"You slut! Joanna, have you no self-respect? Would it kill you to go without a man? How dare you betray my son and get pregnant with Robert''s child!"


    Timothy was trembling with rage.


    Joanna froze. How did he know?


    "Who told you?" she demanded, her voice strained.


    "Sebastian," Timothy replied, his expression one of bitter disappointment.


    "What? How could it be him?" Joanna couldn''t believe Sebastian would tell Timothy about this.


    Sebastian really was done with her.


    What was she going to do?


    If Sebastian investigated the fire and the car ident from years ago and found out she was involved, given his methods, she would die a horrible death.


    "Joanna, you''re more trouble than you''re worth. I told you to seduce Sebastian and kill him discreetly, so Maxwell coulde back and take his ce without anyone knowing."


    "But look at what you''ve done! You were dealt a perfect hand, and youpletely ruined it. You didn''t get a single thing from Wendy''spany."


    "I reminded you before—if you had just stuck to your old lifestyle, Wendy, your four brothers, and Sebastian would have all doted on you."


    "What''s wrong with being my daughter? Plenty of love children carry their father''s legacy with pride. What were you fighting against? You''ve ruined my n, a n that took over a decade to create!"


    Timothy''s furious voice only made Joannaugh calmly. "I dedicated myself to you and your son. I put up with it for over ten years, but did either of you ever spare a thought for me?"


    "Besides carrying out your n, I have my own life. I don''t want to be an illegitimate daughter. I just want to be Ms. Scott, in and simple."


    "What''s wrong with fighting for my own life? What''s wrong with chasing my own dreams? You and your son are the ones at fault, always hiding in the shadows and making a woman do your dirty work. And you have the nerve to me me?" Joanna was furious and


    exasperated.


    She felt terrible. Why had things turned out this way?


    She wanted to seed. She wanted to be at the top, to stand on the shoulders of giants.


    She wanted to be the powerful female CEO everyone admired. After all her hard work, why should she give up?


    "You..." Timothy was livid, his dark, sharp eyes fixed on her. "Joanna don''t forget where you got thatpany Maxwell truly loves you Why would you betray him and get pregnant with another man''s child?"


    Timothy could look past his son''s scandals, but he expected his daughter-inw to


    be a woman of character—a perfect, traditional wife.


    Joanna had been well-behaved before, or at least she appeared gentle and


    obedient on the surface. He hadn''t opposed Maxwell''s rtionship with her.


    Moreover, she had been willing to sacrifice herself by being with Sebastian to help Maxwell.


    But this woman... she was just pathetic.


    Joanna said tearfully, "Robert forced me. He was drunk that night and... he forced himself on me. We were filming a movie together at the time, and I didn''t tell anyone."


    "Mr. Griffith, you know how it is in this industry. Some things are just beyond my control."


    Tears of grievance streamed down Joanna''s face. She really was miserable. Everything had seemed to be going ording to her n,


    and it looked like she had gotten what she wanted but in reality she had gained nothing.


    Timothy''s brow furrowed, a murderous glint in his eyes. "You''re saying he forced


    you?"