Chapter 108

Joanna, more surprised than I was, stormed toward Lidia, shouting fiercely, "What are you babbling about? Mr. Robinson doesn't even know her!"

Lidia, already flustered, jolted in fear at Joanna's shout. She murmured, "L...Lidia," stammering, too scared to say more.

Joanna then leveled her accusations at me. "You taught her to say that, didn't you? You'll do anything to win."

Dylan, seeing this, immediately rushed to shield me. "Yvonne wouldn't lie. She would never instigate anyone," he declared.

I was taken aback. I had previously seen Dylan as an immature younger brother, but standing before me now, he possessed a surprising air of authority. Being protected felt surprisingly nice. This wasn't the moment for sentimentality, but I couldn't help contrasting this with Hayden, who had never once defended me in the past decade. Only after snapping out of it did I realize the emotional turmoil I'd been cherishing was just a mess.

Hayden's gaze met mine; half his face darkened. "Lidia, tell us everything you know," he said in a serious voice, his eyes fixed on me while addressing Lidia.

Lidia's face paled further under his scrutiny. "To help Joanna, I got close to Harrison. One night, he thought I was asleep and made a phone call on the balcony. I heard him mention the name 'Irene' and tell her to stay quiet after taking the money," she revealed, her lips trembling under Hayden's intense gaze. She was attractive, with an impressive figure that gave her an advantage with men; she could easily glean information after spending a few nights with them. She had formerly been a star in the PR department.

As soon as Lidia finished, Harrison jumped up, pointing and cursing, "You damn liar! When did I ever say that? And we're not that close—how could you know who I call at night?"

In the heat of the moment, anything was possible. But once people regained their senses, they became unrecognizable, even to close relatives. Lidia, experienced in such situations, was prepared. Calmly, she produced her phone, displaying intimate photos of herself and Harrison. Everyone looked, sighing and shaking their heads.

Harrison, unable to defend himself, finally revealed his true colors. "You deceitful woman. It's a waste of my kindness to you."

Joanna was stunned. "Lidia, you…" she stammered.

Lidia, avoiding her gaze, quietly turned away. She had initially wanted to help Joanna but couldn't withstand the pressure from Hayden.

Seeing the situation escalate, I produced the documents Stanley had brought. "Besides that, Harrison also illegally blocked the fire exit in the shop," I added.

Zachary, apparently unaware of this, leaned in to listen after I finished. "Wow, that's pretty clever, using that to expand the shop's area?" he exclaimed.

Harrison, caught off guard, flushed with embarrassment. Stanley added, "Knowing the law and breaking it anyway means you should be punished even more."

Harrison pleaded, on the verge of breaking down, "I just wanted to make more money. Besides, I spent a lot on renovations. Please forgive me, I'm sorry…" He had tried to be clever, but hadn't anticipated this group's sharpness.

Hayden disliked noisy situations; his eyebrows furrowed deeply. He gave Richard a look, and Richard immediately understood, escorting Harrison and Lidia outside.

Zachary smiled at me. "Since everything is so obvious, I think everyone agrees Mrs. Parker won, right?"

I sighed in relief; at least I hadn't embarrassed myself. However, Hayden immediately dampened my happiness. "Wait a second." An invisible hand seemed to grip my heart; breathing became difficult.

Joanna instantly clung to Hayden's arm, pleading, "Hayden, the competition deal was to completely resolve this. Even if there's a lawsuit from Mr. Robinson, there are also problems with Martin's fake contract." In other words, she wasn't secure yet. Her background wasn't well-known; her biological father wasn't wealthy, and she hadn't been able to adopt the Jackson surname. She'd gotten into the Parker Group through great effort and Hayden's help, and wouldn't let that go easily. Once out, she'd never get back in.

Hayden didn't argue but turned to me. "Is this your solution?"

I avoided his eyes and looked at Martin. "Mr. Zamora, are you still willing to sign with the Parker Group?"

"To be honest, I'm getting old, and after this ordeal, I don't want any more trouble," Martin shook his head, lacking his former energy.

Joanna's sharp voice cut through. "Great, now nobody wants to rent the shop! You can't really say you've won."

Ignoring her, I continued, "Mr. Zamora, the rent you previously paid will be fully refunded by the Parker Group. As for the shop rental issue, I spoke to my grandfather's student last night. He's very interested in expanding his business at Kinaw Square. Once the fire exit problems are fixed, he'll sign the lease."

As I finished, Zachary clapped. The sound spread through the room, a form of acknowledgment. "Wow, you're truly impressive! Got everything figured out. Looks like I won't have a date for tomorrow night's party. What a pity," he said with a smile, though a fleeting look of loneliness crossed his face.

Joanna, on the other hand, looked like she was gritting her teeth, wishing she could swallow me whole.

Dylan turned to me. "Yvonne, could you help Martin with the rent issue?"

"No problem," I replied.

Stanley also offered, "Nice job."

I smiled back, feeling a surge of strength and security from their support.

Taking a deep breath, I met Hayden's gaze. "What do you think, Mr. Parker?"

"Very good," Hayden nodded. My heart skipped a beat; it was the first time he had affirmed me. But there wasn't much time for happiness. I turned to Joanna. "So… are you resigning voluntarily, or should I talk to…"