The news about Peter's company spread quickly the next morning. The attack on his warehouse, the fake documents, and the investigation had already become the main topic among several business circles."Every outlet's running some version of it," an assistant said, sliding a stack of clippings across Peter's desk. "'Bertan Industries Linked to Illegal Importation.' It's everywhere."Peter barely glanced at the headlines, his jaw tight.At the Betham family residence, some of his relatives did not even bother hiding their amusement."Well, well," his cousin Harold said, lounging in the family's sitting room when Peter stopped by that evening to check on his elderly aunt. "The great businessman finally falls flat on his face."They mocked him and asked who was standing behind him now."Where's your little friend now, Peter?" Harold continued, smirking. "The famous Joshua Hart. I heard he was so impressive at that meeting yesterday. Funny how none of that impressiveness seems to be helpin

The leader finally admitted that they had arranged the fake documents, stopped Peter's shipment, and ordered the attack because he refused their investment deal."Fine," the investor gasped, still pressed into the chair, his face pale with fear. "We arranged the fake documents. We stopped the shipment. We hired the men who attacked the warehouse. All of it, because Bertan refused our deal."Joshua listened without changing his expression.He stood perfectly still, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the man with cold, unreadable patience.He then leaned closer and calmly told him that he had made a serious mistake."You made a serious mistake," Joshua said, crouching slightly to bring himself level with the investor's eyes, his voice quiet and deliberate."You wanted Peter's company. Instead, you brought yourself to me."The man tried to apologize, but Joshua had already ordered his men to collect every piece of evidence connecting them to the operation."Please," the inv

"Are you kidding me?" Mark shouted, shoving his chair back and rising sharply, staring down at the dark stain spreading across his jacket.He shouted at the waiter and demanded that the restaurant manager come immediately."Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?" Mark snapped, his face reddening. "Get your manager. Now."When the waiter apologized repeatedly, Mark threatened to have him fired and started bragging about who he was and the kind of people he could call."I'm so sorry, sir," the waiter stammered, grabbing a napkin, his hands trembling. "It was an accident, I'll clean it immediately—""You'll be cleaning out your locker by tonight," Mark snapped, cutting him off. "Do you have any idea who I am? I could have this entire restaurant blacklisted with one phone call. I know people who could shut this place down."Kate's expression slowly changed.Her earlier polite indifference hardened into visible discomfort, her gaze flicking between Mark's furious outburst and the te

Annoyed, Mark mentioned Joshua and the divorce."Maybe you should ask Joshua for help then," Mark snapped, his frustration boiling over. "Since apparently he's suddenly capable of fixing anything. Or is he too busy enjoying the divorce he probably wanted all along?"Natalie's expression changed.Her face went rigid, the earlier fury sharpening into something colder and far more dangerous.She stepped forward and slapped him across the face.The sound cracked sharply through the office, Mark's head snapping sideways from the force of it.Mark froze, unable to believe she had actually hit him.He stood there, stunned, one hand rising slowly to touch his reddened cheek, staring at her in genuine disbelief.Natalie angrily told him that he had no right to use her divorce against her after everything that had happened."You do not," Natalie said, her voice shaking with rage, "get to use my divorce against me. Not after everything that's happened. Not after everything I've already been thro

Natalie sat in her office late in the evening, staring at the divorce documents that had been left untouched for months. The papers sat exactly where she'd abandoned them weeks ago, buried beneath other files, mostly forgotten in the chaos of the island trip and everything after.After remembering that she and Joshua were still legally married, she finally made a decision.I never signed the final paperwork, she thought, tracing her finger along the edge of the folder. We're still married, technically. After everything.She would no longer leave the divorce hanging.Enough, she thought, pulling the file toward her. This ends now, one way or another.If Joshua had truly moved on and become as powerful as everyone claimed, then she wanted to see how he would react when she finally pushed the matter forward.If he's really as untouched by all of this as everyone seems to think, she thought, staring at the blank signature line, let's see exactly how he reacts when I finally force the matt