Joanna froze, a sliver of dread piercing her heart. The crowd turned in


    astonishment toward the entrance. Everyone was shocked, except for Natalie, who stood calmly to one side.


    Marshall''s face lit up. “Grandma! You''re awake!"


    Mrs. Spencer Sr. shot her grandson a look of pure fury. This idiot couldn''t even tell the difference between a friend and a foe. "If I hadn''t woken up, you would have been so thoroughly duped by this woman that you''d have handed the entire Spencer family over to her on a silver tter."


    "Grandma, Joanna saved you..." Marshall began.


    "Shut your mouth, you fool! The person who saved me wasn''t Joanna. I was set up that day. Someone put something in the swimming pool. And my bodyguard suddenly getting into a car ident? You knew the doctors found traces of a toxin in my system, but you didn''t investigate further. Instead, you hailed this woman as a savior."


    "The Spencer family has no grandson as foolish as you."


    The matriarch''s furious words hung in the air, and a wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the guests as they stared at Joanna.


    Joanna''s world tilted. How is that old hag awake? she thought, her mind racing. Her n was to deal with Natalie, then ensure Mrs. Spencer Sr. never woke up at all. She was the one who had orchestrated the entire pool incident.


    Being scolded so publicly for the first time in his life, Marshall felt his face burn with humiliation. “Grandma, I don''t know what you''re talking about..." he yelled back, his voice cracking with anger.


    "Then take a look at the screen behind you."


    Mrs. Spencer Sr. nodded at her bodyguard, who pressed a button on a remote. Therge screen flickered to life, showing Joanna running toward the pool. Seeing no one around, she quickly jumped in, then just as quickly scrambled out and began screaming for help, pretending to have just saved the matriarch.


    Marshall''s jaw tightened. He really was an idiot.


    Joanna''s face turned ashen. She had destroyed that footage. Where did thise from?


    Her head snapped toward Mrs. Spencer Sr as she desperately tried to exin. "Madam Spencer, I wasz terrified when I saw you lying there motionless! I panicked and fell into the pool, but the first thing I did when I got out was scream for help. Mr. Spencer came running when he heard me!"


    Mrs. Spencer Sr. sneered. "Then exin this: why did my bodyguard suddenly get into a car ident?"


    "What does your bodyguard''s ident have to do with me?" Joanna shot back, though she knew perfectly well what had happened. She had arranged it.


    "Hmph. I will find out what happened to my bodyguard, and I have a feeling it will lead right back to you." Mrs. Spencer Sr. gave Joanna no room to argue, signaling the bodyguard to y the next clip.


    A new video appeared on the screen. It showed Natalie hearing the screams for help, immediately diving into the pool, and pulling the unconscious matriarch to safety.


    The crowd erupted in whispers.


    "Oh my god, so it was Natalie who saved her! Joanna just swooped in and took the credit."


    "Look at that first video again. She didn''t slip. She saw no one was around and jumped in herself. The nerve of her to lie to everyone''s faces and steal the glory!"


    Down below, the chatter grew louder. Sebastian stared at Natalie, a deep sense of guilt washing over him. He had wronged her again.


    "Natalie..."


    As he approached, Natalie, seeing himing to grab the spotlight, turned away and walked toward the stunned Marshall. Marshall met her cool gaze, his eyes flickering with shame. He thought of the p hed given her yesterday and the cruel threats he''d just made. He had never felt so humiliated.


    Mrs. Spencer Sr. looked at Natalie. “Ms. Sanders, you saved my life. Name your price."


    Natalie wasn''t about to be polite. "Madam Spencer, I can''t ept anything from your family. However, your grandson pped me


    yesterday. Today, I want to rebel


    the favor tenfold and break both hands. That is my price."