think we should be more detailed and let thepany¡¯s shareholder to better understand the progress of this project!¡± Hearing this, Joanna nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, your suggestion is very good¡­¡± -The meeting continued until 11:30 a.m., and Joanna also seriously tabted everyone¡¯s problems. ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s meeting. Don¡¯t forget to submit the work n tomorrow. I¡¯ll carefully consider everyone¡¯s questions and give everyone an answer as soon as possible. Let¡¯s end the meeting now.¡± Chapter 642 Chapter 642 After the meeting was over, the shareholders walked out of the conference room in twos and threes. The shareholders who were on good terms could not help but gather together and whisper, ¡°See, I knew it. Once Miss Haynes takes office, it will definitely not be easy for us.¡± ¡°As soon as she took office, she attacked with a heavy punch. She made such a big scene.¡± When Mr. Bourn heard this, he sighed. ¡°s, what can we do? Just follow Miss Haynes¡¯s instructions!¡± ¡°You guys are really worrying for nothing. She has policies and we have countermeasures. Think of a way.¡± ¡°Since she wants us to write a work n, we¡¯ll do it,¡± Mr. Young teased. He was best at cking off and neglecting work. No matter what instructions Joanna gave, he would just follow them. However, he would deliberately do it half-heartedly or deliberately mess it up. When the others heard his words, they pursed their lips and became mncholic. Those who were greedy for money were already starting to panic. However, there were also a few people who were afraid of nothing and did not take it seriously at all. This was because they thought that Joanna was just saying it and that she would not really make a big fuss. At six o¡¯clock in the evening, after Joanna got off work, she went straight back to Sherane Bay Vi. It was Friday. She wasing back to spend some time with the children. Joanna returned home at 6:40 p.m. Davian and Irvin were already waiting on thewn. Seeing the driver drive back, the two little guys hurriedly ran over and personally opened the door for their Mommy. ¡°Mommy, we miss you!¡± Joanna smiled and got out of the car. ¡°I miss you, too.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll help Mommy carry the bag!¡± ¡°Mommy, be careful!¡± ¡°Good boys. You¡¯re so obedient.¡± Joanna rubbed her two sons¡¯ heads dotingly. ¡°Mommy, is Daddy¡¯s injury better? When can we visit Daddy?¡± Joanna thought for a moment. Tomorrow happened to be Saturday! Bruce had already been transferred to a normal ward. There were not many restrictions. She could bring the children to visit him more often. Perhaps it could stimte his consciousness. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring you guys to Daddy tomorrow!¡± The three little guys asked in unison, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, really.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. We can finally see Daddy.¡± ¡°Then go to bed early after dinner and wake up early tomorrow. ¡°Okay, okay. I understand, Mommy.¡± After having dinner with the children and ying with them for a while, Joanna urged them to sleep early. After the children slept, Joanna took out herptopputer and began to work overtime to deal with the During the time she and Bruce were not in thepany, many problems had arisen in thepany. Now, she had to strengthen management and solve these problems as soon as possible. She was busy until ten o¡¯clock at night. Joanna looked at the time. She closed theptopputer and prepared to sleep. It was actually not veryte. In the past, when she worked, she often worked overtime until two or three o¡¯clock in the morning. At six or seven o¡¯clock in the morning, she woke up on time and only sleep for about four to five hours a day.¡± But now, she was pregnant. For the sake of the baby, in her stomach, she had to let herself sleep for eight hours. The next day at eight o¡¯clock in the morning, the children could not wait to get up. They had not seen their Daddy for almost a month. After breakfast, Joanna took the children to the hospital. In the ward, Bruce was still lying quietly as if he had fallen asleep. His eyebrows and eyshes were born well. His eyebrows were thick and long. His eyebrows were slightly arched, and they were evenly distributed, revealing the unique determination and heroic spirit of a man. And his eyshes were also very beautiful. When his eyes were closed, his eyshes looked like a fine feather fan, casting a shadow on his eyes. Sometimes, when Joanna stared at his eyebrows, she would unknowingly be distracted. How could there be such a beautiful brow shape? Unfortunately, his face had been disfigured ever since the car ident! There was an additional scar on his left eyebrow. Although it had healed, a scar that was a few inches long could still be seen. Joanna and the children walked into the ward. Irvin ran to his father¡¯s bedside first. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re here to see you.¡± Lilia quickly stopped Irvin. ¡°Shh, be quiet. Don¡¯t disturb Daddy.¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s all keep our voices down.¡± you wake up?¡± Liliay beside Bruce¡¯s ear and said in a childish voice, ¡°Daddy, we miss you so much. When will Davian was more reserved and he was not good at expressing himself. He just stood in front of the bed and watched silently. Joanna raised her eyebrows slightly and gently held Bruce¡¯s hand. ¡°Bruce, I brought the children to see you!¡± As she spoke, she looked at the three little guys again. ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia, tell Daddy more about the interesting things that happened to you in school.¡± Irvin loved to talk. He immediately talked without stopping. ¡°Daddy, there are many children and beautiful teachers in our _school! ¡°Daddy, you love to look at beauties. When you wake up, I¡¯ll introduce my beautiful form teacher to you. She¡¯s a super beauty. ¡°I¡¯m sure Daddy will like her when you see her!¡± Before Irvin could finish his words, there was a clear ¡°p¡± sound. Davian pulled a long face and hit Irvin¡¯s head without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re creating an opportunity for Daddy to make a mistake! Daddy can only be Mommy¡¯s. How can you introduce other beauties to Daddy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Mommy is the most beautiful woman. Daddy only loves Mommy. Other than Mommy, Daddy won¡¯t look at other women.¡± Lilia rolled her eyes coldly at Irvin When Irvin heard this, he looked indignant. ¡°Ouch, it hurts. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mommy say just now that we have to talk about something that Daddy is interested in? Daddy is a man, so he definitely likes beauties!¡± As Irvin spoke, he looked at his Mommy angrily. ¡°Mommy, didn¡¯t you just say that we have to talk about more topics that Daddy likes to stimte Daddy¡¯s brain nerves? ¡°Daddy usually loves to look at beauties. If we find a group of beauties to talk to Daddy every day, Daddy may wake up soon.¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna was speechless. She actually did not know what to reply. What Irvin said¡­ seemed to make sense. Bruce, this damn bastard, really liked beauties! It was like for a glutton, even if he was asleep, as long as the delicacies were ced by his nose, he would immediately be awakened by the fragrance of the delicacies. ¡°Uhh, Bruce. Look, how well our son knows you. ¡°How about I find you a few beauties?¡± On the hospital bed, Bruce¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly as if he wanted to open them, but he was too weak to do so. He was sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious. Now that he heard someone talking in his ear, he wanted to wake up, but he couldn¡¯t. Irvin was the first to see his father¡¯s reaction. He immediately eximed, ¡°Look, look. Daddy reacted immediately when I mentioned beauties. ¡°Look, Daddy¡¯s eyes are moving. This proves that Daddy is indeed interested in beautiful women.¡± Joanna frowned. She was really speechless. It was true. Bruce¡¯s eyelids were really trembling. Although he didn¡¯t open his eyes, she could clearly see his eyeballs moving under his eyelids. Joanna did not know if she should be happy or angry at this scene. Indeed, men were lustful even if they were about to die. Chapter 643 Chapter 643 ¡°Looks like we really have to find a few beauties for Daddy¡­¡± Before Irvin could finish being excited, he was hit on the head again. ¡°If you dare to spout nonsense again, I¡¯ll blow your head off.¡± Irvin had been hit on the head twice. Due to Davian being his brother, he did not dare to resist him. He could only look at Joanna even more pitifully. ¡°Mommy, I didn¡¯t mean that. ¡°I just want to make Daddy wake up as soon as possible by talking about the topic that he¡¯s interested in. I don¡¯t really want Daddy to find other beauties. ¡°I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s son. I know Daddy the best. Looking at beauty is like enjoying flowers. We can enjoy them, but we don¡¯t have to pluck them.¡± Lilia immediately interrupted him and retorted unhappily, ¡°Irvin, you¡¯re so disgusting. When you grow up, you¡¯ll definitely be very fickle. Whoever marries you will definitely not be happy. ¡°Davian is still the best. He definitely won¡¯t be as fickle as you.¡± When Irvin heard this, he said disapprovingly, ¡°A man like me is just like Daddy. We look like yboys, but we¡¯re actually very loyal. ¡°A real man has to have the heart to love beautiful women and the ability to restrain himself. He dares to take responsibility for his actions and doesn¡¯t care about trifles. This is a real man.¡± When Joanna heard this, she frowned. ¡°Irvin, you¡¯re so young. Who taught you so much nonsense? I don¡¯t see you putting in the effort to do your homework, but you know more than anyone else about learning such nonsense.¡± These three little fellows were really bing more and more precocious. Some things they knew were even moreprehensive than hers. This was too terrifying. Joanna thought she had to strictly discipline them. ¡°Hmph, is there a need to teach me these things? I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s son, so I naturally inherited Daddy¡¯s excellent genes.¡± Joanna was even more speechless after hearing this. Irvin really admired Bruce. He was deliberately imitating Bruce in his words, actions, and temperament. Irvin imitated Bruce¡¯s fanatical confidence and sharp tongue very well. In this respect, Irvin was a one¨C to¨Cone copy of Bruce. ¡°Uh¡­ ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve all seen Daddy. You can all go out now. Don¡¯t affect Daddy¡¯s recovery.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± ¡°Daddy, we¡¯ll leave first. We¡¯lle and see you another day. I hope you wake up soon.¡± The three little guys kissed their Daddy¡¯s face one after another before leaving the ward reluctantly. After the children went out, Joanna sighed faintly and began to massage Bruce¡¯s wrists. ¡°Bruce, wake up quickly and discipline your son well. I don¡¯t know how to discipline them now. ¡°They are getting more and more precocious and know too much. They don¡¯t look like six¨Cyear¨Colds at all. I¡¯m worried that if this continues, there will be bad consequences¡­¡± In the blink of an eye, another half a month passed. Joanna went to work during the day, went to the hospital at five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and went back to apany the children on Friday and Saturday. She was as busy as a top and could not rest well every day. In particr, there was a huge hole in thepany¡¯s ounts. A few shareholders secretly filled in their holes, while some stubborn people remained indifferent. This was especially true for Liam, who caused a hole of hundreds of millions of dors in the All this money went into his private ount. Joanna had already given him a chance, but he ignored it and even looked down on her. Anyway, he was the secondrgest shareholder of thepany. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. 1/2 11:03 At that time, if Bruce really woke up, Liam could only bear the pain and spit out these hundreds of millions of dors. If Bruce never woke up, these hundreds of millions of dors would be Liam¡¯s private property. Liam would never return them to thepany, let alone let Joanna take control of this money. During this period of time, L kept inciting Liam to fight for the Everett Group. Liam¡¯s ears were ringing from hearing it. No one could withstand others¡® constant persuasions. Moreover, L was like a repeater, nagging in his ears every day. Gradually, Liam felt that the Everett Group was his private property. ¡°Honey, we can¡¯t let her off so easily. Why should we give her all the money? This is our family¡¯s money. Why should we use it to make up for thepany¡¯s losses? ¡°I heard that Bruce is already in a vegetative state. He will never wake up in this lifetime. ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t think we can sit back and wait for death now. We should take the initiative to attack. ¡°Even if there¡¯s the slightest hope, we have to hold on to it! Think about it. If you really take over the Everett Group, you¡¯ll be the richest man in Greyport.¡± The more L spoke, the more excited she became. She kept shaking Liam¡¯s arm coquettishly. Liam sighed heavily. ¡°s, it¡¯s not as easy as you say. Joanna has Bruce¡¯s will in hand. Evetr if Bruce really unfortunately dies, Joanna and her children are also beneficiaries. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± When L heard this, she said after she thought about it for a while, ¡°Honey, since she has the will, let¡¯s think of a way to make this will void. ¡°Bruce is now in a vegetative state. We can say that he made his will while unconscious. ¡°Anyway, he and Joanna didn¡¯t remarry. Legally, they¡¯re strangers. You should take this opportunity to apply to the court to be Bruce¡¯s guardian.¡± When Liam heard this, he felt that it was even more ridiculous. ¡°Honey, can you stop fooling around? He¡¯s an adult. How can I ask for custody of him?¡± Seeing that Liam couldn¡¯t understand her words, L sat on hisp. ¡°Honey, he¡¯s in a vegetative state now. He doesn¡¯t have any self¨Cawareness, let alone self¨Ccare ability! ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any other rtives, and you¡¯re his biological uncle. So, you can definitely apply to be his guardian. ¡°As long as you be his guardian, you can get whatever you want. Who is Joanna? What right does she have to monopolize the billion¨Cdor assets of the Everett family?¡± Send Gift Comment Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Liam was already filled with anger. When he heard L¡¯s instigation and incitement, his thoughts wavered. Half of the credit for the Everett Group became so powerful belonged to his sister. Although his sister was no longer around, he should take over her share. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to help my sister secure Bruce¡¯s assets. I can¡¯t let that woman Joanna benefit for nothing¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who does Joanna think she is? How is she qualified to manage the Everett family¡¯s business? If Mr. Everett never wakes up, all the Everett family¡¯s assets will fall into her hands.¡± When Liam heard this, his turbid eyes turned serious. ¡°I¡¯ll go find awyer now and discuss this matter¡­¡± The next day, L snuck off to look for Evan again. As usual, the two of them had sex as soon as they met. After they finished, Evan smoked a cigarette and asked immediately, ¡°L, how is it going?¡± L smiled weakly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already persuaded Liam. I think he¡¯ll take action soon! ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll definitely lead him to do what you asked.¡± After saying that, L softly stretched her sore and slim waist and looked at Evan with satisfaction. It was better to have sex with a young man. The abundant physical energy of young men was so attractive. Although Liam was also vigorous, he was still old. He was like a broken car with insufficient power, and from time to time, his engine would turn off. When Evan heard this, he was especially satisfied. He hugged her again. ¡°L, keep going. As long as we can deal with my Dad, I¡¯ll immediately get you to give birth to a son for me!¡± ¡°Evan, don¡¯t let me down. I did all of this for you. ¡°I¡¯ve done so much for you. You can¡¯t make me sad.¡± ¡°Silly, why would I let you down?¡± As he spoke, Evan was like a revved car, instantly full of energy¡­. In the office of the Everett Group, less than ten minutes after Joanna arrived, Andy knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, I received a court summons today!¡± Andy said and handed a summons to Joanna. ¡°What summons?¡± Andy sighed and said speechlessly, ¡°Mr. Miller filed awsuit to be Mr. Everett¡¯s guardian. ¡°At the same time, he has officially charged you. He requests that you no longer interfere in Mr. Everett¡¯s marters from now on.¡± Joanna was speechless upon hearing this. ¡°Liam applied to be Bruce¡¯s guardian? Did he make a mistake?¡± ¡°Yes, he requested full authority as the guardian of Mr. Everett during his illness, citing Mr. Everett¡¯s severe illness and incapacitation.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes instantly widened. She really did not have the strength toin. Andy sighed again and said solemnly, ¡°Miss Haynes, you have to think of a way. If he really sues the court, it will be very disadvantageous for you. After all, he is Mr. Everett¡¯s biological uncle and also Mr. Everett¡¯s rtive and elder.¡± Joanna exhaled a mouthful of breath. Her eyes widened. ¡°He¡¯s really greedy!¡± ¡°s, we all know what he¡¯s thinking! But the court won¡¯t care about this, let alone reject his request. ¡°Moreover, once the matter of the fake will is exposed, the consequences will be even more disadvantageous to you.¡± Joanna looked up slightly. ¡°Andy, what do you think we should do now?¡± Andy pondered for a few seconds and frowned. ¡°I think¡­ Miss Haynes, you should discuss this with Mr. Miller in private and see if there¡¯s a better solution. If you go to court, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be disadvantageous for both sides. ¡°Although we all know about Mr. Everett¡¯s rtionship with him, legally speaking, he does have more obligations as a guardian than you do.¡± 11:05 When Joanna heard this, she subconsciously bit her lip and felt upset. No one knew when Bruce would wake up. If Joanna really went to court with Liam because of this, the fake will would definitely be exposed. At that time, Liam really had a high chance of winning thewsuit. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll let you go first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Andy replied and left the office. After Andy left, Joanna quickly called Mr. Jameson to discuss thewsuit with him. If there was really awsuit, Joanna could not be caught off guard. In addition, she decided to have a private chat with Liam. The next day, Joanna called Liam. Beep, beep, beep. The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. ¡°Hello.¡± Joanna coughed lightly and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Miller, it¡¯s me, Joanna.¡± Liam¡¯s indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°I know. Tell me what¡¯s the matter!¡± ¡°I want to talk to you!¡± ¡°About what?¡± Joanna did not stand on polite form and said bluntly, ¡°I want to talk to you about Bruce¡¯s guardian.¡± ¡°Sure! ¡°I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s biological uncle. My current request is to be his guardian until he recovers.¡± Joanna choked and still tried to persuade him. ¡°Mr. Miller, he¡¯s much better now. He¡¯ll wake up soon. I¡¯ll do my best to take care of him. You don¡¯t have to worry about this at all¡­¡± Before Joanna could finish, Liam interrupted her impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me so much. I just don¡¯t believe you. That¡¯s why I have to be Bruce¡¯s guardian and guard his assets for him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, half of the Everett Group belongs to my sister. ¡°My nephew is in trouble now. As his uncle, I naturally have to help him deal with the aftermath.¡± After hearing this, Joanna could no longer suppress her anger. ¡°Mr. Miller, I know you¡¯re his uncle. ¡°But legally, you¡¯re not his immediate family either. And you¡¯re certainly not the first or second in line to Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. inherit his estate. What makes you think you can apply to be her guardian?¡± When Liam heard that, he immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°What right do you have to criticize me? Heh, you¡¯re talking to me about thew now? ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about thew properly. No matter what, I¡¯m his biological uncle. ¡°And you are just a stranger to him. What right do you have to be his guardian? And what right do you have to control all his assets? ¡°Let me tell you, not only do I want to be Bruce¡¯s guardian, but I also want to take good care of his children for him. They are the Everett farmily¡¯s children. They have nothing to do with you.¡± When Joanna heard this, she gritted her teeth in anger. She thought in her heart, ¡°Liam is really greedy. ¡°Now, not only does he want custody of Bruce, but he also wants custody of the children? ¡°Nevermind. It seems like I shouldn¡¯t have made this call.¡± After Joanna thought about it, she said, ¡°All right then! I¡¯ll see you only in court.¡± ¡°Beep!¡± Liam hung up the phone. Joanna asked with a gloomy face, ¡°Mr. Jameson, what are the chances of winning thiswsuit?¡± Mr. Jameson pondered for a few seconds and said solemnly, ¡°Well, actually, the probability of him winning thewsuit is not high either.¡± Chapter 645 Chapter 645 ¡°Although he¡¯s Mr. Everett¡¯s biological uncle, he¡¯s not an immediate family member after all. And your rtionship with Mr. Everett is obvious to everyone in Greyport. ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re the mother of Mr. Everett¡¯s children. You might not lose thewsuit.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a slight sense of relief. She said, ¡°Well. Prepare to sue him now. At the same time, gather evidence and charge him with embezzling the Everett Group¡¯s public assets. ¡°If he continues to be so stubborn, I won¡¯t be polite to him.¡± Liam embezzledpany funds totaling hundreds of millions of dors. If the charges were proven, he could very well end behind bars for a long time. up ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. I will do my best to win thewsuit.¡± Mr. Jameson looked at Joanna Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. confidently and calmly. He was the bestwyer in Greyport and had the strongest legal team under him. Taking on this kind of Liam might not be able to gain anything. ¡°However, once this goes to court, it will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. ¡°It might take years, and he has the right to apply to the court to not allow you toe into contact with Mr. Everett during the trial.¡± Joanna frowned when she heard that. She didn¡¯t want to go to court either. The will in her hand was fake. If she went to court, this would definitely be exposed. Therefore, she could only counter¨Cim Liam for embezzlement to restrain him. ¡°Mr. Jameson, is there any better way?¡± Mr. Jameson thought for a while. ¡°Well, the only other way would be to prove that Mr. Everett is not in a vegetative state and that his injuries are not as severe. Of course, it would be best if Mr. Everett could wake up before the trial.¡± ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first. If anything happens to Miss Haynes, call me anytime.¡± ¡°Well. Okay.¡± Mr. Jameson did not say anything else and turned to leave. ¡°Andy, send a car immediately. I¡¯m going to the hospital now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Twenty minutes had passed. Joanna arrived at the hospital. She entered the doctor¡¯s office. ¡°Dr. yton, how¡¯s Bruce¡¯s situation now? Is there a better way to wake him up as soon as possible?¡± Joanna asked solemnly. When Jordan heard this, a hint of helplessness appeared on his face. ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett¡¯s external injuries have recovered very well. He¡¯s basically fine. ¡°He¡¯s mainly suffering from cerebral nerve damage now, which is moreplicated. We can only wait for him to slowly recover. There¡¯s no effective treatment for him at the moment.¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Is there no way at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We can only treat him conservatively. If we use extreme treatment, it might backfire and worsen his condition. ¡°Miss Haynes, just wait patiently. Mr. Everett¡¯s current recovery situation is already a blessing. It¡¯s like snatching a life back from the clutches of death. We couldn¡¯t have higher expectations.¡± ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± Joanna was a little dejected. ¡°I¡¯ll go see him.¡± Then Joanna was back in the ward Bruce was still lying quietly. Hisplexion was better than a few days ago. Joanna approached the bedside and instinctively took hold of his hand. ¡°Bruce, can you wake up quickly? ¡°If you don¡¯t wake up, there will be a lot of trouble.¡± 1/2 11:05 Joanna said in a low voice, and her eyes turned red uncontrobly. Miranda, standing beside Joanna, watched quietly. Seeing Joanna¡¯s distressed expression, she quickly offered words offort. ¡°Joann, why don¡¯t we try finding Mr. Lewis again? ¡°Medical science may not have a solution for this problem, but we can explore other methods. Maybe there¡¯s something that could work. ¡°Especially when someone has been unconscious for so long, apart from physical damage, there could be other factors at y.¡± After Joanna heard that, her eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right. How could I forget about Mr. Lewis? ¡°I¡¯ll call him right now and ask him to think of another solution.¡± As Joanna spoke, she immediately took out her phone and found Mr. Lewis¡¯s number. Then a notification sound could be heard. The phone rang for a long time before Mr. Lewis finally picked up. ¡°Hello.¡± Joanna felt a rush of excitement in her heart and quickly spoke with reverence, ¡°Hello, Mr. Lewis. I¡¯m Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Please go ahead.¡± Mr. Lewis sounded a little tired. Joanna paused for a moment. ¡°Mr. Lewis, I¡¯d like to ask for your help in saving Bruce again. ¡°Bruce has been in aa for more than two months. I don¡¯t know when he will wake up. ¡°You¡¯re very powerful. There must be a way to wake him up as soon as possible.¡± The other end of the phone fell silent. ¡°Mr. Lewis, or is there any other way you can think of? I¡¯m begging you. Pleasee up with another way.¡± Joanna¡¯s voice was very sincere. On the other end of the line, Mr. Lewis pondered for nearly a minute. ¡°I¡¯m at Pedrana now. I¡¯ll make a trip back to Greyport next week. ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll go to the hospital to take a look first.¡± ¡°Well. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Lewis. I¡¯ll arrange for a private ne to pick you up immediately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it then.¡± With that, Mr. Lewis hung up. Joanna couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. ¡°That¡¯s great. That¡¯s great! I hope Mr. Lewis can find a way to help Bruce soon. wake up ¡°Bruce, you have to keep fighting. You have to wake up as soon as possible.¡± B Send Gift Comment Chapter 646 Chapter 646 The call ended. Miranda looked at Joanna solemnly. ¡°Joann, how did it go? What did Mr. Lewis say?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes lit up. She said excitedly, ¡°Mr. Lewis said that he will personally make a trip to Greyport next week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Since Mr. Lewis is willing toe in person, it means he must have a solution. Thank goodness for that. Mr. Everett¡¯s luck has finally turned around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call Gael immediately and ask him to arrange for a private ne to pick up Mr. Lewis.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Joanna quickly called Gael. Joanna was so excited that her fingers were trembling slightly. The call went through quickly. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, what can I do for you?¡± Joanna said anxiously, ¡°Gael, immediately arrange for a private ne to go to Pedrana to pick up Mr. Lewis.¡± ¡°Mr. Lewis ising to Greyport?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. He said he¡¯s going toe over personally next week. Hurry up and contact him now. After confirming the time, send a private ne to pick him up.¡± After Gael heard this, he looked serious. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make the arrangements immediately.¡± ¡°Gael, please pick him up personally. It seems more sincere.¡± ¡°Yes. I know.¡± Then Joanna hung up the phone. Joanna put her hands together and prayed silently. ¡°May God bless him. May Bruce wake up early.¡± Seeing Joanna¡¯s anxious expression, Miranda said with concern, ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be too nervous. ¡°Mr. Lewis is very powerful. Since he¡¯s willing toe here personally, he must have a way.¡± Joanna heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I hope so. ¡°We¡¯re still ten days away from court. I wonder if he¡¯ll wake up.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is blessed. He will definitely wake up.¡± Soon, the day came. Gael sent a private ne over and personally fly to Pedrana to pick up Mr. Lewis. Previously, Joanna and Mr. Lewis had met once. In her impression, Mr. Lewis wore a long white cotton robe and a pair of cloth shoes. He looked very thin and had the aura of an otherworldly expert. It was around five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. After the ne arrived in Greyport, Joanna arranged for a driver to pick him up and take him to the hospital. Joanna was in the hospital. Joanna and a group of bodyguards were already waiting respectfully. ¡°He is here. He is here. Mr. Lewis has arrived.¡± ¡°Hurry up and wee him,¡± Joanna said and quickly walked to the entrance of the hospital. Then Joanna could see them. Mr. Lewis was apanied by Gael. And they were walking towards the hospital. ¡°Wee, Mr. Lewis. You¡¯ve had a long journey.¡± Joanna and Miranda received Mr. Lewis very grandly. Mr Lewis walked over. Facing the respect and piety of Joanna and the others, he did not respond much. Gael helped Mr. Lewis carry his backpack and followed him to the ward with a solemn expression. 1/2 11:05 ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look first.¡± ¡°Okay. This way please.¡± Joanna quickly led the way. After a while, they arrived at the ward. Mr. Lewis walked in and walked to the bedside. He lowered his head and nced at Bruce. The rest of the people did not even dare to breathe loudly as they looked at him with all their attention. The room was extremely quiet. Mr. Lewis observed Bruce for five to six minutes. Then, he closed his eyes and seemed to be in meditation. Seeing this, Joanna did not even dare to breathe loudly. She was so nervous that her entire body was covered in ayer of sweat. Gael watched attentively. A while had passed. Mr. Lewis finally raised his head. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s soul has been damaged. Only half of it is left.¡± Silence filled the air. Joanna and Gael looked at each other. They did not understand what Mr. Lewis meant at all. However, even a fool could tell that this was definitely not good news. ¡°Well. What should we do?¡± Joanna asked nervously. Mr. Lewis was silent for a while and then he sighed. He said, ¡°I can only try my best. ¡°As for whether he canpletely recover in the future, it will depend on his luck. Moreover, it will depend on the will of God.¡± After hearing that, Joanna¡¯s eyes flickered. She did not know what to do. However, she did not dare to ask anything rashly. Then, Mr. Lewis took out apass¨Clike object from his satchel. Then he took out a porcin bowl. ¡°Give me a bottle of water.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Miranda quickly handed him a bottle of pure water. Mr. Lewis took the water and poured it into the bowl. Then, he took a needle and ced it in the bowl. He bent down and ced the bowl under the bed. ¡°Put this bowl under the bed for seven days. Don¡¯t touch it.¡± ¡°Well. Okay.¡± ¡°Mr. Lewis, how about seven dayster?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°After seven days, pour out the water in the bowl and wrap the needle in red thread. Find a secluded ce and bury it.¡± ¡°Well. Okay.¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 ¡°That¡¯s all. Then I¡¯ll go back first.¡± When Joanna heard this, she quickly tried her best to persuade him to stay. ¡°Mr. Lewis, we¡¯ve already set up a banquet to wee you¡­¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s best if Mr. Everett wakes up. If he doesn¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Mr. Lewis said with a gloomy expression. He ignored Joanna and Gael¡¯s persuasion and insisted on leaving. Moreover, he did not ept any payment or gratitude. He even refused the remuneration offered by Joanna. Then Mr. Lewis left. A few caregivers could not help but discuss it in private. One of the caregivers, Jane, could not help but question, ¡°Mr. Lewis just came over to take a look and not do anything. Is this really useful?¡± Another caregiver, Laura, said with a devout expression, ¡°Mr. Lewis is really capable. If he suggests doing it this way, it must be useful.¡± ¡°I hope so. Mr. Everett has been unconscious for three months. It¡¯s time for him to wake up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If he doesn¡¯t wake up soon, Mrs. Joanna and the Everett family will be in trouble again.¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk is really too much. He actually wants to sue Mrs. Joanna. It¡¯s really ridiculous. Everyone in Greyport knows that Mr. Everett loves Mrs. Joanna deeply.¡± ¡°How could he have the nerve to sue Mrs. Joanna for custody of Mr. Everett?¡± Jane could not help but sneer. She said, ¡°It¡¯s all because he wants to take over Mr. Everett¡¯s assets. I really hope that Mr. Everett can wake up and teach Mr. Lurk a lesson.¡± Joanna was in the ward. Joanna did not dare to be negligent at all. She instructed caregivers over and over again. ¡°All of you, make sure to keep an eye on it. Don¡¯t let anyone touch the bowl filled with water under the bed.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Joanna.¡± Despite Mr. Lewis¡¯s assistance, it was still essential to have the doctor¡¯s full dedication to treatment. There should be no room for negligence at any stage. After that, the first day came. Joanna stayed by Bruce¡¯s side for almost 24 hours, constantly observing his condition. She hoped to be the first one to know when he woke up. Unfortunately, a whole day passed. There was nothing different. Bruce remained lying quietly. Then the second day came. As usual, there was still no significant change. Everything was the same as yesterday. On the third day, everything was the same. Meanwhile, Joanna¡¯s phone was almost exploding with notifications. She had not been to thepany for three days. And all sorts of issues were piling up on her. Especially since she had just managed to get thepany¡¯s order back on track. But now it was reverting back to its previous chaotic state as she let go. Gael could tell that Joanna was anxious. He persuaded her gently. He said, ¡°Mrs. Joanna, why don¡¯t you go to thepany to take care of it? We¡¯ll take care of things here.¡± After Joanna heard that, she looked up at Gael. She was more at ease with Gael. If it was he who watched over Bruce throughout the night, she would feel more reassured. ¡°Well. Okay. You must keep an eye on him twenty¨Cfour hours. If anything happens, call me immediately. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, don¡¯t worry.¡± Joanna gave a few more reminders before heading to thepany uneasily. Then Joanna arrived at the Everett Group. After nearly two months of restructuring by Joanna, the shareholders were much more honest. A few of them had secretly 1/4 11:05 filled up the hole in thepany¡¯s ounts and returned the embezzled money. In response to this, Joanna chose to turn a blind eye and not pursue extreme measures against them. After all, it wasn¡¯t the right time yet. Her priority was to maintain the current order of thepany and ensure its smooth operation. Everything would have to wait until Bruce woke up. Joanna was in the office. Andy diligently reported his work over the past few days to Joanna. Although Joanna hadn¡¯t been in the office during this time, the shareholders had noticeably be more well¨Cbehaved. ¡°Andy, how¡¯s the preparation for thewsuit?¡± ¡°Mr. Jameson is ready. Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Well. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out first.¡± ¡°Well. Make me a cup of coffee,¡± Joanna said habitually. But then she realized something. She was pregnant now and could not drink coffee. ¡°Forget it. Pour me a ss of lemonade.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Haynes,¡± Andy replied and turned to leave. Joanna was busily attending to thepany¡¯s affairs. She aimed to wrap up all the work from the past few days as much as possible. At the same time, she had to find some time to deal with Liam. She was so busy that she ended up being busy until noon. It was twelve o¡¯clock in the noon. Andy knocked on the door again and entered. ¡°Miss Haynes, it¡¯s already noon. Should I order lunch for you or instruct the nutritionist to deliver it?¡± Joanna looked up at the clock and realized that it was already noon. ¡°It¡¯s already 12 o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joanna rubbed her sore back and stood up from her office chair, supporting her belly. As soon as she stood up, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°My stomach hurts a little.¡± Seeing this, Andy became concerned. ¡°Miss Haynes, you need to take care of yourself. Don¡¯t overexert yourself while pregnant.¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯m fine.¡± Joanna endured the pain and sat down to ease the pain for a few minutes. She was four months pregnant now, and her belly was gradually getting bigger. To be on the safe side, she decided to temporarily put her work on hold. After all, there was nothing more important than ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Then she got up and was about to leave the office. At that moment, a notification sound could be heard. ¡°Hello, Jay.¡± On the other end of the phone, Jaydon¡¯s gentle and attractive voice sounded. ¡°Joann, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I know. Did something happen?¡± ¡°No. Ijust wanted to give you a call and see how you¡¯ve beentely.¡± 2/4 11:05 When Joanna heard this, she raised her eyebrows slightly. And then she said gently, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jaydon Grimm asked in disbelief. After all, there hadn¡¯t been a break in the coverage about Joanna for the past few months. Moreover, the news about Liam nning to sue her had been making waves. ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡­¡± ¡°Are you really fine? Don¡¯t deliberately hide anything from me. If you need any help, just let me know. ¡°I will always be there to support you from behind. And I¡¯ll step up anytime you need me,¡± Jaydon said. As he spoke, he suddenly stopped. During this period of time, he did not call Joanna. And Joanna did not take the initiative to call him. Although Jaydon knew that a future with Joanna was impossible, he still felt extremely disappointed and upset. When Joanna heard Jaydon¡¯s words, she also felt very upset. She really did not know how to repay Jaydon¡¯s kindness to her. ¡°Jay, how have you been recently?¡± Joanna could only pretend to be rxed and change the topic. In the past month or so, she had wanted to give Jaydon a call. However, she managed to hold it back. Bruce had encountered such a huge disaster. In the end, arge part of the reason was that Bruce was jealous of Jaydon. Bruce really disliked Jaydon. And even more so, he disliked Joanna being in contact with Jaydon. Therefore, Joanna wanted to maintain a good distance from Jaydon and remain just friends. Send Gift Comment Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Jaydon mustered a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine too. I¡¯m just a little worried about you.¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said solemnly, ¡°Jay, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I can handle everything on my own. You¡¯ve already done so much for me. And I really don¡¯t want to trouble you anymore.¡± After hearing Joanna¡¯s words, Jaydon fell intoplete silence. In the past, if Joanna had any difficulties, she would tell him. And now, she was deliberately alienating him. ¡°So, how is he doing now?¡± After hearing this, Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said that we can only wait patiently. It¡¯s already a blessing that he managed to survive.¡± ¡°So, what are your ns?¡± Jaydon could not help but ask again. Bruce had such a serious car ident. There were all kinds of spections online every day. They were all reporting that Bruce was in a vegetative state and would never wake up for the rest of his life. In fact, it was pretty much the case. Four of Bruce¡¯s sternums were broken. Moreover, his left arm and right calf were fractured. There were dozens of wounds all over his body, and he had hundreds of stitches. Coupled with the intracranial hemorrhage, he had a slim chance of survival. With such serious injuries, it was really a blessing that he managed to survive. ¡°Joann, do you really n on taking care of him for the rest of your life?¡± Even Jaydon thought that Bruce would probably be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life and that there wouldn¡¯t be a day when he would wake up. Joanna pursed his lips slightly and did not answer. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m still worried for you. You have to think about your current situation. You have three children take care of, and you¡¯re pregnant with another one. ¡°In addition, you have to take care of him and manage the Everett Group. Can you handle it?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and then forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can do it. ¡°Besides, with servants helping me, I won¡¯t be so tired.¡± Jaydon fell silent again on the other end of the phone. His heart couldn¡¯t help but ache. His love for Joanna was definitely no less than Bruce¡¯s. However, his way of expressing it would be gentler and more tolerant. He was not as possessive as Bruce, and his personality was not as extreme as Bruce¡¯s. Jaydon still hoped that Joanna would voluntarily give up on Bruce and choose to be with him. However, he knew that this was his wishful thinking. Joanna didn¡¯t know what to say. She could only reply awkwardly, ¡°Jay, thank you.¡± ¡°There you go again. How many times have you thanked me? ¡°Every time you say thank you, it creates more distance between us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Joanna felt even more guilty. When Jaydon heard this, he could not help but mock himself. The two phrases Joanna said to him the most were ¡°Thank you¡± and ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can hang up now,¡± Jaydon said with a sigh. He didn¡¯t want to put Joanna in a difficult position. When Joanna heard this, her heart ached.. She wanted to say something. But she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You hang up first.¡± ¡°You hang up first.¡± Jaydon was used to Joanna hanging up first. Joanna didn¡¯t insist anymore and finally ended the call. She knew there was no longer any possibility between them. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t want to give him any hope. Moreover, she didn¡¯t want him to waste any more time on her. 75% In this lifetime, no matter what happened, and regardless of what the future held for Bruce, she had made up her mind to be with Bruce. She did not want to waver between the two of them anymore. Through this car ident, she realized her true feelings. She loved Bruce. At the moment when the doctor pronounced Bruce dead, she truly fell apart. She was unable to ept this oue. And finally, she realized just how much she loved him. Of course, alongside the love, she also despised this terrible jerk. After all, he was so cruel and domineering, with an insatiable desire for control and conquest that no woman could tolerate. However, Bruce had that kind of enchanting power that made people both love and hate him. When love and hatred coexisted deep within Joanna¡¯s heart, she knew she couldn¡¯t leave him in this lifetime. Joanna was at the hospital like always. ¡°How is he doing? Any improvements today?¡± ¡°No. Mr Everett is still the same.¡± After hearing that, Joanna¡¯s expression darkened. Then she slowly approached Bruce¡¯s bedside. Bruce was lying on the hospital bed. Bruce was still lying there quietly. But hisplexion had a slightly healthier color. He appeared to have gained some vitality. ¡°Ouch.¡± Joanna Haynes had just sat down when she felt a tremor in her stomach. She was already four months pregnant and could feel the baby moving. Seeing this, Miranda asked with concern, ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°My stomach is hurting as if it was pulled by something.¡± ¡°You look so pale. Are you too tired?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°You should see a doctor right away. Don¡¯t take any chances with your health or the baby¡¯s.¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯ll go now,¡± Joanna said. Then she stood up while enduring the pain. To her surprise, as soon as she stood up, she could feel Bruce¡¯s hand gripping hers. Joanna was taken aback and quickly lowered her head to take a look. Just a moment ago, it was her hand holding Bruce¡¯s hand. But now, the tables had turned, and Joanna clearly felt Bruce gripping her hand tightly. Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Joanna subconsciously let go of her hand. As expected, Bruce was really holding her hand tightly. Bruce¡¯s hand was still in midair, without descending. ¡°Miranda, did you see that?¡± Joanna instantly became excited. When Miranda saw this scene, she was also stunned. ¡°Oh, my god. Mr. Everett actually grabbed your hand. ¡°Mr. Everett has a reaction. I told you. Mr. Lewis is very powerful. With him personally taking action, Mr. Everett will definitely wake up.¡± Then Joanna grabbed Bruce¡¯s hand excitedly and whispered into his ear, ¡°Bruce, can you hear me?¡± Bruce still did not react. He only held Joanna¡¯s hand tightly and did not let go. Under his eyelids, his eyes were also rolling slightly. Unfortunately, he was still unable to open his eyes. ¡°Miranda, call the doctor! ¡°He¡¯s reacting. He¡¯s really reacting!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll call the doctor now.¡± As Miranda spoke, she hurriedly went out to call the doctor. Three minutes had passed. Jordan and another surgical expert rushed to the ward. ¡°Doctor, he¡¯s really conscious. He just grabbed my hand tightly¡­¡± Joanna was so excited that she was incoherent. Jordan opened Bruce¡¯s eyelids and shone the small shlight. Sure enough, his eyeballs were rolling uncontrobly. ¡°This is a good sign. Mr. Everett might really wake up soon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Bruce, wake up quickly. ¡°If you don¡¯t wake up soon, I won¡¯t be able to take it anymore.¡± As Joanna spoke, she felt a lump in her throat and tears. instantly blurred her eyes. Without Bruce, she was really uneasy. The time passed quickly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. It was already the seventh day. ¡°Joanni, today is the seventh day. ¡°Mr. Lewis said that after seven days, we can take out the bowl under the bed.¡± ¡°Alright. Miranda, take out the bowl.¡± Miranda bent down and carefully brought out the small bowl filled with water under the bed. Joanna went forward to check. The water in the bowl was clearly much more turbid, and there was a faint fishy smell. The needle in the bowl was already rusty. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s only been a few days, but this needle is already so rusty,¡± Miranda could not help but exim. ¡°Well. Hurry up and bring me the red thread.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± Jane handed the red thread that she had prepared earlier to Joanna. Joanna took the red thread and wound it around the needle in loops. Then, she wrapped it in a piece of red cloth. ¡°Find a secluded spot to bury it.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Joanna.¡± Jane took the needle wrapped in the red cloth and buried it beneath arge tree in the flowerbed. Then everything was done. Joanna stayed by the bedside and quietly waited for Bruce to wake up. ¡°Everything is done. I hope Mr. Everett wakes up soon.¡±¡± ¡°He will. He will wake up. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re the strongest. You¡¯re indestructible. You have to wake up.¡± As Joanna spoke, she ced her hand on her abdomen. ¡°Bruce, don¡¯t you love cuddling with children the most? ¡°The baby is already moving. Don¡¯t you want to hear it?¡± Joanna kept talking to Bruce. Unfortunately, Bruce still showed no signs of waking up. In the blink of an eye, it was night again. Joanna was already exhausted and dizzy from waiting. ¡°Joann, eat something! How can you not eat?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Joanna responded. Just as she was about to stand up, the cramp in her stomach came again. ¡°Ouch. It hurts.¡± ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong with ¡°My stomach hurts, Joanna said as cold sweat dripped down her face. ¡°Oh, my god. Hurry up and call the doctor. Could it be something that happened to the fetus?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the doctor right away.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but take two deep breaths of cold air. Suddenly, Bruce¡¯s eyes opened. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, look. Mr. Everett¡¯s eyes are open¡­¡± After Joanna heard this, she quickly turned around. Sure enough, Bruce¡¯s eyes were open. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re finally awake. It¡¯s great. You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Bruce opened his eyes and his eyeballs rolled slightly. Then, he closed his eyes again. Seeing this, Joanna was still extremely excited. Bruce was indeed awake and conscious. Previously, he would asionally open his eyes. However, he would only stare at the ceiling with empty eyes. His eyeballs would not move. But this time, his eyeballs clearly moved from side to side. ¡°Doctor, he¡¯s awake. He¡¯s really awake¡­¡± Soon the doctor came. A few medical experts entered the ward. Even the doctors were shocked when they saw the situation in front of them. ¡°Oh, my god. What a medical miracle.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett actually woke up.¡± ¡°Hurry up and conduct aprehensive examination on Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Yes. If Mr. Everett really wakes up this time, it will indeed be shocking news both domestically and internationally.¡± The doctors quickly got busy and rushed to do all kinds of examinations. At the same time, Liam was at the entrance of the hospital. Liam, L, and Evan had once again arrived with arge number of people. ¡°We¡¯reing to see Bruce. ¡°This time, we must transfer him to another hospital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We were fooledst time. This time, we won¡¯t be fooled by Joanna again.¡± Chapter 650 Chapter 650 L said angrily, ¡°This time, we must use legal means to kick Joanna out of the Everett Group.¡± Evan echoed L¡¯s words and said indignantly, ¡°Yes. We won¡¯tpromise this time. Dad must fight for my cousin¡¯s custody.¡± As they spoke, the group of people had already arrived at the floor of the ward aggressively. Seeing this, Darcy, Carson, and the others immediately went forward to stop them. ¡°What are you doing? No one cane in as he please.¡± L sneered, ¡°Why can¡¯t wee in? We¡¯re Mr. Everett¡¯s rtives. Why can¡¯t wee and see him?¡± Liam also said with a dark expression, ¡°This time, we have to transfer Bruce to another hospital. We can¡¯t let Joanna do whatever she wants.¡± Evan also shouted, ¡°We¡¯ve already sued Joanna in court. She has no right to take everything from my cousin.¡± ¡°If you have anything to say, you can talk to thewyer and Miss Haynes. You can¡¯te in right now.¡± Darcy looked at the group of people in front of him coldly. Liam choked in anger. ¡°I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s uncle. Now he is in a vegetative state. Naturally, I need to take care of things for him.¡± ¡°I suspect that you must have colluded with Joanna to seize my cousin¡¯s assets. Hurry up and step aside. Otherwise, I¡¯ll sue all of you together,¡± Evan said. ¡°It¡¯s up to you. Nom what you say, you can¡¯t enter now. ¡°If you continue like this, don¡¯t me me for being impolite to you.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you trying to do? Are you going to get physical? Let me tell you that I won¡¯t be afraid of you.¡± ¡°Everyone, calm down. Don¡¯t be rash.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already applied to the court. Joanna is not allowed to approach Mr. Everett until thewsuit is over.¡± The corridor of the hospital was in an uproar. Liam and hispanions were at odds with Darcy and the others, each refusing to give way. Joanna soon heard themotion outside. Then she walked out of the ward. ¡°Mr. Lurk, what are you up to again?¡± ¡°Joanna, you came out just in time. We¡¯re here today to inform you that you are no longer allowed to be in close proximity to Mr. Everett. ¡°Until thewsuit is settled, you are not permitted to enter the Everett mansion for any reason.¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°Well. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that Mr. Everett has already be a vegetable. We are now applying to be Mr. Everett¡¯s guardian as rtives,¡± L said. She red at Joanna with her big eyes. When Joanna heard this, she also red at L. Then she said, ¡°Who told you that Bruce became a vegetable?¡± Liam sneered, his drooping face revealing a few creases. ¡°Joanna, stop fooling us. No matter what, we have to take Bruce away today. ¡°Don¡¯t think that we don¡¯t know that the will in your hand is fake. You actually dared to forge the will. You¡¯ve alreadymitted a criminal offense. You still dare to be so arrogant now. You¡¯re extremely audacious.¡± 75% After hearing that, Joanna rolled her eyes in disgust. She could not be bothered to argue with them anymore. ¡°Stop being unreasonable. Bruce has already woken up.¡± ¡°Well. Do you want to fool us? Last time, we were fooled by you. This time, we won¡¯t fall for your trick again. ¡°Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know that Bruce is already in a vegetative state. He has been unconscious for more than three months. How can he wake up? ¡°Hurry up and hand over Bruce. He¡¯s my nephew. I have the right to take responsibility for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was clearly you guys who yed tricksst time.¡± ¡°Mr. Miller and Mrs. Miller, you¡¯re just in time. ¡°Mr. Everett has really woken up. If you don¡¯t believe me, you cane in and take a look.¡± Liam and L fell silent. They looked at each other in disbelief. They thought inwardly, ¡°How could this be possible? ¡°Didn¡¯t they say Bruce had be a vegetable? Moreover, he had been unconscious for more than three months. How could he wake up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. She must be fooling us again.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go in and take a look,¡± Joanna replied. When L and Liam heard this, they were still skeptical. Their faces were filled with disbelief. ¡°Actually, we were just thinking about that.¡± ¡°Well. Come in.¡± After saying that, Joanna turned around and walked towards the ward. Liam and L quickly followed. With Joanna¡¯s words, Darcy did not stop them. Then they entered the ward. Joanna pushed open the ward door and walked in first. Jordan and two other doctors were examining Bruce. Bruce was on the hospital bed. Bruce had already opened his eyes. And he was half leaning against the cushion. Although his eyes seemed a bitckluster, it was evident that he had indeed woken up. As Liam saw the situation in front of him, his face darkened. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. ¡°Uh. Bruce, you¡¯re really awake¡­¡± Bruce did not respond. His eyes shifted slightly as he looked at them with an expressionless face. However, Bruce¡¯s gaze was terrifying. It was like a wild beast looking at its prey. His eyes were filled with endless coldness and emptiness, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine. L was even more shocked when she saw this. She did not dare to go forward at all. She said, ¡°It¡¯s great that Mr. Everett can wake up¡­ Liam realized the situation and quickly forced a fake smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, as your uncle, I can rest assured.¡± Joanna crossed her arms and looked at the two of them angrily. ¡°Do you see it now? ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± ¡°Well. We didn¡¯t say that we don¡¯t believe you. We just have good intentions and want to care about Bruce. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll leave now. Bruce, take care and get well soon.¡± 75% By the time Liam finished speaking, he was already covered in ayer of cold sweat. He quickly walked out of the ward with his wife. Then they left the ward. Evan quickly went up to them. ¡®Dad, how is my cousin? Has he really woken up?¡± Liam waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Bruce is really awake.¡± Evan felt as if he had heard doomsday when he heard the news. He felt terrible. ¡°Oh, my god. How is this possible? Didn¡¯t they say that my cousin is already in a vegetative state? How can he still wake up?¡± ¡°Bruce is really awake. He even blinked at me.¡± As Liam spoke, he could not help but get angry again. ¡°I told you that Bruce will definitely wake up. But instead of listening to me, you just wanted me to sue Joanna. Now we¡¯vepletely fallen out. ¡°Hurry up and inform thewyer to withdraw theint against Joanna. ¡°Well. It¡¯s unbelievable how he could wake up out of nowhere.¡± L and Evan looked at each other. They felt a great sense of urgency. They thought that Bruce would never wake up in this lifetime. But to their surprise, he actually woke up. Now, all their ns had been disrupted. Liam was even more distressed. During the period when Bruce was in aa, Liam embezzled hundreds of millions of dors from thepany. Now Bruce was awake. Liam knew that he was in trouble. And he needed to quickly figure out a way to make amends. Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Joanna was in the ward. The doctor had already finished examining Bruce. ¡°Doctor, how is he? Will he no longer be in aa?¡± Joanna asked with concern. Jordan adjusted his sses and said with relief, ¡°It¡¯s really a medical miracle, ¡°Based on the current situation, Mr. Everett is recovering well. Since he has regained consciousness, he won¡¯t go into aa again. I really didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett to wake up so quickly. ¡°This is really a major breakthrough in medicine as well as a miracle in medicine.¡± Jordan seemed even more excited than Joanna. He kept marveling at the medical miracle. Joanna cried tears of joy and smiled with tears in her eyes. ¡°Bruce, thank God you¡¯re finally awake. Do you know? I was so worried.¡± As she spoke, Joanna held Bruce¡¯s hand tightly and buried her head in his chest. Bruce did not react to this. He just looked at Joanna in a daze. Joanna burst into tears andughter as she spoke for a while. Bruce still did not respond. He looked like a soulless doll. Joanna finally realized that something was wrong. ¡°Doctor, why isn¡¯t he reacting at all?¡± Jordan said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Everett has just woken up. He needs some time to recover. ¡°Moreover, Mr. Everett underwent craniotomy. There will definitely be some nerve damage, and it¡¯s inevitable that there will be some lingering effects. ¡°His memory and intelligence will be affected. He might not recover for a while.¡± When Joanna heard this, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Bruce, do you know me? I¡¯m Joanna Joanna looked at Bruce with anticipation and waved her hand in front of his eyes. He must not have lost his memory. Bruce blinked and looked at Joanna in a daze. Even though the two of them were looking at each other, there was no spark in his eyes, and his pupils were not focused. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart sank even more. And she increased the intensity of her hand waving. ¡°Bruce, can you see me?¡± As Joanna waved her hand, Bruce¡¯s eyes followed the movement Fortunately, he had a reaction. His eyes could see and his ears could hear. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be too anxious. Mr. Everett has just woken up. He definitely won¡¯t be used to it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be fine after some rest.¡± Joanna still felt uneasy in her heart. She looked at Bruce with concern and worry. Then a notification sound could be heard. Just as Joanna was feeling restless, the phone rang. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, it¡¯s a call from Mr. Davian.¡± Nina handed the phone to Joanna. ¡°Hello, Davian.¡± 75% On the other end of the phone, Davian¡¯s voice sounded. He asked in a surprised tone, ¡°Mommy, is Daddy awake? I heard Mr. Gael say that Daddy¡¯s awake. Is that true?¡± Joanna nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes. He has woken up.¡± ¡°Then can wee to the hospital to see Daddy?¡± Joanna hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have Mr. Gacl take us to the hospital right away.¡± ¡°Well. Okay.¡± Then, Joanna hung up the phone. After that, twenty minutes had passed. Gael rushed to the hospital with the three little kids. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, we are here¡­¡± Before Gael could finish his sentence, Davian and Irvin ran in impatiently. Behind them, Gael carried Lilia into the ward. ¡°Mommy, is Daddy really awake?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Joanna replied. Davian and Irvin rushed to the bedside excitedly. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± Gael carried Lilia to Bruce¡¯s bedside. Lilia said, ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re finally awake. I missed you so much. I knew Daddy would definitely wake up.¡± The three little kids gathered around the bedside, chattering away incessantly. A while had passed. Bruce still didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t even respond to his beloved Lilia¡¯s words. The children sensed that something was wrong. They cautiously looked at their mommy and asked, ¡°Mommy, why is Daddy ignoring us?¡± Joanna fell silent as she frowned. Bruce had just regained consciousness. It was still uncertain if there were anysting effects. ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s/Lilia,¡± Lilia blinked her big eyes and kept calling out to Bruce. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m Davian. He is Irvin. Why are you ignoring us? Can you talk to us?¡± Bruce just looked at the little kids in a daze. Other than numbness, there was no reaction on his face. Davian pursed his lips and subconsciously looked at Joanna. Then he asked, ¡°Mommy, did Daddy lose his memory? It seems like he doesn¡¯t recognize us anymore.¡± After hearing that, Joanna smiled gently at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, these are our three children. Don¡¯t you Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. remember? ¡°And we have Devin, our fourth child, who will be born in a few months.¡± As she spoke, Joanna reached for his hand and gently ced it on her growing belly. Coincidentally, the baby in her womb moved. Bruce caressed Joanna¡¯s belly. Maybe he sensed the response of the little life inside. Finally, Bruce had a reaction. He grinned at Joanna. As a result, saliva dribbled down his lips. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with Daddy?¡± Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart ached. Bruce had undergone a craniotomy, so it was inevitable that there would be aftereffects. Irvin muttered softly, ¡°Mommy, why does Daddy look a little funny?¡± Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Hearing the children call her mommy, Bruce pursed his lips and called out to her in a low voice, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Joanna was stunned. She looked at Bruce in shock and heartache. ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy¡­ Mo¡­¡± Bruce imitated the children and kept calling Joanna ¡°Mommy¡±. ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t call me mommy.¡± Davian said gently, ¡°Daddy, you should call her honey. We¡¯re all your children. Mommy is your wife!¡± ¡°We can call Mommy, but you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Mommy! Haha!¡± Bruce mumbled ¡°Mommy¡± again, and saliva flowed out of his mouth again! When Joanna saw this, she felt her heart skip a beat. She looked at Bruce with her heart full of anxiety. The doctor said that his intelligence might be affected. ¡°Oh god!¡± Joanna asked inwardly. ¡°Did he really be a retard?¡± She didn¡¯t even dare to imagine how sad it would be for someone with such a high IQ and supercilious attitude to suddenly be a retard. The next day, the doctor gave Bruce a moreprehensive examination, as well as an intelligence test. Joanna stayed with Bruce and waited for the results uneasily. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s brain has been damaged. After testing, we found that his current IQ is only equal to that of a three- or four- year-old kid!¡± ¡°Three or four years old?¡± Joanna felt a chill run down her spine! ¡°Yes, the test shows that Mr. Everett¡¯s current IQ is no more than that of a five-year-old kid.¡± Joanna gasped, and a hint of destion appeared in her eyes. ¡°Then¡­ when will he recover?¡± Jordan nced at the EEG and said with a heavy expression and replied, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. He might recover in a short time, or he might¡­ never recover. This is the aftereffect of the craniotomy. There¡¯s no way to avoid it.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt as if the whole world was spinning. She really did not expect Bruce to have such serious side effects. ¡°What should we do now, Dr. yton? Can it be cured?¡± Steve sighed and said regretfully, ¡°There¡¯s no way to treat this at the moment.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nerve damage to Mr. Everett¡¯s brain. Actually, nerve damage to the human body is the most difficult to treat. Medical science has yet to reach the level of being able to treat it.¡± ¡°Alright, I see.¡± Back in the ward, the servants were trying to feed Bruce some liquid food. Bruce was like a child. He ate as he spat out the food in his mouth. He kept spitting out bubbles, which stained the entire bed. When Joanna saw this, her heart ached so much that it was about to break into pieces. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Seeing that Joanna had returned, Bruce smiled foolishly at her and shook his arms. ¡°Mommy! I want you to hug me!¡± 75% When Joanna heard this, tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She walked slowly to him and held his head in her arms. Bruce snuggled in Joanna¡¯s arms and smiled even more happily. The liquid food on his face rubbed against her clothes. Joanna gently stroked his head, giving him as much gentleness and security as she could. She knew that he was at his most vulnerable state right now. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, Mr. Everett refuses to eat properly. Look, he¡¯s spitting out food everywhere.¡± The servants all looked at Joanna helplessly. Joanna took the bowl from a servant and looked at Bruce. She said gently, ¡°Can I feed you?¡± ¡°Okay! I want Mommy to feed me!¡± Hearing this, Joanna hid her tears. She scooped a spoonful of liquid food made of nutrition powder and brought it to his lips. Bruce giggled foolishly and obediently opened his mouth to eat. ¡°Joann, no matter what, it¡¯s already a blessing in disguise that Mr. Everett can wake up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s already very lucky that he didn¡¯t lose any limbs or organs after such a serious car ident. It doesn¡¯t matter if he bes stupid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett has such a bad temper. It might be a good thing now. Take good care of him!¡± After feeding Bruce, Joanna reached out and touched his cheek. He smiled foolishly at her and drooled on her hand. ¡°No matter what you be, I will always take care of you and¡­ love you! Forever!¡± ¡°Mommy, I want you to hug me¡­¡± Bruce hugged Joanna and kept burrowing his head into her arms. Born in such a family, it was impossible for Bruce to have too much maternal love since he was young! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The moment he was born, he was handed over to a specialized nurse! In the early years, his mother had to apany his father to conquer the business world, so they could only have servants take care of Bruce. When Bruce was eight years old, he was sent overseas to study! When he returned from overseas, his father and mother had already passed away! In his subconscious mind, he craved maternal love. Now that his brain was damaged, the powerful castle built in his heart had copsed. He subconsciously regressed to his childhood state. ¡°Mr. Everett, you can get out of bed and take a walk!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You need to do more exercise. It¡¯s good for your treatment!¡± ¡°No, no, I want Mommy!¡± Bruce could not speak clearly. He had to pause for a few seconds after saying a few words. However, when he heard the children call Joanna mommy, he thought that she was his mommy as well and was extremely dependent on her. ¡°Okay, okay, let me help you.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Bruce drooled again and giggled foolishly. Like a child, he asked Joanna for a kiss and a hug. He even asked her to lift him up. Unfortunately, Bruce was so tall. In front of him, Joanna was simply like a little girl. Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Although Bruce had been unconscious for more than three months and had lost a lot of weight, he was 6 feet and 3 inches tall. Joanna was only as tall as his chest, which made it very difficult for her to support him. Besides, she was pregnant. She was really helpless in the face of such a strong man. ¡°Be careful, Mrs. Joanna¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Joanna, you¡¯re pregnant now. Be careful!¡± ¡°Let us help Mr. Everett¡­¡± Without waiting for servant to finish her sentence, Bruce pushed her away angrily. ¡°No! I want Mommy to hug me! ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Come on. Let me help you!¡± Joanna quickly went forward and held Bruce¡¯s arm. Her right arm hugged his waist tightly and tried to help him up. Bruce¡¯s left arm rested on Joanna¡¯s shoulder, which made him look like a gibbon. Then, he stood up shakily, his tall body enveloping her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just rx.¡± The servants stood on both sides nervously, ready to help Bruce when he fell. Bruce smiled foolishly and hugged Joanna like a little child. ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± He did not know how tall he was at all and only wanted to get close to Joanna. ¡°Slow down! Slow down!¡± Joanna struggled to hold him. ¡°Hug! I want Mommy to hug me!¡± Joanna felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, but she was afraid that if she used too much force, it would be bad for her baby. She could only hug Bruce on the spot, not daring to move a single step. In the past, every time Bruce hugged her forcefully, he would wrap his arm around her waist and lift her up with one hand. Now, however, she had no idea how she could lift up such a grown-up ¡°little kid¡±. After barely moving a few steps, Joanna could no longer hold on. ¡°Oh no! I can¡¯t take it anymore! Come and support him.¡± Joanna was drenched in sweat. When the servants saw this, they quickly went forward to support Bruce. There were many fractures on his body. Although they had almost healed, his muscles had atrophied after lying down for so many days. He still had to undergo rehabilitation care and some muscle training. ¡°No! No! Don¡¯t leave me, Mommy!¡± Seeing Joanna let go of him, Bruce was like an abandoned child, bursting into tears anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯ll stay by your side, okay?¡± ¡°No¡­ I want Mommy to hug me!¡± Joanna was speechless. Her heart softened when she saw how aggrieved Bruce was. ¡°Be a good boy, okay? Don¡¯t cry.¡± Bruce sniffled and shrank his big head into Joanna¡¯s arms. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Joanna is pregnant. It won¡¯t be good if she hurts the baby,¡± Miranda coaxed Bruce softly. 96% The intensive caregiver also coaxed him gently, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mrs. Joanna is pregnant with your little baby. You must not hurt the little baby.¡± ¡°I¡­ I just want Mommy to hug me¡­¡± Joanna touched Bruce¡¯s head, took his hand, and gently ced it on her belly. ¡°You¡¯re the baby¡¯s daddy, so you can¡¯t call me Mommy anymore, understand?¡± Bruce was in a daze. As if he had understood, he smiled foolishly and touched Joanna¡¯s belly. ¡°Little baby? Is there a little baby in your belly?¡± This was the first time Joanna had seen such an innocent look in Bruce¡¯s eyes. She smiled gently and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! This is our baby, and you are its daddy.¡± When Bruce heard this, he was even more shy. ¡°Ha ha! Ha ha!¡± He couldn¡¯t stop giggling. Although his intelligence had regressed to that of a three- or four-year-old kid, his remaining memories of Joanna still intermittently appeared in his brain. All these scenes turned into a piece of information in his mind. The woman in front of him was the person he liked the most in this world. Joanna gently stroked the long scar on Bruce¡¯s head again. ¡°So, you can¡¯t call me Mommy. You have to call me¡­ honey, understand?¡± ¡°Honey! Honey! Ha ha!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes narrowed into two crescent moons as heughed foolishly for a long time. When the servants saw this, they could not help butugh. It seemed that even a ¡°fool¡± would be happy when he knew that he had a wife. Looking at Bruce¡¯s silly smile, Joanna felt her heart ache and her eyes sting. ¡°Honey, do¡­ do you want to give birth to a baby for me?¡± With tears in her eyes, Joanna smiled gently at him. ¡°Yes, are you happy?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m happy! I¡¯m so happy!¡± Bruce stammered. He pped his hands twice and pressed his head close to Joanna¡¯s belly. In the past, Bruce liked to lie on Joanna¡¯s belly, trying to get close to the baby. Subconsciously, he still remembered this scene. In the blink of an eye, it was already noon. Joanna stayed in the hospital with Bruce for several hours. At lunch, Joanna fed Bruce another bowl of oatmeal. After all, he had just recovered from a serious illness and his brain was deprived of oxygen. After waking up for a while, he was about to sleep. Soon, hey on the bed and fell asleep. Seeing that Bruce had fallen asleep, Joanna checked the time and found that it was almost 2 P.M. She had to go to thepany to settle some matters. ¡°Take care of him. I¡¯m going to the office.¡± The intensive caregiver and servants replied respectfully, ¡°Got it, Mrs. Joanna.¡± Joanna gave a few more simple instructions before rushing to thepany. There was still a lot of work to do at thepany. For the past few days, Joanna had spent most of her time in the hospital and could only go to the office every few days. There was already a lot of work piled up in thepany. If she did not deal with it quickly, many documents and contracts would be overdue. Joanna rushed to the Everett Group at 2:30 P.M. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Haynes.¡± Joanna walked quickly to her office while talking to her business partner on the phone. ¡°Andy, inform the president of Sunrise Group immediately. We can meet at two in the afternoon to Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. discuss our cooperation. ¡°Also, change the meeting at Escostan to a remote one.¡± Andy¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Alright, Ill make the arrangements immediately.¡± As he spoke, Joanna had already walked to the door of the office. ¡°Bring me the schedule for the next few days. Assign all the business trips to someone else.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Joanna pushed the door open and entered the office. The huge desk was already covered with contracts and documents that needed to be signed, Andy carried another stack of documents over and said, ¡°Miss Haynes, these are work reports submitted by shareholders and adjustments made by various departments. ¡°Nory is facing an economic crisis. They might have to withdraw their investment. ¡°All the investment statements of first-tier cities such as North City, Salen City, and Greene Town are here. Please take a look at them, Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Okay, put them all here! I¡¯ll check them out as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Andy put down the documents and left the office. Joanna hurriedly turned on herputer. There were already hundreds of messages piled up in her email. There were many documents and contracts waiting for her signature. Joanna could only ce the paper contracts on the side in order. She had to deal with the paper contracts first before dealing with the electronic version. Looking at the time, she found that it was almost three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Joanna did not dare to dy for a moment. She had to quickly deal with her work. After work, she had to go to the hospital to take care of Bruce Chapter 654 Chapter 654 One document after another was flipped through. After reading it, he signed and stamped it. Then, he put it aside and handed it to Andy to mail. It was four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Beep, beep, beep. Joanna¡¯s phone rang. In the past hour or so, she did not dare to dy for a minute. She handled more than ten documents in a row. Now that the phone rang, she realized that she was dizzy. She quickly rubbed her eyes and answered the call. ¡°Hello¡­¡± The call was from Miranda. She sounded especially anxious. ¡°Joann, pleasee back to the hospital now.¡± Joanna was shocked, thinking that something had happened again. ¡°Miranda, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Miranda sighed and said anxiously, ¡°Mr. Everett has woken up. He¡¯s throwing a tantrum and insisting on seeing you.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt a headache. Looking at the pile of documents, her head hurt even more. ¡°Can you coax him first? ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do and can¡¯t leave right now. I can probably go back at six in the evening.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t do! Mr. Everett has been throwing a tantrum. He¡¯s crying and moring to see you. We can¡¯t coax him.¡± Joanna was at a loss for words. She frowned and did not know what to do. ¡°You know Mr. Everett¡¯s temper. He¡¯s very stubborn when he throws a tantrum. You can¡¯t even stop him. If you don¡¯te back soon, he¡¯ll probably tear down the hospital.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll rush back immediately.¡± Andy was helping with the documents. When he heard that Joanna was going back, he quickly asked, ¡°Miss Haynes, what should we do with these documents then? ¡°If we don¡¯t deal with them now, they¡¯ll be overdue. In that way, we¡¯ll have topensate for viting the contract regtions.¡± Joanna sighed. She packed up all the contracts and brought them to the hospital along with theptop. She had no choice but to go to the hospital to apany Bruce. While he was sleeping, Joanna wanted to see if she could find some time to settle her work. ¡°Okay. Andy didn¡¯t dare to dy and quickly loaded the documents and workptop. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Half an hourter, Joanna rushed to the hospital with a big belly. When she had just reached the door of the ward and was about to enter, she heard heart-wrenching criesing from inside. It sounded like the crying person had suffered a great grievance. Crack! Joanna was shocked. She hurriedly pushed open the door and walked in. £¤96% The ward looked as if it had been ransacked. Everything inside was smashed into a mess. Bruce sat on the ground barefooted and wailed. His feet were already dripping with blood from the broken ss. More than a dozen servants stood at the side, trembling with fear. They looked helpless. When Bruce lost his temper, no one could withstand it. Especially since his mind was not clear and he did not know to hold back. The servants were even more terrified and did not dare to stop him at all.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Joanna walked in with a shocked expression. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± When Bruce saw Joanna, he cried even harder. He was like a child who had been left at home by his mother for many days and finally saw his mother. The grievance was obvious on his face. Seeing this, Joanna¡¯s heart ached and she quickly walked to Bruce¡¯s side. ¡°Well, well, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Bruce curled up in Joanna¡¯s arms and cried pitifully. Seeing him cry so sadly, Joanna could not help but shed tears. She had never seen Bruce cry so miserably before. His shoulders were shaking with tears and snot flowing down his face. He was sobbing so hard that he could not breathe. ¡°Alright, alright, stop crying. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m back now, aren¡¯t I? Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Joanna hugged him and wanted to wipe his tears. Bruce buried himself in her arms and cried miserably. His tears drenched Joanna¡¯s clothes. Andy watched from the side and felt sorry for Bruce. Was this still the same tycoon of the business world who had always been strong and decisive?, If Bruce¡¯s rivals in the business world knew that Bruce had be like this, they would probably celebrate/happily, right? ¡°Mr. Everett¡­¡± Andy wanted to say something but hesitated. He only sighed and did not know what to say. Bruce cried endlessly. Joanna was also sobbing. She really did not expect such a vile fellow could cry so hard one day. ¡°Alright, stop crying. I won¡¯t leave you behind again, okay?¡± Bruce nestled in her arms and nodded, still sobbing. Tears in his eyes blurred his vision. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t leave me¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± He-struggled to finish his sentence intermittently. Then he hugged Joanna and cried bitterly again. Subconsciously, he was afraid that Joanna would leave again. Every time she left, she was very This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. determined and would never turn back easily. During the four years she disappeared, he thought about her every day. He thought about how she could suddenlye back and how she could take the initiative to contact him. Unfortunately, she did not even once. If she did not have to inherit her grandfather¡¯s inheritance, she would probably never 96% Bruce was stubborn outside, but he was actually afraid of losing her inside. However, he refused to admit it, no matter what. On the contrary, Joanna was hard-hearted. Once they separated, she would definitely not bother with him anymore. ¡°Get up quickly. I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯ll never leave you again.¡± Joanna had been coaxing Bruce gently for a long time before she finally managed to calm Bruce down. When the nurse cleaned his wound, Bruce was still tugging at Joanna¡¯s sleeve tightly and staring at her without blinking. It was as if he was afraid that Joanna would disappear again if he did not keep his eyes on her. Deep in his heart, he was extremely insecure. However, he had known since he was a child that the strong ruled. Especially after his parents passed away, he knew that no one in this world could be relied on. No one would feel sorry for him anymore. He could only force himself to be strong and be an unbeatable king. Chapter 655 Chapter 655 The nurse carefully treated Bruce¡¯s wound and thoughtfully bandaged it. ¡°It¡¯s done. Keep the wound out of water for a week in case it gets infected and inmed.¡± Joanna said in a deep voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The nurse smiled and left with the tray. Looking at Bruce¡¯s feet which were wrapped tightly in gauze, Joanna felt heartache but helplessness as well. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± she asked. Then she continued, ¡°The floor is covered in ss shards. Are you really so stupid to step on it like this? And you guys, why don¡¯t you stop him?¡± The servants looked cautious and said in a low voice, ¡°When Mr. Everett gets angry, he¡¯s like a fierce lion. We don¡¯t dare to approach him at all¡­¡±¡± When Joanna heard this, she sighed again and did not me these servants anymore. She couldn¡¯t even handle Bruce when he was angry, let alone those servants. ¡°All of you guys can leave!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± At this moment, Bruce was like a docile sheep, quietly snuggling in Joanna¡¯s arms. He looked at her with timid and aggrieved looks in his eyes. He seemed apletely different person from his irritable and uneasy appearance just now. ¡°s, how did it be like this?¡± Joanna gently ran her hand through Bruce¡¯s hair with a sigh. A long scar was left on the back of his head up to the top. From his left eyebrow to his temple, there was a scar a few inches long. Four or five scars could be seen on his arm, with a deep suture line on his chest. It looked like he was covered in wounds, making one¡¯s heart ache even more. ¡°You do know how to torture me. I really can¡¯t do anything to you.¡± As Joanna spoke, her eyes could Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. not help but turn red again. She gently caressed his wound and felt sorry for him. She said deep down, ¡°You damn bastard do know how to break my heart, But despite all this, I can¡¯t let go of you. I can¡¯t bear to be apart from you.¡± ¡°Be good. I have work to do, okay?¡± Bruce blinked in confusion and looked at her obediently. Without any other choice, Joanna could only get someone to set up a small table on the bed and ce theptop on it. She, on the other hand, was half-lying on the bed, apanying Bruce as she handled her work. Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on herp. Bruce¡¯s head was heavy. In less than ten minutes, Joanna¡¯s legs went numb. Even though it was very ufortable, she still did not dare to move. Bruce had been crying for more than an hour. It was not easy to coax him. Joanna did not dare to provoke him again. Now that he was finally tired from crying, he fell asleep with her leg as his pillow. ¡°It¡¯s really tough for Mrs. Joanna. She¡¯s pregnant, but she has to deal with work. What¡¯s more, she has to take care of Mr. Everett while dealing with Mr. Miller. It¡¯s really too difficult¡­¡± The servants were also worried for Joanna. They shook their heads and sighed. Soon, the news of Bruce waking up was exposed by the media. ¡°Bruce has been unconscious for three months and has woken up recently.¡± ¡°It can be called a medical miracle. Bruce narrowly escapes from death.¡± 96% ¡°Bruce Everett and Joanna Haynes seem to be getting remarried in the near future. Joanna Haynes finally waited for this day.¡± ¡°Wish Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes a happy life forever.¡± The inte was filled with news of Bruce¡¯s awakening. The onlookers who were originally watching the fun also became Bruce and Joanna¡¯s fans, looking forward to them. remarrying as soon as possible. Of course, the bodyguards kept a close watch on the ward. The reporters could not interview Bruce and Joanna at all. Therefore, the media only knew that Bruce had woken up. They did not know that his intelligence had degenerated to that of a child at the age of three or four. Joanna also strictly told the doctors and nurses to keep the truth about Bruce a secret. At Yanice Group, after learning that Bruce had woken up, Marlowe stomped his feet in anger. ¡°Bruce, it seems you¡¯re really lucky. You were already on the verge of death but actually survived. ¡°How did this happen? How did he survive? How annoying! ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that he was in a vegetative state? Didn¡¯t they say that he would never wake up? It¡¯s only been more than three months. How did he wake up?¡± Seeing this, Pete and his subordinates were even more nervous. ¡°President Yanice. If it were an ordinary person, they would have died a long time ago in such a serious car ident. ¡°But Bruce is so rich. He had more than 30 injections of gene regeneration shots alone. He spent no less than 200 million dors on all kinds of life-prolonging medicine and treatment. ¡°He has to wake up¡­¡± When Marlowe heard this, he was even angrier. ¡°Stop talking! I¡¯m so angry! ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve gone to deal with the people around him? How is it going?¡± ¡°At the moment, I haven¡¯t found a suitable time¡­¡± Pete shrank his neck and answered carefully. ¡°Stupid thing! Useless loser!¡± Marlowe was instantly enraged again. He then punched and kicked Pete and the others. ¡°Hurry up and think of something. I want Bruce to die.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We¡¯ll quickly think of something.¡± Other than Marlowe being angry, Liam, L, and the others were shocked, angry, and helpless as well. ¡°How is it? Darling, the indictment has been revoked, right?¡± L asked unwillingly. s, what can we do if we don¡¯t withdraw thewsuit? Bruce has already woken up. It¡¯s already good enough that he doesn¡¯t find trouble with us. ¡°How would we dare to provoke him now?¡± L choked in anger. ¡°How could it happen? He¡¯s already in a vegetative state. How did he wake up? ¡°We were on the verge of getting everything we wanted, but now it¡¯s all ruined.¡± ¡°Enough. Stop thinking about other people¡¯s things.¡± Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Liam was also upset. His rtionship with Bruce was tense in the first ce. They had fallen out this time, and things between them might probably get worse in the future. The next day, Evan and L each found an excuse and met up in the vi, where they had cheated secretly. In the past, the two of them would eagerly have sex the moment they met. But Evan wasn¡¯t in the least bit interested this day. He was pulling a long face and couldn¡¯t look worse. ¡°Damn it! It turns out I¡¯ve been working for nothing. It¡¯s all in vain.¡± L pursed her lips and said unhappily, ¡°What should we do now? Liam has withdrawn thewsuit. And the Everett family¡¯s business has also beenpletely ruined.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve done my best. Don¡¯t make things difficult for me again.¡± When Evan heard this, he got even more depressed and annoyed. He smoked one cigarette after another. ¡°Let¡¯s think of something else and see if there¡¯s room for negotiation.¡± ¡°What else can we do? No matter what, I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end. L said as shey on the bed angrily. Evan¡¯s eyes darkened as he put out his cigarette. Some time ago, Marlowe came for him and kept inciting him to fight for Bruce¡¯s assets. Marlowe even said that he would help him behind the scenes. Evan also believed the Everett family¡¯s assets would be in his back pocket. Unexpectedly, Bruce was so lucky that he had woken up again. What a pity. If he wanted to take over power and assets from Bruce again, he would undoubtedly be putting himself in danger and digging his own grave! L waited angrily for a long while. But Evan just kept smoking in frustration. He did not look like he was going to have sex with her. This made her even more dissatisfied. ¡°Evan, didn¡¯t you say you wanted me to have a child? I¡¯m on ovtory period now and¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, Evan interrupted her impatiently. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, forget that! I¡¯m not in the mood to have a child now.¡± As he spoke, Evan took his car keys and was ready to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out for something. Leave me alone these few days.¡± Saying it, Evan had already mmed the door and left. Seeing Evan left in determination, L pounded the bed hard. ¡°Evan Miller, you bastard!¡± She felt uneasy deep down. She began to feel that Evan was only using her. As she couldn¡¯t help him anym his attitude changed drastically. She was already 32 years old and was at the best age of a woman. So, she was dying to seize the chance and have a child soon so she could rely on him in the future. ¡°Huh, since you don¡¯t want to have a child with me, I¡¯ll do it with Liam. No matter what, I must have a child to guarantee my future life.¡± Although Liam was over 50 years old, logically speaking, he should be able to give her a child. But for some reason, she didn¡¯t get pregnant though they had been married for a few years. She had never been able to conceive a child. However, it did not matter. Since the IVF technology was well-developed, she could have a test-tube baby instead. She had decided she could no longer wait and would talk to Liam about having a test-tube baby the next day. In such a wealthy family, if she didn¡¯t have a child and once Liam passed away someday, she would not be able to get many of his assets. Since Evan refused to give her a child to guarantee her future life, she did not want to waste more time on him. It was in the ward of the hospital. For the past two days, Joanna had been working in the hospital. She could only work in a hurry when Bruce was sleeping. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jesus! Put it down. You can¡¯t tear it.¡± In a blink, Bruce had thrown all the documents she had dealt with everywhere and even torn a few. Joanna saw that and hurriedly snatched it from his hand. Bruce pouted his lips and looked at Joanna like a child. ¡°Joanna! Honey! y with me¡­¡±. Joanna was tired and troubled. She could only coax Bruce while she was organizing the documents. ¡°Okay! Okay! I¡¯ll y with you after I finish working on the documents, okay?¡± ¡°No! No! I want you to y with me now.¡± Bruce shook her arm, looking aggrieved. Joanna couldn¡¯t do anything with him, so she had to put down her work and focus on ying with him. However, she had been swamped for the past few days and could not rest well. She was exhausted then. ¡°Ouch! I have a backache!¡± Joanna subconsciously rubbed her waist and back. Bruce stuck his head out and looked at her waist. ¡°Honey, you have a pain in the back?¡± ¡°Yes, a little!¡± Joanna said and couldn¡¯t help but lie down on the bed. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Her back was so sore that she had to lie down and take a break. ¡°Oh, let me do a massage for you.¡± Bruce chuckled and began to massage her waist and back with all his strength. ¡°Ouch! Be a little more gentle, please.¡± ¡°Okay, honey.¡± Bruce had be a child in his intelligence, but he had the strength. He squeezed and pressed her back and waist with both hands, which made her feel quite good. At first, Joanna didn¡¯t think he would do it properly, and she was also afraid that he would hurt the baby identally, so she dared not rx. However, Bruce surprised her a few minutester. He turned out to be a professional in massage. Joanna rxed and allowed him to continue massaging her. Ten minutester, Joanna got a little sleepy. The pain in her back and waist had also eased a lot. As he went on with the massage, Bruce was distracted. He stopped massaging her back and waist. Joanna was slim, but she had good curves. She had big boobs, a thin waist, and a big booty. Subconsciously, he was obsessed with Joanna. He still remembered the times when they had sex. Joanna sensed that something was wrong. She frowned and knocked his hands off her. ¡°What are you doing? See what you are massaging on?¡± Bruce just smiled foolishly at her. ¡°Honey, kiss me! I want you to kiss me.¡± As he spoke, Bruce came closer to her lips to ask for a kiss as he did before. And he was feeling her up at the same time. Joanna was at a loss for words. He was not clear-headed, yet he still remembered having sex with her. Oh, man! This was what a man was! ¡°Gosh, you are impossible! Why are you still thinking about having sex even when you are like this? ¡°Alright. Stop it now.¡± Bruce continued to giggle. ¡°Honey, you are so hot. I want to kiss you.¡± After saying that, he insisted on kissing her face a few times. Joanna sighed and looked at his silly face sadly. She found it annoying and funny and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Does your foot still hurt?¡± ¡°Yep. It hurts a lot.¡± Joanna got up and gently rubbed his foot. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your temper for nothing again, and don¡¯t smash things at will, understand? Bruce nodded heavily and chuckled foolishly. Saliva flowed out of his mouth again. In the blink of an eye, it had been one week. Bruce¡¯s foot injury was almost healed, and he had had rehabilitation training for the past few days. He could walk back and forth without help from others. Mr. yton gave him another full-body checkup and said with a rxed face, ¡°Mr. Everett is recovering very well. He can be discharged.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Jordan smiled lightly. ¡°But he still has to do rehabilitation training at home. Come to the hospital for further consultation in ten days.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°You can go through the discharge formalities now. Remember to continue taking these medicines at home.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Joanna finally sighed with relief. She went back to the ward. The servant had alreadypleted the discharge procedures, while Miranda and the others had also finished packing their stuff. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We can go home now.¡± Bruce hugged Joanna abruptly. ¡°Hurray! We can go home now!¡± Joanna smiled gently and touched his face. ¡°We can go home now. Are you happy?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m so happy.¡± Bruce hugged Joanna¡¯s arm tightly like a child. He had been in the hospital for a full four months. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when he could finally check out of the hospital. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Is everything packed?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all packed.¡± Joanna and Bruce walked side by side. Gael, Darcy, and the others had sent the bodyguards to escort them. Darcy said with a straight face, ¡°Miss Haynes, many reporters are waiting at the entrance.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt even more troubled. She I had enough of these media outlets. ¡°Send more guys to keep peace in case of any chaos.¡± the Although the time when Bruce would go home had been kept a secret from the public, the reporters and paparazzi were very resourceful. They had figured through various rumors and hearsays that Bruce would check out from the hospital this day. ¡°Copy that!¡± Over 40 bodyguards and 20 security guards were crowd-controlling at the hospital entrance. The bodyguards formed a human wall and escorted Bruce and Joanna out of the hospital. Quite many reporters and paparazzi were waiting outside the hospital. The news that Bruce would be discharged from the hospital had somehow leaked. Almost all the paparazzi and reporters in Greyport hade to get first-hand information. In addition, arge number of onlookers came to join in the fun. As a result, the entrance of the hospital was surrounded. The reporters had been in an uproar when Bruce and Joanna showed their faces. ¡°They¡¯reing out. They areing out. It¡¯s Mr. Everett! It¡¯s Mr. Everett¡­¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. In an instant, arge group of reporters carrying cameras and microphones rushed toward Bruce and Joanna like a violent tide. Snap! Snap! Snap! The reporters snapped photos with their cameras frantically and put their microphones forward one after another. There were too many people, and several short reporters fell to the ground. ¡°Mr. Everett, can I interview you? Can you say a few words?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Everett is discharged from the hospital. Will you two remarry right away?¡± ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Everett. What¡¯s your opinion about Mr. Lurk suing Miss Haynes?¡± The reporters vied with each other to ask questions. The group of crazy fans also shouted loud along, ¡°Bruce! Bruce, be happy!¡± ¡°Make way! Make way! Excuse me. Mr. Everett won¡¯t ept any interviews! Please get out of the way!¡± Darcy and a group of bodyguards maintained order, trying their best to prevent anyone from breaking through the human wall. Even 40 to 50 bodyguards could barely stop the fanatical reporters and onlookers. Bruce¡¯s brain had been damaged, and his intelligence had degenerated to three to four years old. It was big chaos before him, and the screams and noises were big enough to wake the dead, which had annoyed him, endlessly. ¡°Ah! No! No!¡± Bruce was shocked. He screamed and instantly became agitated. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s okay.¡± Joannaforted him as she pulled him toward the car. Unfortunately, the reporters and paparazzi had blocked the car and the aisle. They couldn¡¯t walk through at all. ¡°Mr. Everett, please say something!¡± ¡°How did you feel while you were in the hospital? Will you immediately remarry Miss Haynes?¡±; ¡°Will you return to work in the Everett Group right afterward? Please say something! Please say a few words!¡± The long microphone avoided the security guards and came very close to Bruce. ¡°Make way! Everybody, get out of the way!¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, please say something first. Will you remarry Mr. Everett? Do you feel guilty about Mr. Everett¡­¡± Joanna frowned. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Bruce looked at the chaotic scene before him and saw a group of strangers shouting at him. He was agitated and started crying out of fear. ¡°Wah¡­ Honey, I¡¯m scared! I¡¯m so scared.¡± ¡°Wah¡­¡± Bruce burst into tears in front of the media outlets. ¡°Go away! Go away. I hate all of you!¡± The reporters were shocked and fell into dead silence for a few seconds. ¡°Go away! Wah¡­ I want to go home! I want to go home!¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll get in the car now!¡± Joanna quickly pulled the crying Bruce and walked faster toward the car. When the reporters saw this, their minds went nk for a few seconds! What? Was this Bruce Everett? Unexpectedly, he burst into tears. He had cried like a fool in public! The reporters came back to their senses and snapped photos more crazily. Snap! Gael was also shocked by the scene. He said solemnly, ¡°Stop taking photos. You¡¯re bothering the patient. Mr. Everett has just recovered. Stop taking photos, or you will agitate him.¡± ¡°Is Mr. Everett suffering from any seque? Can you go into details? Why is Mr. Everett crying?¡± The reporters started taking photos of Gael like crazy, looking like they had met their savior. Chapter 658 Chapter 658 ¡°Stop filming, stop filming! You guys have gone overboard. If you continue filming like this, I won¡¯t be polite anymore.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett will not be interviewed!¡± The scene got even more chaotic. Bruce was the wealthiest man in Greyport. His every move certainly affected everyone in Greyport. Especially in the past two years because reporters had targeted Joanna. ¡°Oh my god, why does Mr. Everett look like he is mentally disabled?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that he looks it; he is mentally disabled.¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Everett had a craniotomy. The after-effects of this surgery are quite severe. If they are indeed severe, he will be mentally disabled.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, what a pity¡­¡± It took a while to get through the crowd before they finally got to the car. The assistant opened the car door. ¡°Hurry up and get in!¡± Joanna shielded Bruce as they struggled to enter the car that their bodyguards surrounded. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± Bruce was crying like a child the entire time. It wasn¡¯t until they got into the car that he gradually calmed down. ¡°Hurry up and drive!¡± Joanna urged, frowning. The bodyguards stopped the reporters from approaching the car. The driver immediately started the car and made his way out of the crowd with difficulty. The car drove off, but the reporters were still frantically snapping photos behind them. Half an hourter. Sherane Bay Vi. ¡°We¡¯re home. Let¡¯s get out of the car!¡± Bruce got out of the car carefully and hugged Joanna¡¯s arm the entire time. She looked around uneasily like a frightened sheep. 178 11:58 9 The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife ¡°Wee home, Mr. Everett. Wee home, Mrs. Joanna!¡± All the servants of Sherane Bay Vi wore neat uniforms. They were lined up in two rows and greeted respectfully. Miranda had boiled grapefruit water. ¡°Mr. Everett has been in the hospital for so long. We still need to get rid of the bad luck!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Joanna took the grapefruit water and sprinkled it on Bruce. Then, she let him step over the fire pit. Bruce was both familiar and unfamiliar with everything in front of him. He felt affectionate and afraid. He was a little stunned and at a loss for words. The children stood at the door to wee him. ¡°Wee home, Daddy!¡± ¡°Daddy, this is a gift we made for you. I hope you like it!¡± Davian and Irvin handed over their handmade ¡°Here you go, Daddy!¡± paper cranes! ¡°Daddy, this is my family portrait. I hope our family can be together forever.¡± Lilia was good at drawing; she drew a unique family portrait. Bruce took it and looked at it. There were five people in the painting, two adults and three children. The family of five held hands and stood on thewn, smiling happily. It looked homely and heartwarming. ¡°Hehe¡­Hehe¡­¡± Bruce giggled. ¡°This is Daddy, and this is Mommy. This is Big Brother, this is Irvin, and this is me,¡± Lilia introduced enthusiastically. ¡°This is my wife, and this is me!¡± Bruce also pointed at the people in the painting, Perhaps it was the sentimental connection to his children, but Bruce was pleased to see them. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the house!¡± ¡°Lunch is ready. Are you all hungry?¡± ¡°Oh, good. We can finally have a reunion today. Our family hasn¡¯t had dinner together for a long time.¡± ¡°Daddy, we prepared all your favorite dishes for lunch!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs and change your clothes!¡± Bruce followed Joanna upstairs. They reached the room. The servants helped Bruce take off his clothes. ¡°Mr. Everett, take off your clothes.¡± Bruce covered his chest tightly and shook his head like a rattling drum. ¡°No, no¡­ Please don¡¯t take it off¡­ My wife is angry¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, sheughed speechlessly. ¡°You guys can go out! I¡¯ll help him change!¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Joanna.¡± The servants left. Joanna took a set of silk pajamas and handed it to Bruce. ¡°Come, let me change your clothes. You¡¯ll feel better in your pajamas.¡± -Bruce smiled foolishly. ¡°I want my wife to take it off!¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Joanna shook her head and smiled bitterly. She did not know if he was mentally disabled or This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. pretending. This way¡­ The news of Bruce being discharged instantly went viral on the Inte. Various media outlets were in an uproar. Over an hourter, more than a dozen trending topics were at the top of the news stories. [The after-effects of Bruce¡¯s car ident. Mental disability.] [Bruce will fall off the pedestal and be a dummy.] [Bruce cried in public. He is mentally disabled.] The inte was filled with news of Bruce bing mentally disabled. Chapter 659 Chapter 659 At the Yanice Group. Pete saw the news online. He felt like he had been saved. He was worrying about how to deal with Bruce. This was great news. He didn¡¯t have to do anything. Bruce had already died. He had to report this great news to President Yanice immediately. At the office. ¡°President Yanice. I¡¯ve got good news, great news¡­¡± Pete reported excitedly. Marlowe was slumped in a massage chair and was smoking a cigar in frustration. ¡°What good news?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Pete quickly handed the phone to him. ¡°President Yanice, look at this. Bruce has been discharged but seems to have be a dummy.¡± When Marlowe heard this, he quickly took his phone and scrolled through the news. As it turned out. There was a photo disyed of Bruce crying. It was clear that he was mentally disabled. The apanying title read, [Bruce bawling in public/Suspected to be mentally unstable.] Pete rambled, ¡°I heard that his craniotomy caused it. The aftereffects of this kind of surgery are severe.¡± ¡°His brain has been damaged, and he has be mentally disabled. Look at the crying expression on his face. It¡¯sughable. Hahaha¡­¡± Another assistant quickly chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. In the past, he could always act cool in t of the media.¡± ¡°Look, he¡¯s a dummy now. This is better than him dying. It¡¯s more satisfying.¡± Marlowe casually flipped through a few more trending topics. Without fault, there were many news stories about Bruce bing a dummy. They were all apanied by photos of him crying. After reading them. Marlowe pped his leg andughed. He stretched out his arm, and Pete took the cigarette butt from him. ¡°Ahahaha¡­ Bruce has actually be a dummy?¡± ¡°This is unexpected. Wow! Look at his crying face.¡± Pete smiled obsequiously. ¡°That¡¯s right! If this photo didn¡¯t have his name captioned, who would have guessed that this was Bruce?¡± The trending topics were filled with photos of Bruce crying. He even clutched Joanna¡¯s arm tightly like a child. In the past, Bruce had always been dressed in a suit and leather shoes, especially in front of the cameras. He was noble and elegant, looking like a tycoon. Compared to what he looked like now, it was pretty surprising. Suddenly, Marlowe¡¯s face darkened again. ¡°Even if he bes a dummy, it won¡¯t subdue the hatred in my heart.¡± ¡°I want him to lose everything. I want him to feel so much pain that he feels like dying. I want him to regret what he did!¡± Marlowe clenched his fists tightly. His joints made cracking sounds. He ground his teeth at the memory of his nine years in prison. He was imprisoned during the best years of his life, between the ages of 23 and 34. He was still young, but those golden nine years had been wasted All of this was Bruce¡¯s doing! So, Marlowe ¡°Hurry up and think of another n!¡± refused to hold in his anger. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Lunderstand, President Yanice.¡± Pete quickly shrank and left the office when Marlowe was about to get Eravagain. Apart from Marlowe, another person was ¡°following¡± Bruce, paying close attention to his every move. The Garcia Group. Jennie also saw the news of Bruce¡¯s recovery and his discharge. Jennie was shocked to see Bruce crying like a dummy. ¡°Oh my. Is this Bruce? How did he be like this?¡± Jimmy nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett¡¯s brain nerves were damaged. This is the aftereffect of the craniotomy.¡± When Jennie heard this, her face instantly turned green. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that slut, Joanna.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, Bruce wouldn¡¯t have be like this.¡± ¡°I want to know what¡¯s so special about her for Bruce to be so head over heels.¡± Jennie mmed her phone on the table. She was so angry her heart pounded fast. ¡°Mrs. Garcia, don¡¯t be angry. The damage has been done. Bruce is now unworthy of your attention.¡± ¡°With your aplishments, what kind of man can equal you? There¡¯s no need to lose your mind over him!¡± Jennie¡¯s almond-shaped eyes suddenly widened! Indeed. Ever since Zachary died, she had be the Garcia family¡¯s heir. The Garcia family had a market value of several billion dors, which she inherited. She was young, had good looks, a great figure, and had excellent academic qualifications. Countless men tried to woo her from Greyport to Frayn. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Bruce had be a knot in her heart that she struggled to let go of. He was her dream lover. She had had a crush on him since she was a girl. It was no longer a matter of love but a lingering feeling. The more Bruce wouldn¡¯t acknowledge her love, the more unwilling she was to let go! ¡°Hmph, Bruce is blind.¡± Jimmy also looked resentful and agreed with his boss. ¡°That¡¯s right. He was blind from the beginning!¡± ¡°Now, his retribution hase. He has turned into a dummy. It can only be his punishment¡­¡± Before Jimmy could finishining, Jennie was even more furious. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk about him like that.¡± Jimmy was stunned and looked at Jennie in fear. ¡°I can scold him, but what right do you have to scold him?¡± ¡°Is he someone you can scold? Do you have the right to scold him?¡± Jennie red at Jimmy angrily. His expression was very ugly. Jimmy panicked and quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Garcia¡­.¡± ¡°You may leave now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jimmy bowed and left the office uneasily. He just wanted to tter her. Unexpectedly, his ttery had failed and instead angered the boss. After leaving the office, Jimmy looked mncholic. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°A beautiful woman like Mrs. Garcia is so rich. She¡¯s as beautiful as the moon.¡± ¡°Why does such an outstanding woman have to be obsessed with a married man?¡± Jimmy looked up to Jennie. However, he knew that he was not worthy! Chapter 660 Chapter 660 He was nothing more than a mere secretary, while Jennie had ascended to be the wealthiest woman of Greyport. There was no way she would ever be interested in him! After Jimmy¡¯s departure, Jennie mmed the table with a resounding thud, her beautiful face contorted with intense resentment. For the past four months, she had thought that Bruce was trapped in a state of persistent vegetative existence. Despite her heartbreak and eagerness to remain by his side, she knew it was not her ce to protect him. She yearned to expunge him from her heart and erase all memories of him. However¡­ that was just the nature of humanity. The more one attempted to control their emotions, the more uncontroble they became. It was like the poisoned apple in Eden; despite knowing its toxicity, the temptation to taste it could not be resisted. ¡°Bruce, Bruce¡­ I truly despise you! How could such a tragedy ur if you were with me? What does she makes her worthy of your possess at love? What is so captivating about her that you adore her like this?¡­ Bruce, even if you were to be a fool, I would never let you go!¡± Jennie passionately cried. Her eyes aze with fury while tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrobly. The more unattainable someone seemed, the more fervently they were desired. Moreover, conceding defeat was never an option for someone as proud and arrogant as Jennie. She relished in overthinking and embracing the most challenging of situations. In the dining room of the Sherane Bay Vi, the dining table was filled with various dishes as the family celebrated Bruce¡¯s discharge from the hospital. It was rare for the whole family to gather for dinner, and the three little ones were incredibly excited, chattering away without a care, forgetting their usual mealtime silence. ¡°Wow, our whole family is finally eating together,¡± eximed one of the little ones excitedly. The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been over half a year since west had a meal together. I cannot even remember when that was. I hope our family can stay together forever,¡± another child cried. Hearing the children¡¯s joy mixed with concern, Joanna felt a tinge of bitterness in her heart. She knew that her young children, who were only six and a half years old, needed their parents¡¯ take better care of both Bruce and the children. Bruce was all smiles, and he was even happier than the kids. ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± he chirped, his speech slurred. Irvin immediately began to fawn over his father, picking up a This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. medium-rare steak for him. ¡°Daddy, this is your favorite medium-rare wagyu beef,¡± he said. Noticing that Lilia also eagerly served Bruce a piece of cheese-baked lobster, saying, ¡°Daddy, have this big lobster!¡± Her eyes filled with excitement as she offered the delicacy to Bruce. ¡°Daddy, you should have some tonic, like this bowl of Cordyceps stewed duck soup¡­ Seeing this, Joanna quickly stopped the kids¡¯ attempts to serve their father. ¡°Kids, don¡¯t serve this food to your father,¡± she gently reminded them. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± The three little ones asked as they looked at their mom in confusion. They just wanted their dad to get well and be happy. Joanna furrowed her brows slightly, ¡°Daddy still has wounds to heal from, and he cannot eat seafood or beef. Beef and seafood can cause inmmation when consumed in excess,¡± she exined. ¡°Oh, okay, got it!¡± The children replied, nodding their heads in understanding. ¡°Come, have some beancurd and eggs,¡± Joanna said as she served Bruce some beancurd with fish roe and eggs with organic vegetables. Bruce looked at the lobster and the steak he once loved in his bowl and shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Meat, I want to eat meat¡­¡± he insisted, showing a strong aversion to the suggested dishes. Seeing him so picky about his food, Joanna had to coax him patiently, ¡°You cannot eat those yet. You have more high-protein foods, be good and listen, okay?¡± Bruce shook his head like a rattle, showing a strong aversion to the beancurd and vegetables that Joanna offered. ¡°No, no, I want this!¡± he insisted adamantly. ¡°Mommy, let Daddy eat a little bit. It should be fine,¡± one of the little ones pleaded. ¡°Yes, Daddy¡¯s weak right now, so he should eat more nutritious food,¡± another chimed. ¡°Besides, Daddy used to hate eating beancurd and vegetables the most. He¡¯s been in the hospital for months without any meat. He probably forgot what meat tastes like,¡± one of the little ones pleaded. Joanna found this reasonable and replied, ¡°Okay¡­ but you can only have a little taste of it, do you understand?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Bruce eximed with joy, his eyes brightening as he quickly -picked up his fork, excited to indulge in the treat. Joanna, however, had already taken his bowl. She expertly peeled the lobster and removed two-thirds of it. Next, she also cut a small portion of the steak for him and ced it in his bowl. ¡°Here you go!¡± She said, offering him a bnced yet tempting meal. Bruce nced at his bowl and pouted, ¡°I want more!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t have more! When your body fully recovers, you can eat whatever you want,¡± Joanna said firmly, sticking to her decision to prioritize his recovery. She then turned to the chef nearby and instructed, ¡°In the future, avoid cooking seafood and dishes with beef ormb. Prepare lighter, high-protein meals.¡± The chef responded respectfully, ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll take note of that.¡± ¡°Come, have some eggs. They are easier to digest for your weak stomach,¡± Joanna suggested, knowing it suited his current condition. Bruce still resisted, looking unwilling, and grumbled, ¡°I want you to feed me!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Joanna replied as she smiled affectionately. Mixing the eggs with rice, she carefully spooned a portion to his lips. Given his weak stomach after recovery, it was better for him to eat dishes like beancurd and eggs, which were easy to digest yet packed with nutritionparable to sea cucumber and milk. ¡°Open wide!¡± she said with a yful smile. Bruce obediently opened his mouth and ate bite by bite. ¡°Mmm, Mommy, I want Mommy to feed me too,¡± Irvin said with a mischievous smile, wanting the same attention. ¡°You¡¯re already this old and still want Mommy to feed you? If your ssmates find out, they¡¯ll make fun of you!¡± Joanna teased yfully. Irvin slyly smiled and confidently replied, ¡°But Dad is even older than me! He wants Mommy to feed him, so why can¡¯t I?¡± Hearing this, Joanna could not help but sigh. She knew Irvin was looking for attention, but she did not have the energy to cater to every whim of her beloved children right now. ¡°Just eat your food!¡± Joanna gently reminded, shifting her attention back to Bruce. ¡°Exactly! Dad is sick now, so Mommy has to take care of him more!¡± one of the children said, showing concern for their father. The eldest son, Davian, who had been silent, finally asked with concern, ¡°Mommy, Dad would not be like this forever, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, when will Dad recover to how he was before? I¡¯m still waiting for him to teach me horseback riding, martial arts, andbat techniques!¡± Irvin added enthusiastically. Joanna¡¯s expression darkened slightly at the children¡¯s questions, uncertain of how to answer them. Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Joanna could not fathom when Bruce would fully recover. The doctors had even mentioned that he might never fully recover in his lifetime. ¡°I do not want to eat¡­ I do not want to eat¡­¡± Bruce mumbled as he shook his head. Joanna snapped out of her thoughts and used a spoon to scoop up the food on his te. ¡°Be good, finish these eggs,¡± she said, ¡°and then you do not have to eat anymore.¡± Bruce was inwardly reluctant, but his subconscious told him that his wife would be unhappy if he refused. He reluctantly opened his mouth and said, ¡°Fine.¡± He did not want to make his wife unhappy, so he only reluctantly opened his mouth, ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna carefully fed him the remaining bites of eggs. These eggs wereid by the chickens they raised in the backyard, and they were highly nutritious. She wanted him to have more. In the city of Greyport, wherend was scarce and expensive, only the wealthiest families could afford to have a dedicated area for raising chickens. After finishing their meal, the family gathered again for chitchat and took a stroll in the backyard. Soon, it was nine o¡¯clock, and the children knew it was time to bathe and sleep. Simrly, Joanna and Bruce also prepared to rest for the night. Miranda expressed concern and asked, ¡°Joanna, where will Mr. Everett sleep tonight?¡± Joanna furrowed her brows. She was almost five months pregnant now, and her belly had grown. Considering Bruce¡¯s disoriented state, sleeping together might risk harming the baby. ¡°Let him sleep in the master bedroom,¡± she said, ¡°and prepare another guest room for me.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Miranda replied and quickly left to make the arrangements. ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s time to shower and sleep!¡± Joanna called out. ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce replied as he grinned foolishly at Joanna. ¡°You guys, take him for a shower,¡± Joanna instructed. ¡°Yes, Ms. Haynes,¡± the four male nurses, who were responsible for Bruce¡¯s private care and hygiene, replied respectfully. Then, Joanna immediately led Bruce to the bathroom and handed him over to the nurses. ¡°Darling, do not leave¡­ shower with me¡­¡± Bruce whined. ¡°No, we cannot shower together. You be good,¡± Joanna replied firmly, ¡°and I will wait for you outside.¡± With that, Joanna headed to the guest room, which also had a bathtub. She felt exhausted and wanted to soak in warm water. Ten minutester, as the water had just been filled, Joanna had not even had a chance to undress when one of the male nurses rushed out of the bathroom,pletely soaked. ¡°Ms. Haynes, where are you¡­¡± he called out desperately. Hearing themotion, Joanna quickly stepped out of her bedroom. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she inquired. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please go in and check! Mr. Everett is in a tantrum again,¡± the nurse replied frantically, ¡°and insists on seeing you!¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna sighed inwardly, ¡°This guy is not giving me any peace. He even made a fuss when I am just trying to take a shower.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it,¡± Joanna replied. Reluctantly, she shuffled toward Bruce¡¯s bathroom with her big belly. Inside the bathroom, therge bathtub was already filled with warm water. However, the ones soaking in the tub were not Bruce but the other three male nurses. Bruce had thrown them into the water and stood in the corner looking aggrieved and frightened. Although he knew how to swim, he had experienced drowning twice before and, thus, had a subconscious fear of water. When Bruce saw Joanna enter, he cried out, ¡°Honey! They bullied me!¡± The nurses exchanged looks of speechlessness and helplessness. They thought, ¡°Who is bullying who? Besides, although his intellect has regressed, hisbat abilities remain intact.¡± Bruce had been practicing martial arts andbat techniques since a young age and had reached the skills and abilities of a coach. In the entire city of Greyport, hardly anyone could beat him in a hand-to-hand fight. Now, he dared to im he was bullied. ¡°There, there, do not cry!¡± Joanna said as she tried to console him. She was also at a loss. It was one thing for his intelligence to decline, but bing such a crybaby was utterly unexpected. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. He cried at the drop of a hat, which drove her crazy. Chapter 662 Chapter 662 ¡°Ms. Haynes, we would never dare to bully Mr. Everett. Even if we had to be firm with him, we would not dare!¡± the nurses exined anxiously. While Joannaforted Bruce and reassured the nurses, saying, ¡°I know. I know. I will not me you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Haynes,¡± said the nurses as they stumbled out of the bathtub. ¡°Darling, they are bad people! They tried to take off my pants!¡± Bruce wailed. His demeanor resembled a giant baby. ¡°Alright, alright. Stop crying. They want to give you a bath, not bully you,¡± Joanna patiently exined. Bruce wiped his teary eyes and pouted. ¡°I do not want to bathe with them. I want to bathe with my wife¡­¡± ¡°No, we cannot bathe together!¡± Joanna firmly rejected it. ¡°I want to! I want to! I want to bathe with my wife,¡± Bruce insisted.. Joanna sighed. ¡°No more crying. If you cry again, I will ignore you.¡± When Bruce heard this, he pursed his lips and dared not cry anymore. ¡°Peter, Belson, help him remove his wet clothes, so he will not catch a coldter,¡± Joanna instructed. ¡°Yes, Ms. Haynes!¡± The four male nurses replied. They approached cautiously, saying, ¡°Mr. Everett, we will help you change your wet clothes!¡± ¡°Honey, I am scared,¡± Bruce cried in fear. ¡°Do not be afraid. I will be right here with you, alright?¡± Joanna consoled. ¡°Hmm, will you bathe with me?¡± Bruce pleaded. ¡°There are other guys here. How can I bathe with you?¡± Joanna reasoned. Bruce seemed thoughtful as he looked at Joanna and said, ¡°Then ask them to leave, so they will not see you! Let¡¯s bathe together. I do not want them to see my naked butt!¡± Bruce pouted his lips and gripped his pants, looking extremely shy. Joanna was speechless and did not know how to react. Usually, Bruce was a very thick-skinned man, yet now he seemed shy. 176 19.05 However, with her big belly, she could not care for him alone. ¡°Listen to me. Be good, and let Peter and Belson help you. I¡¯ll stay right here with you!¡± Joanna declined his invitation. ¡°No, no! Honey, you will bathe with me!¡± Bruce said, tugging Joanna¡¯s arm and pulling her towards the bathtub. ¡°Let go quickly. You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Joanna cried out. Then, she slipped under her feet and fell backward,nding on the ground with a loud thud. ¡°Honey!¡± Bruce hurriedly tried to help her, but it was toote. Joanna groaned in excruciating pain as she sat on the floor. ¡°Honey, I am so sorry. I did not mean to!¡± Bruce apologized anxiously. ¡°Ms. Haynes, are you alright?¡± The servants cried out in panic as they rushed forward to help her. Bruce was petrified, and he did not know what to do. ¡°Quick! Call Dr. Down,¡± one of the servants eximed. ¡°Urgh,¡± Joanna moaned in pain. She was five months pregnant, and her belly was already as big as a basketball. After falling so heavily, she felt a slight pain in her abdomen, and her face turned pale instantly. ¡°Ms. Haynes, please get up!¡± The servants urged. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. They were also scared out of their wits, and all of them hurriedly helped Joanna up. Upon hearing themotion, Miranda rushed in to check, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Ms. Haynes slipped and fell in the bathroom!¡± one of the maids reported. Miranda became even more anxious, and she eximed, ¡°Oh no! This is not good! Hurry, call the family doctor! Hurry, help Ms. Haynes onto the bed first.¡± Bruce looked helpless, his face filled with fear. He apologized, ¡°Honey, I am sorry. I did not mean to!¡± Joanna was lying on the bed, her pale face covered in cold sweat and her abdomen throbbing in pain. She winced, ¡°Ow.¡± 12:06 ¡°Joanna, lie down and do not move. The doctor will be here soon,¡± Miranda reassured. Twenty minutester, Dr. Down rushed in urgently. He was the Everett family¡¯s doctor who provided them with medical consultations all year round. His medical skills were exceptional, and he could handle most issues unless they requiredrge specialized medical equipment, in which case, he had to refer them to a hospital. For other minor problems, Dr. Down made house calls. ¡°What happened?¡± Dr. Down asked immediately upon entering the room. ¡°Dr. Down, Ms. Haynes identally slipped and fell in the bathroom. Please help her so that it does not affect the pregnancy,¡± one of the maids reported. When Dr. Down heard this, he wasted no time and quickly entered the bedroom to check on Joanna. Joannay weakly on the bed, cold sweat constantly oozing from her body and her lower abdomen experiencing painful contractions. Dr. Down promptly took out his stethoscope and began examining Joanna. ¡°Why were you so careless? Ms. Haynes¡¯s body is already weak, and falling is dangerous,¡± Dr. Down chided. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did not mean to. Honey, please be okay!¡± Bruce pleaded as he held Joanna¡¯s hand. Tears were streaming from his eyes./ Looking at Joanna¡¯s pale and weak appearance, he was terrified. ¡°First, I will administer two doses of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. She must rest in bed for the next few days!¡± Dr. Down said. ¡°Okay,¡± Bruce replied. ¡°I will also prescribe some supplements to aid in her recuperation and do moxibustion,¡± Dr. Down said. Afterward, he instructed his assistant to set up a stand at the foot of the bed to elevate Joanna¡¯s legs, preventing the centa from descending. ¡°Ms. Haynes needs to lie down and rest to protect the pregnancy. At least one week of bed rest. If there¡¯s no bleeding after one week, the baby should be fine,¡± Dr. Down instructed. Miranda nodded solemnly, ¡°Alright, thank you, Dr. Down!¡± Dr. Down then prepared an incense box and ced it on Joanna¡¯s belly 12:06 for moxibustion. After that, he administered two doses of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. Joannay on the bed in a daze. Her face was pale without a trace of blood. Bruce stayed at the bedside, tears still streaming, tightly holding Joanna¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t cry anymore; it might disturb Ms. Haynes while she rests,¡± Dr. Down reminded him. When Bruce heard this, he stopped crying but continued holding Joanna¡¯s hand, pressing it against his face. ¡°Ms. Haynes¡¯s body is weak now, and she must rest well. Make sure she does not get out of bed for a week,¡± Dr. Down instructed./ ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Miranda replied mechanically. ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous. Ms. Haynes is already five months pregnant, and the baby is not as fragile as you might think. However, her body is weak, and she must avoid overexertion. She needs to have more nutritious food as she¡¯s too thin. Being underweight can also affect the baby,¡± Dr. Down said. ¡°Understood,¡± Miranda responded. ¡°I wille by again tomorrow. If there¡¯s anything, call me,¡± Dr. Down said. ¡°Alright!¡± Miranda replied. ¡°Dr. Down, take care.¡± Gael and the maids saw Dr. Down off while Miranda, Kelly, and the others stayed in the room. Bruce dared not cry anymore but remained carefully at Joanna¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Everett, why don¡¯t you rest in your room? We¡¯ll take care of everything here,¡± Miranda suggested. Bruce shook his head with a sorrowful expression, struggling to speak -clearly, ¡°No, no, I want to stay here with my wife.¡± Seeing this, Miranda did not dare say anything further. On the bed, Joanna was incredibly tired. She had not had a proper rest for quite some time. Now, she finally had the chance to lie down and get some much-needed sleep. Chapter 663 Chapter 663 Joanna slept deeply through the night. It was already past four in the early morning when she woke up. Feeling her arm numb, Joanna opened her eyes groggily. Bruce was slumped over at the bedside, still asleep, with his hand tightly gripping hers. His drool had even flowed onto her arm, and his head rested on her arm, making it numb. Joanna tried to pull her hand away, but it failed as Bruce was still deeply asleep. Unable to free her hand, Joanna sighed softly. She had to turn to lie on her side. At the same time, she reached out her other hand and gently touched his head. A scar, which was a few inches long, remained above his left eyebrow, adding a touch of world-weariness to his appearance. Despite Joanna¡¯s gentle movements, she still woke Bruce up. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re awake!¡± He chirped. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s already past four in the morning; you should go back to your room and sleep!¡± Joanna replied. Bruce rubbed his eyes and spoke with a tinge of guilt, ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere. I want to stay here with you. Darling, I really did not mean to hurt you. You can hit me if you want. Just don¡¯t be mad at me, okay?¡± Joanna did not say anything but looked at him tenderly. Then, she moved slightly to the side and said, ¡°Then lie down and sleep! How can you sleep well while sitting on a chair?¡± When Bruce heard this, his face lit up with surprise, and he carefully asked, ¡°Honey, can I lie down here?¡± ¡°Of course, you can,¡± Joanna responded. The bed wasrge, 7.8 feet long and 6.6 feet wide, with plenty of space for the two of them. Without hesitation, Bruce obedientlyy beside Joanna, curling up his body and cautiously watching her. He did not dare to touch her. ¡°Honey, can I touch our baby? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be very gentle, and I would not hurt the baby,¡± Bruce asked with great care and a pitiful look. Joanna felt an indescribable mix of emotions upon hearing his words. She gently took his hand and ced it on her lower abdomen. As if he was touching a bomb, he caressed Joanna¡¯s abdomen with extreme caution. He cooed, ¡°My baby, you¡¯re alright.¡± Joanna felt a tinge of soreness in her nose and was at a loss for words when she witnessed him so nervous and submissive. In the past, he was the absolute dominant one in bed. Whatever he wanted, he would achieve it. Sometimes, even being held by him was a form of torture. He would tightly embrace the other person and had powerful arms that made struggling impossible. He was aggressive and domineering in intimate matters, entangling endlessly until she cried, and he would feel satisfied. Then, he would coax her gently until shepletely surrendered and lost all her resistance. He would conquer her and made her do whatever he wanted. His way of expressing love was utterly the opposite of other men. While other men pampered women, saying all sorts of sweet words and being amodating, treating them like princesses, he was like a hungry wolf, full of intense aggression, always ready to hunt, wild and dangerous. When there was danger, he would do whatever he could to save the one he loved. When there was no danger, however, he was the biggest threat. In short, loving him and being loved by him were both Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. headaches! In short, loving him and being loved by him were both headaches! On the other hand, Evan almost jumped for joy when he received the news of Bruce¡¯s mental disability. L hade to visit him at the vi as nned. As soon as they met, L could not help but mock, ¡°Why are you still looking for me?¡± Evan was excited and eximed with eagerness, ¡°L, have you seen the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± L asked. ¡°Did you hear the news? Bruce had be mentally disabled,¡± Evan shared excitedly. ¡°So what? What does it matter if I¡¯ve seen it or not?¡± L questioned with a frown. ¡°Here¡¯s our second chance!¡± Evan eximed excitedly. His eyes sparkled as if he had seen a mountain of gold. L frowned and red at him in silence. ¡°Now that he¡¯s mentally disabled, he does not have the ability to manage his own affairs! Now, Dad can apply to be his guardian!¡± Evan said excitedly. ¡°Ugh, please stop causing trouble!¡± L replied as she rolled her eyes and poured herself a ss of juice absentmindedly. Liam had agreed to take care of her health and undergo IVF with her. She had already started taking folic acid and receiving ovtion induction injections. Since Evan refused to have a child with her, she did not want to wait for him anymore. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you happy with such great news? Do you know what this means?¡± Evan asked. L sneered, saying with a sullen face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not interested! My biggest interest is to have a child as soon as possible.¡± Evan grabbed her shoulder and said excitedly, ¡°L, here you go again. You can have a child anytime, but this opportunity might be lost forever. So, no matter what, we must seize this chance. We cannot let it go to waste.¡± Chapter 664 Chapter 664 L could not bear to listen to Evan any longer. ¡°I don¡¯t see any opportunity!¡± she said adamantly. ¡°L, how can you not see such a great opportunity? Bruce has be mentally disabled. Do you understand what that means?¡± Evan asked, pressing on. Impatiently, L forcefully pushed his hand away. ¡°Can you stop causing trouble? What does his mental disability have to do with me? You can do whatever you want but do not involve me. I must take care of my health and bear your little brother.¡± Taken aback by her words, Evan quickly embraced her waist, gently coaxing her. ¡°L, what¡¯s wrong? Everything was fine, why are you angry again? Why are you saying such hurtful words? I promised you we¡¯ll have a child together.¡± L struggled to break free from his embrace and questioned, ¡°Huh, how do I know when you¡¯ll have a child with me? I¡¯m already 32 years old this year, and it¡¯ll be toote if I do not have a child soon. Liam has already said he¡¯s willing to undergo an IVF with me. I cannot wait anymore. I must get pregnant this year!¡± Evan furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°L, you love me. How can you have a child with Liam?¡± ¡°Stop joking. I¡¯m already your stepmother!¡± L retorted. ¡°Darling, can you stop being angry? Let¡¯s have a child today? Can we not use protection? Let¡¯s aim for Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. a direct hit,¡± Evan suggested. ¡°Just leave me alone. I¡¯m getting annoyed¡­¡± L replied. ¡°Sweetheart, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Evan tightly held her and said, ¡°I know I¡¯ve been neglecting you these past few days, and you¡¯re not feeling well. But I¡¯m nning for our future. Consider it. Bruce¡¯s assets are worth billions, not to mention the countless jewelry, antiques, and properties. Don¡¯t you want them? Aren¡¯t you tempted?¡± ¡°Just because you want something does not mean you¡¯ll get it. Those are Bruce¡¯s assets, and you¡¯re not his son. Why should you inherit his stuff?¡± L retorted. A hint of uncontroble greed appeared in Evan¡¯s eyes, and he said with ambition, ¡°My cousin is several billion dors in assets. Once we get our hands on them, what¡¯s the point of us struggling for the rest of our lives?¡± ¡°Huh, can you stop daydreaming? He¡¯s just temporarily not in his right mind. Who knows when he¡¯ll recover. Then, all your efforts will be in vain,¡± L said. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to seize the opportunity and strike first,¡± Evan said, wearing a sinister smile. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. We need to take action now while he¡¯s under this condition. Even if he recovers one day, we¡¯ll already have control of his assets. We can say he¡¯s mentally ill and have him sent to a mental hospital.¡± L crossed her arms, sneering. ¡°And what about Joanna? That woman is not to be underestimated. Will she stand by and watch you send Bruce to a mental hospital?¡± ¡°Hmph, she and my cousin are no longer remarried. What right does she have to interfere? Besides, when the timees, she won¡¯t have a choice but to agree!¡± Evan dered. After thinking for a moment, L began to waver. ¡°Evan, Liam already has a lot of assets. I think¡­¡± ¡°This matter has to be handled by Liam! So, continue to influence him in the future and make him refile thewsuit against Joanna,¡± Evan said. Hearing this, L could not help but sneer sarcastically as she said, ¡°Really? You just had Liam withdraw the charges against Joanna, and now you want him to file them again? What do you think he will do?¡± Evan sighed with regret. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. We thought Bruce had fully recovered! Who knew fate would help us again and make him mentally disabled again? He¡¯s practically no different from a vegetable now. Liam naturally has the qualifications to apply for guardianship. Besides, that woman, Joanna, will try everything to remarry my cousin. What we need to do now is to stop them from remarrying at all costs. At the same time, we need Liam to expedite the process of bing Bruce¡¯s guardian.¡± L listened to Evan, but she was still hesitant. She stammered, ¡°Evan, Liam has enough assets. I think¡­¡± Before she could finish, Evan interrupted her, saying, ¡°One should be ambitious in life! Even if Liam has a lot of assets, it¡¯s still only approximately 10 billion dors. Most of which are in shares and real estate. And don¡¯t forget, Liam has a son and a daughter. Who knows how many illegitimate children he has in secret? Even if we divide the assets in the future, there won¡¯t be much left. That¡¯s why I must think of other ways to ensure we can live freely andfortably in the second half of our lives.¡± L listened, her eyes reflecting contemtion. Indeed, Liam¡¯s total personal assets amounted to around 10 billion dors! But most of these assets were not in cash, mainly consisting of shares and real estate. If they were to be sold in the future, their value would decrease significantly. Even if they were to divide the assets in the future, Evan might not receive 400 million dors! After all, the assets included houses,pany shares, and other non-liquid assets. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can convince Liam,¡± L said. ¡°L, I believe you can. You¡¯re the best; no one else will help me like you. As long as you can influence Liam and sessfully seize Bruce¡¯s assets, I¡­ I¡¯ll marry you! We can go abroad and enjoy life. Liam is getting old. Do you really want to serve him for the rest of your life?¡± Evan pleaded. Chapter 665 Chapter 665 L¡¯s heart was stirred again, and she looked at Evan with some anxiety. ¡°Evan, are you being truthful? You¡¯re not deceiving me, right?¡± she asked. Evan quickly embraced her and solemnly swore, ¡°How could I deceive you? I swear, only if you can handle Liam will I have a child with you. Once we have the money, I¡¯ll take you and our child to settle abroad!¡±. L¡¯s eyes flickered upon hearing his words. ¡°Really?¡± she inquired. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. If I lie to you, may lightning strike me dead¡­¡± Evan swore earnestly. L hurriedly covered his mouth and coquettishly said, ¡°Alright, stop talking. I trust you! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of things with Liam.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Evan¡¯s heart leaped with joy at her words, and he replied, ¡°Good girl, then let¡¯s continue making a baby¡­¡± Another passionate session followed their conversation. At the Sherane Bay Vi, Joanna had been lying on the bed for a whole day, and her limbs were almost stiff. She wanted to get up and walk around, but the doctor had instructed her not to. As such, she had obedientlyplied. Two servants had to apany and support her even when she used the bathroom. After that, she had to return to the bed immediately. Despite lying down, she could not find peace of mind as many matters in thepany still required her attention. Although most tasks could be delegated to the vice president or assistants, critical contracts, legal matters, and financial issues could not be trusted by anyone else. Only the highest executive of the group had the authority to sign them. As the president, she could not decline. Seeing Joanna looking restless, Miranda knew she could not lie still and quickly tried to persuade her, ¡°Joanna, the doctor said you cannot exert yourself anymore. You should lie down and rest. Let the work be put on hold, or delegate it to someone else.¡± Joanna furrowed her brows as she replied, ¡°No, I can¡¯t! Some of the contracts are crucial. I can¡¯t afford any mistakes. I have to resolve them as soon as possible.¡± After saying that, Joanna called Andy and had him bring the contracts to her home. She also had her assistant bring theptop to the bed, and then she worked while lying down. Bruce had been obediently sitting on the side, looking pitifully at her. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯m bored and want to talk to you,¡± he pleaded. Joanna gently nced at him, ¡°I need to work for a bit. Can you go out for a while? Once I finish, I¡¯ll chat with you, alright?¡± she requested. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to leave your side!¡± Bruce whined stubbornly. ¡°Sweetie, Davian and Irvin will be back from school soon. How about you y with them for a while?¡± she proposed. Upon hearing this, Bruce¡¯s mouth curled up in delight as he said, ¡°Darling, don¡¯t chase me away! I¡¯ll stay by your side! I promise not to cause any trouble.¡± Bruce obediently propped his chin with his hands as he spoke, gazing at her. Joanna sighed and had no choice but to agree. She then opened herptop to start working. Bruce stood by her side like a quiet and well-behaved kitten. His once sharp and cunning eyes no longer disyed any trace of wickedness, and they now emitted an innocent and harmless radiance. Twenty minutester, joyful voices could be heard outside the bedroom, ¡°Mommy, Daddy, we¡¯re back from school,¡± Davian and Irvin eximed as they opened the bedroom door. ¡°Sweeties, why did you finish school so early today? Where¡¯s Lilia?¡± she inquired. The children exined, ¡°We finished school early today, but Lilia¡¯s school probably finishester.¡± Seeing the children, Bruce grinned foolishly. He used to forbid these little rascals from entering his bedroom, but now, no one stopped them, and they could freelye and go in every room. ¡°Pavian, Irvin,¡± Joanna asked, ¡°can you guys y with Daddy for a while? Mommy needs to handle some work right now.¡± The two little ones nodded eagerly. ¡°Sure! Sure! We¡¯ll y with Daddy. Does that mean we don¡¯t have to do our homework?¡± they asked. ¡°How can that be? You have to do your homework first,¡± Joanna replied. She yfully looked at Bruce, intentionally adopting a pleading tone. ¡°Bruce, can you do me a favor?¡± she said, her eyes hopeful. Bruce felt a sense of aplishment being needed by his wife and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Of course!¡± he eximed. ¡°Then, can you please watch the children do their homework? If they don¡¯t want to do it properly, you can give them a lesson,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Sure!¡± Bruce replied as he nodded heavily, his face filled with a sense of responsibility. The two little ones were no longerposed. They were most afraid of their father. Even though their father¡¯s mind was now somewhat simple, in the hearts of these children, he was still the lion king of the family. ¡°Hurry up and start doing your homework. Only after finishing it can you do other things,¡± Joanna instructed. ¡°Oh¡­ alright,¡± the two little ones sighed and had no choice but to start doing their homework. Bruce had a serious look on his face as he followed behind them. Back in the children¡¯s room, the two little ones took their books from their school bags and began doing their homework on the table. ¡°Hurry up and do your homework. If you don¡¯t do it, you¡¯ll get spanked¡­¡± In the past, their dad never had time to watch them do their homework. But now, with their dad sitting behind them, the two little ones felt immense pressure. They feared that their dad¡¯s hand woulde down on them with one careless mistake. Although their dad had never actually hit them, they couldn¡¯t help feeling scared, thinking that he might be very strict. However, they were only in the first grade, and their homework was not much. So, in less than half an hou they finished their assignments. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re done with our homework. Please check it,¡± the children said. Bruce received the children¡¯s exercise books with a somewhat bewildered expression and carefully checked their work. Although he didn¡¯tplete college and dropped out in his sophomore year to return home to inherit the Everett Group, it didn¡¯t mean hecked education. Practical experience was always more valuable than theory. Besides, he was surrounded by world elites, so his knowledge became extensive over time. ¡°Well, you did a good job with your homework. Well done,¡± Bruce praised, acting with a sense of importance as he checked their assignments. ¡°Daddy, can we y with building blocks together?¡± the children asked. Bruce shook his head, ¡°No, I want to go and apany your mom¡­¡± ¡°Mommy is working and doesn¡¯t want us to disturb her. Building blocks is fun, and we can build a castle together. We need Daddy¡¯s help,¡± the children pleaded. ¡°Alright then!¡± Bruce agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The children cheered as they pulled their dad along and ran towards the toy room on the side of the living room. ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce replied as he followed the children somewhat reluctantly. Soon, Davian and Irvin, with their dad, headed to the toy room beside the living room. There, various toys and a variety ofrge building blocks were piled up! Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Bruce, now mentally regressed to the age of three or four, disyed a childlike innocence. He quickly joined his kids in enthusiastic y. ¡°Daddy, hand me that one and the triangr building blocks,¡± Davian said. Davian constructed an Ecostanian-style castle with building blocks, while Irvin built a mansion in the style of ancient architecture. Bruce seemed to catch on and meticulously began building a structure reminiscent of a pce. ¡°Let¡¯s see who finishes first and whose creation looks the best. We¡¯ll take pictures and let Mommy be the judge¡­ one of the children proposed. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to make mine look better than yours,¡± the other replied confidently. ¡°Hmph, we¡¯ll see about that!¡± the children eximed as they challenged one another. The two little ones were engrossed in building with the blocks. When they turned around, they were astonished to find that their father had nearlypleted his creation. The design was grand and sophisticated,pletely surpassing the children¡¯s expectations. ¡°Wow, Daddy, you¡¯re amazing!¡± they eximed excitedly. ¡°What style is this? It looks like a school but also resembles an ancient castle,¡± Irvin said, his face full of disbelief. Davian carefully examined it again and said, ¡°Yes! Daddy, why did you build something so strange? We have never seen anything like this in our picture books!¡± Images of an odd-looking house had shed through Bruce¡¯s mind, and he instinctively built it ording to its style. ¡°Daddy, can you fold paper airnes?¡± one of the children asked. ¡°I¡­ I can fly nes¡­¡± Bruce chuckled in response. ¡°Daddy is just bragging! We have never seen you fly one,¡± one of the children said. ¡°Mommy said Daddy knows how to fly helicopters!¡± the other replied. Bruce blurted out without thinking, ¡°I can fly fighter jets too¡­ and tanks.¡± The two kids were dumbfounded! While they did not understand fighter jets, the two little ones joined in theughter as they eximed, ¡°Daddy loves to brag!¡± ¡°Daddy, I will teach you how to fold paper airnes. Take out the paper first, then fold it in half,¡± Irvin exined while demonstrating. ¡°It¡¯s fun¡­ I want to fold one too!¡± Bruce said, his mouth involuntarily drooling Nearby, several servants could not help but feel emotional. They could not imagine that Mr. Everett would one day be a simpleton. ¡°Sigh, will Mr. Everett always be like this?¡± one of the maids asked cautiously. Another maid replied sadly, ¡°Right? Seeing Mr. Everett like this breaks my heart. I hope the heavens will open their eyes and allow Mr. Everett to recover! The Everett family will face great trouble if he does not recover soon. Miss Haynes is a delicate woman, and now she is pregnant too. How can she handle such arge estate all by herself?¡± ¡°Shh, let¡¯s not talk about this. If the butler hears us, we will be in trouble!¡± another maid reminded. The maids sighed and grumbled for a moment before returning to their duties. Joanna finally had time to attend to her work inside the bedroom after Bruce left with the children. She had not rested for even a moment during the past two hours. The Everett Group had finally regained its stability, and she could not afford to ck off, lest it trigger a harmful cycle! A knock was heard. ¡°Come in,¡± Joanna said. The door opened, and Miranda entered with a ss of milk. ¡°Joann, you should replenish some nutrients. I¡¯ve heated up some milk for you,¡± Miranda said, gently reminding her. ¡°Take a break. It¡¯s not good for the baby if you overwork.¡± Joanna did not lift her head and simply replied, ¡°I know, Miranda! I will finish up this, and that will be all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ce the ss of milk beside you,¡± Miranda said, setting it down carefully. ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s still warm.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Joanna replied. Before she could finish her sentence, the phone rang. It was Andy calling. ¡°Hello, Andy,¡± Joanna said as she answered the call. On the other end of the line, Andy¡¯s voice sounded grave. ¡°Miss Haynes, there¡¯s a financial crisis erupting in Nory. Thepanies there are struggling to survive! Mr. Nelson will return to Greyport next Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. week to report on the liquidation process.¡± Joanna frowned slightly upon hearing the news. ¡°Alright, I understand,¡± she replied. ¡°Also, the first phase of the Green Bay project has almost sold out.¡± Andy continued, ¡°but there are issues with the approval for the second phase. You might have to go to Mossbourne in person!¡± ¡°Understood. I might be busy these days, so it will probably have to wait until next month,¡± Joanna responded. ¡°Mr. Hall is urging us to hurry,¡± Andy emphasized. ¡°Headquarters wants to send someone in charge there as soon as possible. If you¡¯re not able to go, we can send a director instead.¡± Joanna thought for a moment and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll consider who to send tonight and give you an answer tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright then. That¡¯s all for now,¡± Andy replied before ending the call. After hanging up, Joanna felt overwhelmed. There was a pile of internalpany matters, as well as numerous external affairs. She had already turned down so much work! Suddenly, she realized that Bruce¡¯s bad temper might have a reason behind it. ¡°With such immense pressure every day,¡± she thought, ¡°it¡¯s inevitable for emotions to build up. Joanna rubbed her throbbing eyes and casually asked, ¡°Miranda, what are Bruce and the children doing?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett is ying with the kids, building blocks!¡± Miranda replied with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re having a great time! Don¡¯t worry.¡± Joanna frowned. She hoped that a miracle would happen again and Bruce would recover quickly. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t,¡± she thought worriedly, ¡°I might not be able to bear it much longer.¡± ¡°Joann, there¡¯s something I¡¯m not sure whether I should say or not,¡± Miranda said as she looked at Joanna with some concern. ¡°Just say it. There¡¯s no need to be too polite between us,¡± Joanna replied. ¡°Joann, you and Mr. Everett can¡¯t keep dragging things out like this,¡± Miranda said with a caring tone. ¡°It¡¯s not going to end well. Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Miranda paused for a moment, her tone bing more earnest as she said, ¡°I think you should quickly go through the process of remarriage! Dying like this can lead to trouble.¡± Joanna listened, taken aback. Though she had considered this issue before, Bruce¡¯s current mental state made it seem as if their purpose might not be genuine if they remarried now. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the importance of that marriage certificate. It can protect many things! It can also prevent unnecessary troubles. Especially now, with Mr. Everett in this state, it¡¯s inevitable that people might harbor ill intentions. Though everyone knows about your rtionship, it¡¯s not legally protected. If someone decides to make a big deal out of it, it could be detrimental to you,¡± Miranda reasoned. Joanna¡¯s expression grew serious, and she replied, ¡°I understand, Miranda!¡± ¡°Go ahead and drink your milk. It won¡¯t taste good if it gets cold,¡± Miranda reminded her. ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna agreed. As Joanna was drinking milk, the door to the room was pushed open again. Bruce and the two children came in, full of excitement. ¡°Mommy, look at the blocks we stacked. Tell us whose building is better!¡± one of the children asked, handing Joanna the phone with pictures. ¡°Wow, they all look amazing!¡± Joanna eximed in awe. ¡°So, which one do you choose? Which one do you think is the best?¡± the children probed. ¡°This one!¡± Joanna replied as she instinctively picked the building Bruce had constructed. ¡°See, I told you that yours is the best,¡± the children told Bruce. ¡°Alright, both of you, go wash your hands and get ready to eat. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy about something,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Okay,¡± the children responded before they hurriedly ran out again. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. The children-ran out of the room rapidly. ¡°Bruce,¡± Joanna said hesitantly as she gazed at him with a worried expression. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce asked with a foolish smile. ¡°Um¡­ are you willing to marry me?¡± Joanna carefully asked. ¡°Yes, I am willing!¡± Bruce happily nodded. Joanna¡¯s heart sank, her eyes filled withplicated emotions. ¡°Then next week, shall we go and process the remarriage paperwork?¡± she asked hesitantly. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s great!¡± Bruce replied with a bright smile. Although Bruce¡¯s mind was unclear, Joanna knew he would remarry her. Before, she had been evasive and resistant. But now, they had to proceed with the remarriage paperwork. ¡°Honey, kiss me!¡± Bruce said, and Joanna tilted her head slightly, receiving several kisses from Bruce. In the blink of an eye, a week passed, and Joanna was finally able to get out of bed and walk around. ¡°Do you have all the documents ready?¡± ¡°Yes, the driver¡¯s license, the divorce certificate, and the passport are all in ce.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s quicklyplete the remarriage process. Once done, everything will be above board, and we¡¯ll have legal protection. Others won¡¯t dare to mess with Mr. Everett again.¡± At City Hall, Bruce and Joanna had just arrived at the entrance when they encountered Liam, Evan, and others. Clearly, they had expected the couple to remarry and deliberately waited to intercept them. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Liam and Evan asked. ¡°We¡¯re here to register our marriage!¡± Joanna replied. When Liam heard this, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°How cunning. You¡¯re dragging Bruce here to remarry you when he is not in the right mind. What motives do you have?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter between Bruce and me; it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Joanna replied, feeling irritated. ¡°I am Bruce¡¯s uncle. Since he¡¯s not in his right mind, you¡¯re forcing him to marry you. Aren¡¯t you just after his wealth?¡± Liam questioned. Joanna was furious upon hearing this. If she were after Bruce¡¯s wealth, she would have remarried him long ago; there would be no need to wait until now. ¡°Mr. Lurk, don¡¯t nder me. The rtionship between Bruce and me is well-known in Greyport. When he was in his right mind, he proposed marriage multiple times. Our remarriage is to take better care of him,¡± Joanna replied. Evan sneered. ¡°Hmph, I see you¡¯re just after his money! Joanna, don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know your intentions. You¡¯ve been chasing after my cousin for over a decade just for his money. Now, you¡¯re tricking him into marrying you while he¡¯s not in his right mind! Trying to seize his assets! Let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± ¡°Evan, don¡¯t nder me! Our marriage is none of your concern!¡± Joanna warned. ¡°Try me!¡± Evan stood in front of them, blocking their way! But a fierce punchnded on his face before he could finish speaking. ¡°Ouch, ouch!¡± Evan cried out in pain. ¡°You dare to bully my wife? If you ever dare to raise your voice at my wife again, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Bruce warned as he red fiercely at Evan. ¡°Bruce, this woman is tricking you. Don¡¯t fall for her lies!¡± the men warned. Chapter 668 Chapter 668 ¡°Don¡¯t you dare be mean to my wife like that again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Bruce clenched his fists, his face filled with ferocity. Liam¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m your uncle. I¡¯m doing this for your own good! ¡°She only wants to remarry you now as a deliberate attempt to take advantage of your confusion to try and gain control of all your assets. ¡°You must listen to me. You can¡¯t remarry her. Quickly sever ties with this woman.¡± When Joanna heard this, her faced turned green with anger. ¡°Mr. Miller, it seems you are the one eagerly trying to control all of Bruce¡¯s assets. ¡°What does it have to do with you if Bruce and I remarry? Who are you to interfere?¡± Liam ced his hands on his hips and said indignantly, ¡°I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s uncle. I won¡¯t allow anyone to harm him! ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. As long as I¡¯m around, you can forget about manipting Bruce!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really unreasonable. I¡¯ve never seen someone shameless like you!¡± Joanna was infuriated. If it wasn¡¯t for her big belly, she would have pped him. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ve taken this to court. During the proceedings, you can¡¯t remarry Bruce. ¡°Furthermore, Bruce is alive and well. Regardless of whether your will is real or fake, it is invalid. ¡°Therefore, as a shareholder of thepany, I demand that you immediately leave Everett Group and never step foot in thepany again. Otherwise, I will use you of disruptingpany order and stealing internal secrets of Everett Group.¡± Liam became more aggressive as he spoke, as if Everett Group was his personal private enterprise. Joanna gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far. ¡°With an uncle like you, Bruce is truly pitiful. When he wakes up one day and realizes how you have schemed against him, do you think he will spare you?¡± Liam and Evan sneered inwardly when they heard this. As long as they could get custody of Bruce, they would have the final say. By that time, they would surely have transferred all his assets. Even if Bruce did wake up, they would find a way to control his personal freedom, ensuring he never had a chance to rise again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It¡¯s best if Bruce wakes up! However, if Bruce doesn¡¯t wake up for the rest of his life, as his uncle, it is only natural that I will have to take care of everything for him. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯d better leave Everett Group and Bruce as soon as possible. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be in jail for the rest of your life.¡± Liam was smug. However, he was caught off guard when suddenly there was a loud bang. Bruce swung his fist hard,nding a heavy blow on the left side of Liam¡¯s chubby face. ¡°Ouch!¡± Liam wailed and staggered a few steps before falling to the floor. ¡°Dad!¡± Evan rushed forward in a panic to support his father. Bruce took the opportunity to kick Evan hard in the back of his waist. A crisp sound echoed. Evan felt a sharp pain in his lower back, and he copsed on top of Liam. Both of them writhed in pain on the floor, grimacing in agony. ¡°Ouch! My back hurts.¡± Upon seeing this, several bodyguards rushed forward to assist them. ¡°How are you guys?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯m afraid my bone is fractured.¡± Evany on the floor, his face contorted in pain. ¡°Bruce, are you crazy? How could you hit your uncle?¡± Liam covered his mouth as he staggered to his feet with the help of his bodyguards. How could he withstand this punch when he was so old? His words came out of his mouth along with blood and broken teeth. Bruce¡¯s eyes regained their former fierceness and coldness. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you dare to shout at my wife again, I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡± ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Liam¡¯s mouth bled as half of his face began to swell. The assistant beside him quickly handed him a tissue. ¡°Sir, here you go.¡± ¡°Bruce, you¡­ Ouch¡­¡± Evan grimaced in pain. With cold sweat, he said, ¡°Bruce, it¡¯s fine if you hit me, but how could you hit my father? ¡°We¡¯re doing this for your own good. You don¡¯t know how to appreciate kindness!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fist, ready to beat the father and son again. He had never been a good-tempered man. If he was provoked, he would hit someone without hesitation. Although his mind was not clear, hisbat skills were still intact. No one could withstand his punches. Darcy and Joanna watched with cold expressions, not intervening. After all, Bruce was not in a clear state of mind. Even if he injured them, he would not have to bear legal responsibility. Seeing that Bruce wasing forward again, Evan and Liam panicked. They quickly called out to their subordinates, ¡°Hurry up and stop him. Don¡¯t let him hit us!¡± The bodyguards reluctantly stepped forward to intervene upon hearing the order. Seeing this, Darcy took two steps forward. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯d like to see who dares to make a move.¡± Upon hearing that, the dozen or so bodyguards did not dare to make a sound. Although they were also bodyguards, in the presence of Darcy and Carson, they were just a group of underlings. They still remembered thest beating they received from Darcy at the hospital. ¡°Bruce, stop this. You can¡¯t resort to violence. ¡°Dad and I are doing this for your own good! Why don¡¯t you understand us?¡± Evan stated as he disregarded the pain and staggered to his feet. ¡°Hurry up and get lost. Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± Bruce spat. ¡°Joanna, I¡¯ll see you in court. Just wait and see! ¡°You can forget about ever remarrying Bruce! Liam said as he helped his son leave the scene with difficulty. ¡°Let¡¯s go too! Just Ignore them,¡± said Joanna. ¡°Okay, honey.¡± Bruce instantly turned into an obedient follower and hugged Joanna¡¯s arm with a silly smile. Outside City Hall, several reporters were waiting. When Bruce and Joanna appeared, they hurriedly approached them for an interview. ¡°Mr. Everett, are you here today toplete the remarriage formalities?¡± Darcy, Carson, and the others immediately blocked the reporters. ¡°Mr. Everett doesn¡¯t want to be Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. interviewed. Please make way for them. Thank you.¡± With their help, Bruce and Joanna hurried into the lobby of City Hall. They could have had awyer handle the remarriage formalities on their behalf. However, it would have required providing many documents. Moreover, it would take at least half a month, which was more troublesome than handling it personally at City Hall. Therefore, Bruce and Joanna didn¡¯t ask awyer to handle it. The hall seemed somewhat empty. There were not many couples lining up at the marriage registration window. On the contrary, the line at the divorce registration window was quite long. In today¡¯s society, young people were getting marriedter. Moreover, the divorce rate was rmingly high. Many young couples had self-centered personalities and refused topromise, often leading to divorce. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Everett, you¡¯re next!¡± Chapter 669 Chapter 669 ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t expect it to be so quick!¡± Joanna smiled. She had thought there would be many people waiting in line. Unexpectedly, there were less than three couples in line. They waited for less than ten minutes before it was their turn. ¡°Honey, be careful.¡± Bruce carefully supported Joanna as they walked to the registration window. Although his mind was muddled and his demeanor seemed a little clumsy, he wasn¡¯t naturally intellectually impaired. As a result, many of his behavioral habits were preserved in his subconscious. He was like a drunk person, not fully aware, yet carrying a hint of sobriety. He was unlike those born with intellectual disabilities, who only knew how to eat. At the registration window, the two of them handed over their identification cards, birth certificates, and divorce certificate. After the staff member examined the documents, he turned to the couple regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you with the remarriage procedures for the time being.¡± Joanna was taken aback and asked, ¡°Why?¡± The staff looked at Bruce and said in a serious manner, ¡°As Mr. Everett¡¯s intellectual capacity is currently affected, we cannot be certain if he¡¯s really willing to remarry you. ¡°Furthermore, there is currently someone filing awsuit against you. Therefore, this remarriage requires the consent of Mr. Everett¡¯s legal guardian.¡± ¡°Those are twopletely unrted matters. How does someone suing me have anything to do with our remarriage?¡± Joanna asked in confusion. The staff member responded seriously, ¡°Because Mr. Everett currentlycks the capacity to act personally. ¡°If you wish to proceed with the remarriage procedures, you must obtain the consent of Mr. Everett¡¯s legally appointed guardian.¡± Joanna was mad upon hearing this. ¡°Come on, he¡¯s an adult. Why would he need a guardian? Besides, his parents and grandparents have already passed away.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry, but we cannot process the registration procedures for you!¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you. Please help us out,¡± Joanna pleaded. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Haynes, we¡¯re all following the prescribed procedures! It is necessary to obtain consent from Mr. Everett¡¯s legal guardian,¡± said the staff member. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t have a guardian. Can I be his guardian?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Legally speaking, you are considered strangers. It would be best if one of his rtives became his guardian.¡± Upon hearing this, Joanna became even more frustrated and anxious, realizing she could do nothing about it. Now everyone in Greyport knew that Bruce had be intellectually impaired. She didn¡¯t expect the process of remarrying to be soplicated. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go back for now,¡± Joanna told Bruce. Bruce looked at Joanna in confusion. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not sick. I want to remarry you.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯re truly sorry, but please return for now,¡± said the staff member. ¡°No, I want you to process our remarriage registration right now!¡± 3 ¡°Please refrain from causing a scene here. If you cause any trouble, we will have to involve the authorities!¡± said the staff member. Joanna quicklyforted the irritable Bruce. ¡°Be good, darling. Let¡¯s go for now! We¡¯lle back another day.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce looked at Joanna with a sense of grievance. The two went back to Sherane Bay Vi. Joanna called herwyer, Mr. Jameson, to discuss possible solutions. ¡°Now we¡¯re in trouble. We can¡¯t even get married. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to enter into a fight with Liam again,¡± Joannained. Upon hearing this, Mr. Jameson spoke with a serious expression. ¡°Miss Haynes, I suggest you fight for custody of the three children.¡± Joanna was taken aback and looked at thewyer in confusion. ¡°Fight for custody of the children?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. It is currently the best way to ensure your and the children¡¯s well-being. ¡°You need to file awsuit with the court, citing Mr. Everett¡¯s unsuitability to continue as the children¡¯s guardian and transfer custody to you,¡± thewyer answered. ¡°Are you saying I should sue Bruce?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s current situation isplicated, and for safety reasons, this is the best course of action. ¡°Because the children are the primary heirs to Mr. Everett¡¯s estate. You can only transfer the custody of the children to your name and protect Mr. Everett¡¯s assets through guardianship of the children. ¡°Otherwise, things will be moreplicated if Liam manages to obtain guardianship over Mr. Everett!¡± Joanna felt a pang of difort upon hearing this. ¡°Fine! Let me think about it. You can go ahead and prepare the specifics first!¡± she said. ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes!¡± Mr. Jameson left shortly after. Miranda could not help but sigh. ¡°Ah, everything was fine. Why did Liam and his family have to get involved?¡± Lilian also looked indignant. ¡°Exactly! Mr. Everett used to despise him the most. How could Mr. Everett agree to let him be his guardian?¡± ¡°Right now, Liam¡¯s legally Mr. Everett¡¯s only rtive and elder. Thew might very well decide that he¡¯s Mr. Everett¡¯s guardian!¡± ¡°I believe Liam wants to take advantage of the situation, to control Mr. Everett and his money!¡± ¡°We all know that, but thew only recognizes facts!¡± Joanna felt restless upon hearing this. With Bruce¡¯s current condition, even her desire to take care of him seemed inappropriate. If she was to sue Bruce, she would have to subject him to an intellectual assessment and provide evidence to the court that he was intellectually impaired andcked the capacity to act independently. She didn¡¯t want to do that. But if she didn¡¯t do it, Liam would fight for Bruce¡¯s guardianship. It was highly likely that he would also try to take custody of the children. ¡°Honey, why aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Bruce looked at Joanna. Joanna hesitated as she looked at his face and gently touched his cheek. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 ¡°Sigh, Bruce, when will you recover?¡± Joanna¡¯s tears streamed freely as she spoke. Bruce looked carefully at Joanna. ¡°Honey, why are you crying? ¡°Did I do something wrong again? Did I make you angry?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± As Joanna spoke, she tenderly caressed his neck and cradled him in her arms! Bruce obediently snuggled in her arms and pressed his ear against her belly. ¡°I can feel movement!¡± ¡°Honey, if I can feel movement from your stomach, does that mean the baby is moving?¡± Bruce was pleasantly delighted when he felt the baby¡¯s movements. ¡°That¡¯s right! Devin is due in a few months.¡± When Bruce heard this, heughed even more heartily. ¡°Be good, little baby. Don¡¯t kick Mommy.¡± ¡°If you hurt Joanna, I¡¯ll spank you!¡± The next day! Joanna still decided to take Bruce to the hospital for an IQ test. ¡°Honey, where are you taking me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bringing you to the hospital for a checkup.¡± Bruce looked horrified when he heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. I¡¯m scared!¡± Joanna exhaled a sigh. Her heart was aching somewhat. ¡°Be good and give it all you¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll never leave you again, no matter what. You¡¯re not thinking clearly right now. There are bad people devising schemes to take your assets. ¡°I¡¯m doing everything I can to protect your and the children¡¯s rights. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against me when you¡¯re sober.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce did not want to irritate Joanna, so he obediently agreed to go to the hospital. Shortly after. Joanna brought Bruce in for a neurological checkup. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Subsequently, Joanna filed awsuit in court seeking a change in the custody of the three children. At the same time, Liam also sued Joanna. Joanna was asked to stay away from Bruce, and Liam wanted to be Bruce¡¯s guardian. When the higher-ups of thepany found out about this, they discussed animatedly and created a stir. ¡°Have you heard? Mr. Lurk is suing Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about such a big thing?¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk wants to take custody of Mr. Everett. But that sounds a little strange.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? I think it¡¯s very normal, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Mr. Everett is considered lucky or unlucky. I mean, he lost his parents at a young age and doesn¡¯t have any siblings. ¡°Look what happened to him now. What¡¯s the use of having such assets? He can¡¯t even make a decision for himself!¡± The other higher-up also looked indignant. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? He has so much money. It¡¯d be odd if others weren¡¯t jealous of him.¡± ¡°Anyone rted to him will most likely rush to get a share of his assets. Mr. Lurk also happens to be Mr. Everett¡¯s only biological uncle. He won¡¯t pass up such an excellent opportunity.¡± Actually, everyone was well aware of Liam¡¯s intentions. However, aristocratic families were inherentlyplex, and the situation with Mr. Everett was even more intricate. Apart from being mere spectators, others had no right to intervene. Joanna was preparing to change the custody of the children. Beep, beep, beep. A call from Andy came in. ¡°Hello ¡°Miss Haynes, please hurry up ande to thepany!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk has forcefully ousted you using his position as thepany¡¯s secondrgest shareholder.¡± Joanna was taken aback. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He said that the will in your hand is fake,¡± Andy replied anxiously. ¡°He wants to fire you in the name of thepany¡¯s secondrgest shareholder!¡± ¡°He¡¯s back in charge as acting president!¡± Joanna inhaled deeply. ¡°Liam is going way too far!¡± ¡°He has already sealed your office and cleared up all of your belongings. Pleasee over as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Joanna hung up the call. Joanna went upstairs to change her clothing before heading to the meeting. ¡°Joann, what happened?¡± ¡°I have to go to thepany now!¡± ¡°Joann, your body is so weak now. You shouldn¡¯t be running around,¡± Miranda said worriedly. ¡°No, I have to go to thepany now. If I don¡¯t go now, it¡¯ll be toote.¡± Joanna had already gone upstairs to change as she spoke. At the same time, she notified Carson and Darcy to go to thepany together. Five minutester. Joanna dashed downstairs after changing. Seeing that she was about to leave, Bruce rushed after her. ¡°Honey, where are you going? I¡¯d like to go along with you!¡± ¡°Be good. Stay at home and don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll be back soon. School will end soon for Davian and Irvin. Let them y with you first.¡± ¡°No, I simply want to follow you. Where are you going? Anyway, you can¡¯t just leave me here. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll vanished¡­¡± Bruce nced pityingly at Joanna.. Seeing this, Darcy said, ¡°Mrs. Joanna, let Mr. Everett follow you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Only Mr. Everett has power over Liam. It would be best if he could give the father and son a good beating. They¡¯re simply too much.¡± Joanna paused for two seconds before concluding that he was correct. The father and son were practically begging for it. It would be amazing to let Bruce bash them up once more. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get in the car.¡± Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Half an hourter. Joanna and Bruce rushed to the Everett Group. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. When the two stepped into thepany, the receptionist was astonished to see Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett¡­ Miss Haynes¡­¡± The two of them nodded slightly in greeting and entered the elevator. ¡°Wow, Mr. Everett has also appeared today. There¡¯ll most likely be a terrific show to watch today,¡± the receptionist at the front desk eximed. Another customer service manager chimed in, ¡°Mr. Everett seems quite normal, unlike what the reports have been saying.¡± ¡°Sigh, Mr. Everett¡¯s brain has been damaged. Of course, you can¡¯t tell what¡¯s wrong on the surface.¡± ¡°What a pity. I really want Mr. Everett to quickly return to how he was before.¡± The director of customer service could not help butugh. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? I also want Mr. Everett and the ¡°A while back, Mr. Lurk mishandled thepany and caused chaos. Despite Miss Haynes taking over and showcasing herpetence, she still can¡¯t measure up to Mr. Everett¡¯s abilities.¡± The customer service manager nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Of course! The Everett Group was built from the ground up by Mr. Everett himself, making it a leadingpany. How can anyone ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett represents the Everett Group¡¯s corporate culture. No one can rece him¡­¡± The few customer service managers who had gathered at the front desk could not help but muse and sigh. Five minutester. Joanna and Bruce did not bother taking the express elevator and went straight to the president¡¯s office. Sitting at the secretary¡¯s desk, Andy and Mark looked anxious. ¡°Mr. Everett, Miss Haynes, you¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡°Mr. Lurk dispatched a group of people to break down door to the president¡¯s office. They¡¯re currently clearing up the things inside¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, her face turned ice-cold. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look,¡± Joanna said. They walked past the fitness area and went straight to the administrative office. The door to the president¡¯s office had already been unlocked. A few employees wearing work attire were upied with packing up items. There were already some cardboard boxes filled with Joanna¡¯s personal items. ¡°Mr. Everett is here. Stop what you¡¯re doing!¡± The employees outside quickly stopped. ¡°Mr. Everett and Miss Haynes are here!¡± One by one, those who were about to move the objects halted their actions and purposefully took positions on either side of the hallway wall. ¡°What are you doing? Who gave you permission to touch my stuff? ¡°Who allowed you to enter the president¡¯s office?¡± Joanna scolded sternly. The employee¡¯s leader said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Lurk told us to pack your things.¡± ¡°Even Mr. Lurk isn¡¯t qualified to enter the president¡¯s office. What right does he have to order you to enter?¡± Joanna reprimanded. The employees bowed their heads and kept quiet. ¡°Well, we¡¯re a movingpany. Whatever the client wants us to move, we must do it without any hesitation!¡± ¡°So if the client wants you to move money out of a bank, will you do it?¡± The movingpany¡¯s leader heard this but did not have the courage to respond. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and move the things back. If any items are missing, I would like to know how you n up for the losses.¡± to make ¡°Okay, okay, okay. We¡¯ll move everything back immediately!¡±. The movingpany¡¯s leader quickly ordered everyone to move the items back into the office as he was speaking. ¡°Where¡¯s Liam? Tell him toe over quickly!¡± Joanna¡¯s tone was cold as she called Liam¡¯s real name. She used to call him Mr. Lurk out of respect for the fact that he was Bruce¡¯s uncle. However, it was no longer necessary to treat him politely. After a while. Liam brought arge group of people over from his office. ¡°I was the one who asked them to move it!¡± ¡°Liam, this is the president¡¯s office. No one is qualified to move the stuff here except for the president of the Everett Group.¡± Joanna sternly remarked as her gaze fell on Liam. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overstepping your authority?¡± Liam retorted. Liam straightened his back and said, ¡°Joanna, as the secondrgest shareholder of thepany, I order you to leave the Everett Group immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also officially filed awsuit with the court asking you topensate for all the damage caused to the Everett Group during this period of time.¡± Joanna became enraged upon hearing this. Sheughed icily. ¡°You¡¯re really pushing your luck.¡± ¡°Bruce is here now. Are you nning to kick him out of the corporation too?¡± Joanna pushed Bruce toward Liam as she spoke. When Liam saw Bruce, he was so terrified that he scurried behind the bodyguards to hide. ¡°Bruce, your mind isn¡¯t clear right now. I naturally have to take on the president position in the ¡°So, you¡¯re nning to fire Bruce and take over the Everett Group as president, right?¡± Joann retorted sarcastically. ¡°Joanna, the will in your hand doesn¡¯t count at all! Bruce¡¯s brain isn¡¯t working, so of course I have to be president!¡± Although Bruce¡¯s mind was not clear, he could tell that they were talking about him. Bruce took a step towards Liam with his long legs, looking like a lion approaching its prey. Liam became even more frightened after seeing this. As Bruce approached, he shoved the bodyguards to the front. ¡°What are you doing, Bruce? ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m doing this for your own good: Don¡¯t fall for this woman¡¯s trap¡­¡± Bruce had previously been punched in the mouth at City Hall, resulting in the loss of one of his teeth. Moreover, his face was still swollen on the left side.. Liam naturally did not dare to approach Bruce and hid behind the bodyguards. Evan¡¯s lumbar spine was also fractured. He was currently still lying in the hospital and could not move. Bruce stared nkly at Liam, who was hiding from him. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t bully Joanna! ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll knock all your teeth out.¡± When Liam heard this, he was even more frightened. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really not clear-headed. This woman is scheming against you. You can¡¯t listen to her¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey- Don¡¯t hit him! Hurry up and stop him!¡± In order to stop Bruce, the bodyguards could only block him. ¡°Mr. Everett, please stop acting so irrationally. Please calm down.¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Bruce¡¯s hawk-like eyes revealed an unfriendly glint. Bruce, you can¡¯t hit me anymore. I¡¯m your uncle. I¡¯m the person closest to you. How could you hit your uncle like that? ¡°Joanna, I¡¯m taking Bruce to the hospital for a testter. ¡°The court will be in session next week. In the meantime, you are not to approach Bruce, let alone incite him to attack others.¡± Joanna sneered coldly. ¡°Liam, you embezzled thepany¡¯s money privately and haven¡¯t made up for it yet. I¡¯ve already officially charged you with embezzlement. You¡¯d better spit out the money quickly.¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯re not even a member of the Everett Group. What right do you have to interfere in our internal affairs?¡± Liam snorted. ¡°I¡¯m now thepany¡¯s acting president. I represent Bruce,¡± said Joanna. ¡°That¡¯s what you said. We didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± Liam did not back down. They were at daggers drawn. After hearing the news, the other shareholders also hurried over. The entire office building floor was filled with people. Upon seeing the situation, Mr. Xander quickly put on a smile and tried to mediate, ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Lurk, please calm down. ¡°Everyone, sit down and talk calmly. Let¡¯s think of a way to get the best of both worlds.¡± Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Mr. Young also hurriedly intervened, saying, ¡°Yes, yes! Even though Mr. Everett¡¯s mind is unclear, he is still thepany¡¯s president. Now, let¡¯s all sit down calmly and devise a better solution. We can also ask for Mr. Everett¡¯s opinion¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s mind is not clear now. What¡¯s the point of asking for his opinion? Mr. Lurk should be the one to take on the role of president,¡± Mr. Nelson added impatiently. Bruce¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he looked at Mr. Nelson intensely. ¡°Who¡¯s the one with the unclear mind? Who are you talking about?¡± he questioned. Mr. Nelson was startled by Bruce¡¯s tone and expression. He did not seem like someone with an abnormal mind. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Mr. Nelson stammered. ¡°Mr. Everett, please calm down. Let¡¯s all sit down and talk together!¡± Mr. Young said. Liam sneered. ¡°I have nothing to talk about with her. She must leave thepany now.¡± Joanna retorted in a simrly cold manner, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll just leave if you ask me to? You¡¯re the one who should leave.¡± ¡°Since we have so many directors here, let¡¯s be clear. Everyone knows our true intentions. I am Bruce¡¯s uncle, so naturally, I have ns for him! Why should an outsider be involved in our family affairs? Don¡¯t forget, you and Bruce divorced a long time ago,¡± Liam said. Joanna took a deep breath and responded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Bruce and I haven¡¯t gone through the remarriage procedures yet. But, the whole of Greyport knows about our rtionship. We have three children together, and the fourth is about to be born. Do you think there¡¯s no rtionship between us? Also, I am taking care of him as the mother of his children!¡± Her words choked Liam, and he hurriedly replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to argue forcefully. Without remarriage, you are not legally considered a couple. Even if you were a couple, you wouldn¡¯t have the qualifications to manage Everett Group.¡± Mr. Young quickly intervened, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s stop arguing. Let¡¯s sit down calmly and discuss.¡± Liam also realized that he couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand today and proposed, ¡°Joanna Haynes, let¡¯s bothpromise for now. Both sides are not allowed to enter the Everett Group during the formal prosecution. After the court¡¯s final judgment, let¡¯s see what you have to say.¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds. She was six months pregnant, and there were still three months until childbirth. The final judgment might take about three This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. months. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled,¡± she agreed. ¡°Darcy, have someone watch over the president¡¯s office,¡± Joanna instructed. ¡°Yes, Miss Haynes!¡± ¡°Joanna Haynes, now, as Bruce¡¯s uncle, I demand to take Bruce to the hospital for evaluation!¡± Liam requested. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. Bruce won¡¯t go to the hospital with you,¡± Joanna replied. Hearing her reply, Liam was even more infuriated. With his remaining consciousness, Bruce replied instinctively, ¡°Why should I go to the hospital with you? ¡°Bruce, you are being bewitched by this woman¡­¡± Liammented. Joanna looked at Liam with a stern expression and she reminded, ¡°Even though Bruce¡¯s mind is slightly damaged, it doesn¡¯t mean hecks personal d¨¦cision-making abilities. What you are doing now is clearly taking advantage of the situation. When he regains his rity, let¡¯s see how he views you, his uncle. Let¡¯s go back. For now, Mr. Xander will temporarily take over thepany¡± The two sides parted ways without any pleasantries. On the way/back, Joanna and the others discussed what had happened. ¡°This Liam is really outrageous. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so obvious about his intentions.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s disgusting. I¡¯ve never seen an uncle trying to fight for his nephew¡¯s assets like this. Miss Haynes, what should we do now?¡± Joanna furrowed her brows and sighed. ¡°Now that things have escted to this point, we can only take one step at a time.¡± Looking at Joanna¡¯s serious expression, Bruce embraced her shoulder and apologized, saying, ¡°Darling, it¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t protect you just now¡­¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve already done well. No matter how hard it gets, we will get through it together!¡± Joanna from the corner of his mouth, ¡°Yeah, no matter what happens, I¡¯ll be by my wife¡¯s side.¡± Joanna quickly submitted all the applications to the court the next day, requesting a change in the children¡¯s custody. custo Soon, the court epted the case. Mr. Jameson was the most powerfulwyer in Greyport, and having him take on the case made it a piece of cake. After the judgment came out, it was not unexpected that the court granted Joanna custody of the children. Joanna finally breathed a sigh of relief on the day the judgment was issued. No matter what, she had to protect the custody of the children. Meanwhile, Liam was infuriated when he learned that Joanna had changed the children¡¯s custody. ¡°This Joanna Haynes is truly hateful. I didn¡¯t expect her to act so quickly and secure the children¡¯s custody,¡± he cursed. Upon hearing this, L quicklyforted and incited him, saying, ¡°Honey, you have to try harder. Otherwise, maybe she¡¯ll take away Mr. Everett¡¯s custody as well. We¡¯ve already put so much effort into this. We can¡¯t give up so easily.¡± Liam¡¯s wavering mind was firmly decided after L¡¯s instigation. He could not give up even if there were only a slight chance. Chapter 673 Chapter 673 After all, Bruce had arge amount of assets under his name. If he could win this case, Liam would directly ascend to the position of the wealthiest person in Greyport. No matter how much effort it takes, it was worth a try. The next day, L went to the hospital to visit Evan to report the progress of these few days. Inside the hospital room, Evany there with a touch of mncholy. When he saw Ling over, a sh of anxiety showed on his face, and he asked, ¡°L, how are things going these two days?¡± L pursed her lips and said helplessly, recounting, ¡°The trial began, but the situation is quite Evan¡¯s face clouded upon hearing this. Although Liam was Bruce¡¯s uncle, he was not a direct blood rtive, and winning thewsuit might not be easy. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. Liam has filed a second appeal. The next court session will be half a monthter. We have collected new evidence and hope it will be useful for the next hearing,¡± L reassured. Evan frowned in response, ¡°Hmm, you must keep a close eye on Liam and don¡¯t take anything lightly. Even if there¡¯s only a one percent chance, we cannot give up.¡± ¡°I know. You take care.¡± L replied, her eyes showing a hint of annoyance. Looking at him like this, he seems to need some time to recuperate. She nned to have children with him, but now it was uncertain when that n could be carried out. Liam had finally agreed to go to the hospital to do the IVF procedure with her, and she was already preparing her body for it. She really could not wait any longer. ¡°What is wrong? Why do you look unhappy?¡± Evan noticed L¡¯s displeasure and asked with concern. ¡°It is nothing. I am just worried about you! Bruce¡¯s kick was too harsh! You have been lying here for a month and haven¡¯t recovered!¡± L pouted. ¡°Is it because you miss me?¡± Evan asked as he grabbed her hand. ¡°Hmph, you wish,¡± L replied and rolled her eyes. ¡°Just wait a bit longer. I will recover soon. Once I am better, we can prepare to have our child,¡± Evan reassured her. ¡°Alright,¡± L responded as her expression finally eased a little. ¡°I will head back now. Liam is closely monitoring things these days, so I will note here often.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± Evan said. L then pecked his cheek and said, ¡°Evan, I am leaving.¡± After bidding farewell, Evan¡¯s expression turned serious again. He does not want to have a child with her. If they do have a child, it willplicate things. He was using her. However, Bruce¡¯s kick was too hard, breaking his spine. He feared he would have to stay in the hospital for another month. Back at the Sherane Bay Vi, Joanna was spending time with Bruce. Since reaching an agreement with Liam, she had not been to Everett Group for almost a month. Of course, she would still be updated on thepany¡¯stest news through Andy and Mark. Simrly, Liam was also not allowed to enter thepany. It is fair to say that Liam was even more anxious than Joanna. ¡°Joann, you are almost seven months pregnant. You must get plenty of rest and not be too anxious,¡± Miranda reminded her ¡°Hmm, I know, Miranda,¡± Joanna replied as she slowly stirred her milk and oatmeal. ¡°Honey, your belly is so big,¡± Bruce said with a smile. He was still following Joanna closely every day Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Since his mind was no longer clear, he had changed, and there were no more quarrels or conflicts between the couple. ¡°The children will be back from school soon. Let¡¯s go to the entrance and greet them. We can also take a walk in the garden outside,¡± Joanna said with a gentle smile. She actually enjoyed the current state of their rtionship. Bruce no longer got angry or acted authoritarian. Every day was filled with love and warmth. Although there were still many worries, her mood had improved significantly. Bruce was delighted to hear that and gently held Joanna as he said, ¡°Alright, I will apany you, H. Let¡¯s go pick up the kids¡­¡± The weather was great that day, the sun was shining brightly, and the flowers in the yard were in full bloom. Joanna would walk a fewps in the yard daily for some exercise. When she gave birth to Davian and Irvin, she had to opt for a cesarean section due toplications and fetal distress. This time, she wanted to have a vaginal birth. Although vaginal birth was more challenging, the recovery was rtively quick. Some mothers can recover after just one week. On the other hand, she was bedridden for a whole month after her previous cesarean section. ¡°Darling, this is for you!¡± Bruce eximed excitedly. He had plucked a rose from the flower bushes and handed it to Joanna with a foolish smile. Joanna smiled tenderly and epted the rose he offered, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. If my wife likes them, I will pick more for you,¡± Bruce said. ¡°No need! This one is enough. Let the rest of the flowers grow in the garden!¡± Joanna replied gently. As they were chatting, the couple heard the sounds of a car outside. ¡°It should be the kidsing home from school!¡± Joanna said as she slowly headed to the entrance. When she reached the entrance, Davian and Irvin exited the car and ran happily toward her. ¡°Mommy, we are back from school!¡± Davian and Irvin eximed. Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Davian Haynes and Irvin Haynes were studying in the same school, while the all-girls school that Lilia Haynes was in was a little far from Sherane Bay Vi. Therefore, Lilia¡¯s brothers would arrive home 20 minutes earlier than her every day. Joanna Haynes looked at the two little boys running over with a loving smile. ¡°You¡¯re back, my babies.¡± Davian and Irvin had already grown a lot taller. They had long legs just like their father and they were much taller than the other children. The two of them were already at the height of Joanna¡¯s chest. Irvin had always had a glib tongue. He said with a bright smile, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful today, mommy!¡± Joanna bent down slightly and kissed the two boys¡¯ faces affectionately as usual. Seeing this, Bruce Everett red at the two brats with displeasure. How could his wife kiss another boy? Even if they were his own sons, that wouldn¡¯t do. ¡°Honey, I want a kiss too.¡± Bruce pouted with an unhappy expression. When Joanna heard this, she sighed in resignation. Ever since Bruce¡¯s brain went haywire, she felt that she had a new son that was constantly jealous, He had to have what the children had and he also had to have what the children didn¡¯t have. For example, if she didn¡¯t kiss him after kissing the children, he would be angry. If she bought toys for the children but not for him, he would be even angrier. In short, she could not neglect him at all, not even a little bit. If Joanna identally ignored him, he would start by throwing a tantrum first. If she still ignored him, he would cry aggrievedly and it would take a long time to coax him. ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t love me anymore. She doesn¡¯t want to kiss me even after she kissed them.¡± Seeing that he was about to cry again, Joanna smiled helplessly and gave in, ¡°Alright, fine. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll kiss you too.¡± As she spoke, she raised her head to kiss him. Unfortunately, he was too tall. Even if Joanna stood on her tiptoes, she could not reach his face at all. Bruce giggled and quickly bent down to bring his face to Joanna¡¯s lips. Joanna kissed his right cheek before asking, ¡°Will this do?¡± ¡°Here too!¡± Bruce said as he pointed at his left cheek as well. Joanna had no choice but to kiss the left side of his face again. Although she had to kiss him many times every day, he still enjoyed it. ¡°I want to kiss you too, honey!¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead, cheeks, and chin. He wanted to prove to the two brats that he was the most important and beloved person to his wife. Davian and Irvin stood at the side and watched. They were grinning so widely that they¡¯re mouths were about to reach their ears. ¡°Eh, daddy is getting more and more mushy.¡± Irvin inherited Bruce¡¯s venomous tongue and he loves to roast others. ¡°That¡¯s right. Daddy is getting more and more greasy. Urgh, it hurts my eyes. I can¡¯t bear to look.¡± ¡°Disgusting!¡± The two little boys gave their father a thumbs-down. Bruce raised his head proudly like a child as he unted, ¡°Hmph, you guys are just jealous of me.¡± The two boys grabbed their mother¡¯s hands and asked indignantly, ¡°Mommy, tell daddy who you dote on the most.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Joanna looked helpless stuck between her son and husband. This was a really difficult choice. Of course, she doted on the children more, but how could she dare to say that? If she had said that out loud, Bruce would probably cry from anger again. Bruce¡¯s face darkened even more. He grabbed the cors of the two boys and said, ¡°Get your hands off her. You can¡¯t touch my wife.¡± What he did every day was topete with the children for Joanna¡¯s favor. He did not feel tired of it and even enjoyed it. The children were also extremelypetitive and refused to give in to him at all. Therefore, the three of them quarreled and fought every day. After the two boys were thrown to the side, they were extremely dissatisfied. ¡°Mommy, daddy is getting more and more overboard. We¡¯re his sons, but he treats us as love rivals.¡± When Joanna heard this, she smiled bitterly and felt helpless. Bruce had an overbearing and domineering personality. Not only that, he was especially possessive. Even though his mind was not clear now, his personality had not changed much. As the saying goes, a leopard never changes its spots! Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Men would always be childish no matter their age. Never arouse a man¡¯s desire to win, even if it was a game. ¡°Mommy, we have no school tomorrow because it¡¯s Independence Day! Can we go on a trip then?¡± ¡°Is it already Independence Day tomorrow?¡± Joanna asked in surprise. The two boys nodded in unison before replying, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s already the end of September today.¡± Joanna frowned. She had lost track of time. Time passed really quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already October. It had been more than three years since she returned to Greyport. In the past three years, she felt as if she had been walking on thin ice every day. She felt extremely tense every day, and she had never been rxed for a single day. Irvin had already thought of a n as he suggested excitedly, ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go to Disnend during the holidays, okay? We haven¡¯t gone out to y for a long time.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we just go there a while back?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we go again after going once?¡±. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Joanna looked troubled. Davian red at his younger brother and said considerately, ¡°Mommy is pregnant now, so she can¡¯t do anything too tiring.¡± ¡°Since these few days are public holidays, there must be a lot of people at Disnend. It would be dangerous if they bump into mommy.¡± When Irvin heard that, he said, ¡°Oh right, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s rare that we have such a long holiday. It will be boring to stay at home every day. I really want to go out and y.¡± ¡°We can find some activities that aren¡¯t too tiring, such as going to a barbecue.¡± Irvin¡¯s big eyes flickered as he suggested excitedly. They were children after all so they didn¡¯t have so many worries. They also didn¡¯t know how much pressure there was for the adults. Of course! Joanna wouldn¡¯t tell the children about Liam Miller and thewsuit so the children didn¡¯t know that they were currently facing so many troublesome problems at home. ¡°Mommy, why don¡¯t we go to Beach Park to barbecue?¡± ¡°This way, there will be delicious food and beautiful scenery. Mommy won¡¯t be tired, and our family can go out to rx.¡± ¡°Mommy, what do you think?¡± ¡°Go to barbecue at Beach Park?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darted around! As the name suggests, Beach Park is a coastal park by the sea. The scenery was beautiful and pleasant. It was also extremely near the sea which made it a suitable spot for a family outing. There were many barbecue grills in the park that were specially for guests to rent for barbecue! She had gone there once many years ago and had not been there for more than ten years. She wondered if there had been any changes now. Joanna thought about it for half a minute before agreeing to the children¡¯s request. ¡°Sure!¡± After all, it was rare for the children to have a long vacation. Moreover, she and Bruce rarely had the chance to apany the children to y! Anyway, these troublesome matters could not be resolved in a short period of time. It was better to have fun in the midst of the problems and take the children to y and rx. Chapter 675 Chapter 675 When the two little boys heard that, they were instantly overjoyed. They did not expect their mother to agree to their request. ¡°Mommy, are we really going to go out to y?¡± ¡°Of course! Since both of you want to go, I shall fulfill your wish.¡± After saying that, Joanna Haynes looked at Carson and instructed, ¡°Carson, go and book a barbecue pit now. We might not be able to rent one if we¡¯re toote!¡± Carson replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, madam. I¡¯ll book a barbecue pit now!¡± The two boys jumped up in joy as they eximed, ¡°Oh yes, that¡¯s great. We can have a barbecue now.¡± Seeing how excited the children were, even Bruce Everett could tell that it was a good decision. He started to chuckle foolishly. ¡°It¡¯s just a barbecue. Why are you guys so happy about it?¡± ¡°Of course we are! It¡¯s very exciting especially since we get to go with daddy and mommy.¡± ¡°Sigh, I really can¡¯t do anything about you guys,¡± Joanna sighed in resignation. Just as they were ying around, the gate slowly opened again. A Mercedes-Benz van slowly drove in. ¡°Lilia has returned from school.¡± Davian Haynes and Irvin Haynes immediately skipped toward the car. They couldn¡¯t wait to tell their sister the good news. A maid opened the door and carried Lilia Haynes out of the van. Lilia was equipped with an electronic prosthesis and could walk slowly. However, she was not as agile as an ordinary person and she couldn¡¯t walk fast. ¡°Are you back from school, Lilia?¡± Lilia was especially ted to see everyoneing out to wee her. Her face beamed brightly like a sunflower as she announced, ¡°Mommy, daddy, Davian, and Irvin, I¡¯m back!¡± Irvin could not wait as he immediately blurted out, ¡°Lilia, I have some good news for you!¡± ¡°What good news?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a school holiday tomorrow due to Independence Day so mommy said she¡¯s taking us to Beach Park for a barbecue¡± When Lilia heard this, her big grape-like eyes widened. She looked very adorable as she asked,/Really?¡± ¡°Of course! You can ask mommy if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lilia looked at Joanna excitedly and asked, ¡°Mommy, is what Irvin said true?¡± Joanna smiled gently before confirming Irvin¡¯s words, ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s rare for you guys to have a break from school. Daddy and I also happen to be free so it would be nice for all of us to spend some time together.¡± ¡°Oh yay, that¡¯s great!¡± Lilia instantly cheered. Bruce happily picked his daughter up and raised her up high. ¡°You¡¯re so cute, my baby Lilia!¡± As he spoke, he kissed Lilia¡¯s face again. As the saying goes, a daughter is her father¡¯s lover from his past life. He did not dote on his two sons so much but he is really affectionate to his daughter to the core. ¡°Miranda, go prepare the ingredients for the barbecue.¡± ¡°You can prepare more. It¡¯s rare for everyone to have time to get together so you, Kelly, and Tracy, can ¡°Alright, Joann,¡± Miranda replied with a smile. Carson had already booked the barbecue pit. ¡°Mrs. Joanna, I¡¯ve already called to book thergest barbecue pit area.¡± Initially, no more barbecue grills were avable as they had already been booked. However, Carson offered to pay more money and reserved one of the barbecue pit areas in the park. ¡°Good job. Go and make arrangements for tomorrow¡¯s trip then!¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Joanna.¡± The whole family prepared to sleep early. Joannay on the soft andfortable bed and flipped through the documents sent by Andy. Brucey beside her, a strange glint shing in his eyes. For the past month or so, the two of them had been sleeping on the same bed. Although Bruce was very clingy to her, he did not do anything that would cross the line. However, being right next to her and not being able to touch her made him feel very ufortable. Tonight, he was even more irritable and kept tossing and turning. Seeing this, Joanna could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you tossing and turning? Can¡¯t you sleep?¡± Although Bruce was not clear-headed, he was still a man after all. Moreover, he had never been an abstinent man in the past. Even if his mind was not clear now, his brain still remembered the process of sleeping around. ¡°Honey¡­ I don¡¯t feel good¡­¡± Bruce looked at Joanna pitifully. His hands started to be a little naughty. Joanna frowned. She knew what he wanted to do. She immediately pushed his restless hands away and warned him sternly, ¡°No!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll hurt the baby.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I, I¡¯ll be very gentle¡­¡± When he spoke, he even moved closer to Joanna and looked at her with desire. Joanna¡¯s frown deepened. She was rendered speechless by him. ¡°I really have to give it to you. You¡¯re not even in the right state of mind anymore, yet you still remember such things so clearly.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re really stupid, or are you just pretending.¡± Pretending to be stupid¡­ That was probably impossible. Even if he was really pretending, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it up for so many days. ¡°Honey¡­ Honey¡­¡± Bruce pouted and kept twirling her hair with his fingers.. He looked like he was in pain. That was how it was when ites to matters like these! Once a person has a taste of sleeping around, it would be difficult for them to abstain from it unless they had health problems. Just like how cats would not care for the taste of fish if they haven¡¯t had fish before. However, once they have tasted fish, it would be impossible for them to forget the taste of fish. ¡°Honey, please¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± 3 ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°No! Honey¡­¡± Bruce kept whining like a baby.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Joanna Haynes.could not take his whining anymore. Her expression turned serious as she dered, ¡°You¡¯re really a despicable bastard. If you continue being like this, I¡¯ll sleep in separate rooms with you.¡± Seeing that he was still restless and his hands were still fooling around, Joanna had no choice but to Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. warn him sternly. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want him to touch her! It was just that she was almost seven months pregnant and the condition of the fetus had always been unstable. Her body was also very weak so she really could not afford to mess around. Moreover, this damn bastard was so¡­ strong and wicked. She couldn¡¯t even stand him when she wasn¡¯t pregnant, let alone now when she was. There was no way she could not let him mess around. Otherwise, their fetus would really be in danger. ¡°Bruce Everett, I¡¯m warning you. As long as the child is not born, we can¡¯t do ¡®that.¡± ¡°If you hurt our baby, it¡¯ll be toote for regrets. Do you still want another daughter or not?¡± Seeing that Joanna was angry, Bruce quickly stopped and asked reluctantly, ¡°Then can I at least kiss you?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes but still fulfilled his request. She agreed, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± With that, Joanna kissed him. Bruce pouted, looking like he hadn¡¯t had enough. However, when his eyes met Joanna¡¯s sharp gaze, he did not dare to be impudent. He could only turn around unwillingly and hug the pillow to sleep. Looking at his difficult and reluctant expression, Joanna could not help but secretlyugh. There was really no way for her to scold him. He had already lost his mind but yet he was still so¡­ wicked. Hmph! Men! The next day. It was past eight in the morning. The excited chatter of children could be heard from downstairs. ¡°Daddy, mommy, get up quickly!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going out for a barbecue today. Wake up.¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and yawned. Bruce was still sleeping soundly. In the past, he was always under a lot of pressure so it was rare for him to sleep so peacefully. His brain was always working every minute of the day so even when he fell asleep, he couldn¡¯t sleep well. Now that there was something wrong with his brain, all his worries and pressure were gone. He could eat well and sleep well. ¡°It¡¯s morning! Wake up!¡± Joanna patted him and woke him up. Bruce subconsciously turned around and hugged her. He mumbled in his sleep, ¡°Joann¡­¡± Joanna was taken aback and quickly pushed him again. ¡°Bruce Everett, wake up quickly. The children are already calling us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still so early. Let¡¯s go in the afternoon!¡± Bruce replied without a thought. Joanna was even more stunned after hearing his words. His reaction when he was half-awake was exactly like a normal person¡¯s reaction. It was exactly how he would speak and act in the past. However, when he sobered up, it was as though he had an intellectual disability again. Did this mean that he still retained a lot of his memories in his subconscious? If he managed to stimte those memories, he might really be able to recover. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep anymore. The children are already getting restless. They¡¯re rushing us non-stop outside.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Bruce rubbed his eyes before opening them in a daze. As expected, when he woke up, his brain seemed to have lost its signal and became intermittent. Joanna washed up and left the room first. She was already wondering if she should find another brain specialist to treat him. ¡°Joann, the ingredients have been prepared!¡± Miranda announced with a smile. Joanna came back to her senses and asked casually, ¡°Alright, what have you prepared?¡± ¡°You cane over and take a look. Tell me if there¡¯s anything missing and I¡¯ll go and get it.¡± Joanna followed Miranda to the kitchen. She looked at the cooler box. There were abalones, lobsters, prawns, squid, sea cucumbers, chicken wings, vegetables, and some other food. ¡°Looks good. Have you prepared the seasonings required for the barbecue?¡± Although seasonings for barbecue were sold at the barbecue areas, they contained more salt and MSG than usual. They were more unhealthy so it was better to bring them from home. ¡°They have been prepared!¡± ¡°That¡¯s about it then. We can leave after breakfast!¡± The children were even more thrilled when they heard that. ¡°Yay, that¡¯s great. We can have a barbecue soon.¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to eat breakfast now. I want to save some space in my stomach for the barbecue ¡°No, you have to eat breakfast. Even if you¡¯re going to a barbecue, you can¡¯t eat too much of it, understand?¡± ¡°Okay, I got it!¡± Just then, Bruce made his way downstairs. After breakfast. The family of five, dressed in matching attires, set off for the park. Due to therge number of people, Bruce and Joanna did not take the same car. In total, including the servants and the bodyguards, they traveled in two vans and five sedans. At noon. The family finally arrived at their destination. At Beach Park. There were a lot of people today, and there were also a lot of people who came to barbecue. The park was also divided into several areas, each with dozens of barbecue pits. Carson had booked the area closest to the seaside so all the tourists were in the other areas. ¡°Set everything out and start the barbecue!¡± ¡°Daddy,e y the beach ball with us!¡± Although it was October, there was no winter in Greyport. The climate was neither hot nor cold, and it was veryfortable, Bruce happily yed the beach ball with the children. On the other hand, Joanna was instructing the servants, and then preparing to start the barbecue. Chapter 677 Chapter 677 The entire park was booked. More than twenty bodyguards spread out and guarded the area vigntly. Miranda, Kelly, Tracy and the others began to take the ingredients out of the cooler box. Carson, Kody, Darcy and a few other men helped to start a fire and burn the charcoal. Because there were many of them, they started four barbecue pits. Lobster, abalone, sea cucumber, fish, and other ingredients wereid out one by one. Of course, they also prepared mutton and beef to make skewers for the barbecue. However, the ingredients were far more expensive than ordinary beef and mutton. The beef they prepared was A5 wagyu beef, while the mutton was fresh mutton that was flown over from Surbano. ¡°Cut the beef and mutton into small pieces and skewer them!¡± ¡°Alright, Mrs. Joanna.¡± The two chefs came along with them as well and were busy cutting the meat and vegetables. ¡°Make more skewers since there are many people today,¡± Joanna Haynes specially instructed. Miranda smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Joann! I¡¯ve definitely prepared enough today. I guarantee that everyone will leave with their stomachs full.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s rare for everyone toe out and y together so we must make sure everyone eats to their heart¡¯s content.¡± Joanna has always been quite generous and kind to the servants. L Since it was a gathering, she had to make sure everyone has enough to eat and drink. The bodyguards watching from the sidelines could not help but drool. ¡°Wow, how extravagant. They actually used wagyu to make skewers! I¡¯ve never eaten A5 wagyu before.¡± The apanying servants could not help but drool just by looking at the ingredients. On the other hand¡­ -Bruce Everett was happily ying the beach ball with Davian and Irvin Haynes on the sand. ¡°Daddy, catch the ball.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re awesome, daddy. We can¡¯t even catch the ball!¡± Bruce bragged smugly, ¡°That¡¯s because you guys are too lousy¡­¡± Lilia Haynes sat beside Joanna gloomily as she watched Bruce and her brothers y with the beach ball. ¡°Mommy, daddy, Davian, and Irvin are having so much fun. I¡¯m sad that I can¡¯t y!¡± Joanna rubbed her daughter¡¯s head before offering, ¡°Hehe, how about you help mommy barbecue something?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Lilia obediently took the skewers from Joanna. | She imitated Joanna and ced the skewers on the grill to cook. Half an hourter. The two boys were no longer in the mood to y. That was because Bruce did not give in to the two boys at all, causing them to lose every round. ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m not ying anymore. It¡¯s so boring to y with daddy because we can¡¯t win at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let daddy y alone!¡± ¡°Hmph, you guys are sore losers. You guys suck!¡± Bruce was still unsatisfied. He gave his two sons a thumbs-down and gestured disdainfully at them. ¡°Daddy, let¡¯s go y the go-kart. It¡¯ll definitely be more fun.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bruce threw away the ball in his hand and brought the two boys to y the go-kart instead. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m so happy today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so fun and exciting.¡± The three of them were having a great time. Hearing theirughter, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. How good would it be if he could be this carefree for the rest of his life? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Another half an hour passed. The barbecue pit was already emitting an alluring fragrance. The lobsters, abalones, and prawns were almost done cooking. The mutton and beef skewers were also sizzling as they cooked. They were seasoned with ayer of cumin, and the fragrance wafted all around. ¡°Wow, do you smell the aroma?¡± ¡°I smell it. It smells so good! Mommy and the others must be done with the barbecue! Let¡¯s hurry up and eat.¡± Bruce and the two boys smelled the aroma of the food and stopped ying with the go-kart immediately. They hurriedly ran back to the barbecue pit. Davian could not wait to ask, ¡°Mommy, is the food done?¡± ¡°Wow, it smells so good!¡± Irvin¡¯s eyes were stuck on the sizzling and fragrant mutton skewers and he could not help but gulp. The children didn¡¯t eat much for breakfast because they deliberately saved their stomachs for the skewers. After ying for most of the afternoon, they were extremely hungry. Joanna looked at the two boys lovingly. Her two sons were sweating from ying. ¡°Look at how sweaty you guys are. Hurry up and wipe your faces and hands with disinfectant wipes.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The two boys hurriedly took out two wet tissues and wiped their little faces. Bruce also walked over and put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wow, it smells so good! Honey, you¡¯re awesome. I want a kiss!¡± As he spoke, he pouted and asked for a kiss. Joanna smiled grumpily and kissed him on the lips. Bruce then returned two more kisses. Seeing this, their three little children could not help butin, ¡°Daddy, mommy, can you guys stop kissing? You¡¯re very mushy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re about to starve to death. We want skewers!¡± ¡°All right, fine.¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away and hurriedly handed the food they barbecued to the two boys. Everyone had twomb skewers and two beef skewers. ¡°You can¡¯t eat too many skewers. It¡¯s too unhealthy.¡± Davian and Irvin could not wait anymore and took the skewers. They ate the skewers with relish. ¡°Yes, alright. It¡¯s so hot.¡± The Everett family was very strict about their diet. When the chefs cooked, they would work together with a nutritionist and pay attention to the nutrition and freshness of the ingredients. Therefore, most of the dishes they eat were very light. It was rare for the children to have such heavy food. They only got to eat it once in a while so they enjoyed it. ¡°Eat slowly. No one is fighting with you. Don¡¯t burn yourself.¡± Seeing how much the children enjoyed the food, Bruce was also tempted. ¡°Honey, I want some too!¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°You can¡¯t eat that!¡± When Bruce heard this, he looked dissatisfied. He immediately questioned, ¡°Why can¡¯t I eat that?¡± ¡°These are all heaty food. You haven¡¯t recovered from your illness yet so you should eat some vegetables instead.¡± Bruce pouted before demanding, ¡°I don¡¯t want vegetables. I want skewers too!¡± ¡°Then have some grilled fish and chicken wings¡­¡± ¡°No, no, I want the mutton skewers.¡± Bruce picked up the barbecued mutton skewers and ate them happily. He used to be very picky about food.. And now, he was still very picky about food. He would never eat things like barbecue. However, the ingredients they used today were very fresh, so he could not help but eat heartily. A bit of time has passed. The two boys had already wolfed down the skewers in their hands. ¡°Mommy, I want to eat moremb skewers and beef skewers!¡± Joanna smiled before agreeing, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two more skewers!¡± ¡°Mommy, I want one too!¡± Lilia was also very excited. ¡°My baby, you can¡¯t eat too much.¡± Joanna only gave Lilia one more skewer. After all, Lilia¡¯s body was very weak, and her immune system was very weak as well so they had to pay attention to the food she eats. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s rare for the children toe out and y. Don¡¯t care about anything else. Let the children eat what they want. It¡¯s just once in a blue moon.¡± Bruce subconsciously spoke up for the children, Joanna felt that his words made sense. She tended to be a little too strict with the children sometimes. ¡°Alright then!¡± She then called out to the servants beside them. ¡°Everyone,e over! Help yourself to whatever you want to eat.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± The servants and the bodyguards were very happy to hear that. They began to barbecue some food in another barbecue pit. Of course, the responsibility of the bodyguards was to protect the safety of their employers. Hence, they did not dare to rx too much and could only ask the servants to help them barbecue and bring them some food to eat. Chapter 678 Chapter 678 This was truly a luxurious barbecue feast, with each ingredient being of the highest quality. The servants could not wait to eat. ¡°Wow, wow, wow. This is really the best delicacy in the world. It would be great if there was some cold beer.¡± ¡°There is! It¡¯s in the trunk of the car. I¡¯ll bring it over,¡± Peter said and hurriedly went to the car to bring a box of beer over. Dahlia also hurriedly waved. ¡°Give me a bottle too!¡± ¡°Who else wants it?¡± Peter gave each of them a bottle. Bruce suddenly said, ¡°Give me a bottle too.¡± Peter was stunned when he heard this. The others looked at each other. Mr. Everett actually wanted to drink beef? This beer that Peter had bought was very cheap. Bruce had always been very picky, and he basically only drank red wine that cost tens of thousands of dors or 200 thousand dors a bottle. Bruce had never even tried this kind of cheap beer. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Bruce urged impatiently with a mouthful of food. Peter reacted and hurriedly handed him a bottle. ¡°This is for you, Mr. Everett.¡± He opened the bottle cap at the same time. Bruce took the bottle and took a sip of beer. ¡°What¡¯s this taste? Why does it taste so strange?¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Bruce, you can¡¯t drink beer.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°How can I eat barbecue and not drink beer?¡± Bruce retorted. Joanna choked in anger and snatched the beer bottle from Bruce¡¯s hand. ¡°There¡¯s freshly squeezed juice here. You can drink juice instead. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you still have stomach problems. It¡¯s already an exception to let you eat barbecue now.¡± Before Bruce could taste the beer carefully, it was snatched away. He pouted and was very dissatisfied. ¡°How can I drink juice while eating barbecue?¡± Joanna did not say anything. She just shot him a warning look. ¡°Oh, okay, okay, okay. I won¡¯t drink beer.¡± Bruce picked up the ss of fruit juice and drank it resentfully. After eating the barbecue, the two little guys patted their round bellies and pestered Bruce to y again. ¡°Let¡¯s continue driving the go-kart!¡± Bruce replied without hesitation, ¡°Sure!¡± Bruce stood up excitedly along with the two little guys. ¡°Be careful!¡± Joanna reminded Bruce worriedly. Joanna had a lingering fear and did not want Bruce to touch her car anymore. Even if he was driving a kart, she was still worried. ¡°Joanna, it¡¯s okay. This kart is very safe.¡± As Bruce spoke, he got into a kart. ¡°Buzz!¡± ¡°Hahaha, go faster, go faster.¡± As Bruce drove the kart, he showed off his driving skills on the beach and drifted in the sand from time to time. When the two little guys saw this, they apuded in admiration. ¡°Wow, Bruce is so awesome!¡± ¡°That goes without saying!¡± Bruceughed. Miranda helped Joanna pack her things. She smiled and said, ¡°Joann, look at Mr. Everett. He¡¯s like a little child, having so much fun.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Joannaughed bitterly. He was indeed much happier now. He did not have much worry, nor did he have much pressure to work. But¡­ Seeing that Joanna¡¯s face darkened, Miranda knew that she was starting to worry again. ¡°Joann, we¡¯ll cross the bridge when we get there. Don¡¯t think too much. Things will pass eventually.¡± ¡°Yes, I know,¡± said Joanna. ¡°Come, you haven¡¯t eaten much, right? This is for you.¡± Joanna handed a te of grilled abalone and lobster to Miranda. ¡°Let me grill it myself. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just sitting here anyway,¡± said Joanna. Then, she took themb and beef skewers and ced them on the grill to roast. Joanna thought to herself, ¡°After Bruce and the children get tired from yingter, they¡¯ll surely get hungry. I should grill the food for them first, so they won¡¯t be growling with hungerter.¡± On the beach. The three of them were still ying around. ¡°Bruce, hurry up!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m any faster, you won¡¯t be able to catch up to me¡­¡± On the shore, a man in ck clothes and ck pants quietly appeared. At this moment, he was holding a gun and hiding behind the coconut grove, quietly waiting for an opportunity. Bruce still did not sense the danger and drove the go-kart closer to the coconut grove. Closer. Closer¡­ The assassin in ck took the opportunity and fired a shot at Bruce. Bang! Bruce was still driving the go-kart when he heard the gunshot. A reflex in Bruce¡¯s bones instructed him to flip over and leap, tumbling from the go-kart onto the sand. The bodyguards heard the gunshot and rushed over to check. ¡°There¡¯s an emergency. Hurry up and go over.¡± ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± Before Bruce could get up, two more gunshots sounded! The bullet brushed past Bruce¡¯s hair, and the other bullet hit the wheel of his go-kart. Despite hisck of clear consciousness, Bruce¡¯s reflexes and sensitivity had not diminished in the least. Bruce rolled on the sand and hid behind the wheel of the go-kart. ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± Darcy and Carson had already arrived in time. They took out their pistols and shot at the criminals. Seeing that he had missed, the criminal hurriedly turned around and fled. ¡°The few of you, hurry up and chase after him. Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is injured.¡± Chapter 679 Chapter 679 The other bodyguards hurriedly went forward to check on Bruce. Bullets whizzed past Bruce¡¯s scalp, and a fragment from one of them pierced into his skull. His tongue was now bleeding, and his consciousness gradually blurred. When Joanna heard the gunshots, she was even more frightened. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± The children were also frightened. ¡°Bruce!¡± The bodyguards formed a circle, surrounding Bruce, Davian, and Irvin. ¡°Joann, there¡¯s a criminal. Hurry up and hide!¡± Joanna could not care less. She hurriedly stood up and ran toward Bruce. ¡°Bruce, Bruce! ¡°How¡¯s Bruce?¡± Joanna asked anxiously. ¡°Mrs. Haynes, Mr. Everett is injured. We have to send him to the hospital quickly!¡± Joanna had alreadye to Bruce¡¯s side. When she saw the blood on Bruce¡¯s head, she was even more frightened. ¡°Bruce, Bruce, nothing must happen to you!!¡± ¡°Mrs. Haynes, let¡¯s take Mr. Everett to the hospital now.¡± ¡°Take Davian, Irvin, and Lilia home. I¡¯ll go to the hospital with Bruce.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ ¡°Davian, Irvin, Lilia, quickly follow me into the car.¡± ¡°Joanna, we want to go to the hospital with you!¡± ¡°Be good and go home quickly.¡± Joanna did not have the time tofort the children. She instructed the bodyguards to send the children home first. Soon. Bruce was carried into the car and rushed to the hospital. In the car. Bruce felt groggy and disoriented, as if he was caught in a whirlpool, spiraling downward. Memories rewound like a fast-forward tape, crazily ying back in Bruce¡¯s brain. This gave Bruce a splitting headache, and he almost could not hold on. Joanna was so frightened that she hugged Bruce tightly. ¡°Bruce, you have to hold on. We¡¯ll arrive at the hospital soon.¡±¡± ¡°Joann, my head hurts. My head hurts.¡± Bruce¡¯s head hurt so much that he was about to faint. ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at the hospital soon. Bear with it.¡± ¡°Go faster, faster¡­ 15 minutester. The driver drove Bruce to the hospital as fast as he could. ¡°Doctor,e out quickly! Mr. Everett is injured!¡± The doctor and a few nurses had already received the call in advance and hurriedly pushed a stretcher over! ¡°Hurry up and carry Mr. Everett onto the stretcher.¡± Soon, Bruce was sent to the operating room. Though Bruce¡¯s head was not directly hit by a bullet, it was grazed by a fragment. One piece of bullet fragment was deeply embedded into his skull. ¡°Hurry up and get the bullet fragment out.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The nurses hurriedly made the preoperative preparations. Outside the operating room. Joanna¡¯s hands were covered in blood. Her mind was nk, and she was in a daze. ¡°Bruce, please be alright, please be alright¡­¡± Thest time he had a craniotomy, the surgery was very risky. The doctor had issued two critical illness notices. It was not easy for him to survive. Unexpectedly, his head had to be operated on again. This time, Joanna really did not know what would happen. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t worry too much. Mr. Everett is lucky. He¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡± ¡°He was just grazed by a bullet fragment, so there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues.¡± Joanna could not listen at all. Her entire body was covered in cold sweat. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be so nervous. It¡¯ll be terrible if you hurt the fetus.¡± Miranda put her arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder andforted her. Two hourster. The lights in the operating room finally went out. Joanna immediately stood up. ¡°Doctor, how is it?¡± Joanna asked nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the bullet fragment out and bandaged Mr. Everett¡¯s head. Mr. Everett is still in aa. He might not wake up so soon.¡± ¡°Is he alright? Will his life be in danger?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much for the time being. His life is in no danger.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­¡± Joanna finally felt relieved. ¡°However, Mr. Everett might¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet, but Mr. Everett will probably have other seque. You have to be mentally prepared.¡± Boom. When Joanna heard this, her heart sank even further, and she staggered. Joanna thought to herself, ¡°Bruce will have other seque? ¡°Will hepletely remain in a vegetative state this time? Will hepletely be a fool?¡± ¡°Bruce, nothing must happen to you!¡± Joanna said. Joanna could not hold back her tears and started sobbing. It was already difficult enough, and she really could not bear any more hardships. She was really afraid that Bruce would die. It was very soon. Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Liam and L also learned that something had happened to Bruce. The two of them rushed to the hospital as quickly as possible. The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard. L¡¯s high heels tapped on the ground in a hurry. And L arrived opposite Joanna even faster than Liam. ¡°I heard that Bruce was shot. How is he now?¡± Liam took a deep breath and asked urgently. Joanna did not reply. And she looked uneasy. Seeing that no one responded, Liam was even more furious. Then he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question. How is Bruce now?¡± A nurse hurriedly replied, ¡°Mr. Everett just finished his surgery. And he is transferred to the intensive care unit now.¡± ¡°What? Why would something like this happen out of nowhere?¡± Joanna and the bodyguards ignored Liam and L. ¡°Joanna, you are a jinx. Every time Bruce is with you, something will happen to him. ¡°Tell me. Did you get someone to instigate this?¡± At that moment, Joanna was only worried about Bruce¡¯s safety. And she was not in the mood to care about this couple. She just kept a cold face and did not say a word. Seeing that Joanna was silent, Liam and L became even more arrogant. ¡°If something happened to Bruce this time, it must be your fault. ¡°You are a jinx. You should have stayed away from Bruce a long time ago,¡± Liam could not help but curse again. L echoed Liam¡¯s words. And she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Everett turned out this way because of you. You¡¯re still shamelessly clinging to him. How shameless you are. ¡°If you really love him, you shouldn¡¯t harm him like this.¡± While verbally berating Joanna, the two of them were actually ecstatic deep down. Bruce was already a retard. Now he had been shot. It would definitely make things worse. He might never wake up again. As long as he never woke up, it would be a great thing for them. They no longer had to worry about anything and could openly request to take over the Everett Group. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question now. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? ¡°Are you feeling guilty? Bruce must be blind to fall for a woman like you. ¡°Get out of the hospital now and don¡¯te near Bruce again.¡± When Joanna heard this, she could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble here.¡± ¡°You almost killed Mr. Everett, and now you won¡¯t let us say a word. I think you¡¯re colluding with the criminals.¡± Joanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she said coldly, ¡°Darcy, kick them out.¡± Darcy walked forward with a grim expression. Then he said, ¡°Get out of here right now!¡± As he spoke, he pushed them with his hands on their backs and forcefully shoved them out of the hallway. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch me. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re too much. What right do you have to chase us away? You¡¯re the one who should leave.¡± Although L and Liam were moring, they were still forced out. ¡°This damn bitch is too much. ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Everett¡¯s uncle, and I¡¯m Mr. Everett¡¯s aunt. What right does she have to chase us away? ¡°You bodyguards are too much. You¡¯ll regret it one day.¡± ¡°Get out of here right now.¡± Darcy looked at the two of them coldly. Seeing this, Liam and L had no choice but to leave. Then they were back in the car. L¡¯s worried expression quickly changed, and she had a delighted look on her face. ¡°Honey, do you think Mr. Everett will wake up again this time? ¡°I heard that he was shot in the head by the criminal. I reckon that he must have died by now. ¡°We should bring more people with us. We can¡¯t let Joanna lead us by the nose.¡± After hearing what L said, Liam sighed and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Honey, keep an eye on the hospital at all times. As long as Mr. Everett is dead, we should immediately get the media to report this matter and say that Joanna instigated it.¡± As she spoke, L suddenly paused. Then she continued, ¡°Oh, my god. Could it be that it¡¯s actually her doing?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Why not? After Bruce died, her three children were the heirs of the inheritance. And she took over the custody of the children, which is equivalent to taking over Bruce¡¯s inheritance. ¡°No. We can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. We have to think of a way to stop Joanna from taking over the inheritance.¡± Liam took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Can you stop arguing? It¡¯s giving me a headache.¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯m just concerned about the ownership of Everett Group. You¡¯ve dedicated half your life to Everett Group. And now Mr. Everett is in trouble. It¡¯s only fair for you to take over the business. ¡°Joanna is such a wicked person. She¡¯s always been against us. If she takes control of Everett Group, she definitely won¡¯t treat us well. ¡°Well. I told you to step up your efforts earlier. If you had fought for Bruce¡¯s custody rights sooner, it wouldn¡¯t be toote now.¡± L kept rambling on and on without stopping. She suddenly realized that if Bruce really died, the situation would be very disadvantageous to them. ¡°God, please bless Bruce and ensure he doesn¡¯t die. Let him be a vegetable and never wake up again.¡± L sped her hands together and started praying devoutly. ¡°I¡¯m really fed up with you. Can you be quiet for a moment? Let me have some peace.¡± Liam¡¯s mind was in a mess. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m just worried.¡± ¡°What are you worried about? Do you need to worry about it?¡± ¡°Bruce has so many assets. You¡¯re his uncle, so you definitely have to take over a portion. Even if you can¡¯t take overpletely, you have to take at least half of it. Otherwise, Joanna will get all of it.¡± ¡°Bruce isn¡¯t dead yet.¡± ¡°Come on. He was shot in the head. Can he survive that?¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. After hearing that, Liam was distraught. Then he sneered, ¡°Shut up and stop nagging. Let me have some peace.¡± His mind was in a mess. He had to think about what to do next. If Bruce really died, this vast business empire would certainly need someone to take over. He was not the heir to Bruce¡¯s inheritance, so he definitely had no way of inheriting it. He could only As long as he could assume the position of president of the Everett Group, Bruce¡¯s immovable assets would still be under his control. At the same time, Joanna was at the hospital. After making a series of arrangements, Jordan finally walked out of the intensive care unit. Seeing this, Joanna quickly walked forward and asked, ¡°Jordan, can I go in and see him?¡± Jordan hesitated for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. ¡°Sure.¡± Joanna immediately changed into sterile clothes and followed Jordan into the intensive care unit. The familiar scene appeared again. Brucey lifelessly on the hospital bed and his body was adorned with various medical devices. The hair he had managed to grow was shaved off again. His head was wrapped in thick bandages. Moreover, a nasal cann adorned his nose, and his fingers were connected to an electrocardiogram machine. It was identical to how he appeared after the car ident. Witnessing this sight, Joanna felt a pang in her heart. And tears streamed down her face. She murmured, ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Chapter 681 Chapter 681 She really did not dare to imagine what would happen to her if Bruce really died! The children would definitely be even more heartbroken. Although they loved to bicker with their daddy, the children actually loved their daddy very much. ¡°Boohoo¡­ You must be safe and sound. The children and I need you. You must hold on! You can¡¯t leave the four of us¡­¡± Joanna could not help but cry miserably. Her tears fell like beads. God was too cruel. He had just escaped from death. She did not expect that he would be like this in just two months. ¡°Woo-woo¡­¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t help but cry in grief. Seeing this, Mr. yton could not help butfort her. ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t cry too hard. You¡¯re already seven months pregnant, and the fetus is showing signs of prematurebor. ¡°Too much sadness will affect the fetus.¡± Joanna¡¯s tears blurred her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to cry, but she really couldn¡¯t control herself. Everything was clearly going well, and she had already epted him again in her heart. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Unfortunately, God was cruel and wanted to take him away from her again. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s situation is different this time. It¡¯s not as dangerous as thest operation. He just performed a simple operation on his head to remove the shrapnel. ¡°It¡¯s not as serious as the previous cerebral hemorrhage. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Joanna looked at the doctor with tears in her eyes. Mr. yton nodded heavily. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then when will he wake up?¡± Mr. yton frowned and said solemnly, ¡°Although it¡¯s not as dangerous as thest surgery, it¡¯s still a surgery. ¡°As for when Mr. Everett will wake up, it¡¯s still unknown. ¡°Maybe tomorrow, or maybe a weekter! It depends on how he recovers.¡± Joanna¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. Doctors tended to be ambiguous when they spoke. ¡°Dr. yton, tell me the truth. Will he wake up or not? I want the truth. You don¡¯t have to worry that I won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± ¡°Well, all the surgeries don¡¯t guarantee 100% sess. ¡°At the moment, I can only tell you that Mr. Everett¡¯s surgery was very sessful. ¡°If there are no idents orplications, Mr. Everett will wake up.¡± After hearing Jordan¡¯s affirmation, Joanna finally felt a little more at ease. ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good! ¡°As long as he wakes up, nothing will be a problem. As long as he can keep his life, everything isn¡¯t too bad. ¡°I pray for the heavens to bless him. He must wake up.¡± Seeing this, Jordan could not help but sigh deeply. ¡°s, Miss Haynes, you have to be mentally prepared!¡± Joanna wiped her tears and looked at the doctor with a solemn and uneasy expression. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s brain had already suffered serious damage previously, and now he¡¯s injured again. His intelligence is very likely to decrease again¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, the tears in her eyespletely disappeared. She was ready. As long as he was alive, even if his intelligence became zero, she was willing to protect him forever. She only wanted him to live. ¡°I see! As long as he can keep his life, nothing will be a problem.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go out first. You can apany Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Jordan didn¡¯t say anything else and turned to leave. ¡°Bruce, you have to wake up quickly. ¡°If you sleep as long asst time, you¡¯ll miss the birth of the baby again.¡± Joanna covered his hand sadly and muttered to herself. After one blow after another, she had figured it out. As long as Bruce woke up this time, she would take him and the children away from Greyport. As for Everett Group, she would leave it to Liam! Bruce had a billion-dor personal saving, including real estate, jewelry, stocks, and so on. Previously, he had bought more than 2 billion dors in trust funds for each of the three children. Even if she didn¡¯t want Everett Group, the money was enough for her to spend for a few lifetimes with him and the children. Of course, the total market value of Everett Group was more than 100 billion dors. But total market capitalization and personal assets were different. His personal assets werepletely his, and thepany¡¯s total market value was the estimated total value of thepany. The value would change with thepany¡¯s shares, and many of them were immovable assets. Joanna said a lot intermittently. Brucey quietly on the hospital bed without any response. In the president¡¯s office in Yanice Group, Marlowe was furious at his subordinates again. ¡°Idiot, trash. ¡°You can even miss such a good opportunity. You didn¡¯t even kill him with a single shot. What were you all doing?¡± Pete looked humble and terrified. ¡°President Yanice, although he has be a fool now, I didn¡¯t expect his reaction to still be so quick-witted. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, he seems to have been shot in the head¡­¡± Before Pete could finish, Marlowe went crazy again. ¡°Then was he shot or not?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Pete couldn¡¯t see clearly either. He only saw the bullet fly past Bruce¡¯s scalp. Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Pete stammered, ¡°In short, he was shot, but I really couldn¡¯t see where he was hit.¡± Marlowe took a deep breath and said sinisterly, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The hospital has already sealed off the news. We don¡¯t know the exact situation yet! ¡°However, don¡¯t worry. There will definitely be news in two days. Perhaps Bruce is already dead!¡± Marlowe was so angry that he copsed on the massage chair. He lit a cigar and took a deep puff. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re really fucking lucky. ¡°I¡¯m so angry. I¡¯m pissed off¡­¡± As Marlowe cursed, he suddenly stood up and swept everything on the desk to the ground. ¡°What about the killer? He wasn¡¯t caught by the police, was he?¡± ¡°No, he has sessfully escaped.¡± ¡°Tell him to go overseas and hide. Don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Yanice. I¡¯ve already bought him a shipping ticket to Southeast Alendor. He will set off tonight.¡± ¡°You can leave now!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pete and the others bowed and walked out in fear. ¡°Bruce, I want you to be dead. You must die! ¡°As long as you¡¯re alive, I won¡¯t be able to appease the hatred in my heart.¡± In order to get rid of Bruce, he had already spent a lot of money. He had even changed three batches of the assassins. If Bruce did not die, all the money would be wasted. It would be a huge loss. Sherane Bay Vi. The three children were also frightened. When they returned home, they cried very sadly. ¡°Mr. Gael, will Daddy die? Boohoo¡­¡± Gael keptforting the children. ¡°Sweetheart, no, no. Mr. Everett is blessed by God. He will definitely be fine.¡± Irvin cried even more sadly. ¡°Boohoo¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. Daddy wouldn¡¯t have been attacked if I hadn¡¯t suggested going to barbecue. ¡°If Daddy dies, I¡¯ll never forgive myself.¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± The children wailed. ¡°Mr. Haynes, Miss Haynes, don¡¯t cry anymore. Your Daddy will definitely be fine.¡± ¡°Mr. Gael, we want to go to the hospital to look for Mommy. We want to see Daddy!¡± ¡°Be good. Let¡¯s just wait at home obediently. Don¡¯t go to the hospital to add to the confusion. Be obedient. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as your Mommy stays by your Daddy¡¯s side in the hospital. When Mr. Everett recovers, they¡¯ll be back.¡± The three little guys nodded with tears in their eyes. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s pray for Daddy at home.¡± Seeing this, Gael felt extremely upset. He had served the Everett family for almost 30 years. He had even watched Bruce grow up. Now that something like this had happened to the Everett family, he really didn¡¯t feel good. Irvin wiped his tears. ¡°Davian, who do you think wanted to kill Daddy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Davian sniffled and shook his head sadly. Bruce had so many enemies in Greyport. There were many people who wanted him to be dead. Soon, the media was already reporting on the shooting incident. ¡°A shooting happened in Beach Park. The suspected target is Bruce.¡± ¡°Someone was shot in Beach Park. The police are on high alert. The entire city is involved in the investigation.¡± ¡°A man was attacked by a gun in Beach Park. The man who was shot is suspected to be the president of Everett Group.¡± ¡°Bruce was shot in the head and hospitalized again. His fate is unknown.¡± Although the hospital had blocked the news, many people saw the shooting in Beach Park. Especially the gunshots, many people heard them. The Inte was filled with spections that Bruce was the one who had been shot. This news instantly exploded on the Inte. The shareholders of Everett Group, as well as the executives of the various departments, were also shocked by the news. ¡°Oh my god, Mr. Everett has been admitted to the hospital again! I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll really die this time!¡± ¡°Yeah! I heard that he was shot in the head. He¡¯s probably dead.¡± ¡°s¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why people shouldn¡¯t be too arrogant. Look, Mr. Everett has so many enemies.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Another executive retorted, ¡°What does this have to do with being arrogant? For Mr. Everett to be able to get to his current status, it will definitely harm the interests of his peers. ¡°It¡¯s normal for him to be envied. After all, many people hate the rich now. ¡°Mr. Everett is so rich. Even if he¡¯s not arrogant, he¡¯ll still be hated.¡± ¡°Then what should we do? If Mr. Everett really passes away, who will inherit Everett Group?¡± The shareholders were even more anxious and discussed. Mr. Young smiled teasingly. ¡°Needless to say, it¡¯s either Mr. Miller or Miss Haynes.¡± ¡°Then guess which one of them will be the final winner?¡± ¡°Hiss, that¡¯s hard to say. I feel that Mr. Miller has a higher chance of winning. After all, Miss Haynes is a woman with three children. She¡¯s even pregnant with a baby now. How can she have so much energy to manage thepany? ¡°Moreover, she¡¯s not familiar with the management of Everett Group. She probably can¡¯t take on this heavy responsibility.¡± The other shareholders nodded in agreement. ¡°Mr. Young¡¯s analysis makes sense. I also feel that Mr. Miller will take over Everett Group!¡± ¡°Alright, since everyone¡¯s conjecture is the same, there¡¯s no need to worry too much.¡± The scale in everyone¡¯s hearts had automatically tilted toward Liam. Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Bruce had been unconscious for a day and a night. Joanna also guarded him for a day and a night. Miranda had also been by her side the entire time. She was even more worried about Joanna. ¡°Joann, hurry up and rest! How can you endure it if you continue like this?¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. She said sadly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me¡­¡± ¡°Joann, even if you don¡¯t care about your health, you have to take care of the child in your belly. Hurry up and rest. You can¡¯t continue like this. ¡°The child is already seven months old. You must not affect the fetus. Be good and go to sleep for a while. Mr. Everett is guarded by doctors and special nurses. He will be fine.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joanna rubbed her belly and stood up with difficulty. Shey down on the nurse¡¯s bed. She had not slept for a day and a night, and her body was extremely exhausted. As soon as shey down, she fell asleep in less than five minutes. It was probably because she was very nervous that she started having nightmares again when she fell asleep. Then, she dreamed of Bruce being murdered and covered in blood. ¡°Uh¡­ Bruce¡­¡± Joanna was in a nightmare. Her entire body trembled non-stop, but she could not wake up no matter what. Fortunately, Miranda was by her side. Sensing that she was possessed, Miranda quickly went forward to wake her up. ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare? Joann, wake up quickly.¡± In a nightmare, Joanna had a clear mind, but her limbs were in a deep sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t wake 1. Miranda shouted a few times before Joanna woke up from her nightmare. ¡°Ah-¡± ¡°Joann, are you possessed? Quickly sit up and drink a ss of water to sober up.¡± Hospitals usually had too much negative energy. People with weak bodies would easily be affected by nightmares if they slept in the hospital. This was especially true for those who often had nightmares. Joanna rested for two minutes before the fatigue in her body and the fear in her nightmares gradually dissipated. Miranda, how long have I been asleep?¡± Miranda handed her a ss of warm water and said gently, ¡°You¡¯ve only slept for more than an hour. ¡°Sleep for a while more. I¡¯ll stay here and watch over you. Sleep in peace.¡± Joanna shook her head in a daze. Then, she lifted the nket and got out of bed. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping anymore. It¡¯s better for me to guard him.¡± ¡°Joann, sleep a little longer¡­¡± Joanna ignored Miranda and insisted on going to Bruce¡¯s ward. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. In the ward. Another few hours passed. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ouch¡­¡± Bruce gradually regained consciousness and opened his eyes in a daze. This surgery miraculously connected his nerves again. The consciousness in his brain was slowly recovering. The memories seemed to be regained and surged into his mind like a tide. ¡°Ouch¡­ My head hurts¡­¡± Bruce subconsciously raised his hand to touch his aching head. At the same time, he slowly opened his eyes and saw the ceiling. ¡°Where am I? Why does my head hurt so much?¡± Bruce muttered in his heart. When he moved his hand, he realized that Joanna was lying beside his pillow. It seemed that she was asleep. He moved slightly and Joanna woke up. Joanna opened her eyes in a daze and subconsciously looked at Bruce¡¯s face. With one look, she was no longer sleepy. Unexpectedly, Bruce woke up! And his eyes were so energetic and bright. Joanna was instantly shocked. Her entire body was as excited as if her blood was boiling. She held his hand tightly and said. incoherently, ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally awake? You¡¯re finally awake¡­¡± As she spoke, tears streamed down Joanna¡¯s face. Her crying,ughing, and excited expression made Bruce¡¯s heart ache. Bruce was stunned. The events of the past few months began to appear in his mind again. The events of the past few months were still vivid in his mind. It was as if he was dreaming. Now he had finally woken up from his dream. Looking at Joanna¡¯s familiar and haggard face, Bruce subconsciously reached out to touch her face. However, he had just woken up and his body was still very weak. He raised his hand for a long time, but it was too heavy to lift. Sensing his ufortable expression, Joanna hurriedly covered his hand over her heart, her eyes filled with endless tenderness. ¡°How are you? Does your head hurt?¡± Bruce was stunned and couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time. He just looked at her face in a daze. At this moment, she was really gentle, as if she was protecting a baby who was less than a month old. ¡°You must have a headache, right? I¡¯ll call the doctor now. Wait for me.¡± After saying this, Joanna hurriedly stood up. She held her waist clumsily and protected her big belly as she anxiously walked out. She was already more than seven months pregnant, but her back was still very delicate. Other than her belly, there was almost no meat on her other parts. Seeing how nervous Joanna was, Bruce wanted to say something but hesitated. He thought back to this period of time. It seemed that she was exceptionally gentle and concerned about him. She took care of him meticulously and no longer red at him. This was something he did not even dare to think about in the past. Joanna had already walked out of the ward. ¡°Doctor,e and take a look at him. He¡¯s awake.¡± Three minutester, Mr. yton and two other doctors rushed to the ward to take a look. After a round of inspection, the doctors were also surprised that Bruce woke up earlier than they expected. ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett to wake up so quickly. This is really a medical miracle.¡± When Joanna heard this, she still looked nervous. ¡°Then will he faint again in the future? Will there be other dangers?¡± Mr. yton checked Bruce¡¯s eyelids and said affirmatively, ¡°Since Mr. Everett has woken up, his life will no longer be in danger. ¡°It¡¯s just that his brain has been severely injured. At the moment, we¡¯re not sure if there will be any seque.¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but cry tears of joy. She finally heaved a sigh of relief. Since Bruce¡¯s life was not in danger, everything was not too bad. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. As long as we can save his life, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. We¡¯ll give Mr. Everett another full checkupter. He has to recover well during this period of time and not stimte his brain.¡± ¡°Got it, Doctor!¡± Spon, the doctor finished the examination. They took Bruce¡¯s blood for testing and then took a CT scan of his brain. The doctors left. ¡°You bastard, you really scared me to death. Thank God you¡¯re finally awake. Do you know how afraid I was that you wouldn¡¯t wake up? Boohoo¡­¡± As Joanna spoke, she could not help but bury her head in his arms. She held his arm tightly and cried bitterly. Bruce looked like he was enjoying it. He rolled his eyes slightly. He swallowed the words he wanted to say. It seemed like¡­ it was good to be a fool. Before he became stupid, Joanna had never said such things to him. She would not be so devoted to him. Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Moreover, a lot of things seemed to have happened in thepany during the time he was in trouble. Liam and the few shareholders of thepany exposed their true colors and were reallywless. Especially Liam, he actually wanted to take Bruce¡¯s ce and embezzle Bruce¡¯s assets. Humph¡­ If he hadn¡¯t gotten into a car ident, he wouldn¡¯t have known that Liam had such ¡®capabilities¡¯. Also, the shareholders of thepany were on the same side as Liam. Speaking of which, he had to thank this car ident. At the very least, it allowed him to recognize the true colors of the people around him. Since that was the case, he might as well have some fun with them. They wanted to y tricks on him. However, they had to know their limits first. He had always been the one scheming against others. If others dared to scheme against him like this, they were purely courting death. He had never been a good person. ¡°Ouch¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Bruce deliberately pretended to feel painful and mumbled in a muffled voice. After all, it was not easy to pretend to be a genius. But who didn¡¯t know how to act dumb? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Seeing this, Joanna quickly moved her head away from his arms. With tears in her eyes, she asked with concern and caution, ¡°Did I press down on your wound? Where does it hurt?¡± Bruce deliberately blew on his saliva and mumbled foolishly, ¡°My head hurts¡­ It all hurts¡­¡± ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t move around. Your head hasn¡¯t recovered yet. It will definitely hurt now. It won¡¯t hurt anymore after some days,¡± Joanna said and quickly grabbed his hand to prevent him from touching the needle. Looking at Joanna¡¯s gentle and caring expression, Bruce¡¯s heart surged with warmth. During this period of time, his mind had not been clear. He finally believed that Joanna was sincere with him. In the past, he had been too extreme. He had hurt her deeply, which was why she had wanted to leave him again and again. If he suddenly returned to normal now, she would probably want to escape again. ¡°After you recover, we and the children¡­ will stay away from this troublesome ce. ¡°Once we go overseas, let¡¯s find a ce where there are no conflicts and live a simple and stable life, okay?¡± Joanna looked at him with tears in her eyes. She had already thought it through and did not want to waste her time and energy on deception in the business world. She should bring the person she loved to live a peaceful and stable life. ¡°Since Liam wants Everett Group so much, we won¡¯t fight with him anymore. After Devin is born, we¡¯ll emigrate with our children and nevere back.¡± When Bruce heard this, tears welled up in his eyes as he looked into Joanna¡¯s eyes. He was touched and really wanted to live a peaceful and stable life with Joanna. However, he could never hand over the business empire that several generations had painstakingly built to Liam. He was not that magnanimous. -As for those who schemed against him, none of them could escape. He had never held a grudge because he would take revenge on the spot. Dying it was a waste of time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your head still hurt? ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. You¡¯ve only just woken up. How can I tell you so much? Can you close your eyes and rest? I will stay by your side and take care of you.¡± Bruce came back to his senses and immediately put on a silly expression. ¡°Honey, it hurts so much¡­¡± ¡°Be good. I know you¡¯re in pain. My heart hurts even more. It¡¯s all my fault for causing you to be injured again.¡± As Joanna spoke, she could not help but cry again. Bruce had a wound on his forehead. The back of his head had surgery, and then he had head surgery again. Looking at him who was covered in wounds, Joanna really couldn¡¯t help but feel heartache. Seeing that Joanna was crying non-stop, Bruce couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t cry. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. I lied to you. It really doesn¡¯t hurt¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, more and more tears ran down her face. Judging from the way he spoke, although he was still retarded, he was much better than she had expected. She originally thought that he would be a vegetable or a fool. Unexpectedly, it was much better than she had expected. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault for not taking good care of you. It¡¯s all my fault for being too willful that I caused you to suffer such a cmity. ¡°For the rest of my life, I will definitely take good care of you. I won¡¯t let you get hurt again, nor will I let you be bullied again. From now on, it¡¯s my turn to protect you.¡± Bruce was stunned. He subconsciously clicked his tongue. Would she protect him? Humph, forget it! This innocent woman couldn¡¯t even protect herself, let alone him. He should continue to protect her. However, it felt pretty good to pretend to be a fool! It was rare for Joanna to be so gentle and careful with him. He decided to pretend until the end. At the same time, he would teach Liam and the others a lesson. Didn¡¯t Liam say that he wanted to be his guardian? Then he might as well take the chance and let Liam get what he wanted. However, Liam would regret it sooner orter. In the past, on ount that Liam was his uncle, although he hated Liam, he still thought of kinship and let Liam enjoy riches. with him. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t expect Liam to be so greedy! Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Soon, the doctor gave Bruce a thorough examination. In the end, he concluded that Bruce¡¯s IQ was still only three or four years old. Of course, Bruce was deliberately putting on an act for this test. When he was asked such a simple question, he deliberately smiled foolishly and said that he didn¡¯t know. Brain damage was different from other injuries, and the instrument could not detect it. After the test, Mr. yton looked serious. ¡°A certain nerve of Mr. Everett might have suppressed. His intelligence is still the same as before.¡± When Joanna heard this, she immediately heaved a sigh of relicf. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. Anyway, he is already silly enough now. As long as he can maintain the current situation, I¡¯m already satisfied.¡± Indeed, as long as Bruce could maintain the current situation, she was really satisfied. After all, he had escaped death from the Grim Reaper. It was already not easy for him to survive. ¡°Yes, yes. Try to do more brain-enhancing activities to stimte Mr. Everett¡¯s brain nerves. Perhaps he will recover one day. ¡°Moreover, even if he can¡¯t recover, Mr. Everett¡¯s situation will be like a child¡¯s growth. His intelligence will gradually increase. As long as you teach him patiently, his intelligence might recover to the age of seven or eight.¡± Joanna smiled gently and said with lingering fear, ¡°Ha-ha, he¡¯s already quite good like this. Even if he¡¯s like this for the rest of his life, I¡¯m willing to take care of him forever.¡± As Joanna spoke, she looked away. ked at Bruce dotingly. Sering that there was drot the corner of his lips, she helped him wipe it He was quite cute like this. When he returned to normal, who knew how bad he would be?. Compared to the past, she was more willing to ept him as he was now. He was silly and cute. Although he was a little clingy, he was very pure and innocent. She did not have to worry about being tricked and bullied by him again. She really enjoyed this kind of interaction. When Bruce saw the gentleness in Joanna¡¯s eyes, he could not help butin in his heart, ¡°How much did you hate me in the past? So much so that you would rather want a fool than a normal person! ¡°Alright! So you like this kind of man. Then I¡¯ll cooperate with you. Since you like fools, I can only pretend until the end.¡± After cursing silently, Bruce subconsciously pursed his lips and shrugged. It seemed that he was really unlikable in the past. He still had to change in the future. Although he was injured this time and almost lost his life, he still gained something. At least, it made him normal again. The nerves that had been adhered to previously had unexpectedly returned to normal after this surgery. It could be considered a blessing in disguise. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Over here, Liam and L were even more relieved when they heard that Bruce had woken up again. ¡°That¡¯s great. That¡¯s great. God is kind to us. He woke up again. I was really worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. If he really dies, his billion-dor assets would really benefit Joanna and the three children.¡± Liam also heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s right! I was also worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. However, I heard that his intelligence has decreased even more. He¡¯spletely a fool now.¡± L¡¯s eyes lit up as she said happily, ¡°That¡¯s great. Hubby, even God is helping you. You have to take this opportunity and take action quickly. No matter what, you have to get his custody. ¡°Look, if you can¡¯t get custody, you won¡¯t get anything. I told you long ago that I wanted you to fight this you Liam nodded heavily. His eyes widened. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. We have to work harder. We have to get custody of Bruce.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to the hospital to take a look at the specific situation. We can¡¯t make any mistakes again. ¡°It¡¯ll be toote for regrets then!¡± ¡°Yes, we must go to the hospital immediately.¡± The two of them changed their clothes and rushed to the hospital with arge group of people. Half an hourter, Liam and L rushed to Greyport Hospital with their men. Unfortunately, the corridor was already blocked by Bruce¡¯s bodyguards. Darcy and the others did not let them get close at all. ¡°People unrted are not allowed to enter. No one is allowed to step onto this floor.¡± When L heard this, she choked in anger. ¡°What? What right do you have to stop us? Look carefully. We¡¯re Mr. Everett¡¯s rtives. ¡°Call Joanna out. We¡¯re here to visit Mr. Everett.¡± Darcy had a cold expression on his face as if he did not hear anything. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. No one is allowed to enter. Please leave!¡± Darcy¡¯s face was as cold as ice. He did not care about their mor at all. ¡°Hey, you¡¯d better know what¡¯s good for you! Don¡¯t regret it in the future. I think you still don¡¯t know what the current situation is, right? Don¡¯t stand on the wrong side! When the timees, I¡¯ll fire all of you. Don¡¯t regret it,¡± L said fiercely to Darcy. It was as if the Everett family had already be her possession. When Darcy heard this, he was indifferent and did not take them seriously at all! They had been by Bruce¡¯s side for a long time, and they were very proud deep down. Not just anyone could order them around. Other than Bruce, they really would not obey anyone¡¯s orders. ¡°Hubby, hurry up and call Joanna. Tell her that we¡¯re here to visit Mr. Everett. She can¡¯t be so domineering and not even let us see him!¡± Chapter 686 Chapter 686 ¡°Hurry up and call Joanna out. Otherwise, bear the consequences.¡± Darcy and the others were still expressionless,pletely treating them as air. Helpless, Liam gritted his teeth in anger. He could only take out his phone and call Joanna. Beep, beep, beep. Joanna¡¯s phone rang. She looked at her phone and saw that it was Liam calling. ¡°Liam is really aggressive and intolerable. I really don¡¯t understand. How can there be such a greedy and shameless person in the world?¡± Joanna cursed with a dark expression and hung up. Although Bruce was lying on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, his ears were sharp. Hearing Joanna¡¯s words, he raised his eyebrows slightly. Since his dear ¡®uncle¡¯ wanted to see him so badly, he would definitely let his uncle get what he wanted. Bruce suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Joanna with a retarded expression. ¡°Honey¡­ It¡¯s so noisy outside¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them!¡± Joannaforted him gently. Outside the ward, L and Liam could not help but curse, Joanna, get the hell out here. ¡°What¡¯s your motive for controlling Mr. Everett like this? Come out quickly. Otherwise, we can only go through judicial proceedings and forcefully take Mr. Everett away.¡± Liam also shouted angrily, ¡°Joanna, hurry up ande out. What right do you have to not let us see Bruce? I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s biological uncle. I have the right to take care of him.¡± ¡°Stop arguing!¡± Darcy warned with a dark expression. ¡°What are you doing? How many benefits did Joanna give you? You¡¯d better open your eyes and see who Mr. Everett¡¯s closest person is.¡± The two of them kept arguing. In the ward, Joanna was really annoyed by the noise and could only walk out of the ward. Seeing that Joanna hade out, the two of them became even more confident. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re finally out!¡± Joanna looked at the two of them coldly. ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to do anything. We just heard that Bruce is awake and specially came to take a look at his injuries.¡± ¡°What right do you have to not let us see Bruce? Tell me, what are your intentions?¡± Joanna took a deep breath and replied coldly, ¡°Bruce has woken up. His life is not in danger for the time being. You can go back.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. If we don¡¯t see Bruce today, we won¡¯t go back.¡± Liam also looked at Joanna aggressively. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve already filed anotherwsuit with the court. If you still refuse to let us see Mr. Everett, we can only ask the police to investigate.¡± Joanna was speechless. She frowned and stared at the two of them helplessly. ¡°Hurry up and get out of the way. Don¡¯t be so reckless.¡± ¡°Joanna, if you don¡¯t let us see Bruce today, we¡¯ll call the police now and charge you with illegally controlling the freedom of others.¡± Joanna heaved a long sigh. She could not be bothered to argue with them anymore. ¡°Alright! Since you insist on seeing him with your own eyes,e in.¡± Although she was not afraid of them, if they really called the police¡­the police would definitely have to go through the motions when they arrivedter. They would have to make a statement and do some reconciliation. It was too troublesome. It was better to let them see Bruce¡¯s current situation with their own eyes so that they could leave here as soon as possible. ¡°Darcy, let them in.¡± When Darcy and Carson heard this, they stood in two rows and made way for them. L cursed fiercely. ¡°Humph, remember this. I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± After saying that, the couple followed Joanna angrily to the ward. In the ward. ¡°Bruce, I am here to see you!¡± Liam said carefully and pretended to walk forward to check. Brucey on the hospital bed and rolled his eyes. He deliberately crooked his lips and nted his eyes. Bubbles were stilling out of his mouth, and he kept chewing on his saliva. ¡°Wow¡­ Ha-ha¡­¡± He waspletely a retard and an idiot. When Liam and L saw this, they immediately felt confident. God had really helped them a lot. Bruce actually became even more idiotic. However, Liam still pretended to be concerned. ¡°s, Bruce, you were fine. How did you be like this all of a sudden? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of you for the rest of your life. I won¡¯t let anyone scheme against you, nor will I let anyone have ill intentions toward you. ¡°Bruce, are you willing to go home with me? Will you let me take care of your life in the future?¡± ¡°Ha-ha!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and looked at Liam with a silly smile. ¡°Hello, Uncle¡­ Hello¡­¡± Hearing Bruce call him uncle, Liam looked happy. ¡°Hey, I heard it. ¡°Will you go home with me?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± When L heard this, she was even more delighted. She looked at Joanna in disdain. ¡°Did you hear that? Mr. Everett is willing to let his uncle take care of him. So, don¡¯t stop him. Be sensible and leave Mr. Everett quickly.¡± Joanna sneered. ¡°He¡¯s not clear-headed now!¡± ¡°Ha, Joanna, how do you know that he doesn¡¯t want me to take care of him when he¡¯s sober? ¡°I¡¯m his biological uncle, and he¡¯s my biological nephew. Now that something has happened to him, as his elder, I naturally have to take good care of my sister¡¯s child. ¡°Prepare yourself as soon as possible and move out of the Everett family.¡± Joanna rolled her eyes coldly. She really did not want to argue with such a person. ¡°Bruce, when you¡¯ve recovered, I will bring you home. In the future, I will personally take care of your life.¡± Bruce smiled foolishly and replied while chewing his saliva, ¡°Ha-ha, Uncle is so nice. I will go home with Uncle¡­¡± When Joanna heard that, she felt even more troubled. Bruce used to hate Liam the most, let alone call him uncle. And now, he was really stupid. He actually acknowledged Liam, the evil person, as his uncle. This really made her helpless. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve already seen his condition. You can go back now.¡± Joanna did not stand on ceremony and asked them to leave. ¡°What right do you have to rush us back?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just woken up. The doctor said he needs a good rest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry When thewsuit is decided, if the court really gives you custody of him, I will let you take him away,¡± Joanna retorted coldly. ¡°But now, he has to recuperate well. If you stay, it will only affect his recovery.¡± When the two of them heard this, they did not retort. They were not interested in taking care of Bruce. They were only interested in his property. ¡°Hubby, let¡¯s go back first. Let her take care of Mr. Everett for a few more days. ¡°If anything goes wrong with Mr. Everett, I¡¯ll hold you responsible.¡± Joanna was speechless when she heard that and looked disgusted. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. This kind of person was really disgusting. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll go back first! Bruce, take good care of yourself. I will visit you another day.¡± The two of them had achieved their goal and left without wasting a minute. Chapter 687 Chapter 687 They left the hospital. L gloated. ¡°Hubby, that¡¯s great. Bruce is aplete fool now. He¡¯s even more stupid than thest time we met. ¡°Look at him now. He doesn¡¯t have any ability to do things alone.¡± ¡°We will definitely win thewsuit. The court will definitely award you custody of him.¡± Liam pursed his lips. ¡°s, I hope so!¡± After Liam left, Joanna looked at Bruce helplessly and sadly. She reached out and gently caressed his face. ¡°s¡­¡± She wanted to say something, but she felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat. Bruce heard her sigh and knew what she was worried about. However, everything was under his control. He still couldn¡¯t tell her the truth. He wanted everyone to think that he was stupid. Only then would he be able to know the true colors of the people around him. At that time, he would catch them off guard and give them a head-on blow. He was sure that they would all beg him for mercy while crying and regret it. Bruce chewed on his saliva and smiled foolishly at Joanna. ¡°Honey¡­ I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± ¡°Then have a sleep. I¡¯ll watch over you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Bruce answered obediently. He held Joanna¡¯s hand and closed his eyes to rest. It was not that he was really tired, but he had been pretending to be an idiot with a crooked mouth, nted eyes, and constantly chewing saliva. To be honest, it was quite tiring. If he identally exposed himself, it would be even worse. It was better to pretend to be asleep. Joanna patted his shoulder gently to coax him to sleep as if she was coaxing a baby. She was afraid that he would feel a little ufortable, and she was even more afraid that he would not sleep well. Bruce enjoyed this feeling. How good would it be if she treated him like this for the rest of their life? It was much better than the way she used to scowl at him and keep a distance from him. He was really worried that after he returned to normal, Joanna¡¯s attitude toward him would be distant and cold again just like how she used to be. Beep, beep, beep! Joanna¡¯s phone vibrated. Joanna carefully took out her phone and took a look. It was the butler Gael calling. Joanna was afraid of waking up Bruce, so she quickly hung up the phone. Then, she gently pulled her hand out of his grip. She gently covered him with the nket and made sure that he did not wake up. Then, she stood up and tiptoed out of the ward to call Gael. As soon as Joanna left, Bruce¡¯s eyes suddenly opened. ¡°Oh, this feels so good. It¡¯s good that she cares about me so much and treats me so well for the rest of our life. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect her to have such a gentle side. I have to pretend to be a fool for a few more days and enjoy this wonderful feeling.¡± Joanna left the ward. She quickly called Gael back. Beep, beep, beep. The call was picked up very quickly. However, it wasn¡¯t Gael who answered. Instead, it was Davian¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello, Mommy, it¡¯s me, Davian.¡± ¡°Baby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mommy, how¡¯s Daddy now? We¡¯re all very worried about him.¡± Davian¡¯s voice was hoarse. It seemed like he had been crying for the past few days. When Joanna heard her son¡¯s voice, she quicklyforted the children. ¡°Babies, don¡¯t worry. Daddy has already woken up. He can be discharged in a few days.¡± Hearing that, Davian asked in disbelief, ¡°Really? Mommy, don¡¯t lie to us.¡± ¡°Why would Mommy lie to you? Daddy is really awake. He can go home in a few days. You don¡¯t have to worry. Tell Irvin and Lilia not to worry either.¡± ¡°Then can we go to the hospital to visit Daddy? We¡¯re really worried.¡± ¡°Babies, stay at home obediently and don¡¯te to the hospital. I am worried that something bad will happen. Besides, there are many paparazzi waiting at the hospital these few days. I don¡¯t want you to be harassed.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± ¡°Give the phone to Mr. Gael.¡± ¡°Mr. Gael, it¡¯s Mommy,¡± said Davian as he handed the phone to Gael. ¡°Hello, Gael.¡± ¡°What can I do for you, Mrs. Everett?¡± ¡°Thank you for taking care of the children these days.¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take good care of the children. ¡°However, if you can spare the time, you should try your best toe back. The children are very Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. worried about Mr. Everett. These few days, they have no appetite and are making a fuss about going to the hospital.¡± When Joanna heard this, she felt extremely upset. ¡°I¡¯ll go back tonight!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Joanna had already been in the hospital for three days. The children must be anxious. She had to go back andfort the children. After hanging up, Joanna returned to the ward. -Bruce seemed to be sleeping soundly with his eyes closed. Joanna gently stroked his cheek. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m going back to Sherane Bay Vi to see the children. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. You have to be good.¡± After saying that, Joanna gently touched his forehead and kissed him. She knew that Bruce relied on her. If he woke upter and couldn¡¯t see her, he would cause a scene again. She could only rush back while he was sleeping. Bruce had surgery and had lost too much blood. He might sleep for a few hours. So, the time was enough for her to make a trip home. Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Joanna left. Bruce suddenly opened his eyes. It was good that she had left. He had been worried that he would not be able to find an opportunity. Now that she was not around, he could find someone to investigate the person who had harmed him. He thought about it. It had been more than half a year since he had a car ident. After his ident, the shares of the listedpanies in the charge of the Everett Group fell to a record low. Thepany management was even worse, and they suffered heavy losses. This was nothing. What angered him the most was that he had almost lost his life several times. If he did not retaliate, those people would really think that he was a pushover. Smack! Bruce deliberately knocked away the ss of water on the table. Outside the ward, Darcy and Carson frowned when they heard that. ¡°There¡¯s movement in the ward.¡± The two of them hurriedly pushed the door open and entered to take a look. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just that the cup fell to the ground.¡± Seeing that everything was fine, the two of them prepared to call for someone to clean it up. ¡°Darcy, Carson!¡± Bruce suddenly called the two of them. Darcy and Carson were shocked. ¡°Mr. Everett, have you returned to normal?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bruce¡¯s face was gloomy. He wanted to sit up, but his body was a little weak. Seeing this, Darcy hurriedly went forward to help him up. ¡°Mr. Everett, that¡¯s great. I¡¯ll call the doctor now.¡± Bruce said coldly, ¡°No need. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯m back to normal. Just keep it between the two of you.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The two of them nodded solemnly. The two of them had been with Bruce for many years and were Bruce¡¯s most trusted bodyguards. A hint of ruthlessness appeared on Bruce¡¯s handsome and cold face. ¡°Go and find out who nned my car ident and this attack.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, I had already investigated it when you were in the car ident. It was done by people from Southeast Alendor. ¡°Now those people from Southeast Alendor have run away. It will probably be very difficult to catch him again.¡± Bruce frowned when he heard that. In Greyport, there were many illegal underground gangs smuggled from Southeast Alendor. They specialized in illegal business. Some rich people would spend money to find these people to settle things that they couldn¡¯t handle. Moreover, these people had special smuggling channels, so it was very difficult for the police to arrest them. Of course, Bruce had done this before. ¡°Investigate further. We must find out who the mastermind is.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°And don¡¯t let anyone know about my situation.¡± ¡°Especially Joanna. I can¡¯t let her know about this.¡± Bruce¡¯s hawk-like eyes looked at Darcy gloomily. He had always been a vengeful person. He would not let the matter rest if someone dared to attack him behind his back. However, it was best not to let Joanna know about this. With her personality, she was still too kind and innocent. If she found out, she would probably persuade him to call the police to deal with it. However, there were some things that could not be solved by the police, just like the car ident. There was no way to investigate it. Even if he knew who did it, the other party would not leave any evidence for the police. Moreover, the murderers had already fled overseas, so there was no way to arrest them. Therefore, he could only give them a taste of their own medicine. ¡°You can go out!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Soon, Darcy found the boss of the gang. ¡°Jude, can you help us investigate some people?¡± The man called Jude had a serious expression. ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Last time, Mr. Everett was attacked at Beach Park. Help us find out who did it.¡± Jude was the boss of thergest underground gang in Greyport. In Greyport, most of the people in the gangs were hisckeys. Especially those scumbags from Southeast Alendor, he knew all about them. ¡°Those were people from Southeast Alendor. They are missing now. ¡°They are probably hired!¡± ¡°Who hired them?¡± Darcy asked with a frown. Jude¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Uh, you also know that the mastermind behind this won¡¯t show up Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. easily. Most of them have to go through a few transfers before they can find those people from Southeast Alendor. ¡°So, I don¡¯t know who the mastermind behind the scenes is either. I only know that there¡¯s someone called Rene who¡¯s very close to those people from Southeast Alendor. ¡°You can ask him!¡± Jude, who was in the underground world, was naturally two-faced. Even if he knew that the mastermind was Marlowe, he would not dare to say it out loud. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Peter, investigate Rene.¡± In less than a day, they got a result. ¡°I found it out. He used to be in the Star Gang. Later, he was beaten up and sent to prison. He became a driver.¡± ¡°Find him!¡± After a thorough investigation, they quickly found out about Rene. Chapter 689 Chapter 689 In less than a day, Darcy had traced the source back to Pete. Pete was Marlowe¡¯s right-hand man. So the answer naturally fell into ce. In the ward. Taking advantage of Joanna¡¯s absence, Darcy entered the ward and reported the results to Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, we¡¯ve identified the mastermind behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Bruce leaned against the hospital bed with a menaced expression. Wearing a poker face, Darcy spoke emotionlessly, ¡°It was Marlowe Yanice, the heir of Yanice Group, who ordered the attacks.¡± ¡°He orchestrated both the previous car ident and the recent shooting¡± ¡°Marlowe Yanice?¡± Bruce frowned, a cold glint shing in his eyes. He had almost forgotten about this scumbag. Over a decade ago, the two were about the same age and were both top-tier wealthy second- generation elites in Greyport. Naturally, people liked topare them. Marlowe was not only arrogant but also had a despicable character. He always wanted topete with Bruce. Among the wealthy second-generation elites in Greyport, he was known as ¡°Trash Marlowe¡± due to his terrible personality. Despite being wealthy, he constantly engaged in disgusting behavior. He would use women without paying them, refuse to acknowledge gambling losses, and not repay debts. He particrly enjoyed pursuing innocent and naive college girls. One of these girls became pregnant after he dated her. However, he abandoned her without anypensation. These young college girls were inexperienced and emotionally vulnerable. They couldn¡¯t handle the emotional blows. One of them tragicallymitted suicide by jumping off a building. After the incident, Marlowe showed no remorse but boasted about his charm instead. The incident caused a sensation. throughout Greyport. Though Bruce was a despicable bastard himself, he disliked others who were also despicable. Furthermore, he might have had a bad temper, but he had principles and a clear sense of right and wrong. He knew what should and shouldn¡¯t be done in critical situations. Especially a decade ago, Bruce was also in his rebellious and self-assertive phase. It was easy to imagine what happened when Marlowe provoked him. As a result, Marlowe ended up in prison, serving a solid nine years behind bars. People thought that spending nine years in prison would reform this scum and bring about a change in him. Yet things didn¡¯t turn out as expected when he finally got released. ¡°Hmph, he really messed up this time.¡± ¡°To fall into the hands of such a trash.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes glinted with a hint of viciousness. He felt even more disgusted. He could have epted defeat if his opponent had been someone on his level. But to be defeated by someone like Marlowe was like a lion being ambushed by a pack of hyenas. It was Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. simply humiliating. After contemting briefly, Bruce coldly ordered, ¡°Go give him a lesson. Teach him how to behave.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Make sure to clean the mess up. Don¡¯t leave any trouble behind.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Everett.¡± Darcy had been working for Bruce for years. This was not the first time Bruce had ordered him to do something like this. Naturally, he would handle it wlessly and leave no evidence behind. ¡°Also, check thetest updates on Liam¡¯s side! He wants to fight for custody over me! Satisfy his demands.¡± Though Darcy looked slightly puzzled, he respectfully responded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett.¡± As they were talking¡­. The ward door was pushed open. Joanna walked in clumsily with a big belly and a thermos in her hand. ¡°Miss Haynes.¡± Darcy greeted her. In the blink of an eye, Bruce¡¯s expression changed, and he instantly reverted to his foolish appearance. ¡°Wifey, I want a hug.¡± Seeing Darcy in the room, Joanna looked surprised. ¡°Darcy, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­ just now¡­¡± Darcy¡¯s poker face turned awkward. He did not know how to answer Joanna¡¯s question. Though he had exceptionalbat skills, he was terrible at socializing, let alone lying. Not wanting Darcy to expose himself, Bruce quickly changed the subject. ¡°Wifey, I¡¯m so hungry. I want something to eat.¡± Hearing this, Joanna didn¡¯t probe further and quickly opened the thermos. ¡°Oh, I made some spaghetti for you.¡± ¡°I want you to feed me.¡± Bruce chewed on his saliva and spat out bubbles. He pretended to look foolish and silly. Darcy was speechless. Bruce looked as if he was having constipation. He found Bruce¡¯s appearance ridiculous. Bruce acting like a retard was simply extraordinary. Previously, he didn¡¯t know that Bruce was acting, so he didn¡¯t feel that embarrassed. Now that he knew it was an act, he suffered so much holding back hisughter. ¡°I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Joanna was focused on pouring the spaghetti out of the thermos and did not notice anything unusual between the two. ¡°Here, open up. Be careful. It¡¯s hot.¡± Joanna wound the spaghetti around the fork and carefully fed it to him. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bruce opened his mouth wide like a bird fed by its mother. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes, my wife¡¯s spaghetti is the best,¡± Bruce praised with a silly smile. Joanna was stunned and looked at Bruce in surprise. Logically speaking, he had suffered two brain injuries and shouldn¡¯t remember that she had made spaghetti for him before. However, she didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. After all, it was his favorite dish in the past, and it was normal for him to remember it subconsciously. ¡°Eat slowly. Don¡¯t burn yourself.¡± ¡°Whoo¡­ It¡¯s hot¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna quickly cooled down the spaghetti before carefully feeding it to him. Bruce enjoyed Joanna Haynes¡¯ attentive care. He couldn¡¯t be more content in his heart. He really loved seeing her gentle and careful demeanor. Meanwhile¡­ After finishing work, Pete went to the usual massage parlor with a few of his henchmen. As usual, he ordered the masseuse he was familiar with. Shortly after, Peteid quietly on the massage bed, waiting for the arrival of the beautiful masseuse. Ten minutes flew by. The beautiful masseuse did note. Instead, four burly men in ck entered the room. Realizing that it wasn¡¯t the masseuse, Pete immediately panicked. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± As he spoke, he attempted to run towards the door. However, it was toote. One of the men grabbed his shirt cor and pushed him against the wall. Without hesitation, he pressed a pistol against Pete¡¯s lower back. ¡°Stay still. If you dare to make a move, today will be the day you die.¡± Pete was startled and dared not struggle any further. ¡°Brothers, which gang are you from?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The man in ck sneered in disdain. Pete¡¯s mind raced, and he deliberately knocked over the table, trying to make a loud noise to draw the attention of his henchmen in the adjacent room. ¡°No need for those tricks. We¡¯ve taken care of all yourckeys. No one ising to save you. You¡¯d better cooperate.¡± Hearing this, Pete knew he had encountered a formidable opponent today and quickly put on a submissive smile. ¡°Do you know why we¡¯re looking for you?¡± ¡°Brother, if you have something to say, just go straight to the point!¡± Pete admitted defeat in a second. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been acting arrogantlytely!¡± Pete gulped nervously and stammered, ¡°N-no. I was only doing my job.¡± ¡°You guys are quite bold to mess with our boss. You should have known what the consequences you would face.¡± Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Boom. Pete¡¯s eyes flickered with fear. He could already guess who sent them before they revealed anything to him. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m just making a living. If I¡¯ve offended you in any way, please tell me¡­¡± Pete stammered, his entire body drenched in sweat. He knew all too well about Bruce¡¯s methods. Messing with him was equivalent to messing with the King of Hades. The man in ck smiled sinisterly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Today, we¡¯re here to give you a chance to live.¡± ¡°Whether you want to live or not depends on your choice.¡± ¡°Understood¡­¡± The next day. It was past three in the morning. Marlowe and his gang stumbled out of a nightclub,pletely drunk. Two beautifuldies supported him by holding his armpits. ¡°Be careful, President Yanice. Where are we going for supperter?¡± In a drunken haze, Marlowe burped. ¡°My house, of course. Hehehe!¡± ¡°Oh my, President Yanice, you¡¯re so naughty!¡± The two beauties flirted and cooed. ¡°President Yanice, please get in the car. The bodyguard had already opened the car door. The two beauties helped the swaying Marlowe into the car. Then, they followed suit and got in as well. Pete¡¯s face darkened as he ordered his bodyguards to enter the two cars behind. Usually, Pete was in charge of Marlowe¡¯s safety. They would have more than ten bodyguards during outings, but Pete had only arranged five to apany them today. The driver started the car and headed towards Marlowe¡¯s vi. Pete and the other bodyguards sat in the car behind, leisurely following Marlowe¡¯s car. In the car, Pete suddenly turned to the driver and said, ¡°Drive slower!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re any slower, we won¡¯t be able to keep up with President Yanice.¡± Pete red at him. ¡°I told you to slow down. Why are you talking so much?¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The driver subconsciously slowed down and maintained a certain distance from the car in front. Soon, Marlowe¡¯s car drove past Silver Ring Avenue. Meanwhile, Pete¡¯s cars were stopped by a red light, creating a gap between the two vehicles. Pete looked at his watch. It was already four in the morning. At this hour, there were hardly any cars on the street. Especially the Silver Ring Avenue. Pedestrians were even rarer. One could see the deserted road at a nce, and the dim streetlights added to the eerie atmosphere. ¡°President Yanice, you look so handsome!¡± ¡°Come on, give me a kiss!¡± ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Marlowe was in the middle of flirting with the two beautiful women. ¡°Boom!¡± Two ck cars came rushing down the nearby small road. The cars were speeding, heading directly for the back of Marlowe¡¯s car. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°ng!¡± ¡°Crash! Boom!¡± The cars collided forcefully with Marlowe¡¯s car, and without stopping, the driver mmed harder on the elerator, ramming into Marlowe¡¯s rear repeatedly. Marlowe¡¯s car lost control and crashed into a flower bed before finallying to a halt. ¡°Ah-ah!¡± The car erupted with screams. The front and back of Marlowe¡¯s car werepletely deformed, leaving debris scattered all over the ground. Marlowe was scared out of his wits. Although the airbag in the car had been deployed, they were useless. He was thrown forward, and the two beautiful women mmed against the car door. ¡°Ah¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± The driver had already fainted on the spot. ¡°Squeak¡­¡± Before Marlowe Yanice could get out of his car, another car came roaring up to the front. Marlowe knew he was in trouble, and the effects of the alcohol hadpletely worn off. In a dazed state, he looked around and realized that his car was blocked by the two cars in front and behind. The car door opened. Five or six burly men in ck got out of the car, brandishing machetes as they approached Marlowe¡¯s car. Immediately, Marlowe screamed in fear, ¡°Pete! Pete! Where the f*ck did you go?¡± ¡°Ah, help! Help!¡± The two beautiful women were even more frightened. They screamed in panic. ¡°Bang! Bang!¡± The ck-d men smashed the car window open with two blows. One of the burly men reached in and dragged the terrified woman out of the car. Then, without hesitation, they attacked Marlowe with vicious shes. ¡°Ah-ah!¡± Blood sttered everywhere. The beauty on the right screamed in fear and fainted on the spot. ¡°Ah, help! Help!¡± Marlowe wailed in despair. Pete, who was only 200 yards away from Marlowe, remained seated in the car indifferently. Marlowe had always treated them with contempt and treated them like ves. He thought he could bumiliate them by paying them a meager ie. Now that he was being attacked, Pete and the few bodyguards intentionally dyed going to his rescue. The ck-d men finished their attack on Marlowe. Then, they grabbed him and dragged him out of the car. Lying on the ground, Marlowe was losing consciousness. ¡°Vroom!¡± The car behind started its engine. It directly ran over Marlowe¡¯s legs. Afterward, the ck-d men swiftly got into their car and vanished in the blink of an eye. The entire process took less than five minutes from the beginning to the end. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Marlowe let out a shrill cry and fainted from the pain. Pete calcted the time. It should be done by now. Only then did he call the driver to help. ¡°Speed up. Cchase after President Yanice to protect him. Chapter 691 Chapter 691 The distance between the two cars was actually just a short distance away. They were separated only by a traffic light. Two minutester. Pete rushed over with a few bodyguards. ¡°President Yanice! President Yanice!¡± ¡°Hurry up and send President Yanice to the hospital. Quick!¡± ¡°Call an ambnce. Someone call the police!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The bodyguards pretended to be busy. The few of them secretly shared knowing nces. After all, Marlowe had treated them so poorly in the past. They were only human and couldn¡¯t help but resent him. Now that Marlowe had been severely injured and his legs were crushed, they found some relief in their hearts. ¡°Beep, beep!¡± The ambnce arrived quickly. The medical team quickly provided basic treatment to Marlowe and hastily lifted him onto the ambnce stretcher. ¡°Beep, beep!¡± Afterward, the ambnce sped toward the hospital. Ten minutester. The ambnce arrived at Greyport Hospital. A few doctors and nurses on duty rushed out to receive them. After all, Marlowe was a prominent figure. The hospital couldn¡¯t afford to be careless with his treatment. ¡°Quick, quick, quick! Be careful!¡± Marlowe had lost a significant amount of blood and suffered severe injuries. He was already unconscious, and his legs were mangled from being run over by the car. Even if they managed to save him, his injuries were so severe that he would likely need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life! ¡°Quickly, take the patient to the operating room and give him a blood transfusion¡­¡± ¡°Notify the patient¡¯s family!¡± ¡°President Yanice¡¯s legs are in critical condition; we may need to amputate them immediately.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s that serious?¡± Pete eximed, his face filled with horror. At the same time, Pete quickly called Marlowe¡¯s father¡¯s secretary. Ring, ring. ¡°Who is it?¡± Marcus¡¯ secretary, Be Ackers, answered the callzily. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m President Yanice¡¯s assistant. President Yanice has had an ident. He was attacked and stabbed multiple times. He is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. Please quickly inform Mr. Yanice,¡± said Pete in a panic. They didn¡¯t have direct ess to Marcus¡¯ contact information. So they had to reach out to his secretary. Upon hearing the news, Be was instantly wide awake. She sat up in a hurry. ¡°What did you say? President Yanice had an ident?¡± ¡°Yes, he may have been targeted by his enemies. His car was forced to stop on Silver Ring Avenue then he was attacked and stabbed multiple times. His legs are severely injured, and the doctors may have to amputate them. Please inform Mr. Yanice toe to the hospital quickly.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Be hung up and quickly called Marcus. Fortunately, it was already past five in the morning. It was almost six o¡¯clock. Marcus would awake at this time to y golf. Shortly after, Be informed Marlowe¡¯s father, Marcus, about the situation. Despite not having a good rtionship with his son, Marcus was naturally anxious and worried upon hearing about his son¡¯s condition. He hurriedly rushed to the hospital with his men. The surgery was still ongoing. It had been more than ten hours, but the surgery was still not over. At 6:30 a.m., Marcus arrived at the hospital anxiously. ¡°What happened?¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°His enemies must have tried to take revenge on him. We already called the police¡­ ¡°What did the doctors say?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still undergoing emergency treatment,¡± Pete replied, his face filled with fear as he forced himself to remainposed. Marcus took out a handkerchief and subconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then, he removed his sses and cleaned the lenses.. This son of his always caused him headaches. He had hoped that after spending nine years in prison, Marlowe would turn over a new leaf and be a better person. Unfortunately¡­ The incident on Silver Ring Avenue quickly reached the cars of journalists. News about Marlowe¡¯s attack spread like wildfire across the inte. [Yanice Group¡¯s Heir Severely Injured in Brutal Attack.] [Malicious Car ident on Silver Ring Avenue Leaves Three Injured, One in Critical Condition.] [Marlowe Yanice¡¯s Life Hangs in the Bnce¡­] A series of news articles instantly flooded the inte. Upon seeing the news, Joanna was horrified and deeply disturbed. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s been so unsettledtely. Another person has been attacked.¡± ¡°Darcy, Carson, you must ensure your safety and take every precaution. We cannot afford to have any simr incidents.¡± ¡°Yes, we understand.¡± Back in the ward. Joanna was still shaken, her face full of panic and distress. The incidents involving Bruce and Marlowe were extremely heinous, and they urred within less than a week of each other. Was public security so bad now? She was genuinely worried. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce asked with a silly smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just don¡¯t ask.¡± Bruce chewed on his saliva and chuckled foolishly. ¡°Come on, tell me! I really want to know!¡± Sighing with lingering fear, Joanna sighed. Joanna recalled the scene from yesterday when Marlowe was rushed to the hospital. She happened to witness it when she came out. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s better not to know.¡± Joanna looked at Bruce worriedly. After all, Bruce had just run into the robbers a few days ago. Joanna wondered if there were terrorists deliberately trying to kill the tycoons. However, on second thought, she felt that it was impossible. Robbers would usually ask for money, but in Bruce and Marlowe¡¯s cases, the criminals did not seem to ask for money. They simply wanted their lives. Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Bruce was well aware of the incident, and a dark, smug glint shed across his eyes. However, he remained calm and unaffected on the surface. Of course, he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to have his own men carry out such an act. Instead, he took matters into his own hands and hired individuals from a gang to teach Marlowe Yanice a lesson. After attacking Marlowe, the thugs had already taken their money and fled the country overnight. It was nearly impossible for the police to track them down, even if a report was filed. ¡°The security in Greyport is getting worse and worse. Just thinking about it makes me afraid. After you¡¯re discharged from the hospital, let¡¯s immigrate to a safer country abroad.¡± ¡°We should find a country with better security and environment to lead a peaceful life.¡± Joanna was still frightened by the recent events. She kept praying for the safety of the people around her. Little did she know that Bruce was the one who had orchestrated the attack. When Bruce heard this, he could not help but chuckle. Women were simply timid. They would get afraid of the slightest things. Therefore, he could not let her discover all the things he had done. Hearing Bruce¡¯s inexplicableugh, Joanna stared at him suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Bruce quickly concealed the cunning glint in his eyes and replied, ¡°Wifey, I¡¯m thirsty. I want water¡­¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Joanna quickly got up and poured a ss of warm water before carefully bringing it to his lips. ¡°Be careful while drinking. Don¡¯t choke.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Thank you, wifey.¡± Bruce pretended to be silly and innocent. He believed in the principle of an eye for an eye. While he initially didn¡¯t want to have any further involvement with Marlowe, thetter had nearly cost him his life. Naturally, he had to seek revenge. Meanwhile, Marlowe¡¯s surgery continued in a tense atmosphere. Marcus and his personal secretary also wore worried expressions. ¡°Sigh, this child is a pain in the arse. I knew he would get into trouble, but I never expected it to be this serious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for not raising him properly. I¡¯ve let his mother down!¡± As Marcus spoke, his eyes turned red. He subconsciously took off his sses and wiped the lenses with a handkerchief. At over sixty years old, he could be considered a senior citizen. Although the Yanice family was slightly inferior to the Everett family, they were still a prestigious and well-established family in Greyport. Unfortunately, all of his three sons were good-for-nothings. As a result, even though he was in his sixties, he did not dare to retire as his family did not have a suitable sessor. His eldest son, Marlowe, had a difficult temperament and seemed mentally unstable. Handing over the Although his second son had a gentle personality, he had issues with his love life. He refused to enter any romantic rtionships and often dressed femininely, which annoyed Marcus to no end. As for his third son, there was little hope. Despite being young, he got involved with drugs and had already been sent to rehab three times. Unfortunately, it had proven ineffective, leaving Marcus Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. incredibly distressed. He couldn¡¯t understand why he, with all his sess, had raised three incapable sons. On the other hand, the Everett family had Bruce, who was an exceptional sole heir. He skillfully managed the family business and led it to thrive. ¡°Mr. Yanice, you can¡¯t be so hard on yourself. You¡¯ve also put in a lot of effort.¡± ¡°President Yanice has a strong personality. He needs to be taught slowly.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Marcus¡¯s face darkened as he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Yanice! President Yanice will be fine.¡± Marcus took another deep breath. ¡°I hope so.¡± He was really distressed about his eldest son. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Marlowe was his own flesh and blood, he would prefer not to even look at him. The surgerysted for 17 to 18 hours before it finally ended. ¡°Ding!¡± The lights in the operating room were finally turned off. The doctors and nurses walked out of the operating room with exhausted expressions. Seeing this, Marcus quickly approached them with concern and asked, ¡°Doctor, how is my son?¡± Mr. yton wore a solemn expression and said, ¡°The patient¡¯s wound has been treated, but he hasn¡¯t regained consciousness yet.¡± ¡°He has been transferred to the intensive care unit for further observation.¡± ¡°You must do your best to heal my son.¡± ¡°Mr. Yanice, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll do our best.¡± ¡°However, you have to be mentally prepared. The patient¡¯s condition is not optimistic. We can only try our best to treat him.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand,¡± Marcus replied wearily. Marlowe had been stabbed fifteen times in total. He suffered two severed tendons in his hand, five stab wounds in his chest, and three on his head. The most fatal blow was the sh on his neck, which narrowly missed a major artery. After the surgery, his left leg was barely saved, but the lower leg bone on his right leg was crushed and required amputation. This incident served as a painful lesson for Marlowe. Whether he could be as fortunate as Bruce and recover from the brink of death would depend on his fate. As time passed, Bruce stayed in the hospital for another week until his wounds were mostly healed. He was finally discharged and allowed to return home. In the doctor¡¯s office, Mr. yton conducted another examination for Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, you can be discharged now. Remember toe back for follow-up appointments on time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop taking these medications; continue to take them as prescribed daily.¡± Joanna listened attentively to the doctor¡¯s instructions. ¡°Alright, understood. Is there anything else we need to know?¡± ¡°When you have free time, engage in brain-stimting games. It will be beneficial for Mr. Everett¡¯s cognitive recovery.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°Very well! You can go ahead andplete the discharge procedures. In about a week, you cane back to the hospital to have the stitches removed.¡± ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Back in the ward. Joanna smiled gently at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, we can finally leave the hospital now.¡± When Bruce heard this, his handsome face lit up with a silly smile. ¡°Oh, oh. I¡¯m so happy we can go home!¡± Joanna then turned to the several bodyguards. ¡°Have you packed everything?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Everett. Everything is packed, and the discharge procedures have beenpleted.¡± ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go!¡± Joanna double-checked the ward to make sure nothing important was left behind before feeling at ease to leave. ¡°Wifey, be careful.¡± Bruce took the initiative to hold Joanna¡¯s hand. Afraid someone would identally touch her, he gently wrapped his other hand around Joanna¡¯s shoulder. Joanna smiled gently at him. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Darcy, are there any reporters outside?¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s question, Darcy replied solemnly, ¡°Miss Haynes, don¡¯t worry. The car is already waiting at the elevator entrance. Once we step out of the elevator, we¡¯ll be able to get into the car safely.¡± ¡°This time, we have taken all necessary security measures. You and Mr. Everett won¡¯t be affected or harassed.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Thest time Bruce was discharged from the hospital, arge number of reporters and onlookers waited outside. The scene was chaotic. Bruce was greatly affected and even broke down in tears in front of the media. This time, they couldn¡¯t let history repeat itself. The security personnel had made thorough preparations to ensure their safety. Ding! The elevator went directly to the parking lot. Right as Bruce and Joanna stepped out, the waiting reporters went crazy. ¡°Mr. Everett, can we have a quick interview? Please say a few words!¡± Click, click! The reporters went crazy with their cameras. However, this time, the security arrangements were well-executed. The bodyguards and security personnel formed a pathway with barricades, keeping all the reporters outside/ At the elevator entrance, there was an extended Rolls-Royce and several Mercedes-Benz cars waiting. The servants respectfully opened the car doors, saying, ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett, please get into the car. Joanna was worried that Bruce Everett might get overwhelmed by the situation, so she urged him, ¡°Bruce, hurry up and get in!¡± Bruce grinned foolishly. ¡°Wifey, you can go in first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You go first.¡± ¡°No, I want you to go first.¡± Bruce was more worried that the reporters might harrassed Joanna. So he wanted her to enter the car first Joanna couldn¡¯t persuade him otherwise and had no choice but to get into the car first. The extended Rolls-Royce had plenty of space, and the genuine leather seats were incredibly However, being over seven months pregnant, Joanna¡¯s movements were somewhat restricted. She got into the car clumsily. Just as he was about to move to her seat, Bruce had already gotten into the car from the other side. ¡°Wifey, sit tight and don¡¯t move around! Remember to buckle up your seatbelt,¡± Bruce said as he swiftly pulled the seatbelt over Joanna and carefully fastened it for her. Joanna was slightly surprised by his thoughtfulness. She had intended to get into the car and move to the inside seat to make room for him. Unexpectedly, he entered from the other side and even helped her fasten her seatbelt. She couldn¡¯t help but think that this little fool was quite considerate. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± the driver responded and calmly started the car. The bodyguards quickly got into the other Mercedes-Benz behind. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Soon, the cars left the parking lot and headed towards Sherane Bay Vi. Bruce affectionately wrapped his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder inside the car, and his other hand gently caressed her belly. Joanna was about to call the butler when the baby suddenly kicked her stomach. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s face immediately showed a hint of concern upon hearing her exmation. ¡°Wifey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The baby kicked me just now.¡± ¡°Really? Let me hear it, let me hear it!¡± Bruce said excitedly and quickly pressed his head against her belly. Seeing this, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but push his head away. ¡°Stop fooling around. We¡¯re in the car now!¡± ¡°Come on. I just want to hear it, and I want to talk to the baby too.¡± ¡°Baby, you have to behave yourself inside. Don¡¯t kick Mommy randomly; she¡¯s already been through a lot. If you misbehave, Daddy will spank your bottom, okay!¡± Joanna rolled her eyes yfully. ¡°The baby hasn¡¯t even been born yet. It can¡¯t hear or understand anything you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Hehe, your belly moved again. The baby is kicking you!¡± ¡°Of course, the baby is seven months old; it¡¯s bound to be active.¡± Bruce chuckled at her response. Then, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Joanna was stunned. She found Bruce¡¯s behavior a little strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing, hehe¡­¡± Bruce smiled foolishly again and nuzzled his head affectionately on Joanna¡¯s shoulder. At this moment, he felt really blessed. When he heard Joanna say she wanted to abort the baby after the car ident, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. Yet now, seeing the baby healthy and about to be born, he felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. Unfortunately¡­ He had secretly asked the doctor about the baby¡¯s gender and knew it was a baby boy, not a girl. If it were a girl, he would have been even happier. However, it did not matter. He was overjoyed regardless of the baby¡¯s gender, as long as it was his child. ¡°Why did you sigh? Are you feeling sentimental about something?¡± Joanna asked, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile at her own question. This damn guy was mentally retarded now. What kind of thoughts could he possibly have? The sigh just now was probably only a reflexive action Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Twenty minutester, the car slowly drove into the courtyard of Sherane Bay Vi. Gael and the children were waiting on thewn to wee them home. The door opened. Before they got off the car, they heard the children¡¯s excited and clear voicesing into their ears. ¡°Wee home, Daddy. Wee home, Mommy.¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy, you¡¯re finally back. We missed you so much.¡± The three kids each held a bunch of flowers and ran happily toward the car. ¡°Babies, how have you been doing? Have you all been good?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Daddy, these lilies are for you. Mommy, these carnations are for you.¡± Joanna took over the flowers and smiled lovingly at the kids. ¡°Thank you, babies.¡± ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m so d you¡¯ve finally checked out of the hospital.¡± Lilia hugged Bruce¡¯s legs coquettishly. ¡°Yes, dear Lilia. Daddy misses you so much,¡± Bruce said as he subconsciously carried Lilia in his arms. Then, he kissed her little face again and again. ¡°Oh no! Daddy has another long scar on his head. Daddy, does it hurt a lot?¡± Looking at the inches-long wound on Bruce¡¯s head, where the surgical stitches were yet to be removed, Lilia got even more worried. Seeing his precious daughter Lilia in tears, Bruce¡¯s heart almost melted. He quicklyforted Lilia, ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart. It doesn¡¯t hurt. Daddy haspletely recovered. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a long wound. How can it not hurt?¡± ¡°Really. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Thank you, my baby girl. You care so much about Daddy.¡± -Bruce was so happy that he identally changed the tone of his voice to the normal one when he spoke. Joanna was stunned for a second and stared at Bruce in a daze. The tone of his voice was the same as before. Ever since the ident, he had not been able to speak fluently. Sometimes, he would talk too fast and even drool uncontrobly. In addition, even when he said something, he would use many childnguages. This was the first time he had spoken so smoothly. Bruce realized it and noticed that Joanna was watching him. He quickly narrowed his eyes and tilted his mouth. He made a weird half-paralyzed gesture and tried to make himself look more like a fool. ¡°Oh¡­ Your hair clip is so beautiful. Can you give it to me as a gift?¡± Lilia heard it and immediately nodded. ¡°Of course!¡± Saying it, Lilia quickly took the little white rabbit hair clip off her head. ¡°Daddy, here you are.¡± Bruce stuck out his tongue and giggled. ¡°My god, it¡¯s so cute. Can you put it on for me?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure! Bruce¡¯s hair had been shaved off during the surgery. Another two weeks had passed, and his hair had grown a little. It was okay to put the hair clip on it though it was still very short.¡¯ Lilia then pinned the little rabbit hair clip on his head. Since his hair was too short and only the hair top was slightly longer, she could only ce it straight on the top of his head. The rabbit on the hair clip wobbled on top of his head. It made him look funny and idiotic with that. ¡°Oh, honey, look at me. Do I look good?¡± Bruce deliberately chewed on his saliva and smiled like a fool. Seeing this, Joanna sighed sadly. It was an illusion. It seemed it was her illusion only. He was still the same as before. His intelligence was like that of a two or three-year-old child. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Darcy and Carson stood behind him. They were almost frozen to see Bruce acting like a fool. They looked at each other and pursed their lips tightly, trying to hold back their emotions. Indeed, Mr. Everett was damn good at ying foolish. That idiotic look on his face didn¡¯t match his handsome facial features at all. They were more used to seeing Mr. Everett looking noble and aloof, in a suit and a tie, and looking high-spirited and vigorous. Gael also smiled kindly. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get in the house. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared bath water. Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett, please take a good bath to refresh yourself and wash the bad luck away.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Joanna nodded seriously. In the past, she didn¡¯t believe in these things or pay much attention to stuff like bad luck. However, since the doctor had said Bruce couldn¡¯t live and she had asked Mr. Lewis for guidance/she gradually started to believe in these things. Of course, most of the credit for Bruce¡¯s revival was due to the doctor¡¯s superb medical skills. Otherwise, Bruce would still have died if he had only counted on Mr. Lewis¡¯s guidance. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get in.¡± There were several wooden crosses at the door. Gael gave Bruce one cross first, and then he gave another to Joanna. ¡°Take the cross with you. God bless you! Take a good bathter. You¡¯re finally home! May God be with you and bring you good luck.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± After doing all this, the two of them went into the house. The servants had also run the bath water for them. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett. Please get changed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Not surprisingly, they had to change the clothes they had worn in the hospital. The clothes and things were dirty, so they must get some new ones. Soon enough, Bruce and Joanna changed their clothes and were about to take a good bath. The servants who had looked after them in the hospital were no exception. They also had to take the crosses with them and take a bath. They couldn¡¯t enter the Everett¡¯s Residence unless they had cleaned themselves. Joanna entered the bathroom. Bang! She heard someone knocking on the door right after she undressed herself. ¡°Honey, I want to take a bath with you. Can Ie in?¡± Hearing that, Joanna panicked and turned him down immediately. ¡°No, you can¡¯te in. Go to another restroom and say you want a bath.¡± ¡°No, I want to take a bath with my wife.¡± ¡°Honey, open the door! Open the door now!¡± Bruce was unwilling to give up and kept yelling and banging on the door. Joanna felt extremely bothered! What the hell? She wondered if he could just cut her some ck! For r God¡¯s sake, he was driving her crazy. Bang Bang! Bang! ¡°Honey, please open the door. I want toe in. I want to have a bath with¡­¡± ¡°Alright! Alright! Stop knocking on the door!¡± Chapter 695 Chapter 695 What else could she do? Joanna had no choice but to open the door for him. The Everett family hired high-level private nurses who would bathe and change clothes for them when they took a bath. They didn¡¯t need to do anything themselves. But Joanna was not used to having someone watching her when she bathed, so she never let the private nurses help with her bath. Crack! The bathroom door opened. Bruce wore a bath towel and smiled like a fool. ¡°Honey, I want to take a bath with you¡­¡± ¡°Gosh! Come in!¡± Joanna sighed lightly and let him in. ¡°The bath water is ready. Go in and bathe yourself.¡± Joanna¡¯s hair was casually tied into a bun. The hair on her temples was wet and stuck to her pretty face, which made her look more attractive in the mist. Bruce looked at her without blinking. Gradually, his eyes began to sparkle with the fire of desire. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re so beautiful¡­¡± Earlier, he could still stand life without desire before he had recovered his intelligence. But things were different. Joanna noticed something was wrong with Bruce and red at him. ¡°What are you looking at? Eyes off me and turn around. You can¡¯t look at me like that.¡± ¡°Oh, honey, you are so pretty!¡± Bruce said as he subconsciously swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you to turn around. You can¡¯t look at me like that now,¡± Joanna warned him with a frown. Her heart was pounding even harder. She felt he was acting weird this day, particrly when he stared straight at her, looking like a wolf. It made her flush and her heart racing. She got a little flustered. Joanna dodged and walked sideway to the shower head. Seeing her moving a little clumsily, Bruce hurriedly went forward to support her. ¡°Honey, there¡¯s water on the floor. Be careful. Let me help you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°No, I want to shower with you,¡± Bruce said as he hugged her shoulder affectionately. It didn¡¯t mean he must have sex with her. He just wanted to be close to her, He would like to see her frown and smile more. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that again. I¡¯ll be embarrassed if you keep looking at me like that,¡± Joanna said as she wrapped the towel tightly around herself. Her face turned red. Jesus! He tried to get physical with her even when he was not clear-minded. Seeing the resistant look on Joanna¡¯s face, Bruce did not dare to go too far. He just obediently got in the bathtub. However, he was still worried that Joanna would fall and get injured. So, Bruce kept watching her at all times. Joanna felt goosebumps under his stare and was too embarrassed bathe first, so he could leave after he was done. ¡°You haven¡¯t enjoyed a good bath in the hospital. Come on to take off the bath towel. She had no choice but to let him Joanna said it and took the initiative to soak the bath Let sponge to Ime wash the back for you.¡± spray The sexual desire Bruce had just suppressed was aroused again in a second. ¡°Honey¡­¡± on his back. Joanna red at him and sternly stopped his next move. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t move your hands. Just enjoy the bath ¡°Okay. I only want to touch the baby and talk to him.¡± Bruce deliberately put on a foolish and innocent smile. ¡°Stop fooling around. You¡¯ll do that after the bath. ¡°Davian, Irvin, and Lilia are waiting for us to have lunch. We must hurry up, or they will run out of patience.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Bruce pursed his lips and suppressed the urge inside him. If it were before, he would have cared about none and made her surrender to his masculinity in bed. But she was already seven months pregnant then. He didn¡¯t dare to be rough with her, let alone make her angry. He had decided to turn over a new leaf and be a new person after going through many critical moments of life and death. He had decided to change his temper and personality and.tried to be a good guy with a kind and soft heart. Of course, he would be kind and gentle only in front of his wife and children. After the bath, Bruce and Joanna each changed into silk pajamas beforeing out of the bathroom refreshed. When they went down the stairs, Bruce was still carefully supporting Joanna. ¡°Honey, watch your steps.¡± They were on the second floor, but after all, they still had to take the stairs. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. It would be too inconvenient for Joanna to go up and downter, and he decided to find a good excuse to move back to the Everett mansion. The Everett mansion was big and had much better decorations and living conditions. Besides, it was further away from downtown and more suitable for pregnant women and children. The three kids were getting impatient in the living room downstairs. Their Daddy and Mommy were back home today. And they were supposed to wee their parents with a fancy meal. Seeing their parentsing downstairs, the three kids immediately came up to receive them. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you done bathing? Time for lunch.¡± Joanna gently stroked Davian¡¯s head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, sweetie. We¡¯ve kept you waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We haven¡¯t waited for long.¡± Davian said in earnest, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you hungry? I¡¯ve made handmade cookies for you. Irvin has cooked spaghetti, and Lilia has baked some cakes. ¡°We specially made them for Daddy and Mommy.¡± ¡°Wow, babies, great job. Daddy and Mommy are proud of you.¡± The three kids had lots of extracurricr activities in their school. The teachers would teach the children various handicrafts and some simple cooking techniques. Therefore, the kids¡¯ hands-on abilities were impressive. The family sat around the dining table. It was a big lunch. In addition to the cookies and cakes made by the kids, the chef also prepared a lot of food, including several traditional food and different soups. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, try the cookies I made for you.¡± Davian handed over a small te of cookies to them. Seeing this, Joanna smiled happily. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re amazing. Mommy must try it now.¡± As she spoke, Joanna took two pieces of cookies and gave one to Bruce. ¡°You try it too.¡± Bruce chuckled, took over the cookie, and put it in his mouth. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Mm, yep¡­¡± Looking at the child¡¯s innocent and expectant eyes, he swallowed back his words and didn¡¯t tell the truth. were in the past, he would not have been able to The cookie tasted so sweet and greasy that Bruce almost choked. If it w swallow something with so much sugar. However, the kids had made the cookies personally after all. Not to disappoint the kids, he still swallowed it with difficulty. ¡°Mommy, take a bite.¡± Joanna smiled and put the biscuit into her mouth. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s so delicious. It tastes good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Joanna hugged Davian and praised him. The biscuits were so sweet that he must have put too much sugar in them. But they tasted okay. The children were only seven years old. It was something for them to have cooked the food so nicely. Irvin was smart. He could tell from Bruce¡¯s face that the cookie didn¡¯t taste good, and he said proudly, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, you should try my spaghetti. I¡¯m sure Daddy will love it. You know what? I especially learned it from Mommy.¡± As he spoke, Irvin pushed the spaghetti to Bruce. ¡°Daddy, I cooked the spaghetti, especially for you. I hope you like it. Wee home, and may God bless you.¡± Bruce cleared his throat and rolled his eyes. He just liked the spaghetti cooked by Joanna. He probably wouldn¡¯t like it if someone else cooked it for him, no matter how good it tasted. Chapter 696 Chapter 696 ¡°Daddy, please try it! I cooked it for you specially.¡± Irvin eagerly tried to curry favor with his father. ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Bruce was in a dilemma. Joanna smiled. ¡°Irvin made it for you. Just try it.¡± ¡°Um, okay,¡± Bruce said and giggled. Bruce bit the bullet, picked up a bit of spaghetti with his fork, and slowly put it into his mouth. What the hell! Bruce frowned and was frozen for seven to eight seconds as if he was bewitched. ¡°Daddy, how is it? Does it taste as good as Mommy¡¯s spaghetti? It is delicious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bruce came back to his senses and could not help but cough dryly. The cookies he had just tried were too sweet, but the spaghetti was too salty. He wanted to spit it out immediately. ¡°Um, it tasted even better.¡± When Irvin heard this, he was over the moon. He looked at Davian smugly. ¡°See? I¡¯ve told you so. My spaghetti is much better than your cookies!¡± Davian looked unconvinced. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. My cookies are better. End of story!¡± Seeing this, Lilia immediately offered the cake she had baked herself. ¡°Daddy, you haven¡¯t tasted my cake yet. I baked the cake for you specially. It¡¯s full of my love for you.¡± Bruce had yet to swallow the spaghetti in his mouth. He had already tried the terrible cookies and spaghetti. And he thought he was supposed to ept the cake with a smile since his darling daughter Lilia had baked it for him specially. Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly again and swallowed the salty spaghetti with difficulty. Indeed, he knew Davian and Irvin were trying to show their love and care for him. But the food they made for him had almost killed him. ¡°Daddy, it took me the whole morning to bake the cake.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, sweetheart. I¡¯m so touched that I feel like crying.¡± Bruce braced himself and smiled gently at Lilia. Looking at the badly burned cake before him, Bruce did feel like crying. He could tell the cake would taste awful only by looking at its appearance. In particr, he had always been a picky eater. He really couldn¡¯t convince himself to enjoy the food made by the kids. ¡°Come on, Daddy, take a bite!¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Bruce took over a small cake and carefully took a bite of it. ¡°Daddy, how is it? Is it good?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Not bad!¡± Bruceughed awkwardly. That taste was indescribable. He had never eaten anything so disgusting. He¡¯d like to say the cake was the worst food he had ever tried though his daughter had baked it herself. ¡°Daddy, if you think it¡¯s good, you must eat them all.¡± Lilia looked at Bruce with expectation. Bruce coughed dryly and almost spat the cake out of his mouth. God knew how difficult it was for him to swallow the cake. But not to break Ii neart, he forced himself not to spit it out. Seeing this, Joanna immediately stopped them. ¡°Alright, alright, babies! Daddy and Mommy know how much you love us. Thank you for your hard work, babies! Well done! ¡°Lunch is ready. Let¡¯s dig in. ¡°Daddy is weak. He needs more nutrition and should eat properly.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Bruce heard that and hurriedly put down the cake in his hand, feeling like he had escaped a cmity. The family was about to get started with their lunch happily. Gael walked to them with a straight face. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mrs. Everett. Mr. Miller and Mrs. Miller are there for a visit.¡± Upson hearing that, Joanna was stunned and subconsciously put down the fork. Bruce heard it and also stopped eating and put down the fork. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She was sick with them and said, ¡°I guess they¡¯re up to no good again. Gosh, they are a real piece of work. They are so persistent and driving me crazy!¡± Gael frowned slightly. ¡°Mrs. Everett, do you want to see them? If-not, I¡¯ll send them away now.¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and sighed heavily. ¡°Forget it. Just let them in. I¡¯m curious what kind of trouble they¡¯ll make today!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gael said and turned to leave the dining room. ¡°Babies, stay with Daddy here and finish your lunch. Mommy is busy. We¡¯ve got visitors.¡± Joanna stood up as she spoke. The three kids looked at Joanna confusingly. ¡°Mommy, why don¡¯t you invite them to eat with us?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Focus on your lunch. Mommy will be right back. Okay?¡± After that, Joanna stood up and walked toward the living room with the big baby bump. Seeing this, Bruce¡¯s lips curled into a faint sneer. It was sarcastic that Liam had paid so much attention to him, and Bruce knew what Liam wanted. If he didn¡¯t do anything in return, Bruce thought he would disappoint Liam. So, he had made up his mind. He would let Liam be the Everett Group¡¯s president and make him his guardian. Joanna was already more than seven months pregnant and would be due soon. After giving birth to the baby, she was supposed to have a postpartum recovery. He could not bear to see his beloved wife working so hard. Since Liam wanted to be promoted so much, he would do as he wished. But he was sure that Liam would be sorry-soon in the future. Anyway, he had to get someone to take the me and pay for the Everett Group¡¯s old debts, losses on the books, and those several economicwsuits. For the sake of the fact that Liam was his uncle, Bruce had never thought of getting Liam to be the scapegoat before. But Liam hade for them first, and Bruce didn¡¯t think he had to be softhearted with him. Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Ten minutester, Gael led Liam and L to the living room. Twowyers hade with them. It was clear that they hade prepared. ¡°Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller, please wait for a moment. ¡°Would you like coffee or juice?¡± Gael looked earnest and asked out of courtesy. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Lilian, get Mr. Miller and Mrs. Miller coffee.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lilian replied. She turned around and went to get them coffee. Liam sat down on the sofa with a straight face. L sat beside him and subconsciously looked around the living room with her big almond eyes. The living room was super luxurious. She saw M¡¯s paintings hung on the wall and an entire row of ss cabs filled with many expensive porcin jade artifacts. What a good house it was! L could not help but feel excited when she thought these nice things might belong to them in the future. The two of them sat there for nearly ten minutes. But Bruce and Joanna hadn¡¯t shown up yet. Joanna had deliberately kept them waiting and wouldn¡¯te to meet them until she thought it was about time. They were here to push their luck, but she mustn¡¯t let them get it their way. A long whileter, Liam was already impatient from waiting. He had finished the coffee, but no one had ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce? Why isn¡¯t he here yet?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Everett is having lunch. I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯te to meet you now!¡± ¡°What about Joanna? Why hasn¡¯t shee out yet? How much longer do we have to wait? Does she deliberately stop Bruce froming to see us? ¡°Damn it! This woman has gone too far. She¡¯s controlling Bruce and has everything about Bruce to her own. Does she think she¡¯s still Mrs. Everett? She¡¯s crossed the line. Tell her to bring Bruce out now¡­¡± Liam cursed, looking like he could no longer wait. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go and tell them.¡± The servant finished speaking and hurriedly reported to Joanna., Liam and L were getting impatient. Joanna slowly came out of the room and walked over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.¡± L was so angry that her face darkened. She mocked, ¡°Oh, surprise! It turns out you know you¡¯ve kept us waiting!¡± ¡°Do you have any sense of shame? How could you keep us waiting for so long? I¡¯m Bruce¡¯s uncle!¡± Joanna didn¡¯t bother to talk nonsense with them. ¡°Why are you here today?¡± L sneered and said, ¡°Let me introduce these two gentlemen here. This is Mr. Brycen, and this is Mr. Josh. They arewyers. We¡¯re here today to discuss Mr. Everett¡¯s custody with you. ¡°We¡¯ve already consulted the doctor. Mr. Everett can¡¯t take care of himself right now. He needs a guardian.¡± Awyer then handed over an indictment. ¡°Ms. Joanna Haynes, this is the indictment. You can take a look first.¡± ¡°Huh, just leave it there for now! ¡°We¡¯ll wait for the court¡¯s final judgment. Then I¡¯ll tell mywyer to negotiate with you.¡± Thewyer smiled professionally. ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t want to bring it to court, we can mediate it out of court.¡± ¡°Mediate what?¡± Joanna asked in disdain. Liam didn¡¯t want to argue with Joanna. ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce? You have to let hime out to meet us. I heard he had checked out of the hospital and came to see him.¡± ¡°Come off it. Don¡¯t be so hypocritical. What do you think you¡¯re doing? You know it better than anyone else. ¡°I think we all know if Bruce needs a guardian.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Watch your mouth, or I¡¯ll sue you for nder! ¡°Don¡¯t be too arrogant. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ve divorced Bruce. You¡¯re strangers now. ¡°As Bruce¡¯s family, we can kick you out of the house. Know your ce and learn to be grateful!¡± ¡°Oh, funny¡­¡± Joanna sneered. She wondered if they could be more shameless and unreasonable. Both sides were at daggers drawn. ¡°Honey, who are you talking to?¡± Bruce walked over from the dining room with a silly smile. When Liam saw Bruce, he put on a kind smile. ¡°Bruce, Uncle Liam is here to see you.¡± Bruce smiled awkwardly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s very kind of you, Uncle Liam.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Liam was joyful to hear that. ¡°Come here. Let me see if you¡¯re recovering well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recovered very ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± well. Thank you, Uncle Liam.¡± Bruce said and giggled like a fool. Bruce stared at Liam. ¡°Uncle Liam, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to bring me homest time? When are we going? Is it fun in your house? I want to go to your house very much.¡± Hearing this, Liam could not help but get even more excited. ¡°Do you want to go home with me? You can have lots of fun in my house!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I do want to go¡­¡± When Joanna heard this, her face instantly turned pale. ¡°Bruce, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I¡¯m going to y in Uncle Liam¡¯s house.¡± Bruce answered and smiled foolishly.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Liam and L were even more excited when they heard this. Now that Bruce was willing to get close to them, the judge was more likely to award them custody of him. As long as they got his legal custody, they could make all the decisions on his behalf. At that time, Everett Group and Bruce¡¯s personal assets would be at their disposal. ¡°Bruce, are you willing to live with me in the future?¡± Liam took Bruce¡¯s hand with an amiable smile on his face as if he cared about his nephew very much. Bruce gave a silly smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m willing to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Will you go home with me today?¡± Bruce chuckled. ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Joanna¡¯s face darkened. She said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere.¡± When L heard this, she became even more aggressive. ¡°Joanna, you have gone too far. Since Mr. Everett is willing to go with us, why don¡¯t you just let him stay with us for a couple of days? ¡°Who do you think you are? You don¡¯t have the right to restrict Mr. Everett¡¯s freedom!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to control him, and he doesn¡¯t need a guardian. He hasn¡¯t fully recovered from his injuries yet, so he still needs someone to take good care of him.¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m his biological uncle. I¡¯m closer to him than an outsider like you no matter what. Are you afraid that I can¡¯t take good care of him?¡± Liam turned to Bruce and said, ¡°Bruce, let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t believe anyone dares to stop you!¡± Liam pulled Bruce out as he spoke. Seeing this, Joanna was so angry that her chest tightened. She immediately went forward to stop Liam. ¡°He¡¯s not wide awake now. He can¡¯t go anywhere. ¡°You can¡¯t afford the consequences if something happens to him.¡± ¡°Hmph! What can happen to him? I¡¯m his uncle. Do you still suspect that I will hurt him?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes, not wanting to waste her time arguing with Liam. She held Bruce¡¯s arm and coaxed him gently, ¡°Bruce, be good. Go back to your room first. Don¡¯t go anywhere, okay?¡± Bruce shook his head. ¡°No. Honey, I want to go to my uncle¡¯s house to have some fun!¡± ¡°Be good. Your physical condition is still poor and you can¡¯t go anywhere. Stay at home before you ¡°No, no! I want to go now.¡± Bruce shook Joanna¡¯s arm like a child. He could not wait to go home with Liam. Only by staying by Liam¡¯s side could he know what he was going to do next. But he could not tell Joanna about it openly. ¡°Joanna, stop bossing Mr. Everett around like this. You should know who you are. ¡°Mr. Everett,e with us. I prepared a lot of delicious food and lovely toys for you,¡± L said. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great!¡± Joanna was pissed off. ¡°The court hast decided yet. He won¡¯t leave here and go with any of you.¡± Liam sneered. ¡°What if we insist on taking Bruce away?¡± ¡°Then even you two can not leave. ¡°Darcy! Carson!¡± When Darcy and Carson heard Joanna call out to them, they immediately took a few steps forward, looking like they were ready to pick a fight at any time. Secing this, Liam took a deep breath. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯re really something!¡± ¡°Gael, see our guests off.¡± Gael immediately walked over. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Miller, please leave.¡± Seeing how angry Joanna was, Bruce felt a twinge in his heart and dropped the idea to go with Liam. ¡°Liam, why don¡¯t you go back first? I¡¯ll go to your house after I recover.¡± ¡°Well, alright then. I wille to see you another day. ¡°Joanna, you¡¯ll regret it. Let¡¯s go.¡± Liam shot Joanna a fierce re before he left. L stood up and sneered at Gael and Darcy. ¡°You guys will regret helping Joanna one day. Hmph!¡± The two of them walked out angrily. Thewyers quickly caught up with them. ¡°Liam, L, bye.¡± When Liam heard this, he stopped in his tracks again. ¡°Bruce, we will leave first. Don¡¯t worry, I promise I will take good care of you after I get custody of you.¡± ¡°L, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Joanna, just wait and see. I¡¯ll definitely teach you a good lesson.¡± Joanna shot back with a sneer, ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± She was ready for a longwsuit. Everything was well-prepared, so she might not lose thiswsuit. However, something happened to Bruce one after another. She was scared and wanted to take him and the children away from this dangerous ce. On their way That¡¯s Great! back home in the car, L said excitedly, ¡°We didn¡¯te for nothing today. I finally have some confidence. ¡°Bruce was so friendly to us just now. Looks like he has really be an idiot. I hope we can win this Liam let out a sigh. ¡°I hope so!¡± He then said to thewyers, ¡°You guys must follow up on this as soon as possible and do everything you can to win thiswsuit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Miller. We¡¯ll do our best.¡± After kicking out Liam and L, Joanna looked at Bruce worriedly. The case would go to trial on the second of next month. Now that Bruce¡¯s attitude towards the couple had changed so much, it was very likely that she would lose thewsuit. It was like fighting for custody of a child, the judge would take the child¡¯s will into consideration before Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. he decided who should be the guardian. Thinking of this, Joanna could not help but let out a long sigh, her face full of worries. Bruce knew what she was worried about. However, he could not tell her the truth yet. He wanted everyone to think that he was retarded. ¡°Honey, are you angry?¡± Bruce chuckled and hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulders intimately. Then, his hands ran down all the way to her lower back. Joanna sighed again and looked gloomily at his face. ¡°Did I do something wrong to make you angry again?¡± §¯ Joanna pondered for a few seconds and then leaned against his shoulder listlessly. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t make me angry.¡± Bruce was wearing white silk pajamas, and Joanna could smell a light, pleasant sea-scented cologne on him. She pressed her head against his chest and heard his heart beating vigorously. Joanna closed her eyes weakly, feeling so tired. Right now, she just wanted to snuggle in Bruce¡¯s arms like this. If she really lost thiswsuit, she might not be able to stay by his side anymore. The thought of this made her upset again. Warm tears streamed down her face and seeped through Bruce¡¯s silk pajamas. Bruce noticed that she was crying, and his heart ached even more. ¡°Honey, I said I was going to his house to y. I will be back after having some fun. ¡°I¡¯m not really living with him. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be by your side to protect you for the rest of my life. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt and no one can separate us.¡± you, Bruce voiced his thoughts in a silly tone. Joannaughed bitterly when she heard that. She didn¡¯t know that Bruce meant every word he said. She said with a sigh, ¡°I can only y it by ear.¡± Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Bruce lowered his head and kissed the top of Joanna¡¯s head, saying foolishly, ¡°Honey, the most important thing for you now is to recuperate so that you can give birth to the baby smoothly. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be there for you.¡± Joanna leaned against his chest and quietly wrapped her arms around his waist. Bruce often said this in the past, but she had never taken it to heart. However, this time, she felt at ease to hear that though he was not clear-headed. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. my ¡°Honey, there¡¯s nothing to be worried about. The sky won¡¯t fall. I¡¯m taller than you. Even if it fell, it would hit head first.¡± Although Bruce was smiling like an idiot, there was an unfathomable glint in his eyes. Now, he just wanted to y a game with those people. He was waiting for them to fall into his trap and suffer a huge setback. Bruce wasn¡¯t someone who was easy to mess with. He would never go easy on those who schemed against him. He wrapped her arms around Joanna dotingly and kept stroking her back. Now that he could not have sex with her for the time being, he took it for granted that he should get some benefits aspensation. Although Joanna was born with a small frame, she had a curvy, soft body. Her chest was busty, especially after she was pregnant. When Bruce hugged her, he never wanted to let go of her. Joanna was originally sad and worried, but when she felt the obvious change in Bruce¡¯s body, she couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°You are so annoying. Get your hands off my body!¡± ¡°Honey, since you don¡¯t agree to sleep with me, you have to make it up to me.¡± With that, Bruce pulled Joanna into his arms dotingly like he was petting a cute ragdoll. Joanna was speechless. ¡°Damn it! What a shameless jerk!¡± she cursed inwardly. She had never seen such a shameless man. ¡°Come on, can you stop touching me?¡± ¡°No. Honey, I want a kiss!¡± After Bruce finished speaking, he was about to kiss Joanna despite her reluctance. ¡°Oh my god!¡± The three kids walked over and saw their dad and mom hugging each other intimately. They quickly covered their eyes and began toin. ¡°Dad, how can you make out with Mom here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You should kiss her in your bedroom, then we won¡¯t see it.¡± 1 When Joanna heard this, she pushed Bruce away grumpily. ¡°Stop fooling around. The children are here. Behave yourself in front of them in the future.¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯re my wife. Can¡¯t I kiss you?¡± Bruce said shamelessly. Joanna rolled her eyes without saying anything. ¡°Sweethearts, are you done eating?¡± The kids nodded. ¡°Yes, we are done. Mom, you haven¡¯t had anything yet. The food will get cold a while Joanna let out a sigh and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯m full of anger.¡± ¡°Mom, did Dad make you angry again? Do you want us to hit him for you?¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but smile in relief. ¡°Good boys. You¡¯re Mom¡¯s little warriors.¡± Davian and Irvinughed and were certain that their dad had bullied their mom just now. They turned to Bruce and made the gesture of Ultraman fighting a monster. Seeing this, Bruce chuckled. ¡°You heartless brats, get lost. Don¡¯t interrupt my romantic time with my wife.¡± ¡°You are so cheeky! ¡°Hurry up and let go of me. I¡¯m going to eat.¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Bruce said. Joanna ignored him and walked towards the dining room with a smile. Bruce followed behind her. When they were about to reach the dining room, the phone in Joanna¡¯s pocket buzzed again. She took out the phone and looked at it. It was Jaydon. Joanna frowned and unwittingly nced at Bruce. It had been more than two months since Jaydonst called her. He must be calling her for something important. Bruce was ying with the children and didn¡¯t notice Joanna¡¯s reaction. ¡°You guys y with Dad. I will go answer the call.¡± ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± After the three kids finished speaking, they yed around Bruce cheerfully again. Although Bruce had mental problems, Joanna still did not want to answer Jaydon¡¯s call in front of him. She left the living room and walked to thewn outside the house. ¡°Hey, Jay!¡± On the other end of the line, Jaydon paused for a few seconds before he spoke, ¡°Joann.¡± Hearing the worry in Jaydon¡¯s voice, Joanna frowned and asked with concern, ¡°Jay, what¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Nothing happened. I¡¯m calling to see if you¡¯ve been doing well recently.¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked back into the house and saw Bruce still ying with the children through therge floor-to-ceiling ss window. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to worry. ¡°What about you? How have you been?¡± Jaydon fell silent again. He was very upset these days. Tim asked him to work in the family business. He did not want to join the family business, but Tim showed no intention topromise. He said he wanted Jaydon to umte experience at work and even made him thepany¡¯s vice president. Grimm Group specialized in three major gambling businesses, thergest of which was managed by Cassius. Now, Tim appointed Jaydon as the vice president of thepany. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he wanted Jaydon to rece Cassius. Chapter 700 Chapter 700 The Grimm family was one of the richest families in Venturas. It wasrge and the rtionship between its members was veryplicated. As a dandy, Tim had many children, most of them from different women. Cassius was Tim¡¯s nominal eldest son. He was outstanding in all aspects and Tim had been treating him as his own son. However, he was not Tim¡¯s biological child after all. When Cassius¡¯s mother married Tim, she was already pregnant. Tim was an open-minded person and did not think it was a big deal for a woman to get pregnant before her marriage, so he epted the child. However, as his health was getting worse, he wanted to hand over the most important business of the Among his five sons, Tim doted on Jaydon the most. Therefore, he put Jaydon in charge of the business he valued the most. During this period of time, Jaydon was not happy working in his familypany. Cassius could tell that his position was in danger, so although he did not show it on the surface, he had already begun to make arrangements secretly. The two brothers had been at odds with each other. Now, they hated each other even more. After a while, Jaydon broke the silence and asked softly, ¡°I heard that Bruce was discharged from the hospital. Is he alright now?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. He is much better now,¡± Joanna replied. Jaydon fell silent again at her words. He wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say. Joanna looked back at the room from time to time because she was afraid that Bruce would get angry when he found out she was talking to Jaydon on the phone. ¡°Jay, do you have anything to tell me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I just¡­ want to hear your voice.¡± When Joanna heard this, she could not help but frown. She had no idea what to say either. Jaydon had taken special care of her over the years just like family. Without his help, Joanna and the children might have died. In a way, Jaydon was their savior. So, it was impossible for Joanna to cut off her rtionship with him and treat him as a stranger. Bruce was ying with the children in the room. Through the ss window, he saw Joanna talking on the phone with someone. She looked gloomy and worried. Judging from her expression, Bruce immediately figured out that the caller might be Jaydon. He was burned with jealousy in an instant. ¡°Dad, catch it!¡± When Bruce was still in a trance, Davian threw the basketball in his hands at him. Bruce did not see the basketball. It hit his face, then fell to the floor. Even so, Bruce did not seem to notice it and was still staring at Joanna talking on the phone. ¡°Dad! Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Bruce looked out of the window with a gloomy face, his gaze unfathomable. ¡°Damn it! Jaydon is clinging to Joanna like sticky candy!¡± he thought angrily. He had to pretend to be an idiot now, or he would definitely snatch the phone from Joanna and curse Jaydon. That scheming man had been trying to seduce his wife. He wished he could break Jaydon¡¯s head with a punch right now. ¡°Jay, take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Okay, you too. If there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t handle, remember to call me. ¡°I will always protect you from behind.¡± Jaydon¡¯s eyes turned red as he spoke. He loved Joanna as much as Bruce. However, he could only let her go. It was because he knew that the person Joanna truly loved was Bruce. When Joanna heard this, she felt even more upset. ¡°If there is nothing else, I will hang up.¡± ¡°Joann¡­¡± Jaydon wanted to say something but hesitated. He still could not bear to hang up. It had been two months since hest saw Joanna and heard her voice. He wrestled with himself mentally for a long time before he finally mustered the courage to call her. He still wanted to talk to her for a while. Even if¡­ it was just a simple conversation about daily life. Bruce stood in the living room and gazed at Joanna in the yard, his eyes shining with murderous intention. He struggled to hold back his anger, but two minutester, Joanna had not hung up yet. He could not take it anymore and rushed into the courtyard. ¡°Honey, who are you talking to?¡± Hearing his voice, Joanna panicked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not talking to anyone.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m hanging up. I¡¯ll call you another day,¡± Joanna said and hurriedly hung up. Bruce¡¯s handsome face turned icy cold. He felt very ufortable and jealous. He could not even fake his signature retarded smile. Joanna hurriedly went forward and coaxed him gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hmph! My wife ignored me, but she¡¯s talking to someone else on the phone!¡± Bruceined, full of anger. ¡°Come on, I have hung up. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Bruce was still angry, rolling his eyes with a grim look. What upset him the most was the ambiguous rtionship between Joanna and Jaydon. Even if they were just friends, he still found it hard to ept it. Chapter 701 Chapter 701 ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna turned to Bruce and studied his expression. ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce snorted and looked away angrily. Overwhelmed with jealousy, he almost lost control of himself. He was a person who knew how to hide his true emotions. Sometimes, when he smiled at someone, it was very likely that he was thinking about how to kill that person. Sometimes, when heshed out at someone, it might be because he cared a lot about that person. Joanna blinked, feeling so helpless. Judging from Bruce¡¯s reaction, she could tell that he was probably angry because he knew that she had just talked to Jaydon on the phone. ¡°This guy must have a grudge against Jaydon in their previous life. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have hated each other so much,¡± Joanna thought. She seriously suspected that the two of them were husband and wife in their previous life, and that was why they became enemies in this life. It was because the theory of causality said that those who were enemies in their previous life would be husband and wife in this life. Joanna now kind of believed in Karma. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s all my fault. I won¡¯t make you angry in the future.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Bruce frowned, his face still gloomy. Joanna knew how much he hated that jerk Jaydon, but she still kept in touch with him. It really pissed him off. Joanna shook his arm and exined, ¡°Jay and I didn¡¯t do anything other than say hi to each other. ¡°Can you not be jealous? Come on, don¡¯t be so narrow-minded!¡± When Bruce heard this, he could not hold back his anger anymore and stopped acting. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll get myself a hot girl and call her every day to say hi to her. Can you stay calm and not be jealous?¡± Joanna was even more surprised when she heard this. She moved closer to Bruce, trying to find some clue on his face. The way he spoke was the same as a normal person. Bruce did not dare to meet her eyes and he simply roll his eyes and pouted to show his unhappiness. Seeing how angry he was, Joanna could not help butugh aloud. ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to him on the phone every day. It has been a long time since hest called me. I thought he might have something urgent to talk to me when I received the call just now, so I picked it up. ¡°I swear Jay and I are just friends. If I really loved him, I would have been with him long ago. ¡°Then I would not have got back together with you. Why are you brooding over it?¡± With that, Joanna let out a sigh. She muttered to herself, ¡°He is not even clear-headed. How can he be so jealous?¡± ¡°It is strange! ¡°But, it seems like even cats and dogs will be jealous. Although he only has an IQ of a three-or-four- year-old, it¡¯s probably normal for him to be jealous.¡± When Bruce heard this, he pursed his lips and felt a little better. However, he was still very angry. He hated Jaydon so much that even hearing his name would drive him crazy. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be angry anymore. ¡°We agreed that we should tolerate and understand each other, right? ¡°It was not long ago. Have you forgotten?¡± Bruce clicked his tongue, and his face softened a little. Indeed, the day before yesterday, he had sworn to himself that he would try to keep his temper in check. He didn¡¯t know why he would lose control of himself so easily today. Moreover, after spending so long with Joanna, Bruce knew well how she felt about him. She really loved him, just like he loved her. No one could break them up again. After pondering for a while, Bruce gradually calmed down. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten it. I got mad because my wife talked to someone else on the phone and ignored me.¡± The next second, the silly look reappeared on Bruce¡¯s face and he seemed to return to the retard. Seeing this, Joanna was stunned again. She felt that something was wrong with Bruce, but she simply could not tell what it was. In any case, he was a little different from thest time he woke up. Although he still looked silly, there was a hint of cunning and mystery in his eyes. She found it hard to figure it out. ¡°Honey, promise me that you won¡¯t call or meet a strange man alone in the future. ¡°Otherwise, I will be angry! You should know what will happen when I¡¯m unhappy.¡± Joanna let out a sigh and smiled helplessly. ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! ¡°Give me a kiss!¡± With that, Bruce lowered his head and moved closer to Joanna¡¯s face. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Joanna kissed him on the cheek. Bruce showed his signature idiotic smile again and kept giggling. In the meanwhile, he told himself to be more generous in the future. ¡°Why do I have to be jealous of Jaydon? There¡¯s nothing great about that bastard. I shouldpletely ignore him just like he doesn¡¯t exist at all.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to the room. I haven¡¯t had anything yet and I¡¯m starving,¡± Joannained. When Bruce heard this, he carefully took her arm and said, ¡°Honey, hurry up and go eat, or you¡¯ll have an upset stomach. ¡°The road is bumpy here. Honey, be careful.¡± Chapter 702 Chapter 702 When Joanna and Bruce got back to the dining room, the food on the table was already cold. Joanna did not think it was a big deal. She picked up the fork and was about to eat. As she was pregnant, she needed to eat immediately when she felt hungry. When Bruce found that the dishes had turned cold, he immediately said to the maid beside him, ¡°Linda, go heat it up. Also, this and this. Heat them all up.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Everett.¡± Joanna frowned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to heat them up¡­¡± However, before she could finish speaking, Bruce interrupted her, ¡°How can that do? You¡¯ll get a stomachache if you eat something cold. ¡°Have some snacks first,¡± Bruce handed her a te of snacks as he spoke. ¡°Uh, alright!¡± Joanna said. After Joanna had lunch, the children gathered around them cheerfully again. Joanna was sitting on the sofa while Bruce was leaning against her intimately. Davian and Irvin kept talking like little birds chirping by Joanna¡¯s side. ¡°That¡¯s great. We have Dad and Mom to y with us today.¡± Irvin asked with a sly smile on his face, ¡°Dad, Mom, it will be our birthday soon. What gift are you preparing for us?¡± Last year, Bruce gave each of the three kids a fund worth billions of dors. Thus, even if Everett Group went bankrupt in the future, the children would be able to livefortably for the rest of their lives. However, the kids were too young to understand their father¡¯s intention and they preferred their birthday gifts to be toys. ¡°You guys¡¯ birthday ising so soon?¡± The three kids nodded in unison. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s already November!¡± ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll definitely prepare some gifts for you when the timees.¡± ¡°Mom, can you tell us what gift you¡¯re going to give us this year? ¡°Last year, Dad gave each of us a document. We can¡¯t eat or y with it. ¡°Don¡¯t fool us this year. It¡¯s best if you buy us toys.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Dad was so stingy that he gave each of us a shitty piece of paper as a birthday gift. Hmph!¡± ¡°I want aptop,¡± Davian then told Joanna the brand of theptop. Theputers of this brand weremonly used by hackers and were equipped with the most advanced hardware. Irvin echoed, ¡°Mom, you promised to buy me a dog previously. Can you buy me one for my birthday this year?¡± ¡°Mom, I like Barbie dolls.¡± ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll buy them for you guys.¡± The kids were overjoyed when they heard that. ¡°Mom is the best. We love you the most.¡± ¡°Dad, look, Mom is much more generous than you. She won¡¯t give us a piece of paper as a birthday gift.¡± Bruce was speechless. The assets he gave each of the children were worth billions of dors, but they couldn¡¯t bepared with a toy in their eyes. Joannaughed out loud. ¡°Fortunately, your dad¡¯s mind is not clear now. ¡°If he returned to normal and heard what you just said, he would probably cough up a mouthful of blood from anger.¡± The kids burst intoughter as well. ¡°We like Dad the way he is now! ¡°At least he¡¯s not as fierce as before and he will y with us.¡± It had been a long time since Joanna wasst so happy. Sheughed so hard that tears almost popped out. Watching themugh, Bruce secretly rolled his eyes andined in his heart. ¡°Hmph! Keepughing. Seems like you guys really think I¡¯m an idiot. ¡°I¡¯ll see if you can stillugh out loud when I suddenly return to normal in front of you one day.¡± Afterughing for a while, Joanna let out a sigh and he pulled Lilia into her arms. Lilia was already more than seven years old. Joanna nned to take her to Gaprington for corrective surgeryst year. However, too many things had happened in the past two years, and until now, she had not had the time to carry out her n yet. ¡°Oh, poor baby.¡± Lilia punched her calf and looked at her mom cutely. ¡°Mom, when will you take me overseas for corrective surgery?¡± Joanna pondered for a few seconds and said seriously, ¡°Well, after the baby is born, Dad and I will take you for the surgery no matter what.¡± ¡°Mom, Lilia will be able to walk normally after the surgery, right?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. The doctor said Lilia had a good chance of recovery.¡± ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great! Our sister can y ser with us then!¡± As Davian spoke, he looked at Joanna¡¯s belly with a serious expression. ¡°Mom, is the baby in your womb a boy or a girl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably a girl,¡± Joanna replied casually. Actually, she did not know the gender of the fetus either. Although she could ask the doctor about it during the prenatal checkup, she did not do so. She did not want to know the child¡¯s gender in advance. ¡°It must be a girl.¡± Irvin blinked his big round eyes and said happily, ¡°I think it¡¯s a girl as well. We all like girls. it must be a girl in mom¡¯s womb. ¡°I think the same way.¡± Joanna smiled and stroked her bulging belly as she spoke. Bruce listened from the side and raised his eyebrows resentfully. He had already secretly asked the doctor. Joanna was having a boy, so his dream of having another considerate daughter was shattered. He would have one more troublemaker. People often said that their sons were born to cause them trouble. It seemed like he would have one more ¡°enemy¡±. ¡°By the way, Mom, have you thought of a name for my little sister?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What should we name her?¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked at Bruce, who had been ignored by the kids, and asked with interest, ¡°Bruce, what do you think?¡± ¡°Uh..¡± Bruce rolled his eyes. ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t we each give our sister a name?¡± ¡°How about Flora?¡± Davian said. When Irvin and Lilia heard this, they said with disgust. ¡°It is too old-fashioned.¡± ¡°Well, her sister¡¯s name is Lilia. How about we call her Dara?¡± ¡°Dara?¡± Joanna raised an eyebrow. The name sounded a little like Lilia. It was not bad. Of course, it was a nickname. They would give the baby an official nameter. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. When Bruce heard this, he scratched his head resentfully. The child was about to be born, so it was time to give him a name. Davian and Irvin had already changed their surnames back to Haynes, and Bruce¡¯s grandmother especially asked a wizard to name them. Bruce had already thought of a name for the baby. He wanted to call him Jaime. Although it sounded a little old-fashioned, the meaning behind it was ¡°May God protect.¡± Chapter 703 Chapter 703 ¡°I need to think it over.¡± The three kids were still discussing cheerfully. ¡°Her nickname is Dara. That¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s give her a formal name.¡± Looking at their smiling faces, Joanna could not help but smile gently. At this moment, she felt very satisfied. If it weren¡¯t for thepany¡¯s troubles, she would be able to live happily with her family, then she would have nothing to ask for. Now that Bruce had just been discharged from the hospital, he couldn¡¯t stand too much noise and had headaches again. ¡°Hiss!¡± He frowned and reflexively held his head. Seeing that, Joanna hurriedly asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have a headache?¡± ¡°Well, kind of.¡± Joanna grew tense instantly and the smile on her face disappeared. ¡°Come on, go back to our room to have a rest. I¡¯ll get the family doctor here right now.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m going back to our room. I¡¯ll be fine after a nap.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Okay, okay. Sweethearts, be quiet. Dad has just been discharged from the hospital. Don¡¯t make him too tired.¡± ¡°Oh, got it.¡± The kids stopped shouting immediately and did not dare to make a sound anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to our room.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while. It¡¯s rare for the kids to have a break. You should spend more time with them.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Bruce got up and walked to the room upstairs, without saying anything else. ¡°Mom, is Dad alright?¡± ¡°Dad has just been discharged from the hospital. He is still very weak.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to our room. Don¡¯t disturb Dad¡¯s rest.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go to our room,¡± Davian and Irvin said in unison. ¡°Okay.¡± Joanna stood up and went to Davian and Irvin¡¯s room with the kids. It had been a long time since shest checked the children¡¯s homework. Besides, she got them into many extra-curricr activities. She wondered if their academic performance regressed. Since she was free today, she wanted to check what the children had learned recently. Bruce returned to his room andy down for a while, but he could not fall asleep. He then sent a message to Darcy and asked him to wait for him in the study. Five minutester, Darcy walked into the study with a respectful expression. At this moment, Bruce was sitting behind the desk with a gloomy face. ¡°Mr. Everett, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°I asked you to investigate Liam. Did you find anything?¡± Darcy frowned. ¡°Mr. Everett, the investigation is almost over. ¡°During this period of time, Liam embezzled hundreds of millions of dors from thepany and even nned to sell Belle Building, ¡°A few of thepany¡¯s shareholders are on his side. Some time ago, Miss Haynes managed the ¡°But after what happened to you, Miss Haynes never went to thepany, so Liam took over everything.¡± When Bruce heard this, his face was terrifyingly gloomy. ¡°Now, thepany is a mess again. The shareholders are all trying to cash out.¡± ¡°Tell Mr. Jameson that we must lose thiswsuit and let Liam get my custody!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± ¡°Also, spread the rumors that there will be an equity carve-out for Everett Group, and its subsidiary Hartfield Enterprise might be delisting.¡± ¡°Huh? But this will cause thepany¡¯s share price to plummet.¡± Bruce sneered. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to happen to Hartfield Enterprise.¡± Darcy looked puzzled when he heard this. However, he did not dare to ask further and only nodded respectfully. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Hartfield Enterprise was the most important listedpany under Everett Group, and most of Everett Group¡¯s shareholders had shares in thepany. Bruce wanted to let Liam be the most powerful man in thepany before making thepany¡¯s shares plummet. Then people would believe that Hartfield Enterprise was about to be delisted. At that time, the shareholders and investors would definitely sell their shares. Bruce would buy all the shares at the lowest price. In that case, he would be able to kick out the other shareholders andpletely control Hartfield Enterprise. While the two of them were chatting, the door was pushed open. Joanna walked into the study. She had just returned to their room to check on Bruce. Seeing that he was not in the room, she guessed that he might be in the study. Sure enough, he was in the study. Seeing Darcy, Joanna was even more confused. ¡°Darcy, why are you here?¡± Darcy rarely came to the study. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to¡­¡± Darcy looked anxious, not knowing how to exin it. ¡°Honey, why are you back? I asked Darcy to find something for me.¡± Bruce giggled and walked up to Joanna. Joanna was stunned. Over the past few days, Darcy and Bruce seemed to have gotten much closer. She had bumped into them a few times when they were talking alone. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but they looked mysterious. Such a thing had never happened before. Darcy quickly walked out. ¡°I¡¯m going. Tell me if there¡¯s anything you want me to do.¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Hey, what were you looking for just now? Did you find it? Tell me and I¡¯ll help him find it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found it!¡± Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Joanna was still a little puzzled and asked curiously, ¡°What exactly are you looking for?¡± ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m just looking for¡­¡± Bruce began chuckling. ¡°What exactly are you looking for?¡± ¡°Ouch, my head hurts!¡± Bruce said as Bruce pretended to brace his head in pain. ¡°No, I have to hurry back to the room and lie down. Perhaps my brain doesn¡¯t have enough blood Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. supply. I¡¯m so dizzy!¡± Joanna looked at Bruce in confusion, trying to deduce something from Bruce¡¯s face. Bruce stuck out his tongue at Joanna and blew saliva bubbles, looking extremely stupid. Joanna shook her head speechlessly at this sight. When Bruce woke up this time, it seemed as though Bruce¡¯s brain was fine sporadically. Sometimes, Bruce¡¯s logic was very clear when spoken to. At those times, Bruce did not look like a fool at all. At other times, that notion would be dispelled at once when Joanna saw that Bruce had a stupid expression on. ¡°You just said that you have a headache. Why did youe to the study instead of sleeping in your room?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling better. I¡¯ll go back to sleep now.¡± Joanna did not want to ask any more questions. ¡°Then quickly go back to your room and lie down!¡± Bruce smiled foolishly and hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder affectionately. ¡°Honey, can you take an afternoon nap with me?¡± ¡°No, I still have things to do.¡± ¡°No! If you don¡¯t sleep with me, I won¡¯t be able to sleep!¡± Bruce said and shook Joanna¡¯s shoulders like a clingy child. ¡°Honey, sleep with me!¡± Joanna had no choice but topromise. Joanna sighed. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do with you.¡± Bruce grinned. ¡°I knew my wife would treat me the best.¡± Joanna heaved a long sigh and could only follow Bruce back to the room. Upon returning to the bedroom, Joanna looked at the time and realized it was already past two in the afternoon. It would be good to rest for half an hour. ¡°Honey, you lie on the outside. I¡¯ll lie on the inside!¡± Bruce mindfullyy on the inner edge of the bed and gave the empty space on the outside to Joanna. In the past, Bruce always slept on the outside. Bruce preferred to hold Joanna tightly in his arms when he slept. Although Joanna would be so hot she would sweat, Joanna couldn¡¯t break free from Bruce¡¯s embrace. Now that this bastard was not clear-headed, he knew how to be considerate and gentle. Joanna alsoy down. ¡°Sleep well. Your brain is injured now. You have to sleep more to recover.¡± As Joanna spoke, she patted Bruce¡¯s shoulder gently as if she was coaxing a child. Joanna nned to take a half-hour nap after coaxing Bruce to sleep. Joanna still had to go through a few documents when Joanna woke upter. During this period, Joanna had been taking care of Bruce in the hospital and did not have the time to inquire about thepany. Liam must have made plenty of trouble for Joanna behind her back again. Then there was still thewsuit. Joanna had to do her homework in advance so that Joanna wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard on the spot. Brucey down, but he was feeling frustrated. Bruce really couldn¡¯t¡­ take it anymore. Honey¡­ Bruce mumbled, his voice tiny like a mosquito. Joanna looked at Bruce with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not feeling too good!¡± When Joanna heard this, Joanna propped up her body and checked the wound on Bruce¡¯s head. ¡°Where do you feel ufortable? Is it a headache?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t say anything. Bruce just looked at Joanna with burning eyes. At the same time, Bruce¡¯srge hands began to wander up and down Joanna¡¯s body restlessly. ¡°If I didn¡¯t try, how would I know that my wife wouldn¡¯t agree? ¡°What if¡­ Joanna agree to it?¡± Bruce thought. There was a pause. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No! ¡°The doctor said we can¡¯t sleep together in thest three months beforebor. ¡°The baby is already more than seven months old. What if you hurt the baby?¡± ¡°But I feel terrible!¡± Bruce said aggrievedly. Bruce¡¯s eyes were filled with intense desire. ¡°How about¡­¡± As he spoke, Bruce looked at Joanna¡¯s cherry-colored lips meaningfully. Joanna instantly understood what Bruce meant. Joanna pinched Bruce¡¯s shoulder twice in anger. ¡°Bastard, shameless! ¡°Shameless!¡± This damn bastard was far too vile. Although it was normal for a husband and wife to be physically intimate, Joanna sincerely disliked these intimacies from the bottom of her heart. In the past, when this bastard was in the mood, he would also strongarm his way through. However, on the whole, Bruce did not do anything too outrageous. Seeing that Joanna had such a big reaction, Bruce frowned and went for the next best thing. ¡°Then¡­ Can you use your hand?¡± When Joanna heard this, she was even more speechless! ¡°Bastard, will it kill you to rein it in?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bruce nodded honestly. Bruce had never been abstinent. These matters were as essential to Bruce as eating and sleeping. It would be as difficult for a wolf that was used to eating meat to switch to eating grass suddenly. Joanna¡¯s face instantly turned red as Joanna struggled to sit up. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m impressed. ¡°You¡¯ve nearly died and you¡¯re still thinking about this every day.¡± Seeing that Joanna was angry, Bruce admitted defeat in a second. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, honey!¡± Bruce began wailing. ¡°I-I won¡¯t dare to do it again. ¡°I¡¯m going straight to sleep, okay?¡± Bruce made a pitiful and stupid expression once more, pouting like a child. It was very difficult to appease Joanna once Joanna became angry. Bruce felt that he waspletely under Joanna¡¯s control. Seeing that Joanna was angry, Bruce¡¯s heart would involuntarily clench. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t get angry so easily. I only want to do it with you because I love you! ¡°Besides, I¡¯m only asking you. Even if you don¡¯t agree, I wouldn¡¯t say anything either!¡± Joanna made a loud noise, her facial expression icy. Joanna really couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why was Bruce so¡­ interested in it?¡± Joanna thought. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be angry! Don¡¯t be angry anymore! ¡°In the future, I-I¡¯ll go to the washroom to settle it myself. Is that okay?¡± Joanna rolled her eyes again, not knowing what to say. As Bruce¡¯s wife, Joanna had the obligation to help him. Even if the two of them did not remarry, their rtionship was no different from that of a married couple. Moreover, some wives were more adventurous in bed. The most important thing was, Joanna was really reserved and a bit resistant to it. It was probably trauma left from Joanna¡¯s past. Seeing that Joanna was still silent, Bruce became even more nervous. From time to time, Bruce would nudge Joanna¡¯s shoulder with his head. ¡°Darling wife, don¡¯t be angry, okay? ¡°I won¡¯t dare to do it again¡­¡± After a while, Joanna sighed softly. Then, Joanna unbuttoned her pajamas. ¡°You have to be careful. You can¡¯t be like before!¡± Although Joanna was more than seven months pregnant, it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem if they were careful, as long as it wasn¡¯t rough or endlessly long. Bruce¡¯s eyes widened as Bruce looked at Joanna in disbelief. Bruce didn¡¯t think that Joanna would agree! ¡°See, this was why one had to ask. Otherwise, how would one know it would be possible?¡± Bruce thought to himself. ¡°Really, honey? Can I?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes could not help but light up with surprise. Joanna looked at Bruce tenderly and did not say anything. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Bruce lowered his head and carefully kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead. Chapter 705 Chapter 705 It had probably been a long time since Bruce had touched Joanna. Although Bruce was very restrained, he was still a little rash. However, overall, Bruce was still exceptionally gentle and careful. Fifteen minutester, a satisfied Bruce kissed Joanna¡¯s forehead. If Joanna wasn¡¯t pregnant, Bruce definitely wouldn¡¯t have finished in such a short time. However, Joanna was pregnant now, and Bruce was afraid he would hurt Joanna. Thus, Bruce could only take a nibble. Even so, it felt amazing and wonderful. It was an entirely different experience Bruce had never felt before. ¡°Honey, I love you! ¡°Do you love me?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes burned. Joanna blushed and could not help but shyly ducked her head. Joanna had always been very reserved when expressing her feelings. Joanna was not as intense and passionate as Bruce. ¡°Answer me, do you love me?¡± Joanna blushed and replied simply, ¡°I do.¡± Bruce smiled dotingly. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I love you very much!¡± Joanna said as Joanna gently hugged Bruce¡¯s neck. Bruce smiled mischievously again. ¡°How much do you love me?¡± Joanna pursed her lips, speechless at Bruce¡¯s redundant question. ¡°Should I write an essay for you? Describe it in detail?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. You just have to tell me how much you love me.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes darkened. Joanna did not want to answer Bruce¡¯s rhetorical and corny questions anymore. ¡°Get lost now. Don¡¯t lie on top of me.¡± This bastard always liked to ask embarrassing and rhetorical questions. Moreover, there was no end to the questions once Bruce began. It was too shameful for Joanna to answer. ¡°Honey, tell me, how much do you love me?¡± ¡°Not at all. Now get lost.¡± Joanna pushed Bruce away. Then, Joanna got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Joanna had to clean herself up. ¡°Honey, tell me how much you love me.¡± ¡°Go away. Can you stop bothering me?¡± ¡°Tell me and I won¡¯t bother you!¡± Bruce followed Joanna to the bathroom. Joannaughed in exasperation and replied half-heartedly, ¡°I love you very much. You¡¯re my darling, my precious little sweetie. Is that alright?¡± Bruceughed. ¡°You¡¯re my darling too. ¡°Honey, I hope we¡¯ll always be so loving, sweet, and happy.¡± As Bruce spoke, Bruce wrapped his arms around Joanna from behind and rested his head on Joanna¡¯s shoulder. When Joanna heard this, goosebumps appeared all over her body. Joanna was different from other women. Other women might enjoy hearing sweet nothings and romantic words from men. However, when Joanna heard them, Joanna felt incredibly cheesy. ¡°Stop it. I need to take a shower.¡± After cleaning up, both of them went back to bed and fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms. By this time, Joanna was really tired. In any case, every time Joanna was intimate with Bruce, Joanna would feel extremely tired, as if her energy had been sucked away by Bruce. This time, although Bruce was very gentle and careful, Joanna could not help but feel exhausted and weak. Joanna had initially nned to take a half-hour nap. However, Joanna ended up sleeping till the afternoon. Bruce did not sleep much. Bruce only slept for less than twenty minutes and was full of energy. Bruce¡¯s stamina had always been shockingly abundant. This was in addition to Bruce¡¯s injury and his still-weak condition. In the past, Bruce would not have needed to take a nap. Bruce looked at Joanna, who was still sleeping soundly. Bruce gently yed with Joanna¡¯s hair, his eyes filled with gentleness. ¡°Indeed, being with the person you love feels so blissful,¡± Bruce thought. ¡°Perhaps this is what it means for two people to love each other to the day they die.¡± Bruce was tenderly looking forward to their future. Beep! An imperceptible alert for an iing message sounded. Bruce¡¯s expression changed slightly at once. Bruce immediately stood up, got off the bed, and went to a counter at the side. Bruce opened the drawer and took out an ancient phone. This phone was a very old model. Besides being able to answer calls, it had almost no smart functions. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Bruce had broken countless phones in a year. However, this was the only phone that had been cherished and kept in the drawer for ten years. It was always charged, and its bills were paid on time. Of course, these old phone models had a very long battery life. Sometimes, even if it had only been charged once every two to three months, the battery would still be full. The phone number had never been changed too, and there was only one person¡¯s number in the contact list. Bruce was a little excited because this phone had not rung for fifteen years. Bruce quickly checked the phone. There was only one message on it. Bruce¡¯s hands were trembling as Bruce hurriedly opened the message. [Bruce, how are you doing? I¡¯ll be back in the country next month. Is it convenient for us to meet?] After reading the message, Bruce was petrified and did not recover for a long time. Bruce had waited for 15 years. Aria Bridges had finallye to look for him. Bruce held the phone tightly, his brows furrowed. When Bruce was eight years old, he was sent overseas to study at the Royal Academy in Antlen. During that time, Bruce had his first and short romantic rtionship. When Bruce was sixteen years old, his family was met with misfortune, and Bruce was forced to return home to study while taking over the family business. Left with no choice, the two of them could only separate. Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Of course, there was also a deep misunderstanding between both of them. Back then, Bruce had asked Aria to return to the country with him. However, Aria rejected Bruce and chose to break up with Bruce. The failure of Bruce¡¯s first love and the changes in his family circumstances had dealt a heavy blow to Bruce¡¯s heart. Bruce had always been an arrogant person. If the other party did not contact him, Bruce would not make the first contact. Therefore, Bruce had not contacted Aria for many years. Bruce stared at his phone silently for a long time. Bruce still didn¡¯t reply in the end. Bruce put the phone back into the drawer. Let bygones be bygones. Bruce and Joanna had finallye this far. Bruce would never let anyone ruin it. ¡°What time is it?¡± Joanna asked in a daze after waking up. Seeing that Joanna was awake, Bruce immediately closed the drawer. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already past five.¡± This drawer had a fingerprint and password lock. Once it was closed, it was equivalent to being locked. Other than Bruce, no one could open it. Bruce did not have to worry that Joanna would discover his secret. Furthermore, Joanna would never touch his personal belongings. ¡°Oh my, have I slept for two hours?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and yawned as Joanna sat up in bed. Joanna was still nning to deal with thepany¡¯s documents. Joanna didn¡¯t expect herself to sleep for more than two hours. ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t have to work so hard. ¡°I saw that you have been working too hard, so I wanted you to sleep a little longer. Look at you, you¡¯re already seven months pregnant, but you¡¯re still so thin,¡± Bruce said as he hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulder, his heart aching. Indeed, after Joanna got pregnant, her belly was the only thing that got bigger. Joanna¡¯s arms and legs didn¡¯t gain much weight at all. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Honey¡­¡± Bruce wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°What happened?¡± Bruce smiled foolishly. ¡°No, nothing.¡± Sensing the change in Bruce, Joanna looked into Bruce¡¯s eyes curiously. ¡°Why are you acting weird? Your eyes are red. Did you cry just now?¡± ¡°No! Why would I cry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because I just woke up. That¡¯s why my eyes are red!¡± Bruce pretended to rub his eyes. Joanna heard Bruce and did not ask any more questions. Joanna yawned, stretched, and prepared to get up. ¡°Why don¡¯t I go downstairs and see how the kids are doing?¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡± At the same time, L found another opportunity and came alone to meet Evan. Evan had been recuperating for more than a month. Although his fracture had healed, Evan could only shuffle slowly and could not do anything vigorous. ¡°L, how is it? How far have things progressed?¡± L smiled smugly. ¡°The trial will start next Tuesday.¡± ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems this time.¡± ¡°Bruce haspletely be a retard. He actually wants to go home with the old man. The heavens are really helping us. When the timees, the judge will definitely award Bruce¡¯s custody to the old man.¡± When Evan heard this, his eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s great. As long as we get custody of Bruce, we¡¯ll be one step closer to sess! ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. I want to see the mes of victory!¡± Lughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can.¡± ¡°L, this is all thanks to you. Don¡¯t worry. When we get Bruce¡¯s assets, I¡¯ll definitely take you far away.¡± When L heard this, her face instantly fell. L stammered, ¡°Evan, I¡¯m pregnant!¡± Evan was stunned. Evan stared at L in disbelief. There was a strange light in L¡¯s eyes. L couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time. No matter what, L would give birth to this child. Evan was currently recuperating now. When Evanpletely recovered, who knew when L would be able to get pregnant with Evan¡¯s child? Moreover, if L really had a child with Evan, Liam would skin them alive if Liam found out. Therefore, after thinking about it, L decided that it was more appropriate to give birth to Liam¡¯s child. ¡°Who? Whose?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. L looked at Evan bitterly. ¡°Whose else could it be?¡± When Evan heard this, his face instantly turned red. Evan had been recuperating during this period of time and had no chance to touch L at all. The child could only belong to his father. ¡°The child belongs to the old man, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Evan was instantly enraged. ¡°L, didn¡¯t I promise you I would have children with you? ¡°How can you have a child with the old man? Hurry up and abort this child. We can¡¯t let this child ruin our n.¡± When L heard this, her heart ached. ¡°Evan, I can¡¯t wait anymore. I¡¯m already 32 years old this year and about to turn 33. I have already reached advanced maternal age. I really can¡¯t wait for you anymore. ¡°No matter what, I have to give birth to a child to safeguard myself in the future. I told you a long time ago, but you were the one who disagreed. I had no choice but to go to the old man.¡± Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Evan felt as if he had swallowed a few flies. Evan already had two step-siblings who would take away more than half of his inheritance in the future. Evan was already very dissatisfied with that. Now L would give birth to a younger brother who would also fight with Evan for the family inheritance. ¡°I really have to hand it to you. Is there something wrong with your brain? Have you gone crazy from wanting a child?¡± When L heard this, her heart turned cold. L¡¯s eyes stared coldly at Evan¡¯s angry face. ¡°Hurry up and abort the child. This child can¡¯t be born,¡± Evan said angrily and impatiently. Evan struggled to get up from the bed, grabbed L¡¯s shoulder, and shook L with all his might. ¡°We definitely can¡¯t have this child. If you give birth to my younger brother, then what about us? ¡°How can I be with you in the future? Don¡¯t you want to marry me?¡± When L heard this, she could not help but sneer. ¡°Impossible. I won¡¯t abort this child no matter what. The old man already knows that I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s impossible for me to abort the child.¡± ¡°You!¡± Evan was so angry that he could not say anything. Evan paced in circles in frustration. L knew very well that Evan would not marry her. Even if Evan was really willing to marry her, with their current rtionship, what would people think of them? Although L loved Evan, L knew that love was not everything. L had met Evan when L was twenty-four years old and had always dreamed of marrying Evan. Unfortunately, Evan made L marry his father. For many years, Evan had made L fight for the family assets on his behalf. Evan had made L deal with his second stepmother and her children. ¡°L, what do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I just want a child. That¡¯s all. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you many times that I want to have a child with you. You¡¯re the one who keeps dragging it out. You¡¯re the one who refuses to have a child with me.¡± As L spoke, there was a hint of piercing grief in L¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer. I¡¯m too old to dy any longer.¡± Evan took a deep breath and red at L fiercely. ¡°Then have you thought about our future? What will happen after the child is born?¡± ¡°So what? The old man would take care of me. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Evan could not help but snort a few times. ¡°You¡¯re really something.¡± Hearing his snorts of derision, L¡¯s heart turned even colder. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been used by you throughout these years. Shouldn¡¯t I make some ns for myself now?¡± Evan said sarcastically. Evan pushed L onto the sofa and wrapped his hands around L¡¯s neck. ¡°The so-called n for yourself is to give birth to a younger brother for me, right? So that you can have a share of my inheritance in the future?¡± L couldn¡¯t breathe, so L did her best to push Evan away. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let go¡­¡± L coughed out. Seeing L¡¯s face turned red, Evan let go resentfully. ¡°I truly didn¡¯t expect you to betray me like this.¡± L coughed and panted for a long time until L regained her breath. ¡°Evan, you lunatic. Are you trying to strangle me?¡± ¡°I think you need to be taught a lessontely,¡± Evan said fiercely. Evan wanted to push L down and tower over L like before. Then¡­ Evan would proceed to conquer L ruthlessly. Unfortunately, Evan¡¯s waist had yet to recover. As Evan bent over and was about to get his hands on L, the area where 1/4 10:22 his lumbar vertebra was fractured began to hurt again. With his waist hurting, Evan lost his desire. Evan could only grit his teeth and support his waist as Evan staggered and fell on the sofa beside him. Seeing this, L sneered. This was the man L had loved for more than ten years. When Evan heard that L was pregnant, Evan immediately revealed his true evil character. More than ten years of L¡¯s youth were wasted. ¡°You can say whatever you want. Anyway, I¡¯ve decided that I must have this child. ¡°Whether you agree or not, I won¡¯t abort this child,¡± L said firmly. Evan¡¯s waist hurt terribly. Evan drew in a few deep breaths to assuage the pain, yet Evan was so furious he felt like vomiting blood. Evan initially thought he could control the chess piece that L was for the rest of his life. Evan never expected that the chess piece would turn on him, that there would be a time when Evan could not control her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are letting me down by doing this? Have you considered my feelings? Or are you no longer in love with me?¡± L took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve followed you for many years and helped with many things. I think I¡¯ve done enough for you. On the other hand, what have you given me? ¡°The old man gave me everything I eat, use, wear, and live in. You only know how to weave me a fantasy and use me to charm the old man. ¡°Have you ever loved me? You haven¡¯t! You¡¯repletely using me.¡± The more L spoke, the more agitated L became. L vented all the grievances and dissatisfaction in her heart. ¡°L, how can you say that? If I didn¡¯t love you, I wouldn¡¯t have nned for our future.¡± L could not help but snort when L heard that. If Evan really loved her, Evan wouldn¡¯t have sent her to Liam. However, L had always fantasized about leaving Liam in the future and marrying Evan. But now, L finally recognized the reality. Seeing L¡¯s resolute attitude, Evan could only suppress the anger in his heart and quickly change his tone to coax L. ¡°Alright, alright. Since you want to have a child, go ahead! ¡°However, don¡¯t forget what you have to do. You have to keep an eye on the old man. Don¡¯t stop.¡± When L heard this, L felt even more upset and closed her eyes in anger. ¡°This selfish man was still thinking of using me. Had Evan ever been sincere to me?¡± L thought to herself. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Take good care of yourself!¡± As L spoke, L picked up her bag and prepared to leave. ¡°L, don¡¯t forget our ultimate goal!¡± ¡°When weplete our ultimate goal and obtain Bruce¡¯s assets, we can-¡± L looked back and said jokingly to Evan, ¡°What about us?¡± Evan averted his gaze. Evan could noveven make up a lie anymore. ¡°When L gives birth to my younger brother, it¡¯s not like I can treat the kid as my son, right?¡± After a while, L¡¯s tears finally gave up and flowed down her cheeks. L said sadly, ¡°Evan, I love you. I love you very much. ¡°However, I know that it¡¯s impossible for us to be together. It¡¯s time for me to wake up from my ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to do what you want me to do. But from today on, our rtionship ends here. ¡°The old man treats me very well, and he is looking forward to the child in my tummy. We should return to our respective positions and not continue like this,¡± dream. Evan rolled his eyes. Inside, Evan¡¯s heart was about to explode. Naturally, what Evan felt for L could not be true love. It was just that Evan was used to controlling L. Evan was used to L looking up to him. Evan also liked how L understood men and waspatible in bed with him.. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 ¡°You¡¯re on your own! I¡¯m leaving.¡± L did not say anything else. L turned around and left resolutely. In the past, L really couldn¡¯t part with Evan. L really loved Evan to the point of insanity. For each night L was with Evan, L only grew more infatuated. But now, as L grew older, L became more and more uneasy. It was especially so after L married Liam. L had already sessfully be a wealthydy and enjoyed the envy and admiration of ordinary people. If L¡¯s rtionship with her stepson were exposed, what awaited L would be eternal damnation. L could be impulsive when she was young, but at her age, L was no longer allowed to make a mistake. Therefore, while she was pregnant, L decided to break up with Evan, even though L was still reluctant to part with Evan. Upon reaching home, Liam, who happened to be home from work too, saw L carrying bags of purchases. Liam hurriedly went forward to help L with them. ¡°Honey, where did yo you go?¡± L put on a sweet and pleasant look. ¡°Oh, I just went for a walk and bought some baby products.¡± ¡°Just let the maids buy these things. Why do you have to tire yourself out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more reassuring to go by myself. I can also choose what I like. At the same time, I can exercise more.¡± L smiled charmingly at Liam. Liam chuckled. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± Liam happily took the things from L¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you, hubby!¡± After L spoke, she kissed Liam¡¯s face coquettishly. Liam had a satisfied smile on his face. Even though Liam was already in his fifties, Liam would have a child again soon. One could imagine how much Liam doted on this little wife. ¡°Honey, thewsuit is next week. How confident are you? ¡°Should we go to the Everett family again? Should we get in touch with Bruce again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thewyer is fully prepared this time. The odds are good.¡± When L heard this, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed withughter. ¡°Yes, when we get custody of Bruce, we¡¯ll be able topletely control the Everett Group. At that time, my husband will be Greyport¡¯s richest man.¡± Liam frowned and could not help but take a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s hope thewsuit goes well!¡± Although Liam did not have much kinship with Bruce, Bruce was still his sister¡¯s only son. However, Bruce had always spoken coldly to Liam. Now that Bruce was in this state, Liam would take over everything. At the same time, Liam would take good care of Bruce. No matter what, Liam could not let the Everett family¡¯s assets fall into the hands of outsiders. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Don¡¯t let it affect your mood!¡± ¡°Got it, honey. I¡¯ll go cook dinner for you now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Let the maid cook!¡± L smiled gently and said coquettishly, ¡°No, I enjoy cooking for my dearest honey!¡± When Liam heard this, his mood improved further. Liamughed. ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything about you.¡± The reason why L was able to edge out Liam¡¯s previous wife and sessfully be the next Mrs. Miller was not simply because of L¡¯s beauty. Since knowing Liam, L learned various skills such as coffeemaking, culinary, flower arrangements, piano, dance, and more. L learned almost everything she could. L treated Liam like she was serving the king. L had to do everything herself. Otherwise, Liam Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. would not have doted on this little wife so much. At Sherane Bay Vi, at ten o¡¯clock in the evening, Joanna was ready to sleep after washing up. Because Joanna had slept for more than two hours in the afternoon, Joanna had insomnia. Bruce was very well-behaved today. Brucey on the bed obediently and slept on his side. He did not move or stick to Joanna. Bruce had closed his eyes seemed to be in a deep sleep. Joanna worked for a while more. It was already half past ten. Joanna yawned and turned off the lights to sleep. and In the past, no matter howte it was, Bruce would wait for Joanna to sleep. Bruce even insisted that Joannay on his arm. It was rare to see Bruce as honest as he was today. Joanna did not think too much about it. After lying down for a while, Joanna fell asleep. After Joanna fell asleep, Bruce opened his eyes. Bruce¡¯s handsome face was shrouded in a mask of gloom and mncholy. Bruce was recalling many things from the past. Bruce remembered the times when Bruce was still a student and when Bruce was with Aria. Bruce really didn¡¯t expect Aria to contact him. At midnight, Bruce still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Bruce quietly got up and walked to the drawer, Bruce quietly opened the drawer and took out the phone. Bruce was a little hesitant, not knowing if he should reply to the message. Joanna slept. However, when Joanna turned over, there was no support for her arm. ¡°Where are you?¡± Joanna groggily reached out for Bruce. There was indeed no one beside her. ¡°Did you go to the toilet?¡± Joanna rubbed her eyes and opened them to take a look. Bruce was not in the room. Joanna nced at the bathroom again. The lights were not on, so Bruce was probably not in the bathroom either. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Joanna wondered. Joanna was worried. Joanna put on slippers and prepared to look for Bruce. Just as Joanna was about to leave the room, Joanna realized that the balcony door was open. Bruce stood on the balcony, his tall silhouette looking very lonely. Joanna frowned and felt even more puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Joanna thought. Joanna walked quietly to Bruce¡¯s side. If Bruce wasn¡¯t sleeping in the middle of the night, Joanna wanted to see what he was up to. { Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Bruce was so engrossed in his thoughts that Bruce did not notice Joanna walking toward him. Joanna stopped when she was about to reach Bruce. ¡°Is he sleepwalking?¡± Joanna wondered. Joanna noticed that Bruce was motionless. Joanna¡¯s heart tightened. Joanna thought that Bruce was sleepwalking and did not dare to rm him rashly. If Bruce was really sleepwalking, Joanna had to watch him carefully. Joanna couldn¡¯t wake Bruce up lightly and had to wait till Bruce went back to bed by himself. ¡°He didn¡¯t have any symptoms of sleepwalking in the past! What is he doing?¡± Joanna pondered. Curious, Joanna took two steps closer to see if Bruce was sleepwalking. Bruce was lost in his thoughts when his ears pricked up as Bruce heard someone approaching from behind. Bruce turned around in an instant. His right hand reflexively formed an eagle hook, and his left elbow Joanna let out a scream. Taken by surprise, Joanna was almost tackled by him. Joanna staggered a few steps backward and began to fall. Bruce came back to his senses and hurriedly lunged towards Joanna, reaching out to grab Joanna¡¯s waist. With a strong tug, Bruce pulled Joanna into his arms. Joanna was still in shock. Her heart was pounding in fear.. Fortunately, Joanna did not fall to the ground. Otherwise, Joanna would have suffered a miscarriage. When Joanna had been pregnant with the triplets, Joanna had fallen in the washroom and nearly had a miscarriage. It had caused Joanna to hemorrhage. Joanna had never known Bruce¡¯s reflexes to be so lethal. Bruce was also terrified. ¡°Honey, are you alright?¡± The phone fell to the ground with a crash. However, Bruce couldn¡¯t care less about his phone. Bruceforted Joanna frightfully. Joanna calmed herself down and asked unhurriedly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± There was a sh in Bruce¡¯s eyes, and Bruce instantly regained his mask of a fool. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I stayed here to look at the stars.¡± ¡°Stargazing?¡± Joanna was clearly in disbelief! ¡°That¡¯s right! Looking at the stars, they twinkle¡­¡± Joanna subconsciously looked at the sky. It was a cloudy day. Dark clouds covered the sky, and there were no stars at all. At the same time, Joanna realized that something had fallen to the ground! ¡°What dropped?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing!¡± Bruce quickly picked up the phone and held it tightly in his hand. Joanna¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What are you holding? Let me take a look.¡± ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± Bruce looked a little flustered.. There was only one person¡¯s phone number saved in the phone. If Joanna saw it, it would be disastrous. When Joanna was angry, she could not easily be appeased with just a few words. Seeing Bruce¡¯s nervous expression, Joanna was even more curious about the object in Bruce¡¯s hand. ¡°What is it? Hurry up and show it to me.¡± Bruce took a step back. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing!¡± Joanna frowned and became a little angry. ¡°Hurry up and bring it over for me to see!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Joanna hated it the most when Bruce Everett hid and lied to her. The more Bruce refused to let her see, the more Joanna wanted to know what it was. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. Honey, hurry up and go back to your room to sleep. I¡¯m so sleepy!¡± Bruce said and pretended to yawn. Then, Bruce put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulders and tried to coax Joanna into the bedroom. Joanna looked unhappy and stared at Bruce with a hint of anger in her eyes. If Bruce didn¡¯t show her what it was today, no one would be able to sleep today. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing¡­¡± ¡°Bring it here. I¡¯ll say it onest time.¡± Seeing that Joanna was furious, Bruce couldn¡¯t fool her anymore: Bruce could only hand the phone over guiltily. ¡°Alright, alright, here you go. You can a look!¡± Joanna took the phone and looked at it. It was an ancient phone that would only be used in thest century. Joanna tried to turn on the phone, but it was no longer functioning. Seeing this, Bruce inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. The phone had fallen to the ground just now, and now it was broken. ¡°What are you doing with such an old phone? Why didn¡¯t you sleep in the middle of the night? Why did youe to the balcony!¡± ¡°No, nothing! I just had a dream about my mother. I wanted to call my mommy.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes sparkled! ¡°Is this your mother¡¯s phone?¡± In the meantime, Bruce was searching for a reasonable exnation. When Bruce heard Joanna, he immediately went with the flow. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! My mother left this for me. She said that if I miss her, I can call her.¡± Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Joanna believed Bruce and looked at Bruce with pity and heartache. Seeing Joanna¡¯s face softened, Bruce immediately squeezed out a child-like aggrieved expression but inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Honey, I miss Mommy so much. I broke Mommy¡¯s phone. I can¡¯t call her anymore.¡± After saying that, Bruce pretended to cry. Bruce¡¯s ability to adapt to situations was absolutely amazing. Bruce¡¯s acting skills were also top-notch. It was a waste of talent that Bruce didn¡¯t win an Oscar. Seeing Bruce like this, Joanna felt even more guilty. ¡°Be good. It¡¯s okay. It will be okay. We¡¯ll take this phone to repair tomorrow. When it¡¯s fixed, you can continue using it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s okay that the phone is broken. When I miss Mommy, I tell the stars in the sky. ¡°Mommy said that she would be a star in the sky. When I miss Mommy, I only have to look up at the stars, and it¡¯s the same as seeing Mommy.¡± When Joanna heard this, Joanna felt even more upset. Joanna¡¯s voice was extremely gentle as Joanna said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡±- Bruce looked at Joanna aggrievedly. ¡°I won¡¯t be angry with my wife. I love my wife the most. I can¡¯t bear to be angry with wife. my ¡°Okay, then hurry up and go to bed! It¡¯s already sote.¡± ¡°Okay, Honey!¡± Bruce said as Bruce put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder lovingly and walked towards the bed. The moment Bruce turned around, Bruce raised an eyebrow, looking as though he had just been relieved of a heavy burden. Fortunately, Joanna did not pursue the matter. The next day, at past ten in the morning, Andy came over with numerous contracts and files. In the living room, Andy ced a stack of files on the table. 7 ¡°Miss Haynes, these are the files thepany has umted over the past few days. There are also somepany contracts.¡± Joanna nced at them. There were about forty to fifty of them. ¡°Yes, put them there! I¡¯ll deal with them as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Haynes. Call me if you have any further instructions.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Andy did not dare to linger. Andy put down the files and left. Joanna put on her sses, turned on herputer, and began processing these files.. It would probably take two days to finish dealing with so much work. Seeing that Joanna still had to work hard despite her pregnancy, Bruce couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Bruce hugged Joanna¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be so tired. y with me!¡± ¡°No, look at how many files are piled up. If we don¡¯t resolve them quickly, they will continue to build up.¡± Bruce said half-jokingly and half-seriously, ¡°Then let someone else handle it! Why do you have to work so hard? You¡¯re really making it difficult for yourself. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Uncle Liam want to handle these? Why don¡¯t we just let him handle them?¡± In any case, Bruce had already nned to mess with, Liam. It would be even better to push these onto Liam. The worse Liam did, the better. By the time Bruce pulled in the, these would all be evidence of Liam¡¯s crimes. At that time, even having ten billion dors would not be enough topensate.¡± When Joanna heard this, Joanna could not help but sigh. Joanna didn¡¯t want to tire herself out either. However, these were all important documents of thepany. Only the chairperson had the right to sign off on them. If Joanna handed these to Liam, Joanna would be even more worried. A while ago, Liam had moved about hundreds of millions of dors from thepany. If left unattended, the Everett Group would be an empty shell. On top of this, news came out of nowhere that Hartfield Enterprise was about to be delisted, causing the stockholders to panic and the shares of Hartfield Enterprise to fall drastically. ¡°Honey, we¡¯ll cross the bridge when wee to it. There¡¯s no need to work so hard. Come, let me give you a shoulder massage. Enjoy yourself,¡± Bruce deliberately said foolishly and hinted at Joanna. Unfortunately, Joanna did not have telepathy. How could Joanna tell what Bruce was thinking from his words? Joanna didn¡¯t know that everything was under Bruce¡¯s control. ¡°Honey, the most important thing for you now is to take good care of the baby. Nothing else is important. Don¡¯t tire yourself out because of work. It won¡¯t be worth it if it hurts you and the baby.¡± As he spoke, Bruce massaged Joanna¡¯s shoulders. Bruce didn¡¯t want to see Joanna so tired. Joanna was due in two months. Bruce just wanted Joanna to have a smooth pregnancy. Joanna patted Bruce¡¯s hands and gestured for him to stop. ¡°Alright, I know you care about me. I won¡¯t tire myself out. ¡°Go y with the children for a while. I¡¯ll apany you after I¡¯m finished with these files, okay?¡± ¡°Honey¡­¡± ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll settle these by noon. I¡¯ll y with you in the afternoon, okay?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± /Bruce reluctantly agreed. In any case, Bruce knew that he could not persuade Joanna, so Bruce could only let Joanna do whatever she wanted. ¡°Then you have to promise me not to tire yourself out. No matter what, you¡¯re not allowed to work in the afternoon.¡± Joannaughed. ¡°I understand. Hurry up and leave!¡± Bruce sighed and went to the other end of the living room. When Davian and Irvin saw that their daddy was free, they quickly surrounded Bruce. ¡°Daddy, can you apany us to horseriding?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We haven¡¯t gone horseriding in a long time!¡± Bruce hesitated. Joanna heard the children moring to go horseriding and immediately stopped them sternly. ¡°No one is allowed to go horseriding, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Why? We¡¯re very bored!¡± The two little guys rebelled unhappily. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Sunday today. We definitely have to do some extracurricr exercises!¡± ¡°Daddy¡¯s body hasn¡¯t recovered yet. The stitches on his wound haven¡¯t been removed yet. How can he go horseriding? It¡¯ll be terrible if his wound is reopened,¡± Joanna warned the children sternly. Horseriding was still very dangerous. Last time, Davian fell off his horse and fractured his arm. Bruce¡¯s mind was not clear now. If Bruce were to take the children horseriding, Bruce might run amok. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°Then Daddy can teach us boxing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We almost forgot the moves that Daddy taught us previously. Daddy, teach us again Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. today!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bruce agreed readily and happily taught the children how to box. In the past, Bruce was far too busy with work and did not have much free time to apany the children. During this period, Bruce had time to spend with the children. ¡°Watch carefully.¡± Bruce got into position and started showing, off the moves. Due to his injuries and the fact that Bruce was teaching the children, his punches were still rtively gentle, Bruce only demonstrated the moves and did not really exert strength. Naturally, Bruce did not look as fierce as Bruce should have been when he was really boxing. Even so, the children still had looks of admiration on their faces. ¡°Wow, wow, wow. Daddy is so awesome. ¡°Daddy, I want to learn too.¡± The two little guys practiced diligently with their daddy. After boxing, Bruce yed with the children again. Bruce grabbed a little fellow with each hand and spun in the air. The childrenughed ecstatically as if they were on a swing. Although Bruce had a smile on his face, Bruce was suppressing a heaviness in his heart. Aria hadn¡¯t contacted him for so many years. Why would Aria contact him at this time? Aria was his first girlfriend. Aria was of mixed descent. Her other name was Arianne. In the past, they were both from the Royal Academy and were in different sses in the same year. Aria studied biology and was now the most renowned biology professor in the world. Although the two of them had not seen each other for more than ten years and had not contacted each other, they had paid attention to each other¡¯s current situation from the reports. An hourter, it was almost time for lunch. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not y anymore. Daddy is a little tired. Let¡¯s rest for lunch.¡± ¡°Alright! We¡¯re a little hungry too.¡± The children were tired from ying as well. ¡°Daddy is dizzy and needs to go back to his room to rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bruce heaved a sigh of relief and walked straight to the room upstairs. Back in the bedroom, Bruce couldn¡¯t help but take out the SIM card and put it in another phone. As expected, as soon as the SIM card was installed, a text message came. [Bruce, I¡¯ll arrive at Greyport in mid-December. There is something important that I have to see you in person about. Aria.] Aria specifically left her name at the end of the message. This was also the second message Aria had sent him. Bruce hesitated for more than ten minutes before replying. [Got it. I¡¯ll pick you up then.] After replying to the message, Bruce could not help but feel excited again. Chapter 711 Chapter 711 ¡°Why did Aria suddenlye to Greyport? Why is she looking for me?¡± Bruce wondered. Brucey on the bed worriedly and began to recall the bits and pieces of his time with Aria. Aria was the same age as him. Aria was the first woman Bruce loved when Bruce first fell in love, Joanna and Aria were about half as simr in looks and personality. They both had small frames and looked petite and delicate. They even looked alike. Their facial features were exquisite, and they were fair. They also had big eyes that were as bright as the stars. It was not that the two of them looked identical, but they were beauties of the same type. However, Aria¡¯s personality would be gentler and wiser. Aria would not be as fixated as Joanna could get sometimes. To arge extent, it was because of their physical simrities that made it difficult for Bruce to resist Joanna.¡± Beep. Aria sent Bruce another message. [Okay, Bruce. See you then.] After reading the message, Bruce¡¯s expression darkened. Before Aria arrived, Bruce had to settle the score with Liam and finish dealing with thepany¡¯s matters as soon as possible¡­ Bruce initially wanted to drag it out and slowly toy with his prey. But now, Bruce had to quickly resolve the mess and deal with the troublesome matters around him as soon as possible. Bruce was lost in thought until someone knocked on the door. ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s time for lunch!¡± The children knocked on the door and called Bruce for lunch. ¡°Oh, okay. Got it,¡± Bruce responded and left the room. ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy?¡± Irvin pouted and said, ¡°Mommy is still working.¡± Bruce frowned. ¡°Did you call Mommy for lunch?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already called her. Mommy said she¡¯lleter and let us eat first.¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard that. Bruce quickly went down the stairs and walked to the living room. Joanna was still buried in work. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re not done yet?¡± Joanna did not even raise her head as she casually replied, ¡°Soon, soon. I just need to finish this one.¡± Bruce grumbled unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s almost one o¡¯clock. The children are all hungry. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I¡¯ll be done in twenty minutes.¡± ¡°What? Another twenty minutes?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be done soon. You and the children can eat first. Don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Joanna was looking at a document and having a headache. This contract was written in Fraynice. Although the secretary had already tranted and annotated it, Joanna wanted to check the contract use by use. Thus, it would take some time. Some business partners would deliberately y word games. It would be very easy to step into a trap if one did not look carefully. Bruce took two steps forward and nced at the document curiously. It was a contract in Fraynice. It should be about the cooperation with the partners in Frayn. ¡°Honey, what are you dealing with? Why is it taking so long?¡± ¡°This contract is in Fraynice. I want to read it one by one.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. There¡¯s a trantor.¡± Joanna signed. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because there¡¯s a trantor, so I have to take a closer look!¡± Joanna said as she pushed up her sses. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with this contract, so I have to be careful,¡± Joanna said casually. Hearing this, Bruce calmly took the contract and looked at it. As Bruce had expected, there was indeed something wrong with this contract. The Frayn business partners had deliberately yed word games, taking advantage of the difference between the twonguages to deliberately create loopholes. One of the terms was deliberately misrepresented. Although one of the tranted uses seemed to have the same meaning, it was actually very different. Bruce knew Fraynice and often dealt with wily business partners. In the past, those business partners did not dare to y such tricks on Bruce! Now, they probably knew that the president of the Everett Group had been reced and used these tricks again. After pondering for a few seconds, Bruce smiled foolishly. ¡°Honey, I think it¡¯s best to let Uncle Liam handle this document. He¡¯s more experienced and will definitely be able to handle it better!¡± Joanna was stunned. Joanna looked at Bruce in confusion. ¡°This contract is so tricky. How can we let Liam handle it? What if Liam can¡¯t handle it?¡± Liam relied on Bruce to enter the circle of the wealthy. Joanna knew just how capable Liam was. With this contract in Liam¡¯s hands, Liam would definitely not be able to see the problem and would definitely step into the trap. When Bruce heard this, he sneered inwardly. Bruce wanted Liam to step into the pit. One of the uses of this contract was a word game. Once signed, they would fall into the other party¡¯s trap. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Fortunately, Joanna was alert and noticed the loophole in the contract. However, it would take some time to settle it. However, this document was exactly what Bruce wanted. If Liam were to sign it, Liam would not be able to exin himself if this matter was pursuedter. The losses caused by thepany would also be borne by Liam personally. ¡°Alright, alright. Honey, stop working. I¡¯m starving. Hurry up and eat,¡± Bruce said and forcefully closed the document. ¡°Stop fooling around. It¡¯ll be over soon¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m starving. If you don¡¯t eat with me, I won¡¯t eat either!¡± Bruce deliberately wheedled and made trouble, not letting Joanna handle this document. Joanna had no choice but to tidy up the documents and turn off theputer. ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s go eat first! I¡¯ll deal with itter-¡± Before Joanna could finish, Bruceined again, ¡°You just promised me that you would only work in the morning and y with me in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow, okay?¡± Bruceughed. ¡°Hurry up and let¡¯s go eat! The children are all waiting!¡± Bruce urged Joanna again. Joanna had no choice but to follow Bruce to the dining room, While Joanna was not paying attention, Bruce reached out and ced that document into the pile that had already been processed. Andy woulde to collect these files in the afternoon. When Andy arrivedter, Bruce would find a suitable time to get Andy to send this document to Liam for processing. With Liam¡¯s tiny brain, Liam would definitely not be able to see through the trap in the contract. Liam would certainly step into the trap. In the dining room, lunch had already been served. On the dining table, there were sd, salmon, cream pasta, chicken soup, and so on. They were all rtively light and nutritious dishes. ¡°Time to eat!¡± Yes. Have you all washed your hands?¡± The three children sat down in unison and said with smiles, ¡°I¡¯ve already washed them.¡± Joanna also smiled. ¡°Mommy will go wash her hands too!¡± Joanna said. Joanna went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and Bruce went with her. Bruce was afraid that she would identally fall again. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s cream pasta today. My favorite!¡± ¡°The cholesterol is high for this. You have to eat less and eat more vegetables.¡± ¡°But I like cream pasta!¡± Davian and Irvin dug into their pasta with big forks. Even if they did not eat the other dishes, Davian and Irvin could eat a huge bowl of pasta. ¡°Be good. You have to eat more vegetables and fish so you can grow taller.¡± ¡°Tsk, I have Daddy¡¯s good genes. I¡¯ll definitely grow as tall as Daddy.¡± Joanna¡¯s eyes zed. Joanna still wanted to educate her sons. Joanna could not let the little fellows be so picky. If the children were picky about food, they would eventually develop the bad habit of being picky eaters like their daddy. ¡°No, all of you have to eat vegetables, or you¡¯ll be just like Daddy when the timees.¡± ¡°Just let the children eat whatever they want! There¡¯s no need to listen to Mommy. If they¡¯re picky, so be it. What¡¯s wrong with being picky?¡± Bruce said indignantly. It wasn¡¯t like the Everett family couldn¡¯t afford it. No matter how picky they were, the children would still have bnced nutrition. Joanna sighed. Looking at the children and Bruceughing, Joanna felt anxious. Next week, they would go to trial. Although it was rejectedst time, Liam would definitely appeal. Even if Liam lost this time, Liam would not let it go. Liam was sure to refile anotherwsuit. If Joanna gave Liam custody of Bruce, Joanna might have to be separated from Bruce again. Joanna had already thought it through. If Joanna lost this time, she would have a good chat with Liam. At most, Joanna would let Liam take charge of the Everett Group. Joanna only wanted Bruce and the children. However, Liam and L seemed to have a huge appetite. Not only did they want the Everett Group, but they also wanted Bruce¡¯s private assets. Therefore, even if Joanna didn¡¯t want to deal with the likes of Liam anymore, Joanna had to fight Liam to the end. Otherwise, Joanna and Bruce would end up having nothing. Chapter 712 Chapter 712 After lunch, Joanna was still worried about the contract. ¡°I¡¯ll go deal with that contract-¡± Bruce pouted unhappily. ¡°Honey, you said you would y with me in the afternoon.¡± Joannaughed dryly and coaxed Bruce gently, ¡°It¡¯s just for a short while. I¡¯ll be done soon! When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll y with you, okay?¡± Bruce shook his head stubbornly. ¡°No, my wife doesn¡¯t keep her word. I¡¯m unhappy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really just for a little while. It won¡¯t take long.¡± Hearing this, Bruce pouted even more and pretended to be pitiful. ¡°I hate people who go back on their words the most. My fragile heart will be hurt!¡± Listening to his childlike tone, Joanna could onlyfort Bruce. ¡°Be good! It¡¯s just for a while!¡± Bruce sniffed in disapproval. ¡°You don¡¯t keep your word every time you make a promise. I don¡¯t want to believe you anymore,¡± Bruce said and turned his back on her. ¡°Alright! Alright! I¡¯ll y with you, okay? Don¡¯t be angry.¡± This damn guy was not clear-headed now. If Joanna made Bruce cry again, Joanna would have to coax Bruce for a long time. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I want a kiss!¡± Joanna smiled in exasperation and could only kiss him. Br¨²ce grabbed her waist, and his hands started to wander again. Although it was just a light kiss, Bruce¡¯s entire body felt as if he had been fired up. It felt too good yesterday. Bruce could not get enough. The only shoring was that Bruce did not satiate his appetite. Furthermore, Bruce also did not dare to use his full strength. It was simply too bad for Bruce. Bruce could only endure for now. After all, Joanna had already made an exception yesterday. For the entire afternoon, Joanna apanied Bruce and the triplets to watch boring cartoons and do some handicrafts. At six in the afternoon, Andy came over. ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯m here to pick up the documents that have been processed.¡± Joanna handed a few documents to Andy. ¡°These have been taken care of.¡± ¡°Will do, I¡¯ll mail them tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go now. Miss Haynes, call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Andy smiled and said nothing more. Andy took the documents and prepared to leave. While Joanna wasn¡¯t paying attention, Bruce patted Andy¡¯s shoulder and whispered into Andy¡¯s ear, ¡°You better let Mr. Miller go through these again.¡± With that, Bruce walked away as if nothing had happened. Andy was stunned. Andy subconsciously looked at Bruce¡¯s retreating back. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Mr. Everett was cognitively impaired? Why did Mr. Everett speak so logically just now?¡± Andy wondered to himself. ¡°Oh my god, is Mr. Everett pretending?¡± Thinking of this, Andy¡¯s entire body trembled, and his hair stood on end. Andy had been working for Bruce for almost nine years, so Andy naturally knew Mr. Everett¡¯s temper and personality very well. Although Andy couldn¡¯t be absolutely right about everything, Andy could take a good guess on many things. After interacting with each other for a long time, sometimes, with a simple look, Andy would know what Mr. Everett was hinting at. This is known as tacit understanding in the workce. For example, the confidante of the king has to figure out what the king is thinking at all times. Andy could no longer remain calm. Andy¡¯s heart was pounding rapidly, such that it was about to jump out of his throat. ¡°Oh my god, have I done anything wrong recently? ¡°Did I say anything I shouldn¡¯t have? Did I do anything I shouldn¡¯t have? ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s over. It¡¯s over.¡± Andy stood rooted to the ground and broke out in a cold sweat. Joanna saw Andy standing there looking dumbfounded. ¡°Andy, is there anything else?¡± ¡°N-no, nothing else. I¡¯ll head back now.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Miss Haynes. Goodbye, Mr. Everett.¡± Andy¡¯s initially cool attitude instantly became ten times more respectful. ¡°Be careful on the road. Don¡¯t lose the documents!¡± Bruce winked at Andy meaningfully. Even though Bruce¡¯s voice was not loud and was even very gentle, when Andy heard Bruce, Andy felt a chill run down his spine. Andy swallowed hard and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Everett. Lunderstand.¡± After saying that, Andy did not dare to dy for a second and quickly left. Andy still had lingering fears after he left Sherane Bay Vi. Andy recalled and sorted out everything he had done recently. Fortunately, there were no slip-ups and Andy had given no sign of betraying Mr. Everett. During this period, although Mr. Miller and the other shareholders kept trying to rope Andy in, Andy withstood the temptation and did not switch sides easily. Otherwise, Mr. Everett would definitely skin him alive. After Andy left, it was time for dinner. The family had dinner happily again. After dinner, the family took a walk on thewn. At around nine o¡¯clock, they returned to their rooms to rest. The next day, when Joanna woke up early in the morning, the children had already gone to school. After a simple breakfast, Joanna hurriedly went to deal with the work she had left behind yesterday. ¡°Why is it so strange? Why can¡¯t I find the documents from yesterday?¡± Joanna muttered to herself. Joanna searched her desk thoroughly. Unfortunately, after going through the pile of documents, Joanna still could not find that specific contract. ¡°Lilian, has anyone touched these files?¡± Head shaking in denial, Lilian said, ¡°No. No one came there at all.¡± ¡°Why is it so strange? How did that Fraynice document disappear?¡± Joanna mumbled and started looking around again. Joanna searched the entire living room, but she still could not find it. Joanna remembered very clearly that she had ced it on the table yesterday. But today, the contract had disappeared without a trace. No matter how hard Joanna searched, Joanna could not find it. The children would note here. It was impossible for the children to take it away. ¡°Honey, what are you looking for?¡± Bruce walked over and asked knowingly when Bruce saw Joanna looking for something. Bruce pretended he had just woken up. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the Fraynice contract from yesterday. Did you see it?¡± ¡°I sawit ¡°Where is it?¡± Bruce said nkly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking at it yesterday?¡± Joanna choked in anger. ¡°No, I¡¯m asking your if you saw it today. ¡°I just woke up and haven¡¯t been to the living room. How can I see it?¡± Bruce looked at Joanna innocently. How strange. Why is this document missing? ¡°Oh no, could Andy have taken it?¡± Thinking of this, Joanna was shocked. Joanna quickly took out her phone and called Andy. Andy quickly picked up the call. ¡°Miss Haynes, hello. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Andy, how many files did you take with you yesterday?¡± ¡°Oh, a total of eight,¡± Andy answered truthfully. ¡°Eight?¡± When Joanna heard this, her frown deepened. ¡°Oh no, this is bad. It looks like Andy really took it,¡± Joanna thought. Joanna processed a total of seven documents yesterday. Joanna thought she had been careless and identally ced the document on the pile which had been processed. ¡°Oh, what a nuisance! Where are the files now?¡± ¡°It was given to Mr. Miller yesterday.¡± Andy had initially nned to give them to Liam today. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. However, recalling what Bruce had said to him, Andy did not dare to procrastinate. Andy had personally sent the documents to Liam¡¯s house yesterday. When Joanna heard this, she became even more anxious. There was something wrong with the contract. Even Joanna was almost fooled. If it was handed to Liam, Liam would definitely fall into the trap. ¡°There¡¯s a loophole in one of the Fraynice documents. Hurry up and ask Mr. Miller if he has signed it.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Hearing Joanna¡¯s anxious tone, Andy did not dare to overlook this issue. Andy quickly went to Mr. Miller¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Miller, have you seen the documents I sent over yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already had the secretary mail it. Is there a problem?¡± When Andy heard this, Andy could only brace himself and say, ¡°Miss Haynes called just now and said that there¡¯s a problem with the contract with the Frayn winery.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes didn¡¯t say.¡± When Liam heard this, Liam waved his hand impatiently. ¡°There¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve already signed the contract. Tell her not to worry.¡± ¡°Mr. Miller¡­¡± Andy hesitated. ¡°Get out!¡± Liam said with a gloomy face. After all, Andy was Bruce¡¯s senior assistant. Andy was not on the same side as Liam. During this period of time, Liam had been trying to rope in Andy. Unfortunately, Andy didn¡¯t cooperate with Liam at all. Andy would feign ignorance and refuse to work for Liam Therefore, Liam would not be amiable with Andy. Andy left Liam¡¯s office and called Joanna. ¡°Hello, Andy. How did it go?¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, Mr. Miller has signed that document.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell him there was a problem? Tell him to intercept the file quickly.¡± ¡°Mr. Miller said it¡¯s been mailed out!¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked even more anxious. Joanna sighed. ¡°That¡¯s so fast.¡± Usually, Liam would drag his feet in everything he did. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Joanna didn¡¯t think that the document would be dealt with so quickly. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± ¡°Then, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joanna replied and hung up. Liam had beenpeting with Joanna all along. Now that the document was in Liam¡¯s hands, it was impossible to get it back. Even if Joanna said that there was something wrong with the document, Liam would not believe her. After hanging up, Andy made a face, his heart still pounding over what had happened. Back at the secretary¡¯s desk, Mark looked at Andy¡¯s dejected expression and asked curiously, ¡°Andy, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you so nervous? Did Mr. Miller scold you?¡± Andy sighed deeply and hesitated. Mark leaned forward and gossiped in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡± Andy sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Mark was stunned and looked at Andy in confusion. ¡°What do you mean? Do you have insider information about thepany? I heard that Mr. Miller filed anotherwsuit with the court and requested to be Mr. Everett¡¯s guardian. Do you think Mr. Miller has a chance of winning this time?¡± When Andy heard this, he sneered. ¡°You have to be more cautious in your actions recently. Don¡¯t say anything wrong, and don¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Mark was even more confused after what Andy had said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°In short, work more and speak less. Adhere to your principles. Maintain the bottom line. A loyal subject does not serve two kings. Do you understand?¡± During this period, Liam tried his best to rope in the group of people who used to follow Mr. Everett. Naturally, Mark had also been approached. Mark blinked, trying to get some clues from Andy¡¯s face. ¡°Andy, we¡¯ve been friends for so many years. Don¡¯t hide anything from me!¡± ¡°Just listen to me! Don¡¯t be fooled by the illusion in front of you. You have to withstand the temptation and stand firm.¡± As Andy spoke, he patted Mark¡¯s shoulder meaningfully and walked towards his work desk. Andy was only guessing that Mr. Everett was pretending and could not be absolutely sure. Moreover, since Mr. Everett was putting on a pretense, it probably meant Mr. Everett didn¡¯t want anyone to expose him unless Mr. Everett revealed himself. Therefore, even if Mark was his best friend, Andy did not dare to reveal this secret. Looking at Andy¡¯s departing figure, Mark was even more dumbfounded. On the other side, listening to Joanna¡¯s sighs and seeing her frightened expression, Bruce intimately massaged her shoulders and gently kissed Joanna¡¯s head. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be so agitated. It¡¯s fine!¡± Joanna still looked anxious. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. There¡¯s a loophole in that document¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Uncle Liam is an adult. How can he make a mistake in handling the document? Perhaps you¡¯re overthinking it, Rx!¡± Bruce tried his best tofort Joanna. When Joanna heard this, her heart inexplicably tightened. A trace of cold mockery appeared on Bruce¡¯s handsome face. Bruce wanted to see Liam step into the pit. In any case, no matter how much losses Liam caused to thepany in the future, Bruce would have Liampensate them. ¡°The trial is starting on Thursday. I don¡¯t know what the oue will be this time. No, no, I better call Mr. Jameson¡­¡± As she spoke, Joanna prepared to call Mr. Jameson again. Joanna wanted to ask Mr. Jameson how confident he was about the oue. ¡°Calm down, calm down. ¡°You can depend on your husband. My wife doesn¡¯t have to worry. I love my wife. My wife loves me. No Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. one can separate us.¡± Hearing this, Joanna subconsciously looked into Bruce¡¯s eyes. Even though Bruce still looked cognitively impaired, Joanna caught a sh of slyness in Bruce¡¯s eyes. Bruce also seemed to be rejoicing about something. What was Bruce nning? Joanna¡¯s scalp tightened when she saw this. Joanna looked at Bruce even more closely. After Bruce came back from the hospital this time, he waspletely different. Although he was still cognitively impaired as before, the reasoning and logic of his speech were clearly simr to that of a normal person: Sometimes, Bruce¡¯s actions revealed deliberate concealment ¡°He¡­ He can¡¯t have returned to normal, right?¡± Joanna¡¯s mind was suddenly in shock at this thought. Sensing that Joanna was observing him, Bruce subconsciously avoided her gaze. Bruce didn¡¯t want to lie to Joanna either. However, Bruce really enjoyed the feeling of Joanna protecting him and taking care of him like a baby. If Bruce returned to normal, Joanna might not have been so careful with him. Both men and women had protective instincts and would naturally protect the weak and helpless. Therefore, Bruce was worried that Joanna would not be so concerned about him after knowing that Bruce had returned to norm¨¢l, let alone be so gentle with him. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± ¡°Yes, what?¡± With a big belly, Joanna slowly walked around to Bruce and stared into Bruce¡¯s eyes, trying to see through him. Bruce felt a little guilty under Joanna¡¯s scrutiny. Bruce¡¯s gaze shifted ufortably. In the past, when Joanna looked at him, Bruce¡¯s pupils were dissipated and lifeless. And now, Bruce¡¯s eyes had clearly recovered their vitality. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that? Do you think I¡¯m super handsome?¡± Bruce deliberately stuck out his tongue and smiled foolishly at Joanna. Joanna choked and said in a deep voice, ¡°Bruce, didn¡¯t you promise me before that you would never deceive to me again?¡± Bruce rolled his eyes. How could his current actions be called deception? It was a lie of love at best. Bruce chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, honey? Of course, I won¡¯t lie to you! I¡¯m an honest and obedient child,¡± Bruce said and hugged Joanna coquettishly. ¡°Honey, you look so fierce. I¡¯m so scared. Did I do something wrong again?¡± Joanna was momentarily stunned and felt even stranger. Joanna suspected that Bruce was pretending, but if Joanna asked Bruce directly if he was pretending, Bruce would definitely not answer honestly. ¡°Yes, I hope we can be honest with each other. We won¡¯t lie to each other. If there¡¯s anything, we have to tell each other.¡± Bruce was taken aback and pondered for a few seconds. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Of course not. Bruce had many secrets that he could not tell Joanna. There were times when Bruce had no choice but to lie. Bruce was also under a lot of pressure. However, Bruce felt that he could bear the pressure himself. Bruce did not want Joanna to be under such stress. ¡°Then let me ask you, who am I?¡± Bruceughed dryly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re my wife. Why are you asking such a question?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you what my name is.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Bruce rolled his eyes and secretly wondered why Joanna asked this. This question seemed simple, but it was really difficult to answer. If Bruce answered correctly, Joanna would definitely suspect that Bruce was pretending to be cognitively impaired. If Bruce answered wrongly, Joanna would still suspect that Bruce deliberately answered wrongly. Bruce was silent. Joanna continued to interrogate Bruce, saying, ¡°Bruce, let me ask you onest time. Have you recovered now? ¡°If you¡¯re back to normal, you have to tell me.¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes darkened as he avoided Joanna¡¯s gaze. Bruce didn¡¯t understand what Joanna meant by that. ¡°Was Joanna nning to leave me once again when she found out that I have recovered? ¡°That must be it!¡± Bruce thought. Previously, Joanna hated Bruce so much that she wanted to escape from Bruce no matter what. Now, Joanna was staying by Bruce¡¯s side so she could take care of him. Sometimes, Bruce could guess other people¡¯s thoughts very urately. However, Joanna¡¯s thoughts would always elude him. ¡°Honey, why do you keep asking such a question? I¡¯m so scared when I hear it. Do you want to leave me again? ¡°Honey, can you promise me that no matter what happens, we won¡¯t be separated? ¡°Without you by my side, I¡¯m panicking.¡± As Bruce spoke, his eyes began tearing up and turning bloodshot. Seeing how nervous Bruce was, Joanna softened her tone. ¡°No, I¡¯m just asking you!¡± Bruce was so anxious that he began coughing. Seeing this, Joanna hurriedly went forward to check on Bruce. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Perhaps Bruce had been thinking too much, but he felt his head beginning to ache again. ¡°Honey, my head hurts.¡± ¡°Really? Let me see.¡± As Bruce spoke, ayer of cold sweat appeared on his temples. Bruce had a splitting headache and could not help but stagger. ¡°Oh¡­ It really hurts¡­ Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Upon witnessing the situation, Joanna felt her heart tighten with worry, and without hesitation, she swiftly extended her hand to support him. ¡°Lilian, call our doctor, now!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Lilian promptly retrieved the doctor¡¯s number and dialed it without dy. ¡°Have a seat first!¡± Bruce stumbled and took a seat on the nearby sofa. His face was notably pale, and cold sweat started to form on his forehead. Over the past two days, he had been dwelling on something, which resulted in excessive mental strain. Unfortunately, the cerebral hemorrhage had already inflicted significant damage to his brain. Witnessing his pale face, Joanna¡¯s anxiety and heartache intensified. She refrained from asking any further questions, not wanting to add to his distress. She called two servants to assist and gently helped Bruce back to his room, making sure he could lie downfortably. Soon, the family doctor came over. Dr. Down examined Bruce and administered an injection to alleviate his pain. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s brain injury is quite severe. He has just started recovering and needs to rest properly. Otherwise, there¡¯s a risk of another cerebral hemorrhage.¡±. Upon hearing this, Joanna instinctively took in a sharp breath. ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s a chance of a rpse?¡± ¡°Indeed, many illnesses carry the possibility of rpse. Therefore, subsequent recuperation is crucial. ¡°However, there¡¯s not much of a problem at the moment. Mr. Everett has to rest more and avoid violent activities. ¡°The stitches will be removed in a few days. I¡¯lle back then.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Alright, see you then!¡± Dr. Down replied as he instructed his assistant to pack up the first aid kit. ¡°Lilian, send Dr. Down out.¡± Lilian nodded respectfully and gestured with a weing motion. ¡°Dr. Down, please follow me this way,¡± she said, leading him in the designated direction. ¡°Thank you,¡± Dr. Down replied politely and left with Lilian.¡± The family doctor left. Joanna took a seat at the head of the bed, her expression filled with fear. She tenderly tucked Bruce in, and her heart instantly raced with worry and concern. Filled with regret, she realized she had doubted him unjustly. He had narrowly escaped death, and she regretted ever interrogating him. He had been lying in the hospital for almost five months since the day of his ident. Later on, he faced another life-threatening attack with a spear and nearly lost his life. It was a challenging journey for him to survive these trials. She realized she should cherish and take care of him more than ever. Since the day hey in the operating room, she had fervently prayed to God countless times. She was willing to sacrifice everything as long as he could survive and continue to live. Now, God had granted her wish. He came back to life safely. She understood that she should cherish every moment when he was a part of her life. ¡°Bruce, have a good sleep!¡± Bruce opened his eyes tiredly and held Joanna¡¯s hand weakly. ¡°Honey!¡± Joanna leaned over and gently kissed him on the lips. ¡°I¡¯m here, and I¡¯ve been watching over you. Now, get some rest. ¡°Dr. Down said that if you want to recover quickly, sleep is crucial,¡± Joanna added. Bruce¡¯s face was still pale, and he gazed weakly at Joanna, tightening his grip on her hand. ¡°Honey, I love you!¡± Joanna was momentarily taken aback, but then a gentle smile graced her face, revealing a pair of shallow dimples on her cheeks. ¡°I love you too,¡± Will you love me forever?¡± ¡°Yes, I will!¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Bruce also smiled at Joanna. Joanna tenderly stroked the scar on his forehead, her gaze filled with even more gentleness and affection. ¡°Now, get some sleep! You¡¯ve just had an injection, so you must be feeling very sleepy now, right?¡± Joanna said. This type of injection often contains medications that induce drowsiness in people. He should be sleepy. ¡°Yup.¡± Bruce closed his eyes tiredly and quickly fell asleep. For nearly a year, he had been recuperating and had not done anything big. And now, he felt even more exhausted physically and mentally. Looking at Bruce¡¯s sleeping face, Joanna calmed down and took a deep breath worriedly. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to get to where they were that day. She needed more tolerance and trust. No matter how deep their love was, without trust, it would disappear easily. She had chosen him, so she should trust him unconditionally. She avoided him before because she didn¡¯t trust him and her guard against him was too high. Eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The effects of Bruce¡¯s drug had worn off. He woke up in a daze. ¡°Uh, hiss¡± Joanna immediately went over when she saw him awake. ¡°Bruce?¡± ¡°How long have I been asleep? What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock in the evening!¡± Bruce struggled to sit up. ¡°Have I slept for so long?¡± Joanna smiled. ¡°Yup!¡± Bruce shook his head slightly. His headache had eased a lot, but he was a little dizzy now due to sleeping for too long. ¡°Are you hungry? You haven¡¯t eaten for a day. You must be very hungry.¡± ¡°I am fine!¡± ¡°I had them cook some oatmeal. It should be done. Get up and try some.¡± ¡°Mm, okay!¡± Bruce lifted the nket and stood up from the bed! N?velDrama.Org content. Joanna had already instructed the servants to bring the oatmeal and ce it on the bedside table. In the past, Bruce would never eat in the bedroom, but now, he couldn¡¯t make it downstairs. ¡°It took an entire afternoon to cook this oatmeal,¡± Joanna said as she personally served it to him, showing her care and effort in preparing the meal. The oatmeal was fragrant and nutritious, with a delightful aroma enhanced by a sprinkling of pepper on the surface. Bruce ate the oatmeal in silence, his expression showing signs of distress and distraction. In the blink of an eye, it was Thursday. It was the day of the court hearing. Early in the morning, Joanna apanied Bruce and hiswyer to the court. At the court entrance, Liam and L also arrived with theirwyers. They entered the court. ¡°Rise¡­¡± The jury read out Liam¡¯s applications. ¡°Mr. Bruce Everett, due to a significant ident, suffered severe intellectual damage, leading to the loss of his personal and criminal capacity to act. In order to protect the future rights and interests of Mr. Bruce Everett, I, Liam Miller, am applying to be his legal guardian¡­¡± The atmosphere in the courtroom was solemn and oppressive. ¡°Mr. Miller is Mr. Everett¡¯s uncle and the only elder rtive. He is highly respected in society and fully qualified to be a guardian¡­¡± Liam¡¯swyer was thoroughly prepared and put forth his utmost effort to win thewsuit. Bruce¡¯swyer appeared to have performed subparly as he barely made any arguments in the case. The debatested for an hour. It was time for the verdict to be announced. The judge asked Bruce earnestly, ¡°Mr. Everett, do you wish Mr. Miller to be your guardian?¡± Bruce smiled foolishly. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Boom! When Joanna heard this, she looked at Bruce in astonishment When they were at home, Joanna had already persuaded him not to agree in court. Why did he change his mind? Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Bruce blinked slightly at Joanna, and a faint smile graced his handsome face. Anyway, he had already made his will in advance. He had already made his willst year, wherein all his assets were left to Joanna and the children. The will had been kept in a safe, so Joanna was unaware of its existence. If he were to pass away, all his money and shares of Everett Group would be inherited solely by Joanna and the children. No one else would be entitled to a single cent of his assets. And now, Bruce was willing to let Liam have custody since Liam desired it so intensely. If Bruce caused any trouble during this period of time, Liam would be responsible for facing the consequences. When Liam heard Bruce¡¯s response, he was ted and wore a triumphant expression as he looked at Joanna. Joanna felt a lump in her throat as if stuck by a fishbone. ¡°All right, it¡¯s over.¡± It was quick. After a period of adjournment, another round of intense debate ensued in the courtroom. The judge announced the verdict. Custody of Bruce was granted to Liam. This result was far beyond Joanna¡¯s expectations. Mr. Jameson was one of the most professionalwyers in Greyport, and perhaps even in the entire world. However, he lost thewsuit so easily. ¡°Withdraw.¡± The judge delivered the verdict. Joanna appealed in court. However, this did not affect Liam and L¡¯s triumphant mood. They looked at Joanna with arrogance Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. and said, ¡°Joanna, do you have anything else to say?¡± Joanna had a solemn expression but couldn¡¯t say anything. With the impending birth and exhaustion, she didn¡¯t have the energy to continue arguing with them. The appeal must wait until the babyes out. ¡°As Bruce¡¯s guardian, I¡¯m formally requesting you to vacate Sherane Bay Vi immediately and not bother Bruce again,¡± L was even more refreshed, and she asserted, ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t assume I¡¯m unaware of your intentions. Let me be clear, with my husband¡¯s presence, you won¡¯t get a single cent of Mr. Everett¡¯s assets. ¡°If you¡¯re wise, leave Sherane Bay Vi before we take the necessary steps. Joannaughed and retorted, ¡°Hmph, who are you to chase me away? ¡°Even if you¡¯re Bruce¡¯s guardian, I¡¯m carrying his child now, and we already have three children together. Just based on this, none of you can dictate what I should do,¡± Joanna asserted. ¡°Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re pregnant with Bruce¡¯s child, I would haye evicted you from Sherane Bay Vi today,¡± As Liam spoke, he directed his gaze at Bruce. ¡°Bruce, I promise to take good care of you in the future!¡± L¡¯s joy was evident as she urged Liam, ¡°Hubby, what are you waiting for? Let¡¯s bring Bruce home with us today!¡± ¡°I am going home with my wife!¡± Bruce dered, hugging Joanna¡¯s shoulder affectionately. ¡°Uh¡­ Liam frowned. His original n was to evict Joanna from Sherane Bay Vi as soon as he gained custody of Bruce, Then, he would take over the Everett Group at the same time. However, he had to take things one step at a time and proceed with caution. Indeed, Joanna¡¯s pregnancy made him cautious about acting hastily. He didn¡¯t dare to use it recklessly, as it could potentially impact public opinion and lead to unfavorable consequences for him. ¡°Bruce, haven¡¯t I mentioned before that I would bring you to my house? From now on, I¡¯ll take good care of you and your life,¡± Liam said. He was eager to gain control over Bruce¡¯s freedom as soon as possible. As long as he controlled Bruce, he would be controlling everything. ¡°Hehe, my wife takes care of me. Uncle, you just need to handle the business. ¡°My wife is about to give birth, and I need to be with her to take care of her,¡± Bruce exined. Liam choked on his words and subconsciously nced at Joanna¡¯s belly Liam realized that forcibly separating Bruce and Joanna now would undoubtedly have a negative impact on both of them and those around them. Furthermore, considering that Joanna had already given birth to three children for Bruce, and now she was pregnant with another child, it was clearly unrealistic to simply kick her away and disregard their family situation. However, Liam was aware that he held the power to distribute the assets. As for how much he would give her, it depended on whether Joanna wouldply with his wishes and be submissive to his control. ¡°Hmm, Mr. Everett¡¯s suggestion seems reasonable. Let her take care of Mr. Everett for now! After the child is born, we can take Mr. Everett with us,¡± L proposed. ¡°Okay, that makes sense,¡± Liam agreed, deciding not to furtherplicate things for Joanna. Now that he had this judgment in hand, everything was under his control. He was not afraid of Joanna¡¯s tactics or schemes. ¡°Then go back with her first! I will pick you up in a while.¡± ¡°Alright, Uncle.¡± Bruce smiled at Liam. Feeling pain in her belly, Joannacked the strength to argue with them any further. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± ¡± ¡°Honey, be careful. I¡¯ll support you,¡± Bruce said quickly, moving forward to assist Joanna as she was experiencing difort. Back in the car. Joanna could not help but look worried. ¡°What exactly is going on? 15 ¡®Mr. Jameson is so professional. Why did we lose thewsuit so easily?¡± Bruce looked at her carefully. ¡°Honey, are you angry?¡± Joanna sighed helplessly. He didn¡¯t appear to be pretending to be foolish. How could she argue with him? Chapter 716 Chapter 716 ¡°Are you ming me for having my uncle as my guardian?¡± Bruce pouted and cast a pitiful look at Joanna, questioning her. ¡°No, how could I me you?¡± Joanna said gently, offeringfort as she held his hand reassuringly. No matter what, his brain was damaged. Even if he did something wrong, she couldn¡¯t me him for it. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time! For now, let¡¯s go home first!¡± Joanna suggested. Bruce¡¯s lips curved into a peculiar smile as he reassured Joanna, ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry, my love. I won¡¯t go to Uncle¡¯s house. I¡¯ll be by your side forever. Nobody can ever separate us, right?¡± As Bruce spoke, he intimately hugged Joanna, expressing his affection and love for her in a heartfelt embrace. However, despite the smile on his face, there was a hint of mncholy, hinting at underlying emotions or concerns. Aria had not contacted him for many years. Now that she had suddenly reached out to him after so many years, he felt unusually uneasy about the situation. He was afraid that his peaceful life would be disrupted, and even more concerned that the people around him would be hurt in the process. ¡®But¡­ He acknowledged that whatever was toe would eventually happen, and he had no way to prevent Aria¡¯s arrival or the potential changes it might bring. : Joanna was also troubled and annoyed. ¡°Ouch, hiss¡­¡± Bruce was shocked and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna subconsciously held her belly. ¡°My belly hurts a little!¡± ¡°Is the baby kicking you?¡± ¡°Well, ouch, maybe¡­¡± Joanna¡¯s face turned pale as she spoke. For the past few days, her lower abdomen had been hurting from time to time. Perhaps she was worried about too many things, or perhaps she was too tired. In short, the already unstable fetus felt even more ufortable. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you to the hospital now?¡± Joanna wanted to refuse, but her belly hurt again. ¡°Yes! Alright¡­¡± The child was already more than seven months old, almost eight months old. During this period of time, she went to the hospital often. Antenatal check-ups were even more essential. ¡°Carson, go straight to the hospital!¡± ¡°Okay. Carson turned around and disappeared in the direction of the hospital. Twenty minutester. At the hospital. The attending doctor of the Gynecology Department performed a series of tests on Joanna. ¡°Doctor, how is it? Why do I feel pain in my lower abdomen these few days?¡± The doctor¡¯s expression turned solemn as they said, ¡°There¡¯s a slightly low level of amniotic fluid, and there are signs of prematurebor.¡± ¡°Ah! Then what should we do?¡± ¡°I rmend that you stay in the hospital to protect the baby.¡± ¡°Again?¡± When Joanna heard this, she looked even more depressed! In the past two to three years, she had spent most of her time in the hospital. Now, seeing the hospital, she felt afraid and anxious. If she wasn¡¯t feeling unwell today and didn¡¯t have to go for a prenatal checkup, she would have preferred not to step into the hospital again. Joanna frowned and asked, ¡°Doctor, can you prescribe some medicine? I¡¯d rather go home.¡± ¡°Uh, I suggest you stay in the hospital. ¡°This way, if anything happens, we will have enough time for an emergency treatment.¡± Joanna felt a chill in her heart. When Bruce heard this, his expression became even more serious. Without waiting for Joanna to reply, he took the initiative and made a decision on her behalf. ¡°Alright, arrange for her to be hospitalized immediately.¡± ¡°Bruce, no! I don¡¯t want to be hospitalized. Why don¡¯t we go home?¡± Bruce¡¯s face darkened. ¡°No, this is a critical moment. No ident must happen.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Speak no more. Nothing is more important than you and the baby.¡± Joanna sighed deeply again. She hated to be hospitalized. Seeing her reluctance, the doctor offered apromise, saying, ¡°How about this? You can stay in the hospital for a week for observation. After a week, if your condition improves, you can go home.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go arrange it now.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna said as he struggled to stand 1. Her belly was already quiterge, and coupled with the exhaustion of the past few days, it became heavier. Staying in the hospital for a few days was a prudent decision. B Chapter 717 Chapter 717 Even though she really didn¡¯t want to be hospitalized, after hearing the doctor¡¯s grave concerns, Joanna could only reluctantly agree to stay in the hospital. ¡°Go take care of the hospitalization procedures!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Everett.¡± Soon after, the hospitalization procedures werepleted. Joanna was assigned to the special VIP ward. There were almost no patients on this floor. Ordinary patients would not be arranged toe to this floor. As they entered the VIP floor, they noticed a few nurses and doctors escorting a patient out of the elevator. The patient was also arranged on this floor. An assistant in a suit approached Marcus and said, ¡°Mr. Yanice, don¡¯t worry. Mr. Derick¡¯s life has been saved. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°He has been transferred to a normal ward!¡± On the other end of the phone, Marcus appeared to be exining something to the person on the call. The assistant nodded submissively while on the phone. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡± Marlowe had spent over ten days in the intensive care unit, but today, he was finally transferred to a regr ward. However, they had to amputate his right leg from the knee. Therge tendons at his neck were cut off. Although they managed to reattach it, his neck was now crooked to the left. ¡°Uh, uh, uh¡­¡± Marlowey there, whimpering in pain and difort. What a narrow path! Joanna and Bruce happened to run into Marlowe. Given that he was the eldest son of the Yanice family, and was one of the wealthiest young guys in Greyport, it was no surprise he was staying in the VIP ward. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± When Marlowe saw Bruce, his previously dispirited and weak expression instantly brightened up. He became excited and struggled to sit up straight. But Marlowe¡¯s injuries were still very severe. Even if he tried with all his strength, he could only manage to squirm. ¡°Mr. Derick, please don¡¯t get too agitated. You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet,¡± the assistant quickly ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Marlowe tried to mumble something, but he was unable to speak clearly. Despite his inability to speak, Marlowe¡¯s gaze was piercing and filled with resentment, resembling that of a venomous snake. Bruce coldly nced at Marlowe, and with a shrug, his expression seemed to convey the message, ¡°That¡¯s right, my people did it.¡± Even the police had no way to investigate such a matter. Just like how Marlowe had hired someone to seek revenge on Bruce, the murderer had already fled overseas, making it nearly impossible to conduct a thorough investigation. Indeed, everyone was well aware of the situation, but despite their suspicions, they couldn¡¯t find any concrete evidence. ¡°Miss Haynes, this is your ward.¡± The nurse opened the door and gestured with her right hand. Joanna and Bruce entered the ward. ¡°I heard that Marlowe¡¯s leg was amputated. He might be paralyzed for the rest of his life,¡± Joanna said with a casual sigh. Marlowe was also a well-known celebrity in Greyport, and his amputation had be a prominent news story covered extensively by the media. Bruce sneered. ¡°Who cares? He deserves it!¡± Joanna nced at Bruce.. ¡°Why is he so cold-blooded?¡± She thought.¡± Even a stranger would feel sorry for the person who went through this. But Bruce mocked him. How cold-blooded! Despite seeing the sympathy in Joanna¡¯s eyes, Bruce¡¯s disdain for Marlowe seemed to intensify. He remarked, ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t have to sympathize with someone like him. ¡°This kind of scum doesn¡¯t deserve any sympathy.¡± Joanna listened and did not say anything else. She did not sympathize with Marlowe. Shemented how terrifying the murderer must have been to sh Marlowe multiple times and then drive over his legs. The cruelty of the act was deeply unsettling and horrifying to her. Joanna even suspected that the criminals who attacked Marlowe and those who attacked Bruce might be the same group of people. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not care about him.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, I¡¯m going to administer a pregnancy stabilizer injection now,¡± the nurse informed Joanna. ¡°Okay.¡± The nurse swiftly began to prepare the medicine and inserted the needle into Joanna¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯d better rest in bed during this period of time. Don¡¯t walk around.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out first. If you need anything, please press the server.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The nurse bowed politely and left the ward, maintaining a professional and reassuring smile on her lips. After the nurses and intensive caregivers left, Joanna could not help but sigh deeply. In the past few days, Joanna had been feeling uneasy and had a lingering premonition that something significant was about to happen. H Joanna¡¯s sixth sense had always been remarkably urate. Whenever something bad was about to happen, she would experience various signs like her eyelids twitching, her hair trembling, or feeling inexplicably depressed. This was a sign that something bad was about to happen. ¡°Honey, why are you looking so sad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about the children. I¡¯ll be hospitalized for another week.¡± Bruce smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you miss the children, I can get someone to bring them over.¡± When Joanna heard that, she immediately shook her head in disagreement. ¡°Forget it! Let¡¯s not take the children to the hospital. It¡¯s not a good ce to visit.¡± ¡°Hehe, then I¡¯ll apany you in the hospital.¡± As Bruce spoke, he gently pressed his big head against Joanna¡¯s stomach. On this side¡­ the Marlowe was sent to another ward in the same floor. Although their wards were on the same floor, there was a considerable distance between them, as there were only two patients on this floor. B Chapter 718 Chapter 718 ¡°Boohoo, Bruce¡­¡± Marlowe mumbled, his words filled with anger and a desire for revenge against Bruce. He was aware that Bruce must have orchestrated someone to seek revenge on him. However, despite his emotional state and desire for revenge, Marlowe couldn¡¯t help but feel scared of Bruce now. Bruce didn¡¯t kill him this time; he merely taught him a harsh lesson. Marlowe realized that if he dared to provoke Bruce again, the consequences could be much more severe, possibly even fatal. ¡°Mr. Yanice, please refrain from moving. If you need anything, just let me know. After whimpering a few times, Marlowe¡¯s spirits seemed to dete, and hey down in a dispirited manner, resembling a deted ball. Marlowe was well aware that confronting Bruce at this moment would be courting death. He realized that it would be wiser to hold back for now and focus on his recovery rather than seeking revenge on Bruce immediately. ¡°President Yanice, what are you trying to say?¡± Marlowe¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he closed his eyes fiercely. Marlowe never expected that Bruce would survive the attack and, to his surprise, end up with more severe injuries than Bruce himself. Filled with resentment and a burning desire for revenge, Marlowe swore in his heart, vowing that he would never let Bruce off the hook for the suffering he had caused. Despite his weakened state and the uncertainty of his future, he was determined to seek retribution even if it meant haunting Bruce for the rest of his life. Marlowe¡¯s anger and resentment consumed him, and he vowed with venomous determination, ¡°Just you wait. When I recover, I will not only take your life but also the lives of your entire family! I, Marlowe, will never coexist under the same sky as you. We can¡¯t live peacefully together.¡± Despite closing his eyes, Marlowe¡¯s emotions continued to fluctuate violently. His inner turmoil was evident, and the intensity of his feelings seemed to overpower him, making it difficult for him to find peace or sce. Marlowe¡¯s injuries were severe, leaving him permanently disabled and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The loss of his right calf and multiple sh wounds had taken a toll on his physical and mental well-being, leaving him unable to even speak clearly. It was almost noon. Marcus came to the hospital to visit his son. At the same time, some of their friends in business came to visit them. ¡°How is Marlowe doing? ¡°I heard that he was transferred out of the intensive care unit today, so I came over to see how he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Marcus thanked the guest politely. Grayson and his wife also came to the hospital to visit Marlowe with Jennie. Given the interconnections and business dealings between wealthy families, it was only natural for the Garcia family to maintain friendly rtions with the Yanice family In such social circles, it was not umon for the elders to exchange polite yet somewhat hypocritical words. Jennie was notfortable in such social settings and found herself disliking these asions. She politely bid farewell to Marcus, using an excuse to gracefully excuse herself from the ward. In the corridor. Bruce also went to check his body. After the checkup, he was about to return to the ward. He saw Jennie right in front of him. Jennie also saw Bruce. Her eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Bruce¡­¡± Bruce sized up Jennie. Then, he forced a retarded and idiotic smile at her. Jennie was stunned as he stared nkly at Bruce. The man standing before her remained asmanding and handsome as ever. His imposing presence and the scar on his forehead only added to his allure, giving him a captivating and slightly enigmatic aura. Jennie could not help but feel excited again. ¡°Bruce, are you alright now?¡± As she spoke, Jennie walked excitedly towards Bruce. Her igh heels clicked on the ground. Seeing how agitated she was, Bruce¡¯s heart tightened. He could only pretend to have lost his memory. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Jennie was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s right, Bruce. Don¡¯t you recognize me? I¡¯m Jennie!¡± Bruce frowned and smiled foolishly. Of course, he knew Jennie. However, it was not easy for him to cut ties with her. He did not want to get into trouble again. ¡°Bruce, long time no see. I thought you¡­¡± Ass he spoke, Jennie choked. She thought that Bruce would never wake up again. She didn¡¯t expect to see him now. ¡°Hehe¡­ Do we know each other?¡± Bruce pretended to be dumb. After all, when he was in prison, he had only jokingly agreed to date her. She took it seriously and chased after him. He was really afraid and did not want to get himself in trouble again. ¡°Bruce, how did you be like this?¡± Jennie¡¯s nose turned sour, and her yes instantly turned red. Then, she started cursing Joanna again. ¡°It¡¯s all that b*tch Joanna¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for her, you wouldn¡¯t have be like this. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m really happy for you to see you recover. Without waiting for Jennie to finish, Bruce directly interrupted her. ¡°Hehe, my wife is still waiting for me. I have to go. Bye.¡± Bruce did not dare to dy any longer. He quickly turned around and walked towards Joanna¡¯s ward. Jennie watched as Bruce fled. Her eyes turned even redder. She really liked Bruce and had loved him for so many years. Unfortunately, he had never given her a chance. Last year, she thought she would be closer to Bruce. But he was just patronizing her. As soon as he was released from prison, he dumped her. He had no intention of being with her. Hearing that he had an ident, she wanted to visit him. During this period, she had been trying to convince herself to let go of her obsession and end the rtionship. However, upon seeing him again, the emotions in her heart surged once more. ¡°Bruce, you¡¯re being foolish. Joanna is the one responsible for your current state, yet you still cherish her like a precious treasure! ¡°If you had chosen me, such a disaster wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡°Joanna, you damn bitch, how did you bewitch Bruce to such an extent?¡± The more she thought about it, the more indignant she became. She stood in the hospital corridor, her gaze fixed on the direction where Bruce had left, hoping he would return. Fifteen minutester. Grayson and his wife walked out of the ward. Seeing his daughter standing there like a stone pir, Mrs. Garcia¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Jennie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jennie did not speak. She continued to stare nkly at the end of the hospital. ¡°Jennie, what are you looking at? Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jennie kept looking back. Her heart was in turmoil. She still couldn¡¯t let go of Bruce. Even though she knew that he had be an idiot, she still could not let go. In the ward. Bruce returned to the ward, still feeling a little frustrated. ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°Yes, is it long?¡± Bruce sat at the head of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s been almost an hour. Isn¡¯t that long?¡± Joanna grumbled unhappily. He hadn¡¯t been gone for too long. But she was worried that Bruce would met bad people. ¡°I¡¯m back now!¡± ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± The nurse replied, ¡°The doctor prescribed medication for Mr. Everett and asked him to return for a follow-up checkup after some time.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Joanna was relieved. ¡°Honey, does your belly feel better?¡± ¡°Does it still hurt? Did the baby kick you again?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt so much anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, the doctor said that you have to lie down and rest. Don¡¯t be too tired and don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Joanna could not help but sigh heavily. ¡°Turn on the television! It¡¯s so quiet in this ward.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Okay.¡± The nurse then turned on the television. Unexpectedly, as soon as the television was turned on, they saw some gossip news. [Everett Group is about to have a new chairman. Liam Miller has officially taken over Everett Group.] [Hartfield Enterprise may face the risk of delisting. Can the new chairman turn the tide?] [Bruce stepped down from the position of chairman. His brain has been severely damaged¡­]. The news anchor finished his report with a serious expression. The scene changed to an outdoor reporter interviewing Liam. ¡°Mr. Miller, are you about to take over as Everett Group?¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, are you Mr. Everett¡¯s legal guardian from now on?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Mr. Everett¡¯s uncle. Now that he¡¯s in trouble, of course I have to take care of everything for him.¡± In front of the camera, Liam and L were beaming with joy. Even though the two of them had tried their best to control their expressions, the joy in their eyes could not help but be revealed. ¡°Can Mr. Everett¡¯s brain recover?¡±. ¡°The doctor said that there¡¯s no way for him to recover at the moment, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of him for the rest of his life,¡± Liam said to the reporters with a rosy face. Looking at the report on the television, Bruce couldn¡¯t help but sneer. He would soon tear apart Liam¡¯s hypocritical face. On the day Liam became the chairman, he wanted to appear unexpectedly and teach him a lesson. However, this way, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pretend to be retarded. He enjoyed pretending to be retarded, because he had Joanna¡¯s meticulous care and love for him. However, the situation was special now. He couldn¡¯t pretend any longer. In less than two weeks, Aria would be Greyport. He wanted to settle everything in thepany before Aria arrived. Only then would he have the energy and time to face Aria. Chapter 719 Chapter 719 ¡°How are your wounds? Come over, let me have a look.¡± Alright¡­¡± Bruce tenderly reclined in Joanna¡¯s embrace. His hair had grown longer. Joanna tenderly brushed his hair aside to look at his wounds. He had four scars in total on his head! The wound on the back of his head looked like a ferocious centipede tattoo. It was bald there. The good thing was, that the wound was on the back of his head and wouldn¡¯t affect his overall appearance. If the scar was on the top of his head, he would definitely be bald. But then, he would be ugly. Now he was not affected at all. Nheless, he had forever trimmed the hair on the back of his head shorter than the front. Thus, with a dab of hair gel, he resembled a model. ¡°Is the injury still painful?¡± Joanna inquired with a heavy heart as she touched his scar. ** ¡°It hurts. How can it not hurt? It hurts a lot.¡± Bruce said aggrievedly and snuggled into her arms like a spoiled child. His grasp on her waist was firm,parable to an overly clingy canine. Joanna delicately massaged his head and blew on it soothingly. Bruce couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter He adored her gentle appearance and relished thefort of resting in her embrace, savoring the faint fragrance that surrounded her. ¡°You should be fine after a week or two. Don¡± as you do now?¡± ¡°Darling, I mean, by the time my wounds are healed, would you treat me as kind as you do now?¡± Joannaughed, feeling a little bit of annoyance. ¡°Am I a gentle person?¡± She would never use the word gentle to describe herself. She was a quiet person. She didn¡¯t like talking too much. ¡°Of course. I love it when you are so gentle.¡± Sheughed upon hearing this. Bruce raised his head, looking at Joanna, his eyes full of emotion. ¡°Darling, I love you so much!¡± Joanna put on a faint smile. ¡°Me too! I love you very much.¡± ¡°My love, will you adore me as much as you do now for eternity? Will you perpetually be benevolent towards me?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered as he apprehensively asked, ¡°If the day arrives when I fully recuperate, will you still be as affectionate and solicitous as you are present? Will you bestow upon me the same love and kindness?¡± ¡°Oh yes!¡± Joanna answered without hesitation. ¡°What happened? You have been weird recently. Why do you keep asking such boring questions?¡± ¡°Are these boring questions? But I really wanted to know the answer!¡± ¡°If one day you discover that I lied to you, will you be upset?¡± Bruce was genuinely puzzled by Joanna¡¯s thoughts. He was probing her reaction with careful questions, trying to understand her feelings. Joanna was astounded and cast her gaze downward toward him. His brain was now damaged. How was he going to lie to her even if he wanted to? Bruce nced at her seriously as well. He no longer wished to conceal the truth from her. He was about to tell her that he had recovered and retrieved his memory. ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t want to lie to you. I¡­¡± Bruce said, then suddenly paused. He didn¡¯t know how to say it.. He was afraid that if he really said it, Joanna would be pissed off. Joanna pondered for a few seconds, touched his cheek, and said seriously, ¡°Well, why did ¡°You know, I always hate liars. ¡°Are you lying to me? If you are, you¡¯d better tell me the truth now.¡± Bruce was stunned. ¡°What would you do if you found that I lied?¡± Joanna pondered seriously for a few seconds after hearing it. What would she do if she found him lying to her? you lie? Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She shouldn¡¯t forgive him. He lied to her many times in the past. He shouldn¡¯t lie to her, even if it was out of goodwill. Irrespective of the justifications, deceit was still deceit. Joanna¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You know, I hate men who lie. ¡°Just picture the person you love the most who has been lying to you all this time. It¡¯s: s scary, right? ¡°Lying to someone who is dear to you is inexcusable! Ponder over it, if the individual can deceive those in his surroundings. He is atrocious. ¡°Hence, I have instilled in the children the value of truthfulness and honesty. You too must be an upright individual. Please refrain from lying to me, even if it stems from benevolence.¡± Joanna looked at Bruce seriously. When Bruce heard this, his eyes instinctively shifted. He took a deep breath of cold air. Holy shit! Fortunately, he was unable to divulge the truth at that very moment. If she were to discover that he had concealed the truth from her for a prolonged duration, she would be undoubtedly infuriated. He knew her too well. She might have an abortion after knowing that he lied again! ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯ll tell herter. ¡°Joanna is on the brink of giving birth. If she uncovers my deceit, it could initiate prematurebor. ¡°Until after she gives birth, I won¡¯t reveal the truth,¡± Bruce whispered to himself, firmly deciding to keep it from Joanna to avoid anyplications during this critical time. Bruce didn¡¯t want Joanna to be too upset or stressed, especially during her pregnancy. ¡°By the way, what was it that you intended to tell me just a moment ago?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes rolled, his guilt evident on his face. As Joanna discerned Bruce¡¯s evasion, her countenance turned somber. ¡°Bruce, did you deceive me once again? ¡°Tell me, did youmit misconduct again?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Acturally, I¡­¡± ¡°What have you done this time? Tell me honestly. ¡°Come clean now, and I might consider forgiving you. But if I have to discover it myself, be prepared for serious consequences,¡± Joanna said firmly, her expression stern and resolute. Joanna was determined to break Bruce¡¯s habit of lying and ensure he understood the importance of honesty. This guy used to be quite skilled at lying. He wouldn¡¯t change so easily. Even if his brain was damaged, she had to reminded him that lying was wrong. Bruce rolled his eyes and said sheepishly, ¡°Darling, I identally peed on my shoes just now!¡± After saying that, he deliberately pinched his ears, pretending to feel guilty for the mishap. Puffl As Joanna heard this, she was rendered speechless. She nced at him in astonishment. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell you. I dread your anger.¡± Joanna didn¡¯t expect this answer. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say. But in fact, she had to admit that it was funny and she was amused. ¡°Why would you be scared?¡± ¡°I was afraid that you would mock mel ¡°After all, only people with short penis pee on their shoes. ¡°I was apprehensive that you would detest me!¡± Bruce intentionally diverted the discussion. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t pee on his shoes. He was just joking. He was just trying to make Joannaugh. Puff Upon hearing this, Joanna couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Hehe, what a little idiot.¡± At the same time, she affectionately hugged his head. She found him utterly adorable. ¡°Darling, will you look down on me because of that?¡± ¡°Come on, why would I do that? ¡°This happens to every o one of us. Joanna didn¡¯t want tough, but she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter as she imagined the scene. He had always appeared to be an ¡­ ¡®intimidating¡¯ person. Peeing on his shoes just didn¡¯t sound like something he would do. It was humorous to merely contemte it. Observing Joanna¡¯s uncontrobleughter, Bruce felt even more indignant. ¡°Look at you. You promised you wouldn¡¯tugh at me. Hmph, I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore.¡± As he spoke, Bruce pretended to be angry. She actually believed him so easily. He couldn¡¯t help butin in his heart, ¡°This silly woman is so gullible. She actually believed those words. She¡¯s too innocent. She¡¯s the real little fool. And yet, she calls me a little fool.¡± Joanna thought he was genuinely upset and quickly reassured him, ¡°I¡¯m notughing at you, I promise.¡± ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re clearly stillughing! Hmph, you¡¯re mocking me for urinating on my shoes. If I had foreseen this, I wouldn¡¯t have confided in you. ¡°I genuinely am not mocking you. Please don¡¯t be upset, alright?¡± Joanna couldn¡¯t suppress her amusement. However, it was so hrious to imagine that he had peed on his own shoes. She just couldn¡¯t stop ¡°Quitughing! If you keep it up, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll stop, I promise?¡± Joanna bit her lip and tried her best to hold back herughter. In the past, whenever she was with Bruce, she had always been extremely nervous. She barely smiled, not to mentionughing out loud. And now, with his brain damaged, she found immense joy in every day she spent with him. ¡°Hmph, you have to make up forughing at me.¡± ¡°Well, alright. What do you want?¡± ¡°I need some kisses.¡± Bruce pointed to his lips, forehead, and cheeks. ¡°Alright!¡± Joanna agreed without hesitation and kissed him. After that, she even showered him with a few more kisses on the forehead. ¡°That should suffice, shouldn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t be angry any longer!¡± Joanna stated, endeavoring to pacify him. ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s better,¡± Bruce replied, feeling more content ¡°Sigh, I really don¡¯t know what to do with you. How did you turn into such a little goofball?¡± Joanna said, teasing him affectionately. When Bruce heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Bruce sighed. What a foolish woman! Fortunately, he was her husband. If she had married a bad man, she would have been miserably deceived. He lied just to win her love. Other men might lie to exploit her for her wealth and beauty. Beep. The phone rang once more. ¡°The phone is ringing. See who¡¯s calling.¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Bruce replied and quickly picked up the phone. ¡°It¡¯s the kids.¡± ¡°Answer the call. The children are probably worried.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Bruce immediately answered the call. ¡°Hey, Daddy, Mommy, where did you go?¡± ¡°Mommy is at the hospital right now. Are you guys finished with school?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re already done with school,¡± the kids replied. ¡°What happened to Mommy this time? Why did she have to go to the hospital?¡± the kids asked, concerned. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯m going to stay in the hospital for a few days. Behave well at home!¡± Joanna said and quickly picked up the phone. Lilia asked curiously and with concern, ¡°Mommy, where are you feeling unwell? Are you going to have a baby?¡± ¡°Not so fast. I¡¯m just a little bit sick,¡± Joanna replied, trying to reassure her daughter. Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Joanna smiled gently andforted the children. ¡°Be good at home,¡± she said. ¡°Mommy will be back in a few days.¡± Davian nodded obediently and said, ¡°Oh. Okay. Mommy, take good care of your health.¡± Irvin also stuck his head out to greet Joanna. He said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all then,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± the three children said in unison.¡±Goodbye, Mommy and Daddy.¡± The children had gotten used to their parents not being at home, so they did not throw a tantrum. After hanging up, Joanna could not help but sigh. It was a precious moment being with the children, yet they now had to be separated for so many days. Upon hearing that, Bruce frowned and said, ¡°Honey, why do you like to sigh so much? Stop sighing all the time.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Joanna asked involuntarily. ¡°Yes!¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you sigh 800 times a day. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. Just focus on taking good care of yourself during pregnancy. Don¡¯t think about anything else. ¡°I¡¯ve got everything covered. Even if the sky were to fall, I would hold it up for you.¡± Bruce could not help but console Joanna. She always liked to overthink and have random thoughts. Excessive worrying could harm one¡¯s body. ¡°Haha, how can a little fool like you hold it up?¡± Joanna said. She could not help but want to sigh again. On second thought, she restrained the urge to sigh. She thought, ¡°People often say that one should not sigh all the time. It would make good luck go away. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been sighing quite frequently. I should definitely pay more attention to it in the future.¡± Hearing Joanna call him ¡°Little Fool¡±, Bruce felt extremely annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®Little Fool¡¯ anymore,¡± he said. ¡°You have to call me ¡®Hubby¡¯ in the future!¡± ¡°Haha, dream on,¡± Joanna replied angrily. ¡°Why?¡± Bruce said. ¡°Are you thinking of looking for another husband?¡± As Bruce talked, his big hand began to wander yfully. Joanna was left speechless. She frowned. ¡°Our fourth child is about to be born,¡± Joanna thought. ¡°Why would I want to look for another partner? ¡°I will spend the rest of my life with him in a daze.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Bruce said. ¡°You want to look for another husband again, huh? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re still thinking about that annoying person!¡± Bruce could not help but feel jealous again. Joanna took a moment to understand what Bruce was trying to say. ¡°Which annoying person am I thinking about?¡± she asked. Bruce was extremely displeased. He said in a jealous tone, ¡°Hmph, you know whom I¡¯m talking about. It¡¯s that annoying and bothersome person.¡± When Joanna heard this, she quickly realized that the annoying person he was talking about was Jaydon. Sigh! ¡°They really are long-standing enemies,¡± Joanna thought. ¡°They are still at odds with each other to this day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really amazed by you,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Your mind is not clear, yet you still think about such nonsense.¡± ¡°Regardless of whether my mind is clear or not, you can only have me in your heart,¡± Bruce said. ¡°You can¡¯t think about any other man. ¡°Even more so, you can¡¯t have any ambiguous rtionships with other men. You are to only love me and think of me.¡± Joanna could not help butugh. ¡°Alright, alright, alright,¡± she said. ¡°I will only love you and think of you, okay?¡± ¡°No, you have to swear,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Alright, I swear that I¡¯ll only love you and think of you for the rest of my life,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Call me ¡®Hubby¡¯ then,¡± Bruce said, remaining relentlessly persistent. 10:27 Joanna pondered for a few seconds before reluctantly calling out. ¡°Hubby!¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Bruce said. He was especially satisfied when he heard that. He put his arm around Joanna¡¯s shoulder and kissed her forehead again and again. ¡°You have to call me that from now on,¡± Bruce said. Joanna rolled her eyes. ¡°Uh, we haven¡¯t remarried yet,¡± she said. ¡°So to call you ¡®Hubby¡¯, isn¡¯t that a little¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bruce said. ¡°Well um,¡± Joanna said. ¡°A little awkward.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t I feel awkward calling you ¡®Honey¡±?¡± Bruce said. Joanna chuckled with a hint of annoyance and was even more speechless. ¡°He is thick-skinned, so how could he possibly feel awkward?¡± Joanna thought. This was especially the case in the past. He liked to say some suggestive and shameless words. To him, calling her ¡°Honey¡± was not awkward at all. However, the two of them had not gone through the process of remarriage. Now that Liam had guardianship over Bruce, if they wanted to proceed with the remarriage process, they had to obtain Liam¡¯s consent. Thinking about all these things, Joanna could not help but feel overwhelmed and stressed. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good talk with Liam another day,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Let¡¯s hope he would be reasonable and not go too far.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk to him about?¡± Bruce asked with a disdainful expression. ¡°He¡¯s your guardian now,¡± Joanna said. ¡°If we want to remarry, we have to get his consent. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. As long as he doesn¡¯t make unreasonable demands, I don¡¯t want to engage in awsuit with him anymore. I just want to be with you and the children¡­¡± Before Joanna finished talking, Bruce could not help but sneer. He said, ¡°Our remarriage has nothing to do with him. ¡°Why do we need his consent? Who the hell does he think he is?¡± Joanna was at a loss for words. Upon hearing that, she stared nkly at Bruce. The domineering tone when he spoke was exactly the same as before. Bruce realized that he had given himself away. He quickly changed his expression and pretended to be retarded. Heughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Honey. I will definitely marry you. ¡°After the baby is born and you recover, we¡¯ll immediately go through the remarriage procedures. From then on, no one can ask us to be separated.¡± When Joanna heard this, she did not know what to say in response. She could only reply casually, ¡°Haha. Okay!¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Liam had be Bruce¡¯s guardian. He would definitely not agree to Bruce remarrying her. However, in order not to disappoint Bruce, Joanna did not refute him. At Everett Group, when the news that Liam was about to take over as the chairman spread, there was amotion in the entire office. A few directors could not help but gossip. ¡°Hey, have you heard? Mr. Miller won thewsuit, and Mr. Everett¡¯s custody was given to him.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the news? Mr. Miller is about to take over as the chairman of Everett Group.¡± Mr. Nelson¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°So, does that mean that Mr. Everett truly won¡¯t be able to recover?¡± Mr. Young chuckled and said, ¡°Haha! Mr. Everett¡¯s era is over, and his glory is also in the past. From now on, Mr. Miller will have full authority over Everett Group.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be sensible and adapt to the changing situations. Let¡¯s stick with Mr. Miller and follow his lead.¡± ¡°Tsk, I still feel a little upset. Mr. Everett is still young. He was perfectly fine. Why did such a thing happen to him?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mr. Everett is only in his thirties. It¡¯s the best age for a man. The prime of life.¡± ¡°Even heroes fall for beauties. A good man like him will eventually fall under the power of women.¡± ¡°Let me tell you, it¡¯s all his ex-wife¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for his wife pestering him, Mr. Everett wouldn¡¯t have gotten into such 2/4 10:27 Chapter 720 trouble.¡± Mr. Bourn could not help but retort, ¡°How can you say that? If we were to think like you based on the conclusion you just shared, men might as well avoid getting involved with women altogether¡­¡± The directors and senior executives were discussing animatedly. As for the employees, they felt even more uneasy. At the secretary¡¯s desk, Mark said anxiously, ¡°Andy, have you heard? Mr. Miller will officially take over the position of chairman next week. What should we do about this? Once he bes the chairman, will we still have it easy?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Andy said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± ¡°What are your ns now?¡± Mark said. Andy looked gloomy. He sighed and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got no ns.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know any insider information?¡± Mark said. Andy was at a loss for words. He remained silent. He suspected that Bruce had recovered and returned to his usual self. However, after losing thewsuit, he could not help but fall into a state of confusion and uncertainty. ¡°Given Mr. Everett¡¯s personality, if he has truly recovered and returned to his usual self, he would definitely make a powerfuleback and immediately take down Mr. Miller, Mr. Young, and others all at one and deal with them ruthlessly,¡± Andy thought. However, he did not know what Bruce was thinking at all. Surprisingly, there had been no actions or any indications of retaliation from him. He even started to suspect if Bruce had truly be a retard. ¡°Perhaps it was just my imagination when I saw Mr. Everett dropping a hint to me that day,¡± he thought. ¡°It¡¯s impossible,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely impossible! Mr. Everett is such a powerful person. How could he be willing to let Mr. Miller dominate him?¡± Mark was perplexed. He asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Andy said. ¡°I just find it strange.¡± He looked conflicted. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss. Mark said, ¡°Wait. You just said it¡¯s absolutely impossible. What¡¯s absolutely impossible?¡± Andy sighed and said, ¡°Mark, let me tell you a secret.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Mark said. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Andy said with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but you must not tell anyone else.¡± ¡°Mm, don¡¯t worry,¡± Mark said. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. We¡¯re close buddies. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Andy was relieved. ¡°That day, I went to Sherane Bay Vi to deliver some documents to Miss Haynes,¡± he said. ¡°Then, Mr. Everett suddenly told me to hand these documents to Mr. Miller¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Mark said. He thought Andy would tell him a shocking secret. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be like this? ¡°The key is that Mr. Everett¡¯s expression and tone of voice arepletely normal,¡± Andy said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like someone with a mental illness at all.¡± Mark was left speechless. He was shocked. He stared nkly at Andy. ¡°Are you saying that Mr. Everett is pretending to be retarded?¡± Mark said. ¡°That he¡¯s actually recovered but is pretending to be retarded?¡± Andy involuntarily looked around and said, ¡°Shh! Lower your voice. I¡¯m just being suspicious now. I¡¯m not certain. ¡°I have a feeling that Mr. Everett must be pretending.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mark said, ¡°Really? Why is he pretending to be retarded then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea,¡± Andy said. ¡°Mr. Everett¡¯s thoughts have always been the hardest to guess. Perhaps he¡¯s nning something again. I keep feeling that something is wrong, but I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s wrong. That¡¯s why I wanted to talk to you and find out what you think.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s pretending,¡± Mark said. ¡°If Mr. Everett is really pretending, would he let Liam be so arrogant? This doesn¡¯t seem like Mr. Everett¡¯s personality. Maybe you¡¯re overthinking things?¡± 3/4 10:271 ¡°That¡¯s why I find it strange,¡± Andy said. ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t expect Mr. Everett to hint to me that day.¡± Chapter 721 Chapter 721 ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out either,¡± Andy said. ¡°So we can only bear with it a little longer.¡± Mark was at a loss for words. Upon hearing that, he wore a troubled expression as well. They were initially the most capable people working for Bruce. In terms of power and influence in thepany, they were second only to Bruce in the past. Now that Liam had taken over as the chairman, they were unwilling to switch allegiance to him. As a result, their status plummeted, and they could no longer stand tall with the same authority and influence they once had. At Everett Group the next day, Liam smugly walked into the conference room in a smooth suit that was free of wrinkles. He was wearing a dark red tie. ¡°Hello, everybody,¡± Liam greeted. All shareholders of various stakes in thepany had long waited in the conference room. ¡°Hi, Mr. Miller,¡± they greeted in return. Liam¡¯s lips curved with an uncontroble smile as he took a seat in the position where Bruce used to sit. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting,¡± Liam said. All the shareholders had solemn expressions as they looked at Liam respectfully. ¡°I believe everyone read the news the past few days, right?¡± Liam said. Mr. Young smiled obsequiously and ttered. He said, ¡°How could I not read such an important piece of news? ¡°Mr. Miller, you are Mr. Everett¡¯s guardian from now on, so naturally, you will also be the leader of Everett Group, ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Miller. ¡°With you leading us from now on, we will definitely be able to reach greater heights.¡± Upon hearing that, Liam felt extremely pleased, but his face was still tense. Liam said, ¡°I hereby announce officially that I will take over the position of chairman of Everett Group. ¡°I hope everyone can work together from now on to promote the development of Everett Group¡¯s business.¡± Everyone cheered and apuded upon hearing that. A few shareholders who did not get along with Liam had no choice but to lower their heads and p along with everyone else. ¡°Since I¡¯ve taken over Everett Group, I definitely have to make a notable impact,¡± Liam said. ¡°Many of thepany¡¯s previous deficiencies and shorings have to be corrected.¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, we believe that you will definitely be able to take thepany to new heights¡­¡± After Liam officially announced his session as the chairman of thepany, a staff meeting was quickly convened. At the meeting, he promised to increase the sries of lower-level employees, make adjustments to thepany¡¯s benefits, and more. For a week in a row, Liam was in the limelight. He either epted exclusive interviews from the media or conducted inspections at various subsidiarypanies. The rich circle of Greyport also praised him highly. He looked like a king who had ascended the throne, enjoying everyone¡¯s admiration and ttery. He was greatly satisfied as his ego was massaged. Unfortunately¡­ The good times did notst for two weeks. All kinds of negative effects began to surface. The stock price of Hartfield Enterprise and Sunrise Enterprise, which were owned by Everett Group, plummeted rapidly. It was almost like a cliff-edge drop. There was a difference between shares listed in local stock exchanges and shares listed in foreign stock exchanges. Unlike shares listed in local stock exchanges, there was no lower limit to how much share prices listed in foreign stock exchanges could fall. On the other hand, there was a limit on daily price decline for shares listed in local stock exchanges. They would hit the limit after dropping ten percentage points. For shares listed in foreign stock exchanges, it was different. It was not umon to see a stock dropping by twenty percentage points or even more in a single day. Thepany¡¯s shareholders were anxious and restless. All of them cried for help in a pitiful manner. There was a meeting in the conference room. ¡°Mr. Miller, Hartfield Enterprise¡¯s shares have been falling continuously,¡± Mr. Nelson spoke up first. ¡°Could it be on the verge of a copse?¡± ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s also the Green Bay project. Mr. Hall said the capital chain is about to break. We need a new round of financing.¡± ¡°And Sunrise Enterprise too. Its share price has also been falling sharply recently.¡± ¡°If this continues, how are we supposed to handle it¡­¡± All shareholders had gloomy expressions. Two small shareholders had been so worried that they had not slept for three days. After all, they had only such a small amount of assets. How could they withstand such a drastic decline in share prices? After hearing this, Liam frowned. A smile could no longer be seen on his chubby face. He had only been in the limelight for a week since he took office, but he started to face problems. These problems were quite tricky. ¡°Mr. Miller, the stock price has already fallen by dozens of points. If it continues to fall like this, we really won¡¯t be able to hold on anymore.¡± ¡°Immediately get a financial analyst to analyze it,¡± Liam said. ¡°And also, we will inject new capital into thepany again to boost the stock price.¡± Liam had been worried for a few days. He could only That was equivalent to selling goods at a loss to improve business prospects in the future. To prevent the devaluation of one¡¯s products, one had no choice but to buy one¡¯s own products at a higher price. This was simply drinking poison to quench one¡¯s thirst. It would only make things worse in the long run. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The other shareholders exchanged nces, feeling even more distressed. Liam intended to raise the stock price by buying at a low price. 1 However, the current situation was not the same as it used to be in the past. While they showed great respect to Liam on the surface, everyone knew deep down that his abilities were far inferior to Bruce¡¯s. In the current market situation, everyone was reluctant to spend money and would rather keep their wallets closed. Who would dare to invest money in a risky venture? ¡°Mr. Miller, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re unwilling to inject capital, but we¡¯re just businesspeople with limited financial resources. We really can¡¯t afford to lose money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re not like you, Mr. Miller. You¡¯ve got lots of wealth. You are not worried about spending such a small sum of money. We, um, we¡­¡± Seeing that the shareholders were hesitant and apprehensive, Liam became even more frustrated and impatient. ¡°Since all of you refuse to inject capital, I¡¯ll do it myself then,¡± he said. ¡°Mr. Miller is so magnanimous. Let¡¯s hope he can restore the share price.¡± Soon afterward, Liam injected 600 million dors as capital in an attempt to boost the stock price of Hartfield Enterprise. Unfortunately, though 600 million dors sounded like a lot of money, it was just a drop in the bucket when it was distributed among the price of all share units. It was unable to make any significant impact. The stock price only rose slightly by 16 cents. It then fell in less than a day. Liam had no choice but to add another 1 billion dors. However, it was still useless. It was as if the stock price was sliding down a slide. It fell miserably. Two weekster, the stock prices of Hartfield Enterprise and Sunrise Enterprise had already dropped by two-thirds. Shareholders were wailing. ¡°It¡¯s not working! It¡¯s not working! The stock market is really copsing. We have to cut our losses quickly¡­ Small shareholders could not take it anymore. They even felt like jumping off buildings. The number of shares was huge. It was simply impossible to increase the share price with just hundreds of millions of dors. Hartfield Enterprise¡¯s share price fell from its peak of 42 dors to over 8 dors. The original value was over 40 billion dors, but now the value was less than 10 billion dors. The 1.6 billion dors that Liam injected was gone. Moreover, this was not the lowest point of the share price. There was still a downward trend. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± Mr. Young said. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I want to sell off my shares and stocks.¡± Mr. Young was the first person that could not bear it any longer. The stock price had plummeted so much that it was equivalent to three-quarters of his assets being wiped out. If he were to cut losses now, he could still retain some money. Mr. Nelson was also so worried that he wanted to jump off a building. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore too,¡± he said. A few small shareholders sold their stocks and even transferred their shares. Liam waspletely restless now. He had initially thought that taking over Everett Group would be a wonderful beginning. However, after going through one setback after another, he no longer felt spirited. Liam was back at home! He was distressed. He sighed and said, ¡°Why did this happen?¡± The secretary and financial analyst took turns to persuade him. ¡°Mr. Miller, divest a portion of your assets to protect the core interests of Everett Group.¡± ¡°From the looks of it, the situation is beyond recovery. Hurry up and sell off the stocks you hold so that you can at least retain a portion of your investment. Cut your losses in time.¡± When Liam heard this, he got even angrier, but there was nothing he could do. His 1.6 billion dors, in addition to his initial stocks and shares, had now shrunk by three-quarters in value. N?velDrama.Org content. It seemed unstoppable and would continue to decline in value. He could only make a tough decision to cut losses by selling off his shares. After going through a series of ups and downs, he lost over 4 billion dors. For two consecutive days. Liam was so upset that he could not eat and did not even go to the office. ¡°Sigh¡­ All my savings over the years will be wiped out in an instant,¡± Liam said. He could not help but feel dejected. Seeing this, L quicklyforted him. ¡°Hubby, stop sighing,¡± she said. ¡°You will incur losses. So be it. ¡°Anyway, we still have Everett Group. We can afford to lose this bit of money.¡± Liam was at a loss for words. He remained silent. He took a sip of wine. If this continued, he could forget about expanding Everett Group. He might end uppletely destroying thepany. ¡°Honey, I want to take maternity photos,¡± L said. ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡± Liam shook his head and sighed. He said in frustration, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood. Go by yourself.¡± ¡°Hubby, please apany me,¡± L said. ¡°Can you stop bothering me?¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m feeling frustrated right now. How can I have the mood to take any maternity photos?¡± Fuming with anger, Liam no longer had the patience to speak gently to his young wife. When L heard this, she did not dare to annoy him anymore. ¡°Hubby, I notice that you are very frustrated, so I want to cheer you up,¡± she said. ¡°Stop bothering me!¡± Liam said. ¡°Unless I can get back over 4 billion dors, nothing can cheer me up. Liam shouted at L angrily. He then got up and walked to his room. With such a massive loss of money, he was extremely furious. Naturally, he had no mood for anything else. Chapter 722 Chapter 722 At Sherane Bay Vi, seeing that it was about time, Bruce smiled coldly. He intended to make his final move to achieve his goal. Aria would arrive at Greyport in a few days. He had to quickly settle thepany matters. In the study, Darcy reported to Bruce with a serious expression Mr. Everett, we can basically make a move now,¡± he said. ¡°Hartfield Enterprise¡¯s share price has already fallen to its lowest point.¡± ¡°Mm, we can make a move now,¡± Bruce said.. ¡°Okay,¡± Darcy replied. He began to make arrangements. Soon afterward, Bruce bought arge amount of Hartfield Enterprise¡¯s shares at the lowest price possible. At the same time, he also acquired the shares owned by small shareholders. Initially, he held 51% of the shares, but now it had immediately increased to 86%. With absolute authority, he hadplete. control over everything in thepany. However, by doing so, he could no longer pretend to be retarded! Joanna was at the hospital. She had been staying in the hospital for two weeks. She received medical treatment to ensure the safety and health of her unborn baby. After the doctorpleted a series of examinations today, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. J ¡°Miss Haynes, you can be discharged today,¡± the doctor said. ¡°The fetus is now basically stable.¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna heaved a sigh of relief. She said, ¡°Mm. Okay.¡± The doctor said, ¡°After you¡¯re discharged, try to do some aerobic exercises. ¡°Your estimated delivery date is January 8th. You have toe to the hospital one week in advance.¡± ¡°Got it, Doc,¡± Joanna said. She was already more than seven months pregnant. It would be eight months soon. There was a little over a month left, and then it would be time for delivery. This time, she wanted to try a vaginal delivery. After all, only through a vaginal delivery could she experience theplete process of motherhood. Bruce came over to pick her up from the hospital. ¡°Honey, you can be discharged now,¡± he said. ¡°Everything has been packed. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Joanna nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve been feeling so ufortable in the hospital. I can¡¯t wait to go home now.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Haha. Be careful. Let me hold you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so careful,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡± Joanna supported her waist with one hand and held her belly with another hand as she walked out happily. Bruce still insisted on holding her shoulders. He was afraid that she would fall and slip. Looking at Joanna¡¯s big belly, his eyes were filled with tenderness. He really did not want to lie to her anymore. He said,- ¡°Honey¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joanna said. ¡°I, um, I want to tell you something,¡± he said. He wanted to tell her that Aria wasing to Greyport. Although Joanna did not know Aria, Bruce still felt it was necessary to inform her. Otherwise, if he rashly met a female stranger, it would definitely lead to unnecessary misunderstanding. Even if he and Aria only had a simple romantic rtionship and did not have any physical intimacy, the fact remained that Aria was his first love. It would be strange if Joanna did not mind. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Joanna said as she turned around and looked at Bruce gently with her beautiful big eyes. N?velDrama.Org content. Her eyes were truly beautiful. After spending this period of time together, her eyes had regained a trace of moisture and radiance. He watched as her eyes lit up again. Bruce was moved further. He lowered his head and gently kissed her eyes. ¡°I want to tell you, my wife, that you are so beautiful,¡± Bruce said. ¡°You rascall¡± Joanna said angrily. She then added, ¡°Get in the carl¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Bruce said. Joanna got into the car clumsily with her big belly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the kids in almost two weeks,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I miss them so much.¡± Bruce sat down on the seat beside Joanna and carefully helped her fasten her seatbelt. ¡°The children miss you too,¡± he said. ¡°They must be waiting for you at home.¡± After a few seconds of contemtion, Joanna sighed and said, ¡°I hope that the future days will be better, and we won¡¯t encounter any more troublesome situations.¡± Bruce was at a loss for words. Upon hearing that, his heart sank. A trace of unfathomable anxiety appeared on his face. He also wanted to live a peaceful and happy life like this. However, he knew that it would be difficult for him to break free from his current situation. Sometimes, one sought peace, but external disturbances or challenges persisted, making it difficult to achieve that state. He might not be able topletely withdraw from his current situation. He could only cherish the happiness that he currently felt as much as possible. Half an hourter, the car was driven into Sherane Bay Vi. The children were waiting on thewn as usual. When they saw the car being driven in, they ran over happily like little birds. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Joanna got out of the car and touched the children¡¯s cheeks lovingly and gently. ¡°Yes, babies,¡± she said. ¡°Mommy misses you a lot.¡± ¡°We miss Mommy and Daddy too!¡± Irvin circled around Joanna and eximed in surprise, ¡°Wow, Mommy¡¯s belly has gotten so much bigger. ¡°Oh yes! It¡¯s like a big basketball. Mommy, can I touch my little sister?¡± ¡°Of course, you can,¡± Joanna said. Irvin was the first to touch Joanna¡¯s belly. ¡°Hello, my little sister¡± Irvin said. ¡°I¡¯m Irvin.¡± One after another, Davian and Lilia greeted as they looked at Joanna¡¯s belly. ¡°I¡¯m Davian,¡± Davian said. ¡°And I¡¯m Lilia,¡± Lilia said. Bruce let out a chuckle and urged, ¡°Alright. Alright. Hurry up and enter the house. ¡°Mommy just came back. Don¡¯t tire her out.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the children said. ¡°Let¡¯s go in quickly, Mommy.¡± ¡°Are you guys on holiday again?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± the children said. ¡°Halloween ising soon.¡± Irvin pouted unhappily and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. During the time when Mommy was sick, Mommy didn¡¯t prepare any birthday gifts for us.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Joanna said with a guilty expression. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t forget. I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you.¡± The children¡¯s birthday was at the end of November. Unfortunately, she had been staying in the hospital to keep her unborn baby safe and healthy, so she had not had the time to celebrate the children¡¯s birthday. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the children said, ¡°As long as Mommy remembers our birthday, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Haha, my babies are so considerate,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I feel so lucky and happy. You guys are the best gift God has given me.¡± With one hand holding each child, Joanna walked into the house with a satisfied smile on her face. As Bruce watched the warm and tender scene of Joanna and the three children, his lips curled up and there was an indescribable gentleness on his face. However, he felt anxious for some reason. He involuntarily took out his phone to take a look. As expected, Aria sent him another message. [Bruce, due to the flight dy, I may only be able to arrive in Greyport on the twentieth of the month.] Bruce pondered for half a minute before replying. [Got it.] 1 Aria immediately replied. [Please help me arrange a quiet ce with privacy.] [Okay. I¡¯ll pick you up on the 20th.] After replying, Bruce felt even more uneasy. The sense of anxiety was increasingly overwhelming. In his thirty years of life, he had never been as anxious as he was in the past few days. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the more one has, the more afraid one is of losing it,¡± he thought. On Monday, there was a meeting in the conference room of Everett Group. ¡°Hartfield Enterprise¡¯s shares have been bought at a rock-bottom price, and now its price is skyrocketing like crazy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who has made such arge investment in buying shares to actually cause a turnaround for investors in such a short period of time?¡± When Mr. Young heard this, he looked regretful. ¡°Oh no. Had I known that the price would rebound, I¡¯d have held on a bit longer. Now that I¡¯ve already sold all the shares that I have, it actually rebounded. It¡¯s so frustrating. I lost hundreds of millions of dors for no reason¡­¡± ¡°I know, right? If I had known that it would rebound, how could I have sold my shares at a loss? I would have definitely held on. I really didn¡¯t expect it to y such a big joke on us!¡± ¡°Cough, Cough. Stop talking. Stop talking!¡± Mr. Paul could not bear this blow anymore. He was so angry that he had a heart attack. ¡°Mr. Paul, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare me!¡± ¡°Hurry up and call an ambnce. Hurry up and send him to the hospital!¡± ¡°Call the security guards over right now. Mr. Paul, hang in there! The conference room was in chaos. All shareholders had gloomy faces and looked listless. Now that Mr. Paul¡¯s heart condition had rpsed, everyone was even more flustered. The stock market was like a ride on a roller coaster for the past few days. At first, it had fallen crazily to over 10 dors. Now, in less than a week, it had actually increased to over 20 dors. At this rate, it would soon rise back to its original price. This made the shareholders who sold their shares regretful. Even Liam was extremely angry, let alone small shareholders, who were anxious and restless. ¡°Hurry up and call Mr. Miller. Why hasn¡¯t hee to the office yet? How could he not show up when such a big thing happened to thepany?¡± ¡°I know, right? He hasn¡¯t been to the office for three days. Call him quickly and ask him toe back for a meeting ¡°I¡¯ll call him now!¡± Beep. Beep. Beep. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is unavable. Please try againter¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is Mr. Miller¡¯s phone turned off? I can¡¯t reach him. What does this mean?¡± Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Liam was extremely distressed. He was flustered. It had been three days, and he had not dared to show up at the office. He did not dare to answer calls from the shareholders of thepany. They were now calling his home phone in an attempt to reach him. L said, ¡°Hubby, Mr. Bourn, Mr. Nelson, and the others have already called the home phone. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry to the office. Hiding like this won¡¯t solve anything.¡± L also had a worried expression on her face. She was anxious about the situation that Liam was in. Liam remained silent. He sighed heavily. Thepany had lost so much money. There was no way Liam could avoid facing the problem. The small shareholders were even more adversely affected. They faced an unprecedented blow. Even though Liam did not want to go to the office, he had to bite the bullet and go. ¡°Driver, please arrange the car.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Miller¡± At half past nine, Liam slowly arrived at Everett Group¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Miller is here. Mr. Miller is here.¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, what do you think we should do now? Thepany is in such a situation. We don¡¯t know what to do.¡± As soon as Liam appeared, the shareholders were in an uproar. One after another, they chased after him to ask questions. Liam pulled a long face. His chubby face showed a helpless expression. He said, ¡°You people ask me, but who am I supposed to ask?¡± When the shareholders heard this, they were even more furious. ¡°You¡¯re the chairman of thepany. Who else should we ask if not you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re the leader now, so we naturally listen to you. When Mr. Everett was still around, the The shareholders could not help butin. When Liam heard this, he became even more dejected. ¡°I¡¯m also very upset that something like this has happened to thepany, but what can I do?¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve lost more money than you.¡± ¡°What should we do now? We¡¯re about to go bankrupt¡­¡± Shareholders who owned a lot ofpany shares were doing fine. They had other forms of investment, and they had rtively strong assets. Although they were anxious and upset about the significant losses, they would not go bankrupt. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. On the other hand, shareholders who owned a small quantity ofpany shares did not have such a extremely stressed and frustrated. They wereining and ming others for their problems. At ten o¡¯clock, Bruce¡¯s car arrived at the office. The car door of the Rolls-Royce slowly opened. Someone with a pair of long legs stepped out from inside. Bruce got out of the car and looked around at the main entrance of Everett Group. There was a hint of a sinister vibe in his sharp eyes. The bodyguards also got out of the car one after another. All of them were dressed in suits and leather shoes, well-trained to clear the way ahead. Bruce was at the front desk of the office. Upon seeing him, the receptionist and clerk at the front desk eximed, ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Eve-Everett¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god. Mr. Everett is here. It¡¯s really Mr. Everettl¡± The dozen or so employees at the front desk of thepany were in an uproar. They were incredulous. Bruce was dressed in a well-tailored suit, looking dignified and imposing. As he walked toward the employees, his powerful aura exuded a strong sense of oppression, leaving people somewhat breathless. ¡°Hello, Mr. Everett!¡± the customer service manager greeted. He instantly became very enthusiastic. He immediately rushed forward and pressed the elevator button The door of the elevator that was exclusively used by the president opened. Bruce immediately strode into the elevator. Behind him, Darcy, Carson, and a few other bodyguards followed. The rest of the bodyguards went straight into the staff elevator. ¡°Oh, golly. Mr. Everett actuallyes to the office. I¡¯m not dreaming, right? Mr. Everett actually ¡°That¡¯s right! I knew Mr. Everett would definitely get better!¡± Several beautiful female customer service representatives could not contain their excitement. At the secretary¡¯s desk, Andy and Mark had already seen Bruce enter the elevator through the surveince cameras. The two of them were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes. They hurriedly stood on both sides of the elevator and waited. Ding! The elevator door opened. As soon as Bruce stepped out of the elevator, Andy and Mark greeted him. ¡°Greetings to you, Mr. Everett!¡± Andy and Mark greeted respectfully. Both of them were about to cry.. Bruce nced at the two of them and smiled. ¡°Mr. Everett, I knew that you would definitely make a powerfuleback!¡± Andy said. He was so excited that his speech was incoherent. If it weren¡¯t for his boss¡¯s powerful presence, which made him less approachable, he really wanted to give his boss a big hug. In the conference room, the shareholders were still arguing and ming each other. Crack! The conference room¡¯s door was pushed open. A few bodyguards in ck suits walked in one after another. Everyone was stunned and looked at the door in confusion. Upon seeing this, Liam became even more impatient and started shouting, ¡°Who let you in? This is a shareholders¡¯ meeting. People who are not invited to this meeting are not allowed toe in. Get out of here!¡± The bodyguards ignored him. They continued to walk in one after another. Afterward, they formed two rows, standing neatly in line. ¡°Who asked you toe in?¡± Liam screamed angrily again. ¡°Get out quickly. Do you hear me?¡± Then, Andy and Mark walked in one after another. Everyone was left speechless. Upon seeing Andy and Mark, they looked at each other in surprise. Liam¡¯s eyes widened, thinking that Joanna had brought these people over. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± he said. ¡°Who asked you toe in? ¡°Is Joanna the one that sent you here to cause trouble? Are you trying to cause disruption¡­¡± Before Liam finished talking, the lights at the door dimmed, and a cold sensation swept in. With a gloomy expression, Bruce walked in with long strides. Bruce¡¯s presence wasmanding and intimidating in the first ce. After lying low and not making public appearances for an extended period, his presence was even colder and more imposing. ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± Bruce said. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Is everybody doing fine?¡± Bruce was expressionless. One could not tell from his tone if he was happy or angry. Mr. Eve-Everett¡­¡± Everyone was shocked. One after another, they stood 1. When Liam saw that it was Bruce, he was shocked too. He looked at Bruce in surprise and said, ¡°Ah. Bruce! Why, why are you here? ¡°Can¡¯t Ie?¡± Bruce said. He then pursed his lips and smiled faintly. Looking as if a king had descended, he walked past everyone and walked straight to Liam¡¯s side. Liam involuntarily stood up. When he saw Bruce¡¯s unfriendly gaze, his Adam¡¯s apple involuntarily bobbed twice. The two of them had a height difference of 8 inches. Liam could only look up and gaze at Bruce¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Miller, do you find the chairman¡¯s seatfortable?¡± Bruce said coldly. Liam was at a loss for words. He was stunned. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. ¡°Bru-Bruce, you, um, you¡¯ve recovered, huh?¡± Liam asked. Bruce sneered slightly. He said, ¡°Why, Mr. Miller? Did you hope that I would recover or did you hope that I wouldn¡¯t recover?¡± Liam said, ¡°No. I certainly, um, certainly hope that you would recover¡­¡± Bruce sneered as he walked a step forward, emitting a strong sense of oppression that made it difficult for Liam to breathe. Liam did not dare to look at Bruce¡¯s expression anymore. As Bruce approached, Liam involuntarily moved two steps backward. Bruce unceremoniously sat in the seat he previously upied during the meeting. ¡°Everybody, please take a seat!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Everett, that¡¯s great!¡± everyone stuttered as they sat down. All of them hadplicated expressions on their faces. Some were amazed. Some were pleasantly surprised. Some were shocked. In short, everyone¡¯s facial expressions were different. Bruce swept his sharp eyes over everyone present. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from thepany recently,¡± he said. ¡°I appreciate all your hard work.¡± It was clearly a polite remark that might not reflect Bruce¡¯s true feelings, but when everyone heard it, they felt a chill down their spine. During this period of time, most of the shareholders had their own ulterior motives. Taking advantage of the fact that Bruce was seriously injured, a few of them were eager to make moves and secretly did many things that vited thepany¡¯s rules. Now, Bruce was unexpectedly back alive and well. They were dead meat. They would probably face even more difficulties. However, not all shareholders were feeling guilty and afraid. Small shareholders like Mr. Bourn and Mr. Ball had been rtively well-behaved. They did not dare to join Liam and others and engage in improper actions. ¡°Hi, Mr. Everett!¡± ¡°Wee back, Mr. Everett. Great. Mr. Everett is finally back. We can all feel relieved now.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Before Mr. Paul finished talking, Bruce¡¯s eyes shed with a cold glint. He stared at Mr. Paul coldly. Mr. Paul panicked. He quickly lowered his head. ¡°Bruce, I¡¯m doing this for your sake, because you¡­¡± As Bruce spoke, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back now. You should take over the position of chairman.¡± Liam still had a sense of self-awareness. He quickly took the initiative to step ¡°Haha!¡± Bruceughed coldly. down. Upon hearing this, everyone felt even more terrified. Liam¡¯s foreliead kept sweating profusely. ¡°Without going through this disaster, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see everyone¡¯s true colors,¡± Bruce said. Everyone remained quiet. When they heard this, they lowered their heads and dared not look up. Bruce, you know, you¡¯ve been sick for so long,¡± Liam said. ¡°Thepany definitely can¡¯t be without someone to manage it. I¡¯m doing this for your own good¡­¡± ¡°Haha, Mr. Miller, you¡¯ve managed thepany very well,¡± Bruce said. Liam was at a loss for words. He choked up. He knew that Bruce was being sarcastic. Chapter 724 Chapter 724 ¡°Look at all the good things you¡¯ve done!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Darcy, show him all the contracts he has handled,¡± Bruce said as he looked at Liam coldly. ¡°Got it,¡± Darcy replied. Then, he handed several contracts to Liam. ¡°This is the contract you signed with Fraynst month,¡± Bruce said. ¡°It caused thepany to lose a few percentage points in profits. ¡°Also, do you intend to treat Belle Building as your own property?¡± ¡°Bruce, I, I¡­¡± Liam was sweating profusely. Bruce could not be bothered to say much. He immediately gave Darcy a look that signaled a message. Darcy immediately walked toward the door. Two minutester, a group of solemn-looking police officers and a fewwyers walked in. One of thewyers walked up to Liam and shed a letter of summons. He said, ¡°Hello. I am Mr. Everett¡¯s appointedwyer. ¡°The losses incurred by Everett Group during your tenure will be borne by you. ¡°This is a letter of summons. Mr. Everett uses you of corruption, bribery, and misappropriation of ¡°And also, you have been charged with 21 offenses which youmitted during the period when Mr. Everett was seriously ill, including forcing Ms. Joanna Haynes to withdraw from Everett Group through intimidation and coercion¡­¡± Boom. Before thewyer finished reading, Liam waspletely panicked. He never expected that Bruce did not actually be retarded and that Bruce would take action so quickly. He said, ¡°Bruce, listen to my exnation. ¡°Why would I do such a thing? Listen to me. Let¡¯s settle our matters in private. There¡¯s no need to rm the police andwyers. You can tell me directly what you want me to do¡­¡± Bruce sneered and said, ¡°Go and exin to them!¡± With that, Bruce pushed away Liam¡¯s hand that was clinging to him without hesitation. A few police officers shed the arrest warrant at Liam and said coldly, ¡°This is the arrest warrant. Pleasee with us.¡± Liam¡¯s legs went weak and he almost lost his bnce. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, Bruce,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m your uncle. Are you nning to send me to jail? ¡°Besides, I¡¯m also a shareholder in thepany. Even if I misappropriate thepany¡¯s assets, it¡¯s my right to do so. What right do you have to ask the police to arrest me?¡± Thewyer then took out a hostile takeover letter and said, ¡°Mr. Miller, you are no longer a shareholder of Everett Group. ¡°Mr. Everett has already purchased all your shares through the acquisition. This is the acquisition contract.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam said. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Who agreed to the acquisition?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett currently holds 86% of thepany¡¯s shares,¡± thewyer said. ¡°ording to legal regtions, he can forcefully acquire the shares in your possession¡­¡± Thewyer was still rambling. Liam¡¯s face was pale and his body was covered in cold sweat. He seemed to have realized that the continuous drop in Hartfield Enterprise and Sunrise Enterprise¡¯s share prices was due to Bruce manipting things behind the scenes. He had always thought that Bruce had be a retard. He did not expect that Bruce had plotted so many schemes behind his back. Every move made by Bruce drove Liam into a difficult situation. ¡°Take him out of here!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Bruce. Bruce¡­¡± Not allowing Liam to defend or exin himself, the task force immediately handcuffed him, Bruce charged him with 21 counts of crime. Any one of them could result in a sentence of eight to ten years. With so many charges against him that had been substantiated with evidence, he was likely to spend a long time behind bars. Moreover, even if he were to sell all his assets, it might not be enough topensate for the In the past, due to family ties, Bruce did not want to take drastic measures against Liam. He had always allowed Liam to work in thepany to earn money. If he had not gone through the life-and- death situation this time, he would not have been able to bring himself to ruthlessly deal with his uncle, who had a rapacious desire for power and wealth. Everyone watched as Liam was taken away by the police. The other shareholders were sweating profusely. Their legs could not help but tremble. Bruce was known for being ruthless. Now, he sent even his own uncle to prison, let alone them. After dealing with Liam, Bruce nonchntly scanned the group of shareholders, looking like a king calling the names of ministers who had done something wrong. He said, ¡°Mr. Young, Mr. Lurk, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Parker¡­¡± The several shareholders who were called out felt fearful and uneasy, as if they had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu of nearing death. After Bruce was done calling out the shareholders, a cold and sinister expression shed in his eyes. He said, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to print out the list of things you¡¯ve done in thepany during this period of time that vites thepany¡¯s rules and regtions. ¡°From today onwards, you are no longer shareholders of Everett Group.¡± Boom! As soon as these shareholders heard this, they were greatly frightened. ¡°I¡¯ll get mywyer to talk to you in detail about the losses thepany has suffered during this period of time,¡± Bruce added. ¡°Mr. Everett, we admit that we did the wrong thing¡­ Can you give us a second chance?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett. Mr. Everett¡­¡± Mr. Young was extremely frightened. Ignoring everyone present, he walked up to Bruce, trembling in fear. Then, he knelt down with a thud. ¡°Mr. Everett, please, I beg for your mercy,¡± he said. ¡°Spare me this time. I have parents and children to take care of. I can¡¯t go; to jail. ¡°I¡¯ve caused thepany to suffer losses. I, I, I can make up for all of the losses. Please¡­ please give me a chance to mend my ways.¡± Bruce was expressionless. He could not be bothered to say anything more to such a person who had no integrity and principles. He merely tilted his head slightly to the bodyguards behind him. N?velDrama.Org content. The two bodyguards understood his signal. They immediately went forward, grabbed Mr. Young¡¯s arm, and dragged him out of the conference room. ¡°Now, please leave immediately,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Thewyer¡¯s letter will be sent to your homester.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, Mr. Everett, don¡¯t do this!¡± Several shareholders begged for mercy in fear. The bodyguards did not bother to say anything. They immediately dragged them away, giving them no chance to defend themselves or beg for mercy. The whole process was swift, urate, and ruthless. The entire process waspleted in less than half an hour. It could be described as swift and powerful like thunder. The remaining dozen or so shareholders were all pale. They lowered their heads and did not dare to breathe loudly. In today¡¯s society, very few people kept themselves clean and righteous. Most people were more or less driven by greed for wealth. However, these remaining dozen or so shareholders did not go overboard. Bruce said, ¡°Within one week, self-reflect and acknowledge all the things you have done that vite the you if you do not do that within a week. ¡°From today onwards, I officially return to thepany.¡± After Bruce was done talking gloomily, he immediately stood up. When the shareholders heard this, they heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay. Got it, Mr. Everett. Rest assured that we¡¯ll definitely review our actions to identify the things that we have done wrong.¡± ¡°If we vite thepany¡¯s rules, we will definitely make up for our mistakes.¡± ¡°The meeting is over,¡± Bruce said coldly. Then, he immediately walked out of the conference room with long strides without wasting a second. Instantly, Andy and Mark¡¯s former imposing demeanor was restored. They followed Bruce and walked out of the conference room. Bruce returned to his private office. It was already upied by Liam. It was filled with Liam¡¯s personal belongings. ¡°Throw out everything that Liam has touched in the office, including the furniture,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Renovate it all over again.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett,¡± Andy and Mark said. Bruce¡¯s eagle-like eyes turned cold. ¡°Inform¡¯ all the senior executives,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll have a meeting at two in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Andy and Mark said. ¡°Also, all the senior executives from abroad are to attend the remote meeting,¡± Bruce added. ¡°No one is allowed to be absent.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Andy said. ¡°I¡¯ll inform them immediately.¡± At Sherane Bay Vi, Joanna slept until ten in the morning before getting upzily. ¡°Where¡¯s Bruce?¡± she said. Lilian, who was the maid, replied respectfully, ¡°Uh, Mr. Everett has something to attend to. He has gone out.¡± Joanna was stunned. ¡°He has gone out?¡± she said. ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°Mr. Everett didn¡¯t mention when he went,¡± Lilian said. ¡°He only said that he had something to attend to. He told us not to wake you up.¡± Joanna¡¯s expression changed instantly. She said, ¡°How can you let him out? ¡°Whom did he go out with?¡± ¡°He went out with Darcy and Carson,¡± Lilian said. ¡°Mr. Everett said not to worry, Madam. He¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Upon hearing that, Joanna got even more worried. She thought, ¡°Stubborn guy. His mind isn¡¯t even clear now, yet he¡¯s still thinking about going outside. ¡°Did he forget that he was attacked by criminals justst month?¡±: §£§Ö§Ö§â. §£§Ö§Ö§â. §£§Ö§Ö§â. Joanna hurriedly called him. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is currently not avable. Please try againter.¡± ¡°Jeez, why didn¡¯t he pick up the call?¡± Joanna said. The butler, Gael, quickly came over tofort Joanna. ¡°Madam, Mr. Everett said not to worry,¡± he said. Joanna still could not feel at ease, so she called Darcy again. Unfortunately, there was still no answer, just as before. ¡°Where the hell did that rascal go?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam,¡± Gael said, smiling andforting her. ¡°Mr. Everett said that he is personally going to pick Halloween gifts for the kids. He will be back soon.¡± When Joanna heard Gael say that, she felt slightly relieved. Then, she got him to turn on the television. It was shocking when she saw it. On the news, it was all about the imminent bankruptcy of Hartfield Enterprise, a subsidiary of Everett Group. Joanna was even more worried when she saw thepany¡¯s information. During her time in the hospital, she had not been paying attention to thepany¡¯s news. Now that she was back home, she realized that Everett Group was facing such a big problem. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got to rush to the office right away,¡± she said. ¡°If things continue like this, thepany will be ¡°Madam, you should rest well,¡± Gael said. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Joanna¡¯s mind was in turmoil. She said, ¡°How can I sit back and do nothing when such a big problem has happened to thepany? ¡°Hurry up. Get the car ready. I have to go to the office.¡± ¡°Madam¡­¡± ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Hurry up. Go.¡± Seeing that she insisted on going, the butler could only reluctantly agree. ¡°Alright then,¡± he said. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Beep, beep, beep. Joanna made another call to Bruce. The phone rang for a long time before Bruce finally picked up. ¡°Hey, honey!¡± Bruce said. Hearing Bruce¡¯s voice, Joanna felt a tightness in her chest. ¡°Bruce, where did you go?¡± she asked. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Bruce hesitated. ¡°Quick, tell me,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯m outside now,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°What are you doing outside?¡± Joanna said. ¡°You sneaked out. Do you know that I am very worried?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice revealed a hint of anger. ¡°I, um, I¡¯ve got to attend to something,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Jo¨¢nna was at a loss for words. She choked up. ¡°So how long will it take you to get back?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll be back at about six in the evening,¡± Bruce said. Upon hearing this, Joanna instantly became furious. ¡°Six in the evening?¡± she said. ¡°Where exactly are you now?¡± Bruce pondered for a few seconds and could only make up a lie. ¡°Uh, Jordan introduced me to a therapist for psychotherapy,¡± he said. ¡°I saw you were still asleep in the morning, so I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Then why did Gael say you went to buy gifts for the children?¡± Bruce chuckled and said, ¡°After the psychotherapy session, I¡¯ll go buy gifts for the children. In any case, I¡¯ll definitely be home before six o¡¯clock.¡± Joanna was skeptical. ¡°Is it true?¡± she said. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Jordan said it is very difficult to schedule an appointment with this therapist. He is only avable in Greyport today. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have time to tell you. You know, I¡¯m not intelligent. Maybe I¡¯ll be smarter after the psychotherapy session.¡± Joanna was even more skeptical after hearing this. However, Bruce¡¯s lie sounded so smooth that she had no choice but to believe it. ¡°Alright then,¡± she said. ¡°In the future, you need to let me know when you¡¯re going out,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Don¡¯t go out alone. What if you encounter bad people?¡± ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry!¡± Bruce said. ¡°I brought along Darcy and Carson. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Come home early after you¡¯re done with the psychotherapy session,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be home before six.¡± Upon saying that, he pretended that it was his turn in the queue. He pretended to talk to someone, saying, ¡°Okay, Doc. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Honey, it¡¯s my turn now,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t talk to you for now. I need to quickly go in for the therapy.¡± ¡°Mm, alright, Joanna said. ¡°Kiss me,¡± Bruce said. He then took the lead to give Joanna a kiss over the phone. Joanna did not overthink it. She also responded with a kiss over the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll hang up now,¡± Bruce said. After hanging up, Joanna looked at the clock. It was only one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Bruce would not be back until six. ¡°Taking advantage of this period of time that he is away by going to the office is the most appropriate thing to do,¡± Joanna thought. This was especially the case as she had to talk to Liam about Bruce¡¯s guardianship. So, she had to go to the office. However, what she did not know was that thepany was currently in the midst of purging the negative elements in the organization. Wrongdoings were being corrected and order was being restored. Liam was already in the police station drinking coffee. ¡°Gael, have you gotten the car ready?¡± Joanna said. Gael said, ¡°Madam, you had better not go¡­¡± Joanna said solemnly, ¡°If I don¡¯t go, thepany will go bankrupt. No matter what, I have to go to the office to understand the situation.¡± Gael knew that he could not persuade her, so he could onlypromise. ¡°Alright then,¡± he said. After a while, Joanna hurriedly went upstairs to change her clothes. She asked Miranda and Kelly to apany her to the office. Seeing that Joanna was about to leave, Gael felt somewhat worried. He quickly took out his phone to call Bruce. ¡°I had better give Mr. Everett a call and let him know that Madam is going to the office,¡± he said. Beep, beep, beep. Gael quickly dialed Bruce¡¯s number and made the call. Unfortunately, the phone rang for a long time, but no one picked up. After Bruce hung up on Joanna, he went to the conference room to prepare for the meeting. He did not answer any calls from anyone. Gael said, ¡°Jeez, why isn¡¯t Mr. Everett answering the phone? ¡°Carson and Darcy aren¡¯t answering their phones either. I¡¯m so damn worried!¡± Gael could not feel at ease, so he quickly arranged a car, wanting to go to the office to check on things. An hourter, Joanna walked into the business building of Everett Group with a few servants. The customer service representatives at the front desk were shocked when they saw Joannaing over. ¡°Miss Haynes, why are you here?¡± they asked. Joanna did not say anything. She merely smiled at the employees and walked straight to the elevator. ¡°Gosh, what¡¯s happening today? Mr. Everett is here, and now even Miss Haynes is here.¡± The customer service manager could not help but talk critically. ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that?¡± she said. ¡°Miss Haynes has been helping Mr. Everett manage thepany all along. ¡°Now that such a big thing has happened to thepany, Miss Haynes will definitelye over personally to take a look.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, Miss Haynes¡¯s belly is so big now,¡± one of the customer service representatives said. ¡°She¡¯s probably going to give birth soon, right?¡± ¡°Stop gossiping,¡± the customer service manager said. ¡°Get back to work!¡± Ten minutester, Joanna arrived directly at the floor where the conference room was located. She did not know that such a huge change had happened in thepany. ¡°Miss Haynes, why are you here?¡± A group of bodyguards stood at the entrance of the conference room. Carson even personally guarded the door. When Joanna saw Carson, she was even more shocked. ¡°Carson, why are you in the office?¡± she asked. Carson was at a loss for words. He looked awkward. ¡°Didn¡¯t you apany Bruce for the therapy?¡± Joanna said. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Carson looked away. He did not know how to respond. Joanna was stunned for half a minute before it finally dawned on her was actually happening. ¡°It seems that Bruce didn¡¯t go to some bullshit psychotherapy session at all,¡± ¡°In other words, that idiot has been lying to me.¡± she thought. ¡°Instead, he came to the office. When Joanna brought her wandering mind to the present, she was intensely angry. Her brows were tightly furrowed. She nced at the conference room. The blinds outside had all been pulled down. Hence, she reckoned that a meeting was probably in progress inside. ¡°Who are in the meeting?¡± Joanna said. She tried her best to suppress her anger, but deep down, she still had a small hope that there might be a reasonable exnation for Bruce¡¯s actions. She thought, ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She said, ¡°Uh, thepany¡¯s shareholders and senior executives are having a meeting inside. ¡°Open the door. I want to go in.¡± Her gaze became intense. She thought, ¡°Bruce must be inside. ¡°And he must be hiding a lot of things from me.¡± ¡°Miss Haynes, you can¡¯t go in,¡± Carson said. ¡°Bruce is in there, right?¡± Joanna said. Carson was quiet. He did not dare to say a word. ¡°Mr. Everett must be in there,¡± he thought. ¡°It¡¯s his order for all the senior executives to have a meeting.¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Joanna said. She immediately walked toward the conference room. ¡°Miss Haynes, please don¡¯t make things difficult for us.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett is having a meeting inside. You can¡¯t go in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going in now,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to get out of the way. Do you hear me?¡± Joanna¡¯s gaze turned intense. Her chest was filled with a surge of rising anger that she could not suppress. ¡°Miss Haynes, why don¡¯t you wait a moment? I¡¯ll go in and report!¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Joanna said. She could not wait any longer. ¡°Bruce must be hiding a lot of things from me, she thought. Although she had suspected that he pretended to be retarded, she had been fooled by his superb acting skills time and time again. Seeing that Joanna was really angry, Carson did not dare to forcefully stop her. After all, Joanna was already eight months pregnant. Even Bruce cherished her greatly. They did not dare to anger her. Chapter 726 Chapter 726 In the conference room, Bruce sat on the president¡¯s tform with a solemn and ferocious expression. The spacious conference room was filled with people. It was densely packed. Thepany¡¯s shareholders and senior executives all had solemn expressions. They kept quiet out of fear. The atmosphere was tense and solemn. In front of Bruce, there was a projection screen and a remote broadcast setup. The overseas senior executives were also participating in a video conference. Due to the time difference, it waste at night in Ceru. However, when they heard that Bruce was going to have a meeting, no one dared to take it lightly. All of them got up in the middle of the night to join the long-distance meeting. Bruce said, ¡°There¡¯s been a huge change in thepany recently. ¡°As the chairman of Everett Group, I am answerable to the change. ¡°Now, thepany has readjusted the shareholding and the basic information of the shareholders¡­¡± Bruce was conducting the meeting meticulously. Crack! The door of the conference room was pushed open forcefully. Joanna appeared at the door angrily. Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to look at the door in unison. Joanna was left speechless. Upon seeing this, she felt immensely angry. Initially, she had thought that Bruce was just a foil used by Liam when thepany held a shareholders¡¯ meeting. However, to her surprise, it turned out that Bruce was the one chairing the meeting. At this moment, Bruce was d in a suit and leather shoes. He sat on the president¡¯s podium, exuding an air of elegance and authority. He was exactly the same as he had been when he was in a meeting in the past, giving off an oppressive sense of dominance as well as a powerful presence. Joanna thought, ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a retard at all. ¡°Liar! ¡°He is a big liar!¡± In an instant, tears welled up uncontrobly in her eyes. ¡°How could this evil bastard lie to me like this?¡± she thought. Bruce was left speechless. He was also stunned. His originally ice-cold and handsome face melted into a soft expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take three minutes of your time.¡± Upon saying that, Bruce hurriedly got off the president¡¯s chair and walked toward Joanna with long strides. ¡°Joann, why are you here?¡± Bruce asked. Joanna did not speak. Her gaze was like an ice de as she stared intently at Bruce. She thought, ¡°Bastard! ¡°This detestable bastard who deserves to die ten thousand times!¡± She really wanted to tear apart this lying bastard in front of her with her own hands. Bruce lowered his voice and said gently and guiltily, ¡°Joann, I¡¯m in a meeting right now. Can you wait for me in the office first?¡± The senior executives and shareholders looked at the two of them silently. Bruce naturally could not show that he was a henpecked man in front of his employees. He could only the office and wait for me. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Lots of people are watching. Let¡¯s talkter¡­¡± Before Bruce finished talking, Joanna could not help but burst into anger. She roared sorrowfully, ¡°Bruce, why did you do this? Bruce was at a loss for words. He choked up. He involuntarily turned around and nced at the meeting attendees, The senior executives quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to see anything. Bruce frowned. He took two steps forward, trying to hold Joanna¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be angry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll slowly exin things to you after the meeting is over¡­¡± Joanna said, ¡°What is there to exin? ¡°You¡¯ve been lying to me all along, right?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice became even angrier. Tears streamed down her face. She thought, ¡°How could he lie to me like that? ¡°And he has lied to me for so long.¡± ¡°Bruce, why did you lie to me?¡± Joanna asked. ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡± Joanna¡¯s voice suddenly became stern. Her entire body trembled with anger, and her face flushed with great intensity. Upon seeing this, Bruce disregarded his dignity and authority. He hurriedly exined, ¡°Joann, please don¡¯t be so agitated. I, I did notpletely lie to you. ¡°Calm down first. Let me exin it to you straightforwardly. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Joanna pushed his hand away fiercely and said, ¡°You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re talking nonsense! ¡°You never be mentally retarded at all. You¡¯ve been lying to me all along. Bruce, I just don¡¯t understand. Why did you lie to me like this? ¡°Is it because you think it¡¯s fun to lie to me? Why are you always like this?¡± Teardrops of grievance and disappointment fell one after another. Joanna clenched her fists and punched Bruce¡¯s chest forcefully. ¡°Bruce, you bastard,¡± she said. ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°Joann, calm down first!¡± Bruce said. ¡°I did not lie to you. I really had a brain injury previously¡­¡± Seeing how agitated she was, Bruce hurriedly exined. He was afraid that her anger would affect the baby in her womb. ¡°Shut up, you big liar!¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯ll never trust you again, not even a single word that you say. ¡°I hate you so much. Why did you lie to me like this? Boohoo¡­¡± Bruce was dumbfounded and at a loss for words. He did not know how to exin himself. He let Joanna hit him with all her might. When he got into the car ident, his brain was indeed injured. However, after the shooting, he underwent another surgery. As a blessing in disguise, he recovered and became normal. ¡°Joann, you have to believe me,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to lie to you. Neither did I lie to you. My mind was really not clear at that time. It¡¯s not what you think. I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you.¡± ¡°Stop talking, Bruce,¡± Joanna said. ¡°You¡¯re really scary. You make me feel afraid!¡± Joanna retreated step by step. Her hands were clenched into fists. Tears of deep emotional distress kept streaming down her face. She thought, ¡°This man is really terrifying. ¡°He has actually lied to me for nearly a year! And he has even made me live in fear for nearly a year. ¡°How could he do this? How could he be so cruel to me?¡± Chapter 727 Chapter 727 ¡°Joann, don¡¯t be so agitated,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Please, I beg you to calm down and let me exin slowly, okay? ¡°I¡¯m really not what you think I am. I really love you. You should know that I really love you!¡± As Bruce spoke, he walked a few steps forward, attempting to hug her. Joanna forcefully hit his hand and said, ¡°Bruce, let go of me. Don¡¯t touch me again!¡± Bruce said, ¡°Joann, Joann, after everything we¡¯ve been through, can you give me a chance to exin¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s heart ached. He looked at Joanna helplessly. ¡°Let go,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Let go of me!¡± She had an emotional breakdown. She thought, ¡°I could not eat or sleep well every day for such a long period of time. ¡°And he actually had the heart to lie to me like this? ¡°Why is there such a man that loves to lie so much in this world? ¡°And he can lie without showing any signs of nervousness or guilt on his face and in his heartbeat.¡± This truly disgusted her. Bruce took a deep breath. He knew that there was no point in exining anymore. He should quickly admit his mistake and apologize. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong. I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. I was really wrong. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, okay? Joann, I¡¯m really sorry!¡± As Bruce spoke, he still held her tightly in a domineering manner and apologized continuously. ¡°Bruce, you bastard,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Let go!¡± She hit and pushed him with all her might. Unfortunately, it was in vain. Her strength waspletely ineffective against Bruce. Being hugged by him forcefully, she had no strength to break free. ¡°I know,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I know. Joann, I¡¯m so sorry. ¡°I swear to God that I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. Previously, my brain was indeed not functioning properly. After the second operation, I inexplicably recovered. ¡°I truly didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just afraid of losing you. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll leave me. ¡°Joann, I¡¯m sorry. Can you forgive me onest time?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Bruce held her tightly in his arms. He rested his chin on her head and kept apologizing. Joanna could not break free. She could only bury herself in his arms and cry loudly. ¡°Bruce, you bastard,¡± Joanna said. ¡°Boohoo¡­ How could you lie to me like this? How could you do this?¡± Listening to Joanna¡¯s heartbroken crying, Bruce¡¯s eyes turned teary and his nose started to feel sore. He involuntarily kissed her head tofort her, wishing he could hold her tightly and closely. He said, ¡°Joann, I¡¯m so sorry. ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore. It¡¯s all my fault. You can hit me or scold me. As long as you can vent your anger, you can do whatever you want.¡± Joanna buried herself in his chest and cried until she gasped for breath. Warm tears seeped through his white shirt, making her feel restless. These many days of worry, fear, uneasiness, regret, and self-reproach intertwined and became an unresolved sense of grievance. Joanna opened her mouth and bit his chest. ¡°Ouch¡­ Bruce winced in pain, but he tried his best to endure the pain. Joanna bit him hard, but she could not bear to bite him hard again. He had undergone surgery on his chest. A long incision was made from his chest to his navel. Although the wound had healed, there were still a few scars on his chest. ¡°Go ahead and bite,¡± Bruce said. ¡°As long as you can vent your anger, you can even bite me to death. Joanna stopped biting, but she still cried with a sense of grievance and anger. She kept crying. Her stomach suddenly began to convulse, as if someone was pulling her intestines. ¡°Sss¡­¡± The immense pain almost made her faint, causing her to involuntarily bend forward. Seeing this, Bruce panicked. He asked anxiously, ¡°Joann, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Joanna was too agitated earlier. This caused her uterine muscles to contract. As a result, she felt severe pain in her belly. A faint stream of warm liquid flowed down her thigh. She seemed to have broken her amniotic sac. ¡°I have a terrible stomachache!¡± she said. ¡°Did your uterine muscles contract?¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the hospital now.¡± Bruce did not dare to dy any further. ¡°Ah, my stomach hurts!¡± Joanna¡¯s face instantly turned pale from the pain. The warm liquid between her legs increased. Upon seeing this, Bruce got even more frightened. He hurriedly carried her. ¡°Darcy, hurry up and get the car ready,¡± he said. ¡°We need to go to the hospital right away.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Everett,¡± Darcy said. With Joanna¡¯srge belly, it was very difficult to carry her in an arms carry. Miranda and Kelly also hurried forward to help Bruce carry Joanna. ¡°Quick, inform the hospital!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Call the doctor immediately.¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Andy said. He was panicked too. He quickly called the maternity hospital. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t move,¡± Joanna said. ¡°I¡¯m in so much pain!¡± Joanna was in so much pain that she could not stand straight. She could only curl up and squat on the floor. ¡°Joann, hang in there,¡± Bruce said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the hospital now. You¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Although Bruceforted Joanna, he was extremely nervous. In the conference room, everyone looked at each other. ¡°Oh my, um, do we still have to continue this meeting?¡± ¡°What meeting? Didn¡¯t you see that Miss Haynes is going to deliver?¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr. Everett is really¡­ He¡¯s quite strange!¡± ¡°I know, right? He ispletely controlled by Miss Haynes. It¡¯s really unexpected that someone like Mr. Everett is so afraid of his wife.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s pampering your wife, not being afraid of your wife.¡± ¡°This is good too. Happy events bring joy. Hopefully, with the joy of Miss Haynes giving birth, Mr. Everett will be in a good mood and won¡¯t be so strict¡­ Chapter 728 Chapter 728 The higher executives were left ignored in the conference room. All of them stared at each other, not knowing what to do. They did not dare to leave the conference room. ¡°Will Mr. Everett be back for the meetingter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so! Miss Haynes is about to give birth, so he has to go to the hospital to apany her!¡± ¡°He might be back. It¡¯s just giving birth to a child! Many pregnant women go to the hospital to give birth themselves.¡± ¡°Oh, I need to pee. I want to go to the toilet. If the meeting is canceled, can I leave?¡± ¡°Bear with it for now! If Mr. Everettes back for a meeting and sees that we¡¯re all gone, he might be mad at us again.¡± Bruce quickly sent Joanna to the hospital. They were in the car on the way to the hospital. ¡°Drive faster! Drive faster!¡± The driver was so nervous that he did not dare disobey or say anything. He kept mming on the elerator. The car roared as it sped in the direction of the hospital. ¡°Argh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Joanna was in so much pain that her entire body was covered in a cold sweat. ¡°Joann, hold on. We¡¯re going to the hospital now!¡± ¡°Speed up!¡± ¡°Argh, um¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Joanna screamed in pain and almost fainted. Marks A Bruce held her tiny face andforted her. ¡°Joann, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll be at the hospital soon!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Driver, speed up!¡± The car drove past several red lights, ignoring the traffic rules. Fifteen minutes had passed. They arrived at the Avery Women¡¯s Hospital. That was Greyport¡¯s most expensive private maternity hospital. Many rich people and celebrities gave birth to children and had their postpartum recovery programs in this hospital. When the car door opened, the nurse and doctor had already received the news and were waiting with a stretcher. ¡°Quick, quick, quick!¡± ¡°Be careful. Put the pregnant woman on the stretcher first.¡± The well-trained nurses carried Joanna onto the small cart. The doctor quickly put an oxygen mask on her. ¡°The patient¡¯s water has broken. Send her to the operating room immediately!¡± ¡°Ouch, it hurts so much!¡± Bruce got out of the car. He was so nervous that his legs turned to jelly. ¡°Honey! Honey, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, the patient¡¯s water has broken. We have to arrange for delivery immediately!¡± ¡°Please make way. We¡¯re sending the pregnant woman to the delivery room now.¡± When Bruce heard this, he quickly nodded. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± He was so nervous that his mind went nk. ¡°Mm¡­¡± The nurse pushed Joanna and rushed to the delivery room. ¡°God bless them. Please bless Joann and the child.¡± Bruce followed behind uneasily. He was a little out of his wits and did not know what to do. When Joanna gave birth to their triplet, he did not know at all. Naturally, he could not feel the excitement and joy of being the father of a newborn. Now that Joanna was about to give birth, he was only nervous. Meanwhile, Joanna was already in the delivery room. The doctor examined Joanna¡¯s condition. ¡°The uterus hasn¡¯t opened big enough for the fetus toe out, but the water has broken.¡± ¡°What can we do about it now?¡± ¡°Mrs. Everett, do you still have the strength to give birth?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to inject you with some drug to inducebor now. It might hurt a little!¡± Previously. Joanna had said that she wanted a natural delivery. Therefore, the doctor tried his best to cooperate with her request. However, in her current situation, if she insisted on giving birth naturally, she and the baby would probably be in danger. Ah! It hurts!¡± Joanna took two deep breaths. The pain was unbearable. Her body spasmed like her spine had been extracted. Shey weakly on the hospital bed, closed her eyes, and fainted. ¡°Oh no, the patient fainted. The patient is weak now. She probably doesn¡¯t have the strength to give birth naturally.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to perform a C-section surgery!¡± ¡°Immediately inform the patient¡¯s family to sign the consent form¡­¡± They were quick and decisive. The doctor and nurse came out to look for Bruce. ¡°Mr. Everett, bad news. Mrs. Everett has fainted!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bruce¡¯s heart hammered. He subconsciously walked toward the direction of the operating room. ¡°Mr. Everett, you can¡¯t go in!¡± Bruce¡¯s mind was in a mess. He thought that Joanna had a difficultbor. ¡°No matter what, you must make sure the mother is alive. I choose to save the mother.¡± ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t be in such a hurry. The patient had just fainted. We have to arrange for a C-section surgery immediately.¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s water has already broken. There might be no way to continue giving birth naturally. The mother and fetus might be in danger if we dy any longer.¡± Bruce nodded hurriedly. ¡°Alright. Okay. Quickly perform the surgery then.¡± ¡°Doctor, please prioritize my wife¡¯s life no matter what.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Everett, don¡¯t worry! Please sign here.¡± Bruce picked up a pen and signed the surgical consent form. However, his hands were trembling uncontrobly. In the past, he had signed tens of thousands of contracts. No matter how important the contract was, his hands had never shaken. But now, his hand trembled so badly that he almost couldn¡¯t hold his pen. ¡°I have signed it!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s arrange for a C-section surgery immediately.¡± ¡°Oh, God! Please bless Joann and our baby.¡± ¡°Honey, you have to make it through!¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes were red. He paced anxiously in front of the delivery room. The butler also brought experienced postpartum nurses and wetnurses to the hospital. These people were all recruited in advance. They had been arranged to wait for Joanna to give birth. Seeing that Bruce was so nervous, Gael quicklyforted him. ¡°Mr. Everett, don¡¯t be so flustered. The gynecology department of Avery Women¡¯s Hospital is very professional. Mrs. Everett will definitely be fine.¡± Miranda chimed in, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. God will bless Joann. She and the baby will definitely be safe!¡± Bruce didn¡¯t listen to them and was still anxious. He would not be so nervous if Joanna were due to give birth. However, she was so angry that she gave birth prematurely. How could he not be afraid? Moreover, since ancient times, there had been a saying that premature babies born in the seventh month of pregnancy would usually live, but those premature babies born in the eighth month would probably die. Joanna was pregnant for eight months. Of course, Bruce was even more nervous. He was no longer worried about his child¡¯s safety but about Joanna¡¯s. Seconds ticked by. Bruce felt like days had passed. He stared at the delivery room and held his breath nervously. Two hourster¡­ The sound of a baby crying finally came from the delivery room. ¡°She has sessfully given birth.¡± Bruce¡¯s heart skilled a beat, and he was even more dumbfounded. In the end, Joanna did not get to deliver the baby naturally. The doctor performed a C-section surgery on her. The door of the delivery room opened, and the maternity doctor walked out. ¡°Doctor, how is everything?¡± ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Everett. The mother and son are safe. Mrs. Everett has given birth to a boy.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Hearing this, Bruce finally heaved a sigh of relief. He was happy they were fine. ¡°Congrattions on the birth of your son, Mr. Everett.¡± The servants were also relieved and congratted him. ¡°The patient has been sent to the ward.¡± ¡°Can I go in and meet her?¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Everett has woken up, but she is in a weak state.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Bruce eagerly entered the delivery room. Joanna had just undergone a C-section surgery. She was lying weakly on the bed with an oxygen tube attached to her nose and an intravenous drip on her arm. Her lower abdomen had already been sutured and wrapped in a thick hemostatic bandage.¡± ¡°Joann, Joann¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes shimmered in tears. He dashed toward the hospital bed. Although Joanna had woken up, the anesthesia had yet to wear off. Her face was as pale as a piece of white paper, and she looked frail. ¡°The baby. Where is our baby¡­¡± Joanna weakly reached out to touch her belly. Her belly had ttened. ¡°Honey, the doctor did a C-section surgery for you. You have delivered him sessfully.¡± Hearing this, Joanna felt a little more at ease. Then, she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly to the side, not wanting to look at him. She wanted to give birth naturally. However, her body was weak, and she could not give birth naturally. In addition, her water had broken, so the baby was delivered in advance. ¡°Honey, thank you for everything!¡± Bruce reached out and gently stroked her hair. He said as he sobbed, ¡°Honey, we won¡¯t have children in the future. Four children are enough.¡± ¡°Thank you for giving birth to four children for me,¡± Bruce said as tears rolled down his face. ¡°Where¡¯s the baby? Hurry up and bring him over for Mr. Everett to take a look,¡± said someone. ¡°Mr. Everett. The child was born a month prematurely and is a little weak. He has to be ced in the incubator for two weeks. ¡°If you want to see the baby, you can go to the childcare area.¡± The baby was born prematurely. Although he was delivered safely, he was very weak. After he was born, he was immediately ced into an incubator. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, Bruce followed the nurse to the childcare area. Through the incubator, Bruce nced at the tiny baby inside. The child was wrapped in a cotton nket and looked very small. His face was still covered with a faint