Joshua's expression slowly hardened when the lawyers revealed that the interference had happened during the period when both sides had been arguing over the divorce settlement."When exactly did this amendment occur?" Joshua asked, studying the timestamp on the document."Six months ago," the attorney said, cross-referencing the logs. "Right in the middle of the settlement disputes between your legal team and Natalie's."Someone had deliberately delayed or altered part of the process without either Joshua or Natalie knowing."So while both sides were arguing over terms," Joshua said slowly, "someone quietly altered the filing behind everyone's back."Monica immediately suspected that the person might have been trying to manipulate the eventual outcome."That's not a coincidence," Monica said, frowning. "Whoever did this timed it deliberately. If someone wanted to manipulate how or when this divorce finalized, that's exactly the moment to do it, buried under all the noise of the actual

The meeting quickly became humiliating.Mark sat across from the man in a dim, private back room, laying out exactly what he was looking for.The man laughed when Mark explained that he wanted information capable of damaging Joshua."You want dirt on Joshua Hart?" the man said, leaning back and laughing outright. "That's rich. Half the city's already tried and failed."He mocked him for spending so much time investigating Joshua while remaining nothing more than Natalie's assistant."Let me guess," the man continued, still chuckling, "you've spent weeks, maybe months, digging into this guy's life, and what do you have to show for it? You're still just Natalie Harrison's assistant, running her errands, fetching her coffee.""That's not what I—" Mark started.He even reminded Mark that Natalie herself had slapped him and still ordered him around."I heard she slapped you too," the man added, grinning wider. "And you still show up to work the next day, taking her orders like a good littl

Damien reminded him that Natalie had nothing to do with his orders."And another thing," Damien said, jabbing a finger toward Mark, "whatever Natalie's chasing with this divorce has nothing to do with the orders I give you. Don't confuse the two."Mark's face hardened."So I'm supposed to just take orders from you," Mark said, his jaw tightening, "and ignore what's actually happening in my own life?"He admitted that he was tired of everyone treating him like a useless man."I'm tired of it," Mark continued, his voice rising. "I'm tired of everyone in this city treating me like I'm useless. Like I don't matter. Like I'm just an errand boy nobody has to take seriously."He blamed Joshua for destroying his life and Natalie for humiliating him, then told Damien that he was going to take back control of his own life whether anyone approved or not."Joshua destroyed my life," Mark said, his voice cracking with anger. "Natalie humiliates me at every turn. And now you're standing here acting

The incident made Joshua realize that his mother's fear could have a simple explanation—or something more serious could be hiding behind it. He stood in the hospital lobby for a long moment, replaying the empty corridor in his mind, weighing both possibilities carefully.He decided to take her back to the villa, where security could be controlled more carefully."We're moving her back to the villa," Joshua told Dr. Reynolds. "I can control the security perimeter there far better than I can inside a public hospital."Before leaving, he told the hospital director to continue monitoring her health and report even the smallest change to him."Continue monitoring her health remotely," Joshua added. "Any change, however minor, I want to know immediately.""Understood, Mr. Hart," Dr. Reynolds said.That evening, Joshua thought the matter was over until his mother suddenly called him from the villa and said she had seen the figure again.Joshua had just settled back into his office, reviewing

That night, Natalie called her lawyer again and ordered him to move forward with the divorce without allowing any further delay."I want this finalized," Natalie said into the phone, pacing her office. "No more delays, no more postponements. Move forward immediately."She then prepared a detailed list of everything she intended to demand from Joshua, including compensation, expenses she claimed to have covered during their marriage, and a share of anything she believed had been gained through their relationship.Natalie spent the next hour at her desk, drafting a meticulous list, medical expenses, living costs, household contributions, anything she could recall spending during the marriage, along with a demand for a share of Joshua's current holdings.She also warned her lawyer that if Joshua refused to cooperate, she would use every available legal means to protect herself and her reputation."If he refuses to cooperate," Natalie added coldly, "I want you prepared to use every legal