A cold smirk touched Joanna’s lips. “That bastard. What is he whining about? Ruin his reputation and launch a hostile takeover of the Warner family’s assets. I want to see that scumbag Robert lose everything, with nowhere left to turn.”

If he had just manned up and claimed the baby she was carrying, she wouldn’t have gone scorched earth on him. But instead, he zipped up his pants and refused to take responsibility.

She knew the harsh truth now. True love was a myth. She loved Maxwell, but it was painfully obvious he had no intention of marrying her.

Even after returning, he had never made a single move to put a ring on her finger.

She wasn’t stupid. She saw exactly how Maxwell viewed her from day one, she was just a pawn for him and his father.

The more she thought about it, the more the resentment festered. She had wasted years on them, and she felt completely cheated.

Jenna sounded thrilled. “This is perfect. I’ll handle him. I promise I won’t let you down, Joanna. I’ll bring the entire Warner family down.”

The crew Joanna had built was full of ambitious, ruthless individuals.

Nora’s exit had just cleared the path for Jenna to rise.

Jenna would work twice as hard to prove her loyalty and become Joanna’s ultimate right hand.

It was exactly as Joanna had planned.

Hearing Jenna’s devotion put Joanna in an excellent mood. Now, she was ready to go head-to-head with Natalie.

A caterpillar had to struggle to become a butterfly, and a phoenix had to burn to rise from the ashes.

No matter how brilliant Natalie was, she would eventually lose to Joanna.

She had been touched by the light, but now she wanted to become the light herself.

“Jenna, look into whoever bought those other four branches. If they hadn’t interfered, you would’ve locked down the entire company.”

Her original goal was a full monopoly of Zachary’s empire. She never anticipated getting sniped.

Jenna was equally confused. “I really don’t know who they are. They moved faster than us, and by the time I showed up, they were already gone.”

Joanna stared out the window, her gaze turning lethal. “Find out. I need to know exactly who is stealing my assets.”

“As soon as the paperwork clears on our end, I’ll launch a full investigation,” Jenna promised.

Satisfied, Joanna hung up. With Jenna on the job, she felt secure.

She turned to Horace. “Your next

task is to sabotage every single one of Natalie’s upcoming partnerships Find a way to buy off someone in her lab. Everyone has a price.”

Horace caught on immediately, fueled by dark enthusiasm. He flashed a sinister smile. “I’ve got this.”

He would do anything for her.

Joanna knew Horace was incredibly capable. She wasn’t going to let his talents go to waste, especially since he was the one person willing to stay by her side until the bitter ends

“You’ve been with me a long time, Horace. I’m doubling your salary to two million dollars. Thank you for always having my back.”

She remembered her prophetic dreams—he was the only one still standing beside her when everything fell apart.

Tears welled in Horace’s eyes. Overwhelmed, he choked up. “Thank you, Joanna!”

He didn’t care about the money. He just wanted to stay with her.

Joanna smiled gently. “Let’s go home.”

Horace blinked in surprise. “Aren’t we going to see Maxwell tonight?”

A bitter smile crossed Joanna’s face, tears shining in her stunning eyes. “I’m not naive enough to put all my hope in him anymore. He’s just using me. Maybe he cares a little but it’s mostly manipulation. Take me home. I don’t want to see him for a couple of days.”