Several senior executives openly praised not only Joshua's business talent but also his character. "Successful young men aren't hard to find," one executive said, shaking Joshua's hand firmly. "But someone with ability, humility, and integrity all at once? That's exceptionally rare these days.""Rare enough that I've stopped expecting it," another added, nodding in agreement, "which is exactly why this partnership feels different from the usual arrangements we sign.""Couldn't agree more," a third chimed in. "Most men his age would already be insufferable with half this success. He hasn't changed a bit since Lorenzo first introduced him."Watching Joshua become the center of attention, Kate and Sherry sincerely shared their own opinions about him with the guests around them."I'll be honest," Kate said to a small group nearby, swirling her drink thoughtfully, "I completely misjudged him when we first met. I assumed he was exactly like every other overconfident young businessman I'd en

The unexpected outburst left Natalie stunned. She had never imagined Joshua's former employer would call simply to vent his frustration at her."That's not my responsibility," Natalie said, her voice rising defensively. "I didn't force him to quit. That was entirely his decision.""Sure it was," Whitmore said bitterly. "And I'm sure it had nothing to do with the way everyone around him treated him like garbage the entire time. Congratulations, Mrs. Hart. Between the two of us, we managed to lose the most valuable asset either of us ever had, and neither one of us even noticed until it was far too late."Feeling humiliated, she immediately argued back, refusing to accept any responsibility. "I don't have to listen to this," Natalie snapped, and hung up before he could respond further, her hands trembling slightly around the phone as she set it down on the nightstand.She sat in silence for a moment, her chest tight, her thoughts scattered and refusing to settle into any coherent shape.

The discussion quickly turned into an argument. "You've changed since we got to this island," Natalie said, her voice rising, pacing now in front of the window. "You disappear for hours, you're always checking your phone, you left me alone at the marina yesterday without a single word of explanation. It's like you care more about whatever you're chasing than you care about me."Mark immediately denied it, insisting that everything he was doing was for their future. "That's not fair," he said, standing as well, his own voice rising to match hers. "Everything I've done since we got here has been for us. For our future. You have no idea how hard I've been working behind the scenes to set things up for when we get back.""Working on what?" Natalie shot back. "You won't even tell me!""Because it's not the right time!" Mark said sharply. "Can you just trust me for once instead of interrogating me like I'm one of your board members?""Trust you?" Natalie's voice cracked with disbelief, her

Instead of speaking negatively about Joshua directly, she carefully presented herself as someone who had simply made a difficult choice in an unsuccessful marriage. "I know how this must look," Natalie began, her voice carefully measured, rehearsed. "A woman who left her husband right before he suddenly became successful. I imagine people are already forming their own opinions about me.""People do talk," Lorenzo said neutrally, folding his hands in front of him.She subtly implied that Joshua's recent achievements were largely the result of Lorenzo's support rather than Joshua's own ability. "I just want you to understand," Natalie continued, "that our marriage ended for reasons that had nothing to do with any of this. Joshua was a good man, but he was never particularly ambitious. Quiet, content to stay in the background. Whatever you've seen from him this week, I think a great deal of that comes from the platform you've given him. The opportunity. Not everyone gets a stage like tha

"That could take weeks," Monica said."Then take weeks," Joshua said. "I'd rather this be complete than fast. A rushed exposure gives him room to spin a sympathetic story. A complete one leaves him nothing to stand on.""Understood," Monica said, already making a note in her folder. "I'll expand the scope starting tomorrow morning."He then turned to Peter and gave another order. "Peter, I need you to quietly expand our business network the moment we're back in the city.""What am I looking for?" Peter asked."Any company that genuinely wants to work with us, welcome them," Joshua said. "As for the ones who choose Mark instead," he added, his tone hardening slightly, "no one interferes. Not you, not Monica, not me.""You're just going to let them?" Peter asked, surprised, glancing at Lorenzo, who remained silent, watching the exchange with quiet interest."I want people to make their own choices," Joshua said. "Nobody forced to see reality before they're ready sees it clearly. If they