"Your killing has nothing to do with me, so don't drag me into this. If you really can't move her body, then call your parents. Have them help you."

"Given how much your parents dote on you, they'll definitely help you cover up the murder."

Maxwell's grip on his phone tightened, his eyes darkening with cold, murderous rage.

"Joanna, do you hear how inhuman you sound?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me now that I'm no longer useful and shift all the blame?"

"I did all this for you. I even summoned all my courage to kill for you. And you? Not only are you ungrateful, but you refuse to help me and even want to drag my parents into this. My family is everything to me. Everything I've done, I've done for you."

"Joanna, you have to come and help me."

Joanna's voice was ice-cold. "Fine, Maxwell. Give me an address. Where are you? I'll have the police come 'help' you."

Maxwell's eyes widened in desperation. "Joanna, you're going to call the cops on me?"

"What else? You're a murderer. Did you think you could escape the law?"

Before Maxwell could retort, Joanna cut him off. "And don't you dare say I instigated this, Maxwell. I never told you to do a single thing."

"Joanna, you... after using me, you're going to eliminate me so you can take everything from the Spencer family?"

That last sentence was what he truly wanted to ask.

"That's right. Maxwell, you have no one to blame but yourself. You were the one who decided to kill Natalie. I never ordered you to do anything," Joanna said, her tone arrogant and completely different from her usual gentle demeanor.

Maxwell's heart went cold.

So it was true.

Joanna's goal was the entire Spencer family.

"Joanna, you..."

"Remember this, Maxwell. You killed Natalie. It has nothing to do with me. You're a murderer now, so you're no threat to me. I'll be taking over all of your parents' assets."

Joanna hung up.

Maxwell froze, staring blankly at the disconnected call on his phone.

Natalie watched him without a word.

She gave Maxwell time to process it all.

Right now, Joanna was probably celebrating her death.

After a long while, a single tear slid from the corner of Maxwell's eye, landing on his phone's screen.

That one tear was all it took for him to finally wake up.

He had regretted his actions almost immediately after he started down this path.

He had only sought revenge on Natalie out of sheer unwillingness to accept his losses.

But what had Natalie done wrong?

He had

en the arrogant one,

hitting with his car and then arrogantly insisting he was not at fault.

Maxwell looked up at Natalie, who was sitting on the bed.

She sat there calmly, her aura refined, her eyes clean and clear.

He stood up and stumbled over to her side.

Beneath the blanket, Natalie's hands

were poised to strike. If Maxwell

dared to pounce, she was confident

she could kick him all the way to the first floor.

She didn't enjoy a life of constant fighting.

Natalie watched him defensively. "Maxwell, what are you doing? Stay away from me."

Maxwell walked right up to her and bowed deeply, his head hanging in shame.

Natalie looked down at him, at his dejected posture, and couldn't understand why he was bowing

"Maxwell, what is this? A man should have more pride than that. Why are you kneeling to me?"