Joanna was so angry she choked, her eyes widening. Seeing Susan''s triumphant expression, she gritted her teeth. "Susan, are you seriously trying to price-gouge me?"


    Susan feigned confusion. "Joanna, I''m raising the price out of respect for you. Are you really only worth one million dors?"


    She threw Joanna''s earlier words right back at her. The woman was obsessed with her reputation, so Susan saw no need to be polite.


    Her initial price had been more than fair, but if this woman wanted to call her cheap, then fine, she''d jack up the price.


    She now understood that you couldn''t deal with people like Joanna using normal logic.


    You had to think like the ultra-rich.


    Joanna''s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists.


    When did that idiot Susan get so smart?


    Before, Susan had been infatuated with Jared, and she wouldn''t dare say a word back no matter what Joanna said to her.


    Now she had the nerve to scheme against her.


    "Susan, with your mind sopletely consumed by money, it''s no wonder Jared from the Scott family doesn''t like you..."


    "Ha," Susan scoffed, cutting her off. "Chasing after Jared and putting myself through all that misery was the stupidest thing I''ve ever done in my life."


    "But Jared is luckier than you. At least Natalie and I were both genuine with him. You''re the pathetic one. All the love and affection you get is from ying the victim and manipting people. No one in this world genuinely cares about you. The people who did have beenpletely hurt by you."


    "Joanna, don''t think you can get away with this. I didn''t turn you in this time because I''m waiting for you to make an even bigger mistake. That''s when you''ll truly face the consequences. What is this,pared to that?"


    "Ten million dors, not a penny less. Your life is so precious, you''re so noble. Ten million should be nothing to you, right?"


    Joanna was about to explode. Her n had backfired spectacrly.


    Now she had to cough up an extra nine million. Susan might as well just rob her.


    She sneered, "Susan, can your life evenpare to mine? You''re worthless..."


    "Joanna, I hope you understand one


    thing. You''re nothing but a mistress''s mistake, while I am the rightful herress to the White legacy So who''s really worthless here?"


    "Did you honestly think I was weak before because I was afraid of you? No, it was because I liked Jared that I tolerated you."


    "So don''t you dare open your mouth and talk about who''s worthy. The only one here who isn''t worthy is you."


    "The nerve you have, saying


    something like that. Wire the money to my ount by the end of the day. If it''s short by even a penny, then tomorrow morning, the evidence of you hiring people to kidnap me will be ying on a loop on the biggest. screen in the city for everyone to see your ugly face."


    Susan raised an eyebrow, looking smug and pleased with herself.


    Watching Joanna''s eyes gradually fill with rage, she grinned.


    "Susan, you..."


    "Heh, heh! What about me, Joanna? I just love that you can''t stand me but can''t do a thing about it. So there!"


    "Susan, do you believe I could kill you?" Joanna was livid. How dare Susan do this?


    No one had ever provoked her, Joanna, like this before.


    "Oh, I believe you, I totally believe


    you! You almost had me killed today.


    But look, I''m not dead, am I? If


    you''ve got the guts, then go ahead


    and kime. But you don''t, do you?


    You just look like you''re about to keef over from your own anger."


    "Aaaah!" Joanna was already on the verge of a breakdown. She clutched her head and screamed.


    Sebastian knew she had just had a miscarriage, yet he still threw her into the freezing ocean.


    The doctor had been blunt: the internal damage was extensive, and any setback now would shatter her hopes of ever carrying a child to term.