Horace''s face was pale. Looking at the frail Joanna, his heart ached as he slowly shook his head. "Ms. Scott, he refused. He said if you''re sick, I should find a doctor. It was a firm rejection. And from the sound of his voice, he was very angry. Mr. Griffith must be in a bad mood."


    A flicker of disappointment crossed Joanna''s eyes. Hearing Horace make excuses for Sebastian, her expression soured.


    But it was what she had expected. She was already keenly aware that Sebastian didn''t care about her anymore.


    You win some, you lose some. She just never dreamed that Sebastian''s affection would vanish so quickly.


    Sebastian was her greatest asset. Now he was one of the wealthiest men in the country. If she could marry him, it would be her ticket to the top.


    "Sebastian, you''ve failed me after all," Joanna muttered, a mix of tears andughter in her voice. How had she ended up here? She had beaten Wendy, beaten Natalie, but she had lost the best thing she had: Sebastian.


    He was the only person who had been genuinely good to her all these years, her one strong pir of support.


    Even the man she loved had never treated her so well. She knew that man was just using her, but she let him do it willingly. When she was sad, he was never there tofort her.


    A look of grim determination shed in Joanna''s eyes. She looked at Horace and said, "Make the arrangements. Next time we meet with Sebastian, we have to use the hypnotist. Make him obey our everymand. All the money I''ve earned over the years was lost on Wendy''spany. I was too careless."


    Thinking about it made Joanna tremble with rage. She thought she had won, that she had picked up what Wendy had thrown away.


    Wendy''spany was in debt. Joanna had assumed that once Wendy paid it off, she could acquire thepany, gain its technology and client base, and bring it back from the brink within two years, making it even more profitable.


    She had calcted everything perfectly, except for one thing: human nature. She never thought the technicians would just leave, or that the partners would suddenly cancel their contracts.


    Thinking about thepany,


    Joanna looked at Horace. "Horace, find some new technicians. We still have other business partners. We have to save thepany. We can''t let Wendy look down on us. Since I took herpany, I have to do better than she ever did and make her see me in a new light."


    Horace nodded. "Of course, Ms. Scott. I''ll arrange it. You just rest and get your strength back."


    "Okay. You can go." Joannay in the hospital bed, looking drained. She stared at her phone. There were


    no new notifications. *Sebastian, are you really done with me?*


    Joanna closed her eyes in anguish. How had her luck turned so bad? Ever since


    Natalie came back, everything in her life had gone wrong.


    Completely wrong.


    It was all Nathan''s fault. Why didn''t he just kill Natalie back then?


    Losing her was one thing, but why did he have to...


    Joanna thought about how Natalie had been found. If she hadn''t turned her nose up


    at Sebastian for being blind, Natalie never would have had the chance to marry him.


    It was all Nathan. He was too greedy, wanting to use his two daughters to marry into other powerful families.


    Without Wendy, he was just a useless fool.


    The more Joanna thought about it, the angrier she became. So many things had happened due to a twist of fate. The doctors had said Sebastian could never be cured, but with


    six months, he was back on his feet, his sight restored


    Just thinking about it filled Joanna with anger and regret.