Chapter 1 The Divorce

It was midnight, and the raindrops were pounding the window.

Inside a house, a man said coldly, "sign the divorce papers! As compensation, I will give you 100 million dollars in alimony."

"Did I do something wrong again, Bruce?" asked Joanna Haynes timidly. She had always been a humble servant in front of him.

"Roxy's back, and she doesn't want to see you! It's time for our marriage to end. So you have to go!" Bruce Everett said, crossing his long legs and leaning back on the couch. He was as handsome as a classical Greek sculpture, but the look on his face was as cool as ever.

Joanna's pale lips quivered as if she had fallen into the icy water. She asked with shock, "You're divorcing me because she's back? Is our marriage nothing but a joke to you?"

"You were not the one I wanted to marry in the first place, and you drove Roxy away two years ago with your dirty tricks. Now that she's back, I won't make the same mistake. Hurry up and sign the papers! Eighty million dollars for two years of your pathetic life. You should consider it a bargain." Bruce had always been good at hurting her with words.

"I... What will happen if I don't sign them?" Joanna asked bitterly.

"Suit yourself. I have ways of making you disappear. Legally or not, no one will notice."

As heir to the richest family in the Greyport city, Bruce had always been capable of doing whatever he liked. Who would dare to stand up to him anyway?

Two years ago, Joanna's family decided to get connected with the Everetts by marriage.

However, at the engagement banquet of Bruce and Roxanne, Joanna's step-sister, the man was drugged. Later in the lounge, Bruce mistook Joanna for Roxanne, and they slept with each other!

The next day, the scandal of the Haynes group's eldest daughter hooking up with her brother-in-law was all over the newspaper.

Roxanne Haynes' mental state broke, and she was sent to a nursing home abroad for treatment.

Everyone took Joanna as the most shameless homewrecker, pointing fingers at her for sleeping with her brother-in-law!

Bruce hated her even more and decided that Joanna was the one who drugged him and climbed onto his bed.

Yet, the Everett family and the Haynes family shared a friendship for generations. Moreover, this marriage was meant to deepen the connection.

Hence, the elders of both families, Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, insisted on Bruce and Joanna getting married.

The last two years of marriage had been a living hell for Joanna!

Her tolerance and affection did not make it any better. In return, she got more humiliation and torture. Joanna was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

So what if Bruce wanted a divorce? She'd had enough anyway!

"Fine, I'll sign them, but I have a request."

"Spit it out then!" Bruce believed that Joanna was thinking about more money!

After all, that was what she, a scheming woman, could only care about.

"I want you to sleep with me as a real lover does for once. For the past two years, every time you've been with me, you've called out Roxanne's name. Yeah, you've made me feel like I'm the worst woman in the world, and I've had enough! I'm your wife, and I want you to call out my name while sleeping with me for the last time. I am Joanna, not Roxanne!" For the first time, Joanna was screaming hysterically and trembling with anger!

Each time in the past two years, Bruce would deliberately call out the wrong name! He had sex with her simply to punish and humiliate her. There was no love in it at all!

"Oh, stop the nonsense. There's someone waiting for me downstairs..."

Joanna snorted with self-mocking laughter.

Then it probably was Roxanne who was waiting for him downstairs!

"She can wait a little longer. She's been waiting for two years, and I think she can be patient enough for another few minutes. Do what I said or not. Suit yourself. I don't mind the media writing stories about me again!"

Bruce hated being threatened the most. His thin lips curled into a sneer. A few seconds later, he replied, "Fine, I'll do it. But don't you regret it, Joanna!"

Bruce jerked to stand up, seized her by the blouse, and pulled her over violently.

And then...

Her stockings were ripped apart...

The man did not even give her a warning before hurting her!

"AH!" Joanna cried, shutting her eyes in pain!

Bruce was as ruthless as ever, almost cruel.

He never cared if it hurt her or not. Or maybe watching her suffer simply pleased him!

Good! Very good!

She would remember this, remembering the man's cruelty to her for the rest of her life.

"Joann. Oh, Joann. Are you happy now?"

He finally called her name as he was on top of her.

Though it was quite a humiliation, she could finally get rid of the depression that haunted her for two whole years.

Joanna felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she said in a heartbroken tone, "Bruce Everett! I won't love you anymore!"

Bruce had heard what she said but chose to ignore it. He caught her jaw contemptuously, looked down at her face, and sneered!

She was... beautiful!

This woman had such a pretty and innocent face, but her mind was filled with filth and schemes.

That was why her so-called love for him would only make him sick.

"Sign the divorce papers, take the money, and leave Greyport forever!"

Having said that, Bruce left without looking back, leaving her lying on the floor in a mess.

Two months later...

In a hospital.

"Congratulations, Ms. Haynes, you are pregnant with more than one. But I suggest you give up one or two of the fetuses, or there will be too many at risk!"

Giving up?

No, she would not take away the right to live from any of her children!

It was her baby and hers alone! One way or another, she was gonna give birth to them and raise them right...

Chapter 2 The Return Of Joanna

Four years later!

In the intensive-care unit of a hospital.

"I'm sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn't getting any better. You should go inside and bid farewell to him!"

Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, "Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can't make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government... oh, what to do... none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don't know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!"

Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.

Raymond, Shaun's father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.

He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.

In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.

Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond's death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.

So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.

However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!

No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.

"The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!"

Shaun's second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little.

Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna's mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.

She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.

Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa's awake!"

"Joann... my Joanna..." Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.

And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.

Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.

"Dad, aren't Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!"

"Joann... Let me see Joann. You won't get a penny before that..."

Ingrid shouted in a low voice, "It's been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she's gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?"

A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne's eyes, and she couldn't help but ask, "Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?"

Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.

Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!

Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 8 million dollars in it.

And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.

It had been four years!

Still, Bruce didn't believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn't need any of them!

She just disappeared from his world completely.

"Joann... Joann!"

"Oh, come on, Grandpa's dying! Go get the doctors..."

The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond's heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!

They were crying, not for Raymond's approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!

Tap, tap, tap...

From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!

Creak.

The door of the ward was pushed open.

The one who came in was wearing a custom-made white suit! A limited-edition Hermes was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face! Her slender legs were long enough, but the high-heeled shoes brought them out even more!

She walked in with the ice-cold-beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few!

"Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?"

"It's me. I'm here to see my grandpa!" Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed!

"Joanna!" The others all gasped.

She had changed so much!

Her long black hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next-door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!

What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much thinner than before. She was five feet and five inches tall but seemed to barely weigh 90 pounds! Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of big eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!

"Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don't show up..."

For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna!

"I'm sorry, grandpa. I'm sorry I'm late!"

"Joann," Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, "I'm glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved..."

With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!

Beep!

The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond's death!

"Grandpa? Grandpa!" Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!

"Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it's time to talk about inheritance, you came?" said Shaun's eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.

He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond's legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!

"Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!" said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. "Joann, now that you're back, move back home!"

Ingrid's lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, "That's right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group! The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you're still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business!"

Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her slut mother!

By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid's full control!

Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, "I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right on this. Raymond's funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed!"

Chapter 3 Jaydon Grimm

It was late afternoon after the mortuary house picked up Raymond's body.

Joanna walked out of the hospital with the others!

"Where do you live? My driver will give you a ride!" Bruce said. His voice was kind of hoarse because Joanna had not spoken to him once before this!

Joanna smiled politely and shook the car keys in her hand. "Thanks, but I drove here!"

The indifferent look on her face made it look like she was simply being polite to a total stranger.

Yet Roxanne took it that Bruce was hitting on Joanna. Her face fell, and quickly, she held Bruce's arm affectionately, saying, "Joann, why don't you move back in with us? At least, you don't have to be alone, and..."

"It's easier for me to stay in a hotel. Bye!" Joanna waved politely and headed for the underground parking!

Soon, a silver Bentley pulled out of the parking lot, and it roared off while in front of the crowd!

"It seems that my sister has been living a good life these years! She could enjoy such a rich life without any help from the family!"

Bruce did not reply.

During the four years when Joanna had been gone, for various reasons, Bruce did not marry Roxanne. Moreover, with these four years, he realized that Roxanne was simply not the one for him.

The only reason that he did not break up with Roxanne was because of his family. The Haynes family was a wealthy one, but it was nothing compared with the Everetts. However, the elders of both families were close friends! That was why the Everett family had always been taking care of the Haynes family!

Except for that, there was another crucial reason. Ten years ago, Bruce nearly drowned while he swam, and it was Roxanne who saved him! Ever since then, he swore that he would love and protect this girl for the rest of his life!

"Joann has always been striving since she was just a kid! She is smart and good with men, too! See her fancy clothes and car? She must have hooked up with some wealthy fellow again! Unlike her, Roxy, you are always stupid and innocent, and people all try to take advantage of you!" Ingrid seemed to be praising Joanna, but it was not hard to recognize what she was implying.

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, I just want you to learn from Joann. Do you see how good she's been doing? Girls like her are never for us to be worried about wherever she goes. There aren't many girls as smart as her anymore!"

Bruce somehow was a little upset. "Ingrid, Roxy, I must go now. I have an important meeting tonight."

"Yeah, sure. Drive safe, alright?" said Ingrid with a flattering smile, afraid of offending her daughter's promising husband-to-be!

Bruce said nothing more, turned around, and got into a car...

Having watched Bruce's car disappear, Roxanne stamped her foot in anger. She complained, "It's all your fault, Mom! You should never have put that bitch Joanna in Bruce's bed six years ago! Bruce never mentions marrying me again! And now that Joanna's back, what are we gonna do?"

Ingrid gritted her teeth grumpily. What her daughter complained about was what Ingrid regretted the most.

She had it all well-designed six years ago.

First, she had Joanna drugged. Then she sent the girl straight to Bruce's room, convinced that Bruce was too drunk to do anything.

After that, Ingrid informed a group of Paparazzi, suggesting they write a drama about how Joanna threw herself in her brother-in-law's arms. Ingrid did so because she was expecting that once Joanna had brought dishonor to the family, the girl would be deprived of the right of inheritance.

Yet she did not expect that it would backfire.

Bruce actually slept with Joanna.

And then things got out of her hands. Under the pressure of Raymond Haynes and Margaret Everett, Bruce ended up getting married to Joanna.

Thinking of this, Ingrid said, "I did it for you, silly girl. Damn it, all because of your grandfather! That old shit has always favored that Joanna slut! Well, now that the old man's dead, let's see who can stand up for the little whore this time!"

"But mom..." Roxanne was still worried.

Even though Bruce had been good to her for years, she could see the frigidity in his eyes.

The man seldom smiled ever since he divorced Joanna.

Over the years, he had totally become a workaholic. Sometimes it took three or two months for Roxanne to see him around once.

"Don't worry. That idiot Joanna is just as stupid as that dead mother of hers! We are falling out with her right now. Not until she gives up her share of the inheritance first..."

Ten days later, it was Raymond's funeral.

It was drizzling rain. All members of the Haynes family had arrived at the cemetery except for Joanna. On top of that, the finest people in Greyport also showed up to pay their respects.

Not to mention the reporters that were gathering outside the cemetery.

After all, Raymond Haynes was quite a big shot in Greyport. So, of course, his funeral was well-focused.

"I heard Raymond willed the eldest daughter of the Haynes family to inherit the Haynes Group."

"Oh, my god, that girl is really shrewd. She seduced her brother-in-law six years ago and forced her sister to leave. Then she became the one marrying into the Everett family instead of her sister, and now she's the director of the Haynes Group. That's impressive!"

"Ha! So what? She's just a scheming bitch. She was kicked out by the Everett family, wasn't she? Such a woman is simply disgusting!"

Ingrid was overjoyed when hearing the whispers of the crowd. Trying hard to maintain the sad look on her face, she said, "May I have your attention, please? First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming to Raymond's funeral, and..."

A reporter cut in, "Mrs. Haynes, is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group as the new leader?"

Ingrid paused before replying, "I'm not gonna be disturbed by other things on this extremely distressing day. But for a company as big as the Haynes Group, one man's word alone can't take effect. We need a board meeting to pick the right executive director!"

"Mrs. Haynes, why isn't Joanna here on such an important day?"

"Ha, that's the question you should ask her..."

While she was saying, outside the cemetery suddenly came the sounds of engines.

A stretch Rolls-Royce was making its way into the cemetery, followed by a fleet of Mercedes.

"Look at that license plate. It seems to be Mr. Grimm's car!" The reporters went all excited and rushed towards the Rolls-Royce.

Yes, that Rolls-Royce belonged to Jaydon Grimm.

There were two well-known wealthy young men in Greyport. One of them was Bruce Everett, and the other was Jaydon Grimm.

He was the second son of the casino magnate in Venturas City, and he also ran an entertainment company called Starlight Media. Several new top stars in the showbiz were all artists under his company's control.

Unlike Bruce, who kept a low profile, Jaydon had always been a man of publicity.

The doors of the Rolls-Royce were opened slowly, and Jaydon stepped out first.

"Wow, it's really Mr. Grimm!" The press swarmed forward like flies smelling blood.

After Jaydon got out of the car, he turned to the other side and helped a woman who was dressed all in black out of the car like a real gentleman.

"Is this...? Wow, it's Joanna Haynes!"

"You gotta be kidding. What is Grimm doing with a woman like her?"

As they were all astonished, one by one, came out two adorable kids wearing tiny black suits.

The boys should be at the age of 3 to 4.

And it was like a bomb, igniting everyone's interest!

Chapter 4 Her Children

"Oh my God, I don't believe it! After being kicked out of the Everett family, Joanna hooked up with Mr. Grimm. And they've had two kids already."

"Mr. Grimm, are these children yours? What is your relationship with Joanna Haynes?"

"When did you two get together?"

"Mr. Grimm, is it true that Ms. Haynes is about to take over the Haynes Group as the new executive director?"

The reports crowded with the popping flashbulbs and the swimming mics.

Hundreds of securities quickly formed a human wall.

Jaydon, who had never been a big fan of interviews, nodded slightly at the crowd of reporters. He was going to answer their questions today.

"Ms. Haynes and I are very good friends. Thank you for your concern."

This one sentence was enough for the reporters' imagination.

Joanna and the two boys entered the cemetery under the protection of Jaydon and security.

Today was the funeral of Joanna's grandfather, and she felt it necessary for her children to bid a proper farewell to him.

Four years ago, after she divorced Bruce, she gave birth to triplets, two boys and a girl.

The girl was supposed to come with Joanna, but the poor kid was born with a disease, and it was not appropriate for her to attend such an occasion.

So, Joanna only brought her two sons.

She and Jaydon stopped at Raymond's grave and made three deep bows.

"Kids, bow to your great-grandfather."

The babies obeyed their Mommy and bowed deeply, just as Joanna and Jaydon had done.

A warm family of four.

"Is that man Mr. Grimm? Jaydon Grimm?"

"Oh, dear, he's not secretly married to that lousy woman, is he?"

"This is shocking. I can't believe that Mr. Grimm would accept such a woman..."

This scene was irritating Ingrid and Roxanne, not to mention the other ladies present.

Jaydon Grimm was nearly every woman's fantasy.

He was born into a wealthy family, and he had grown into a handsome young man with a promising future! Jaydon Grimm was no less influential than Bruce.

Yet now it was Joanna, the woman kicked out of the Everett family, who hooked up with Jaydon.

How could she get so lucky?

What was so charming about her to be with such a fine man?

"Joann, em, whose children are they?" asked Shaun as he looked at the two boys in shock.

"They are my children, dad," answered Joanna as she turned to the boys. "Davian, Irvin, this is your grandpa."

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa!" Two boys called out together.

What the...

All the others were thunderstruck by this shocking news.

Ingrid and Roxanne were also freezing, their hearts pounding in horror.

These two boys looked so much like Bruce. Especially their eyes. They were basically small versions of the man.

Shaun still looked incredulous. "And... who's their father?" he asked with a serious face.

Deep down, he was so worried that Bruce was the father! After all, Bruce was now Roxanne's fiance.

Yes, Joanna was also Shaun's daughter, but unlike Roxanne, Joanna grew up abroad with her mother. It wasn't until Joanna was 12 years old after her mother died that she was brought back to the Haynes family.

Therefore, there was no deep bonding between Joanna and Shaun.

"Joann, I'm not trying to blame you. But you should at least tell your own family about the big issue, such as giving birth to two kids!" Shaun did not look pleased when finding he was a grandfather now. Instead, he looked disgusted.

Shaun believed that if Bruce was the father, then Joanna must have meddled in Roxanne's love life. Even if Bruce was not the father, Joanna was very likely to use the boys to seize more shares of the family inheritance.

All in all, this was no good for Shaun.

Joanna kept her head down and didn't say anything.

She just wanted to take the kids to see her grandfather off for the last time. As for the other things, she didn't want to explain too much.

By this time, Jaydon had taken a step forward and reached out. "Hi, Mr. Haynes. I'm Jaydon! I'm Joann's good friend."

When Shaun heard this, he gave Jaydon a glance subconsciously, and the next second, his nerves were settled.

Shaun never met Jaydon Grimm in person, but the young man's reputation was well-known, even for him.

Hence, if Jaydon was the father, he could finally be relieved. Hell, he could even celebrate this.

"Oh, hello! So, you and Joann? The kids?"

Jaydon paused for a few seconds, then he replied politely, "Joann and I are very close friends. So I wanted to be here with her and the kids on this grieving day."

One could argue that his answer was a little too "official" because he neither admitted that he was the father nor denied it.

As a matter of fact, highborn lads like Jaydon all did things like marrying secretly or having a love child. That happened a lot.

However, Bruce, who was standing aside, felt so upset, as if the vessels in his heart were suddenly blocked.

Bruce tore his tie loose subconsciously as his handsome face darkened.

He and Joanna had merely broken up for four years, but it appeared to Bruce that Joanna's kids must be at least three years old.

In other words, right after Joanna had divorced him, she threw herself into another man's arms. Or maybe she had long cheated on Bruce while they were still married. No wonder she could walk away without looking back. No wonder she could leave the 100 million dollars alimony behind.

It turned out that she had found herself a new sugar daddy.

Bruce should have known that. Wasn't she always a scheming woman? If she could somehow sleep with him six years ago, then, of course, she would have been able to seduce Jaydon again.

"How shameless!" thought Bruce. He was cursing fiercely in his mind.

That just cost him the last of his patience. Without saying anything to anyone else, he strode away, ready to leave.

"Bruce? Bruce!" Roxanne called out when she saw Bruce leaving.

Ingrid elbowed her daughter on the shoulder, gesturing for Roxanne to go after Bruce.

Thus, Roxanne hurried to leave the cemetery and ran after Bruce.

The group of reporters saw Bruce getting out, and they immediately swarmed over. "Mr. Everett, what do you think about the relationship between your ex-wife and Mr. Grimm?"

"You lived with your ex-wife for two years, but she failed to get pregnant! Do you think the boys your ex-wife brought over today could be yours?"

"When are you and Ms. Roxanne getting married? Mr. Everett?"

Bruce had been disturbed without the harassment of the reporters. So he was even more furious right now. His bodyguards quickly stopped the reporters from getting any nearer.

"No interviews!"

Then the bodyguards escorted Bruce into a car.

"Bruce! Bruce..." Roxanne followed out, but before she could get in, Bruce's car pulled out of the parking lot.

Reporters turned to Roxanne at once. "Ms. Haynes, when are you and Mr. Everett getting married?"

"What do you think of your sister taking over the Haynes Group?"

Roxanne had never been exposed to reporters like this. She froze and stammered, not knowing what to do or say at all.

Ingrid, worried about her daughter, dashed over in time. Seeing that Roxanne was surrounded by the press, she stepped forward hastily. "Sorry, sorry, we do not have any interviews today!"

Chapter 5 Taking Over The Company

"Please say something, Mrs. Haynes!" the reporters begged for any answer.

With a polite smile on her face, Ingrid replied confidently, "Thanks for your concerns, fellows. Mr. Everett and my daughter's wedding will be held on time. As for when and where, that's not for me to expose. And I beg you to leave some space for the young ones. Thank you!"

"What about Raymond's will then? Is it true that Joanna is going to take over the Haynes Group?"

"Well... um, of course, that's not true. That's nothing but a rumor. The Haynes Group is too large to be left in an inexperienced girl's hands!"

Ingrid knew Joanna very well. Ever since the girl was a kid, she had been a stupid and cowardly pushover.

Hence, Ingrid was sure that she was able to manipulate Joanna, and the latter would give up the control of the Haynes Group...

Meanwhile, Joanna and Jaydon walked out of the cemetery as well.

"Joanna, are you about to take over the Haynes Group?"

"Did Raymond make a will to bequeath the position of head of the family to you?"

"Yes," Joanna answered calmly and crisply.

This one single word was like a slap on Ingrid's face.

"So, Ms. Haynes, is it okay to reveal the contents of the will?"

"About the will, I've delegated full power to my lawyer to handle it. There will be a press conference to announce the contents of the will! Thank you for your concern."

Ingrid's mouth twitched in embarrassment as she glared at Joanna with her teeth gritted.

"This little bitch," she thought. "It's only been a couple of years, but she's not that stupid anymore."

"Joann, don't say anything in front of the reporters! Did you consult your father about the will? Did you consult the Board of Directors? The old man's just been buried, and you're trying to take over your father's position as Chairman?" Ingrid said sarcastically, glaring at Joanna.

Joanna turned around and looked Ingrid straight in the eye. "I'm just following Grandpa's wishes. If you have any questions or complaints, please contact my lawyer."

With that, Joanna ignored Ingrid and followed Jaydon to his car...

"Joanna!" Ingrid's face turned livid.

She couldn't believe that a few years of time could change Joanna so thoroughly. Ingrid was convinced that it must be Jaydon behind her back. Otherwise, with Joanna's intelligence, she wouldn't dare to treat Ingrid like that...

Three days later.

A board meeting was being held in the Haynes tower.

Shaun, Ingrid, Derick, Ryan, and the two other directors, Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul, all attended the board meeting as agreed.

In addition to them, Bruce was also seen at the board meeting, which did not happen a lot.

Bruce owned 15% of the Haynes Group, but he had never been involved in the management of the business.

As a matter of fact, he bought his shares purely out of goodwill!

"Really strange! Mr. Everett is here as well."

Mr. Roger and Mr. Paul were eager to fawn on Bruce as if he was the man who actually controlled the Haynes Group.

Bruce sat on the chair with a sullen face, noble and aloof, showing little interest in the two men. However, even though he was just sitting there silently, the others were still afraid of him.

Soon, Joanna arrived.

With black rimmed glasses, she was wearing a black suit with a white striped shirt underneath. Her hair was also tied up.

There was light makeup on her delicate face. Together with the maroon lips, she was all businesslike and gorgeous.

A complete career lady.

"All non-essential personnel, please leave! This is a board meeting, not a family discussion!" Joanna glanced at Ingrid and her two stepbrothers as she asked them to leave indifferently.

Ingrid's mouth trembled with anger. "Whoa, aggressive, aren't you? I was almost convinced that you've already been the Chairman since you're acting like one. Everyone here, Joann, is more qualified than you. We are all more capable at least than you of taking over the position of Chairman. The Haynes Group is too much of a big deal to be left in your hands. You think you, an immature girl, are really able to handle it?"

Derick, being a bad-tempered lad, slammed the table furiously and stood up. "Mom's right! Who are you to take the Chairman's seat from Dad? What have you done for the Haynes Group? You're just making a fuss here. Grandpa was old, and his brain wasn't functional anymore. So that doesn't count. Get out of here, or I'll kick you out myself."

Joanna's lawyer, Mr. Brycen, nudged his glasses and said sternly, "Mr. Haynes, Mrs. Haynes, please mind your manners! Otherwise, my client can sue you for intimidation and libel."

"Who are you to bluff me? Can she even afford a lawyer?"

Joanna merely glanced at Derick coldly and called out to her assistant at the door.

In a moment, eight burly security men came in.

Joanna said, "All non-essential personnel, please step out for the time being!"

"I'm staying! Deal with it!"

Politely yet also forcefully, the security guards reached out, gesturing for Ingrid and the others to leave.

"This is my father's company. Come and get me if you dare! But I'm telling you I'm not leaving. What are you gonna do about it?"

Of course, the security staff didn't really dare to use force.

Derick was even more arrogant when he noticed that. "Joanna, who do you think you are, huh? Don't push me any further. Otherwise, I don't mind slapping you even though you're a woman."

With that, Derick actually pounced on Joanna and was going to smack her in the face.

He had always been the bully in the family and the acknowledged heir. Now that his property had been taken away, how could he not be furious?

As Derick's palm was approaching Joanna's cheek, Bruce lost his temper and jumped to his feet unconsciously.

But before he could take any action, Joanna ducked, and Derick's slap missed her.

Then, Joanna caught the back of Derick's palm and gave him a sudden push, causing Derick to smash into the desk.

The next second, Derick's lip was cut, and it was bleeding at once.

"What, what are you doing? Oh, Rick! Are you all right?" Ingrid was almost wailing when she saw her son bleeding.

"Get them out of here."

"Yes, Ms. Haynes!" The head of security was no longer polite. Together with him, the others seized Derick and others and sent them out.

Joanna took a glance at the blood on her hands and frowned. She said, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

With that, Joanna walked straight out of the conference room and into the restroom.

She got in and turned on the tap. When she was about to wash the blood stains on her hands, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open.

It was Bruce who walked in.

Chapter 6 In The Restroom

"This is the ladies' room. You're in the wrong place." Joanna said coldly, continuing to wash the blood off her hands.

Bruce scoffed and casually turned on the tap to wash his hands.

"I've really underestimated you. I thought you were infatuated, and I didn't expect you to find another customer so quickly."

Anger flashed across Joanna's eyes, but she didn't want to continue this conversation anymore. She shook the water off her hand and walked straight to the door.

However, Bruce stopped her at once. He grabbed her by the arm all at once and threw her back violently to pin her against the wall.

"Who is your kids' father? When did you hook up with Jaydon Grimm?"

Though they had been divorced for four years, Bruce still thought that Joanna belonged to him. He looked quite arrogant when saying those words.

Joanna tried to free herself but failed. At last, she glared at Bruce and spoke up in a voice of cold fury, "Mr. Everett, please show me some respect. If you want to talk about business, please go to the office! If you want to take it personally, however, I have nothing to say to you."

Bruce's lips curled into a sullen sneer as he heard her words. He leaned closer and closer to her.

Joanna frowned, but deep down, her heart started racing nervously!

Back then, Bruce had absolute dominance and control over her. Over those years, she had been deeply traumatized.

Though it had been four years, the nerves in her body still retained their fear of him.

"Let go of me, Bruce! This is the place where I work. Don't you dare..."

"What are you so afraid of? You fear that they might call you a slut for hitting on your ex-husband in the restroom?"

"Are you insane? I'm warning you. Show some respect!"

"A slut like you deserves no respect at all."

"Bruce Everett, you're going too far!" With that, Joanna started struggling violently.

Yet it did not work.

Bruce was pinning her arms to the wall, making it impossible for her to struggle! He was so tall and oppressive that Joanna could barely breathe.

"Don't you love it when I do such things to you? Ha, I didn't expect that after four years, you would still like pretending to be an innocent girl."

As he said, Bruce took off her black-rimmed glasses and looked into her eyes with a wicked smile. "It's exactly that look on your face. Oh, I bet Jaydon Grimm loves it, doesn't he?"

Joanna was completely flustered. She shouted, "You psychopath. What are you doing? Stop this..."

Bruce grinned in satisfaction at her panicked reaction.

When they were still married, he liked to punish her with his most overbearing and aggressive method whenever they were in bed.

Now that Joanna had found her way to another man's bed, Bruce was gonna show her the horror of irritating him.

"Oh, are you afraid of being seen? You're afraid that Jaydon Grimm might dump you for this? Just cut it off, Joanna Haynes. Put away your dirty little schemes."

Joanna was furious. "Tell me then, Mr. Everett, what my schemes could possibly be?"

"Didn't we agree while getting divorced? You would leave Greyport forever and never come back! Why did you break the deal? To make me sick on purpose?" Bruce raised his eyebrows, the look on his face nearly murderous.

What the man cared the most was that Joanna actually came back with her sons with another man.

Even though they were divorced, Bruce still felt cheated on and even betrayed.

He would stop loving or even abandon anyone or anything at any time! But he just didn't like the idea of his toy being taken over by someone else.

"I came back for my grandfather's inheritance. What's it to you? I said, have some respect and let go of me!"

"And I've told you that you don't deserve any respect, haven't I?" Bruce sneered, his big hands running wild over her body.

"Bruce, we're divorced. What's more, I don't owe you anything. So don't insult me like this! Get your hands off of me right now, or I'll sue you for molestation!"

"You? Sue me? Don't make me laugh. Anyone in Greyport knows that it was you who drugged me and begged to have sex with me. It's only been four years, and you forget?"

"For the last time, I didn't drug anyone, especially you! I am the victim here. Not you."

"Ha! Just keep telling yourself that, will you?"

Joanna took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Fine, whatever you say. I've figured it out just now that there are many men out there who are so much better than you! Divorcing you is the best thing that ever happened to me."

And that succeeded in pissing Bruce off completely. He jerked his head down and shut her mouth with his furious kiss.

That kiss of his had always been full of aggression. Joanna even feared that she would be devoured in whole.

"Mm... get your hands..."

The next second, Bruce had raised his head, his eyes full of mockery. He sneered, "Do you actually think that I'll touch you again? Don't flatter yourself! I won't have sex with a whore who has been sleeping with the others. It disgusts me."

With that, Bruce let go of Joanna resentfully and walked out.

Joanna was gasping to catch her breath, finding her face in a mess and her lipstick falling off.

"Stop, Bruce Everett!"

"What? Are you gonna throw yourself in my..."

Bruce turned around in disdain, only to see a furious Joanna pouncing on him with her high heels in her hands like a lion cub. Before Bruce could know what had happened, he had been hit more than a dozen times.

"Why are you always so mean to me? What do I owe you? Huh? Why are you always so arrogant and full of shit!"

Bruce was so stunned that he forgot to fight back at all. He just stood up straight and took the hit.

All the years he had known Joanna, she had always been as timid as a lamb. She did not even dare to speak too loudly, let alone hit anyone with her shoes.

But now, she was striking him with the high heels, which was simply unreal and surprising for Bruce.