Her design sketches were scattered all over the floor, many of them torn to shreds by Jerome.


    He was in the process of ripping up a new design she had justpleted yesterday.


    "Jerome, are you insane?" Natalie stormed in. "Do you have any idea how important these are to me? It took me days to create them!"


    Jerome tossed the torn pieces at her, his eyes filled with contempt.


    "Natalie, you''re just a country bumpkin. What do you know about designing clothes?"


    "Joanna is entering the designpetition, and I won''t let a tramp like you ruin her chances."


    Natalie''s eyes zed with fury. She raised her hand and pped him hard across the face.


    "Smack!"


    Jerome was stunned, his expression a mixture of disbelief and shock. He looked at Natalie''s icy re and felt an unfamiliar sense of fear. "...Natalie, you hit me?”


    "So what if I did? Do I need to make an appointment? You''re trying to ruin my future for Joanna, and I''m just supposed to take it? I was too good to you before, always giving in to you. That''s why you thought you could walk all over me."


    "I should have let you die in that car crash. I risked my life to pull you out of that car, only for Joanna to steal the credit."


    With a sudden move, Natalie grabbed Jerome''s arm and, before he could react, executed a perfect shoulder throw, sending him crashing to the floor.


    "Oof!" Jerome gasped in pain, staring at her in terror. She was so strong.


    Natalie''s face was streaked with tears, but her eyes were cold and hard. "You said Joanna saved you," she said, her voice shaking. "Go ask her if she could even lift you."


    "Jerome, I don''t me you for destroying my designs today, because your fate is already sealed. Im going to watch as Joanna destroys every single one of you.''


    "Get out!" she screamed, kicking his arm.


    "Ah!" He grimaced in pain. "Natalie, you''re the one who stole Joanna''s credit!"


    "Fine, I stole her credit. But I''ve already left the Scott family. Why won''t you leave me alone? What does Joanna''s future have to do with me?"


    "Why do you get to destroy my future for her? Jerome, you''re not even human. Get out! I don''t want to see you again!"


    Natalie crouched down, her heart aching as she looked at the ruined sketches. All her hard work from the past few days, gone in an instant.


    Jerome struggled to sit up, his own heart twisting as he watched her. He couldn''t tell who was telling the truth anymore-Joanna or Natalie.


    "Natalie, you said you saved me. What proof do you have?" he


    demanded, unwilling to ept


    woman as vicious as Natalie


    couldn''t possibly have saved him.


    Natalie shot up, her eyes sharp and piercing. "Get. Out."


    She picked up her phone and called security.


    "Hello, Director."


    "I gave specific instructions that no one from the Scott family was to be allowed in here," Natalie seethed.


    "I''m so sorry, Ms. Sanders. I had an upset stomach this morning. He must have snuck in while I was in the restroom."


    Natalie hung up in frustration. She red at Jerome, her eyes so cold they could freeze him solid Jerome, if Joanna thinks she can use me as a stepping stone to sess she''s dreaming. I won''t let you win."