Jeremy's sharp gaze locked onto Joanna like a hawk, the veins on his temple throbbing visibly.He had never imagined Joanna could be so defiant. Lately, she seemed more rebellious whenever she was in front of him, her disdain for him growing with each passing moment.Complete and utter disdain."Joanna, I've warned you before—stay out of my business with Nadine. Don't interfere," he growled, his words dripping with menace as they escaped through gritted teeth."Of course."While everyone else held their breath in the face of Jeremy's barely restrained fury, Joanna remained calm. She appeared indifferent, as though she couldn't care less.She nodded in agreement with startling ease. "Rest assured, Mr. Hansen, I won't say another word about your affairs with Ms. Slinger."Having done enough foolish things to bury herself, Joanna now felt more clear-headed than ever.She smiled faintly, her bright eyes glimmering with a detached elegance. "And please, Mr. Hansen, sign the divorce
Elliot stormed up to the 38th floor and poked Joanna on the forehead as he scolded her."My dear boss, can you please stop being so soft-hearted and playing the saint? You always end up getting stabbed in the back! It's the classic story of the snake and the farmer."Joanna nodded sincerely, accepting his criticism. "You're right. I won't do it again.""Promise me," Elliot demanded, his tone firm.Joanna nodded again. "I promise."Elliot gave her a sharp look before sitting across from her. "We have the product launch event tomorrow. Are you going to show up and shock these two scumbags?"Joanna shook her head. "Eterna Group is still miles behind Hansen Group. Jeremy probably wouldn't even bat an eye.""Who says that?" Elliot retorted indignantly. "Eterna Group has only been around a few years! And let's be honest, Jeremy is only where he is because he's standing on the shoulders of generations of the Hansen family."Mark my words, in ten years, Eterna Group will definitely sur
Joanna smiled. "You really don't need to worry about the money. Just focus on finalizing the acquisition. Once the deal is set, the funds will be transferred immediately."Elliot stared at her, his mouth agape.But since Joanna didn't seem inclined to elaborate on the source of the money, he didn't press further. Instead, he nodded repeatedly, giving her a thumbs-up. "You truly are my boss—bold and decisive. I'm in awe, absolutely in awe!"…When Jeremy returned to Clementson Bay Villa, the new chef had prepared a lavish spread for him. The dishes looked just as good as what Joanna used to make.Jeremy sat at the dining table, picked up his fork, and sampled one of the dishes. It tasted fine, excellent even, but somehow, it felt off.After just a few bites, he set his fork down. Polly and the chef stood nearby, watching nervously.Jeremy didn't say a word. He simply got up and went upstairs. Once inside his study, his phone rang. It was Kenneth calling."Mr. Hansen, Joy wasn't
At Maplewood Residences, Joanna woke up after a good sleep. The whole ordeal with Nadine and Joy had already been pushed to the back of her mind. However, she hadn't expected Joy to be just as greedy and despicable as Helen and Benjamin.While she was having breakfast, her phone rang with a call from an unfamiliar number. When she answered, it turned out to be Joy.Joanna hadn't expected Joy to have the audacity to call her."Joanna, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have slandered you yesterday, but I was forced to. If I hadn't said those things, my mom and brother would've beaten me to death, and Nathan would've left me," Joy said, her voice trembling with guilt and remorse."It's fine. You don't need to worry about yesterday. Let's just pretend we've never met," Joanna replied coolly, her tone indifferent. She genuinely didn't care anymore.Besides, letting someone like Joy affect her mood wasn't worth it. Her time was too valuable to waste even a second on someone undeserving."Reall
While the host on stage was introducing the new products, the audience remained quiet. Elliot leaned in close to Joanna's ear to whisper."I thought you weren't going to come." By sheer coincidence, the camera panned over to them, lingering on their faces for two seconds before shifting away.…In the CEO's office at Hansen Group headquarters, Jeremy sat in front of the TV, watching the live broadcast of Eterna Group's product launch.Since he was considering acquiring Eterna Group, this event—their biggest launch in five years—was something he needed to monitor.But when the camera showed a clear shot of Joanna and Elliot whispering intimately, Jeremy's dark eyes immediately turned stormy.On the screen, Elliot cupped his hand near Joanna's ear, saying something, while Joanna lowered her gaze slightly. Her face glowed with a soft smile, her beauty radiant and captivating.Neither seemed aware that the camera had caught them.Viewers watching the live stream quickly recognize
"Do you really have to ask me that?" Jeremy flew into a rage, each word cutting through the phone. "Do you want the whole world to see you being so shamelessly lovey-dovey with Elliot, Joanna?"The whole world, he said. Joanna finally understood why Jeremy was furious. She had noticed the cameras pointing their way earlier, but she hadn't paid any attention to them. Joanna giggled. "Why does it bother you so much, Mr. Hansen? All you have to do is sign the divorce agreement, and everything I do will not affect you."Besides, only the Hansens and the people around them knew about their relationship. "Joanna Thompson!" The veins on Jeremy's forehead popped. "I decide whether we divorce or not. As long as you're still my wife, you have the duty to remain loyal to me.""Are you alright in the head, Mr. Hansen?" Joanna was done going along with him. "I'm not, and it's your fault." Surprisingly, Jeremy didn't retort to her this time. "We'll divorce only if you abort the baby, Joan
Before Joy's boyfriend could stab Joanna, a powerful kick sent him flying. He let out a painful cry before crashing to the floor with a loud thud. Joy and the other guy were shocked and hurriedly turned to look behind them. When they saw Elliot, who looked so vicious that it seemed like he could kill them, they immediately bolted. However, it was too late. Elliot had brought some security guards with him, and they quickly subdued Joy and the other guy. "How should we deal with them, Joanna?" Elliot asked, kicking Joy's boyfriend for good measure."They tried to rob me at knifepoint. Take them to the police," Joanna replied coolly."Please let us go, Joanna. We let the moment go to our heads. We were just following orders." Joy begged fearfully as she was being pinned down by the security guard. Elliot's expression darkened at her words. "Who gave you the order?""It's Ms. Slinger," Joy revealed. She was truly a two-faced snake. "She said that you're pregnant. If we can make
After a simple questioning process, the police officers led Nadine to the door with big smiles on their faces. Joanna had just finished giving her statement. She was about to get into her car when a Maybach G900 drove over. To her surprise, Jeremy had come. She had no intention of meeting him. With one foot already inside, she quickly entered the car."Joanna." The last thing Joanna had expected was to hear Nadine's voice from behind her before she could properly enter. She withdrew her foot and turned to face the latter. Nadine hurried over and stopped in front of Joanna with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Joanna. I had no idea Joy and her friends would pretend to work with me and demand money from you. It's all my fault. Are you okay?"Elliot looked thoroughly disgusted by Nadine's performance, his lips twitching in response. Before Joanna could say anything, he spoke up. "Here's some advice for you, Nadine. Don't be too conceited and ruthless. Otherwise, you might
After Jeremy left Sydney's office, he went to see Elliot.Sydney's film company was located in the Eterna Group's office building, so Elliot had already anticipated that Jeremy would come to him after not getting the answers he wanted from Sydney. He had been waiting in his office for Jeremy's arrival.Just as Jeremy was escorted in by the secretary, Elliot asked, "Mr. Hansen, are you here to ask where Joanna went?""No," Jeremy responded. Jeremy sat in the lounge area. He crossed his long legs and leaned back in the chair, facing Elliot directly. He looked up at Elliot and said, "I want to invest in Eterna Group."Jeremy had spent some time researching Eterna. He realized the company had no intention of being acquired.Eterna Group was also in the process of acquiring Belvoria's luxury brand, Yvestone Co.Although Yvestone Co. had fallen on hard times recently, acquiring it was no small task for a company like Eterna Group.Jeremy suspected that Eterna Group was short on cash
Her assistant, Linda Jones, flinched at Sydney's words and nervously said, "MS. Steele, isn't this a bit much?"Sydney glanced at her assistant and replied coldly, "Who's the boss here, you or me?"Linda nervously smiled and left to relay the message.If this had happened before, Jeremy would have made sure Sydney regretted refusing to see him. Yet, things were different now.Jeremy could vividly remember how Sydney's gaze at him was full of hatred after Joanna was attacked at Nadine's concert.He couldn't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently if he had been less proud and acted sooner. Perhaps Joanna wouldn't have miscarried, and maybe their children wouldn't have been lost.He had no choice but to go to Sydney to find out about Joanna. Yet, she refused to speak with him. All he could do now was wait.Since he was the CEO of Hansen Group, Linda felt bad leaving him outside for too long. She had no choice but to lead him to the VIP room to wait.Thinking J
Jeremy's voice trembled with anger as he shouted, "How am I divorced when I wasn't even there? How does that even count?"Then, he let out a bitter, almost deranged laugh, muttering to himself, "Of course, it doesn't count. Joanna is still my wife. We're not divorced. Until I agree to it, she's still my wife.""Jeremy, please—""Shut up!" he roared, cutting Wendy off before she could say more. His bloodshot eyes locked onto hers with a piercing glare. "Where is Joanna? Where did you hide her? You forced her to record that video, didn't you?"Wendy was slightly intimidated by his outburst but managed to remain calm. "Jeremy, what's the point of you being so devoted to Joanna? She wanted out of this marriage a long time ago. If not, how could she possibly lie so easily? The child is obviously yours, yet she claimed it's someone else's.""Where is Joanna?" Jeremy asked again through clenched teeth."I don't know." Wendy averted her gaze, refusing to meet his fiery stare. "I didn't
After making all the necessary preparations at 10:00 am the next day, Wendy had Joanna's video released across the internet. It wasn't just posted on one platform but on all of them. Additionally, a verified account named "Jeremy's Ex-Wife Joanna" published the same video. Immediately, the internet erupted, and netizens went wild.Everyone started blaming Joanna.When Jeremy saw the video, it had only been five minutes since it was posted. He stared at the pale-faced Joanna on the screen, and every word that came out of her mouth felt like a knife brutally slicing through his nerves. He had never been so furious before. Without thinking, he grabbed his phone and tried to call Joanna, but all he heard was, "The number you've dialed is not available…"Frustrated, Jeremy didn't think twice about why Joanna's phone was unreachable. He rushed to the PR department, ordering them to take the video down at any cost. If that wasn't possible, he demanded the account be shut down complet
"You—" Wendy gritted her teeth in anger. "Fine, 100 million dollars it is. That should show Jeremy what kind of person you really are."With the terms settled, Wendy wasted no time. She personally wrote a script for Joanna, dictating exactly what she needed to say. Elliot arrived at the hospital to record the video, ensuring that everything was done perfectly. Wendy stood by, overseeing the process.Once the video was recorded according to her instructions, it was clear it wouldn't be handed over just yet."Mrs. Hansen, the video will be sent to you as soon as Joanna has the divorce papers from Jeremy and the 100 million dollars," Elliot assured her.Having made a promise, Wendy was committed to following through. She nodded in agreement. "I'll come by tomorrow morning. You'll have both the money and the divorce papers by then.""Thank you, Mrs. Hansen," Elliot said with a smile. "Safe travels. I won't see you out.""Damn hypocrites," Wendy muttered under her breath as she storme
Joanna was actually ready to be discharged from Crossfield Hospital, but because Jeremy had said, "I'll come pick you up when you leave the hospital," she refused to leave. She knew how controlling he could be. Since he said it, he would definitely take her back to Clementson Bay Villa once she was out. She didn't want to have any more conflict with him.Of course, she was also waiting for Wendy.She understood Wendy. With her selfishness and domineering nature, she would undoubtedly try to use Joanna to get out of the current mess surrounding the Hansen Group and Jeremy.Although Jeremy often resented Wendy for neglecting him since childhood, he was actually just like her—selfish and domineering. Joseph, on the other hand, was more like Sean—gentler and kinder than Jeremy.On the sixth day, Wendy finally appeared in Joanna's hospital room. Joanna let out a quiet sigh of relief.By now, Wendy wasn't even pretending anymore. She came in with a straight face and sat down on the
There were also rumors that Jeremy had been financially supporting Nadine all along. Clearly, someone was behind all of this.Their suspicions were correct. However, they found nothing useful after two days of investigation. They only discovered that the mastermind behind everything was a large foreign conglomerate.This conglomerate's influence far surpassed that of the Hansen Group, and it was not something the Hansen Group could confront, nor could they afford to offend.The question remained. Why would this foreign conglomerate want to continuously expose Jeremy's dark secrets and push Hansen Group into a crisis?Wendy and Sean couldn't think of any time the Hansen family or the Hansen Group had crossed this conglomerate. If they hadn't offended them, the only possible reason was that the conglomerate had set its sights on the Hansen Group or one of its subsidiaries. They likely wanted to first suppress Hansen Group and then acquire it at a low price.This was a typical busi
Once again, Jeremy's suspicions were confirmed. He couldn't even get angry anymore. If he didn't indulge Nadine, she wouldn't have done any of this. If anyone was to blame for everything, it could only be him.He closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair with a frown. Never before had he felt so defeated and disgusted with himself.…There was also another faction of netizens who criticized Jeremy.For the past few years, Jeremy had kept a spotless reputation, with no rumors or scandals involving women, except for Nadine. His exceptional business skills, leadership abilities, handsome appearance, and noble demeanor earned him constant praise from netizens. He was the prince charming countless women dreamt of.Now, he had revealed that he had been married for three years and had been entangled with his ex-girlfriend all along.The type of man that women despised the most was a two-timer like him. His prince charming image instantly crumbled, and he became a scumbag in the eyes
After the netizens had analyzed the situation in detail, they spared neither Joanna nor Nadine.However, based on the video that Nadine's fans posted during the concert, netizens could see that Joanna had no intention of clinging to Jeremy. In fact, it was Nadine who kept holding onto him.When Joanna was being attacked by fans, Jeremy tried to intervene, but Nadine prevented him from getting near her. Gradually, the criticism shifted from Joanna to Nadine.Then, another netizen revealed that Joanna's miscarriage was caused by being beaten by Nadine's fans. As soon as the news broke, all the blame was directed at Nadine and her delusional followers.Seeing her public image deteriorate, Nadine couldn't take it anymore and revealed that Joanna wasn't even carrying Jeremy's child. This revelation sparked even more chaos online. One of the headlines even read, "Joanna's Baby Isn't Jeremy's."When Jeremy saw the headline, his temples throbbed with anger. He lost control and threw his