"Yvonne, how could you say such a thing and use your grandmother so unfairly?" Mrs. James Sr. cried, looking utterly wounded.


    Yvonne shot back, "Don''t you dare try that with me. My grandmother is dead."


    The retort left Mrs. James Sr. pale and speechless. Seeing his mother insulted, Joshua James red up.


    He pointed a finger at Yvonne, his voice shaking with rage. "You little brat! My mother invited you back to the James house out of kindness. Don''t you dare push your luck!"


    "I am pushing my luck. What are you going to do about it?" Yvonne sneered,pletely unafraid of him.


    As Mr. James Sr.''s youngest and most doted-on son, Joshua had always gotten his way in the James family. No one dared to cross him.


    The original Yvonne had been terrified of this uncle; even his illegitimate son used to bully her.


    But Yvonne was not her predecessor. She had no intention of coddling him.


    "I''m pushing my luck, so what are you going to do?" she repeated, pping his pointing hand away.


    She did it with practiced skill, hitting the pressure point between his thumb and index finger. A numbing sensation shot up his entire arm, rendering it useless.


    "I heard that the recent partnership between the James and Taylor families was your brilliant idea, Mr. Joshua James," Yvonne said mockingly. "A multi-billion dor project where you gave the Taylors such a generous cut that you didn''t make a single penny. All because you hoped one of their sons would marry your daughter, Letitia. Too bad none of them were interested."


    She didn''t follow business news closely, but she asionally picked up tidbits about Istra''s high society from Bet.


    As the heir to the Thompson family, Bet had eyes and ears


    everywhere; his political and


    ????????


    Considering how much time he spent training or on mission with the military Yvonne sometimes wondered where he found the energy.


    Yvonne continued, "A word of advice, Mr. James, you should probably stop making these money-losing deals. The James family might be rich, but even they can''t afford to have you squander their fortune like this."


    The disastrous deal with the Taylors had produced such ugly financial reports that thepany''s shareholders were already grumbling about Joshua.


    Mr. James Sr. was also deeply disappointed in him and was reconsidering making his eldest son, Jerome, the heir.


    Jerome wasn''t smart and was often timid and indecisive, but he was cautious and wouldn''t take reckless risks.


    There''s a saying: it''s not the yboy heirs you fear, it''s the ones who try to invest.


    If Jerome took over, the family''s legacy, though diminished, would survive. But if Joshua was in charge, thepany would likely be bankrupt in a few years.


    Seeing the thunderous look on her husband''s face, Mrs. James Sr. quickly tried to smooth things over.


    "Your uncle only meant well. He''s doing everything he can to help the girls in this family marry well. It''s just a shame Letitia isnt as beautifulor as smart as you. Yvonne, dear you have James blood in your veins, too. You''re a part of this family. If you help the James family, and the family prospers, you''ll prosper too."


    "I''ve never taken a sip of water or a bite of food from the James family that wasn''t owed to my mother. Your money isn''t mine, and the.pany isn''t mine. Whether the James family thrives or fails has nothing to do with me," Yvonne retorted.


    "Help the James family secure a partnership with the Thompsons, and I''ll give you five..... no, ten percent of thepany''s shares,” Mr. James Sr. said, realizing she couldn''t be fooled. This time, he was putting a serious offer on the table.


    "My dear, isn''t ten percent a bit much? Yvonne is just a granddaughter, and she''ll be marrying into another family. If you give her ten percent, won''t you have to give Letitia the same? As the head of this family, you have to be fair.”