A smirk shed across Joanna''s face. "Sebastian, Larry''s mother is disabled. Maybe we should go over and check on things. We can''t let Natalie bully her."


    Sebastian''s cold eyes fixed on her feigned look of concern. "The evidence against Larry is irrefutable. How did you be friends with someone like that? When you introduced him to me, I thought he was a decent person."


    "Have you even been to the police station? He and his crew have a record of rape, robbery, kidnapping, extortion-you name it. Joanna, you are thepany you keep."


    A flicker of panic crossed Joanna''s face. He never used to care about these things. How did he suddenly know so much about Larry''s past?


    Sebastian stood up and walked out without another word. Sean and Joanna followed. Joanna wasn''t about to miss this show. Today, she was going to destroy Natalie''s reputation for good.


    At the entrance of Natalie''spany, she had barely stepped outside when she was swarmed by reporters. A young man with bleached-blond hair was pushing a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair.


    The moment the woman saw Natalie, she burst into a theatrical wail. "Youngdy, what did my son ever do to you? You seduced him, tricked him into kidnapping you, and then framed him to have him thrown in prison! He''s my only son, and I''m a cripple! You work in this fancy ce, can''t you just let him go?"


    Natalie and Luna exchanged a look, stunned. What was this? Was she here to mourn at their doorstep?


    "Excuse me," Natalie said coolly, "who is your son?"


    Mrs. Zade flinched under her sharp, icy gaze. "Larry. My son said you seduced him..."


    "I seduced him?" Natalie scoffed. "I''m beautiful, I work in a ce like this-why would I need to seduce somemon thug? Is he rich? Is he handsome? What could possibly be worth me seducing him and ruining my own reputation?"


    "Ms. Sanders," a female reporter interjected, "when we interviewed people, they all said you were the one who seduced Larry."


    Natalieughed, a humorless sound. She turned to the reporter. "Have you been to the police station? Have you seen the security footage?"


    The reporter stammered, "The police station said it was inconvenient to provide the footage..."


    "So who exactly are these ''people'' you interviewed? You have no evidence, so why are you spewing such nonsense? Aren''t reporters supposed to uphold justice? I am the victim here. When you helped this woman conte here to turn the tables on me, did you ever stop to think about how I, the victim, might feel?"


    "You have no proof. You just believe whatever you hear. Has your mouth been marinating in filth for years? It''s certainly potent." Natalie took a step back, as if the reporter''s stench was real content belongs


    The reporter trembled with rage.


    Natalie was furious. Larry''s mother was clearly no saint either. The nerve of her to


    show up here and cry.


    "Youngdy... you''ve ruined my son! How am I supposed to live now?"


    "Stop crying. Why are you wailing


    now? Who are you putting on a


    show for? If you had any sense, you would have raised your son property," Natalie shot back. "You''ve been to the police station havent you! Your son has a rap sheet a mil? long. Why are you here crying to me?"


    "You''re crying in front of all these people, iming I seduced your son. Will your tears erase all the crimes hemitted before this?"


    "If you don''t know who you''re messing with, don''t cross my lines. I might just get tempted to arrange a funeral for you."


    Mrs. Zade froze. Was she wishing her dead?


    Realizing what was said, she shrieked, "But I heard you and my son were friends! Why would you frame him? You''re just picking on us because we''re easy targets, aren''t you?"