Joanna stared at his smirking face, her heart pounding with uncertainty.


    She wanted to know, too. Why had Sebastian changed his mind about marrying her?


    She had hidden her true intentions so well. Was it because she had left him all those years ago?


    She yed along, asking in a small voice, "Sebastian, I want to know why. I really want to know why you won''t divorce Natalie when you clearly like me!"


    Sebastian''s smile deepened, his eyes clear. "Because even yourpanionship when we were children had a purpose. The reason I was nice to you was simple: Timothy. He wanted me to be nice to you, so I was."


    "My kindness was all an act for him. At first, I was genuinely good to you, because you did save my life."


    "But then I was in a car ident that left me paralyzed and without my sight. My grandmother asked you to marry me then, but you were afraid of taking care of a cripple, so you ran away."


    "But Natalie was willing to marry me at that time. During the hardest year of my life, she was the one who worked tirelessly to stay by my side, finding every possible way to help me regain hope. I''m not made of stone, Joanna. I can feel who is truly good to me. I can feel who is truly good to me and who isn''t."


    Sebastian raised an eyebrow, his sharp features twisting into a deep sneer. "Do you know why I was able to take over the Griffith family so smoothly? It''s because I was so obedient to you that Timothy let his guard down. My kindness toward you was genuine in a way, because you had saved me."


    "But more importantly, it was for the position of heir. Only by beingpletely devoted to you would Timothy Griffith ever rx his vignce."


    "And just as he let his guard down, he left the country for some woman. That was my perfect opportunity."


    "Besides, you were by my side since childhood because of Timothy''s orders."


    "When I was fourteen, I overheard him instructing you. He told you to make me fall for you until I was wrapped around your little finger. From that moment on, I started treating you even better."


    "Joanna, you''re a heartless person. But I have feelings. Even if I''m cold, I can still tell who''s good to me and who isn''t."


    "When I hurt Natalie because of you,


    it was also because my father wanted to harm her, and bringing your family into the picture served purpose. Back then, Talso thought she was just an orphan with no one to help her, so I deliberately gave her the cold shoulder." Contént


    "I thought I didn''t help her, if I didn''t care about her, you all would leave her alone. But I was wrong. It didn''t matter if I helped her or not you still wanted her dead.  fo


    "Joanna, do you know why I never once touched you?"


    Joanna was stunned, stumbling back a few steps. "Why?"


    That was something she had always wanted to know.


    A dark, mocking smile curled Sebastian''s lips. "Because Timothy slept with you. At your eighteenth birthday party, you got drunk. You climbed into his bed yourself."


    Joanna froze, remembering the party Sebastian had thrown for her when she turned eighteen.


    She had gotten drunk, and when she woke up the next morning, something felt wrong. Her whole body was sore, but she didn''t know what had happened.


    But her first time was with Maxwell.


    "No, that''s impossible. You''re lying. It can''t be true." Joanna couldn''t ept it.


    Her eyes filled with tears. "Sebastian, why are you so cruel? You saw everything, so why didn''t you save me?"


    Sebastian''s mocking gaze was like a


    sharp knife, cutting across Joanna''s


    pitiful face. "Joanna, your only. reason for getting close to me was


    always Timothy. Why would save you?"