Chapter 187

Lilian smiled patiently. "If you accidentally hurt Mrs. Everett or Ms. Haynes, it will be terrible!"

Davian put his hands on his hips and fired another shot at the ceiling. "If you don't let us go home, we'll keep doing this!"

Davian and Irvin ran happily around the hall, screaming occasionally. The living room was a mess. They hadn't been naughty children in the past, but now they were using this disruptive behavior to try to get sent back to their mother.

Margaret sighed, watching the two boisterous children. "Be careful and run slower," she cautioned. "Don't fall!"

Roxanne fought to control her anger, forcing a smile. "Grandma, they're kindergarten age. Let's send them to school!"

"I know, but now isn't the time!" She needed to secure custody of the children first.

"Why don't we send them overseas to study? Children need an education. Look how naughty they are; it could be bad if they grow up mischievous!" Roxanne inadvertently revealed her true feelings. She couldn't stand the children, especially since they were Joanna's. The sight of them enraged her.

Davian immediately aimed his toy gun at Roxanne. Bang! A small steel ball hit her lower abdomen. Even though it was a toy gun, the impact was painful.

"Ah!" Roxanne cried out, clutching her abdomen. Getting pregnant through artificial insemination had been difficult; any mishap would undo all her efforts.

"Hmph. You bad woman! I'm going to shoot you!" Davian shouted.

"Sigh. These children really need discipline!" Margaret said.

"Hurry and send them to their room!"

"Yes!" The servants quickly carried the children away.

Margaret, too, found the children's behavior upsetting, but she couldn't bear to send them overseas. They were the great-grandsons she'd longed for; no matter how naughty, she loved them. "Roxanne, don't be angry with the children. Just avoid them in the future!"

Roxanne managed a strained smile. "Of course. I can't wait to love them! Why would I be angry?"

"They're still young. With more time, we'll definitely get along well," Margaret said.

Margaret smiled in satisfaction at Roxanne's words. As long as Roxanne was kind to her great-grandsons, she had nothing to worry about.

"Let's have breakfast together!"

"Okay!" Roxanne said, hurrying to push Margaret's wheelchair. "Let me push Grandma!"

Margaret stopped her. "No need. You're pregnant; it's dangerous!"

"It's okay!" Roxanne insisted, pushing the wheelchair to the dining room. As she did, she glared at the direction the children had gone, thinking, "One day, I'll get rid of you two brats!"

Meanwhile, Bruce returned to the Everett Group. He was distracted all morning, his mind filled with thoughts of Joanna. The colder she was to him, the more he missed her. The thought of her intimacy with Jaydon enraged him.

"Mark, how's it going?"

"Mr. Everett, don't worry! We made arrangements yesterday. Jaydon's reputation will be ruined in less than three days! Even if his film company doesn't close, it won't last."

Bruce felt a surge of satisfaction. "Yes, we have to attack him relentlessly. Don't give him a chance to recover, and we must stop him from clearing his name."

"Understood!"

"You can leave!"

"Yes!"

After Mark left, Bruce leaned back, a vicious look on his face. "Jaydon, I'm going to destroy you."

Meanwhile, Joanna remained in the hospital ward, her injuries still serious, but she insisted on being discharged.

"Joanna, your injuries are serious. You should stay a few more days!" Jaydon said worriedly.

Joanna, dressed and ready, said, "I'm fine. Much better now. These are external injuries; I can recover at home."

"I don't know what to do with you!"

Joanna smiled without replying. She needed to return to the company. During her illness, many problems had accumulated; if left unaddressed, they would worsen. Especially with the impending lawsuit from the Everett family, she needed to be prepared.

"Joanna, you're always so strong; it breaks my heart," Jaydon said.

"So what if I am?"

"I told you, you still have me!"

"Heh. Thank you, Jay! I'm lucky to have met you."

A hint of ambiguity crossed Jaydon's face. "Joanna, you're making me misunderstand!"

"You're doing it again!"

"Alright, alright! I'll stop talking!" Jaydon said, helping her leave the hospital.

"Home or the office?"

"Straight to the office!"

"Alright!"

They arrived at the Haynes Group half an hour later. Employees greeted them. The female staff at the reception gossiped about Joanna's injuries and her relationships with both Bruce and Jaydon. Cora interrupted their chatter.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing!" The receptionists quickly fell silent.

"It's better to work than anything else!" Joanna said, sitting at her desk, immediately beginning to work.

Jaydon's phone rang. It was Owen Robins, the company's vice president. He answered, frowning. "Owen, what's wrong?"

"Mr. Grimm, bad news. Get back to the company quickly!"

"What happened?"

Owen's voice was anxious. "The fire department and the tax bureau are investigating the company!"

Jaydon frowned; he suspected Bruce was behind this. For the past three days, various inspections had been taking place.

"Handle it yourself!" Jaydon said, about to hang up.

"Mr. Grimm, one more thing!"

"What is it?"

"Haven't you seen the news? Private photos of you and Carmel Basil are online. It's spreading rapidly. PR is trying to suppress it."

Jaydon gasped. He hadn't had time to check the news; he was now a trending topic. He had spent the night caring for Joanna.