Chapter 63

"I'm okay, thank you!" Joanna politely declined. She endured the pain in her abdomen and body, then hurriedly left the villa.

Twenty minutes later, Cora arrived to pick Joanna up. Joanna got into the front passenger seat and anxiously asked, "Cora, where's David?"

"Derick and David have already returned to Melta," Cora replied. "Before leaving, David was very angry. He said he wanted to terminate the collaboration with the Haynes Group!" Joanna groaned and pressed her hand to her forehead. "That bastard Bruce!" she muttered. "Give me the phone!"

Cora handed it over. Joanna dialed David's number. The busy signal indicated he'd turned off his phone.

"Miss Haynes, David's probably on the plane and can't answer," Cora said. "Why don't you call later?"

Joanna sighed, leaning back against the seat. "Should I go to the office, or home?" she asked.

"Let's go back to the company," Joanna decided, having no desire to go home after such a crucial event.

Throughout the morning, Joanna repeatedly called David. Meanwhile, company employees whispered amongst themselves:

"Did you hear? Mr. Everett took Miss Haynes away last night! They even had a fight!"

"Where do you think they went?"

"Shh, be quiet!"

"Get back to work! Something big's about to happen to the Haynes Group. Keep a low profile!"

They worried about the Haynes Group's future, fearing the repercussions of offending a major supplier like CI Technologies.

Around noon, David finally answered.

"Hey," he said gruffly.

"David, it's me. I'm so sorry about last night"

"Joanna, there's no need to explain. I didn't expect things to turn out this way," David replied, his tone unpleasant. "I'm back in Melta. Maybe we should discuss the collaboration another time."

"David, listen! I'm truly sorry! Please give the Haynes Group another chance. Let's talk!" Joanna pleaded. "I was drunk last night. It was my mistake. I'm so, so sorry!"

A long silence followed. Finally, David spoke. "Joanna, if you still want to discuss the collaboration, come to Melta and talk to me in person. I want to see your sincerity." He hung up.

Joanna closed her eyes, sighing wearily. "It's so hard for women in the business world," she murmured. "There are so many unspoken rules you can't avoid." Even as chairwoman, she felt powerless. The Haynes Group had recently expanded, announcing its collaboration with CI Technologies. Many partnerships hinged on that deal. Without it, maintaining profitability, let alone meeting the three-year betting agreement, would be impossible. Compromise seemed her only option.

"Cora, book me a flight to Melta, immediately!"

"Right away, Miss Haynes."

Ten minutes later, Cora reported, "The earliest flight is 7 a.m. tomorrow."

"Book it."

Joanna then texted David: "I've booked a flight. I'll see you in Melta tomorrow."

At Reagan No. 8 Residence, Bruce slept until 11 p.m. He woke to find Joanna gone. He rushed downstairs.

"Hello, Mr. Everett," the servants greeted him.

"Where's Joanna?"

"Mrs. Everett left earlier this morning," Ms. Chan replied. "A little past 7 a.m."

Bruce frowned. Remembering last night's intensity, however, a smile crept onto his face. He picked up his phone, intending to call Joanna, only to find dozens of missed calls from Roxanne. She clearly knew what happened. She'd called all night, but he hadn't answered.

Andy approached, whispering, "Mr. Everett, Ms. Haynes called me."

Bruce took the phone. "Hello, Roxy," he said.

"Bruce, where are you? I heard you were in a fight last night. Are you injured?" Roxanne asked softly.

"No," Bruce replied. Their conversation was brief and stilted. "I have a meeting," he said finally. "I'll hang up."

Roxanne, unwilling to push, hung up. As long as Bruce married her, she could overlook everything—even last night's events with Joanna. She dared not create trouble for him.

(Note: The final promotional sentence has been removed as it's not part of the text to be cleaned up.)