Jerome spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered to his feet. He had started this, and he was fiercely loyal to his friends; he wouldn''t just stand by and watch them go down.


    "Natalie, I know you want toe back to the family," he insisted. "Just do me this favor, and I''ll talk to Dad about letting you return."


    Natalie smiled brightly. "A father like Nathan? You can have him. I feel sick just knowing his blood runs through my veins a man who cheats on his wife so openly. It''s disgusting." The thought of him being her father was suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on her chest.


    A wave of sorrow washed over her, and she leaned against Wayne, her voice tired. "Let''s go home."


    Seeing her pain was like a knife to Wayne''s heart. "Okay," he said softly. "I''ll take you home." He shot Jerome a cold, warning re.


    Jerome''s hands clenched into fists. What was she talking about? He could only watch as they walked away.


    Then, he saw Sebastian standing a short distance away. He rushed over. "Sebas


    Before he could finish, Sebastian''s fist mmed into his face.


    Jerome was furious, his face throbbing with pain. "Sebastian, we''ve been friends for years! Why did you hit me?"


    Sebastian''s eyes were cold and sharp, his voice trembling with rage. "Jerome, you''re not a man, you''re an animal! You let Larry humiliate Natalie your own sister! You''re lower than dirt."


    Jerome just sneered, touching his bruised cheek. "Don''t forget, Sebastian, you used to humiliate her right alongside us. You called her vicious, just like we did. We''re the same. Why should I treat a malicious person like her with any kindness?"


    Sebastian fell silent. Jerome and his family were convinced Natalie was the viin. "But besides Joanna''s usations, has she ever actually hurt anyone else?"


    Jerome faltered. "Six months ago, she and Zenobia set me up. They tricked me into sleeping with Zenobia. You''re telling me that didn''t hurt me?" He spun around and stormed off in a rage.


    Sebastian''s brow furrowed, his eyes dark with suspicion. Natalie''s words, and Marshall''s, kept reying in his mind. Only time would reveal the truth. Joanna could get her hands on a video supposedly proving Natalie poisoned his mother, it meant she had either bribed a servant in his vi or she had never truly left. Even if she had, she must havee back without anyone knowing. And Joanna was skilled withputers.


    "Find out what happened six months ago," Sebastian ordered Sean, who was standing behind him. "You were there."


    Sean remembered that night.


    Joanna''s family had insisted they all go out together, and the Nelson


    family from next door hade''


    along too. That was the night everything went wrong. Joanna imed Natalie had plotted to get Jerome and Zenobia together because Zenobia had a crush on him. Natalie and Zenobia had denied it vehemently, but no one believed them Joanna insisted it was Natalie''s scheme. Jerome, who was in love with Yvonne, felt he had betrayed her and had hated Natalie and Zenobia ever since. The Nelson family moved away shortly after, their rtionship with the Scottspletely severed.


    "Sir, I only recently learned that Ms. Sanders knows medicine, so I can see why people might have been suspicious. But looking at it from


    -Joanna''s side


    Yvonne is het friend;


    and frankly, she''s not the kind of woman I''d ever marry. She parties hard-smoking, drinking, fighting, group orgies... I''ve seen it with my own eyes."