"Silly Joanna, of course I love you. You''re my girl, how could you be with anyone else? Didn''t I give you the medicine? It''s just to confuse him. What can he do after you drug him? You''re smart, you know exactly what I mean. You are mine, and I won''t let him or Marshall hurt you."


    Joanna''s eyes filled with tears. She didn''t know why she was crying, but his words felt like hollow reassurances.


    "I understand. I''ll find an opportunity to do it." Her mood was as bleak and heavy as the winter snow.


    "Good. Thend you bought for the Spencer family, through our secret


    maneuvering, has already attracted a lot of investment. Once this project is


    "The stronger the Griffith family bes, the better it is for us. Joanna, I''m doing all of this for our future. I know your dreams, and I will help you achieve them."


    His gentle words softened her heart. In the end, she loved him. "Okay. I understand. Don''t worry, everything will proceed ording to n."


    "Good. Joanna, I love you," the voice on the other end said, tender and doting.


    Hearing those words, Joanna''s icy heart suddenly warmed. "I know. Thank you for loving me. That makes me happy."


    She hung up with a smile and went into the restaurant, calling Horace toe and have dinner with her.


    Back at the office, Sebastian had just sat down at his desk when his phone chimed with a notification.


    He picked it up. It was from an unknown number.


    As he read the text message, his eyes widened, and a terrifying rage began to build.


    Joanna. That woman was even more venomous than he had imagined.


    It seemed he would have to disappoint Natalie again for a while.


    He took a deep breath and called Sean in.


    Sean entered with his dinner. "Sir, your dinner."


    "Mmm." Sebastian gestured for him to put it down and then handed him the phone to show him the message.


    Sean was shocked. "My God, sir, is Joanna finally going to make a move on you?"


    "What do we do now? Is this information reliable? Who sent it?"


    Sebastian opened the food container. "I don''t know who. We'' y along and see when they make their move Only you and know


    about this."


    Sean looked at him with sympathy. It was bad enough that no one loved him, but


    now everyone was plotting against him.


    He had actually thought Joanna was his first love. Turns out, it was all a lie.


    Sebastian took a bite, having little appetite. "After Wendy''spany went bankrupt, have you found out who acquired it?"


    Sean said, "A woman named Nora. But she has someone behind her; she''s not the real buyer, just the acting CEO of thepany."


    "But we heard that name when we were in Wye. Marshall was set up there by this same woman. It''s very likely she works for Joanna bheard this from Ms. Sanders content


    "Ms. Sanders..."


    II


    "Call her Mrs. Griffith. We are married, why are you still calling her Ms. Sanders?" Sebastian snapped, cutting him off.


    Sean was taken aback. "Sir, I used to call her that, but you said... a country bumpkin was unworthy of the title of Mrs. Griffith."


    Sebastian flinched.


    His face burned with shame.


    His expression turned grim. "Times have changed. Keep a close eye on Joanna. Find a way to get her phone and copy all the data. The person who called her today is probably the one behind her, and also my father''s legitimate son I''ve pvestigated three possibilities, but none of them have any connection to Joanna."