She stood silently by the window for a long time, the freezing draft biting at her skin, before finally making a decision.

Since her project was forced into a shutdown anyway, she might as well spin it for good PR.

The country heavily prioritized its ancient relics. Halting development on a historical tomb was purely about cultural preservation, and the government didn't hand out bailouts for corporate inconveniences.

Protecting heritage sites was supposed to be a civic duty.

Joanna let out a cold laugh. So what if she was losing hundreds of millions?

She firmly believed the old adage: what you lose will eventually find its way back to you in another form.

Returning to her bed, she checked her phone and saw over a dozen missed calls from Maxwell.

She completely ignored them.

Romance was no longer her priority.

Right now, all she craved was wealth, power, and a thriving empire.

Maxwell was a spineless coward. She had misjudged him completely. Even though he was a dead ringer for Sebastian, he didn't have a fraction of the competence.

It was a shame about Sebastian, but an even greater shame that once someone was gone, everything they had went with them.

Now, everything had fallen right into Natalie's lap.

It made Joanna sick to her stomach, but she was powerless to change the outcome. She opened a text from Horace.

*[Boss, they uncovered three ancient tombs. The underground complex is massive. The authorities replied regarding our losses-labor, machinery, and materials. They will only cover those baseline costs. Nothing else.]*

Joanna knew that would be the verdict.

She immediately dialed Horace's number.

"Boss, are you holding up okay?" Horace's voice was laced with deep concern.

A rare wave of warmth washed over Joanna. He was the only man who had been genuinely devoted to her from start to finish.

"Horace, I'm fine. Go negotiate with the authorities. Tell them we don't want a single cent of compensation, but in exchange, they must

please

an official statement highlighting that we selflessly handed over all the artifacts."

FindNovel.net

Horace instantly grasped her strategy. The company desperately needed positive press. He understood perfectly.

"Understood, I'll contact them immediately. Don't be too discouraged, Boss. We'll make that money back in no time."

Joanna shared his confidence. "Horace, you're the only one I can rely on. You need

to speed up the sabotage on Natalie's laboratory."

Horace chuckled darkly. "Don't

worry, Boss. I'm going to give you a wonderful surprise. I guarantee Natalie's Aldiagnostic system will never hit the market. I'll make sure it burns to the ground."

Joanna knew how loyal he was. Her laugh was soft and seductive.

"Good. You know how much I trust you, Horace. Once this is handled, I'll give you a very special

reward-something know you've been craving."

On the other end of the line, Horace paused, his heart racing.

"I don't need any rewards, Boss. Just being by your side is enough."

Joanna knew exactly what he wanted, which made it thrillingly easy to manipulate him.

If Maxwell could play the field and juggle lovers, so could she.

"Horace, I understand how you feel," Joanna purred. "You're the only one whose devotion to me has never wavered."

Horace's voice trembled with excitement. "I'll get right on it, Boss. I'll call you the second it's done."

His tone had grown uncontrollably tender.

Joanna was his beautiful disaster, his predestined fate.

"Mhm," Joanna smiled and hung up.

Almost immediately, her phone buzzed again. Seeing her mother's caller ID, her eyes iced over.

"Hello."

Sophia's frantic sobs poured through the speaker. "Joanna, come quickly! Something terrible has happened to your father!"