Chapter 18

Joanna frowned at Roxanne. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Roxanne sneered, turned, and slammed her head against the wall. Her forehead instantly swelled. She collapsed weakly, moaning, "Ouch! It hurts! Don't hit me, Joanna, please! Help!"

Bruce, hearing the commotion, hurried in, pushing open the door. He saw Roxanne on the floor, pitifully clutching her head.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Roxanne looked at Joanna in horror. "Joanna hit me," she whispered weakly. "She just hit me"

Bruce glanced at Roxanne's bruised forehead.

"It hurts!" Roxanne sobbed, her distress evident.

This finally convinced Bruce.

"Joanna Haynes, how could you do that to Roxy? She's your sister!"

Joanna fought back a roll of her eyes. "She hit the wall herself. I didn't touch her. I had nothing to do with it."

"Oh, stop it! How could Roxy be so stupid as to run into a wall?" Bruce exclaimed.

"Fine, fine. What do you want then?" Joanna asked wearily, her disdain evident.

"I want you to apologize to Roxy!"

Joanna narrowed her eyes, folding her arms and staring coldly at Bruce and Roxanne.

"This is not a drama show. What's the point of these little tricks?" she said icily.

Roxanne remained silent, but inwardly, she was laughing. There were no cameras in the conference room. Even if Joanna were innocent, who would know? Besides, Bruce's belief was all that mattered.

"Joanna, I know you hate me and don't want to see me. I'll try not to be around you. I can even forgive you for attacking me, but not my face!" Roxanne cried, turning to Bruce. "Oh, no, Bruce, my face! Will I be disfigured?"

Bruce glanced at the wound. "No, it's just a small cut. It'll heal quickly," he reassured her.

"Oh, no," Roxanne wailed. "But we're supposed to take wedding photos next month! How can I do that with this wound? Will there be a hideous scar?"

Bruce frowned slightly, but his voice remained gentle. "No, there won't be a scar. Trust me."

He turned to Joanna. "And if there is any scar, even the slightest, Joanna Haynes, I will cut your face for it!"

"Oh, for the last time, it wasn't me! Believe it or not, I'm going to work. You deal with thiswhatever this is."

Joanna started to leave, infuriating Bruce. "Stop!" he shouted.

"What now?" Joanna glared at him.

"I want you to apologize to Roxy!" Bruce said, his cold eyes devoid of warmth. It wasn't about Roxanne; it was Joanna's infuriating attitude.

Joanna sneered. "Bruce Everett, you're pathetic!" she said, turning to leave again.

"I said stop!" Bruce yelled.

"What else do you want?" Joanna demanded.

Losing his temper, Bruce wouldn't let her go. "You're not leaving until you apologize!"

"And?" Joanna replied sharply.

Bruce sneered. "Apologize to Roxy. If she forgives you, you can go. Otherwise, this won't end easily. I'll make you pay dearly!"

Roxanne, leaning weakly on Bruce's arm, finally squeezed out some tears. "Bruce, forget it! My sister's in a bad mood. She probably just acted on impulse. Don't make things difficult for her!"

Bruce didn't respond, his blazing eyes fixed on Joanna. He couldn't stand her cold dismissal. Her attitude was everything to him. Even a single word of apology would suffice.

Unfortunately, Joanna showed no sign of giving in.

"Last warning, woman. Get down on your knees and apologize! Otherwise, I'll find your sons, and they'll be sorry for you!"

Joanna's heart skipped a beat.

"Alright, I'll apologize. Stand up, Roxanne. I'll get down on my knees!"

"You don't have to, Joanna! Oh, Bruce, don't be so hard on her!" Roxanne felt triumphant.

She told Bruce not to be hard on Joanna, but her actions spoke louder than words. Roxanne was already standing, eagerly awaiting Joanna's kneeling. Bruce's heart ached. He'd only wanted to humiliate Joanna, to see her angry. He never wanted her to kneel before another woman. But she'd agreed.

"Joanna, don't kneel! Just say you're sorry, and I'll forgive you! You know me, I never hold a grudge…"

Mockery flashed in Roxanne's eyes as she watched Joanna with relish.

Neither Bruce nor Roxanne anticipated what happened next. While Roxanne reveled in Joanna's apparent defeat, Joanna suddenly kicked Roxanne hard in the stomach!

"Ouch!" Caught off guard, Roxanne stumbled back and hit the wall.

Joanna looked back at Bruce indifferently. "See? Now, that one's on me."

Bruce was furious. "You asked for it, Joanna!" he growled. Enraged, he took several steps toward Joanna, reaching out to grab her by the neck. His height cast her instantly into shadow.

Roxanne crouched on the floor, hands on her stomach, hoping Bruce would beat Joanna for her. But the buzzing of electricity startled her.

Before Bruce could grab Joanna, she acted first. She pulled a stun gun from her pocket and stunned him without hesitation. The powerful current surged through Bruce's body, incapacitating him. He almost passed out. Joanna, a single mother for years, prioritized safety, always carrying the small, lighter-sized device.